There are 526 ratings for the drug: DIOVAN in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for diovan: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

Page: 1  2 3 4 5 6    Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from longest to shortest.

Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken and Dosage		Date Added
				F  M
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4	Uncontrollable HRT	I'm so glad I found this website! Have been taking Diovan since 1996. Tinitus, extreme hair loss, gained 60 pounds within a year, skin rashes at times, been treated for chronic myofascial pain for 8 years with little improvement. Also, irritable (unlike my normal self), exhausted and weak all the time, so I just bought a HPAP machine to help me breath at night (was told it was sleep apnea). I just asked my doctor for an allergy test but know those symptoms began with the beginning of Diovan in 1996. Does anyone know how to control HRT without medical help? I practice organic methods and herbs but it's soooo dangerous a practice with HRT unless you know what you're doing. Was hospitalized with 240/160 two years ago when I couldn't afford the Diovan and was without it for a week.	I want to go off Diovan. I want a life. So, while it controls the HRT, quality of life is bad.	F	57	12 years		11/28/2008
4	mild hypertension	Some mild dizziness, but unsure if it's related to this drug or chronic conditions (sinus/allergy/asthma)	My PCP told me it has protective qualities against the effects of high blood sugar, which I have. I have several chronic conditions but none that can definitively be traced to this or any other drug. Aside from occasional, mild dizziness, that's the only side effect of all I've read hear that I have had. But based on others' comments, I will revisit this drug with my PCP.	F	55	10 years		1/27/2008
3	high blood pressure	hair loss, insomnia, dry cough, fatigue and joint pain occasional shortness of breath and mood swings.	I was on Diovan on and off for 10 years. Though it controlled my blood pressure. I cannot deal with the side effects. I was experiencing hair loss for several years and realized it started when I started taking Diovan. Everyone I spoke to stated that hair loss was not a side effect of Diovan. Needless to say I discontinued the Diovan at least a month ago and my hair is growing back, I haven't had that annoying cough, no shortness of breath, my joints are not hurting anymore and I have no trouble falling asleep and a decrease in the mood swings. All of these side effects were making me miserable. I would gladly take Diovan again if it weren't for the side effects.	F	38	10 years		7/23/2009 Email
3	high blood pressure	I have been taking diovan for about 10 years. About 8 months ago I was increased from 80 mg. to 160/25 mg. Since then I have had severe night pain in my back, hip and legs. I never related it to the diovan until I ran out of meds for a night and had the first decent sleep in 8 months.	Do you think this could be causing all this severe pain? I am scheduled for a full body bone scan on Thursday because the Dr. suspects a tumor. Apparently night pain brings up a red flag. I have told every Dr. I have seen that I took diovan and no one mentioned the pain issues. It would be great if my night pain was caused by diovan and not a tumor!	F	46	10 years		4/1/2007
1	HBP	It worked fine for the first 5 years. Then slowly all the problems started...I thought "old age"....LOL Then 3 mos ago the Dr doubled the dose to 160 from 80mg. Instant "arthritis" in my left foot and now my left hand. Even changed my eyeglasses because of the blurred vision. I stopped yesterday...so we shall see. My question to people that have quit: did the side effects reverse and the joint pain stop? Vision go back to normal? Thanks.....		M	57	10 years 160mg 1X D		3/13/2010
1	hypertension, leg swelling	Weight gain, weakness, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, severe depression, worsening lower extremity swelling, not improved.	Whether it's the Diovan or the diuretic it's mixed with, the bad effects are worse than the problems for which it is prescribed. My wife has been on this poison for 10 years and just had the diuretic part doubled, which doubled the depression, prompting me to search on line for possible side effects. The manufacturer and prescribing physicians should be prosecuted and forced to take everything they prescribe for the rest of their miserable lives. I'm disgusted with what these money-hungry entities are doing to their patients. Illegal drug pushers aren't doing any more harm, it's just that their crimes get more publicity. The illegal pushers, at least, don't expect to be treated as decent human beings while they are becoming millionaires by piling up corpses.	M	57	10 years		4/19/2008
