Valsartan
About Valsartan
Valsartan is an oral medication primarily prescribed to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. It is also used to improve survival rates after a heart attack by helping the heart pump blood more efficiently. By managing these conditions, this medicine helps lower your risk of serious cardiovascular events like strokes and further heart complications.
For the best results, you should take Valsartan consistently at the same time every day, exactly as directed by your doctor. You can take this medication with or without food, though choosing one way and sticking to it helps keep medicine levels steady in your body. Incorporating a low-salt diet and regular, moderate exercise can significantly enhance the benefits of this treatment.
While taking Valsartan, some people may experience mild side effects like dizziness, tiredness, or flu-like symptoms. However, you must contact your doctor immediately if you notice serious symptoms, such as swelling of the face, lips, or throat, unexplained muscle pain, or a severe decrease in urination.
Before starting this medication, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, severe kidney problems, or if you are dehydrated. You must not take Valsartan if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, as it can cause serious harm or death to an unborn baby.
This medicine can interact with potassium supplements, certain pain relievers, and alcohol, which may increase your risk of dizziness or kidney damage. Breastfeeding mothers and elderly individuals should consult their doctor before starting Valsartan to ensure it is safe for their specific situation.
Uses of Valsartan
Medicinal Benefits
Valsartan helps manage high blood pressure and supports heart health by improving the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently. By controlling blood pressure and reducing strain on the heart, it helps lower the risk of serious cardiovascular complications and improves overall quality of life.
- Helps Control High Blood Pressure: By maintaining blood pressure within a healthy range, Valsartan helps reduce the risk of complications such as heart attack, stroke, and kidney damage.
- Supports Heart Failure Management: For people with heart failure, Valsartan helps improve the heart's pumping efficiency, reducing symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and exercise intolerance.
- Improves Daily Wellbeing: By supporting better cardiovascular function and relieving heart failure symptoms, Valsartan helps you stay more active, perform daily activities more comfortably, and maintain greater independence.
Directions for Use
- Valsartan can be taken with or without food as advised by a doctor.
- Adhere to your doctor’s guidance regarding the dosage and timing of this medication for optimal effectiveness.
- Swallow Valsartan as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, chew, or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Valsartan
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Dizziness or lightheadedness, especially when standing up quickly
- Feeling unusually tired or weak
- Mild stomach pain or diarrhoea
- Flu-like symptoms or a runny nose
Serious Side Effects (Consult a doctor right away):
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as skin rash, itching, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- A sudden, unexplained decrease in how much you urinate, or swelling in your legs and ankles
- Muscle weakness and slow or irregular heartbeat, which may be signs of high potassium levels in the blood
Medicines Containing this Salt
View AllDrug Warnings
- Stand up slowly: To avoid feeling dizzy or fainting, rise slowly from a sitting or lying position, especially when you first start taking this medicine.
- Check your kidney function: Attend all scheduled doctor appointments, as your provider will need to perform routine blood tests to check your kidney function and potassium levels.
- Do not take during pregnancy: Stop taking this medication immediately and contact your doctor if you discover you are pregnant, as it can cause serious harm to the fetus.
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly: Keep a written log of your home blood pressure readings to share with your healthcare provider during check-ups.
- Avoid dehydration: Drink plenty of fluids, especially during hot weather or exercise, as severe dehydration can lead to a dangerous drop in blood pressure and kidney strain.
Drug Interactions
- Potassium supplements or potassium-sparing water pills (diuretics): Combining these with Valsartan can lead to dangerously high levels of potassium in your blood.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen: Taking these regularly can reduce the effectiveness of your blood pressure medicine and increase the risk of kidney damage.
- Lithium: Valsartan can increase the levels of lithium in your blood, raising the risk of lithium toxicity.
- Other blood pressure medications: Combining these may increase your risk of low blood pressure, high potassium levels, and decreased kidney function.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeAvoid consuming alcohol while taking Valsartan as it may cause increased dizziness.
Pregnancy
unsafeValsartan belongs to pregnancy category D. Avoid taking Valsartan if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, as Valsartan can cause harm to the developing fetus.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is unknown if Valsartan passes into breastmilk. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding; your doctor will decide whether Valsartan can be taken by breastfeeding mothers or not.
Driving
cautionValsartan may cause dizziness, do not drive or operate heavy machinery if you feel dizzy.
Liver
cautionDose adjustment may be needed. Valsartan should be used with caution in patients with liver impairment/liver disease. Please consult your doctor if you have liver problems or any concerns regarding this.
Kidney
cautionDose adjustment may be needed. Valsartan should be used with caution in patients with kidney impairment/kidney disease. Please consult your doctor if you have kidney problems or any concerns regarding this.
Children
cautionValsartan is not recommended for children below 6 years as efficacy and safety have not been established.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
To get the most benefit from Valsartan, consider making these heart-healthy adjustments:
- Limit your salt intake: Consuming less sodium helps lower blood pressure and prevents fluid retention, making your medicine more effective.
