Amlodipine

Order Amlodipine Blood Pressure Tablets Online

Written by Clinical Pharmacist Hywel McGlinchy

Simple Online Pharmacy allows you to order amlodipine online from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy service. To make sure the medicine is safe and suitable, you will need to complete a medical assessment. Our doctors will review the assessment before sending a prescription to our pharmacy team. Our pharmacy team will then dispense and dispatch your medicine to your delivery address. 

Please note, this medication can only be prescribed as an emergency supply of your repeat prescription. You should receive a regular supply of this medication from your GP. Some people take more than one type of blood pressure medicine. If you would like to order an emergency request for all of your blood pressure medicines, you just need to fill out a consultation for each one.

What is Amlodipine?

Amlodipine is a medication that is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). It is also used to treat angina which causes chest pain due to a reduced blood flow to the heart muscles.

It belongs to a group of medicines called calcium channel blockers (CCBs), also sometimes known as ‘calcium antagonists’. It is only available on prescription from a doctor. Istin is the brand name of amlodipine.

How does it work?

Amlodipine directly affects blood vessels and causes them to relax and widen. This makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body and lowers your blood pressure. By lowering your blood pressure, amlodipine helps to prevent future serious problems.

Hypertension has no symptoms and the only way to know your blood pressure reading is to have your blood pressure checked. It is important to treat high blood pressure because, in the long term, it can increase your risk of developing serious health problems. This includes strokes, heart failure, kidney disease, heart disease, aneurysms, and heart attacks.

Dose

Take it exactly how your doctor has told you to. It is available in the following strengths:

• 5mg
• 10mg

The starting dose for treating high blood pressure is one amlodipine 5mg tablet a day. The prescribed amlodipine dosage can then be increased to 10mg a day if necessary.

Amlodipine Summary

Alternatives

High blood pressure is a very common condition and there are a number of treatments available. Different types of treatments include:

• Beta-blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Angiotensin-2 receptor antagonists (ARBs)
• ACE inhibitors

A number of other CCBs can be prescribed for hypertension such as felodipine, diltiazem, nifedipine, and verapamil.

What is amlodipine used for?

Amlodipine is a medication that is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). It is also used to treat angina which causes chest pain due to a reduced blood flow to the heart muscles. 

It belongs to a group of medicines called calcium channel blockers (CCBs). It is only available on prescription from a doctor.

What is the best time to take amlodipine?

Amlodipine can be taken at any time of the day but it should be taken around the same time each day. 

Is amlodipine a diuretic?

Amlodipine is not a diuretic, it is a calcium channel blocker (CCB). This means it directly affects blood vessels and causes them to relax and widen, which helps to lower your blood pressure. Diuretics can also be used to reduce your blood pressure but they work in a different way to CCBs. Examples of diuretics are furosemide and bendroflumethiazide.

What are the most common side effects of amlodipine?

Common side effects include:

• Flushing
• Dizziness, headache, sleepiness (especially at the start of treatment)
• Swollen ankles
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Tiredness
• Visual disturbances
• Indigestion
• Abdominal pain
• Palpitations
• Muscle cramps

Can taking amlodipine cause weight gain?

Weight gain is listed as an uncommon side effect of treatment. This means up to 1 in 100 people taking it may experience weight gain as a side effect. Fluid retention and ankle swelling are also possible side effects.

What foods should I avoid when taking amlodipine?

You should avoid drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit while taking it because it can affect how amlodipine works. Apart from grapefruit, you can drink and eat normally when taking amlodipine.

Is amlodipine a beta blocker?

Amlodipine is a type of drug called a calcium channel blocker (CCB). CCBs are not beta-blockers and they work in a different way to them. Examples of beta-blocker medicines are bisoprolol, atenolol and propranolol.

Can I order amlodipine online?

Yes, you can order amlodipine high blood pressure medication online from Simple Online Pharmacy. You will need to complete an online medical questionnaire which our UK doctors will review. If our doctors approve your order, they will write a prescription and send it to our pharmacy team. Our pharmacy team will then dispense the medicine and dispatch it to your delivery address. 

Only people who receive repeat prescriptions from their GP for amlodipine are able to use this service.

Content reviewed 12/10/2020

Common amlodipine side effects include:

• Palpitations
• Flushing
• Dizziness, sleepiness, headache (especially at the start of treatment)
• Visual disturbances
• Swollen ankles
• Tiredness
• Indigestion
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain
• Muscle cramps

Some side effects (e.g headaches) usually go away after a few days of taking it. If side effects are severe or last longer than a few days, talk to a healthcare professional like your doctor or pharmacist.

There are some serious side effects associated with it. If you experience any of the following after taking amlodipine, seek medical attention immediately:

• Severe skin reactions e.g intense skin rash, severe itching, blistering, peeling
• Abnormal heartbeat
• Signs of an allergic reaction e.g swelling of the lips, trouble breathing, skin rash
• Severe abdominal and back pain which may indicate an inflamed pancreas

For a complete list of side effects and serious side effects, read the patient information leaflet.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

• Amlodipine PIL

Other conditions and amlodipine

Do not take it if:

• You suffer from heart failure after a heart attack
• You have severe low blood pressure
• You are allergic to amlodipine or any of the ingredients in the tablets
• You have aortic stenosis or cardiogenic shock

There are other conditions in which taking amlodipine may not be suitable such as liver disease, a recent heart attack, and heart failure.

If you have any of the above or are not sure, you should speak to your doctor. More information is available in the patient information leaflet.

Interactions with other medicines

Certain drugs can interact with amlodipine and either cause harm or reduce the effectiveness of one or both medicines. 

The patient information leaflet contains a comprehensive list of interacting medicines, some examples include:

• Simvastatin
• Tacrolimus
• Verapamil
• Diltiazem
• Certain antibiotics
• Certain antifungal medicines