Safe medications to use include methyldopa and potentially some diuretics and beta-blockers, including labetalol.
Eating potassium-rich foods like bananas may be safe for people taking losartan who don't have kidney problems. Increasing dietary potassium was deemed safe by one study that looked at patients on ARBs or ACE inhibitors who had regular kidney function.
There are three major types of diuretics: thiazide, potassium-sparing, and loop diuretics. Thiazide diuretics generally have fewer side effects than the others. This is especially true when they're prescribed in the low doses that are generally used in treating early high blood pressure.
Recently, the company voluntarily withdrew some batches of Losartan from the market because they contained traces of an impurity at levels that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider unsafe.
Losartan can cause low blood pressure. Your risk of low blood pressure is increased if you also take diuretics. Symptoms of low blood pressure can include dizziness or feeling faint, or chest pain.
Losartan is generally safe to take for a long time. In fact, it works best when you take it for a long time. However taking losartan for a long time can sometimes cause your kidneys not to work as well as they should. Your doctor will check how well your kidneys are working with regular blood tests.
Which med you take may depend on your specific risk factors.
- Atenolol.
- Furosemide (Lasix)
- Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)
- Terazosin (Hytrin) and Prazosin (Minipress)
- Hydralazine (Apresoline)
- Clonidine (Catapres)
Angiotensin Receptor BlockersARBs are considered the alternative first-line treatment for hypertension in the elderly population when a diuretic is contraindicated. In elderly hypertensive patients with diabetes or HF, ARBs are considered first-line treatment and an alternative to ACE inhibitors.
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) are the treatment of choice in patients with hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and proteinuria. ACEIs reduce morbidity and mortality rates in patients with heart failure, patients with recent myocardial infarctions, and patients with proteinuric renal disease.
Propranolol and atenolol have been studied most intensely in hypertension. For secondary prevention of myocardial infarction, the evidence is best for timolol. Sotalol is probably the best antiarrhythmic among the beta-blockers.
5 Over-the-Counter Medicines You Should Never Take Together
- Dangerous duo: Tylenol and multi-symptom cold medicines.
- Dangerous duo: Any combo of ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.
- Dangerous duo: Antihistamines and motion-sickness medications.
- Dangerous duo: Anti-diarrheal medicine and calcium supplements.
- Dangerous duo: St.
Low-dose thiazide diuretics (eg, hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 to 25 mg/d) are the best first-line pharmacotherapy for treating uncomplicated hypertension (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, based on randomized trials [RCTs] and 1 meta-analysis).
More-severe hypertension, stage 2 hypertension is a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher.
Check with your doctor immediately if blurred vision, difficulty reading, eye pain, or any other change in vision occurs during or after treatment. This could be a sign of a serious eye problem. Your doctor may want an eye doctor to check your eyes. This medicine may affect blood sugar levels.
They each treat a different set of health conditions, though doctors may use them interchangeably for hypertension depending on what else is going on in the patient. In general, losartan causes fewer side effects than does lisinopril (losartan doesn't cause a nagging cough and has a lower risk for facial swelling).
Some therapeutic alternatives to valsartan include:
- Azilsartan.
- Candasartan.
- Eprosartan.
- Irbesartan.
- Losartan.
- Olmesartan.
- Telmisartan.
Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Cozaar including pain or burning when you urinate; pale skin, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating; wheezing, chest pain; drowsiness, confusion, mood changes, increased thirst, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting;
Lisinopril and losartan basically do the same thing — but in different ways. Lisinopril belongs to the classification of drugs called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, while losartan is in the ARB (angiotensin II receptor-blocker) class.
While they both treat high blood pressure, they slightly differ in types of conditions treated. Losartan may be beneficial for those with diabetic nephropathy and higher stroke risk. Valsartan may be useful for those who have heart failure or increased risk after a heart attack.
Losartan, taken once daily, does not last the full 24 hours at lower doses like 25 or 50 mg. At 100 mg daily losartan does last the full 24 hours. If you take Losartan 50 mg in the morning, you may notice your blood pressure rises at night, because it's not covering you for a full 24 hours.
People taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs should limit their intake of high-potassium foods like bananas, oranges, avocados, tomatoes, white and sweet potatoes and dried fruits —, especially apricots.
