How Effective is Diovan & What are Its Side Effects?

Diovan which is also known as valsartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Diovan or valsartan controls the blood vessel from narrowing, which helps in improving blood flow and lowering the blood pressure.

Pregnant women are advised not to take diovan or valsartan. In case a woman is pregnant it is good to tell the doctor before he or she prescribed with the dose. This is necessary because it can cause the death of the unborn baby if the medicine is taken during the second or the third trimester.

The main aim of diovan or valsartan is to effectively treat high blood pressure also known as hypertension in adults and children who are 6 years old and above. Diovan or valsartan can also be used in effectively treating heart failure in adults and also lowering the risk of death after a heart attack.

• Diovan or valsartan is given together with other blood pressure medications though not all the times.
• Diabetic people should not use diovan or valsartan with any other type of medication containing aliskiren (Amturnide, Tekturna, Tekamlo, Valturna).
• Though it is rare, it is likely for this medicine to cause a condition that brings break of skeletal muscle tissue which leads to kidney failure.

A person should immediately visit a doctor if he or she experiences: tenderness or weakness especially if one has fever, sever muscle pain, unusual tiredness and dark colored urine.

One should strictly follow the doctor’s prescription since the doctor may keep on changing the diovan or valsartan dose to ensure the best outcome.

You should take the exact amount prescribed by the doctor, do not take less or larger amount or for a long time than recommended.

One should ensure that the medicine diovan or valsartan is taken the same time every day. It can be taken either with or without food.

In some cases, a child can be in a position of not swallowing a whole capsule then pharmacist can mix the medicine in a liquid. Measure the liquid with the required spoon or medicine cup and remember to shake before use.

You may experience sweating more than usual, vomiting or diarrhea while taking diovan or valsartan and your blood pressure is very low at that time, visit a doctor and ensure that the following are checked regularly: kidney function and blood pressure

Your blood pressure will be under control after around 2 to 4 weeks of using the dose. It is advisable to keep on using the dose even after feeling well since high blood pressure has no symptoms shown. People with blood pressure should use the medicine diovan or valsartan for the rest of their life for their wellbeing.

Usual dose: 40 mg orally two time a day.

Maintenance dose of diovan or valsartan: 80 to 160 mg two times per day. It does should only be increase to level where the patient will tolerate.

Usual dose: 80 to 160 mg orally only once a day.

Maintenance dose of diovan or valsartan is 80 to 320 mg orally once per day.

Initial dose: 20 mg orally two times per day.

Maintenance dose: the initial dose may be titrated upward within seven days to 40 mg two times per day with subsequent titrations to get the target maintenance dose of 160 mg two times per day tolerated by the patient. One should reduce the dose of diovan or valsartan if symptoms of hypo tension or renal dysfunction are seen.

Diovan or valsartan may be initiated 12 hours earlier after a myocardial infraction and given with other standard post myocardial infraction treatment like; beta blockers, aspirin, thrombolytic and statins.

6 to 16 years

Usual dose: 1.3 mg/kg up to 40mg only once in a day.

Maintenance dose: up to 2.7 mg/kg up to 160 mg one time per day titrated up to the response of the patient.

One can use suspensions which are prepared from the tablets if the calculated dose does not correspond to the available tablet or when the child is unable to swallow the tablet.

The dose of diovan or valsartan may be increased if the suspension is replaced by the tablet. There is no data that can be availed in pediatric patient whose is undergoing dialysis or who have glomerular filtration rate which less than 30ml/min.

There are side effects of diovan or valsartan:

• Flu symptoms
• Pain in joints or back, cough
• Dizziness, headache or feeling tired.

In case you experience difficulty in breathing, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat you should get emergency medication. It is rare for diovan or valsartan to cause conditions that can bring kidney failure which is caused by the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue.

• One should visit a doctor in case the following starts to show;
• Shortness of breath even with mild exertion
• Lack of urine, swelling or rapid increase of weight
• Loss of appetite, weakness and vomiting
• Pounding heart beat
• Passing out and confusion
• High potassium that slows the heartbeat, weak pulse and muscle weakness.