Hi. I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure for about 12 months now. I was first started on Amlodipine. Very quickly I had bleeding gums, a cough and shortness of breath. It was stopped. I was then given Ramipril and suffered the same side effects. I was then given another medication to try that had an x in the name (cant remember what it was called). Once again I had shortness of breath and a cough. The GP wasnt really interested in listening to me. He said stop for a week and then start again. Who knows earth would do that knowing what the effects would be once you started taking them again. I refused as each time I was prescibed a different medication it took at least a week for the last side effects to wear off. I was then prescribed Bendroflumethiazide 2.5mg. They had little effect on BP but no side effects. I have now been given Felodipine 2.5mg to run along side them. I have only taken Felodipine for 5 days and already I feel awful. I feel like I have a cold. I'm tired and once again have a cough. I wonder if all BP medication has an element in it that I'm allergic to. Any advice would be helpful as I am at my wits end of feeling so rough.
Felodipine: Hi. I have been diagnosed... - High Blood Pressu...
Felodipine
Some people are more prone to side effects than others. I have been taking Amlodipine 5 mg since July last year and initially I was fine with them (unlike two or three attempts in previous years) but then in March this year I was given a different brand to take and that's when the side effects started. Mine were swollen heels, ankles, feet and lower legs with a nasty rash on the lower legs, that continued for a few months but when I was at last given the brand I had started taking in the beginning, the swelling gradually subsided and so did the rash. Some side effects of different medications disappear without changing brands after certain amount of time. Check out the leaflet that comes in the box with the tablets and see what it says under side effects. If you decide they are definitely not for you, then you will have to go back to your GP again. It really is such a nuisance trying to find something that suits you as we are all different. Good luck. x
Thanks for your reply. I gave each medication some time before stopping but because they effected my breathing and made my gums bleed I couldn't stay on them. The pharmacist recommended trying 'centrally acting' medication. I have no idea what that is but if the side effects on Felodipine dont subside I will ask the GP about it. I do get angry though when the doctor and pharmacist say the side effects I experience are rare and question me as if I'm making it up. When I am struggling for breath, have a hacking cough that keeps me awake and my gums are bleeding the last thing I need is to be doubted by the people that are meant to be there to help me. It's been awful trying to get them to understand how it makes me feel not being able to take medication.
Yes I understand completely what you mean, I was made to feel like that several years ago when I had gone through all the ones available and none of then worked and like you, gave me awful side effects. xx
what did you end up doing? I get side effects too
I didn't take anything, there was no point as nothing worked. I stayed off medication for about ten years and then last year, whilst suffering with (unbeknown to me and undiagnosed at that time) RA, my BP once again was quite high and I think it was the pain I was in. I ended up back on Amlodipine and it was fine. Initially I had flushing in my face but it went after a while. After that I did have another problem but my first post above explains why. What are you taking and how long have you been on it?
started out w losartan: 12.5 mg (1/2 of a 25 mg tab), was on it almost 90 days. then switched to Candesartan 4 days ago: 2 mg (half of a 4 mg tab) - once per day. I'm very conscientious of my body feelings and the Candesartan is making me feel like I can't catch a deep breath........my BP goes higher 2 hours after taking it, I feel like shit.....it just doesn't work. I don't have high BP all the time, just spikes when under mental and emotional stress but I have a leaky aortic valve & an aortic anuerysm (incidental finding that I have probably been living with for years, but glad they found it), so they want me on a 'sartan rx. I wasn't on BP meds before I had extreme emotional stressors, back in June 2020. Small doses of Zanax work better than these BP meds.
Yes, stress can cause so many problems, that was one of my major reasons when mine was high, I was so stressed out at my job all the time and it was affecting me badly. They also discovered that I had a leaking mitral valve, left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic sclerosis in the early 2000s and although they say I'll never need anything done about it, I can't see that it isn't causing problems from time to time at least. Have you tried relaxation therapy or meditation?
yes, relaxation apps on my phone. need to learn and remember to meditate. the years u were off meds what did you take? anything like magnesium, beet juice etc?
