AboutDr Alan Galbraith Expertise I can answer most questions on drugs, both medical and "recreational". Answers can be given in either technical or layperson terminology. My main areas of interest are psychiatric, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular drugs.
Experience I have been a university lecturer/head of department for almost thirty years, but am now retired. My research interests were alcohol, smoking and cardiovascular disease.
Organizations Institute of Biology, London.
Publications Author of "Fundamentals of Pharmacology" 5th Edition published in November 2007 by Pearson Education, Australia.
Question My husband takes Norvasc for high blood pressure. He has had a chronic cough for eight months and is very fatigued at the least bit of work, such as washing a car. He has had a chest x-ray and it was fine. They suspected that it might be acid reflux but Previced did nothing. My question is, can the Norvasc he is taking cause these symtoms?
Answer Dear Cathryn
Some drugs used in HBP can cause cough but I would suspect that Norvasc is not the cause here. I assume he does not or has never smoked, I always think of smoking as being one of the main causes of coughing. The cough definitely needs further investigation but there is a very remote possibility that it is the Norvasc. Norvasc can rarely, cause pulmonary oedema (excess fluid in the lungs) which can lead to a cough. This again may need further investigation as it may not show on a routine chest X-ray.
The fatigue though, could very possibly be due to the Norvasc. If this is really a problem maybe a change to another class of antihypertensives is needed such as losartan (which does not cause a cough.
