What is Losartan?
Losartan is a prescription medication. The brand name is (Cozaar). It belongs to a family of medications called an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARBS for short.).
How does Losartan work?
Losartan works by relaxing your blood vessels & In this way your blood pressure is reduced. This results in a more efficient blood flow through your vessels.
What is Losartan used for?
- This medication is used to treat high blood pressure.
- If you are a diabetic, your Doctor might be using it to protect your kidney function in patients who are losing protein through their kidneys.
- It is also used if your blood pressure is causing a heart problem where the left chamber of your heart is thicker. This condition is called left ventricular hypertrophy. Using this medication can reduce the risk of a stroke.
- It can also be used after a heart attack to help prevent further attacks. It has shown to improve survival after such an event.
- Losartan can also be used in the management of progressive heart failure and helps decrease mortality and improve the heart’s function.
Dosing and administration:
Here I am talking about the tablets and the dosage forms are 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg.I usually start at the lowest dose which is 25mg and titrate up gradually.
Some health care providers like to start at a higher dose at 50mg especially in younger patients and increase the dose for blood pressure control & symptom management.
How long does it take for Losartan to work?
Losartan can reduce your high blood pressure in about 6 hours, however, for you to enjoy the full benefits of Losartan it may take a couple of weeks. Usually, around 3-6 weeks.
19 MUST KNOW TIPS for Losartan!
1.Losartan can increase your potassium. You have to be careful when you take in potassium rich food such as bananas, potatoes or oranges or taking in potassium supplements. Your healthcare provider will be checking electrolytes occasionally.
2.If you are on Losartan, especially for longer period, there is the risk of kidney injury. But Doctor, didn’t you just write that this medication is kidney protective. In patients with diabetes and kidney problems it is protective. However, if you have a pre existing kidney problem, another kind of kidney disease where the kidney blood flow is lower (called renal artery stenosis), and in older patients you would be at risk.
3.One of the reasons I am hesitant about starting Losartan at too high of a dose (esp. if you are on a diuretic such as Lasix) is that you would be at an increased risk for an acute kidney injury especially if your blood volume is compromised because of other issues such as dehydration or use of a diuretic.
4.Your Doctor will warn you not to take non-Aspirin NSAIDS such Ibuprofen, Advil, or Motrin at the same time as this significantly increases the chance of a kidney injury.
5.Losartan can be taken with or without food. Take it around the same time every day.
6.If you are taking this medication, especially if you are older, like I advise with all blood pressure lowering medications, is that it can make you feel dizzy and lightheaded, so take your time when you are getting up from a sitting or sleeping position. Be careful when you are walking up and down stairs
7.This medication should not be taken during pregnancy. If you do become pregnant tell your Doctor ASAP as this medication should be immediately discontinued. This is because Losartan can cause birth defects.
8.If you do develop cold like symptoms while on this medication it could be a side effects from the medication. These include a stuffy nose, sore throat, and sneezing
9.Taking alcohol and Losartan and increase the risk of side effects and further lower your blood pressure.
10.All drugs have side effects. Having said that some individuals, some individuals experience no side effects or just mild side effects. I am just going to highlight some of the ones pertaining this drug which are common. Talk to your Doctor if you do think you are experiencing a side-effect.Some are more common than others. If you are experiencing any of these have a discussion with your health care provider.
- Dizziness (3%)
- Upper respiratory infection (8%)
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- Nasal congestion (2%)
- Back pain (2%)
Other side effects are: - Cough (more common in people who experienced a cough with ACE inhibitors)
- Low blood pressure
- Tiredness
- High potassium levels (can affect the heart)
- Changes in kidney function
- Edema, palpitations, skin rash, joint pain, muscle pain
- Anemia
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11.If you are having an allergic reaction such as a swelling of your face, lips, mouth, tongue, sore throat, or difficulty breathing, chest pain, new onset hives or a rash with itching call your Doctor ASAP or get medical help as soon ASAP.
12.This medication can cause a cough. Reach out to your Doctor especially if it is getting too bothersome as they might want you to change your medication.
13.Patients who are diabetics might experience low blood sugars. Make sure you are monitoring your blood sugars regularly.
14.If you are unable to swallow the tablets, the tablets can be made into a liquid suspension.
15.If you have liver disease your dose of Losartan will need to be adjusted and the typical starting dose for you would be 25mg daily
16.Losartan may be not as effective if you are of African American descent. This is because of lower levels of a hormone called renin while your blood pressure is elevated.
17.If you are on this blood pressure medication called aliskiren (brand name is Tekturna in the USA) YOU CANNOT take it with Losartan.
18.It can interact with several medications. I’ll just highlight a couple: Lithium, NSAIDS, ACE-I, Bactrim, potassium supplements. See FDA website listed below for a comprehensive list.
19.In 2019 & subsequent years there have been recalls of Losartan and other ARBS due to trace amounts of impurities in an active pharmaceutical ingredient. These recalls affected certain lot and batch numbers. The names of these impurities are NDMA& NDEA. They are also referred to as Nitrosamines. There is the risk of cancer if taken for a long period of time. Currently the FDA is recommending that you should continue taking the medication. If the medication were to be suddenly stopped the harm would be higher to someone’s health without an alternative treatment. You can talk to your Doctor or Pharmacist to safely switch to an alternate ARB or lot which was not affected.
Have a good day and Think Your Health. You can see the complete YouTube video here.
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