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Taking Amlodipine, Htcz. Having Numbness Around Eye. Is This Related To Blood Sugar Level?
Question: I take amlodipine, lisinopril and htcz and have morning tremors and occasional numbness around my eye. I was also treated for diabetes several months ago but after controlling my diet by eating hardly any carbs take no medicine for that and have near normal blood sugar but the eye numbness seems to go away when my blood sugar is low and seems to be connected to my blood sugar levels - what is your opinion?
Hi and thanks for the query,
Diabetes is a chronic disease like hypertension. Once one is declared to have these diseases and put on treatment, you will need to take these drugs for life. This is because; the blood sugar levels and the blood pressure levels usually decrease when we take drugs.
Stopping to take the drugs for diabetes leads to an increase in blood sugar, predisposing you to develop chronic complications. These could be neurologic, kidney failure, eye disease, heart disease and difficulties in wound healing. Acute and life threatening complications if blood sugar rises so fast could lead to a diabetic coma.
It’s very important to consult your family physician or Diabetologist for a proper management plan. You must not alter your diabetic drug dose, nor stop it. Any worries that you might have need to be addressed to your physician first. The anti hypertensive drugs you are taking are particularly indicated in hypertensive patients with diabetes, especially Lisinopril, which is a specific receptor inhibitor.
Regular exercise, say a walk of at least 30 minutes three to four times a week, a vegetable XXXXXXX diet, avoidance of sweet substances, reduction to the minimum of alcohol intake if you do take it, and stopping cigarettes could be very important.
Appropriate follow-up greatly reduces complications in diabetes. I suggest you book an appointment with your Diabetologist for a reevaluation and drawing up of an appropriate management plan. In case he confirms again your blood sugar is high, the opinion of a nutritionist might be necessary.
Thanks and best regards and I wish you good health. Do not hesitate to ask any further questions if need be.
Dr Luchuo, MD.
Diabetes is a chronic disease like hypertension. Once one is declared to have these diseases and put on treatment, you will need to take these drugs for life. This is because; the blood sugar levels and the blood pressure levels usually decrease when we take drugs.
Stopping to take the drugs for diabetes leads to an increase in blood sugar, predisposing you to develop chronic complications. These could be neurologic, kidney failure, eye disease, heart disease and difficulties in wound healing. Acute and life threatening complications if blood sugar rises so fast could lead to a diabetic coma.
It’s very important to consult your family physician or Diabetologist for a proper management plan. You must not alter your diabetic drug dose, nor stop it. Any worries that you might have need to be addressed to your physician first. The anti hypertensive drugs you are taking are particularly indicated in hypertensive patients with diabetes, especially Lisinopril, which is a specific receptor inhibitor.
Regular exercise, say a walk of at least 30 minutes three to four times a week, a vegetable XXXXXXX diet, avoidance of sweet substances, reduction to the minimum of alcohol intake if you do take it, and stopping cigarettes could be very important.
Appropriate follow-up greatly reduces complications in diabetes. I suggest you book an appointment with your Diabetologist for a reevaluation and drawing up of an appropriate management plan. In case he confirms again your blood sugar is high, the opinion of a nutritionist might be necessary.
Thanks and best regards and I wish you good health. Do not hesitate to ask any further questions if need be.
Dr Luchuo, MD.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
My blood sugar levels are normal or near normal and my Endocrinologist took me off of all diabetes drugs two months ago because I didn't need them. My blood pressure averages about 125/55 but I am concerned with tremors that occur in the morning usually after I take my meds - could my meds be causing these tremors. I also have a numbness around my left eye that usually occurs when my blood sugar fluctuates after meals - could that be a reaction to my blood sugar going down after meals as when it is between 70 and 90 the numbness goes away - usually by blood sugar highs are no more than 150 just after eating
Hi and thanks for the query,
I would suggest that you get a Serum Glycated hemoglobin test (HbA1c) which is an accurate recommended measure that gives a good idea of the glucose levels over a period of three months, and is less sensitive to temporal fluctuations in blood glucose levels. This would be very diagnostic of your actual glucose control levels. Based on this a decision, on putting you once more on treatment or not can be debated upon once again.
It’s great your blood pressure levels are within normal limits. It’s important to know whether these tremors started only when you started taking these drugs or not. If it’s the case, it might be possible that these tremors be associated to the drugs.
HCTZ and Lisonopril generally cause cough, dizziness, headaches and tiredness, especially on standing. However, doing a serum electrolyte panel, to exclude Calcium and Magnesium abnormalities are indicated in this case.
The tremor should most likely be related to Amlodipine. However, taking the drug for some time, this side effect usually dies down. But if the tremor persists and becomes very disturbing, it would be necessary for you to consult your cardiologist or treating physician, to put you on another Calcium Channel Blocker, of the same family as Amlodipine.
Fasting blood glucose levels of 70 to 90mg/dl are very normal, and after eating, a glucose level of 150mg/dl is ok. Symptoms if the glucose levels are as such should certainly be from elsewhere.
I suggest you book a visit with your endocrinologist, get an HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin test) done to be very sure of glucose metabolism independent of peaks and discuss on possibilities of replacing amlodipine if need be. Serum electrolyte levels might need to be monitored too depending on the clinical appraisal.
Thanks and best regards. Wishing you good health.
Dr Luchuo, MD.
I would suggest that you get a Serum Glycated hemoglobin test (HbA1c) which is an accurate recommended measure that gives a good idea of the glucose levels over a period of three months, and is less sensitive to temporal fluctuations in blood glucose levels. This would be very diagnostic of your actual glucose control levels. Based on this a decision, on putting you once more on treatment or not can be debated upon once again.
It’s great your blood pressure levels are within normal limits. It’s important to know whether these tremors started only when you started taking these drugs or not. If it’s the case, it might be possible that these tremors be associated to the drugs.
HCTZ and Lisonopril generally cause cough, dizziness, headaches and tiredness, especially on standing. However, doing a serum electrolyte panel, to exclude Calcium and Magnesium abnormalities are indicated in this case.
The tremor should most likely be related to Amlodipine. However, taking the drug for some time, this side effect usually dies down. But if the tremor persists and becomes very disturbing, it would be necessary for you to consult your cardiologist or treating physician, to put you on another Calcium Channel Blocker, of the same family as Amlodipine.
Fasting blood glucose levels of 70 to 90mg/dl are very normal, and after eating, a glucose level of 150mg/dl is ok. Symptoms if the glucose levels are as such should certainly be from elsewhere.
I suggest you book a visit with your endocrinologist, get an HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin test) done to be very sure of glucose metabolism independent of peaks and discuss on possibilities of replacing amlodipine if need be. Serum electrolyte levels might need to be monitored too depending on the clinical appraisal.
Thanks and best regards. Wishing you good health.
Dr Luchuo, MD.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
My AC1 test which they told me was a 3 month average was just over 6 last month - when I first was discovered to have Diabetes my AC1 test was 12. My endocrinologist suggested that I might be suffering from false hypoglycemia and that the change in my blood sugar levels might be causing the numbness near my eye due to the a possibility of my body producing excess epinephrine or insulin because it was so closely tied into my dropping blood sugar numbers after eating. I think you're right as far as the Amlodipine and my pharmacist suggested that drug could be the problem. Thank you for your answers I think you've hit on the problems with the tremors.
Hi and thanks so much.
Wishing you good health,
Luchuo, MD.
Wishing you good health,
Luchuo, MD.
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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