If you are pregnant or want to become pregnant, let your doctor know. If you are pregnant, avoid using losartan. If you become pregnant while taking losartan, notify your doctor right once and stop the medication. When taken in the latter six months of pregnancy, losartan may result in the fetus’s death or severe damage.

To treat high blood pressure, losartan may be taken either on its own or in combination with other drugs. In patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and excessive blood pressure, losartan is also used to reduce the risk of stroke (enlargement of the walls of the left side of the heart). Among African Americans with certain circumstances, losartan may not reduce the risk of stroke. In addition to being used to treat high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, which is a condition in which the body does not utilise insulin as it should, this medicine is also used to treat renal disease. A group of drugs known as angiotensin II receptor antagonists includes losartan. It functions by preventing the tightening of blood arteries caused by several natural chemicals, allowing blood to flow more freely and the heart to pump more effectively.

High blood pressure is a common illness that, if left untreated, can harm the kidneys, brain, heart, blood vessels, and other organs. Heart disease, a heart attack, heart failure, a stroke, renal failure, eyesight loss, and other issues may result from damage to these organs. Making lifestyle modifications will help you control your blood pressure in addition to taking medication. These adjustments include quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, eating a diet low in fat and salt, keeping a healthy weight, and exercising for at least 30 minutes most days.

A tablet to be swallowed with food contains losartan. With or without food, it is often taken once or twice day. Take losartan at about the same time(s) every day to make it easier for you to remember to take it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the losartan directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Most likely, your doctor will put you on a low dose of losartan and then gradually raise it.

Speak to your physician or pharmacist if your kid is unable to swallow a tablet. Your youngster can receive this medication in a liquid version thanks to the pharmacist.

Losartan does not treat high blood pressure; it only manages it. Although your blood pressure may drop during the first week of medication, it could take 3 to 6 weeks before you get all of losartan’s advantages. Losartan should still be taken even if you feel OK. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking losartan.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Heart failure can also occasionally be treated with losartan (condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the rest of the body). Discuss the potential dangers of using this medicine for your illness with your doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking losartan,

• If you have an allergy to losartan, any other medications, or any of the substances in losartan tablets, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• If you are taking aliskiren and have diabetes (high blood sugar), let your doctor know (Tekturna, in Amturnide, Tekamlo, Tekturna HCT). If you have diabetes and are also on aliskiren, your doctor generally won’t let you take losartan.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: Benazepril (Lotensin, in Lotrel), captopril (Capoten, in Capozide), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (in Prinzide, in Zestoretic), and moexipril are examples of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (Univasc, in Uniretic), aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and selective COX-2 inhibitors like celecoxib (Celebrex); diuretics (‘water pills’), including potassium-sparing diuretics like amiloride (Midamor), spironolactone (Aldactone, Aldactazide), and triamterene (Dyrenium, in Dyazide, in Maxzide); fluconazole (Diflucan); rifampin, phenobarbital, potassium supplements, lithium (Lithobid), and lithium (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Inform your doctor if you currently have or ever had renal, liver, or heart failure.
• If you are breastfeeding, let your doctor know.
• You should be aware that if you stand up too rapidly from a laying position while taking losartan, you could have dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. When you first start taking losartan, this happens more frequently. Get out of bed gradually and rest your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up to help prevent this issue.
• You should be aware that a reduction in blood pressure might result from diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, and excessive perspiration, which can make you feel faint and dizzy. If you have any of these issues or if any emerge while you are receiving treatment, let your doctor know.

Without consulting your doctor, avoid using potassium-containing salt alternatives. If your doctor advises a low-salt or low-sodium diet, strictly follow the instructions.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Losartan might have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Back, leg, or knee pain
• Weak or cramping muscles
• Diarrhoea
• Heartburn
• Lowered tactile sensitivity

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you encounter any of these signs or any of the ones in the “SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS” section:

• Edoema of the hands, feet, ankles, lower legs, cheeks, neck, tongue, lips, and eyes
• Hoarseness
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Chest ache

Other negative effects of losartan may also occur. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excess heat, light, and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose signs could include the following:

• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Swift or gradual heartbeat

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. You should have your blood pressure monitored frequently to see how losartan is impacting you.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.