Valsartan
Introduction To Valsartan
Valsartan is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. Lowering blood pressure helps to prevent future heart attacks and stroke. This medicine is also effective in preserving kidney function in patients with diabetes.
Valsartan may be prescribed alone or in combination with other medicines. It may be taken with or without food during the day or at night. However, try to take it at about the same time each day to get the most benefit. It is important to continue taking it regularly even if you feel well or if your blood pressure is controlled. Most people with high blood pressure do not feel ill, but if you stop taking this medicine, your condition could get worse. This is a widely used medicine and is considered safe for long-term use.
Making some changes in your lifestyle will also help lower your blood pressure. These may include regular exercise, losing weight, smoking cessation, reducing alcohol intake, and reducing the amount of salt in your diet as advised by your doctor. This medicine is tolerated well by most patients and has few side effects. Dizziness, particularly after the first dose, is known to occur in some people. This may be associated with headaches. Let your doctor know if these side effects bother you or do not go away.
Before taking this medicine, let your doctor know if you have any kidney or liver problems. Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers should also consult their doctor before taking it. Your doctor may check your kidney function, blood pressure, and potassium levels in your blood at regular intervals while you are taking this medicine.
Uses of Valsartan
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Heart failure
- Prevention of heart attack and stroke
Benefits of Valsartan
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Valsartan lowers blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and making it
easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. It must be taken
regularly as prescribed to be effective. You do not usually feel any direct
benefit from taking this medicine, but it works in the long term to keep you
well.
Heart failure
Heart failure means your heart is weak and cannot pump enough blood to your
lungs and the rest of your body. The most common symptoms are breathlessness,
tiredness, and swelling in your legs, ankles, abdomen, and other parts of your
body. Valsartan lowers your blood pressure which makes it easier for your
heart to pump blood around your body and is, therefore, effective treatment
for heart failure.
This medicine will help relieve your symptoms, making you feel better and more energetic. You should make appropriate lifestyle changes (such as eating healthily and keeping active) to help this medicine be effective. Take it regularly and keep taking it even if you feel better.
Prevention of heart attack and stroke
Valsartan lowers your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to
pump blood around your body. If your blood pressure is controlled you are less
at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Keep taking this medicine
regularly.
Side effects of Valsartan
Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them
Common side effects of Starval
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Flu-like symptoms
- Stomach pain
- Decreased blood pressure
- Diarrhea
- Back pain
- Rash
- Increased creatinine level in blood
How to use Valsartan
Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Valsartan may be taken with or without food, but it is better to take it at a fixed time.
How Valsartan works
Valsartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). It relaxes the blood vessel by blocking the action of a chemical that usually makes blood vessels tighter. This lowers the blood pressure, allowing the blood to flow more smoothly to different organs and the heart to pump more efficiently.
Quick tips
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It can make you feel dizzy for the first few days. Rise slowly if you have been sitting or lying down for a long time.
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Your doctor may get regular tests done to monitor the level of urea, creatinine, and potassium in your blood.
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Avoid taking anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen along with this medicine without consulting your doctor.
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Do not take Valsartan if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
-
Do not stop taking it suddenly without talking to your doctor.
Safety Advice
PregnancyCONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
Can I take Valsartan if I’m pregnant?
Valsartan is unsafe to use during pregnancy as there is definite evidence of risk to the developing baby. However, the doctor may rarely prescribe it in some life-threatening situations if the benefits are more than the potential risks. Please consult your doctor.
BreastfeedingSAFE IF PRESCRIBED
Can I take Valsartan if I’m breastfeeding?
Valsartan is probably safe to use during breastfeeding. Limited human data suggests that the drug does not represent any significant risk to the baby.
AlcoholUNSAFE
Is drinking alcohol while taking Valsartan safe?
It is unsafe to consume alcohol with Valsartan.
DrivingSAFE
Can I drive after taking Valsartan?
Valsartan does not usually affect your ability to drive.
KidneyCAUTION
Can I take Valsartan if I have/had kidney diseases?
Valsartan should be used with caution in patients with severe kidney disease. Dose adjustment of Valsartan may be needed. Please consult your doctor. Regular blood pressure monitoring is recommended. No dose adjustment is needed in patients with mild to moderate kidney disease.
LiverCAUTION
Can I take Valsartan if I have/had liver diseases?
Valsartan should be used with caution in patients with liver disease. Dose adjustment of Valsartan may be needed. Please consult your doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How long does it take for Valsartan to start working?
A substantial decrease in blood pressure can be experienced within 2 weeks of starting Valsartan. The medicine may take up to 4 weeks to show its complete effects.
Q. Which medicine is considered safe for treating high blood pressure?
There are many blood pressure-lowering medicines which can be considered safe. Use of these medicines varies from person to person and can be based on various factors such as age, gender, other co-existing diseases, etc. For instance, a person below 55 years of age having no other coexisting disease may be prescribed angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARAs) (e.g., Valsartan, losartan, olmesartan) or Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors (e.g., ramipril, captopril, or enalapril) by the doctor.
Q. Is Valsartan bad for kidneys?
Valsartan does not generally affect the working of a proper functioning kidney. However, it should be cautiously used in patients who have existing severe kidney impairment (creatinine clearance <10 ml/min) and are on dialysis as there is limited data to support the safety of these patients.
Q. Who should not be given Valsartan?
Valsartan should not be given to patients who are allergic to it, have severe liver disease, have diabetes, or impaired kidney function. Its use should be restricted if you are being treated with blood pressure lowering medicine containing aliskiren. It is important to know that a pregnant lady or one who intends to become pregnant should not use Valsartan.
Q. What class of medicine is Valsartan?
Valsartan belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARAs). Angiotensin II is a substance in the body that causes vessels to tighten which leads to increase in blood pressure. Valsartan works by blocking the effect of angiotensin II. As a result, blood vessels relax and blood pressure is lowered.
Q. Does Valsartan cause weight gain?
No, Valsartan does not cause weight gain as a side effect. However, if your kidney function deteriorates, then your body may swell due to accumulation of water (fluid retention) because of which you may gain weight. Inform your doctor if you experience any unexplained weight gain or swelling in your feet, ankles, or hands.
Q. How long do I need to take Valsartan?
Continue taking Valsartan as long as your doctor has prescribed. Do not stop taking it even if you start feeling better. You may even have to take it life long, since Valsartan does not cure high blood pressure or heart failure but controls them.
Q. What is the most important information I should know about Valsartan?
Taking Valsartan during the last months of pregnancy can cause serious harm or even death of the unborn baby. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Do not take Valsartan if you are pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking Valsartan, stop taking Valsartan and call your doctor immediately.
Q. Can I switch in between the brands of Valsartan, since currently the brand I am using is not available?
No, do not switch to a different Valsartan product unless your doctor says that you should. Since you have to take it daily, keep a stock of it. Each Valsartan product releases the medication differently in your body and cannot be used interchangeably.
References
Written By:
Dr Advikka Ridhy
MBBS
RMO, Aster MIMS
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