Severe Reaction to Amlodipine and Lisinopril

My 58-year-old grandfather, who is generally healthy and very active, recently experienced some troubling side effects. His blood pressure had been rising to 178/98, so in January, his doctor prescribed Amlodipine 5mg. That’s when things started to go wrong. He initially lost energy and stamina, feeling like a zombie. As time went on, he became forgetful, had dizzy spells, and experienced tingling in his left hand and joint pain on his left side.

When his blood pressure didn’t drop as hoped, his doctor added Lisinopril 2.5mg, but this made things worse. Within two weeks, he had trouble concentrating and felt detached from reality. To figure out which medication was causing the problems, he first stopped Lisinopril, then Amlodipine. The improvement was almost immediate—he began to recover within a day of stopping Amlodipine. After just a week, his coworkers noticed a big difference and welcomed him back. His blood pressure isn’t down yet, but he’s decided never to use Amlodipine again; it was a disaster for him.

Has anyone else experienced something similar?

It sounds like your grandfather had a really tough experience with those medications. It’s always concerning when a treatment meant to help ends up causing such significant issues. While I can’t offer medical advice, it’s important for him to discuss these side effects and his experiences with his healthcare provider. They can help explore alternative treatments or adjust his current plan to better manage his blood pressure while minimizing unwanted side effects. Others might have had similar experiences with these medications, and sharing stories can sometimes provide insight or additional options to consider.