Amlodipine maleate relaxes blood vessels to improve blood flow as a medication to treat angina and high blood pressure. Amlopidine is the active ingredient combined with the salt maleate. The drug is one of a group known as calcium channel blockers used to affect the flow of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. It both increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart while it relieves the workload of the heart and arteries. The medication is available by a physician's prescription only and can cause several side effects.
Edema
Amlodipine maleate may cause swelling in the legs and feet as a side effect. Users may also find their gums feel tender, swollen or even start to bleed. Mayo Clinic staff suggests patients carefully brush and floss their teeth and massage their gums as a preventive measure against gum problems. Gum tenderness, swelling or bleeding should be reported to your doctor or dentist as soon as it happens.
Headaches, Dizziness, Weakness
Taking amlodipine maleate can cause headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting as side effects. Users may feel as though they could pass out and suffer irregular heartbeat, according to Drugs.com. You could also feel chest pain, numbness, a burning sensation or feel tingling as side effects. If any of these side effects occur, seek medical attention immediately.
Jaundice
Taking amlodipine maleate can cause jaundice as a side effect according to Drugs.com. This condition results when the liver can't process a byproduct of old red blood cells called bilirubin fast enough. The yellow pigment in skin and eyes is from the bilirubin. This indicates a serious side effect that merits a call to your doctor.
Gastrointestinal Problems
A number of gastrointestinal problems have been reported as side effects from taking amlodipine maleate. Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain can all occur according to Safescript Limited. Diarrhea, bloating and sour stomach are also possible side effects. Other side effects include black, tarry stools, stomach aches, loss of appetite, stomach tenderness, flatulence, belching and foul breath odor.
More Side Effects in Women
More women than men experience certain side effects from amlopidine maleate. Drugs.com reports three times as many women as men experienced edema with only 5.6 percent of men tested suffering edema while 14.6 percent of women developed edema. Other gender distinctions were three times as many women becoming flushed as men at 4.5 percent compared with 1.5 percent men. Women also suffered heart palpitations at 3.3 percent of those tested compared with 1.4 percent of men tested. Just slightly more women than men reported feeling tired after taking the drug.
Member Comments