8 habits to watch
- Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice
Some official patient guidance recommends avoiding grapefruit with amlodipine because it may increase the medicine’s blood-pressure-lowering effect and side effects.
- Drinking a lot of alcohol
Alcohol can add to amlodipine’s blood-pressure-lowering effect, increasing dizziness or lightheadedness.
- Stopping amlodipine on your own
Don’t discontinue it simply because you feel well. Amlodipine is often prescribed long-term, and stopping without medical advice can allow blood pressure to rise again.
- Ignoring persistent ankle swelling
Swollen ankles, feet, and legs are a common side effect. Don’t simply tolerate severe or persistent swelling—tell your doctor or pharmacist.
- Driving when you’re dizzy
Amlodipine can cause dizziness or sleepiness. If you’re affected, don’t drive or operate machinery until you’re feeling normal again.
- Starting herbal remedies without checking first
Some medicines and herbal products can interact with amlodipine, including St John’s wort and certain antibiotics, antifungals, and immune-suppressing medicines.
- Ignoring other prescription medicines
Amlodipine interacts with some medications. One notable example is simvastatin; the combination requires attention to the simvastatin dose.
- Taking extra doses to compensate for a missed tablet
If you forget a dose, don’t double up. Follow the instructions in your medication leaflet or ask your pharmacist what to do. Taking too much amlodipine can cause dangerously low blood pressure
