Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesTreatmentOther Side EffectsOverdose WarningWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Treatment
Other Side Effects
Overdose Warning
When to See a Provider
Amlodipine is acalcium channel blocker, a medication used to treathypertension(high blood pressure) andangina(heart-related chest pain). It relaxes blood vessels and decreases blood pressure, making it easier for your heart to pump blood throughout the body.Its effects also make it easier for the swelling to occur.
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Why Amlodipine Causes Ankle Swelling
Amlodipine and other calcium channel blockers cause blood vessels to dilate. The dilation, in turn, lowers the blood pressure and improves blood flow throughout the body.
However, the improved blood flow can increase the pressure within smaller blood vessels called capillaries. This can cause fluids to seep through the walls of the vessels into surrounding tissues.
The risk ofedemais largely dose-dependent, meaning that higher doses of amlodipine correspond to a greater likeliness (or the worsening) of symptoms. For example, reported rates of edema at a dose of 2.5 milligrams (mg) were 1.8%. That jumped to 10.8% at 10 mg doses.
The likelihood of edema increases the longer you take amlodipine. In one study, people who took amlodipine for five years or more were 20 times more likely to experience swelling as a side effect.Edema from amlodipine is also more common in females than males.
Other Reasons for SwellingFoot and ankle swelling can also be a sign of:Congestive heart failure(HF)Chronic kidney diseaseLiver diseaseThyroid disordersVenous insufficiencyVenous thrombosisIf you have unexplained edema, see your healthcare provider.
Other Reasons for Swelling
Foot and ankle swelling can also be a sign of:Congestive heart failure(HF)Chronic kidney diseaseLiver diseaseThyroid disordersVenous insufficiencyVenous thrombosisIf you have unexplained edema, see your healthcare provider.
Foot and ankle swelling can also be a sign of:
If you have unexplained edema, see your healthcare provider.
How to Ease Ankle Swelling from Amlodipine
Edema from amlodipine can often be managed with at-home strategies. Your healthcare provider may recommend taking your medication at night instead of in the morning if swelling is a problem.
To ease foot and ankle swelling, you can:
You also can:
In addition to swelling, other side effects of amlodipine include:
Amlodipine can also have more serious side effects. If you experience any of the following, contact your healthcare provider:
Amlodipine Overdose Warning
It is possible to overdose on amlodipine and other calcium channel blockers. Never take more than the recommended dose. Signs of overdose include:
If an overdose is suspected, call the Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222, available 24 hours, seven days a week. Do not induce vomiting unless a trained poison control professional tells you to do so.
Amlodipine DosageAmlodipine is available as a tablet and formulated in doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg.The standard recommended dose is 5 mg once daily, increasing to a maximum dose of 10 mg once daily if needed. People who are smaller, elderly, or have liver problems should be started at a dose of 2.5 mg and increased gradually to obtain the desired response.
Amlodipine Dosage
Amlodipine is available as a tablet and formulated in doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg.The standard recommended dose is 5 mg once daily, increasing to a maximum dose of 10 mg once daily if needed. People who are smaller, elderly, or have liver problems should be started at a dose of 2.5 mg and increased gradually to obtain the desired response.
Amlodipine is available as a tablet and formulated in doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg.
The standard recommended dose is 5 mg once daily, increasing to a maximum dose of 10 mg once daily if needed. People who are smaller, elderly, or have liver problems should be started at a dose of 2.5 mg and increased gradually to obtain the desired response.
When to Call Your Healthcare Provider
If you experience edema while taking amlodipine, tell your healthcare provider. Do not stop treatment without discussing it first. You may need additional tests to rule out other conditions that can cause your ankles to swell, such aspulmonary hypertension.
To manage edema, your healthcare provider may lower the dose, change your medication, or add another medication:
Your healthcare provider may also prescribe a different calcium channel blocker, such as diltiazem, lacidipine, lercanidipine, or verapamil, or switch you to another class of drugs.
