Amlodipine...good or bad?

[Vetus Ossa]

I have not been well recently, in fact since the end of October, but am slowly on the mend.
I have high blood pressure anyway and have been taking bendroflumethiazide for many years without any problems.
During the time I have not been well my doctor has changed my bp medication to 5mg amlodipine, so as not to over work my kidneys as he put it.
I do have some breathing problems at the best of times but recently it has really gone downhill rapidly, which surprised me. I also have little energy and feel tired all the time.
I caught a glance of myself in the mirror last night and thought I looked red in the face, though no other family member has mentioned noticing it.
I read the little slip of paper that comes with the tablets this morning, something I seldom bother with, and of course all the above symptoms are listed as possible side effects.
I went for a what was supposed to be one of my shorter regular rides this morning and it was disastrous, after about five miles I came to a fairly steep hill and started to struggle immediately. I nearly made it to the top but common sense kicked in and I aborted my ride, and of course my moral is now suffering.
I appreciate I have been very inactive over the last couple of months, and for exercise I have been mainly walking, the thing is I don’t think I should have lost as much fitness as I appear to have, and am wondering if the amlodipine is responsible.
I have decided to stop taking them anyway and see what happens. I will keep an eye on my blood pressure and see the doc if necessary, which I’m sure I will to be honest.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with this drug?
Thanks in anticipation for your thoughts.

[531colin]

go here......https://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/hypertension#path=view%3A/pathways/hypertension/treatment-steps-for-hypertension.xml&content=view-index
This tells us that in white people over 55 (and afro-caribbean people of any age) the place to start treatment is with a calcium channel blocker, which Amlodipine is.
I'm a stage 2, i take Amlodipine (10mg) and captopril; in 20 or 30 years this is the best control of blood pressure i have had, and the least side=effects.
i think your 5mg is a small dose
Read as much of that website as you can, it developed from the British hypertension society and their approach to high blood pressure treatment.....they are real experts.
My experience of the GPs in my practice has not been good, they all seemed to just randomly bung me on any medication that took their fancy; in the end I copied that flow chart and demanded to be put on the brit. hyper. soc./NICE scheme, and I haven't looked back......which doesn't mean that Amlodipine will suit you.

I'm sort of guessing you are over 55.....if you are over 55 and not been on the bike for 2 months, i would expect your fitness to have bombed.
For comparison, I will be 70 in the summer, and now I'm retired I expect to get out on the bike at least 3 times a week, with at least one ride being almost the whole day.....and for the winter I have started jogging again to keep some sort of fitness going for spring, because if the weather curtails my riding a bit, i lose fitness so quickly.

It might help to know the nature of your breathing problems, and of your recent illness. If you have a respiratory condition which is under the general surveillance of, for example, the hospital, then they might be the people to ask about blood pressure control.....there can be interactions that I couldn't even guess at.

[Spinners]

Amlodipine is one of two meds I take for HBP without real issues - although I do notice that I tend to sweat easier within the first two hours of taking it. Not a problem unless it's a baking hot day or I'm exerting myself.

[Vetus Ossa]

I guess some drugs work well for some and not so well for others, and to be perfectly honest I am not sure how well or not they are working for me.
I was given codeine in hospital for pain relief and didn’t get on with them at all, I will never take them again.

[ambodach]

I am on 5mg Amlodipine, among other things even tho' I have aortic stenosis. The leaflet within says do not use with AO but the consultant who gave it and my GP say it is ok since only a minor stenosis. After nearly a year I am still here so mebbe they are right. Anyway 5mg is a pretty small dose so you should be ok.

[Vetus Ossa]

I am on 5mg Amlodipine, among other things even tho' I have aortic stenosis. The leaflet within says do not use with AO but the consultant who gave it and my GP say it is ok since only a minor stenosis. After nearly a year I am still here so mebbe they are right. Anyway 5mg is a pretty small dose so you should be ok.

Thank you for your info.
I have decided to stop taking my amlodipine anyway as my bp is not where it should be, it was much better controlled with bendroflumethiazide.
Guess I will need to visit my doc soon.

