Can amlodipine besylate cause depression?

In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Can amlodipine besylate cause depression?”. Amlodipine is an antihypertensive agent and is one of the most commonly prescribed medications. 

This blog will cover the link between amlodipine and depression or other mood disorders. We will also discuss some safety precautions that should be taken when using amlodipine. 

Can amlodipine besylate cause depression? 

Yes, amlodipine besylate may cause depression. This has been a debate for many years and many researchers have investigated the depressing effects of amlodipine. However, we still have inconclusive data as some experts believe there is no link between amlodipine and depression. 

What data do we have from research studies? 

A 2020 study was conducted in Denmark and millions of people living in Denmark were the test participants. The study gathered data from 2005 to 2015 of those patients who were taking antihypertensive agents and the data from their hospital visits was also taken. 

The researchers checked how many times these people have visited a psychologist or complained of any mood disorder. After the data was gathered, they concluded that people who were taking antihypertensives were more depressed as compared to those who were not taking it. 

In a 2016 study, a huge number of people were again tested, but this time, the patients were on monotherapy with antihypertensives, including calcium channel blockers. 

The data of 5 years was collected and it clearly showed that people, especially women who were taking these drugs suffered from some kind of abnormal mood disturbances. Some even got major depression disorder (MDD) and they were being treated for it. 

Some just started acting crazy and got violent. A 2021 study was based on the comparative effects of different classes of antihypertensive drugs and it concluded that depression was not found to be linked with diuretics, angiotensin-receptor blockers, or beta blockers. 

However, it was found that depression was indeed linked with calcium channel blockers, the class to which amlodipine belongs. These studies were significantly leaning towards the depressing side of amlodipine.

However, a recent study indicated that no antihypertensive was found to be linked to the occurrence of depression. Experts believed that depression, in such patients, can be linked with other factors. 

Some people with messed up lifestyles are bound to be depressed at one stage of their lives or another, but blood pressure medications had no part in it. 

This variable data makes the concept of depression caused by antihypertensives a little blur and is thought to depend on other factors or any underlying health condition. 

Depression or mood disorders are also linked to genetics as mental health disorders literally run in the families. Experts believe that some people are more likely to suffer from amlodipine induced depression, if it exists at all, because of their own body’s physiology. 

Make sure you monitor your mental health while you’re being on amlodipine. A little stress every now and then has become a part of our lives, but if you feel your mental health seriously deteriorating or you feel depressed without a solid reason and you think amlodipine is the cause of it, immediately talk to your doctor. 

What are the side effects associated with the use of amlodipine? 

Amlodipine, like every other medication on this planet, is associated with a number of side effects. These include:

• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Drowsiness
• Constipation 
• Nausea and vomiting
• Depression 
• rash
• Dizziness or lightheadedness 
• Arrhythmia or irregular heart rate
• Tightness in chest and pain
• Flushing 
• Blackouts 
• Allergic reaction associated with symptoms like redness of skin, itching, burning sensation, blisters, blue-purple patches, tightness of chest, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, hoarseness etc. 

These side effects can vary from person to person. The above mentioned list may not contain all of the possible side effects as every medicine acts differently in different individuals. 

It is impossible to predict how the person’s body will react to a certain medication. Make sure you reach out to your healthcare provider if you suffer from any unusual side effects. 

Why is amlodipine prescribed by healthcare professionals?

Amlodipine is a calcium-channel blocker. It inhibits the entrance into the cells present in heart and arteries and results in vasodilation. This lowers your blood pressure and decreases the workload of the heart. 

This med is used for the treatment or management of symptoms associated with the following conditions:

• Coronary artery diseases
• Congestive heart failure
• Arrhythmia
• Angina pectoris
• Raynaud’s disease

What medicines and foods should not be taken with amlodipine?

Avoid the following meds, foods and drinks while taking amlodipine:

• Alcohol 
• Foods with high salt
• Foods with high cholesterol or fats
• Cold and flu relieving medicines
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
• Dieting pills
• Diltiazem
• antifungals, including ketoconazole, itraconazole etc
• Antibiotics like clarithromycin
• Cholesterol lowering agents (Statins)

Drug interactions should be an important consideration before taking two or more medicines together. Yes, drugs in combination are often used to achieve better therapeutic response but this is not the case with every interaction. 

Some drugs are highly incompatible with one another. They often cancel out each other’s effects or antagonise them. Some drugs are so incompatible that they end up changing the entire chemical composition of one another. 

Some interfere with metabolism or bioavailability (the rate and extent at which the active drug moiety enters systemic circulation/blood). This can lead to drug accumulation in different parts of the body. 

It is always advised to inform your healthcare provider of any medicine you take before getting a new prescription. Your doctor will make sure not to prescribe any such drug which might interfere with those you are already taking. 

What are the safety precautions for amlodipine?

• Make sure you inform your doctor if you’re allergic to amlodipine or any other excipient present in its formulation.

