Amlodipine and Fatigue: What Users Say

• Bet...
• October 2, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "I’ve taken amlodipine for a little over a month and I find it very bad. Every side effect possible I have: light-headed, tightness around head and neck. Buzzing sounds, vivid dreams. Can’t sleep, dry mouth, infection in left eye, nervousness, and depression; been off for just five days and I feel so drained!! Who can help get this pill out of my system!!"

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "I was on coveram for 8 years, and then early during this year, I developed a cough. So I was asked to take amlodipine 10 mg. After a week, I started having chest pain, a high racing pulse, hot face, and extreme fatigue, like I had no life. On top of it, my right hand was hurting. So I stopped taking them. My symptoms stopped, but after 4 days, I woke up and both my knees are swollen and painful. Has anyone experienced that? My GP said it's probably gout, but my instinct says it's that awful medication. It stays in your system for at least 11.5 days."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "I started taking Amlodipine 4 days ago. The first 2 days I had a slight headache, but I knew it was a side effect and was fine with it. But my symptoms gradually got worse. Day 3 - chest pain and heart palpitations, extreme dry mouth, flushing (feeling warm like a fever was coming), fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain/bloating/gas, yeast discharge, and this weird stinging sensation in my thigh like I was being stung by a bee over and over again. I also had insomnia even though I was exhausted! I stopped taking it today but I’m still feeling the chest pains and palpitations, although they aren’t as intense. I’m going to work out and eat healthy! I can’t deal with these side effects! It lowered my blood pressure, I think. I’m not sure, it kinda jumped all over the place."

• Sca...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "Been on amlodipine for about 2 months. I haven’t been able to do anything this entire week because I was EXHAUSTED and had severe anxiety. Writing this review is taking every bit of strength I have. I’ve spent so much money going to doctors' appointments trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. I’m so glad I found this thread of reviews, as my symptoms mimic much of what has been said: earache, headache, fatigue, swollen glands, anxiety, ear ringing, finger pain, etc. Giving it a two because it can bring down BP, SLIGHTLY"

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 28, 2016

Amlodipine for High Blood Pressure "Awful drug run! Where do I begin? I was prescribed Amlodipine besylate 10mg to either take a 10mg pill a day I could break in half. Muscle weakness and muscle depletion, it's like acid that eats your muscles and makes the skin crawl literally... You can feel the pulses pound in your ankles. Fire in stomach, then chills all over the body. Labored breathing, wheezing, coughing, congestion caused me to get bronchitis, which I've never had in my life... Drowning feeling in chest and lungs. Weakness, tingling in head thought I was having a stroke. Tingling in toes and fingers, extreme coldness... Cramping, anxiety, fatigue makes you feel you're in another world or are just there... Thought I was dying, felt like organs were shutting down. Run folks."

• 11G...
• February 28, 2013

Amlodipine for High Blood Pressure "With the DASH diet and exercise, my BP was still high, and the doctor increased my daily 5mg of Norvasc to 10mg. It helps decrease my usual 170/104 to approx 150/70, but only for a few hours. I am fatigued, have headaches, and super cold feet and hands constantly. I also have muscle cramps. I feel as if I had a heart attack a few days ago, but my doctor says it's gastritis. The side effects are worse than hypertension itself! Maybe I need a new medicine and/or a new physician. Good health to you!"

• gar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 18, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "Have been on this drug for 4 months, 5 mg. The first month was okay, but now I feel dizzy, anxious, lightheaded, fatigued, and tired. I have been to the hospital twice for blood tests. I have been off work on sick leave due to no energy and brain fog. You name it, I've had it. I'm now off it. Avoid this medication at all costs, it will change your life, but not for good."

• Dol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 1, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "Female, 59 years old, 100 kg. I suffer from hypertension. I was prescribed 10mg Amlodipine daily a few years ago. I was always so tired and didn't feel like I wanted to do anything. Six months ago, I did a little research and found that it can make you extremely fatigued, so I went off it. Other side effects include vivid dreams, facial flushing, extreme lethargy, palpitations at night, and disrupted sleep. I went off this medication about 6 months ago. Since I started back on the Amlodipine 2 days ago and am already feeling extremely fatigued once again. Just today, I slept from 2:30 pm to 4:45 pm and again from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm. The medication may be effective to bring down my blood pressure, but at what cost to my everyday life. I am going off this drug once again and will try to lose the excess weight to lower my blood pressure."