3	High BP 160/110	I started taking Diovan about 9 years ago. At the time my doctor prescribed it because the medicine I had been on (Lotensin) was causing me to hack and cough (which was keeping me up all night long). I started out at 80mg & then 3 years ago my bp began creeping up. I was then prescribed a 80mg dosage with 12.5 diurectic. I am now taking one 160mg/12.5 & one 80mg/12.5 pill each day. Since I have been on Diovan I have experienced significant, yet unexplained weight gain (approximately 150 lbs), drastic hair loss, insomnia, itchy skin and more recently, brittle teeth (2 of which have broken off). Over the years I have been blamed by the doctors for not taking control of my weight. Yet with swimming 4-5 days a week, walking & using an elliptical machine, and changing my diet (and eliminating processed/bleached food) I could only get down to 220lbs.	It controlled my BP for a long time & I wasn't aware that the problems I experienced might have been from this drug. (Of course, my doctor(s) didn't listen to me either...) At this point, I do not know where to turn for advice. The doctors use more meds to mask the side effects of other meds & I have yet to find one that doesn't play into that mindset.	F	29	9 years		7/8/2007
5	hypertension/diabetes	I've taken 80mg diovan for 8 years, no noticeable side effects.	My doctor prescribed a BP pill after I'd had several high readings of 130/95+. I have type 1 diabetes and he said that ACE Inhibitors, such as Diovan, were successfully eliminating complications from diabetes in many patients. That convinced me to start taking yet another medication. The first BP pill he put me on caused me to cough, so he switched me to 80mg Diovan and I haven't had any problems since, plus my BP is now regularly 110/70. I'm sorry to hear others are struggling, the good news is there are a lot of BP pills out there so if one causes you problems there are always options.	F	45	8 years		12/7/2009
4	High Blood Pressure	Weight gain, absolute alcohol intolerance (even in small amounts), fatigue, insomnia	Most of the time I can handle the side effects. I am exercising and that is helping. I stopped drinking alcohol in any amount. My bp still fluctuates and is not always under control, however, it is better than before.	F	40	8 years		1/22/2006
2	Pre Hypertension	Slowly lost sex drive and developed ED problems. I started this drug with BP at 140/90 but that was the highest it ever got. My doctor insisted I needed it because they just lowered ratings for Pre Hypertension to 120/180.	I have long suspected this drug was causing my ED problems but my doctor insisted that it did not. ED drugs worked at first but I slowly got worse. I tried everything. I finally took matters into my own hands and just tapered off this drug over a period of two weeks. Been completely off it for three days and this morning woke up stiff for first time in years! I monitor my BP closely and it rose to the 130s/80s but I think that is just a rebound effect. Time will tell.	M	63	8 years 80 MG 1X D		7/5/2010 Email
2	High Blood Pressure	I have been a relatively healthy individual throughout my life with no major illnesses or surgeries. I was diagnosed with HBP in the 1980's and went through a battery of trials with available blood pressure medications. All had significant side effects. In 1998, Diovan was prescribed as having minimal side effects and was prescribed a daily dosage of 320mg. Without the drug I could reach elevated blood pressure levels of 210/110. I was unaware of any initial side effects, however, in the past few years I experienced constant insomnia, "tennis elbow" syndrome, pronounced anxiety , loss of motivation--almost depression. Initially, I presumed it was age yet I could not understand the recent rapid decline of my health. I stopped taking the drug for 7 days. All of the above symptoms were no longer exhibited, however, the blood pressure sky rocketed. I am currently back on the drug and receiving alternate health care treatment to remove the Diovan dependency.	One has to seriously evaluate the consequences of presription drugs. I personally do not accept prescription drugs as the "cure all". I believe that Diovan produces immediate results as intended. The general public is vulnerable and at the mercy of prescription drugs!	M	63	8 years		3/23/2007 Email
5	high blood pressure	maybe often bladder infection	Insurance does not cover it. very expensive. but it works for me. I had lots of problem when dr. switched me onece before.	M	52	7 years		11/19/2008 Email
3	hypertension	GGT levels were highy in my last check		M	65	7 years		1/4/2007
