Avapro
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Q: What does the drug Avapro do to the body/heart?
I take Avapro and Atenolol daily. I have had triple bypass surgery and these were prescribed but I wasn”t clear just what pill did what?
A: Some people make too much renin and this causes a substance angiotensin II to be formed. Angiotensin II acts to cause the blood vessels to constrict and also makes the adrenal gland produce a salt retaining hormone aldosterone.
What Avapro does is block one of the type receptors stimulated by angiotension II (AT 1), that in turn cuts down on vasoconstriction and aldosterone production.
But there are questions haunting me concerning the rational for avapro (class of drugs sartan).
Blocking the AT1 receptor cuts down on the negative feedback of renin production so renin levels and angiotension ii levels go higher.
There was a study years ago comparing a sartan with the granddaddy drug (ACE inhibitor) in patients with a history of recent heart attack. The hope was sartans would be just as good as ACE inhibitors, but the study had to be stopped early as a larger proportion of sartan users died compared to the ACE inhibitor users.
When I read a recent review of the topic their was no mention of the above study, it was just swept under the rug with no comment trying to explain it away and gave the reader an impression that ACE inhibitors and AT1 blockers (sartans) were equal.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2006/020757s038lbl.pdf
Q: I’m on avapro for my blood pressure I have weakness leg cramps?
What blood pressure medication should on switch too?
A: Not sure you should switch. Some times the leg cramps are caused by low potassium. In which case eating bananas will help correct this. Are you by chance on a pill to rid the body of excess water also, besides one to lower the high blood pressure? This too will remove potassium from the body.
Q: I need a service rep to contact us about Avapro?
Avapro has been taken off our formulary and it is the best drug for my husband to use. I would like to find out who sets these formularies and want BristolMyers Squibb to know we are very disatisfied with this. We are forced to use Express Scripts with our Insurance.
A: 1) Formularies are set by insurance companies. One of the determining factors as to which drugs (in a particular class)are covered is price. The insurance company may request “bids” from drug companies. For example, Avapro is called an “ACE receptor blocker”. Others are valsartan, etc. The company that bids lowest gets their drug on formaulary.
2) Your complaint lies with the insurance company and Express Scripts. The drug company (BMS) has little to do with it.
3) Most insurance companies will allow you to get non-formulary medications, but you’ll pay more.
4) If yout husband hasn’t tried other drugs in Avapro’s class, talk to your MD/PA/NP about trying a formulary drug.
Q: What are some side effects that people have suffered from taking 300mg. of avapro?
Has anyone experienced depression,exhaustion,loss of appetite,swelling more than usual and /or diarreha..etc???? Any help would be appreciated!
A: Some of the most common side effects are diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue.
The side effects that you have mentioned in your question are all listed as side effects in the studies they did when they were doing Avapro clinical trials.
Most of them should level off as your body adjusts to the medication.
Unfortunately, with any medication you will see the side effect first (if there is one), then you will see the therapeutic effect. It is the rule of thumb.
Make sure you take the medication at bedtime, as a lot of the side effects may be easier to manage if they are slept off. It is also better to manage the “dizzy” or also known as the hypotensive side effect.
Just hang in there. If you have any other questions or concerns – feel free to send me an email. I’ll do my best to help you out.
Q: Diabetics taking Avapro, what are the side effects?
My fiance’s Dr. wants him to take Avapro to protect his kidneys as he has type 1 diabetes, but he does not have high blood presure, so he is afraid/hesitant to start taking it. What are the side effects? Is it really beneficial for a diabetic to take?
A: 40 reports of Avapro side effects listed here: http://www.patientsville.com/medication/avapro_side_effects.htm
Q: Can Avapro still cause side effects like nausea even a year later?
My mom is on Avapro for HTN for about a year now. She has always had this nausea since the beginning and thought it would go away. Has anyone experienced this or know if it is common?
A: I have not taken this medication personally but I did some research and found that people taking Avapro may experience dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, stomach upset, or heartburn as your body adjusts to the medication. The key words here are ADJUSTS TO THE MEDICATION. If she has been taking it for a year now she is way past the adjustment period. I think she should contact her physician about this and see if he/she will try her on another medication for hypertension and explain that the Avapro is still making her nauseated. Also she could have some type of stomach issue going on, so she should consult her physician about this also.
Click this link for more info:
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-4729-Avapro.aspx?drugid=4729&drugname=Avapro
Best wishes to you and your mom.
Q: What are side effects of Avapro?
Are there side effects like Lipitor.
A: More common: Dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, dyspepsia (upset stomach), & heart burn as your body adjusts.
Less frequently: Anxiety, chest pain, diarrhea, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), edema (swelling), fatigue, headache disorder, myalgia, nausea, nerousness, skin rash, vomiting
Rare: Hypotention (low blood pressure)
Tell your doctor if you get any of these more serious side effects: fainting, decreased sexual ability, change in the ammount of urine, stomach/abodominal pain, severe nausea, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and/or skin), dark urine, or unusual fatigue.
Q: can you drink alcohol if you are taking avapro 75mg?
I was just wondering what will happen if you drink alcohol if you are taking avapro
A: “Irbesartan can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of irbesartan.”
swelling, rapid weight gain;
chest pain, fast heart rate;
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
painful or difficult urination; or
urinating more or less than usual, or not at all.
