The human body has a lot of processes going on. Many complex processes are not that easy to understand. There are a lot of diseases that are very common these days, such as High blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, etc.
A lot of medicines have been made to treat every disease. Such two medicines are Amlodipine, and Amlodipine besylate used to manage high blood pressure.
Amlodipine vs Amlodipine Besylate
The main difference between Amlodipine and Amlodipine Besylate is that they both are used for the treatment of high blood pressure, but Amlodipine is a derivative or a salt form of Amlodipine. Amlodipine can never be given alone, and it is always attached with salt, whether it’s besylate, maleate, or mesylate.
A drug belonging to the di-hydro-pyridine class, Amlodipine is worked by relaxing the smooth muscles of artery walls and thereby minimizing the blood pressure in the arteries. For controlling the high blood pressure, pain in the chest, increasing the ability to work, preventing angina attacks, etc., Amlodipine is basically used widely in the healthcare centers.
Amlodipine Besylate is a salt or ether form of Amlodipine that is also used to control if a person is suffering from high blood pressure. They are the derivative of Amlodipine that can be used for both humans as well as animals. They are available in the drug stores as a tablet of Norvasc. They are just mainly used in drug delivery.
Comparison Table Between Amlodipine and Amlodipine Besylate
| Parameters of Comparison | Amlodipine | Amlodipine Besylate |
| Definition | A drug that is used to handle coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. | A drug that is used also used to reduce blood pressure but is a derivative of Amlodipine and is the combination of amlodipine with another salt. |
| Side effects | Some side effects of Amlodipine are swelling, nausea, abdominal pain, etc., and should not be taken at the time of pregnancy. | Some side effects are Dizziness, swelling ankles, flushing, etc. |
| Usage | It can be used only for human treatment. | It can be used for both humans as well as animal treatment. |
| Content | The main active ingredient in amlodipine is the amlodipine only. | Since it is the derivative of amlodipine, the main ingredient is the ether or salt which is mixed with amlodipine. |
| Solubility | They are less soluble in water as compared to their derivative. | They are in the salt form and thus are soluble in water. |
What is Amlodipine?
Being a member of the di-hydro-pyridine class, Amlodipine is a drug that is used for managing and handling high blood pressure. Having the active ingredient as amlodipine and being a calcium channel blocker that works by obstructing the transport of the calcium ions results in relaxation of the smoothening of the muscles of the arterial walls. The action of the drug lasts at least 24 hours. Having the protein building ability of 93% and bioavailability of about 64-90%, having half-life is of about 30-50 hours, and that is for elimination. They also help in managing coronary artery disease and hypertension. They are the first choice among the other calcium channel blockers considering their use. They are also helpful in:
- put a stop to the happenings of several angina attacks
- Diminishing the risk of having pain in the chest
- increased ability to do exercises
- increases supply of the blood to the tissues
It is advised to not take the amlodipine during pregnancy and breastfeeding because they can have effects on both mother and the newly born baby. They are, however, only made for the use of Humans. Some side effects of Amlodipine are :
- Headache
- Edema, i.e., swelling of lower legs
- Flushing,
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
What is Amlodipine Besylate?
A derivative of amlodipine medication, Amlodipine Besylate is an ether form or salt form combined with the drug called Amlodipine which is the min active form of the drug. They are used to control only high blood pressure. They are used for both humans as well as animals. Lowering the blood pressure can further help in preventing strokes, kidney problems, and heart attacks. They work by relaxing the blood vessels, and this leads to blood flow more easily. The side effects of amlodipine besylate are the same as that of amlodipine, such as dizziness, flushing, lightheadedness, etc.
For the Amlodipine besylate drug, a popular tablet is known called Norvasc, which comes as white tablets of several mgs such as 2.5, 5, and 10 mg of amlodipine for oral administration. They are hardly soluble in ethanol and a little bit soluble in water. Orally, Norvasc can be taken in 5 mg, whereas the dose can be taken maximum is 10 mg daily for adults. For children of age 6-17 years can be taken 2.5 mg to 5 mg daily can be taken.
Main Differences Between Amlodipine and Amlodipine Besylate
- Amlodipine is used to manage coronary artery disease and in handling high blood pressure, whereas Amlodipine is also used to treat high blood pressure, but it has other ingredients also in them other than just amlodipine.
- Amlodipine can be taken only by humans, whereas Amlodipine besylate can be taken by both humans and animals.
- Amlodipine is used as the main and active ingredient whereas, In amlodipine besylate, the active ingredient is the salt and ether form of amlodipine.
- Amlodipine is Diabetic calcium and magnesium stearate, whereas Amlodipine contains both Diabetic calcium and magnesium stearate.
- Amlodipine is less soluble in water, whereas Amlodipine besylate is more soluble in water. Also, they’re hardly soluble in ethanol being present in salt form.
Conclusion
Amlodipine and Amlodipine Besylate are both used to handle blood pressure, and they both are often interchangeably used. Amlodipine is only the salt form of the medicine Amlodipine, but it can also be used for animals. It is advised to take both these medicines only after consulting the doctor taking information of their right doses.
Amlodipine is used to manage high blood pressure, while Amlodipine besylate is used to treat and control angina attacks and high blood pressure with the difference that it is also helps in drug delivery. They both have almost similar side effects, but there are other ingredients used in amlodipine besylate.
References
- https://europepmc.org/article/med/17190374
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149291810000184