Summary
Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure and angina. Edema, or the abnormal swelling of tissue due to fluid build-up, is a side effect. Although foot and ankle swelling is common, the hands and lower legs may also experience swelling.
Tell your healthcare provider about any edema. You may be switched to another medication, or the amlodipine dose may simply be reduced to see if that helps. Never stop or alter treatment without first speaking to your healthcare provider.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Khadka S, Joshi R, Shrestha DB, et al.Amlodipine-induced pedal edema and its relation to other variables in patients at a tertiary level hospital of Kathmandu, Nepal.J Pharm Technol. 2019;35(2):51-55. doi:10.1177/8755122518809005MedlinePlus.Amlodipine.Wang JG, Palmer BF, Vogel Anderson K, Sever P.Amlodipine in the current management of hypertension.J Clin Hypertens(Greenwich). 2023. doi:10.1111/jch.14709U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Norvasc (amlodipine besylate).Yeboah J, Bertoni A, Qureshi W, et al.Pedal edema as an indicator of early heart failure in the community: prevalence and associations with cardiac structure/function and natriuretic peptides (MESA [Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis]).Circ Heart Fail. 2016;9(12):e003415. doi:10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.116.003415Skovbjerg BK, Helgestad OK, Oxlund CS, Christensen B, Henriksen JN.Management of amlodipine-induced ankle oedema.Ugeskr Laeger. 2023;185(16):V07220460. Danish.National Health Service.Swollen ankles, feet and legs (oedema).Lodhi FAK, Shogren SL, Vedre JG, Haque N, Reriani M, Ali R.Calcium Channel Blocker Toxicity Causing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Commonly Used Drug Triggering a Life-Threatening Condition.WMJ. 2020 Mar;119(1):66-68. PMID: 32348076.Andrusaitis JG, Givertz A.Calcium Channel Blocker Overdose.J Educ Teach Emerg Med. 2024 Jan 31;9(1):O1-O25. doi:10.21980/J8CQ07Graves RA, Mandal TK, Bostanian LA, Nguyen AT, Swopes D, Morris TC,et al.Physicochemical Stability of Compounded Amlodipine Besylate Suspensions in PCCA Base, SuspendIt.Int J Pharm Compd. 2019 Nov-Dec;23(6):519-527. PMID: 31751949
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Khadka S, Joshi R, Shrestha DB, et al.Amlodipine-induced pedal edema and its relation to other variables in patients at a tertiary level hospital of Kathmandu, Nepal.J Pharm Technol. 2019;35(2):51-55. doi:10.1177/8755122518809005MedlinePlus.Amlodipine.Wang JG, Palmer BF, Vogel Anderson K, Sever P.Amlodipine in the current management of hypertension.J Clin Hypertens(Greenwich). 2023. doi:10.1111/jch.14709U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Norvasc (amlodipine besylate).Yeboah J, Bertoni A, Qureshi W, et al.Pedal edema as an indicator of early heart failure in the community: prevalence and associations with cardiac structure/function and natriuretic peptides (MESA [Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis]).Circ Heart Fail. 2016;9(12):e003415. doi:10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.116.003415Skovbjerg BK, Helgestad OK, Oxlund CS, Christensen B, Henriksen JN.Management of amlodipine-induced ankle oedema.Ugeskr Laeger. 2023;185(16):V07220460. Danish.National Health Service.Swollen ankles, feet and legs (oedema).Lodhi FAK, Shogren SL, Vedre JG, Haque N, Reriani M, Ali R.Calcium Channel Blocker Toxicity Causing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Commonly Used Drug Triggering a Life-Threatening Condition.WMJ. 2020 Mar;119(1):66-68. PMID: 32348076.Andrusaitis JG, Givertz A.Calcium Channel Blocker Overdose.J Educ Teach Emerg Med. 2024 Jan 31;9(1):O1-O25. doi:10.21980/J8CQ07Graves RA, Mandal TK, Bostanian LA, Nguyen AT, Swopes D, Morris TC,et al.Physicochemical Stability of Compounded Amlodipine Besylate Suspensions in PCCA Base, SuspendIt.Int J Pharm Compd. 2019 Nov-Dec;23(6):519-527. PMID: 31751949