[531colin]

If its not controlling your BP then there is very little point in taking it.......

Thinking about it, years ago I had a calcium channel blocker i couldn't take, i had all sorts of excitement....palpitations, hot flushes, passing out post-exercise, it was all a bit grim!

[Mick F]

Amlodipine was one of the BP medications the doc put me on.
I think I tried four different meds - gave me side-effects. Amlodipine gave me aches and pains.
The last med was a diuretic, and although I felt ok, it was visiting the loo FAR too much .............. so I stopped taking them.

Since stopping all BP meds and being careful how I take my BP readings, I find I don't have a BP problem at all. Yesterday, I took it, and it was 117/66 which is just about the average for me now.

Each and every time I have it taken at the doc's, it's sky high.

[531colin]

Much the same really......if you have high blood pressure, theres not much point in taking something which is meant to lower it, but doesn't.
If you DON'T have high blood pressure in the first place, there's still not much point in taking something which is meant to lower it!

[hondated]

Cannot say I can offer advice on this other than to say before you decide to not take the pills go back to your doctor to discuss your decision.
After all they're the experts, supposedly.
I did when they put me on happy pills which I didn't need.
It led to me being diagnosed with an HH and acid reflux.
Also as good as this forum is by its very nature is restricted to cyclists so if you want to obtain more advice I would recommend going on patients.co.uk.
Currently delving through tinnitus information. It seems to me this keeping fit lark for the last 59 yes as not worked !

[Vetus Ossa]

Amlodipine was one of the BP medications the doc put me on.
I think I tried four different meds - gave me side-effects. Amlodipine gave me aches and pains.
The last med was a diuretic, and although I felt ok, it was visiting the loo FAR too much .............. so I stopped taking them.

Since stopping all BP meds and being careful how I take my BP readings, I find I don't have a BP problem at all. Yesterday, I took it, and it was 117/66 which is just about the average for me now.

Each and every time I have it taken at the doc's, it's sky high.

Likewise, always higher at the doc's...white coat syndrome.

[Mick F]

White Coat Syndrome exists, I have no doubt.
With me, it's difficulties with relaxing, not specifically WCS.

If I could go and see the doc and sit around chatting and relaxing - half an hour or more? - then let him take my BP, it could well be fine.
It winds me up sitting in a waiting room ............. waiting.

I can use the DIY machine in the surgery, but it's not in a relaxing environment.
Sitting in my own home, and feeling relaxed, I'll take my own BP with my own machine.

[Vetus Ossa]

Well I (or rather the doctor) stopped the the amlodipine some time ago. I am currently on no specific bp medication but am taking tamsulosin for another ailment. One of the possible side effects of that drug is that it may lower blood pressure so he says, but for me it isn’t. My average over the last few days is 175/100 which is too high.
I will ask when I next see him to go back on the bendroflumethiazide, which he originally put me on some ten years ago when I was suffering shortness of breath, like I am now and hope that’s why I am short of breath all the time at the moment.
This all seems a bit hit or miss to me but hope this sorts itself out soon and I can get back out there.

[Flinders]

White Coat Syndrome exists, I have no doubt.
With me, it's difficulties with relaxing, not specifically WCS.

If I could go and see the doc and sit around chatting and relaxing - half an hour or more? - then let him take my BP, it could well be fine.
It winds me up sitting in a waiting room ............. waiting.

I can use the DIY machine in the surgery, but it's not in a relaxing environment.
Sitting in my own home, and feeling relaxed, I'll take my own BP with my own machine.

Having a portable monitor on fro 24 or 48 hours is now common practice for where there seems to be WCS. I just take mine at home, and my GP accepts the readings provided my monitor matches hers when I go in.

[ambodach]

A practice nurse once told me she kept people waiting for a while to let their bp settle down as there is a hill up to the surgery and depending on where you come from it can be quite steep. Like Mick I have white coat syndrome not helped by sitting fuming at waiting too long for a timed appointment.She has now retired.