3	High Blood Pressure	After reading reviews I find I have had alot of the same symptoms especially burning mouth. Fatigue also. quality of life just not there.	Have tried different meds but this one works good to maintain BP but didn't realize what it is doing to my body.	F	62	7 years		10/17/2008
2	High BP	Intensity and occurance vary day to day, but seem to coincide with starting Diovan. I did not associate several side effects until I began to read comments in this formum. Side Effect (which I never experienced prior to using Diovan) include: Headache, Dizziness, Fatigue, Anxiety, Palpatations, and Joint Pain (the joint pain got progressively worse over time - it became very problematic about 2 yrs ago and I was recently diagnosed with mild psoriatic arthritis. Wonder if my joint pain is directly related to Diovan? I'm going off of it for a few weeks to see if my joint pain and other symptoms subside).	Effectively controlled my BP: 115-130/70-85	M	41	7 years		2/28/2008
1	High Blood Pressure	Loss of memory,uncoordinated,dizzy,hot flashes,muscle pain,depression ,anxiety attacks,confusion (the list goes on )	Side effects didnt start till after about 2-3 years . Continously got worse. All the while thinking it was me.	M	51	7 years		2/20/2009
3	hypertension	dizziness, paleness, cold lips, cold hands, nausea,	I have been on Diovan 160mg for the last 5 years of my life. Just 2 weeks ago my doctor changed my dose to 360mg. I had 2 reations in those 2 weeks. Both times it felt as if it were having a "falling dream". I went immediatley dizzy and my face turned pale. I had heart palpitations and after about an hour my lips and hands were cold. My blood pressure was normal but it was the worst feeling ever. Needless to say, I went to my doctor and requested to be put back on 160mg. All is good now, but by far, the worst experience ever.	M	25	6 years		11/1/2008 Email
3	High blood pressure	Have been taking diovan for about six years and was satisfied that it dropped my blood pressure. Started having heart flutters and went to Doctor and he took me off this med. Had been having lots of joint problems and real bad pain in the heel of my foot, also starting having consistant erectile disfunction thought was due to age but at 45 really didn't understand why. Long story short Doctor put me on 5mg nebivolol and within one week my joints and heel of my foot started feeling better, also guess what.......my erectile problem became less frequent and now that Ive been on new meds about 3 weeks not having any erectile problems. Wife very happy and so am I.	Be very cautious of this drug. They say only 1% of men have erectile disfuntion from this drug, guess I was the 1%	M	46	6 years		11/10/2009
5	High BP	None		F	50	5 years		12/31/2004
4	high blood pressure	Wieght gain around the middle...about 10 lbs over 5 years drug is expensive, no generic yet	Easy to take, not many side effects, no swelling of extremities as on calcium channel blockers.	F	48	5 years		10/7/2006 Email
2	High Blood Pressure	After seeing side effects of 208 patients listed on the site, I had all the side effects except hair loss. My children noticed the memory loss. I remember that I immediately got thick around the middle which I shouldn't have because I had weight loss surgery and now it doesn't look like it. It did control my blood pressure but I believe we can find something else and get off this medicine. I plan to come to this site and compare all the medicines the Dr. puts me on from now on.		F	52	5 years		4/22/2007
1	High Blood pressure	have borderline hbp worsened by white coat syndr. was put on 80 mg Diovan HCT, bp worsened, increased to 160 mg. My bp was no lower. Months later I connected my SEVERE lower back pain to the Diovan HCT. Chol., trigl., and blood sugar levels were sky high. Dr. put me on plain Diovan 160 mg. 2 yrs later & 5 months at the chiropractor I still have loss of fluid in my spine and joints. Extreme fatigue. Had my hair cut short because it's become so thin.	Have great difficulty taking any prescribed drugs, each drug causes side effects that drs only want to prescribe more drugs for. After reading on this web site hopefully my horrible sinus problems and runny nose and congestion, dry eyes, and stabbing pains in my head are from the Diovan. I take only 80 mg instead of the prescribed 160. My chol. & glucose are still a little high even though I take supplements for that, exercise faithfully, watch what I eat and weigh 120 lbs. Am going off the Diovan and try an herbal remedy for hpb too. The higher dose of Diovan seemed to work against itself and make my bp worse. Afraid drugs are going to cripple/kill me.	F	55	5 years		11/1/2006
