What is Cozaar?
Cozaar (losartan) can be used in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Only a qualified health care professional can make such a decision – to combine this medication with other drugs for best effects. This medicine belongs to the class of angiotensin II receptor antagonists and provides for a better blood flow.
This drug will help you keep your blood pressure under control, but it is not going to cure it. Cozaar is usually taken once a twice a day, but the recommendations of your health care provider may be slightly different. To make sure you do not miss a dose, take Cozaar at the same time every day. This way you will make sure your treatment is effective and the medicine remains at the same level in your bloodstream. Your dosage also depends on how long you intend to take this medication. In many cases people taking this drug are required to take it for the rest of their lives to keep high blood pressure under control.
This drug can be very harmful for the fetus. Make sure you stop taking it as soon as you realize you may have gotten pregnant and talk to your doctor. If you plan to become pregnant while taking Cozaar - discuss this with your doctor to make sure your baby will be safe. You may be prescribed a low-sodium diet, and you need to follow these recommendations very carefully to avoid serious side effects and make sure your treatment is effective.
Make sure you let your doctor know as soon as possible if you experience any of the following symptoms, as these may indicate your treatment is not going quite as planned. You can report any of the following ones: dizziness, runny nose, sore throat, swelling of the face, throat, lips, or hands, hoarseness, difficulty breathing or swallowing, and fainting.
Make sure you tell your health care provider if you are also using any of the following medications: indomethacin, potassium supplements, or diuretics, as this may affect your dosage and dosing schedule. Do not start taking any other meds while on Cozaar – even if those are some herbal supplements – make sure you tell your health care provider about is in advance. If some other doctor has prescribed you a different medication, make sure you tell him you are already taking Cozaar on intend to take it. That way you will make sure taking Cozaar will be efficient for you and there will be no need to stop it because of dangerous and unpleasant drug interactions.
The missed dose is supposed to be taken as soon as possible, unless it's time for the next one very soon. In that case taking the missed dose and the next dose too close in time can result in overdose, but is unlikely to make your treatment more efficient. Never take a double dose to make up for the one you missed, as this is unlikely to give you the effects you are hoping for. Also make sure you are not missing you doses too often – as this will affect your treatment and make it less successful. If you have trouble remembering about your dosage, there are plenty of ways you can come up with to make sure you are getting the treatment you need and symptoms that were bothering you are disappearing.
Make sure you always take this medication exactly as prescribed by your health care provider and avoid taking more or less than recommended. The following symptoms may indicate an overdose: dizziness, fainting, and rapid or pounding heartbeat. If you develop any other symptoms after taking too much of Cozaar – intentionally or by accident – also report them to your health care provider, as symptoms of an overdose can be different for different people and depend on their individual characteristics, such as age, sex, health condition etc.
Storage conditions for Cozaar are similar to those for other medications – you are not supposed to store it in some place where it will be easily accessed by other people, nor are you supposed to store it in the bathroom or any other place with high humidity level. Storing Cozaar right (at room temperature) is the best day to make sure your medication will remain as efficient as you need and will treat the health condition you have in no time.
If anything is not completely clear about your treatment (how you are supposed to be taking Cozaar – how often and in which doses, which side effects to watch for, which drugs to avoid and which health conditions to report), you can always use the qualified assistance of a doctor or pharmacist. You can also look up the information on the Internet or just read the label that comes with Cozaar to make sure you are doing everything right.
How to determine your dosage
What you need to discuss with your doctor before taking Cozaar
Are side effects possible when taking Cozaar?
Meds Cozaar can interfere with
In case of a missed dose
If you accidentally used too much of Cozaar
Cozaar storage
Where you can learn more