What Is Amlodipine?

Amlodipine is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure and certain heart conditions. It belongs to a class of medicines called calcium channel blockers and is approved for use in patients six years old and older. This drug can be taken as an oral tablet, and it is also available as an oral suspension (liquid). Tablets come in doses between 2.5 to ten milligrams, and the oral suspension contains one milligram of medication per milliliter. Most individuals who use amlodipine need to take it daily, and life-long use of this medicine is typically necessary when it is used to treat high blood pressure. Doctors generally recommend using this drug in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and a physical activity program.

The uses, benefits, side effects, and potential medication interactions associated with amlodipine are discussed below.

How It Works

Like other calcium channel blockers, amlodipine reduces the rate at which calcium enters the heart and the walls of the blood vessels. When calcium enters these areas at a slower rate, the blood vessels can relax and widen, and blood circulation is improved. The heart can pump more easily, and blood pressure is reduced. Amlodipine is a specific type of calcium channel blocker known as a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. While non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers may slow down a patient's heart rate, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine are not associated with this change. This feature may make amlodipine a more appropriate choice for patients who have certain cardiovascular conditions that cause heart rate changes.

Uncover the uses for amlodipine next.