Suggest Ways To Manage The Side Effects Of Amlodipine

Question: Have been taking AmLodipine 5mg for 5-6 months for BP control. It brought down my BP from 139/95 to about 120/80 for about a couple of months, then BP went back up now and strong side effect started a month ago. I want to stop it, my doctor said I could stop immediately. I am 64 years old and does not take any other medicine at this time. Please tell me how to stop it safely, should I cut down to 1/2 of the tablets first, then stop it/ Or should I keep taking 5mg by splitting into 2.5 and taking 2 pieces of 2.5mg until next month's doctor's appointment? Thank you.

Thank you so much Dr. XXXXXXX

I appreciate your answer and its very helpful. Since I took Amlodipine 5mg yesterday, how long the effect will stay?

Hi Dr. XXXXXXX Thank you so much for your reply. One follow up question is that when I see my doctor within 3 weeks, I am thinking about to ask her to get me start with Benicar, I heard they have fewer complaints. I know every HBP medicine has unpleasant side effect, what do you think of Benicar? And if my body does not fit well, can I withdraw Benicar and say, come back to Amlodipine? or Lorsartan? or others? Lorsartan is in the same family with Benicar, so in theory, if Benicar has strong side effect on me, does it mean Lorsartan also won't work? BTW, if I have more questions, the web site perhaps wants me to pay, but how can I get some questions to you, since you are aware of the history. Thanks.

Hi Dr. XXXXXXX Thank you for the reply. Yes, I just paid/recharged so I can keep asking more questions. You have know about the structure of my case, now I must tell you what kind of symptoms that I have had so I want to get out amlodipine. I also went cold turkey on coffee about 5 weeks ago. right after I quit drinking coffee on April 17, 18. Then early morning on 4/19, after I woke up, I think I changed my sleeping position too soon-went to bathroom, then vertigo came in, I had kind of sea-sick feelings, chill, dizziness, extremely weakness, cold feet, losing balance, feel like volmiting (but did not) kind like narssia, extremely dry mouth, so thirsty, I keep drinking water but keep going to bathroom, keep thirsty. I went to E.R. on 4/19/2016 they check EKG, blood...(128/74) but could not find anything but only stated that I had vertigo. I felt so terrible the first week, could not sleep during the nights, wake up a couple of hours later and felt chill flowing down from my top body to the legs... and one day when I took a hot shower, I did not feel hot, I felt extremely cold, frezzing...everything was wrong. I went back to E.R. again on 4/23, BP 146/90, they did EKG, MRI on my brain, and still found nothing but only saying Dizziness. Then the following 4 weeks, the situation was improved, at least, now, the vertigo was gone, and I did get some quality sleep for about 4-5 hours, then woke up with those chill feelings and I went to the bathroom, and need to sit and went to kitchen to boil hot water and sit there to come myself down from those chill/fainting feelings. Then I could go back to sleep for about 1-2 hours and woke up around 5 am. I did some online research, I found out this is Coffee withdraw symptoms. I had been drinking coffee almost everyday for 30 years. But at the same time, Amlodipline 5mg gradually did not work, and I found out my symptoms like many other people experienced. So, I thought I might be dealing with both Coffee withdraw and Amlodipine side effects at the same time? In the morning, I still managed to walk about 1 hour or so. Today was my third day without taking Amlodipine, in the afternoon BP went up to 165/107 one time, in the morning, was in 92/135 range, so, I took one Amlodipline 5 mg around 5 pm, now 9 pm at 151/103, so it is still high, so Amlodipine seemed not working? what should I do?

Good morning. Last night was terrible. I almost got ready to go to ER again. After I asked question to you around 9:15 PM, I went to bed. I woke up around 11 PM with the same terrible feelings, chilly, dry mouth, swollen lip (inside mouth), fatigue, felt like pass out, I was struggling if I should go to ER, I was even scared to take BP measure. Then I drank hot water and was able to went back sleep around mid night, (my wife told me this morning that I had snored) again woke up around 3 am, with the same chill feeling and stayed on bed until 5 am. I got up again and trying to drink some meal and eat something and just sit there. Then I felt back to normal around 7:30 am, I took BP measurement and the reading was down to 89/139, which was my normal range. My doctor and I had a discussion on Wednesday, to maintain around 90/140 range and I will do more exercise and diet to work towards 80/120. So, if I can maintain Amlodipine 5mg and maintain this level to allow me using exercise and diet to bring down would be my first choice. I really cannot stand even 5mg's side effect. And if I increase the amount and add others, I would be subject to higher dosse and too much depend on drugs and will not be able to get out if after taking but still not working, as you said, I rather be a resistant hypertension at this level so I still can get out, but if I taking higher dosse with other combinations, and I presume the side effect would be much severe than current, I really cannot see if I can tolerate those. Perhaps the most acceptable way for now is still taking Amlodipline 5mg (if it can keep me around 90/140 range) and get Doctor's prescription for Benicar in case if all of a sudden, the BP goes up. I still think this might be coffee withdraw related? Anyway, I was confused and frightened.

Good morning, Dr. XXXXXXX

As from Wednesday, 5/25 I stop taking Amlodipine 5mg. The following is a list of my average BP throughout the day prior to talk to my Doctor on 5/25, and after 5/25:

5/23 : 133/89 (still taking it everyday since about 8 months ago)
5/24: 134/92 (still taking it everyday since about 8 months ago)
5/25: 134/89
5/26: 138/93
5/27: 137/92 (take 1 around 5 pm when BP went up to 107/165, then I felt terrible through the night, woke up through panic attack and body chill and almost went to ER during the night. I think I should not have taken this one pill I was kind in a panic mode)
5/28: 139/90 (feeling fine during the day, went to bed around 9:15 pm, once again work up with panic attack around 11:45 pm, went to kitchen, drank some hot water and sit there for a while, then went back to sleep around 12:30 am and woke up around 5 am)
5/29: 7:00 am 143/87, 128/81, 144/91 average 138/86

I had been changing my diet drastically since 5/25, I ate a lot of fruits, and walking 1 hour in the morning, and clean some garden work in the afternoon for 1/2 hour and cooking/preparing in kitchen in evening.

Although I still did not get a good night sleep, I was glad to get a BP reading 121/81 this morning among other readings. (perhaps the monitor was not functioning correctly at one point)

The problem is that it seemed I always had panic attack/suddenly woke up during the first 2-3 hours sleeping during the night, felt could not breath normal.

Please comment. Thank you.

Hi Dr. XXXXXXX I have a question about CCB (Calcium Channel Blocker) and Calcium supplement such as Caltrate 600 + D3. The reason to subscribe CCB to manage the blood pressure was because CCD can prevent Calcium enter blood cell, however, Calcium deficiency will cause high blood pressure, so, if Calcium was blocked, then the blood pressure will go higher. In other words, person who is taking CCB should not take Calcium supplement such as Caltrade 600 + D3 which contains 600 mg Calcium, can I take this supplement (while I still have some residual CCB)? Thanks.

Great! Thank you so much, Dr. XXXXXXX What do you think about Maqui Berry (juice or powder, where we can get a safe product such as this in the US) I hard Maqui Berry is good for HP, any side effects? Thank you.