• Properly inform your healthcare provider about your existing medical history to avoid any possible drug interactions.

• Do not use alcohol or illicit drugs with this medicine. It can cause dizziness and drowsiness as a side effect. 

• Do not drive when you’re fatigued. Driving requires your full physical and mental alertness and it’s in your best interest to avoid it when you’re tired and have low energy levels. If there’s somewhere you need to be, just ask a friend to drop you or book a ride. 

• Amlodipine should be used cautiously in geriartic patients. This med can cause excessive side effects in elderly people. 

• Ask your doctor if you are pregnant or trying to conceive a baby. This medicine may cause side effects in the growing fetus and should only be used when absolutely needed.

• The drug can pass into the breast milk. Make sure you consult your healthcare provider if you’re a breastfeeding mother. 

• If you have missed a dose and you’re way past the usual time at which you take your med, do not take it. It will cause you to overdose when you take your next dose, which is not too far away. It’s better to skip the missed dose and take the next one. If you remember your missed dose earlier, it’s safe for you to take it.

• In case of overdose, immediately reach out to the hospital. Make sure you properly guide them about how much drug you have taken and when.

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have discussed the link between amlodipine and depression. It is a calcium-channel blocker. It inhibits the entrance into the cells present in heart and arteries and results in vasodilation. This lowers your blood pressure and decreases the workload of the heart. 

Amlodipine may cause depression or other mood disorders. This has been a debate for many years and many researchers have investigated the depressing effects of amlodipine. 

Experts believe that some people are more likely to suffer from amlodipine induced depression, if it exists at all, because of their own body’s physiology. Make sure you monitor your mental health while you’re being on amlodipine. 

FAQs: amlodipine besylate depression 

Can amlodipine besylate cause depression?

Yes, amlodipine besylate may cause depression or other mood disorders. This has been a debate for many years and many researchers have investigated the depressing effects of amlodipine. However, we still have inconclusive data as some experts believe there is no link between amlodipine and depression. 

Make sure you monitor your mental health while you’re being on amlodipine. A little stress every now and then has become a part of our lives, but if you feel your mental health seriously deteriorating or you feel depressed without a solid reason and you think amlodipine is the cause of it, immediately talk to your doctor. 

Can calcium channel blockers cause depression?

Yes, research indicates that calcium channel blockers can be linked with depression. It is impossible to predict how the person’s body will react to a certain medication. Make sure you reach out to your healthcare provider if you suffer from any unusual side effects. 

What are the side effects of amlodipine? 

• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Drowsiness
• Constipation 
• Nausea and vomiting
• Depression 
• rash
• Dizziness or lightheadedness 
• Arrhythmia or irregular heart rate
• Tightness in chest and pain
• Flushing 
• Blackouts 
• Allergic reaction associated with symptoms like redness of skin, itching, burning sensation, blisters, blue-purple patches, tightness of chest, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, hoarseness etc. 

How long after stopping amlodipine do side effects stop?

The side effects of amlodipine start to fade away when the concentration of the drug starts to reduce in the body. The half life of amlodipine is 30-50 hours, which means that the concentration of amlodipine is reduced to half after this time period. 

The remaining drug is further reduced to half in the next 30-50 hours. This process keeps going on until the drug is completely washed out from your system.

What should you avoid when taking amlodipine?

Avoid the following meds, foods and drinks while taking amlodipine:

• Alcohol 
• Foods with high salt
• Foods with high cholesterol or fats
• Cold and flu relieving medicines
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
• Dieting pills
• Diltiazem
• antifungals, including ketoconazole, itraconazole etc
• Antibiotics like clarithromycin
• Cholesterol lowering agents (Statins)

What are the uses of amlodipine?

Amlodipine is a calcium-channel blocker. It inhibits the entrance into the cells present in heart and arteries and results in vasodilation. This lowers your blood pressure and decreases the workload of the heart. This med is used for the treatment or management of symptoms associated with the following conditions:

• Coronary artery diseases
• Congestive heart failure
• Arrhythmia
• Angina pectoris
• Raynaud’s disease

References 

• Lars Vedel Kessing, Helene Charlotte Rytgaard, Claus Thorn Ekstrøm, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Michael Berk (2020) – Antihypertensive Drugs and Risk of Depression https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15605 
• Angela H. Boal, Daniel J. Smith, Linsay McCallum (2016) – Monotherapy With Major Antihypertensive Drug Classes and Risk of Hospital Admissions for Mood Disorders https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.08188 
• Antihypertensive Drug Use and the Risk of Depression: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.777987/full 
• Amlodipine (Oral Route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/amlodipine-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20061784
• Amlodipine BESYLATE – Uses, Side Effects, and More https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-5891/amlodipine-oral/details
• Amlodipine Side Effects – What To Expect https://myheart.net/articles/amlodipine-side-effects-what-to-expect/
• D Murdoch, R C Heel (1991) – Amlodipine. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic use in cardiovascular disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1711448/