1	Hypertension	Extreme fatigue and 'foggy' head, anxiety, loss of enthusiasm and libido, hair loss, sinusitis, swelling and pain in some joints, heavy legs and flu like symptoms, Frequent loose stools, acid reflux (which may or may not be caused by drug), weight gain round waist, marked increase in pulse rate, pains and cramps in my muscles, particularly my upper back, shoulders, feet and hands.	I have quite a few problems with side effects from drugs and was pleased that Diovan suited me at first(40mg)apart from feeling a little tired I felt ok. After some months I started to develop problems with my sinuses for the first time ever but didn't connect it. Had an operation to sort them out, but problems continued. Dosage of Diovan was increased to 80mg and my sinuses became worse, I was having to take antibiotics at regular intervals, coughing incessantly and had to make frequent visits to an ENT specialist who said, after a CT scan that I may need another operation. After a few years I began to find walking difficult as my legs were so heavy and I had pain in my joints. I felt as if I was recovering from flu. I also had problems with my bowels and digestive system. Was given tablets to suppress the acid in my stomach (which in themselves had awful side effects so I eventually stopped taking them). I began to think I was developing some kind of illness. I discoverd this web	F	56	5 years		1/17/2007
1	HBP	I have taken Diovan for 5 years and explained all my symptoms away as just "being fat". We recently moved and I ran out and didn't get it refilled for 3 weeks. I felt GREAT!! I had energy, lost 8lbs.,my sex drive was back!! For all these years I had gained a lot of weight, gastric problems, and felt terriable, even depressed. After being off them for 3 weeks, I am so upset that Diovan took so many good years away from me and my children. Since being back on it, I have had weight gain return, sluggishness, dizziness, unexplained sores in my nose, and gastric problems return.	My doctor told me that I couldn't go off the HBP medicine and changed it. I am not filling it because I realize this will be a never ending battle to regain my life. I will watch my BP and if it gets high again, I will try herbal relief.	F	36	5 years		5/28/2007
1	hypertension	severe fatigue,joint pain,back pain,insomnia,chest pain,depression,anxiety,weigth gain!!	I haven't taken diovan for 10 days and my bp is in the 110/60's range.I feel energized,happy,no joint pain.Today I worked in my yard and for the first time in 9 years didn't feel fatigued or like I was going to pass out.	F	72	5 years 80mg 1X D		8/15/2010
1	High Blood Pressure	Severe Joint Pain, headache, sleep disorder, anxiety attacks, loss of libido, hair loss, rash, sun intolerance, wait gain (over 60 pounds), nervousness, dizziness, lack of energy, wrist pain, blood circulation problem, numbness	Please share you story if you tied or completely stopped Blood Pressure medication Diovan (SEND US AN EMAIL). My husband is taking Diovan 160/12,5 mg. My husband is a very health oriented and dedicated person. Since he became raw vegan (eats only raw veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds) his blood pressure dramatically & dropped naturally (it's is now 117/76 - 120/80). We do not eat any animal products, including diary and eggs, do not smoke or drink. My husband lost more that 45 pounds and feels way better than before. If he knew that RAW VEGAN life style will help him so much to become feel healthier and younger looking, he would never have needed drugs to start with. Now he knows that getting rid off toxins in your body by eating raw food can lower blood pressure as body becomes healthy. I wish we knew it 5 years ago! Now when his blood pressure naturally lower, and when he takes Diovan (he takes half of the pill now, so it's makes it a dose of 80/6,5) he feels horrible and his blood pressure drops as low as 106/68 (used to be 180..). Our doctor insists on impossibility of stopping BP medication. But I googled and saw that IT IS possible after 6 months of stable BP!!!! I googled and found horrible side effects of Diovan (severe muscle cramps, headaches, depression, anxiety, joint pain, rash, hair loss, libido loss, low energy level etc), my husband experienced all of them. We found this great website and I see that plenty of people who used this drug and experienced t	M	50	5 years 160/12,5 1X D		2/13/2010 Email
