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Suggest Treatment For High BP Despite Taking Losartan Potassium
Question: A doctor prescribed Losartan potassium to treat my husband's high blood pressure. The medication increased his blood pressure. The doctor advised him to increase the dose from 50 mg to 100 mg. After taking the medication for about a week (3 days at 50 mg; 3 days at 100 mg) his blood pressure is still higher than it was before he started the medication, sometimes 150 or 160 over 90. Should he keep taking it and is this the appropriate medication for him?
Brief Answer:
I would recommend as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
Regarding your concern, I would explain that Losartan seems to be uneffective in the management of your husband's blood pressure values.
Anyway, I would recommend consulting with his doctor and performing some tests to exclude other possible secondary causes of high blood pressure:
- a chest X ray study
- complete blood count for anemia
- fasting glucose for diabetes
- blood lipid profile
- blood electrolytes for possible imbalance
- kidney and liver function tests for possible dysfunction
- thyroid hormone levels for possible dysfunction.
If all the above tests result normal, you should discuss with his doctor on adding another antihypertensive drug like hydrochlorothyazide or a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine, felodipine) or even switching from losartan to one of the above mentioned drugs or another more potent ARB (like telmisartan, olmesartan, etc.).
Hope to have been helpful!
Wishing all the best,
Dr. Iliri
I would recommend as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
Regarding your concern, I would explain that Losartan seems to be uneffective in the management of your husband's blood pressure values.
Anyway, I would recommend consulting with his doctor and performing some tests to exclude other possible secondary causes of high blood pressure:
- a chest X ray study
- complete blood count for anemia
- fasting glucose for diabetes
- blood lipid profile
- blood electrolytes for possible imbalance
- kidney and liver function tests for possible dysfunction
- thyroid hormone levels for possible dysfunction.
If all the above tests result normal, you should discuss with his doctor on adding another antihypertensive drug like hydrochlorothyazide or a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine, felodipine) or even switching from losartan to one of the above mentioned drugs or another more potent ARB (like telmisartan, olmesartan, etc.).
Hope to have been helpful!
Wishing all the best,
Dr. Iliri
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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