Less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:
diarrhea, heartburn, upset stomach;
feeling tired, nervous, or anxious;
fever, chills, sore throat, stuffy nose, flu symptoms;
dizziness;
headache;
joint or muscle pain; or
dry cough.”
Q: Is there a generic for the high blood pressure medicine, Avapro?
A: Not in the USA, yet. The earliest is could be available is March, 2012
Q: When wiil the drug Avapro be available in gerentic?
A: Not until at least 2008 and even then if they re-work the formula into an extended release formula, they can extend their trademark an additional 7 years thus not making it available until 2015.
Try Diovan or Benicar instead. They’re in the same family but less expensive.
Do NOT go to an online pharmacy. They’re not goverment regulated and they could send you sugar in a pill and market it as whatever they wanted to and charge you whatever. If you’re finding the Avapro to be too expensive, go to the website of whomever makes it and apply for their prescription relief program. It makes prescriptions cheaper and it’s easy to apply for.
Q: Differences bewtween BENICAR 20 mg and AVAPRO 150 MG?
I would like to know the differences between benicar 20 mg and Avapro 150 mg.
or Is Avapro 150 mg euivalent or less strength drug compared to Benicar 20 mg in order to control blood pressure.
A: Both drugs are antihypertensives of the class “angiotensin II receptor antagonists”. They’re pretty much equivalent drugs.
You can’t compare drugs simply by the # of milligrams.
Q: What is your experience with the blood pressure med. avapro?
A: Avapro is a blood pressure mediaction from a class known as ARBs or Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers. Angiotensin II is a chemical that causes the muscles surrounding the blood vessels to contract and as a result they narrow the blood vessels. This in turn does not allow blood to flow as easily causing high blood pressure. That said, ARBs work by blocking the Angiotensin II receptors which do not allow the blood vessels to narrow and therefore lower blood pressure.
The ARBs come from a widely prescribed drug catagory. The most common prescribed ARBs are Diovan, Benicar, and Cozaar. However, depending on your insurance, a lot of drug companies force patients to first fail on an ACE Inhibitor drug inorder to be able to use ARBs.
All ARBs are generally well tolerated and have very mild side effects which is why they are so popular. They are prescribed to patients who have mild to moderate high blood pressure. In my experience , I sell Micardis (another ARB-Avapro’s competitor) most of the ARBs work about the same (so if you are concered about which ARB to get, they are all pretty much the same – except for Cozaar which typically is known as a weaker drug). Your side effects should be mild and is well tolerated.
On one side note- Avapro is typicall not prescribed to black patients or patients who are older because their body makeup does not respond well to those types of mediactions. For those patients typically an ARB with a diuretic(Hydrochlorothiazide) (Avalide is avalpros ARB and diuretic combination)
Q: Side effects of Avapro for high BP?
Has anyone experienced bloating and diarrhea from 150mg. of Avapro.
A: Possible side effects of Avapro (irbesartan)?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
* swelling, rapid weight gain;
* chest pain, fast heart rate;
* nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
* painful or difficult urination; or
* urinating more or less than usual, or not at all.
Less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:
* diarrhea, heartburn, upset stomach;
* feeling tired, nervous, or anxious;
* fever, chills, sore throat, stuffy nose, flu symptoms;
* dizziness;
* headache;
* joint or muscle pain; or
* dry cough.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
Q: what are the side effects of Avapro?
A: From their prescribing info on their website they had side effects similar to sugar pill with only a few side effects that were more so than that. Avapro is an angiotensin II receptor blocker and they are very clean medications with fewer side effects than most other BP lowering agents. I would take your medication if your doctor perscribes it because if you don’t lower your BP, stroke or heart attack is probably worse than those side effects.
In placebo-controlled clinical trials, the following adverse event experiences
reported in at least 1% of patients treated with AVAPRO (n=1965) and at a higher
incidence versus placebo (n=641), excluding those too general to be informative and
those not reasonably associated with the use of drug because they were associated
with the condition being treated or are very common in the treated population, include:
diarrhea (3% vs. 2%), dyspepsia/heartburn (2% vs. 1%), and fatigue (4% vs. 3%).
Q: Are Avapro and Lisinopril comparable?
Can I replace Ava pro with Lisinopril?
A: Lisinopril is an ace inhibitor and Irbesartan (Avapro) is an angiotensin receptor blockers . These two classes of medications are comparable and used for many of the same indications. Why do you want to change from Lisinopril to Avapro? The only advantage of Avapro over Lisinopril is that it is not associated with a cough. The most common side effect of Ace inhibitors is cough. Angiotensin receptor blockers are newer and more expensive then ace inhibitors. Personally, I am a fan of ace inhibitors over angiotensin receptor blockers. This is because they have been use for many more years than ARBs and have a huge amount of evidence to back them up. ARBs also have evidence to back them up, but not as much. If cost is an issue for you and you have not had any side effects from Lisinopril, then I would recommend that you stay on it. If you are having side effects like cough, then it is reasonable to change to Avapro. There is no evidence to suggest Avapro is better than Lisinopril though. Discuss this with your doctor. Good luck.
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