1	High Blood Pressure	Nausea that comes and goes. Heat intolerance, severe dizzyness and have almost fainted in temps over 80. Recurrent yeast infections (never had these before starting this horrible drug). Weight gain around middle. Severe joint pains, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes in neck. Fatigue, eye sight getting worse. Ringing in ears. Dry skin. This is nuts! I'm choosing quality of life over quantity. I think I've put up with these side effects long enough.	I had a heart attack 2.5 years ago and Dr. says I'll live longer on the meds. Too bad, I think I'll enjoy less time with less pain. Besides, diovan hct only lowered my BP 10 points. Increasing dose not an option, makes me feel like I've been hit by a truck.	F	50	5 years		3/9/2007
1	I have a Idiot Doctor in a HMO	THIS STUFF IS JUNK! IT BELONGS IN THE TRASH CAN ! SIMPLE AS THAT! IF YOUR DOCTOR GIVES YOU THIS CRAP.. THROW IT AWAY AND DEMAND SOMETHING DIFFRENT - IT HAS MORE SIDE EFFECTS THAN MOST B.P DRUGS ON THE MARKET TODAY! YES ITS BEEN RECALLED BEFORE AND THEN RE-RELEASED AGAIN IN A PILL FORM SAME JUNK JUST IN PILL FORM WANT YOUR EYES MESSED UP HEADACHES BODY ACHES STOMACH PAINS AND CRAMPING WAIGHT GAIN.. THINNING HAIR AND TWITCHING EYEBALLS YOU NAME IT , IT HAPPENS BAD STUFF !	DIOVAN IS BAD NEWS ALL AROUND! IF YOU WANT BLURR VISISON AND WINKING EYEBALLS ALL THE TIME, AND STOMACH CRAMPS AND PAINS THAT ARE NON STOP! HEADACHES THAT COME AND GO! IT REALLY SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET BY THE FDA.. BUT HEY IM JUST A OLD FART! SOON I WILL BE GONE FROM THIS WORLD! BUT ONE THING I WANT TO SAY! SCREW THE HMO SYSTEMS! THEY DONT WORK! AND MOST DOCTORS IN THEM ARE NON CAREING IDIOTS, PAID TO PUSH DRUGS ON US GINNY PIG PEOPLE WHO PAY FOR THIS SERVICE! AND GET SCREWED IN THE END! BEST TO GET OFF THE DRUGS! IF YOU CAN AND GO NATURAL OR ? I THINK DOG POOP WOULD BE BEST TO TAKE ,THAN DIOVAN! AT LEAST YOU WOULDNT HAVE SIDE EFFECTS ! ONLY BAD BREATH ! WHAT DO I KNOW ?	M	94	5 years		8/22/2007
1	wish I never took it !	Here are a few: Hair loss -pattern baldness- vision blurred -swealing of eyelids-breathing problems-cramps in arms and legs - sore inside nose -drewling- nose runs- trapped gas problems and bloating belly conditions-uncontroled Gas (farting)and burping loud- better out than in! ears ringing loud tentinitus. amoung 30 other effects from this Nasty drug !	Here is new Warrning -watch out when taking any Multi Vitamins with or after taking DIovan or any b.p medications. as it can clash with your medications or cause a Allergic reaction to happen to you I never expected it to happen- but tryed 2 diffrent makes of Multi Vitamins hours after taking diovan and had bad effects! wont take any Vitamin again! Talked to Doctor about this and they dont know anything about reactions. best to keep off the Vitamins or dump the Diovan or both !	M	54	5 years		11/27/2007
1	HIGH BP	THE SAME AS ALL THE REST!!!	TO EVERYONE THAT READS THIS MESSAGE REGARDING DIOVAN. STOP, STOP, STOP TAKING THIS DRUG. IT IS THE DEFINITE CAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEMS. YOUR PROBLEMS ARE NOT IN YOUR HEAD, IT IS THE DRUG. I SUFFERED WITH ALL (ABOUT 73)SIDE EFFECTS DUE TO DIOVAN FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS. I RESEARCHED THE DRUG TO SAVE MYSELF BECAUSE THE DOCTORS COULD FIND NOTHING. I KNEW IT WAS DIOVAN, STOPPED TAKING THE DRUG, AND FELT BETTER WITHIN 12 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!! I AM FINE NOW AND CAN CONTINUE LIVING MY LIFE. VICKI IN SUNNY FLORIDA	F	56	5 years		12/26/2008 Email
1	High blood pressure	Hair loss, weight gain, pain in feet (felt like I was getting gout), cold hands and feet, itching all over the body especially the head, fatigue, dry skin, rash, abdominal bloating, constipation.	I was given Diovan when I had an allergic reaction to a cat. My blood pressure was at 145 at the time. Ever since then my doctor continued my blood pressure medication (Diovan 80 mg.). I started the symptoms listed above a few years ago and never attributed it to the Diovan. Fortunately I checked this website and realized that I was not the Lone Ranger and other people suffered the same symptoms. I am stopping Diovan TODAY. I also had a 20 lb. weight gain and never changed my diet. I was always on the thin side, walked 2 miles a day and did not eat a lot of sweets. Have had numerous blood tests thinking I was suffering from thyroid disease or something else.	F	60	5 years		2/3/2009 Email
1	BP	Back pain, so bad I could not lie on my back … shortness of breath… muscle pain … trigger finger … joint pain … bloating … dark circles under eyes … loose stools ... then Kidney cancer … after stopping Diovan I can breath again … back pain almost gone.	When I complained doc said it was my imagination ... Elevated CPK and Aldolase Was diagnosed with dermatomyositus ... had muscle biopsy negative ... Ruemy told me to stop taking Diovan ... now Aldolase and CPK normal.	M	43	5 years		12/4/2008 Email
5	Hypertension	I have experienced no problems with Diovan at all. It has controlled my blood pressure nicely.		F	46	4 years		8/2/2007
