Other names used:
- Avapro
- Irovel
- Avalide
- Irbesarran
- Lrbesartan
What is it used for?
Aprovel is used in patients who have essential hypertension (high blood pressure). ‘Essential’ means that the high blood pressure is not caused by any other condition. Aprovel is also used to treat renal (kidney) disease in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes).
Contraindications and cautions:
Not to be used in:
• Second and third trimesters of pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption (Aprovel tablets contain lactose)
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients.
Use with caution in
• Elderly people over 75 years of age
• Decreased kidney function
• People having haemodialysis for kidney failure
• Narrowing of the artery which supplies blood to the kidneys (renal artery stenosis)
• Heart disease caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart (ischaemic heart disease)
• Heart disease characterised by thickening of the internal heart muscle and a blockage inside the heart (hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy)
• Severe heart failure
• Heart valve disease (mitral valve stenosis)
• Narrowing of the main artery of the body (aortic stenosis)
• People with low fluid volume or salt levels in the body, eg due to diuretic therapy, low-sodium diet, diarrhoea or vomiting
Side effects:
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• A drop in blood pressure that occurs when going from lying down to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension)
• Pain in muscles or bones (musculoskeletal pain)
• Diarrhoea
• Indigestion (dyspepsia)
• Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
• Flushing
• Cough
• High blood potassium level (hyperkalaemia)
• Chest pain
• Sexual problems
• Allergic reactions such as itchy, blistering skin rash (urticaria) or swelling of the lips, tongue and throat (angioedema)
• Decreased kidney function
• Headache
• Sensation of ringing or other noise in the ears (tinnitus)
• Muscle cramps
• Abnormal liver function
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
Interactions: There may be a risk of raised blood potassium levels (hyperkalaemia) if this medicine is taken with any of the following, hence these are not recommended for use in combination with this medicine:
• potassium-sparing diuretics (eg spironolactone, triamterene, amiloride)
• potassium supplements
• potassium-containing salt substitutes
• other medicines that can increase blood potassium levels, eg heparin.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, eg indometacin) may reduce the blood pressure lowering effect of irbesartan. They may also increase the risk of raised blood potassium and kidney problems when used in combination with irbesartan. NSAIDs should be used with caution in people taking irbesartan, particularly elderly people, and your doctor may want to monitor your kidney function.
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