Losartan (Systemic)

Brand Names : Cozaar

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For losartan, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to losartan. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Diet - Make certain your health care professional knows if you are on any special diet, such as a low-sodium diet.

Pregnancy - Use of losartan during pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimesters (after the first three months) can cause low blood pressure, severe kidney failure, or even death in the newborn. Therefore, it is important that you check with your doctor immediately if you think that you may be pregnant . Be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor before taking this medicine.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether losartan passes into breast milk. However, losartan passes into the milk of lactating rats.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of losartan in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking losartan, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Diuretics (water pills) - Effects on blood pressure may be increased. In addition, some diuretics make the increase in potassium in the blood caused by losartan even greater

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of losartan. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Effects may be increased because of slower removal of losartan from the body