Losartan

Uses of Losartan

Losartan is a medicine called angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). It’s widely used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. It’s also used to protect your kidneys if you have both kidney disease and diabetes (diabetic kidney disease).

Losartan can also help to prevent strokes and heart attacks, and is used to improve your survival if you’re taking it for heart failure or after a heart attack.

Precautions and Warnings

Do not use losartan if you are pregnant, and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. It can cause injury or death to the unborn baby during your second or third trimester.

If you have diabetes, do not use losartan together with any medication that contains aliskiren (a blood pressure medicine).

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

In rare cases, this medicine can cause 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.

You should not use losartan if you are allergic to it.

If you have diabetes, do not take losartan with any medication that contains aliskiren (a blood pressure medicine).

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• heart disease or congestive heart failure;
• an electrolyte imbalance (such as high levels of potassium in your blood);
• if you are on a low-salt diet;
• liver disease; or
• kidney disease.

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

Stop using this medicine and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Losartan can cause injury or death to the unborn baby if you use the medicine during your second or third trimester.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Dosage

For high blood pressure:

• Adults—At first, 50 milligrams (mg) once a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed.
• Children 6 to 16 years of age—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The starting dose is usually 0.7 milligram (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 50 mg per day.
• Children younger than 6 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For lowering risk of stroke in patients with high blood pressure and enlargement of the heart:

• Adults—At first, 50 milligrams (mg) once a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose and add another medicine based on your blood pressure response.
• Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For diabetic nephropathy:

• Adults—At first, 50 milligrams (mg) once a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose based on your blood pressure response.
• Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Side Effects

Common side effects:

• dizziness, tiredness;
• low blood pressure;
• low blood sugar;
• diarrhea;
• back pain; or
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.