Irbesartan
About Irbesartan
Irbesartan belongs to a group of medicines known as angiotensin II receptor blockers indicated for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) in adults. Additionally, Irbesartan is used to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in adults. Hypertension is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is elevated persistently in the arteries without any known cause. On the other hand, heart attack or stroke occurs due to blocked blood flow to the heart or brain, respectively.
Irbesartan works by blocking the action of a hormone called angiotensin II in the body that causes the narrowing of blood vessels leading to high blood pressure. Thereby, Irbesartan widens and relaxes blood vessels. Thus, lowers high blood pressure.
You can take Irbesartan irrespective of food and swallow it whole with a glass of water. Do not crush, chew, or break it. Your doctor will let you how often you should take your tablets based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and orthostatic hypotension. Most of these side effects of Irbesartan do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist, please consult your doctor.
Irbesartan is not for pregnant women as its use during your pregnancy can cause injury and even death to your unborn baby. It is not known whether Irbesartan passes into your breast milk or not. Your doctor will decide if you will take Irbesartan while using Irbesartan and breastfeeding together. Prolonged intake of Irbesartan may cause high potassium in the blood (hyperkalemia). Avoid intake of potassium supplements with Irbesartan as it may lead to high potassium levels in the blood, so the doctor may ask you to have a regular check of your potassium level. Do not consume alcohol with Irbesartan as it may increase the risk of low blood pressure. Taking Irbesartan with painkillers (like aspirin and ibuprofen) can increase the risk of kidney problems and reduced the efficiency of Irbesartan.
Uses of Irbesartan
Medicinal Benefits
Irbesartan is used to treat high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Irbesartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker that decreases high blood pressure by widening and relaxing the blood vessels by blocks the action of a hormone called angiotensin II in the body which causes the narrowing of blood vessels leading to high blood pressure.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Irbesartan
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Fatigue
Drug Warnings
Irbesartan is not recommended for people with impaired kidney function, diabetes or severe liver problems. Irbesartan may increase the risk of low blood pressure when taken with alcohol. Irbesartan may cause tiredness or dizziness in some people. Make sure you are not affected before driving. Breastfeeding women are advised to consult a doctor before taking Irbesartan. Avoid intake of potassium supplements with Irbesartan as it may lead to high potassium levels in the blood, so the doctor may ask you to have a regular check of your potassium level. Do not consume alcohol with Irbesartan as it may increase the risk of low blood pressure. Taking Irbesartan with painkillers (like aspirin and ibuprofen) can increase the risk of kidney problems and reduced efficiency of Irbesartan.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Irbesartan may have interaction with pain killers (ibuprofen, aspirin), blood thinners (heparin), medicines used to treat heart problems (digoxin), high blood pressure-lowering medicines (lisinopril, enalapril, ramipril, benazepril, captopril, fosinopril, moexipril, perindopril, quinapril, trandolapril, enalaprilat, aliskiren), water pills (amiloride, spironolactone, triamterene), muscle relaxant (tizanidine), antibiotics (trimethoprim), potassium supplements (potassium acetate, potassium acid phosphate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, potassium citrate, potassium gluconate, potassium iodide and potassium phosphate).
Drug- Food Interaction: Irbesartan may interact with potassium salt substitutes and potassium supplements resulting in hyperkalaemia (high levels of potassium in the blood). It may cause severe adverse effects such as irregular heartbeat, muscle paralysis and kidney failure.
Drug-Disease Interaction: People with diabetes, cholestasis (liver disease due to the blocked flow of bile) or impaired kidney function should consult a doctor before taking Irbesartan.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionNot recommended. Irbesartan and alcohol together result in an abnormal decrease in blood pressure levels thus strictly not to be taken together.
Pregnancy
unsafeNot recommended in pregnant patients. Irbesartan is harmful to an unborn baby especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy. Irbesartan is to be replaced with any other blood pressure-lowering drug on doctors consultation.
Breast Feeding
cautionNot recommended in breastfeeding patients. Enough data is not available on the usage of Irbesartan in breastfeeding mothers thus is replaced with any alternative blood pressure-lowering agents on doctors consultation.
Driving
safe if prescribedIrbesartan is unlikely to affect your ability to drive or use heavy machines. However, occasionally dizziness or slowness of movements may occur during the treatment of high blood pressure. If you experience these, talk to your doctor before attempting such activities
Liver
cautionIrbesartan has been found to affect liver function in certain cases thus patients with liver problems should discuss with their doctor for proper guidance regarding treatment with this medication.
Kidney
cautionIrbesartan is not advised to be taken in patients that suffer from kidney disease as there has been cases of harmful interactions in kidney patients & Irbesartan. A patient is strictly advised to consult and discuss with his/her doctor before taking this medication.
Children
safe if prescribedSafe to be given in children below 12 years. No harmful interaction has been reported in patients below 12 years of age, yet doctor's consultation is advised.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Maintain a low salt diet and minimize eating processed foods as they contain more sodium. Try to replace salt with spices or herbs to add flavour to the food.
- Do regular exercise such as cycling, walking, jogging, dancing or swimming for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
- Chronic stress may also cause high blood pressure. Therefore, avoid stress by changing your expectations, the way you react in certain situations and making time for yourself to do activities that you enjoy.
- Maintain a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol intake.
Special Advise
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly and if you notice any fluctuations, please consult a doctor.
- Low salt diet and regular exercise are recommended along with Irbesartan for effective results.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): When the blood pressure rises, there is too much of force develops on the lining of arteries wall that makes the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body. This results in the damage of the blood vessels. If high blood pressure is left untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, and eye problems.
FAQs
Irbesartan may increase potassium levels in the blood (hyperkalemia). Therefore, it is recommended to avoid intake of potassium supplements and foods that are rich in potassium like coconut water, bananas and broccoli.
Only on doctors consultation, a patient can take Irbesartan with metformin which has been found to have a beneficial effect on kidneys in a diabetic patient with hypertension.
Not recommended in overweight patients as per studies conducted by researchers,Irbesartan causes weight gain in normal individuals and thus contraindicated in overweight patients.
Take the missed dose as soon as possible. if it has been too late then a patient is advised to jump to the next dose without attempting double dose to make up for the missed dose.
Absolutely safe to be used in patients with stomach ulcers as there has been no harmful interaction between Irbesartan and peptic ulcers except occasional nausea. Recently it has been found to have a protective role against stomach ulcers yet not approved for stomach diseases yet.
