Amlodipine - Methylcobalamin Interaction?

[Jake77]

I have been on Amlodipine for approximately 1 1/2 years. It was prescribed before I left the hospital after OD after experiencing 1 1/2 years of psychosis. I happen to believe it may have been brought on by B12 deficiency, but I was never checked for that. It came out of nowhere. As I finally started recovering from that this last year, I started developing motor symptoms, mainly affecting my walking and especially in my left leg. I started researching and found the commonality between the two and suspected low B12. I tried to get my doctor to test for this, but because I don't have anemia, he refused to do so, even with my recent past and twice coming back with macrocytosis from his own office.

So I started supplementing 2000mcg/day methylcobalamin. I started improving within weeks. Within a month I started getting tingling in my extremities and as time went by it started to spread. My blood pressure spiked so I went back to see my doctor. He wasn't concerned with the neuropathy, but decided to double my Amlodipine to 10mg. Within a few days of starting the higher dose, it started rapidly spreading over my whole body. I searched for a week straight trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, it started affecting my breathing so I went back in and all he had to offer was prednisone. I came back home and started searching again and read on a forum about someone's prescription medication causing an adverse reaction. I never suspected the medication. I checked the number on the pill and it came back to Cipla, so I looked up the insert from their website. And found peripheral neuropathy listed as an adverse reaction. I had just taken my dose for the day right before I found that so I had to wait the next day before I officially stopped taking the medication. My whole body was covered in severe tingling at that point and I started developing sinus node dysfunction w/out symptoms. Two days later the tingling disappeared except for very light tingling in my toes and left pinky. The sinus node dysfunction kept up and several days later I went back to the doctor and he sent me off for an EKG and blood work which came back OK.

My concern at this point is that there may be some reactive metabolite lingering in my peripheral nervous system. I've officially been off the medication for 16 days. Half-life maximum is 56 hours, so this should be gone. I tried 100mcg methylcobalamin on day 13 and tingling in my toes got stronger and my blood pressure spiked. I tried 2 days later and it did the same thing. I'm not asking for a diagnosis. I'd just like to know where to search from here. I took two online neuroscience courses early on to try to figure out what was going on, but two chemicals reacting with one another is probably a little out of my league. They both have methyl in them, that's about all I know. If it may have something to do with the methylation process, could you direct me where to look. Anything really. I have an appointment with my neurologist here in two weeks and would like to present him with something that may be useful. Thanks.

I should add one last thing. I had a neuro check my plantar reflex and they both came back extensor. This was about a year ago when the motor symptoms first started. I also checked several times while I was first taking methylcobalamin and I found extensor. I checked yesterday and left foot is flexor and right foot is absent. I repeated that several times. Amlodipine has difficulty crossing the blood brain barrier (thankfully) so this gives me additional evidence to believe it was likely initially B12 related and then Amlodipine side effect when B12 levels started to become elevated. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

 

Edited October 6, 2017 by Jake77
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[BabcockHall]

Although I am personally fine with people trying to understand body chemistry, no one here can give you medical advice.  For one thing, no one here is qualified to do so.

[Jake77]

I'm just hoping someone with a chemistry(ish) background can point me in the right direction. I was in the ER over this night before last debating with my neurologist over whether methylcobalamin has a cobalt atom. He had never even heard of methylcobalamin. At least he finally ran a heavy metals and B12 test. I suppose cobalt toxicity could be at play. It can cause peripheral neuropathy. At the moment though, I still have my money on some type of reactive metabolite, the way this is acting. Will call his office in the AM to see what the test results say.

[BabcockHall]

I agree that there is a cobalt atom present.  Here is the some information on Vitamin B12:  http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-b12/dosing/hrb-20060243