AMLODIPINE oral

Therapeutic action

• Antihypertensive vasodilator (calcium channel blocker)

Indications

• Hypertension

Forms and strengths

• 5 mg tablet

Dosage

• Adult: 5 mg once daily. Increase to 10 mg once daily if necessary (max. 10 mg daily).

In older patients or patients with hepatic impairment, start with 2.5 mg once daily then increase gradually if necessary.

Duration

• According to clinical response.

Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

• Do not administer to patients with severe hypotension, shock, unstable heart failure after acute myocardial infarction.
• May cause: 
  • headache, dizziness, sensation of flushing or warmth, fatigue, ankle oedema (common at the start of treatment); 
  • hypotension, palpitations, abdominal pain, nausea, gingival hyperplasia.
• Administer with caution and monitor use with: 
  • other antihypertensive drugs (risk of hypotension); 
  • drugs with hypotensive effects (e.g. haloperidol, amitriptyline);
  • fluconazole, erythromycin, fluoxetine, ritonavir (effects of amlodipine increased, particularly the antihypertensive effect); 
  • rifampicin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine (effects of amlodipine decreased).
• Pregnancy: no contra-indication. For the management of hypertension in pregnancy, use labetalol.
• Breast-feeding: avoid

Remarks

• Also comes in telmisartan 40 mg/amlopidine 5 mg coformulated tablet.

Storage