Hi Ramipril taken in the morning lowers my BP to around 110/73 all day. Brilliant success, However I am prescribed Amlodipine at night and when I wake my BP is 150/95 - Not such a success. Anyone else found this? I am having difficulty persuading my GP that I'm not getting good results with Amlodipine. I'm thinking of another e consult to raise my concerns. Any good replacements for amlodipine?
Thanks in advance.
What dose of Ramipril are you on? I was prescribed both of these but didn’t get on with the Amlodipine and stopped taking it, it gave me very swollen feet and irregular heart beat, I just take 10mg of Ramipril.
I'm on quite high - 10 mg of both Ramipril and Amlodipine. My BP before meds was very high 220/120 - so I'm grateful to get down to manageable levels.
My GP told me that your blood pressure is naturally higher in the mornings as your body is in essence 'waking up'. I'm on Ramipril and Amlodipine and I had this too but when the GP saw my BP results before and after taking them, they seemed to be convinced.
Hope this helps!
I'm not sure from which school of thought your GP got that idea. My BP is naturally lower in the morning before the stresses and strains of life crowd in. That's why I take my medications in the morning so they have maximum effect during the day.
It's true that BP is higher when you wake up in the morning. From an article I read:When you first wake up in the morning, blood pressure (BP) increases due to the body’s normal circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is a daily 24-hour activity cycle that affects our sleep/wake patterns. In the morning, the body releases certain hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline.
For a while I took my BP several times a day at the request of my GP as part of the investigation into why I had high BP. My fundamental BP, taken when I woke up at 6.45 a.m., was never higher than when I took it just before going out to work at 8.45 a.m. Usually it was a case of my BP slowly rising during the day. Maybe my hormones just wake up slowly. 😀
Maybe your GP would agree to a temporary suspension of the Amlodipine to see what the results are. An alternative might be to go onto an ARB instead of the Amlodipine.
Hi GWP1952, funny really that last night I was suffering with a really bad cold and after taking my Amlodipine I was sick, probably ejecting most of my dose - this morning my BP was 128/88 - much lower. A real conundrum. However my GP this morning has said as Amlodipine was increased to 10 mg five days ago I should give it three weeks to kick in. He then says if my morning BP has not improved he will swap Amlodipine with an ARB or Beta Blocker. I shall keep it under review. Many thanks for your reply. Keep well. Andrew
Well Andrew, I purposely kept myself from commenting specifically on Amlodipine as it is on my allergies list. We are all different and for some it may be a marvellous drug, but not for me. I wouldn't want my experience to influence you, but this was happened to me.
I was originally on Ramipril, but it gave me a bad cough which was so bad that it kept my wife awake as well as me. My GP changed my medication to Amlodipine and the bad side effects started within a few days - swollen ankles, aches and even worse as it affected my cognitive processes. Basically I lost a month of my life while on it. Not good when you run your own business! Anyway, my GP immediately changed my medication to Losartan and I've never had any issues whatsoever. For me - who my GP once described as "a nightmare to medicate" - it was a revelation.
Personally I don't see why your GP would put you on a beta blocker to control your BP. I'm on one to keep a cap on my pulse rate and strengthen my heart. I ran out of it for a while when I was away for a few days and the effect on my BP was zero. Replacing a BP drug of one type with one of another type is far more logical.
Of course these are my own thoughts and experiences and I offer them in good faith. We are all different, so as they say YMMV.
All the best. Keep well and keep safe,
Gerald
Hi Gerald, I think the Beta Blocker might be because I suffer from anxiety which will influence my morning BP. Indeed when I had a paramedic call 8 weeks ago my Bp was 222/122 and I ended up in A & E and the paramedic recommended a betablocker. We shall see how the next few weeks go, I did find the BHF nurse helpful - she advised a change in timing but so far my GP is resistant - wants me to see how the increase in Amlodipine goes over the next few weeks. Luckily so far I am tolerating the drugs well without side effects.
Thanks Gerald.
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