Learn About Losartan
Losartan's an iconic high blood pressure medication. Ladies, it'll come as an oral tablet! You'll get a starting dose of 50 milligrams a day. If you need more than that? You can have a higher dose! Your max is 100 milligrams a day. If you have liver dysfunction, you'll need to start lower. Expect 25 milligrams daily if this applies to you! Kids can take this one as a liquid. Their dose, though, is going to be different!
Hypertension treatment often starts with taking high blood pressure pills. Ladies, this is when your doctor will give you a losartan prescription! After all, it's one of the most effective blood pressure medicines out there! Just know natural supplements for blood pressure can interact with this blood pressure med!
How It Works
Ladies, losartan is very effective at its job. It's an angiotensin II receptor blocker. It'll block the chemical that increases your blood pressure by narrowing your blood vessels! The result? The blood vessels will stay wide! You'll have lower blood pressure when this happens. Your heart will also have less strain on it. And guess what? Your circulation improves as well!
This medication also stops your cells from absorbing lots of uric acid. It's because losartan is also a uricosuric drug! Your kidneys will be able to filter more of it from your blood. It'll leave your body through your pee!
Major Uses
Losartan is an iconic blood pressure medication. It really helps treat hypertension! Patients with left ventricular hypertrophy can even avoid a stroke when they take this medication. It also slows down kidney damage in type 2 diabetes patients who have high blood pressure. And heart failure? This medication has been used as a treatment for it too! It even treats diabetic neuropathy and chronic kidney disease to great effectiveness.
Doctors can even prescribe this medication for 'off-label' uses. All you have to do, ladies, is review the benefits and risks with them! Your doctor will make sure you can use this medication safely.
Side Effects
Yes, side effects can occur with this med ladies. You have to talk about them with your doctor when they're prescribing it to you! The most common ones? They are upper respiratory infections, dizziness, and back pain. Other possible side effects are diarrhea, pain in the chest, and fatigue. Do you have diabetes or kidney disease? Low blood sugar can occur when you're taking this med!
This med has an adjustment period. For a few weeks, you might see headaches, constipation, or appetite loss. Ringing in your ears also occurs. Rare side effects appear as well. Ladies, watch out for muscle cramps, anemia, and even a little insomnia. Vertigo and congestion are other unusual side effects to know about. Call your doctor as soon as you can if you're dealing with these side effects! Experience blurry vision, breathing issues, or confusion? You need emergency medical attention! Ladies, you need to keep an eye on your potassium too. Get regular blood tests to help! If there's an issue? Your doctor will reduce your dose!
Precautions
What's your medical history? Tell your doctor about it before you take this med! They have to know if you've had kidney disease, liver disease, or electrolyte imbalances. These are just examples, though. Go over everything! If you've had low potassium before? They need to be aware of that too! Ladies, losartan is unsafe with these conditions. Don't take it! Are you pregnant? Breastfeeding? You don't want to take this med then either! Avoid drinking alcohol on this med too. Also? Stop taking salt substitutes and potassium supplements.
You can take this med with food. It's even okay without food if you prefer! Ladies, remember to keep your pills at room temperature. They shouldn't be near light, heat, and moisture! Remember to drink lots of water. You can talk about your intake with a doctor. They'll help you prevent dehydration on this med! Watch for results from losartan in 3 to 6 weeks.
Medication Interactions
Ladies, what meds do you take? Your doctor needs to know, losartan has several medication interactions! Take anti-inflammatories? They can reduce the effectiveness of this med! They can even trigger more kidney damage when taken with losartan. This even applies to ibuprofen and naproxen! Patients taking lithium might need a lower dose of it. Ladies, losartan increases the amount of lithium in your body. You don't want it to get too high, so you've got to compensate! You might not be able to take diuretics with this med either. Taking both puts you at a higher risk of very low blood pressure!
Make a list of the meds you currently take. Include over-the-counter pills and natural supplements. It's not just prescription medication! Give this list to your doctor. They'll review it, and you'll avoid interactions. Pharmacists can help check your list too!