Product Details
What is this medicine used for?
Therapeutic indications:
- Essential hypertension (non-organ-induced hypertension)
- Chronic cardiac insufficiency – if treatment with an ACE inhibitor is not suitable due to intolerability of contraindication. Conversion of a patient with cardiac insufficiency who is stable adjusted to an ACE inhibitor is not recommended. Losartan is to be used in this indication as adjuvant therapy to standard therapy of chronic cardiac insufficiency, which – if indicated – involves diuretics, beta-adrenergic blocking agents and digitalis. Patients should exhibit a lowered left-ventricular ejection fraction (<40%), and they should be clinically stable on cardiac insufficiency therapy.
- Diabetic nephropathy in patients with type II diabetes mellitus and protenuria from 0.5 g/day as part of antihypertensive treatment.
How much and how often should you use this medicine?
Any possibly existing salt depletion/ fluid deficit is to be compensated prior to treatment.
Hypertension
The usual dosage is 50 mg losartan potassium once daily.
The maximum antihypertensive effect is reached approximately, 3 – 6 weeks after starting therapy. A dose of 50 mg losartan potassium twice daily (morning/ evening) or 100 mg losartan potassium once daily (morning) may lead to a better success in some patients.
If enhanced hypotension is necessary, losartan potassium may be taken with other hypertensives, especially diuretics (e.g. hydrochlorothiazide).
Dosage in geriatric patients (above 65 years of age), in impaired renal function, dialysis patients. No alteration in the initial dosage is necessary in these patients.
Cardiac Insufficiency
The initial dose is 12.5 g losartan potassium once daily.
In general, the dose should be increased – depending on individual tolerability – at intervals of one week to 25 mg losartan potassium once daily and afterwards to the usual maintenance dose of 50 mg losartan potassium per day.
Diabetic neuropathy in patients with type II diabetes mellitus and proteinuria from 0.5 g/ day as part of antihypertensive treatment.
The usual initial dose is 50 mg losartan potassium once daily. Depending on the fall in blood pressure, the dose may be increased to 100 mg once daily. Losartan potassium may be given together with other antihypertensives (e.g. diuretics, calcium antagonists, alpha- or beta- receptor blockers as well as centrally active hypertensives) as well as with insulin and other oral antidiabetics commonly used (sulphonylureas, glitazone, and glucosidase inhibitors)
Method and duration of administration
Losartan potassium is taken with some liquid once daily with intake irrespective of meals. In cardiac insufficiency, the patient should remain under medical monitoring after the first dose as well as in each increase in the dose until the blood pressure has stabilized on a clinical satisfactory level.
The attending physician decides on the duration of use.
Contrainidications
- Spironolactone, Triamterene, Amiloride: increased blood potassium levels
Availability
- Losartan potassium 50 mg Tablet - Box of 50’s (in blister foil by 15’s)
- Losartan potassium 100 mg Tablet - Box of 50’s(in blister foil by 15’s)