• MsD...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 15, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "While this medication, amlodipine, is very effective in lowering blood pressure, it is the drug with hideous side effects! Side effects are horrible, and I wonder if some can be lifelong even after coming off this drug. Loss of concentration, feeling like I'm in a fog or drugged. Cannot concentrate and do simple tasks. Loss of energy and movement, I can't do what I used to do. Not even walk up or down a small hill. Palpitations - some very scary. I hate amlodipine. Weaning off as I write this. If doctor prescribes it for you, please try an alternate medication, this is horrible. I've read that it's going to be off the market because it is straight-up poison."

• Nia...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 28, 2021

For High Blood Pressure "This medication has more or less destroyed my life for the past year. Been to see two different doctors regarding side effects and they told me I was imagining it. Severe chest pain, palpitations, anxiety and panic attacks, blurry vision, muscular aches and pains, fatigue, sleepless nights and some days find it hard to climb the stairs. Borderline depressed from feeling miserable all of the time. Diagnosed with mild hypertension at the age of 29. Very young. Gave up Amlodipine 5 days ago (without instruction from my GP) and started taking magnesium citrate and more exercise. My blood pressure is the best it has ever been. Nearly all the horrible symptoms are gone and I have so much more energy. Continuing to monitor BP daily just to be safe. Blood pressure medication can be awful. I believe we can all cure this naturally!"

• Mrs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I hate this drug. I was put on amlodipine after developing a severe lisinopril cough. I'm 47 years old and I started exercising and carefully watching my diet. Within the first week of being on 10mg of amlodipine, my feet and ankles swelled so bad I could not fit in my shoes. I was always exhausted. Dropping to 5mg helped with the swelling and fatigue, but the physical side effects were not the worst part of it. Since starting amlodipine, I have become anxious to almost the point of being agoraphobic. I'm irritable. Some days I want to crawl out of my own skin. It has been less than a month and I'm already getting off amlodipine! It and lisinopril have destroyed my faith in modern medicine. I would rather have high blood pressure than feel this way. God help me during the withdrawal process."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "This drug has the worst side effects! I am 34 years of age, African American, very fit and muscular. I’ve never experienced side effects or discomfort like I’ve been feeling for the past 6 months. I’ve been trying to ride it out, thinking the side effects would fade away, like the cardiologist said, but no, this drug has been affecting my life from my 3 beautiful kids and wife. I was working a full-time job cleaning houses (would clean 3 houses by myself in a day shift), now I can barely sweep my home floors without being fatigued. The side effects ruined my 2021 past Christmas and Thanksgiving. I’m so happy I’ve read these reviews, and I thought I was all alone experiencing these episodes of severe dizziness, lightheadedness, tightness in the chest area, nausea, fatigue, tiredness, feeling faint, confusion, mood swings, dry mouth, pressure in the neck and head area, bad anxiety, anxiousness, and depression."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 2, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I have been on amlodipine for over 3 years, and the side effects are still horrible: dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, heart palpitations, numbness and pain in my ankles, swelling of my ankles, frequent urination, memory loss, and blurry vision. I need to diet and exercise so I can get off this medication. It does help my blood pressure, but I don’t have quality of life and am suffering."

• Nic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 9, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Male, 61 yrs, 92 kg, live in the U.K. I suffer from hypertension. Prescribed 10 mg amlodipine daily and within days felt like I was being poisoned. Saw GP and reduced to 5 mg. Side effects include vivid dreams, facial flushing, extreme lethargy, headache, palpitations at night, disrupted sleep, blurred vision. Am normally fit and active (ex-military) but now feel like an old man. BP is down considerably, which is good, but at what cost to general health and well-being? I’m weaning myself off this controversial drug and am instead changing lifestyle and diet to control BP. I think BP is a money-making racket by pharmaceutical companies and misunderstood by GPs."

• Rea...
• March 18, 2014

For High Blood Pressure "It has lowered my blood pressure, which was crazy high (upper number 210 once and otherwise always in the 190s). Everything was fine at first. But now I'm so tired, it hurts. I am actually so fatigued that I am close to not being able to function. I have also noticed some double vision (comes and goes)."

• Sav...
• December 20, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I've been on amlodipine for about 11 years. For the past year, I've been experiencing horrible side effects - extremely fatigued, headaches, pain in chest, tingling all over, muscle cramps, back pains. Now I'm getting ringing in the ears, popping in ears, itchy and burning eyes. The problem with pharmaceutical companies is that their main goal is to make money, you never know when they're going to change the inactive ingredients or active ingredients to save a buck. I'm going to wean myself off this 'poison', the quality of life changes are not worth it."

• Mai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "DO NOT take this medication amlodipine. I only took it for 5 weeks for high blood pressure, but it was the worst 5 weeks of my life from the side effects. Extreme fatigue, weakness, headaches, trips to the ER. There were times I felt so weak and sick I literally thought it was the end of me. On a different medication now but took a couple of weeks to get amlodipine out of my system and recover from the adverse side effects."

