Last week, we popularized the usage and adverse reactions of nifedipine, and the article provided guidance (nifedipine is a commonly used antihypertensive drug, be careful with these three adverse reactions when taking it for a long time!)

A reader sent a private message asking how to use amlodipine and what are the adverse reactions? Let’s learn together today!

1. What kind of medicine is amlodipine? What diseases can be treated?

Amlodipine is a common calcium ion antagonist that produces vasodilation by binding to specific calcium ion channels distributed on human blood vessels. After vasodilation, blood flow in the body is As the resistance decreases, the pressure on the blood vessel wall will also decrease, thereby achieving the purpose of lowering blood pressure.

Amlodipine is used to reduce blood pressure and can be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive drugs. In addition, it can also be used as a single drug for coronary heart disease, vasospasm or variant angina pectoris. treatment or combination treatment.

2. What are the differences between amlodipine and nifedipine?

Amlodipine and nifedipine are both calcium ion antagonist antihypertensive drugs commonly used in clinical practice. Among them, Amlodipine has a mild onset of action and fewer side effects, so it is more widely used.

Short-acting preparations of nifedipine are not commonly used in clinical practice due to their rapid onset of antihypertensive effect. Nifedipine controlled-release tablets are commonly used.

Next, let’s briefly compare amlodipine and nifedipine controlled-release tablets.

Nifedipine controlled-release tablets are a special biofilm control agent that can be slowly released over 24 hours and can be absorbed to reach peak concentration in 6-12 hours. Generally, good results can be achieved after 3 days of taking it. Antihypertensive effect.

The onset of action of amlodipine is relatively slow. It usually has a blood pressure lowering effect in 1-2 weeks and reaches the strongest blood pressure lowering in 6-8 weeks.

The dosage of nifedipine controlled-release tablets is 30 mg, usually once a day, one tablet at a time, while amlodipine is a common dosage form, one tablet is 5 mg, and the usage is also one tablet at a time, but The dosage can be adjusted from half a tablet to 1/4 tablet according to the patient's blood pressure and other conditions.

There are no absolute contraindications to amlodipine and nifedipine controlled-release tablets, but the adverse reactions of nifedipine controlled-release tablets are slightly higher than amlodipine.

For example, general antagonists should be used with caution in patients with heart failure, but studies have proven that amlodipine has no adverse consequences for heart failure and can be used in patients with heart failure, but nifedipine cannot.

3. What are the advantages of amlodipine in lowering blood pressure?

The advantages of amlodipine are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

①Slow onset of effect

The onset of action of amlodipine is gentle, and it is not likely to cause a reflex heart rate increase due to rapid blood pressure reduction.

② Long-lasting antihypertensive effect

The antihypertensive effect of amlodipine is relatively long-lasting, with small individual differences.

③ Convenient medication

Amlodipine is generally administered once a day, which is convenient to administer and can increase patient compliance to a certain extent.

④ Adverse reactions are few and mild.

Amlodipine has few and mild adverse reactions. It has no effect on blood sugar and blood lipids. Its long-term ability to lower blood pressure is not affected by high-salt diet or non-steroidal drugs. It also has a significant blood pressure lowering effect on patients with alcoholism.

⑤ Can protect target organs

Long-term use of amlodipine can resist atherosclerosis, reverse left ventricular hypertrophy, increase blood vessel elasticity, and protect the kidneys.

4. What adverse reactions may occur after taking amlodipine?

Amlodipine is well tolerated and the adverse reactions are relatively mild and rare. There are mainly four types: :

① Edema

The most common adverse reaction of amlodipine is edema, which is usually more common in the ankles and feet. There are also reports of systemic edema, usually within two weeks of taking the drug. or appear after a longer period of time.

For mild edema, patients can choose to raise their feet to relieve it; for severe edema, doctors generally choose to combine diuretics or other antihypertensive drugs to combat edema. If it is not tolerated for a long time, the medication should be adjusted.

② Heart palpitations

Some patients may experience increased heartbeat after taking amlodipine.

③ Elevated liver enzymes

Since 90% of amlodipine is metabolized by the liver, some patients may experience elevated liver enzymes. It is recommended to review liver function in a timely manner.

④Gingival hyperplasia

Most tertiary drugs may cause the adverse reaction of gingival hyperplasia, which usually occurs after continuous use of the drug for more than two months. If gum hyperplasia occurs, you can go to the dental department for treatment. Generally, gingival hyperplasia will disappear 1-8 weeks after stopping the drug.

While taking amlodipine, we can also take some measures to prevent gum hyperplasia, such as keeping teeth clean and regular teeth cleaning.

Finally, it should be noted that because some adverse reactions can be tolerated, when adverse reactions occur, do not stop taking the medication on your own, but seek evaluation from a doctor or pharmacist.

If the adverse reaction is temporary or mild and can be tolerated, doctors or pharmacists usually recommend keeping under observation; if there is an allergy to amlodipine, severe edema is intolerable, or gum hyperplasia affects life, then It may be recommended to discontinue the medication or switch to another medication.

Reference materials:

Medical Microvision official website-Zhang Qingxia "Amlodipine"

Medical Microvision official website-Zhang Yatong "Amlodipine"