Indications - Olmesartan Medoxomil is indicated for the treatment of hypertension. It may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents.
Dosage & Administration - Dosage must be individualized. The usual recommended starting dose of Olmesartan is 20 mg once daily when used as monotherapy in patients who are not volume-contracted. For patients requiring further reduction in blood pressure after 2 weeks of therapy, the dose of Olmesartan may be increased to 40 mg. Doses above 40 mg do not appear to have a greater effect. Twice-daily dosing offers no advantage over the same total dose given once daily. No initial dosage adjustment is recommended for elderly patients, for patients with moderate to marked renal impairment (creatinine clearance <40 ml/min) or with moderate to marked hepatic dysfunction. For patients with possible depletion of intravascular volume (e.g. patients treated with diuretics, particularly those with impaired renal function), Olmesartan should be initiated under close medical supervision and consideration should be given to use of a lower starting dose. Olmesartan may be administered with or without food.
Side Effects - Common: The most common side effects include Back pain, bronchitis, creatine phosphokinase increased, diarrhea, headache, hematuria, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, influenza-like symptoms, pharyngitis, rhinitis, and sinusitis. Rare: Chest pain, peripheral edema, arthritis.
Contraindications - Olmesartan is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to any component of this product.
Others - Pregnancy & Lactation Pregnancy: When pregnancy is detected, discontinue this product as soon as possible. When used in pregnancy during the second and third trimesters, drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and even death to the developing fetus. Nursing Mothers: It is not known whether Olmesartan is excreted in human milk, but Olmesartan is secreted at low concentration in the milk of lactating rats. Because of the potential for adverse effects on the nursing infant, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.