Losar Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Losar Tablet contains losartan potassium, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) used to manage high blood pressure and certain heart and kidney conditions. It works by relaxing blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure and reduces the workload on the heart. Losar is available as a tablet and as an oral suspension, and it is used in both adults and children as determined by a doctor.

What is Losar Tablet

Losar is a medicine that contains losartan, which belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). It is used to manage high blood pressure and certain heart and kidney conditions.

Losar Tablet uses

• Treating high blood pressure (hypertension) in adults and children
• Helping protect the kidneys in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure
• Reducing the risk of stroke in people with high blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy (thickened heart muscle)
• Managing heart failure in patients who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors

Benefits of Losar Tablet

• Lowers high blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels
• Helps slow the worsening of kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes and protein in the urine
• Reduces the risk of stroke in patients with high blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy

How Losar Tablet works

Losartan blocks a substance in the body called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to tighten. By blocking this action, losartan allows blood vessels to relax and widen, which lowers blood pressure and reduces the workload on the heart.

Losar Tablet dosage

Take this medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor. It is recommended to take your dose at about the same time every day. It may be taken with or without food, but take it the same way each day. Swallow tablets whole with a glass of water. Do not stop taking this medicine without talking to your doctor, even if you feel well. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one and do not double up. Children who can swallow tablets may be given this medicine based on their body weight, as determined by their doctor. Avoid grapefruit juice while taking this medicine.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet
• Suspension (oral liquid)

Side effects of Losar Tablet

Common

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Upper respiratory tract infections
• Cough
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Back pain
• Joint pain
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Headache
• Mildly high potassium levels
• Low blood pressure
• Cold hands and feet
• Indigestion
• Muscle cramps
• Change in taste

Serious

• Kidney damage or kidney failure
• Severely low blood pressure
• Severely high potassium levels
• Angioedema (swelling of the face, neck, mouth, lips, or tongue)
• Sprue-like enteropathy (severe intestinal problems with chronic diarrhea and weight loss)
• Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis
• Liver problems, including hepatitis and abnormal liver function
• Vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels)
• Rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown)
• Decreased platelets (bleeding, bruising, weakness)
• Stroke
• Irregular heart rhythms

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine should not be taken during pregnancy because it can cause serious injury or death to an unborn baby, especially if taken during the second or third trimester.
• Do not take this medicine together with a blood pressure medicine called aliskiren if you have diabetes or kidney problems, as this combination can be dangerous.
• This medicine can rarely cause a serious swelling reaction affecting the face, lips, throat, or tongue, which can be life-threatening.
• This medicine can raise potassium levels in the blood, which in rare cases can lead to dangerous heart rhythm problems.
• Avoid grapefruit juice while taking this medicine, as it may reduce how well the medicine works.
• Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant. It can cause serious harm or even death to your developing baby. If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, stop taking it and contact your doctor right away.
• It is not known whether this medicine passes into breast milk in humans. Because of the potential for harm to a nursing baby, talk to your doctor about whether to continue breastfeeding or take this medicine.
• If you have kidney problems, your doctor may need to monitor you closely, as this medicine can affect kidney function in some people.
• People with liver problems may need a lower starting dose, and this medicine should not be used if you have severe liver disease.
• It is best to limit or avoid alcohol while taking this medicine, since it may increase the chance of dizziness or low blood pressure.
• This medicine may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting, especially when you first start taking it or after a dose increase. Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Store at room temperature (15°C to 30°C)
• Keep container tightly closed
• Protect from light
• Keep out of reach and sight of children
• Do not store above 25°C (per some product information)
• Use the oral liquid within 60 days after opening, if using the suspension form

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have a racing heartbeat, chest pain, or shortness of breath, as these can be signs of a serious heart problem related to high potassium levels.
• Seek immediate medical help if you notice swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or have trouble breathing or swallowing, as this could be a severe allergic reaction.
• Contact your healthcare team right away if you notice a sudden decrease in how much urine you produce or swelling in your legs, as these could be signs of kidney failure.
• Get medical help immediately for chest pain that worsens with activity or occurs with shortness of breath, as this may signal a heart attack.
• Contact your doctor if you develop severe, ongoing diarrhea with significant weight loss, as this may be a rare but serious intestinal reaction to this medicine.

Alternatives

• Telmisartan
• Olmesartan
• Irbesartan