5	HBP	None	It brought my blood pressure down from 200/160 to 120/80. As I exercise more, I have managed to reduce it from 160mg to 80 mg. I take HCT as a separate drug, normally I do not need it during winter. I tried beta blockers first, but put on weight, then I tried Enalapril (German name? An ACE inhibitor), but developed the typical cough. Diovan was the first drug that actually brought my blood presure down.	F	52	4 years		7/27/2006
4	High BP	No side effects, really. I have had occasional dizzy spells, but they have lessened over the years. I've been on Diovan 160mg in am and 80mg pm for years. This is the only BP medication that DIDN'T give me side effects. It was a breath of fresh air and a relief to finally find something like it.	The only caveat is that the Diovan doesn't lower my BP enough. I just took my measurement and I'm 130/87 (before am dose). In the doctor's office I'm usually 138/90 or slightly higher (midway between doses). The NP wants to try me on ExForge (which combines Diovan with Amlodipine), but after reading the side effects on amlodipine and reviews here for Diovan, I think I'll stay on the Diovan and increase my exercise instead.	F	47	4 years		3/28/2009
3	hypertension	I took Diovan 80 with dinner. If I took it with breakfast, I was lethargic in the afternoon. Whenever the temperature was above 80F, I became lethargic. If I went into the sun and tried to walk two or three blocks, colors would fade toward white and I could barely move. I can walk five miles if the day is cool, but I cannot go more than a few blocks in the warm sun.	My hypertension cannot be controlled by diet and exercise alone. I am trying another drug.	F	55	4 years		9/16/2008
3	Pre-hypertension	I've been on 80 mg of Diovan for almost 4 years. For at least the last two I have been having terrible pains in my legs when I get up from sitting after a short time. I have been to the foot doctor and chiropractor thinking this was related to my feet or back. I've had all types of xrays. Nothing significant related to these pains came up. Last weekend I heard for the first time that bp meds can sometime cause muscle pain. So on Saturday I stopped taking my bp meds and I'm monitoring by bp this week. If these leg pains stop within the next week or two I will be back to my doctor to let him know. I don't like taking any meds so the Diovan is all that I take. I am 55 years old so I thought maybe it was just getting up there, but the pain can be so bad I wouldn't buy into this as being a normal part of aging.		F	55	4 years		10/2/2007
3	High BP	i have taken this for 4 years. I have had all these things - Hair loss, weight gain galore, exhaustion, anxiety, blurred vision, but until today had no idea it could be from Diovan. I stopped it a week ago cuz I ran out...I am having extreme headaches & twitchy eye. And spaced out. Is that normal?	I do not know if I should start it again or not....	F	53	4 years		4/13/2007 Email
2	edema	My BP was 80-something over 50 something, even after cutting dose in half. Lost hair, gained 50 lbs.	did not do a good job for the purpose it was prescribed: swollen ankles.	F	59	4 years		7/18/2009
1	High Blood Pressure	Blood pressure was running 150/100 or higher. Doctor prescribed lowest dosage of Diovan 40mg once daily. Immediately gained 12 pounds around waist area without changing exercise or diet, and stomach felt bloated all the time. 4 years later was on Exforge (Diovan 320mg and Norvasc 10mg) Blood pressure was good on this medication. Stayed in the 130/70 range, but besides weight gain I felt like I had a cold or flu all the time. Chest congestion would get so bad I would have to go to the doctor every 3 months for steroids and antibiotics to clear up severe chest congestion. That would would clear up, but constant stuffy head and nose would cause it to get congested all over again. Just a vicious cycle that I got tired of.	Told my doctor I wanted to try something, anything else. Insurance company recommended I try Azor 40mg/10mg. Have been on Azor for about 3 months now, and absolutely no chest congestion, no stuffy nose or stuffy head feeling, and I immediately lost 12 pounds without adding exercise or changing eating habits. Blood pressure since starting Azor is averaging 125/65, which is as low as my blood pressure has ever been. Doctor was hesitant to change medication at first saying it couldn't be the Diovan or Exforge causing my problems. BE PERSISTENT YOU ARE THE PATIENT IT IS YOUR LIFE!!!!!	M	40	4 years		7/22/2008 Email
