Ciplavasc 10 is amlodipine 10 mg — a calcium channel blocker taken once daily for high blood pressure and angina. Ten milligrams is the maximum daily dose of amlodipine, which is worth knowing, because it is also the dose at which its most common side effect becomes most likely.
What is Ciplavasc 10?
Ciplavasc is a Cipla brand of amlodipine, listed on the South African Medicine Price Registry as Schedule 3. Ciplavasc 10 denotes the 10 mg strength; 5 mg is the other common one. See also the general Ciplavasc guide.
Amlodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. Muscle cells in artery walls need calcium to contract. Amlodipine blocks the channels through which that calcium enters, so the arteries relax and widen, reducing the resistance the heart pumps against. Blood pressure falls, and the heart’s oxygen demand drops — which is why the same tablet treats both high blood pressure and angina.
Amlodipine acts on arteries far more than on the heart itself. Unlike verapamil and diltiazem, it does not meaningfully slow the heart rate or reduce the force of contraction, which makes it safer in people with reduced heart function.
Its defining feature is how long it lasts. Amlodipine has a half-life of 35 to 50 hours — exceptionally long. Two consequences follow, and both matter practically:
Once daily genuinely means once daily, with steady cover across 24 hours and no dip before the next dose.
Missing one tablet does not leave you unprotected, because the level falls slowly. It also means it takes a week or two to reach full effect after starting or increasing — so judging it after three days is judging the wrong thing.
Why 10 mg specifically matters. Ten milligrams is the maximum daily dose. If 10 mg is not controlling your blood pressure, the answer is adding a second medicine from a different class, not increasing amlodipine — the dose cannot go higher, and combination therapy at moderate doses controls blood pressure better than one medicine pushed to its limit.
And 10 mg is where ankle swelling becomes considerably more likely, which is covered below.
What is Ciplavasc 10 commonly used for?
- High blood pressure (hypertension) — its commonest use, alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
- Angina — the chest pain of narrowed coronary arteries, both stable angina and the vasospastic (Prinzmetal) kind.
- Reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney damage, which is the actual purpose of treating blood pressure.
- Raynaud’s phenomenon, off-label, where it widens the small vessels in fingers and toes.
Amlodipine is a first-line blood pressure medicine, and it is particularly favoured for older patients and people of African descent, in whom calcium channel blockers and thiazide diuretics generally work better than ACE inhibitors and ARBs. This is directly relevant in South Africa, and it is why amlodipine is so widely prescribed here.
Two points about treating blood pressure:
It is preventive, not symptomatic. High blood pressure causes no symptoms until it causes a stroke, heart attack or kidney failure. Nobody feels better on treatment — which is precisely why people stop, and why stopping costs so much.
It is usually lifelong. Blood pressure rises again within weeks of stopping. A normal reading on treatment means the medicine is working, not that it is no longer needed.
Lifestyle still counts: reducing salt, losing excess weight, regular activity, moderating alcohol and stopping smoking all lower blood pressure genuinely.
How Ciplavasc 10 fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium channel blockers | Amlodipine (Ciplavasc 10), felodipine | Relax arteries |
| Rate-limiting CCBs | Verapamil, diltiazem | Also slow the heart |
| Thiazide diuretics | Hydrochlorothiazide (Ridaq), indapamide | Remove sodium; relax vessels |
| ACE inhibitors | Enalapril, perindopril | Block a vessel-narrowing hormone |
| ARBs | Losartan, telmisartan | Similar, without the cough |
| Beta blockers | Carvedilol, bisoprolol | Slow the heart; angina and heart failure |
| Combinations | Natrixam (indapamide + amlodipine) | Two mechanisms, one tablet |
Amlodipine combines particularly well with an ACE inhibitor or ARB — and there is a useful practical reason: adding one of those substantially reduces amlodipine’s ankle swelling, because it counteracts the pressure imbalance causing it. If swelling is your problem at 10 mg, that is worth raising.
See the heart and blood pressure medicines hub.
What to check before using Ciplavasc 10
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:
- Have severe aortic valve narrowing, or very low blood pressure.
- Have heart failure, where amlodipine can be used but needs care.
- Have had a recent heart attack or unstable angina.
- Have liver disease, where the dose may need reducing.
- Are elderly, where dizziness and falls are more likely.
- Take simvastatin. Amlodipine raises simvastatin levels, and the simvastatin dose is usually limited to 20 mg — a common and easily missed interaction.
- Take clarithromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, ciclosporin, tacrolimus or HIV protease inhibitors, all of which raise amlodipine levels.
- Take carbamazepine, phenytoin or rifampicin, which lower them.
- Are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Practical points:
- Take it once daily, at the same time, with or without food.
- Avoid grapefruit juice, which raises amlodipine levels.
- Get up slowly from sitting or lying, especially at first.
- Give it a week or two before judging the effect.
- Do not stop because your reading is normal.
- Do not stop abruptly if you have angina — that can worsen chest pain.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Ankle swelling is the commonest effect and the main reason people stop, and at 10 mg it affects a substantial minority.
It is worth understanding what it is not. It is not fluid overload, and it does not respond to a diuretic — a common and unhelpful response. It happens because amlodipine widens the small arteries more than the veins, raising pressure in the capillaries and pushing fluid into the tissues.
What actually helps: elevating the legs, compression stockings, reducing the dose, or adding an ACE inhibitor or ARB, which genuinely reduces it. Tell your doctor rather than stopping — the swelling is a nuisance, uncontrolled blood pressure is not.
Other common effects: flushing, headache, dizziness, palpitations and tiredness, most of which ease over the first weeks.
Get emergency help for:
- Chest pain that is new, worse, or not relieved as usual — particularly with breathlessness, sweating or nausea.
- Severe breathlessness, or waking at night breathless.
- Fainting.
- Signs of a stroke — face drooping, arm weakness, difficulty speaking.
- Swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing.
Seek prompt advice for:
- Marked ankle or leg swelling, especially one-sided, or with calf pain or warmth.
- Persistent dizziness, or dizziness on standing.
- Palpitations or a very fast heartbeat.
- Swollen, tender or bleeding gums — amlodipine can cause gum overgrowth, which is reversible and often missed.
- A rash, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Contact your doctor if readings stay high on 10 mg — that means a second medicine, not a higher dose — if angina is occurring more often, or if side effects are making you consider stopping. There are many blood pressure medicines, and almost every side effect here has an alternative.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Ciplavasc 10 used for? Lowering high blood pressure and preventing angina. It contains amlodipine 10 mg, a calcium channel blocker.
Is 10 mg the highest dose? Yes. Ten milligrams daily is the maximum for amlodipine. If it is not controlling your blood pressure, a second medicine from a different class is added rather than the dose increased.
How long before it works? A week or two for full effect, because amlodipine is very long-acting.
What if I miss a dose? Take it when you remember. Because the half-life is 35 to 50 hours, missing one does not leave you unprotected — but do not double up.
Why are my ankles swollen? A common amlodipine effect, more likely at 10 mg. It is not fluid overload and does not respond to a diuretic. Elevating the legs, reducing the dose, or adding an ACE inhibitor or ARB all help.
Can I stop when my blood pressure is normal? No. A normal reading means the medicine is working. Blood pressure rises again within weeks of stopping.
Can I drink grapefruit juice? No. It raises amlodipine levels and increases side effects.
Can I take it with simvastatin? Tell your doctor. Amlodipine raises simvastatin levels, and the simvastatin dose is usually limited to 20 mg.
Why are my gums swollen? Amlodipine can cause gum overgrowth. It is reversible and worth mentioning to your doctor and dentist.