Loading...Overview
Norvasc belongs to a class of medicines called calcium channel blockers. Because they are usually well-tolerated, these drugs have made the treatment of angina and high blood pressure easier.
Norvasc is prescribed to treat high blood pressure alone or in combination with other blood pressure pills. It is also helpful for certain forms of angina.
Side Effects and Interactions
Norvasc is usually well tolerated with few side effects, but some people react to this drug with fluid retention, leading to swelling of the legs, feet or hands.
Dizziness, heart palpitations, flushing or drowsiness may also occur, and women appear especially susceptible.
Other side effects include headache, weakness or fatigue, nausea, rash, itching, indigestion, muscle cramps, and sexual difficulties. Report any symptoms or suspected side effects to your physician promptly.
Norvasc has remarkably few interactions with other drugs. Grapefruit or grapefruit juice can boost blood levels of Norvasc slightly.
It is wise to check with your doctor and pharmacist to make sure this medicine is safe in combination with any other drugs you take.
Special Precautions
People with liver disease may need a lower dose of Norvasc, as may the elderly.
Patients with congestive heart failure must be monitored closely if they take any calcium channel blocker.
Taking the Medicine
Norvasc may be taken with or without meals, once a day.
Do not stop taking Norvasc suddenly, as this could lead to complications. Your doctor will tell you how to taper off gradually if you no longer need this medication.
Kc
I have been taking 2.5mg Amlodipine for almost 2 years now. I just received a new refill, and the pill shape is different; they had been oval, and now they are round. About one week after taking the round pill I started getting tingling in my feet. It progressed to full fledged fiery feeling, like pins and needles were attacking my feet. It was so bad that it was distracting and, although painful, not the worst pain I have ever felt – it was classic description of peripheral neuropathy.
The new Rx was the only thing that had changed in my life. I stopped taking it, notified my doctor, have an appointment coming up.
Not sure if this new shaped pill means new manufacturer or formulation but it is time for me to see about other alternatives for my BP, which is not terribly high but high enough to warrant doing something about.
Amy
Pennsylvania
I was taking 5 mg if Amlodipine since February 2018. My hair is falling out, ankles, feet & hands are swelling. Right calf has severe pain. Also have abdominal bloating. Doctor just switched me to 120mg of Cartia XT (Cardizem) today. Can anyone say if old reactions will go away and what to expect now?
aysel
32303
Has someone weaned off on amlodipine 5mg, and what is the process? How long did it take?
Maria
Florida
I started taking Amlopidine in January 2017. Since the beginning I’ve been having flushing which is very unpleasant and also fast heart beat. I’d like to stop taking this medication. I’ll call my Dr. tomorrow to taper it off and then stop it completely. I’ve read that magnesium has the same properties as Amlopidine and it is not a drug.
Dennis
Hey,
Thanks so much for this post. It is so important that people know the proper dosage and potential side effects of any drugs that they are prescribed! I did not even know most of this information about Norvasc. I’m sure it will be helpful for many people, especially anyone who wants to become a medical transcriptionist! It is great to have a reference guide for different prescription drugs.
Best,
Dennis
Michele culler
Florida
My doctor said could stop taking amlodipine, did not have to wean. What is the real truth? Very confusing not to get a straight answer. I also take metoprolol tartrate. Peoples pharmacy says have to wean off amlodipine. Of course, never stop metoprolol abruptly.
Barbara
Manchester
Iv been taking amlodopine for few years now with lots of bad side affects.iv had sinusitis and labrynithis so was prescribed antibiotics.The pain was so bad in my chest I thought I was having a heart attack..I stopped taking them then I was given nasal spray mometasone.I also stopped taking my BP tablets but iv had really bad chest pains and indigestion.Iv also have acid reflux .I feel the problem started with amlodopine but the doctor said I could have a heart attack or stroke if I don’t take them.
Kaye
Not familiar with Wholistic Meds; what do you do and take for your blood pressure? I have taken Metrolop for years, Dr. says I have to come off it because it makes my heart pump way too slow. Now they want to put me on amlodipine and from what I’ve read here I’m not sure I want that stuff.
barbara j.
I’ve been on amlodipine 5 mg for 20 years. This medicine has taken my hair out very bad. However, this side effect is not mentioned in the pharmacy booklet of the prescription. Hair loss, thinning is a serious reality. Rashes itching and sleep loss. READ CAREFULLY ALL, ALL, ALL, ALL, LEGALLY PHARMACY DRUGS HAVE SIDE EFFECTS. GO, GO, GO, NATURAL GO WHOLISTIC FIND A WHOLISTIC DOCTOR WEAN, WEAN, YOURSELF OFF THESE LEGAL DRUGS THAT’S THE ONLY WAY. IT IS A LEGAL DRUG BUSINESS.
