Sacubitril+valsartan
About Sacubitril+valsartan
Valsartan+sacubitril is used in the treatment of heart failure in adults and children above one year age. It helps to reduce the risk of death and hospitalisation in adults with chronic heart failure. Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart cannot pump blood as effectively as it should.
Valsartan+sacubitril is a combination of medicines: valsartan and sacubitril. Valsartan blocks the effect of angiotensin II receptors, which constrict the blood vessels. Sacubitril works by relaxing and widening the blood vessels and making it easier for the heart to pump blood to all body parts. Together, Valsartan+sacubitril helps in the treatment of heart failure.
Not everyone who is taking Valsartan+sacubitril will get these side effects. In some cases, you may experience specific common side effects, such as cough, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea, and weakness. 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.
Take Valsartan+sacubitril as advised. Your physician will decide the dosage based on your medical condition. You can take Valsartan+sacubitril with or without food. It is recommended not to exceed the recommended dose of Valsartan+sacubitril. Do not chew, crush, or break the medicine. Swallow it as a whole with a glass of water. You are advised to take Valsartan+sacubitril for as long as your doctor has prescribed it.
Inform your physician if you are allergic to Valsartan+sacubitril. Do not take Valsartan+sacubitril with ACE inhibitors (such as captopril or enalapril) since the risk of side effects may increase. Do not take Valsartan+sacubitril for at least 36 hours before or after taking an ACE inhibitor drug. Inform your doctor before taking Valsartan+sacubitril if you have kidney or liver problems, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a history of hereditary angioedema (rapid edema or swelling beneath the area of skin).
Do not to stop taking it on your own, as it may cause a sudden increase in blood pressure, chest pain, or a heart attack. Do not hesitate to consult your doctor if you experience any difficulties while taking Valsartan+sacubitril.
Uses of Sacubitril+valsartan
• Heart Failure Treatment: Valsartan+sacubitril serves as a part of the treatment plan for specific types of heart failure, helping the heart function more efficiently.
• Hypertension Management: Valsartan+sacubitril is used to manage hypertension (high blood pressure), by reducing the risk of heart-related issues and complications.
• Cardiovascular Protection: Valsartan+sacubitril provides cardiovascular protection by lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Medicinal Benefits
- Valsartan+sacubitril is a combination of two medicines, valsartan and sacubitril, which helps the heart to pump blood to all body parts by relaxing and widening the blood vessels.
- Valsartan+sacubitril helps treat certain types of heart failure.
- It may also help you to live longer and lower the frequency of hospitalizations for heart failure.
- Valsartan+sacubitril helps in slowing down the heart rate, making it easier for the heart to pump blood throughout the body.
Directions for Use
- Valsartan+sacubitril can be taken with or without food as advised by the doctor.
- Follow your doctor's instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication to ensure safety.
- Swallow Valsartan+sacubitril as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not chew, crush or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Sacubitril+valsartan
- Cough
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Fainting
- Headache
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Vertigo (sensation of spinning)
- Weakness
Medicines Containing this Salt
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Drug Warnings
- Avoid taking Valsartan+sacubitril if you are allergic to it.
- Keep your doctor informed if you have kidney or liver diseases.
- Orthostatic hypotension (sudden lowering of blood pressure when standing) may occur, so patients using Valsartan+sacubitril should get up slowly and carefully.
- Speak to your doctor if you have diabetes before taking Valsartan+sacubitril.
- Inform your doctor about all the medications you are currently taking, including aliskiren (a medication used to treat high blood pressure), any other heart or blood pressure medications, lithium, and mineral supplements that contain potassium.
- Inform your doctor if you feel light-headed or have little or no urination, rapid weight gain, or swelling in your hands, feet, or ankles after taking Valsartan+sacubitril.
- A prolonged intake of Valsartan+sacubitril can cause an altered potassium level; therefore, regular monitoring of potassium levels is required. Valsartan+sacubitril is not recommended for use in infants below one year of age.
- It is always essential to check for the expiry of the medicine. Discard the medicine if it reaches the expiry date.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Pain medication (aspirin), a medicine used to lower cholesterol (rosuvastatin, atorvastatin), medicine to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (insulin detemir), blood pressure medication (metoprolol), a medication used in the management of asthma (budesonide/formoterol).
Drug-Food Interactions: Maintain low salt and low-fat diet while taking Valsartan+sacubitril. Avoid consuming food rich in potassium, such as potassium-containing salt substitutes or over-the-counter potassium supplements. Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Hypotension (low blood pressure), diabetes, angioedema (rapid edema or swelling beneath the skin), hyperkalemia (high potassium in the blood), renal artery stenosis, renal/liver disease, renal impairment.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeYou are recommended to avoid alcohol consumption while taking Valsartan+sacubitril to avoid unpleasant side-effects.
Pregnancy
consult your doctorIt is not recommended to take Valsartan+sacubitril while you are pregnant. Please consult your doctor. Your doctor will decide whether Valsartan+sacubitril can be given to pregnant women or not.
Breast Feeding
consult your doctorIt is not recommended to take Valsartan+sacubitril while you are breast-feeding. Please consult your doctor. Your doctor will decide whether Valsartan+sacubitril can be given to breast-feeding mothers or not.
