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Home arrow Heart and Circulation arrow High Blood Pressure arrow Are Your Meds Making You Itch?
Are Your Meds Making You Itch?

 

Many people who take calcium channel blockers for their high blood pressure are developing rashes, itching and sun sensitivity.  Examples of calcium channel blockers include amlodipine, felodipine, nicardipine and nifedipine.  Verapamil and diltiazem are also calcium channel blockers, although skin reactions seem to be less common with them. About 1% of patients who take these types of meds for their high blood pressure will develop some type of skin reaction.


Interestingly enough, many skin reactions do not develop until 3 to 6 months into therapy.  This may make it more difficult to link the skin reaction to the drug. There are reports of more serious skin reactions where sloughing of the skin occurs. However, these types of reactions typically occur within day of starting the drug.


If you develop a serious skin reaction while taking any type of medication, seek medical help immediately. This is especially important if you experience shortness of breath or if the skin starts peeling. Reactions that involve shortness of breath and/or skin peeling can be life-threatening and should be taken care of immediately. Sometimes, stopping the drug is all that is needed to treat mild reactions. In some cases, switching to a different kind of calcium channel blocker can help. In the case of severe reactions, more intense treatment is needed.

 

Author: Christi Larson, Pharm. D.

Dr. Larson is a Clinical Infusion Pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of www.empoweredmedicine.com. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab.  EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information.