I’m blessed that I changed my diet exercise, pray, and stay active and slowly weaning myself off this drug. I will be 71 years old January 29, 2014.
J.H.
So far, amlodipine has been the key to helping the other eleven medications that I take for hypertension work. However, my ankles are very swollen at night, and I have some of the other symptoms. I took Norvasc for many years and had no symptoms, but have problems with amlodipine. Do you have advice about an alternate?
j
loss of bone density, osteoporosis, stopped after two months. Pain disappeared. Used the natural approach to lower bp. Fine now.
brenda
I went on amlodipine 7 weeks ago. I started with a very bad headache and blurred vision. Had a mir of my head and it showed that I had swollen sinuses. Put me on Methylprednisolone. It helped my headache. Went to eye doctor for vision and he said nothing was wrong. I feel it is the medicine but nobody will believe me. I had a reaction like this before with another medicine. I went off it and was fine, has anybody else had this problem with this medicine, I’m also on digoxin for about 2 months for A Fib.
mcm
I too experienced terrible itching on my lower legs from amlodipine. Is that where your rash was too?
Marion
I have been put on Amolodipine 2.5 mg for high blood pressure. I have been taking it for 3 weeks and seem to be tolerating it well and my blood pressure has dropped to around 125/85 from 145/90. The only side effect I am experiencing is constipation and a feeling of bloating in my abdomen which seems to be getting worse. Has any one else had this problem?
Rosie
I have hair loss and have been on the drug for over two years. No where on the medication slip does it mention hair loss – only the caveat: “This is not a complete list of the side effects.” I also have itching, so much so that at times I have abraded my skin by itching.
When I ask my doctor she blame it on heredity, but my mother had a full head of hair at 92 when she died…
Emma
After an Angina attach the Hospital started me on 5mg Amolodipine Daily within a couple of weeks my Ankles had swollen and were painful, my GP stopped the Tablets, after four days I had really bad Chest pressure so returned to see a different Doctor as mine was on holiday. I was asked what worried me more swollen Ankles or the Chest pain!
I had to say Chest pain, no other tablets were offered and I was put back on Amolodipine, my Ankles are very swollen and painful. I will return to the Doctor’s this week and given the chance will ask for a change of Tablets that will help the Angina but without the swelling.
BE
Just started Amodipine (Norvasc) two weeks ago and the last three days have been having neck and shoulder pain as well as heaviness in my head, some sick feeling, etc. I’m cutting the amount into half and possibly will taper it off. It makes me feel worse than without and I think it’s raising my blood pressure. It’s definitely not making me feel better.
ag
Does ankle swelling & pain take a long time to disappear after taking 2.5 grms of A. besolate for HBP? I am off of the drug for 8 days but right ankle is still pain & hurting & is all still swollen. A
Diane
Amlodipine seems to be giving me left shoulder and neck pain, is this a possible side effect?
pjh
I have noticed the smell of smoke with this medication as well.
James K
Raleigh, NC
I have been taking amlodipine for three months. I too have been having the sensation of smelling smoke or other light odors.
DH
I think that the amlodipine is causing much fatigue and some hair loss.
Anyone else have hair loss (female)?
mary
United States
I have had hair loss
Jimmybw
Interesting. I noticed the past two years that my feet get really cold at night. I never linked it to my medications. I checked with my Doctor, and he believed it could be a side effect of the Amlodipine. In fact, he was having the same issue with the drug.
What caught my eye here was the comment about smelling cigarette smoke. I’ve noticed it as well. I thought someone may have been outside my home smoking, but never saw anyone.
mary-ellen
My 80 year old mother with COPD, HBP and CHF has been on norvasc for a number of years, she uses the generic form. In December we refilled the generic script and now she has developed an itchy rash on her trunk front and back. Looking back on the paperwork that comes with each refill we noticed the manufacturer of the generic has been changed. It is our guess that the new manufacturer has some inert ingredient that does not agree with her. I mentioned this to her doc and we are going to get a script filled from the old manufacturer and see if our suspicions are correct.
Has anyone else had an issue with generic scripts and their inert ingredients causing new side effects?
thanks
tt
Is carvedilol a good replacement drug for amlodipine? Will it have the same effect and can it be started immediately after amlodipine?
