A Personal Account of Norvasc Side Effects

In addition to lisinopril, I take Norvasc to control my high blood pressure. As I have explained before, I have a family history of idiopathic hypertension (the doctors don't know what is causing me, or any other member of my family, to have high blood pressure). Doctors and other health care providers consider it important to treat high blood pressure, because elevated blood pressure is hard on the heart, kidneys and the blood vessels of the eyes.

I have not been able to find out the exact technical name of the family of drugs to which Norvasc belongs, but I can tell you that it acts as a vasodilator, working to dilate the blood vessels so that your heart does not have to work as hard to get blood through said vessels. (It is also prescribed for those with a history of angina or heart attack, for the same reasons.)

Like every drug, however, Norvasc does have side effects. Unfortunately, I have three of them: swelling of the ankles, tiredness, and headache. (It is difficult for me to sort out whether these headaches are caused by the lisinopril I take, the Norvasc, or all the financial stress I'm under lately. The same could be said of the tiredness.) There is a fourth side effect - dizziness. I have not had this side effect, to my knowledge. When mild, these side effects can be coped with through the use of relaxation techniques. aspirin or Tylenol for the headaches, and perhaps water pills (diuretics) for the swelling. If any of these side effects are severe, however, they may need to be reported to your prescriber - provided you don't pass out during a dizzy spell, of course. In addition, if you take the medication and find yourself allergic to it, either report it to your provider or (if the allergic reaction is severe enough) get yourself to the nearest emergency room as soon as is humanly possible. (If your allergic reaction is especially severe, your loved ones need to call 911 and have paramedics stabilize your condition at your location before you can even darken the door of an emergency department. )