Worst Pills, Best Pills

An expert, independent second opinion on more than 1,800 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements

amlodipine (CONSENSI, KATERZIA, NORLIQVA, NORVASC)


DISEASE AND DRUG FAMILY INFORMATION

Search results below include Disease and Drug Family Information where your selected drug is a primary subject of discussion.

High Blood Pressure
A study of nutritional therapy showed that over one-third of people who previously needed drug treatment for high blood pressure were able to adequately control their blood pressure with nutritional therapy alone.Several factors should be taken into account when considering whether your high blood pressure should be treated. One is the benefits of the treatment for your blood pressure, which vary significantly depending on how high it is, your age, and whether you have other risk factors such as high cholesterol or are a smoker or a diabetic, and whether you have had a heart attack, heart failure, a stroke, or have kidney damage. The other consideration is the risks or the adverse effects of the treatment, which will vary depending on what is being considered.

DRUG AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENT PROFILES

A comprehensive review of the safety and effectiveness of this drug. If the drug is not a Do Not Use product, information on adverse effects, drug interactions and how to use the medication are included.
Search results below include Drug and Dietary Supplement Profiles where your selected drug is a primary subject of discussion.


WORST PILLS, BEST PILLS NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

Search results below include Worst Pills, Best Pills Newsletter Articles where your selected drug is a primary subject of discussion.

Drugs That Cause Sensitivity to Sunlight
June 2023
Some drugs, including commonly used prescription and over-the counter medications, can cause photosensitivity, increasing the skin’s vulnerability to sunlight. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics are the drug classes with the strongest evidence for photosensitivity.
Important Drug Interactions for the Antifungal Drug Voriconazole
May 2023
Patients taking the antifungal drug voriconazole (VFEND), which is marketed in both oral and injectable forms, should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications.
Important Drug Interactions for the Combination Antiviral COVID-19 Drug PAXLOVID
August 2022
Patients taking the oral combination antiviral drug PAXLOVID (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), which is used to treat COVID-19, should be aware that it has clinically important and potentially dangerous interactions with many other prescription medications.
Drug-Induced Constipation
January 2022
Numerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause or exacerbate constipation. Knowing which medications prescribed or recommended by your doctor cause constipation will allow you to take steps to prevent or minimize this common, troubling adverse drug effect.
Important Drug Interactions for Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Simvastatin
June 2020
Patients taking the commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin (FLOLIPID, VYTORIN, ZOCOR) should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications.
Important Drug Interactions for the Antibiotic Clarithromycin
April 2020
Patients taking the commonly prescribed antibiotic clarithromycin (BIAXIN XL) should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications.
Important Drug Interactions for the Antifungal Drug Fluconazole
December 2019
Patients taking the commonly prescribed antifungal drug fluconazole (DIFLUCAN) should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications. Some of these interactions can lead to an increased risk of fatal heart rhythm abnormalities.
An Update on Drug-Induced Parkinsonism
October 2019
Next to Parkinson’s disease, drug-induced parkinsonism is the second most common cause of parkinsonism, accounting for about 8-12% of all parkinsonism cases. Find out which commonly used drugs can cause this condition.
Medications That Induce Breast Enlargement in Men
May 2019
For men, abnormally large breasts can be distressing and embarrassing. Find out about the numerous drugs that can cause breast enlargement in men.
Medications that Cause Taste Disorders
April 2019
Drugs are the most frequent cause of taste disturbances. In this article, we identify more than 60 commonly used prescription medications that have been linked to problems with taste.
Important Clopidogrel (PLAVIX) Drug Interactions
January 2019
Read about the many prescription and over-the-counter medications that can interact in dangerous ways with clopidogrel, a widely used anti-platelet drug.
FDA: Drug for Treating High Blood Potassium Levels Should Not Be Combined with Other Medications
March 2018
Last year, the FDA warned that a drug used to treat high blood potassium levels can interfere with the absorption of many other oral medications. Learn the name of this drug and how to take it safely when using other drugs.
Drug-Induced Movement Disorders
February 2018
Abnormal involuntary movements (movement disorders) occur as adverse events associated with many widely used medications and can cause substantial hardship for affected individuals. Find out which drugs are associated with these adverse effects.
Update on Grapefruit Juice-Drug Interactions
July 2012
This article updates and expands our earlier list of drugs that can have harmful interactions with grapefruit juice. The list now includes 82 different drugs.
Some Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Increase the Risk of Gout
May 2012
The article lists many drugs that treat high blood pressure but can also increase the risk of gout. If you have gout, ask your doctor whether your dose of any of these drugs could be reduced or whether you should switch to a medication with a lower gout risk. However, hypertension control is of utmost importance.
Drug-Induced Parkinsonism
October 2010
A study discovered that more than 1 out of every 10 people who went to a Parkinson’s disease center was found to have drug-induced Parkinsonism. These people were misdiagnosed as having the more common illness, Parkinson’s disease, which is irreversible and has unknown causes.
Calcium Channel Blocker Drug Interactions
May 2008
This article lists more than 60 prescription drugs that can interact with calcium channel blocking drugs such as amlodipine (NORVASC),diltiazem (CARDIZEM, DILACOR XR TIAZAC)or nifedipine (PROCARDIA)to either cause toxicity or to lessen the effectiveness of the calcium channel blocking drugs. Included in the lists are a number of drugs that we list in Worst Pills, Best Pills as DO NOT USE or LIMITED USE drugs. The article also explains the different kinds of toxicity that can ensue from these interactions.
Drug-Induced Taste Disorders
September 2003
DO NOT stop taking any of the drugs listed in the table without first consulting your physician. You should report any alteration in your sense of taste to your physician if you are taking a drug.
Drug Induced Psychiatric Symptoms
October 2002
This is the first of a two part series on drug induced psychiatric symptoms that is based on the July 8, 2002 issue of The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics. Regular readers of Worst Pills, Best Pills News will recognize The Medical Letter as a reference source written for physicians and pharmacists that we often use because of its reputation as an objective and independent source of drug information. The article lists the drugs and their psychiatric adverse effects.
Grapefruit Juice and Drug Interactions
June 2002
Grapefruit juice can interact with a number of therapeutically important drugs that could lead to the possibility of toxicity. These drugs are listed in the article.
Older Adults Not Getting the Most Effective Drugs For High Blood Pressure
January 2001
“You, or at least many of your colleagues, have failed to provide optimal care to your patients with high blood pressure.” This stinging critique of physician prescribing practices starts off an editorial in the Journal of General Internal Medicine for October 2000 that commented on a Harvard Medical School study of high blood pressure in older adults that appeared in the same issue.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC CITIZEN

Search results below include Additional Information from Public Citizen where your selected drug is a primary subject of discussion.

HRG Citizen's Petition to Require a Warning on All Calcium Channel Blocking Drugs (HRG Publication #1378)
This prescribing continues in the absence of evidence that these drugs [calcium channel blockers] prevent heart attack, heart failure, strokes or death and in the face of mounting evidence of their hazards. The FDA should also require patient package inserts for all calcium channel blockers.