Norvasc Problems

Bad breath, jaw problems and even the cure for which it was designed (angina) are some of the side effects that have been erroneously linked to Norvasc. Tests conducted on the safety of Norvasc pinpoint a small percentage of common side effects. The few serious side effects, mostly not common, could not be traced directly to use of Norvasc.

What is Norvasc?

• Norvasc is a prescription tablet taken orally with the generic name of amlopidine. It belongs to a group of medicines called calcium channel blockers that have anti-anginal and hypertension effects. It dilates blood vessels and slows down the heart so as to reduce blood pressure and the pain from angina. It is used widely and safely on patients with illnesses that include congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, chronic pulmonary disease and diabetes.

Clinical Trials

• To evaluate the safety of Norvasc, over 11,000 patients were tested in the United States and foreign countries. Patients with and without the diseases for which the medicine was designed participated in clinical trials. Findings included that daily doses of 10mg were easily tolerated, untoward reactions were not severe but only mild and moderate, only 1.5 percent were advised to discontinue its usage and adverse reactions were greater in women than in men.

Most Common Side Effects

• Edema and headache were the most common side effects, with over 10% of those tested having some form of edema. Most were able to tolerate the medicine well. Other less serious side effects included nausea, vertigo, drowsiness, dizziness, flushed skin, vomiting, stomach pains and weight changes, loss of appetite, back pain, thirst, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, ringing in ears, dry mouth and insomnia.

Less Common Side Effects

• Heart palpitations, chest pains, severe swelling, irregular or pounding heartbeat, feeling of passing out and unusual weakness were some of the less common but serious side effects experienced. However, these were not severe enough or serious enough to warrant any of the patients being given emergency help. In some of these cases the side effects were not established to have been caused by Norvasc.

Precautionary Advice

• Since Norvasc can cause dizziness or drowsiness, caution is advised while driving or handling machinery. Other advice includes getting up slowly while arising from a lying-down or sitting position; refraining from stopping the medication abruptly; calling a doctor if more serious and worsening side effects persist; using the medication as part of a complete program that may include diet, weight control and exercise; not experimenting by overdosing or underdosing; and not taking if you are allergic to amlodipine.