Losartan and insomnia

[Becks26]

Hi All, I have been taking losartan (not for BP reduction but for its function in reducing protein leakage) and as soon as I take it I become an insomniac instantly! I normally fall asleep within minutes and sleep through but on Losartan it takes me hours to wind down, after I've cleaned all the house feeling hyperactive! Just wondering if anyone else gas experienced this? It's the only drug I gave managed to tolerate so far and I'm exhausted 😂 thanks x

[steve680]

Insomnia is a common side effect of Losartan, but I never experienced it while taking it. I was taken off of it when I reached stage 5 as it raised my potassium to dangerous levels.

[Anniel in reply to steve680]

so what did you take instead of Losartan?

[steve680 in reply to Anniel]

I wasn't put on another type of ARB as they can all raise your potassium. Several changes were made to my blood pressure regimen, and they added a diuretic which I wasn't taking before. Diuretics also help remove potassium from your body. Diuretics and ARBs serve different purposes, although they both lower BP, so I wouldn't say that one was replaced by another.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

Hi Becks,

Speak to your doctor about your sleeping issues and see if there is something else you can take. While you are on this med, take it as early as you can in the morning and limit any caffeine you have during the day. See if that helps.

You might want to look into melatonin to help you sleep, but check with the doctor first.

[JimVanHorn]

I have taken Losartan for 4 years for my blood pressure and for protein leakage. I have normal potassium levels and I am sleepy at night and can sleep 8 hours most nights. I have anemia from my kidney not making the hormone Erythropoetin that tells your bone marrow to release Red Blood Cells into the blood stream. So I go to an anemia clinic and get shots of synthetic hormone about every 2 months. Having anemia may be making me tired in the evening, so you are lucky to not be tired all the time. I am in stage 5 kidney disease, but not on dialysis yet. My hemoglobin level should be above 10.0 and when it is 9.4 I really am tired. Right now my level is 11.6 . You could look at your previous blood tests to find out your hemoglobin levels.

[Hidden]

Flush it down the toilet and see your doctor or keep the drugs and get a paying job.

[Becks26 in reply to Hidden]

What do you mean get a paying job? I work full time, if you must know, alongside having a 3 year old, although I dont see where my job status has got anything to do with me having insomnia, I have hardly any sleep due to it and still work 9-5, 5 days a week! You can kindly get off my thread if you wish to throw abuse around

[Hidden]

A little humor Becks. Our lives are uphill so a little humor doesn't hurt. Maybe it's just me, I am 83 in 4th stage ADPKD (born with it), emphysema, asthma, 2 ruptures to contend with, heart surgery 2 years ago, 4 stents, my (?) nephrologist won't talk to me because he told me there was no treatment for ADPKD whereon I replied that I knew better for I had been to China for treatments where they have been treating it for almost 4000 years and I asked him where he had been. The thing is that the nephrologists in my area own the dialysis clinics so that is where they want us with any ckd. Now why take it all too serious? If you'll read my first reply again, you'll see where I referred to you being awake anyway so why waste the time. I don't work now, just retired 3 months ago for the third time, have 8 children, been in the Air Force, Air traffic controller in the military and FAA, spent 50 years as an offset lithographer, and lots of part time jobs as supplemental income, finally got my masters degree while a single parent of 3. Sorry to offend you but I see that you are very young yet. No abuse, just a little humor. We're not getting out of this world alive anyway but I still have a pity party every now and then.

[Becks26 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry Oldearkie, I didn't mean to be rude, I just wanted to get my point across of how much I do and I'm not just sat at home all day doing nothing! I'm 28, got diagnosed with glomonephritis 3 years ago after pregnancy and it's gone pretty downhill since then but the losartan seems to be helping the protein leakage, not helping the egfr though! You just get on with it though don't you, as you say definitely don't take life too seriously it is too short. I like how you can still have a laugh after everything you have been through, you sounds like an immensely strong person, hope you can enjoy your retirement now and get up to lots of amazing things!

[Hidden]

Nah, stretch it out over 80+ years and it's not so much. Now I'm just an old Korean vet trying to get up every day. Don't know how much time I have left but I've started new stuff: going Vegan to try to help my gfr. There is a lot about food I didn't know, I inherited a lap steel guitar so started music lessons which I've always wanted to do but no time. Apparently you wrote 1-2 AM ! I looked up your Losartan and it seems to have a LOT of side effects. Kinda scary, can you take it in the morning? Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone that our pineal gland produces but I'd check with the doctor before mixing it with your medication. Before you eat star fruit, look it up. It contains a neurotoxin and you have enough problems. Please keep me posted on your trials, progress and failures.

[RoxanneKidney]

Change the time of day that you take it.