Instructions for use of Losartan tablets - at what pressure and how to take them?

brief information

Release form

The blood pressure medication Losartan is available in tablet form. These are round capsules, convex on both sides, with a yellow film shell. Inside the capsule is powder with the active composition.

Tablets are sold in cellular blisters of 15 and 30 pieces. Each tablet is packed in a separate cell of contour packaging. The kit includes instructions for using Losartan.

Packaging of Losartan tablets

Compound

The main active ingredient included in the tablets is potassium losartan. Losartan reduces blood pressure through this substance without affecting the concentration of potassium in the blood.

Other components of the drug:

• polyvinylpyrrolidone;
• lactose monohydrate;
• magnesium stearate;
• croscarmellose sodium;
• polysorb;
• MCC.

The film shell has its own composition, which allows it to quickly dissolve in the stomach under the influence of gastric juice:

• talc;
• titanium dioxide;
• polyethylene glycol;
• hydroxypropyl methylcellulose;
• iron oxide.

Price and terms of sale

The price of Losartan in pharmacies reaches 5,494 rubles. The cost depends on the manufacturer, dose, and number of tablets in the package. The average price is much lower than the maximum and is 85 rubles per package.

The blood pressure drug Losartan is sold in pharmacies only as prescribed by the attending physician.

Storage conditions

The drug to lower blood pressure is stored out of the reach of children, in a dark place at room temperature.
The shelf life of the drug is three years from the date of manufacture. After the expiration date and storage period, Losartan cannot be used for hypertension. They must be disposed of in accordance with sanitary standards.

Rules for storing medicines

Losartan: analogues and substitutes

Today, the drug Losartan, its analogs and substitutes based on the mechanism of action and composition are sold through pharmacy chains with a prescription from a cardiologist or therapist. The cost of medicines varies from 10-20 rubles and more. Analogues of the drug are produced mainly in the form of tablets and are produced in Russia and abroad.

Analogues can be prescribed by a general practitioner or cardiologist if there are only appropriate indications. The basis for replacement may be the insufficient effectiveness of Losartan, as well as the manifestation of severe negative side effects and allergic reactions.

These drugs are not combined with each other, but can be included in complex therapeutic measures. It is important to pay attention to the country of origin and excipients of the composition.

For whom is it contraindicated?

Contraindications to the use of Losartan tablets for blood pressure include:

• alcohol consumption;
• refractory hyperkalemia;
• increased susceptibility to the components of the drug;
• lactation period;
• period of bearing a child;
• severe kidney dysfunction;
• children under 18 years of age;
• dehydration;
• old age from 65 years.

Patients with diabetes and impaired renal function should not take Losartan and Alixiren tablets at the same time.

Patients with kidney pathologies should take the drug with caution

Reviews

You can find a huge number of reviews about Losartan, because this medication is prescribed quite often. Most of the responses are positive; you can find many references to the fact that patients successfully switched to this drug from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, due to the use of which they developed such a complication as a dry, painful cough. However, you can also find negative reviews about the development of side effects on the medication, but such comments are very few.

What do doctors think about the drug described?

• Anna Pavlovna, cardiologist, specialist in ultrasound diagnostics. Losartan is prescribed quite often because the drug is quite affordable, effective and safe. It is quite easy to select the desired therapeutic dose. I have seen complications associated with the treatment only a few times in my fifteen years of medical practice.
• Alexander Fedorovich, cardiologist, associate professor. Patients with mild to moderate hypertension do quite well on Losartan. With the right dosage, you can quickly achieve normalization of blood pressure numbers.

Patients' opinions

• Ivan, 62 years old. Ten years ago I was registered for high blood pressure, so I had to change my lifestyle and get used to the fact that I had to take pills every day without fail. For the last few years I have been taking Losartan, on which my blood pressure was quite stable and even after physical activity or stress did not rise above one hundred and forty-five. However, over the past month, in the evening, blood pressure numbers began to periodically increase for no apparent reason. The cardiologist said that it was necessary to add a diuretic to the treatment regimen, because the disease began to progress over time. In order not to prescribe me an additional medication, the doctor advised me to switch to Lorista ND, since it contains both losartan, which I was treated with before, and a diuretic, which I now need to be prescribed. I tolerated the transition to the new drug well, and my blood pressure stabilized again. I am very pleased with the fact that I do not need to take any additional pills.
• Nadezhda, 72 years old. I am a hypertensive patient with extensive experience, so I have already tried many different blood pressure pills. I’ve been taking Losartan lately and, in principle, I’m happy with the effects. My blood pressure stays within 140/90, there are no headaches or dizziness.

