Amlodipine

Amlodipine is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain (angina). Amlodipine belongs to a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers, which help relax blood vessels. This makes it easier for the heart to pump blood.

This medication comes in tablet form and is usually taken once a day, with or without food.

Common side effects include headache, swelling of legs or ankles, tiredness, and nausea.

Amlodipine is a prescription medicine used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and chest pain (angina) in adults and children.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Amlodipine may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Katerzia

• Norvasc

Amlodipine may cause the following mild or moderate side effects:

• headache
• leg or ankle swelling
• tiredness, extreme sleepiness
• stomach pain, nausea
• dizziness
• flushing (hot or warm feeling in the face)
• arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
• heart palpitations (very fast heartbeat)

This is not a complete list of amlodipine side effects. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Taztia XT, Tiazac and others)
• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• itraconazole (Sporanox)
• ritonavir (Norvir)
• simvastatin

This is not a complete list of amlodipine drug interactions. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

• When you first start taking amlodipine or increase your dose, you may have a heart attack or worsened angina. This is rare, but has happened.
  • If this occurs, call your doctor right away or go directly to a hospital emergency room.
• Do not use amlodipine if you are allergic to amlodipine or to the inactive ingredients in this medication.
• Do not breastfeed. It is not known if amlodipine will pass through your milk.
• Do not start any new prescription or non-prescription medicines or supplements, unless you check with your doctor first.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of amlodipine there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving amlodipine.

Tell your doctor about any prescription and non-prescription medicines you are taking, including natural or herbal remedies. Tell your doctor if you:

• ever had heart disease
• ever had liver problems
• are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. Your doctor will decide if amlodipine is the best treatment for you.
• are breastfeeding. Do not breast feed while taking amlodipine. You can stop breastfeeding or take a different medicine.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Amlodipine falls into category C. There are no good studies in pregnant women. Amlodipine should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. It is not known if amlodipine will harm your unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. It is not known if amlodipine is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

• Amlodipine comes as a tablet to be taken by mouth, with or without food.
• It is usually taken once a day. 
• Take this medicine at about the same time each day, such as with breakfast or dinner, or at bedtime.
• If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
• Do not take amlodipine if it has been more than 12 hours since you missed your last dose. Wait and take the next dose at your regular time. Never take two doses at one time.

Take amlodipine exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label very carefully. Your doctor will determine your dose based on your age, the condition being treated, other medical conditions you have, as well as other medicines you are taking.

The recommended adult starting dose is 5 mg taken once daily. The dose may be increased to 10 mg daily, if necessary.

In children as young as six years old with high blood pressure, the recommended starting amlodipine dose is 2.5 mg to 5 mg taken once daily.

If you take too much amlodipine call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If amlodipine is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

 

• Store amlodipine tablets at room temperature (between 59° and 86°F), away from light and moisture.
• Do not store this medicine in the bathroom. 
• Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children.