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Khadka S, Joshi R, Shrestha DB, et al.Amlodipine-induced pedal edema and its relation to other variables in patients at a tertiary level hospital of Kathmandu, Nepal.J Pharm Technol. 2019;35(2):51-55. doi:10.1177/8755122518809005MedlinePlus.Amlodipine.Wang JG, Palmer BF, Vogel Anderson K, Sever P.Amlodipine in the current management of hypertension.J Clin Hypertens(Greenwich). 2023. doi:10.1111/jch.14709U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Norvasc (amlodipine besylate).Yeboah J, Bertoni A, Qureshi W, et al.Pedal edema as an indicator of early heart failure in the community: prevalence and associations with cardiac structure/function and natriuretic peptides (MESA [Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis]).Circ Heart Fail. 2016;9(12):e003415. doi:10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.116.003415Skovbjerg BK, Helgestad OK, Oxlund CS, Christensen B, Henriksen JN.Management of amlodipine-induced ankle oedema.Ugeskr Laeger. 2023;185(16):V07220460. Danish.National Health Service.Swollen ankles, feet and legs (oedema).Lodhi FAK, Shogren SL, Vedre JG, Haque N, Reriani M, Ali R.Calcium Channel Blocker Toxicity Causing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Commonly Used Drug Triggering a Life-Threatening Condition.WMJ. 2020 Mar;119(1):66-68. PMID: 32348076.Andrusaitis JG, Givertz A.Calcium Channel Blocker Overdose.J Educ Teach Emerg Med. 2024 Jan 31;9(1):O1-O25. doi:10.21980/J8CQ07Graves RA, Mandal TK, Bostanian LA, Nguyen AT, Swopes D, Morris TC,et al.Physicochemical Stability of Compounded Amlodipine Besylate Suspensions in PCCA Base, SuspendIt.Int J Pharm Compd. 2019 Nov-Dec;23(6):519-527. PMID: 31751949
Khadka S, Joshi R, Shrestha DB, et al.Amlodipine-induced pedal edema and its relation to other variables in patients at a tertiary level hospital of Kathmandu, Nepal.J Pharm Technol. 2019;35(2):51-55. doi:10.1177/8755122518809005
MedlinePlus.Amlodipine.
Wang JG, Palmer BF, Vogel Anderson K, Sever P.Amlodipine in the current management of hypertension.J Clin Hypertens(Greenwich). 2023. doi:10.1111/jch.14709
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Norvasc (amlodipine besylate).
Yeboah J, Bertoni A, Qureshi W, et al.Pedal edema as an indicator of early heart failure in the community: prevalence and associations with cardiac structure/function and natriuretic peptides (MESA [Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis]).Circ Heart Fail. 2016;9(12):e003415. doi:10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.116.003415
Skovbjerg BK, Helgestad OK, Oxlund CS, Christensen B, Henriksen JN.Management of amlodipine-induced ankle oedema.Ugeskr Laeger. 2023;185(16):V07220460. Danish.
National Health Service.Swollen ankles, feet and legs (oedema).
Lodhi FAK, Shogren SL, Vedre JG, Haque N, Reriani M, Ali R.Calcium Channel Blocker Toxicity Causing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Commonly Used Drug Triggering a Life-Threatening Condition.WMJ. 2020 Mar;119(1):66-68. PMID: 32348076.
Andrusaitis JG, Givertz A.Calcium Channel Blocker Overdose.J Educ Teach Emerg Med. 2024 Jan 31;9(1):O1-O25. doi:10.21980/J8CQ07
Graves RA, Mandal TK, Bostanian LA, Nguyen AT, Swopes D, Morris TC,et al.Physicochemical Stability of Compounded Amlodipine Besylate Suspensions in PCCA Base, SuspendIt.Int J Pharm Compd. 2019 Nov-Dec;23(6):519-527. PMID: 31751949
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