Q. I get palpitation and dizziness with weakness on increasing Amlodipine dose. Can suggest an alternate medicine?

Hi,

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Blood pressure (BP) is controlled with lifestyle modifications and dietary modifications. Following are the measures to control BP. Avoid smoking and other addictions. Reduce salt intake in the diet. Reduce fatty foods, junk foods, saturated fats (Mediterranean diet is the best). Avoid stress and anxiety. Do regular moderate intensity exercise such as brisk walk for 30 minutes. 6. Have proper night sleep, atleast 8 hours per 24 hours including atleast 6 hours in night uninterrupted sleep. Reduce weight even if weight is within the normal range. Drink plenty of water. Do deep breathing exercises and meditation. Measure BP while you are totally relaxed, sit for five minutes in a quiet room without talking to anyone. Empty bowel and bladder before checking BP. Avoid tea/coffee 30 minutes before checking BP. Sit on a chair with feet on the ground, back supported, hand supported on table, cuff at the position of heart. Check BP, and repeat after five minutes again. Then check BP in other arm and repeat after five minutes. During the entire period remain relax and quiet. Arm with higher BP readings is your BP. You may take atleast two or more readings and average of readings is your actual BP. What dose you were taking of Amlodipine and Olmesartan when your bp was 150/90? What medicine was changed? Are you taking some other medicines as well such as painkillers or steroids?

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

So you also suffer from hypothyroidism, that is why you are taking Thyroxine. Hypothyroidism itself leads to hypertension, obesity, raised blood cholesterol levels, and depression. Is your thyroid profile normal? If not, optimize it so that adverse effects of hypothyroidism including blood pressure should be controlled. Are you taking Amlodipine 5 mg and Olmesartan 40 mg? These medicines are available in these strengths, not in 50 mg. Continue the same dosage and modify lifestyle as I described. Adopt a healthy diet. Control thyroid profile. Reduce weight as BP apparatus cuff and arm circumference mismatch leads to wrong BP readings. If still not controlled after four weeks, then will consider increasing dose or switch to other class of medicines.