Losartan

• to treat patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) including adults and children and adolescents 6- 18 years of age.
• to protect the kidney in hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients.
• to treat patients with chronic heart failure when therapy with specific medicines called angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors, medicine used to lower high blood pressure) is not considered suitable by your doctor. If your heart failure has been stabilised with an ACE inhibitor you should not be switched to losartan.
• in patients with high blood pressure and a thickening of the left ventricle.

How does it work?

• Losartan belongs to a class of medicines known as angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Angiotensin II is a substance produced in your body which causes your blood vessels to narrow, thus increasing your blood pressure. Losartan blocks the effect of angiotensin II so that the blood vessels relax, and your blood pressure is lowered.

When and how do I take it?

Losartan can be taken with or without food. Swallow the tablets with a little water. If possible, take your daily dose at the same time each day, for example at breakfast time.

What’s the dose?

Adult Patients with High Blood Pressure:

• Treatment usually starts with 50 mg losartan (one tablet Losartan 50 mg) once a day. The maximal blood pressure lowering effect should be reached 3-6 weeks after beginning treatment. In some patients the dose may later be increased to 100 mg losartan (two tablets Losartan 50 mg) once daily.

Use in children and adolescents (6 to 18 years old):

• The recommended starting dose in patients who weigh between 20 and 50 kg is 0.7 mg of losartan per kg of body weight administered once a day (up to 25 mg of Losartan). The doctor may increase the dose if blood pressure is not controlled.

Adult Patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes:

• Treatment usually starts with 50 mg losartan (one tablet Losartan 50 mg) once a day. The dose may later be increased to 100 mg losartan (two tablets Losartan 50 mg) once daily depending on your blood pressure response.

Adult Patients with Heart Failure:

• Treatment usually starts with 12.5 mg losartan (one tablet Losartan 12.5 mg) once a day.
• Generally, the dose should be increased weekly step-by-step (i.e. 12.5 mg daily during the first week, 25 mg daily during the second week, 50 mg daily during the third week) up to the usual maintenance dose of 50 mg losartan (one tablet Losartan 50 mg) once daily, according to your condition.

Could it interact with other tablets?

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription or herbal medicines and natural products.

Take particular care if you are taking the following medicines while under treatment with Losartan:

• other blood pressure lowering medicines as they may additionally reduce your blood pressure. Blood pressure may also be lowered by one of the following drugs/ class of drugs: tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, baclofene, amifostine,
• medicines which retain potassium or may increase potassium levels (e.g. potassium supplements, potassium-containing salt substitutes or potassium-sparing medicines such as certain diuretics [amiloride, triamteren, spironolactone] or heparine),
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin, including cox-2-inhibitors (medicines that reduce inflammation, and can be used to help relieve pain) as they may reduce the blood lowering effect of losartan.

If your kidney function is impaired, the concomitant use of these medicines may lead to a worsening of the kidney function.
Lithium containing medicines should not be taken in combination with losartan without close supervision by your doctor. Special precautionary measures (e.g. blood tests) may be appropriate.

What are the possible risks or side-effects?

Like all medicines, Losartan can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

If you experience the following, stop taking losartan tablets and tell your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department of your nearest hospital:

A severe allergic reaction:

• rash
• itching
• swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat that may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing.

Common side effects include:

• dizziness,
• low blood pressure,
• debility,
• fatigue,
• too less sugar in the blood (hypoglycaemia),
• too much potassium in the blood (hyperkalaemia).

Can I drink alcohol while taking it?

There are no known interactions between alcohol and Losartan. However, always ask your doctor/pharmacist if you can drink alcohol as this may depend on what other tablets you are taking.

What if I’m pregnant/breastfeeding?

Losartan is not recommended during the first trimester of pregnancy and cannot be given during second or third trimesters.
Losartan should not be used while breast feeding.

If you have any more questions please ask your Pharmacist.

Remember to keep all medicines out of reach of children
Please Note: We have made every effort to ensure that the content of this information sheet is correct at time of publish, but remember that information about drugs may change. This sheet does not list all the uses and side-effects associated with this drug. For full details please see the drug information leaflet which comes with your medicine. Your doctor will assess your medical circumstances and draw your attention to any information or side-effects which may be relevant in your particular case.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Losartan

http://www.drugs.com/cozaar.html

http://www.rxlist.com/cozaar-drug.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/losartan/article.htm

https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/c/cozaar/cozaar_ppi.pdf

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a695008.html