Experiences with

Irbesartan

Irbesartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) medicine widely used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

It relaxes and widens your blood vessels. This lowers your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.

It also helps to prevent future strokes, heart attacks and diabetic kidney disease.

If you have diabetic kidney disease, it helps to protect your kidneys and slows down the disease. It reduces high blood pressure and the amount of protein you lose through your kidneys.

Irbesartan is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets.

Who can take irbesartan

Most adults aged 18 and over can take irbesartan.

Your doctor may prescribe irbesartan if you've taken other medicines to lower your blood pressure called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in the past. You may have had to stop taking them because of side effects such as a dry, irritating cough. Medicines like these include ramipril and lisinopril.

Who may not be able to take irbesartan

Irbesartan is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to irbesartan or any other medicine
• have diabetes
• have heart or kidney problems
• have recently had a kidney transplant
• have or have recently had diarrhoea or you're being sick (vomiting)
• are on a low salt diet
• have low blood pressure (hypotension)
• are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or you are breastfeeding

Dosage

Your dose of irbesartan depends on why you need the medicine. Take it how your doctor tells you.

The usual dose for both high blood pressure and diabetic kidney disease is 150mg to 300mg, taken once a day.

If you are over 75, or you have liver or kidney problems, your dose may be lower.

Changes to your dose

After a few weeks your doctor will check your blood pressure and ask you if you're getting any side effects. You may also have blood tests to check how well your kidneys are working and the amount of potassium in your blood. Your doctor will then decide whether to change your dose of irbesartan.

If irbesartan does not lower your blood pressure, your doctor may want to increase your dose. If your blood pressure gets too low or you get side effects, your doctor may want to lower your dose.

How to take it

Take irbesartan tablets once a day.

Your doctor may suggest that you take your first dose before bedtime, because it can make you dizzy. After the very first dose, you can take irbesartan at any time of day. Try to take it at the same time every day.

You can take irbesartan tablets with or without food. Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water.

How long to take it for

For high blood pressure and diabetic kidney disease, treatment with irbesartan is usually long term, even for the rest of your life.

If you get ill while taking it

If you have very bad diarrhoea or are being sick (vomiting) for any reason, contact your doctor or a pharmacist. They'll be able to advise you about what to do.

They may lower your dose or recommend that you stop taking irbesartan until you're better, and you're able to eat and drink normally again.

If you take contraceptive pills and you're being sick (vomiting) or have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraception may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet to find out what to do.

If you forget to take it

If you miss a dose of irbesartan, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the next day, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten one.

If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

Stopping irbesartan

It's important to talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking irbesartan.

Stopping it may cause your blood pressure to rise, and this can increase your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.

Take irbesartan even if you feel well, as you'll still be getting the benefits of the medicine.

Taking too much irbesartan can cause dizziness (due to low blood pressure) and changes in heart rate.

The amount of irbesartan that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person.

• you take more than your prescribed dose of irbesartan

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring the irbesartan packet or leaflet inside it, any remaining medicine, and any other medicines you take.

Common side effects

These common side effects of irbesartan happen in more than 1 in 100 people.

There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and these side effects bother you or do not go away.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely, but some people have serious side effects after taking irbesartan.

Call a doctor or call 111 now if:

• the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your skin turns yellow, although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin – this can be a sign of liver problems
• you're paler than usual, feel tired, faint or dizzy, have purple spots, or any sign of bleeding, a sore throat and high temperature – these can be signs of blood or bone marrow disorder
• you feel weak, have an irregular heartbeat, pins and needles and muscle cramps – these can be signs of changes in the potassium levels in your blood

In rare cases, irbesartan may cause a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Taking irbesartan for a long time can sometimes cause your kidneys to not work as well as they should. Your doctor will check how well your kidneys are working with regular blood tests.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of irbesartan. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Irbesartan and pregnancy

Irbesartan is not recommended in pregnancy. It can reduce the level of fluid around your baby, particularly if you take it in the second and third trimester. This can result in long-term damage to your baby's kidneys and lungs as well as other problems.

If you're already pregnant, stop taking irbesartan and talk to your doctor straight away. Usually your doctor will be able to prescribe a different medicine that is safer to take in pregnancy. Irbesartan should always be stopped by the time you're 12 weeks pregnant.

It's important to use contraception if you're taking irbesartan and carefully plan any pregnancy with your doctor or a specialist. They will review your medical condition and medicine before you get pregnant.

Most women stop taking irbesartan before getting pregnant, but some may continue up until they have a positive pregnancy test and then stop. Your doctor will discuss what's best for you, based on your condition and the risks and benefits of irbesartan.

Irbesartan and breastfeeding

It might be OK to take irbesartan while breastfeeding, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist first. It is best not to take irbesartan if your baby was born prematurely, but your doctor will help you decide.

It is not yet known how much irbesartan gets into breast milk. There is a very small risk that it could also lower your baby's blood pressure. Until we know more about irbesartan in breastfeeding, your doctor might recommend a different medicine for you to take.

If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, seems unusually sleepy, looks much paler than normal, or if you have any other concerns about your baby, talk to your health visitor, midwife or doctor as soon as possible.

Irbesartan and fertility

There's no evidence to suggest that taking irbesartan reduces fertility in men or women.

However, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it if you're trying to get pregnant.

Cautions with other medicines

Some medicines may affect the way irbesartan works.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking:

• other medicines to help lower your blood pressure, including aliskiren, enalapril, captopril, lisinopril or ramipril
• painkillers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, celecoxib or etoricoxib or a high-dose of aspirin for pain relief
• heparin, a medicine to reduce the risk of blood clots
• medicines which make you pee more (diuretics)
• lithium, a medicine for mental health problems
• spironolactone, a medicine to treat heart failure

Mixing irbesartan with herbal remedies and supplements

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you're taking potassium supplements or salt substitutes which contain potassium.

There's very little information about taking other herbal remedies and supplements with irbesartan. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines.

Related links

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