TYPICAL USAGE:
Amlodipine is used with or without other medications to treat high blood pressure. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. Amlodipine belongs to a class of drugs known as calcium channel blockers. It works by relaxing blood vessels so blood can flow more easily. Amlodipine is also used to prevent certain types of chest pain (angina). It may help to increase your ability to exercise and decrease the frequency of angina attacks. It should not be used to treat attacks of chest pain when they occur.
SIDE EFFECTS:
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to amlodipine including dizziness, palpitations, flushing and fluid retention abnormal heart rhythm, slow heart rate, chest pain, low blood pressure, poor blood circulation, fainting, fast heart rate and inflammation of blood vessels, sensory loss, nerve disease, tingling, tremor, unsteadiness, sexual dysfunction (male and female), sleepless, nervousness, depression, abnormal dreams, anxiety and depersonalization loss of appetite, constipation, indigestion, difficulty in swallowing, diarrhoea, flatulence, inflammation of pancreas, vomiting and gum swelling allergic reactions, shock, weakness, back pain, hot flushes, uneasiness, pain, rigours, increased sweating, weight gain and weight loss joint pain, muscle cramps and muscle pain difficulty in breathing and nose bleed redness of the skin, itching, increased sweating and rash abnormal vision, eye inflammation, blurred/double vision, eye pain and ringing in the ear urinary frequency and night time urination dry mouth, increased sugar level and thirst and bruising, decrease in white blood cells and
DRUG INTERACTION:
• Amlodipine+dolasetron- Talk to your doctor before using dolasetron together with amlodipine. Combining these medications can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious. You may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use both medications.
• Amlodipine+simvastatin- Talk to your doctor before using simvastatin together with amlodipine. Combining these medications may significantly increase the blood levels of simvastatin. This can increase the risk of side effects such as liver damage and a rare but serious condition called rhabdomyolysis that involves the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue.
• Amlodipine+itraconazole- Talk to your doctor before using itraconazole together with amlodipine. Combining these medications can significantly increase the blood levels and effects of amlodipine.
• Amlodipine+tizanidine- Tizanidine and amlodipine may have additive effects in lowering your blood pressure. You may experience headache, dizziness, light-headedness, fainting, and/or changes in pulse or heart rate. These side effects are most likely to be seen at the beginning of treatment, following a dose increase, or when treatment is restarted after an interruption.
MECHANISM OF ACTION:
Amlodipine belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blocker. It reduces the amount of calcium that enters the smooth muscles of the blood vessels and heart. As muscle cells require calcium to contract, reducing the flow of calcium causes the muscle cells to relax and blood vessels to dilate, reducing blood pressure, force and rate of the heartbeat. It improves blood and oxygen supply to the heart muscles.