Q: If there is a swelling on the legs and mildly incompetent left sapheno femoral junction and two incompetent perforators in legs on a colour doppler, is it necessary to stop calcium channel blockers like amlodipine 10 mg?

A:It would be prudent to discontinue the use of amlodipine, nifedipine etc. since they cause pedal/ankle oedema, particularly since there are so many alternatives such as ACE inhibitors i.e. enalapril (BQL). If amlodipine is being taken for hypertension, then ideally it should be replaced with a controlled release diuretic anti-hypertensive i.e. indapamide (Brand name: Indicontin Continus). It will achieve two objectives of lowering the blood pressure and reducing oedema.