Driving
unsafeValsartan+sacubitril may cause dizziness, do not drive or operate heavy machinery if you feel dizzy.
Liver
cautionDose adjustment may be needed. Valsartan+sacubitril should be used with caution in patients with liver disease.
Kidney
cautionDose adjustment may be needed. Valsartan+sacubitril should be used with caution in patients with kidney disease.
Children
unsafeValsartan+sacubitril can be used to treat heart failure in children who are at least 1 year old when prescribed by a child specialist
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- You are advised to consume low salt and low-fat diet while taking Valsartan+sacubitril.
- Regular exercise is also recommended to complement treatment with Valsartan+sacubitril.
- Eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption.
- Maintain a healthy weight with proper diet and exercise.
- Managing stress with meditation, yoga, massage would also help in treating high blood pressure.
Special Advise
- Regularly monitor blood pressure levels to prevent hypotension (low blood pressure).
- Get up slowly while rising from a lying or sitting position, as Valsartan+sacubitril may cause dizziness.
- Keep your doctor informed about your health/disease conditions and the medicines you are taking.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart cannot pump blood as effectively as it should. Heart failure may occur due to certain conditions like high blood pressure, swelling or damage of heart muscle, faulty heart valves, or narrow arteries in the heart. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, tiredness, fast heartbeat, and swollen legs.
FAQs
Valsartan+sacubitril is used in the treatment of heart failure. It helps to reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in adults with chronic heart failure. Also, it can be used in children 1 to less than 18 years old to treat heart failure.
Valsartan+sacubitril is a combination of Valsartan and sacubitril. Valsartan belongs to the class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) that block the effect of angiotensin II receptors that tighten the blood vessels. By blocking the effect of angiotensin II receptors, Valsartan makes it easier for the heart to pump blood to all body parts by relaxing and widening the blood vessels. Sacubitril belongs to the class of drugs known as neprilysin inhibitors which work by relaxing and widening the blood vessels and makes it easier for the heart to pump blood to all body parts. Valsartan+sacubitril helps in the treatment of certain types of heart failure. It may also help you to live longer and lowers the frequency of hospitalizations for heart failure.
Please do not stop taking Valsartan+sacubitril without consulting your doctor on your own as it may lead to rising in blood pressure. Continue taking Valsartan+sacubitril 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+sacubitril.
Orthostatic hypotension could be a side-effect of Valsartan+sacubitril. 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+sacubitril are advised to monitor their blood pressure levels to avoid unpleasant events regularly.
High blood pressure increases the workload on the arteries and heart. If untreated, it could damage the heart, brain, and kidney's blood vessels, resulting in a stroke, heart failure, or kidney failure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attacks.
Talk to your doctor before taking potassium supplements, potassium-sparing diuretics, or salt substitutes along with Valsartan+sacubitril as it might cause an increase in serum potassium and serum creatinine levels.
Valsartan+sacubitril may cause a headache as a common side effect, especially in the first few days of treatment. However, if the condition persists or worsens, please consult a doctor to reduce the dose initially.
Valsartan+sacubitril is not recommended for patients with severe hypotension (low blood pressure) as it may increase the risk of worsening the condition. Therefore, inform your doctor if you have low blood pressure before taking Valsartan+sacubitril.
Avoid taking Valsartan+sacubitril with ramipril as it might cause angioedema (swelling of the face, throat, hands, and legs). Valsartan+sacubitril should not be administered within 36 hours of switching from or to an ACE inhibitor such as ramipril.
Valsartan+sacubitril may cause dizziness due to low blood pressure. If you experience dizziness after taking Valsartan+sacubitril, do not try to stand up suddenly or start walking, instead lie down and get up slowly only when you feel better.
Valsartan+sacubitril may cause muscle weakness due to high potassium levels. Consult the doctor if you experience muscle weakness, weak pulse, tingly feeling or slow heart rate as these could be signs of high potassium.
Valsartan+sacubitril is not a diuretic medicine. It contains Valsartan and Sacubitril which belong to the class of drugs called angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI).
Valsartan+sacubitril should be avoided in patients who are allergic to any of its components or have a history of angioedema with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) therapy. It is also contraindicated with concomitant use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and aliskiren in patients with diabetes.
Inform your doctor before taking Valsartan+sacubitril if you have kidney or liver problems, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a history of hereditary angioedema (rapid oedema or swelling beneath the area of skin).
Valsartan+sacubitril should not be used during pregnancy as it may cause foetal harm. When pregnancy is detected, Valsartan+sacubitril should be discontinued as soon as possible and alternate treatment should be considered.
Signs of high potassium include muscle weakness, weak pulse, tingly feeling or slow heart rate.
Valsartan+sacubitril can be taken with or without food.
If you miss a dose of Valsartan+sacubitril, take it as soon as you remember. If it is close to your next dose, do not take the missed dose. Take the next dose at your regular time.
Valsartan+sacubitril is not recommended in people with severe liver impairment. Consult the doctor if you have kidney or liver disease. Dose adjustment may be needed in patients with kidney or liver problems.
Valsartan+sacubitril may cause side effects such as cough, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea, and weakness. Most of these side effects may not require medical attention and resolve gradually over time. However, you are advised to talk to your doctor if you experience these side effects persistently.
