What You Need to Know About Norvasc
Norvasc is prescribed to treat and prevent high blood pressure.
What is Norvasc?
Norvasc is the brand name of amlodipine besylate, a chemical that relaxes the muscles in the walls of arteries, decreasing resistance to blood flow and reducing blood pressure. 1
Norvasc was approved by the FDA to treat high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, angina and some types of heart disease.2
Pfizer, Inc. sells Norvasc in the United States. 3
Does Norvasc work?
Studies have shown that Norvasc does reduce cardiac events. In one study, the percentage of incidence of cardiac events was 16% for patients taking Norvasc and 23.1% for patients taking placebo and blood pressure was substantially reduced for Norvasc patients. 4
Amlodipine has been shown to be effective in treating high blood pressure and heart disease. 5
What should I go over with my doctor before I decide to take Norvasc?
Norvasc does not have many serious side effects. However, there are certain aspects it is important for you to know.
Patients with sensitivity to amlodipine should not take Norvasc.2
Most common adverse reactions are headache and edema, nausea, abdominal pain, and drowsiness or sleepiness. A small percentage of patients in trials experienced sexual dysfunction, insomnia, muscle cramps, back pain, weight gain and weight loss and many other symptoms. 6
Pregnant women should only take Norvasc “if the potential benefit justifies the risk.” Women should not nurse while taking Norvasc and its effect on patients under six years old is not known. 7
Patients with severe blockage may run a greater risk of angina or heart attack. Rarely, patients with liver disease or injury may suffer liver toxicity. 8
What can I do if I am worried about Norvasc?
Never stop taking a prescription medication without talking to your doctor first. Some medications may have adverse affects if you stop taking them suddenly and may even be dangerous to suddenly stop taking. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about the medications that you are being prescribed, or if you start to experience any side effects from them, including Norvasc.
Learn everything you can about Norvasc before you start taking it.
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1 National Institutes of Health, “Amlodipine” (last revised 14 May 2012, retrieved 17 August 2012) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000914/
2 Food and Drug Administration, “Highlights of Prescribing Information,” http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/019787s052lbl.pdf
3 http://www.pfizer.com/products/rx/rx_product_norvasc.jsp
4 Pfizer, Inc., “Product and Disease Summary” (January 2006), http://medicaidprovider.hhs.mt.gov/pdf/norvasc.pdf
5 Consumer Reports, “Using Calcium Blockers to treat: High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease,” http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/calcium-full-report.pdf
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid. National Institutes of Health, “Liver Toxicity,” http://livertox.nih.gov/Amlodipine.htm