I did try beetroot juice but I was drinking so much of it and it's not cheap so I stopped. I found out at the time that exercise is good for it too, but talk that over with your GP before you attempt anything. Tai Chi is supposed to be good for stress and so could help reduce BP, also weight loss if you're a little overweight.
nope, I only weigh 133 at 5'4". I have the all clear to excercise and in fact cardio doc TOLD me I need to. I do notice when I excercise my heart, my BP is lower for a lil while. But I need to keep it down long term.
thank you for your input.
I'm sorry to hear about those issues.......how do you feel with them? did it give you anxiety to learn you had those issues?
If you mean the leaking mitral valve etc, yes I suppose it did but also, I had just broken my back when I found out about it. I was in hospital and on examination they heard a heart murmur so I had an echocardiogram and that's when it was diagnosed.
WOW!!! That's rough 
Xanax the magical wonder pill no longer available in the UK even on private prescription 😥
Sorry to hear you have been through the same. How are you now? Have you found a tablet that works for you ?
Yes, Amlodipine. I was the first answer to your post above and said about it there. It's been working since July last year but that doesn't mean it will forever - time will tell. xx
I can sympathise with you about not being believed I went through the same with Statins. The leg pains were so bad they kept me awake at nights yet it took a while to convince my GP.
On another note I have been on various BP medications for more years than I can remember and the last couple of years I am suffering more severe side effects such as breathlessness and a constant discomfort in the chest like heartburn. Wish me luck in trying to get my GP (or whichever Dr I get to speak to) to change my prescription or dosage.
It's awful isnt it. I have had no issue with taking medication its finding one that doesn't make me feel ill. Not being able to breathe properly is the worst side effect. I even had a Covid test because I thought that was the problem. Didnt think at first it could be side effects to medication. Hope you find something that suits you soon.
Hi Kerrie. If you go online and type in Central-acting agents for blood pressure, you will find a couple of sites that will explain all about it and their side effects. The one I was reading is on the Mayo Clinic web site (in the US) but there are a couple more. It will give you an idea of what they are etc.
Thanks for the advice. Very much appreciated.
yea my cardio doc doesn't seem interested in hearing about side effects either. it's because they don't know how to FIX anything!! just give meds.
I agree. I understand what they are coping with at the moment but high BP can be a silent killer. They need to listen to people more. After all we know our bodies and how we feel better than they do.
I’m sorry you are going through a torrid time. I think it would be a good idea, Kerriezoe, to have a chat with your pharmacist.
Many of them are far more clued up on side effects and drug inter reactions than GPs are.
Part of their function is to advise you and if they are able to help they will write direct to your GP.
Or at least, that’s what happens in the part of England that I live in.
Saying that, have you addressed any of the lifestyle issues that might contribute to your raised blood pressure? If you haven’t already, have a read of the Blood Pressure UK website for hints. Just as an example, I had no idea that there was salt in bread!
Hi thanks for your reply. I spoke to my pharmacist who recommended I try 'centrally acting' medication. I have no idea what that is. I will persevere with Felodipine for a couple of weeks to see if the side effects were off before seeing the GP again.
My lifestyle is pretty good. I am not overweight, I regularly exercise and with having 2 allotments I eat pretty healthily. There is history of high blood pressure in my family though.
Wow ‘centrally acting!’ Even more jargon to digest! News to me! My pharmacist, though he’s from Latvia and has an accent that you could cut with a knife, is very patient and explains everything. Even if he has to do it twice or three times until we understand him!
You are lucky you have an understanding pharmacist. Mine said it's not in the leaflet what I am experiencing in side effects. So once again because it's rare it isnt happening.
Hiya. Sorry to see you are having problems with your medication. If the tablet you was on with an x in the name could be doxazosin . I had them and they made me angry. This was about 15 years ago. My wife and I went on holiday and I was being very nasty to her. We went to a local chemist who suggested that I stop taking them and see my doc when we got home. Eventually, I was put on Amlodopine, bend whatever it was and Losartin potassium. Everything was ok till a few moths ago and my potassium deteriorated and I was taken off the Bendroflume whatever you spell it. I could never get my head round the spelling of it. then they took me off Amlodopine gave me 50mg Losartin potassium and 2.5 felodipine. Since then I have felt really good. You have to give your body time to adjust to the new medication. I hope all goes well for you
Hi thanks for your response. Sorry to hear you also had problems with medication. I had to stop taking the first three meds because they effected my breathing and gave me a hacking cough. I think the worst was Amlodipine as my gums were bleeding as well as finding it hard to breath. I wi stick with the Felodipine and see how I go.