Conditionally acceptable use

There are indications for which it is recommended to take Losartan for high blood pressure with extreme caution:

• liver dysfunction;
• low blood pressure;
• decreased circulating blood volume;
• failure of water-electrolyte metabolism;
• increased concentration of potassium in the blood;
• obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy;
• Quincke's edema;
• severe heart failure;
• ischemia;
• heart failure with abnormal heart rhythm;
• cerebrovascular diseases;
• Conn's syndrome;
• renal artery stenosis.

How to take for high blood pressure and other pathologies

Losartan tablets for blood pressure are taken orally. Do not crush, break, dissolve the contents, or chew the tablet. Losartan tablets should be taken whole with plenty of drinking water.

Losartan should be taken whole with water.

Food intake does not affect the bioavailability and absorption of the drug. Losartan lowers blood pressure if you follow your doctor's recommendations.

The recommended dosage for blood pressure for various diseases is given in the table.

The doctor may decide to increase the daily dosage to 100 mg. Such a decision may be determined by the course and severity of the disease, the patient’s condition, and other factors.

Pill regimen, dosage

Doses of the drug are determined by the indication for use and can be adjusted by the attending physician depending on the individual characteristics of the patient. Standard method of administration:

1. 50 milligrams once a day for arterial hypertension. The maximum dosage is 100 mg. The amount is adjusted at the discretion of the cardiologists.
2. 12.5 mg per day with a gradual increase in dosage for chronic heart failure. Dose adjustment - once a week.
3. 50 mg per day as a prophylactic drug.

The treatment period is carried out with constant monitoring of blood pressure. For patients over 75 years of age, an individual dosage is determined, usually not exceeding 25 milligrams daily. No other blood pressure-correcting medications are taken.

For liver failure, the maximum daily dosage is 25 milligrams.

Losartan blood pressure pills must be taken at the same time every day. If the dosage time is missed, subsequent adjustments to the dosage time will be required. The medication should be taken with clean water, without chewing or crushing in any other way.

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Side effects

The use of Losartan for blood pressure can provoke the appearance of undesirable reactions from the body, internal organs, and vital systems.

Indications for use

The medication is used for the treatment of resistant arterial hypertension, in which there is an increase in pressure up to 140 mmHg. Art. Other indications:

• chronic heart failure, in which there is not sufficient oxygen supply to the body tissues;

• diabetic nephropathy, accompanied by progression of arterioles, arteries, metabolic disorders.

Losartan is prescribed for therapeutic and preventive measures. The drug demonstrates effectiveness in the treatment of cardiovascular pathologies in patients over 50 years of age. It can be included in the complex therapy of other lesions of organs and systems. Not used for single pressure reduction.

Losartan is used as a preventative against stroke.

When used systematically according to the instructions, the drug reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular damage. With proteinuria, constant use slows down the progression of the pathology. Mortality among patients suffering from heart failure combined with left ventricular hypertrophy is reduced.

Losartan overdose

Exceeding the dosage of Losartan prescribed by the doctor for high blood pressure may cause undesirable reactions:

• increased heart rate;
• a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
• violation of sinus rhythm.

If there are signs of an overdose, it is necessary to provide the patient with first aid: rinse, give an adsorbent and call a doctor. The doctor will provide symptomatic treatment to improve the patient's condition.

Hemodialysis in case of overdose is ineffective.

An overdose of Losartan can lead to a sharp deterioration in health

Drug interactions

The combined use of the drug Losartan for high blood pressure with other medications is undesirable and even contraindicated, since the combined use of drugs leads to a violation of the pharmacological properties.

Restrictions on drug interactions:

• Rifampicin and Fluconazole reduce the concentration of active substances in the blood;
• angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists, potassium-sparing diuretics increase potassium levels;
• drugs that remove sodium from the body increase lithium levels;
• NSAIDs, selective COX-2 inhibitors reduce the effectiveness of diuretics and antihypertensive drugs;
• antihypertensive drugs can provoke a sharp decrease in blood pressure to critical values;
• double blockade of the RAAS can provoke impaired renal function, increased potassium, a sharp decrease in blood pressure, and fainting.

If the functions are impaired, taking the drug may cause an exacerbation of the disease.

What to replace for hypertension

Active analogues of Losartan

The decision to prescribe a Losartan analogue is made by the attending physician after examination and identification of compelling reasons for this.