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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Amlodipine, or amlodipine besylate, is also known by its brand name Norvasc. It is an FDA-approved medication used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), either by itself or along with other blood pressure medicines. It belongs to the calcium channel blocker (CCB) class of medications. It works by opening up (dilating) the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and easing the strain on the heart (UpToDate, n.d.). Amlodipine can also help with coronary artery disease (CAD), a buildup of plaque in the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with oxygen, and chest pain (angina). By dilating the vessels, amlodipine allows more blood to travel to the heart and other parts of the body. Other examples of calcium channel blockers include diltiazem and verapamil.RoImprove and support your health from the comfort of homeNorvasc side effectsAccording to clinical trials involving more than 11,000 people worldwide, amlodipine is a safe and well-tolerated drug. Most people experienced mild to moderate side effects—only 1.5% of people experienced side effects bothersome enough to cause them to stop the medication. Common side effects of Norvasc include (DailyMed, 2008):HeadachesEdema (swelling)FlushingPalpitations (feeling like the heart is racing or fluttering)Unusual tiredness Nausea or stomach painSomnolence (sleepiness)Dizziness or lightheadednessHeadaches are among the most common side effects that people taking amlodipine experience. However, several of the other adverse effects are dose-dependent; this means that you are more likely to experience certain side effects at higher doses (DailyMed, 2008).As an example, let’s look at edema (or swelling), another of the more common side effects of amlodipine. The rate of edema in people taking the standard starting dose of 5 mg per day was 3%, but it increased to over 10% when the dose was increased to 10 mg per day. Scientists theorize that the edema from amlodipine happens because fluid from inside the body’s vessels moves into the soft tissues due to fluid pressure changes (DailyMed, 2008). One study found that as many as 46.5% of their participants had swelling in their ankles (Galappatthy, 2016). Most people experience swelling within 2–3 weeks of starting the drug (UpToDate, n.d.).Flushing and palpitations (rapid or fluttering
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