1	Hypertension	Diagnosis: Hypertension, Hyperparathyrodism, Hypercalcemia, Hypothroidism, Osteoporosis: Medications: 80m Diovan, 75mg Hydroclorothiazide, 90mg Armour Thyroid, 20mg Potassium,70mg Fosamax, took 2 Fosamax and quit because of effects: Side effects with Diovan (denied by Doctor, of course) were sleeplessness, sensitive to light, blurry vision, swollen ankles, ringing in both ears, frequent night urinations, irritability, hair thinning, dizziness. I completely stopped the Diovan, 4 days ago, after four plus years of being on the medication. My BP is the same or lower than with the Diovan. I will have labs done in about three weeks to determine if the Diovan has had an effect on my other medical problems. I will post my results. YOU KNOW YOUR OWN BODY, PLEASE LISTEN TO IT AND QUESTION YOUR DOCTOR AND NOT TAKE THEIR WORD AS ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Good Luck to all of you who read this site.	I feel that the makers of Diovan did not conduct enough clinical trials over a longer period of time to determine ALL the side effects that this medicine produces.	F	66	4 years		5/2/2007
1	I wish I knew ?	Anyone with half a brain wouldnt take this drug,if they knew the side effects or problem it causes! we trust the Doctors we have that is why! well after years of being treated like nothing but a ginny pig, I dont trust anyone Doctor or not!!	This drug causes,waight gain rapid waight gain in most people! did you know waight gain causes (heart-attacks!)yahoo says it does! so why would a Doctor give this drug out if does that? and it also can cause Angina! chest pains!! and body aches and cramping everywhere on the body! massive headaches, Blurr vision and people lost vision on this drug (temporary) its posted here on this site! Did you know this drug was Recalled and it was changed by the makers to another pill form and quickly released again! pushed on the market!! same junk in a diffrent pill ! I stuck taking this crap pill for now, as it counter acts some unwanted side effects from Toprol xl another pain in the ass drug im working to get off these drugs slow! but its a hard job and takes time do it safe! I really think were all better off to take the older proven drugs from years and years ago! than these new b/s drugs with ten thousand side effects and more ! it isnt worth it ! thanks for reading ! a suffering p	M	54	4 years		8/14/2007 Email
1	slightly high b.p readings	Excessive Dizzyness Vision problems blurry and tired eyes cramping and clamping in chest area on and off legs cramping heavy feeling at times I feel run down and tired all the time/no power! slow sluggish feeling. nose runing sore inside nose bad drug !	I think most of these drugs shouldnt be used,they are unsafe and cause Harm to anyone who takes them! they also can cause other things to happen while on them, now im reading about PAD another deal with heavy legs or tired legs,the more I read and learn about this, the more it sounds like a Caused side effect from these new drugs like Diovan or a beta blocker med. and again Doctors are now looking to operate! and Medicate! more drugs!!! more unwanted operations! Im leaning to think most harm is caused by these drugs(so called safe drugs) with 10,000 side effects. If Doctors could they would have us all on drugs! medicated well and turn us into walking talking Zombie's Iv been on diovan now for over 4 years at 20mg low dose! but even on that dose,I have very bad side effects and problems from it. I look back, before I got started on these meds! had high b.p only no pains or vision problems.. since Im a mess ! im one of the living walking dead. from b.p meds !and no thanks to the	M	57	4 years		12/7/2007
1	I blame the Hmo system !	The finger points at the Hmo system and stupid Doctors that dont care beans about us normal folks! who come for help or care. they are total pill pushers 100%! Try this take that! they never check the SIDE EFFECTS! must be MONEY $$$$$ as we pay more and get less!	Im wondering If anyone who reads this,can let me know where I can get the 2 medicaitons toprol xl and Diovan taken apart and find out whats in them both, and what real side effects they really have! as it seems, the makers dont tell us all the side effects ,or do the Doctors tell us ? I think each chemical in each drug might tell us what were really taking. and what it does to us. Yes folks im very Disatisfied with Toprol xl and also Diovan long term useage does more bad than good - its seems!!	M	54	4 years		9/7/2007 Email
