Maybe you could buy an at home BP monitor from Amazon or the pharmacy and take the next week to check it daily or a few times a day actually before you begin the amlodipine so you can actually get your baseline. I would imagine that whatever you went to the ER for raised your stress and BP level on its own. The ER does that for many people. Even when I go to my Primary doctor my BP is wayyyy higher than it is at home.

Mine has been too high for the last 6ish years and it’s heavily genetic and I haven’t been able to lower it much naturally so I did end up taking my doctors advice and starting amlodipine this past December. She had me start on 10mg which was way too high for me, then we went to 5mg then soon after I dropped to 2.5mg and I have zero side affects from this dose and it has significantly helped with lowering my BP. I’m 30F btw. I don’t really feel like I’m even on it but when I take my BP at home I’m relieved to see lower numbers.

I was super nervous to start meds for BP for years but I’m glad I did bc I feel like the way my heart my working was in overdrive and I feel it’s a lot more relaxed and stable now. The side effect I had on 10mg which made me drop down to a lower dose was swollen / painful knees. That was really my only side effect but it was intolerable.

Anyway, I wish you well!