- Avoid potassium-rich salt substitutes: Since this medication can increase potassium levels in your blood, avoid using salt substitutes that contain potassium without checking with your doctor first.
- Stay moderately active: Engage in regular, low-impact exercise like brisk walking or cycling, as approved by your doctor, to strengthen your heart.
- Limit alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol while taking this medicine can cause your blood pressure to drop too low, making you feel excessively dizzy or lightheaded.
Special Advise
- Regular monitoring of blood pressure levels, kidney function and electrolyte levels while taking Valsartan is advised.
- Valsartan may increase your potassium levels. Before using potassium supplements or salt substitutes that contain potassium, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Hypertension: It is a condition in which the blood exerts increased pressure on the walls of blood vessels, leading to hypertension. This condition can lead to hardened arteries (blood vessels), decreasing the blood and oxygen flow to the heart. Raised blood pressure can cause chest pain (angina) and a heart attack (when the blood supply to the heart is blocked). Additionally, high blood pressure also causes brain damage (stroke) and kidney failure. Symptoms of high blood pressure include headache, dizziness, nose bleed, changes in vision, chest pain, weakness and dyspnoea (shortness of breath). However, most of the time, the signs and symptoms of hypertension are none.
Heart failure: Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump sufficient blood to the body's remaining parts. Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and swollen legs.
Myocardial infarction: Myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, is a condition in which blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. The blockade usually occurs due to the build-up of fat/cholesterol in the coronary arteries. Symptoms include pain or tightness in the chest, neck, arms or back, weakness, lightheadedness, anxiety and abnormal heartbeat.
FAQs
Valsartan is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Additionally, it is used to treat heart failure and prevent heart attack.
Valsartan contains ‘valsartan’, which works by relaxing and widening the blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood to all body parts. Thereby, Valsartan helps in lowering blood pressure to normal levels.
Please do not stop taking Valsartan without consulting your doctor on your own, as it may lead to a rise in blood pressure. Continue taking Valsartan for as long as your doctor has prescribed it to you. Do not be reluctant to speak with your doctor if you experience any difficulty while taking Valsartan.
Orthostatic hypotension could be a side-effect of Valsartan. Orthostatic hypotension is a sudden lowering in blood pressure leading to dizziness on standing. If you experience this, do not try to stand up suddenly or start walking, instead, lie down and get up slowly only when you feel better. People taking Valsartan are advised to regularly monitor their blood pressure levels to avoid such unpleasant events.
High blood pressure increases the workload on the arteries and heart. If untreated, it could damage the heart, brain, and kidneys' blood vessels, resulting in a stroke, heart failure or kidney failure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attacks. Therefore, anti-hypertensives such as Valsartan are used to lower the blood pressure to normal, which reduces the risk of developing these disorders.
Avoid taking NSAIDs with Valsartan unless prescribed by the doctor, as it could lead to an increased risk of kidney impairment and loss of anti-hypertensive effect.
Talk to your doctor before taking potassium supplements, potassium-sparing diuretics or salt substitutes along with Valsartan, as it might cause an increase in serum potassium and serum creatinine levels.
It would be preferable to take the first dose at night as it might cause dizziness. The next doses can be taken at time of the day.
Valsartan may worsen kidney problems in people who already have kidney disease/problems. Inform the doctor if you have kidney problems. It should be used with caution in patients with kidney problems if prescribed by the doctor.
Valsartan is not known to cause weight gain. Maintain proper weight by eating healthy food and exercising regularly.
Valsartan may affect blood glucose levels. Therefore, inform the doctor if you have diabetes. Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is advised.
Yes, Valsartan may cause hyperkalemia (increased potassium level in blood). Consult the doctor if you notice symptoms of hyperkalemia such as tiredness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, trouble breathing or irregular heartbeat.
No, Valsartan does not work by causing excessive urination. It works by relaxing the blood vessels and improving the blood flow.
Taking ibuprofen with Valsartan may reduce the effects of Valsartan in lowering the blood pressure. Also, it might affect kidney function when these medicines are used together. Hence, consult the doctor before taking ibuprofen with Valsartan.
Valsartan may cause side effects such as dizziness, headache, abdominal pain, fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. Most of these side-effects do not require medical attention and will resolve gradually over time. However, you are advised to talk to your doctor if you experience these side-effects persistently.
No, you must not take Valsartan during pregnancy. It can cause serious harm, birth defects, or death to an unborn baby. If you suspect you are pregnant, stop taking the medicine immediately and contact your doctor.
It is best to avoid or strictly limit alcohol while taking this medicine. Alcohol can increase the blood pressure-lowering effect, making you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or prone to fainting. Talk to your doctor for personalised advice.
You should avoid salt substitutes that contain potassium and refrain from consuming high amounts of potassium-rich foods unless advised otherwise by your doctor. High potassium levels can affect your heart rhythm. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for guidance.
Author Details
