What is amlodipine?

• Amlodipine is in a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Amlodipine relaxes (widens) the blood vessels (veins and arteries), making it easier for the heart to pump and reducing its workload.
• Amlodipine is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and to treat angina (chest pain).
• Amlodipine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about amlodipine?

• Do not stop taking amlodipine without first talking to your doctor, even if you begin to feel better. If you stop taking the medication, your condition could become worse.

What should I discuss with my doctor before taking amlodipine?

• Before taking amlodipine, tell your doctor if you have
  • liver disease; or
  • another disease of the heart or blood vessels such as sick sinus syndrome, aortic stenosis, heart failure, low blood pressure, or coronary artery disease.
• You may not be able to take amlodipine, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
• Amlodipine is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether amlodipine will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
• It is not known whether amlodipine passes into breast milk. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
• If you are over 65 years of age, you may be more likely to experience side effects from amlodipine. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of this medication.

How should I take amlodipine?

• Take amlodipine exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water.
• Do not stop taking amlodipine without first talking to your doctor, even if you begin to feel better. If you stop taking the medication, your condition could become worse.
• Store amlodipine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

What happens if I overdose?

• Seek emergency medical attention.
• Symptoms of an amlodipine overdose include dizziness, weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, unusually fast or slow heartbeat, coma, slurred speech, and confusion.

What should I avoid while taking amlodipine?

• Follow any recommendations your doctor makes about diet or exercise.
• Use caution when you stand or sit up from a lying position, especially if you wake up during the night. You may become dizzy when changing positions.
• Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may further lower blood pressure and increase drowsiness or dizziness while taking amlodipine.

What are the possible side effects of amlodipine?

• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking amlodipine and contact your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical treatment:
  • an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
  • unusually fast or slow heartbeat;
  • chest pain;
  • severe dizziness or fainting;
  • psychosis;
  • jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
  • swelling of the legs or ankles.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take amlodipine and talk to your doctor if you experience
  • fatigue or tiredness;
  • headache;
  • insomnia;
  • vivid or abnormal dreams;
  • flushing;
  • abdominal pain;
  • nausea, diarrhea, or constipation; or
  • increased or difficult urination.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What drug(s) may interact with amlodipine?

• antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen)
• barbiturates such as phenobarbital
• bosentan
• grapefruit juice
• herbal or dietary supplements such as ginger, gingko biloba, ginseng, hawthorn, ma huang (ephedra), melatonin, St. John's wort, went yeast
• imatinib, STI-571
• local anesthetics or general anesthetics
• medicines for fungal infections (fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole)
• medicines for high blood pressure
• medicines for HIV infection or AIDS
• medicines for prostate problems
• medicines for seizures (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, zonisamide)
• rifampin, rifapentine, or rifabutin
• some antibiotics (clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin, troleandomycin)
• some medicines for heart-rhythm problems (amiodarone, diltiazem, verapamil)
• some medicines for depression or mental problems (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, nefazodone)
• water pills (diuretics)
• yohimbine
• zafirlukast
• zileuton

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).