Treat the Hypertension with DIOVAN

Diovan is an angiotensin receptor blocker. It is used in adults to lower high blood pressure, treat heart failure, and improve the chances of living longer after a heart attack. It is also used in children to treat high blood pressure.

Important Safety Information

Teratogenicity (Birth Defects)

Do not use Diovan without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. Diovan may cause injury and even death to the unborn baby if you take it during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using Diovan and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. You should not use this medication if you are allergic to valsartan. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of Diovan. Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking Diovan, unless your doctor has told you to.

To be sure Diovan is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

Keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

In rare cases, Diovan can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you have muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, nausea or vomiting, and dark colored urine.

Generic Diovan Side Effects

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. In rare cases, Diovan can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you have muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, nausea or vomiting, and dark colored urine.

Call your doctor at once if you have any other serious side effects such as:

• feeling like you might pass out;
• chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats;
• numbness or tingly feeling; or
• swelling, weight gain.

Less serious Diovan side effects may include:

• runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough;
• back pain;
• diarrhea, constipation;
• dry mouth, stomach pain, loss of appetite;
• mild itching, skin rash;
• sleep problems (insomnia);
• headache, dizziness, anxiety;
• tired feeling;
• weakness; or
• impotence, loss of interest in sex, or trouble having an orgasm.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

How to take Generic Diovan

Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

For treatment of high blood pressure, take Diovan once a day, at the same time each day. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is close to your next dose, do not take the missed dose. Just take the next dose at your regular time.

You may take Diovan with or without food.

To be sure Diovan is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis.

It may take 2 to 4 weeks of using this medicine before your blood pressure is under control. For best results, keep using the medication as directed. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 4 weeks of treatment.

DOSAGE

Most people with high blood pressure are prescribed a starting Diovan dosage of either 80 mg or 160 mg once a day. For people with congestive heart failure, the recommended starting dose is 40 mg twice a day. The amount following a heart attack is 20 mg twice a day.

For children ages 6 to 16, the recommended Diovan dosage is based on weight. The recommended starting amount is Diovan 1.3 mg per kg once daily (about 0.6 mg per pound once daily), up to a maximum of 40 mg per day.