Hiya. Amlodopine is not a nice tablet. When the Dr took me off the (here we go🙄) Bendroflume (and the rest of it) I was left with Amlodopine and Losartin. Because they took the Bendroflume off me which is a water tablet, my BP went over 200. I got in touch with the Dr and they dealt with it. Make sure you keep a record of your BP as that helped the Dr as well. Take care and stay safe 👍
B
Thankfully my BP has not risen as high as 200. I have given the GP 3 separate weeks of BP readings. They just talk to me over the phone for a minute at high speed, not listening to what I am trying to tell them and then I'm prescribed a different tablet. I am obviously sensitive to certain medications but trying to get a GP to look into it properly is difficult. I know these are hard times but high blood pressure can be a silent killer. It's very worrying.
That is so true. I had my appt over the phone, but spoke to a Dr I had never spoken to before. He was very understanding and listened to me. Then I had to take my BP whilst he waited for me to complete it. Then put me on 2.5 felodipine. I hope it all goes well. I am going to follow your postsTake care
Hi, Interesting to hear your reaction to Doxasosin as I have had it added to cocktail of BP drugs since a scan revealed slight aortic stenosis. I have myself getting irratated and angry at the slightest thing, also mood swing, depression etc.
Sorry to hear that. I am marked up as allergic to Doxazosin. Make sure you tell the doctor. Wouldn’t want to go through it all again. I hope it all goes well for you.
I have had horrible side effects to Amlodipine Ramipril and Doxazosin. Change in mood, bleeding gums, horrible cough and laboured breathing. It's been a nightmare trying to find a tablet that not only works but doesn't give me these side effects.
Yes, one can get into a merry-go-round trying different drugs for high blood pressure. GPs will prescribe different classes of these drugs to hit the jackpot. To be on top of the situation, and if you do not already know the sites, you might want to check with drugs.com or rxlist.com for side effects when given a drug.
Next, it might be useful to get to know the classes for blood pressure. As per Google:
Diuretics
Beta blockers
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin II receptor blockers
Calcium channel blockers
Alpha blockers
Alpha-2 receptor agonist
Central agonists
Peripheral adrenergic inhibitors
Vasodilators
It might be useful to keep track of the class and the drug given with the side effects to see at a glance your journey. You could also include date and effect on your chart.
In your case:
1. calcium channel blocker - amlodipine - bleeding gum, cough, shortness of breath
felodipine cough, tired
2. ACE inhibitor - rampril - bleeding gums, cough , shortness of breath
3. -- -- cough, shortness of breath
4. ? ? ?
5? ? ?
6. diuretic Bendroflumethiazide - nil side effects. (little effect)
You will note that felodipine is in the same class as amlodipine, so it should not come as a surprise that you got similar side effects.
You will also note that central agonists, the class recommended by your pharmacist, is also on the list .
Drugs .com does list "rare" side effects for each drug.
Another "goodie" is to note that current literature advocates taking low doses of two or more drugs(combo therapy) is more effective to reduce side effects than increasing the dose of one drug ( monotherapy).
I hope this analysis helps you to take control In order to have a meaningful discussion with your health care worker. Good luck in finding your meds.
Wow thank you. The list is spot on. I had a feeling Felodipine was in the same family as Amlodipine simply because the same side effects started almost straight away.
I will definately look into it further. Thank you for the advice. Very much appreciated.
Hi kerriezoe,Just like to say yes they are from the same family. I had them both, amlodipine first then felodipine . I experienced bleeing gums with felodipine and weaknesss, joint pain to the point that I couldn't pick the kettle up because it felt like my wrist would break. Now been bendroflumethiazide hope they have no side effects.
All the best.
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