Tyler
On my doctor’s advice, I took 10mg of amlodipine (Norvasc) along with Carvedilol for about a year to control high blood pressure. I am otherwise healthy. After my feet began swelling, I put up with it for as long as I could, but stopped when it became too painful to walk. So I called my doctor and told his nurse that I was stopping the two drugs, and asked if there was something else I could take.
They called back and scheduled an appointment. When I saw the doctor a few days later, he said he would not prescribe a new drug at that time. HE NEVER MENTIONED ANY POSSIBLE PROBLEM FROM ABRUPTLY STOPPING THE AMLODIPINE. About 10 days later I developed extreme “rebound hypertension,” with BP soaring to as high as 220 over 118.
Two weeks later, I am STILL struggling with high hypertension!! These jackass doctors cause more problems than they solve by failing to give patients the info they need to make intelligent health decisions. Had I been warned, I would NOT have stopped the drugs abruptly, but sought advice on how to wean myself off of them. Beware: Physicians are very often incompetent.
Ally O.
01/16/2010
I have been on Vasotec 10mg and Synthroid 0.125 for appr 20 years.
3 weeks ago I suddenly developed a BP of 230/89. My doctor doubled the Vasotec to 20 mg but no change in BP. He doubled again to 40 mg, no response, he added me 40 mg Lasix with same result. The BP stayed around 200 systolic. He gave me Clonidine in the office and decreased the BP to about 150. Diastolic has held around 80-90, and sent me to a cardiologist.
The cardiologist gave me Exforge (50/160) and Clonidine .1mg both once a day. I woke up every night with a nightmare-my heart was pounding and I was breathing heavily. There was no change in BP, so I asked if I could take 2 of the Exforge instead of Clonidine which I took for a couple of days.
Friday I went with somebody for a test and this doctor asked how I feel, I may have looked bad. She took the blood pressure and it was 220/?, and told me to go to the hospital. There I got a cat scan, neg for stroke. Then they gave me 2 pills and told me to go back to my Dr. I do believe this has to do with the thyroid medication to do but both Dr.s state no. I do believe I need to get down this 200, what do you suggest?
Janice
I have been taking many medicines for my blood pressure. Currently I am taking Metoprolol ER Succinate (100 MG), Diovan (320 MG), Hydroclorothiazide (12.5 MG), Levothyroxine (0.05 MG), and Amoldopine Besylate (5 MG) for my blood pressure. I also take Mysoline (1/2 of a 250 MG tablet per day. My problem is that recently the Amoldopine Besylate was added. I have been smelling cigarette smoke which is not there.
I thought maybe I was going crazy until I went on the internet and saw that someone else was having the same senses, but it was with a different medicine. I would like to know if any of my medicines are causing this. It is weird. I work in a smoke free environment, yet I walk into the doctors offices and smell smoke and I am the only one smelling it.
The only other thought is that my husband had been a heavy smoker and he died almost 5 years ago. I have been having financial problems and maybe he is just letting me know that I am not alone. What is your take on this? Please answer.
msa
Question: will amlodipine interact adversely with Turmeric root? It is in a combo to treat my husbands aches & pains from exercise. We are searching for ways to help him keep blood pressure down once he is tapered off & goes organic. He has lost 20 pounds slowly from exercising over the last year. We always eat nutritiously. He just ate too much of it. Please help.
JIS
I take 10 mg of Amlodipine along with 50 mg of Atenolol daily. My BP is finally down to a normal level with this combination. My doctor wants me to continue taking the Amlodipine even though my ankles swell slightly. The swelling is not enough to be a bother but I worry that any retention of fluids is not good.
PBH
I am having trouble with the different mfg of Norvasc. I was on one for 60 days with just feet swelling as a side effect. I had it refilled at a different place, cheaper, and it is not helping to lower my blood pressure…and I am having other side effects. Please let me know if this has happened to others.
LT
I was just prescribed Norvasc, as Diovan was making my blood pressure go to extreme lows and highs with a very high heart rate when the BP went too low. Heart rate was in acceptable range only when BP was over 120/80. I do not have any symptoms of angina and wouldn’t know I had a high heart rate if I hadn’t purchased a BP machine. Will the Norvasc control the high pulse rate even if I have no symptoms of angina? I have had a lot of tests (tacky, stress, Holter, etc.) and all showed no problem, but the high heart rate continues when BP is low.
Rita O'Brien
I’d like to cut down on this med. I just can’t afford to take one (10/20) every day. Would it be safe to take one every other day?–rather than give it up altogether? I also have some Avapro left (didn’t agree with me). Could I substitute this so it isn’t wasted? (300mg)