Generic Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium belongs to a class of medications called Angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Losartan Potassium and its primary metabolite block the Angiotensin receptor found in many tissues primarily in vascular smooth muscle. Angiotensin formed by the action of Angiotensin converting enzyme ACE is a powerful chemical that causes blood vessel narrowing vasoconstriction which can lead to elevated blood pressure i.e. hypertension and improves blood flow. It is also used to lower the risk of stroke in certain people with heart disease. Cozaar is used to slow long-term kidney damage in people with type 2 diabetes who also have high blood pressure.

However, before taking Losartan Potassium i.e. Cozaar medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient and read it carefully. Talk to your doctor about all the possible risks of taking Cozaar medication. However, Cozaar may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. Hence, for more information, consult your doctor and your medical pharmacist.

Follow the directions given by the doctor exactly for the usage of the Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium medication and also read the prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

Remember, generic Losartan Potassium tablet is taken by mouth, usually once or twice a day with or without food, swallowed whole with a glass of water. Losartan is metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 enzymes to an active metabolite that is responsible for most of the drug activity. Reduction in dose by 50 is suggested in patients with impaired liver function.

Continue to take Losartan Potassium even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Losartan Potassium without talking to your doctor.

If you notice any of the symptoms, which seem severe or persistent to you, please contact your doctor immediately. However, your doctor may need to monitor you carefully for side effects and alter the doses if necessary.

The most common side effects include: dizziness, fainting, swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, arms, or legs, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, diarrhea, muscle cramps, dizziness, insomnia, nasal congestion etc.

However, in studies of over 4000 patients including 1200 treated for over 6 months and 800 for over 1 year the overall incidence of side effects was similar to placebo. Losartan is generally well tolerated.

Inform your doctor if you experience any of these side effects or some new side effects occur which appear too bothersome to you.

Inform your doctor if you are allergic to the formulation of this medication or any other medication in any other form and also inform your doctor about any other medication you may be taking in any other form, as they may affect the way your medicine works.

However, Losartan must be used with caution in patients who are volume depleted due to excessive decreases in blood pressure after use. Losartan may compromise kidney function in patients dependent on Angiotensin activity to maintain kidney blood flow similar to ACE inhibitors. This is sometimes seen in diabetic patients with some degree of kidney impairment as well as in patients with narrowing’s in one of the main arteries supplying one kidney.

No significant drug interactions have been found in any studies but inhibitors of cytochrome P450 such as ketoconazole i.e. Nizoral have been shown in lab studies to inhibit the formation of the active drug metabolite. Therefore caution should be used when adding Losartan to a patient taking Nizoral as reduced activity of Losartan would be expected. Losartan safety and efficacy in children has not been established.

Moreover, Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium may also interact with some kind of foods, varied medications, herbal products, nutritional supplements, vitamins, other OTC medicines, some vaccinations etc. Acquire more information about the interactions of the Cozaar medication from your doctor and the medical pharmacists.

In case of overdose call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
If the suffering patient has collapsed or is not breathing call local emergency services at 911. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.

Do not allow any other person to use your medication without getting doctor’s prescription themselves and also avoid using this medicine for other health conditions on your own. Keep the medicine away from the children and pets.
Also inform your doctor, if you are pregnant or are breast feeding. If you conceive during the course, inform your doctor immediately. Do not share your medicines with anyone, even if they have the same symptoms, for it may harm them. Do not begin, increase, decrease, or stop using this medicine on your own. In short discuss your complete medical history with your doctor, before taking the medicine.
Remember, it is very important to keep regular appointments with your doctor to study the way your body is responding to the course. And if you are going to have a surgery, tell your health care professional that you are using Cozaar medication.
Carry with you at all times an ID card mentioning your name, the medicine you are taking, the dosage, the name of the person and your health care professional they should call in case of an emergency. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory and keep regular checks ups.
Also avoid alcohol and alcohol containing beverages whilst on a course with this medication.

And in case, if you wish to use the medicine in children, please contact your pediatrician for sure before its use.

If you missed the Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium medication dose, do take the medicine immediately provided that there is ample of time in between the next dose. However, if it is almost time for the next dose skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Never double your doses to cope up with the missed. And in case, if you miss your one or two consecutive doses consult to your doctor or physician for guidance and continue further.

Generic Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium medication helps lower blood pressure to normal levels and controls high blood pressure, but is not a cure for it.

However, it may also be used to treat some other medical conditions which may be determined by your doctor accordingly and consult a pediatrician for the use of this medication in children.

The generic Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium medication may be prescribed for other uses also and hence ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about the Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium medication.

Store generic Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium, at room temperature in between 15-30°C and 59-86°F in a cool and dry place. Keep the medicine in the container, it came in and always keep it tightly closed. Check Expiry date without fail. Keep all medicines away from women, newborns, children and pets. Do not freeze in any case. Also, keep it away from heat, dampness and direct light. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down. When the medicine is not in use or outdated it should be discarded. Take help of your pharmacist in disposing this medicine properly. In any case, do not store the Cozaar medication in the bathroom.

Following precautions must be taken during consuming generic Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium:

1. Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had: kidney disease, lung disease, liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, low or high blood pressure, asthma, heart attack, serious injury/infection or any other severe disease etc. Also inform, if you drink alcoholic beverages or are a tobacco smoker etc.

2. Also acknowledge your doctor if you need to undergo any kind of surgery, including dental surgery or need an x-ray procedure that uses contrast agents. So, inform your doctors immediately about it, so that the doctor can decide whether to continue taking Cozaar medication or stop it during the surgery.

3. Let the doctor also know, if you are in-taking or are planning to take any prescribed or non prescribed medicines, health supplements or any other OTC medications, vitamins etc.

4. Do not use the Cozaar i.e. Losartan Potassium medication, if you have any kind of allergy to it or to any ingredients of it and tell your doctor or pharmacist about the allergy and get treated.

5. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast feeding before taking Cozaar medication. Hence also, inform your doctor immediately when you plan to conceive, or become pregnant during the course. This is necessary as, the Losartan Potassium medication may harm the fetus.

6. Do not share the drug with others unless they are prescribed by the doctor themselves. And if your symptoms of side effects do not improve in few weeks or if they become worse and bothersome, check these conditions immediately with your doctor.

7. Please, use the Cozaar medicine in the prescribed amount and do not overdose it or use it for the longer period of time. Do not discontinue on your own and consult your doctor before doing so to avoid further problems.

8. Regularly, keep your appointments with your doctor and keep an eye on the progress or side effects that has been noticed during the complete course.

9. Also, avoid smoking and consuming alcohol and alcohol containing beverages during the complete course to achieve good results.

10. For more information, contact your doctor and your pharmacists and also discuss the risks and benefits of the generic Cozaar.

11. Check your blood pressure regularly to determine your response to Losartan and avoid salt substitutes.