Amlodipine is a medicine of the calcium channel blockers’ group. It works through relaxing arterial wall and making easier for blood to pass along blood vessels.
It can be prescribed for patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris (Prinzmetal variant angina and chronic stable angina pectoris), heart failure (including decompensated). It can be used as monotherapy or in combination with other medicines.
Side effects
Usually Amlodipine is well tolerated but about 10.8% of the patients who use it can experience some side effects. The most common side effects are:
- Headache
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Tachycardia
- Heart palpitations
- Swelling of the feet, ankle and arms
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Flushing (warmth, redness and tingly feeling)
Also quiet common side effects of Amlodipine include:
- Depression
- Asthenia
- Tiredness
- Rigors
- Malaise
- Dyspnea
- Persistent sore throat
- Dry cough
- Anorexia
- Dry mouth
- Gingival hyperplasia with tender, bleeding, and swollen gums
- Vomiting
- Esophageal reflux
- Dysphagia
- Dyspepsia
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Weight gain
- Myalgia
- Backache
- Arthralgia
- Arthrosis
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle weakness
- Somnolence
- Insomnia
- Abnormal dreams
- Eye pain
- Abnormal vision
- Conjunctivitis
- Diplopia
- Hypoesthesia
- Paresthesia
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Syncope
- Tinnitus
- Tremor
- Vertigo
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Amnesia
- Apathy
- Depersonalization
- Depression
- Extreme itching
- Red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin
- Rash (usually erythematous or maculopapular)
- Erythema multiforme
- Hair loss
- Increased sweating
- Micturition disorder
- Nocturia
- Female sexual dysfunction
- Gynecomastia in men
- Impotence
As any other medicine Amlodipine can lead to allergic reaction that manifests in: rash (possible in the form of erythema multiforme), hives, itching, difficulty swallowing or breathing, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, hands, eyes, face, lips, tongue and throat, unusual hoarseness, angioedema, anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock. These reactions are serious and require immediate medical help.
Rare side effects
In some rare cases Amlodipine can cause such side effects as cold and clammy skin, increased appetite, loose stools, taste perversion, parosmia, gastritis, pancreatitis, dysuria, polyuria, alopecia, dermatitis, skin discoloration, skin dryness, urticarial, lichen planus, telangiectasia, bullous pemphigoid, abnormal visual `ommodation, xerophthalmia. And very rare in patients who use Amlodipine can develop Stevens–Johnson syndrome.
Laboratory test’s changes
If you are taking Amlodipine it can cause some changes in your laboratory tests. So you should remember that if your doctor reveals in your blood tests such changes as leukopenia, purpura, thrombocytopenia and hepatic enzyme elevations (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, bilirubin) it can be result of the Amlodipine intake.
All these changes are reversible and disappear with Amlodipine’s withdraw.
Also especially in patients with diabetes Amlodipine can cause hyperglycemia.
Serious side effects
Amlodipine can cause some serious side effects that can make you to appeal for urgent medical attention.
These serious side effects of Amlodipine include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Ataxia
- Migraine
- Epistaxis
- Chest pain
- Arrhythmia (irregular, fast, slow heart beating or extrasystoles)
- Pounding heartbeats or fluttering in the chest
- Cardiac failure
- Pulmonary edema
- Low blood pressure (can manifest in dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting)
- Postural hypotension
- Severe swelling with unexplained weight gain due to water retention
- Decreased urination
- High blood sugar level
- Exacerbation of the pain in patients with coronary heart disease, angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction
- Symptoms of a heart attack such as chest, jaw, or left arm pain, numbness of an arm or leg, sudden and severe headache or vomiting
- Liver inflammation with hepatitis and cholestasis (can manifest in jaundice, dark urine and pale stools)
- Pancreatitis
- Severe or persistent nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain
- Severe or persistent muscle pain
- Myoclonus
- Myasthenia
- Sudden vision changes
- Blisters or sores in the mouth, nose, throat, or on the genitals
- Unusual bruising or bleeding
- Vasculitis
- Stevens–Johnson syndrome
Side effects in pregnant women
Side effects of the Amlodipine in pregnant women were no studied so it is better to avoid its use during pregnancy.
Side effects in children
Side effects’ profile of Amlodipine in children is almost the same to that in adult patients. The most common side effects in children are:
- Dizziness
- Fainting episodes
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
- Gum changes
- Swelling in the arms or legs
- Rash
- Fast heartbeat (not so evident as in adult patients)
Allergic reaction in children can manifest in fever, wheezing, chest tightness, itching, cough, blue skin color, seizures, swelling of face, eyes, lips, tongue, or throat, not normal acting of your child.
Conclusions
You or your child may never experience any of listed above side effects. And your doctor cannot predict reaction of your body to Amlodipine until you will try it. That’s why don’t forget to let your physician know if something in your or your child health condition alert you. So when it seems that anything going wrong, ask your doctor for advice and he or she will diagnose if your problem is connected with medicine intake. And be careful because some of Amlodipine side effects require urgent medical help.