LOSARTAN

(loe SAR tan) Brand: Cozaar

What is the most significant information I must know about losartan?

• Do not use if you are pregnant. Stop using and speak your doctor right away if you become pregnant. losartan can reason injury or death to the unborn child if you take the medication during your second or third trimester. Use effective birth control.

• If you have diabetes, do not use losartan together with any medicine that contains aliskiren (Amturnide, Tekturna, Tekamlo, Valturna).

• In rare cases, losartan can reason a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, unusual tiredness, and dark colored urine.

What is losartan?

• Losartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Losartan keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.

• Losartan is used to treat tall blood pressure (hypertension). It is also used to lower the risk of stroke in determined people with heart disease.

• Losartan is used to slow long-term kidney hurt in people with type 2 diabetes who also have tall blood pressure.

• Losartan may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking losartan?

• You must not use losartan if you are allergic to it.

• If you have diabetes, do not use losartan together with any medicine that contains aliskiren (Amturnide, Tekturna, Tekamlo, Valturna).

• You may also need to avoid taking losartan with aliskiren if you have kidney disease.

• To create certain losartan is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:

· kidney disease;

· liver disease;

· congestive heart failure;

· an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium in your blood); or

· if you are dehydrated.

• FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use if you are pregnant. Stop using and speak your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Losartan can reason injury or death to the unborn child if you take the medication during your second or third trimester. Use effective birth control.

• It is not known whether losartan passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. You must not breast-feed while using this medicine.

How must I take losartan?

• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results. Do not take this medication in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.

• You may take losartan with or without food.

• Call your doctor if you have ongoing vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than normal. You can easily become dehydrated while taking this medicine, which can lead to severely low blood pressure or a serious electrolyte imbalance.

• Your blood pressure will need to be checked often. Visit your doctor regularly.

• It may take 3 to 6 weeks of using this medication till your blood pressure is under control. For excellent results, hold using the medicine as directed. Conversation with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 3 weeks of treatment.

• If you are being treated for tall blood pressure, keep using this medicine even if you feel well. Tall blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What must I avoid while taking losartan?

• Drinking alcohol can further lower your blood pressure and may magnify determined side effects of losartan.

• Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking losartan, unless your doctor has told you to.

• Avoid getting up too quick from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

What are the possible side effects of losartan?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Call your doctor at once if you have:

· a feeling that you might pass out;

· pain or burning when you urinate;

· pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart course, trouble concentrating;

· wheezing, chest pain;

· drowsiness, confusion, mood changes, heighten thirst, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting;

· swelling, weight gain, feeling short of breath, urinating smaller than normal or not at all; or

· tall potassium (slow heart course, weak pulse, muscle weakness, tingly feeling).

• General side effects may include:

· cool or flu symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, fever;

· dry cough;

· muscle cramps;

· pain in your legs or back;

· stomach pain, diarrhea;

· headache, dizziness;

· weary feeling; or

· sleep problems (insomnia).

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect losartan?

• Speak your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with losartan, especially:

· a diuretic or "water pill";

· another blood pressure medications;

· lithium;

· celecoxib; or

· aspirin or another NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib, diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others.

• This list is not complete. Another drugs may interact with losartan, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal commodity. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medicine manual.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about losartan.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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