• Dog...
• December 30, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "Yes, Amlodipine worked to lower my BP, but at what cost? My doctor told me about the side effects, but I’m 37 years old and didn’t want a heart attack, so I agreed. 10mg/day. Wasn’t ready for what followed. Horrible stomach pain lasting days. Diarrhea, gas pains, then constipation. Always cold. Each day at 8 pm I would shake uncontrollably, even in a warm home. Weak, confused, tired, drained all day. At 2 months, my feet got so sore I couldn’t walk, no matter how much I rested or kept them up. My skin crawled like an itch I couldn’t scratch. Zero energy for hobbies or activities. At 3 months, I began needing to urinate every 30 minutes after bed. If I got to sleep, I had the most unpleasant dreams. Talked to doctor about concerns, but he blamed the beta blocker and lowered that instead. Side effects continued until I had enough. I’m now on day 3 off Amlodipine. I feel awful, but I’d rather take my chances than go through that again. Rating a 2 because it worked as advertised, but you should stay away."

• Jun...
• November 18, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I have been taking Amlodipine Besylate 10 mg for over 6 years now and the worst side effects have been: heart pounding/palpitations, fatigue, and increased anxiety. I also noticed that my problems were noted when the manufacturer changed to Teva. When the manufacturer was Camber, problems were not noticed. For several years, I take Metoprolol XR and Hydrochlorothiazide with no problems. I stopped taking the Amlodipine Besylate 10 mg over 3 weeks ago and have noticed that my energy level has increased, anxiety lessened, and heart pounding decreased. My blood pressure has been about the same as when I was taking the Amlodipine Besylate, so I plan to discuss this with my GP. I feel there are problems with this medication and hope that with numerous complaints/concerns it will be further investigated."

• Dav...
• December 4, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Doctor put me on 5mg amlodipine once daily. I was on it for 10 days, and by the fourth day, I noticed no energy, fatigue, extreme lightheadedness, and a sensation like everything around me was moving. I stopped it over 10 days ago, and I am still experiencing major side effects."

• Peg...
• August 6, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I am 4 and a half months in on 2.5 mg once daily for high blood pressure. I was doing great, blood pressure was controlled, and as a bonus, it also pretty much stopped my migraines altogether. I was happy to think my blood pressure was controlled on the smaller 2.5 mg dose than the usual 5 mg. However, into month 3, I noticed I was developing sore, aching muscles. First legs, then arms, then ankles, wrists, neck, hips, and back. Each day felt like I had been hit with these deep, aching pains and extreme fatigue. I rode this out, thinking I could have a virus or summer flu bug. It never dissipated. I then decided to halve my dosage. I am on day two of splitting my 2.5 mg pill into 1.25 mg (half). The first day, no aches. Today, no aches. Fatigue is definitely down a notch. I am riding this out on 1.25 mg until I can get in and see my doctor. Under the 'rare or extreme' side effects listed, muscle pain and joint pain are listed. I don't think this is as rare as they say."

• lca...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I started this medication about 2 months ago. I take two 5 mg tablets nightly at bedtime. It has lowered my blood pressure, but it makes me tired, weak, exacerbated my anxiety and depression. I’m fatigued, with general malaise, headache, joint and body aches."

• lca...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I started this medication about 2 months ago. I take two 5 mg tablets nightly at bedtime. It has lowered my blood pressure, but it makes me tired, weak, exacerbated my anxiety and depression. I’m fatigued, with general malaise, headache, joint and body aches."

• Cin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "It did lower my blood pressure when taken with my normal blood pressure med, Atenolol... but side effects are not good. Anxiety, trouble sleeping, fatigue, and extremely achy, crampy weakness in legs and arms... and it also gave me stomach issues. Luckily, my doctor let me stop it. Why is this drug on the market when it makes so many people miserable?"

• Hes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 14, 2015

For High Blood Pressure "Started on 5mg once a day. Within three weeks had episode of eye pain and severe conjunctivitis. I didn't suspect the med, and neither did the eye doctor. Medication (drops ordered for eye problems). Conjunctivitis became chronic despite meds. Severe fatigue. Within five months, I was having pain and difficulty walking. My BP responded well and was normal, but had increased difficulty on short walks, developed 'brain fog', stopped gardening, walking, and daily exercises. I did not connect the med with the symptoms until a year later when I was unable to walk three level blocks because of leg, back, and foot pain. I decided it might be the med and stopped it. Now perfectly normal and BP mildly elevated. No more BP meds for me."