1	b.p up!	Diovan and other b.p meds togther such as beta blocker and diovan the side effects we get are harsh,and happen more so than taking one or the other med at one time! both ways we loose! as we get unwanted side effects when taking these meds!	over the Months iv found how to stop a few unwanted side effects by taking twice daily a simple Multi Vitamin cap. or stress Vitamin C that supports the Immune system, will help and also stop some of the harsh and unwanted side effects from happening. seems Diovan and any beta blocker robbs us of important needed things so in time our bodys get run down and could be a reason we get so tired and feel lazy or just well loose power! untill a natural company comes up with a good true working b.p med, we all wait for the day we can get off the chemical meds (that really dont work good anyways) or cause damage to us all. for now I found this simple vitamin pill will stop about 50% or more side effects if taken twice a day. as well eatting right helps and not getting stressed out helps even more! always check the side effects before you take any chemical med -the rule goes if it has more than 4 side effects and includes vision problems dont take it! tell your doctor to find you another	M	53	4 years		10/9/2007 Email
1	blood pressure to high at times ?	visison problems gas build up including trapped gas! bloating belly and rapid waight gain 4 to 6pounds like overnight! -nose runs,headaches very bad ones! cramping everywhere! this crap really packs a punch! it lowers b.p ok, but why so meny side effects and problems !	The Vision problems are the worst, iv been on this stuff for over 4 years now (long term useage) on 40mg (they say thats low dose ?) I started getting blurred vision and slight headaches when on this and vision got worse and worse as I took it daily. well now its 4 years down the road - I confirmed my fears by going to a normal eye doctor for testing vision. well folks! Im boarderline Gloucoma in one eye, the eye doctor confirmed its due to the Diovan! side effects like all doctors he wont call or send a letter to my hmo primary doctor who has me on this crap! typical!! but he did confirm it to me and said better get off the medication soon. he also noted the blurr visison and headaches were part of diovan's side effects and problems and that indeed is was recalled a few years ago. then pushed back on the market he said, we dont like this drug for b.p problems as it causes so meny vision problems in people! and the doctors who give it, all act stupid ! like its wonderfull to t	M	54	4 years		8/20/2007 Email
1	High Blood pressure	not able to concentrate; dizziness; lightheadedness; tingling in feet and arms; back pain; weight gain; fatigue.	I have been having these symptoms for approx. 3 years and just accepted them as the cost of keeping my blood pressure down. I have been explaining these symptoms to my doctors (yes more than one doctor) and none has ever recommended that I switch medication. I use to be very sharp and over the years it has been extremely frustrating for me to concentrate and stay focus. This has also been affecting my job. A Natural Medicine specialist finally told me that it could be the Diovan and suggested that I browse this website. After reading your comments, I am ready to come off this medication and try something else.	F	43	4 years		5/30/2006
1	High Blood pressure	Skin itching, joint and muscle pain, eye problems have developed. I have found an herbal compound that is working just as well as the Diovan without the side effects, which are starting to disappear.	If you decide to stop taking your Diovan, work with your MD before you stop it. I am an RN/PHD and I have the knowledge to monitor and check for the effects of stopping and changing my medication. There are alternatives to the man made medications out there.	F	63	4 years 160 mg 1X D		7/27/2010 Email
2	HBP	Ringing ears, fatigue, dry mouth, low back pain - spasms.	If it were just ringing ears, and dry mouth I could stand it, but the back pain is just to much. After getting a clean x-ray, and a clean MRI, and trying everything from drugs, inversion, chiropractor, accupuncture, and on and on and on - you reach a point where you've exhausted the idea that its something physical. I never put two and two together till just recently, I had an injured back when I began using this drug, so if my back improved, I had no way of knowing - the effects of the drug would have masked any natural improvement. I just accepted it as a fact of getting older - my Doc would give me muscle relaxant to help my muscle pains, but it would never go away. Then I found this site, and realized that the only common denominator during all these years was my daily dose of diovan - its only been about a week since I've been diovan free, and am feeling some muscle improvements already - though I still feel some muscle fatigue (probably from not being to exercise for 3.5 year	M	43	3.5 years		1/22/2009 Email
5	High BP	No side effects at all. I've been on it for 3 years (80mg/day) and my BP has stayed at about 120/75.	Very pleased.	M	45	3 years		2/8/2008
5	high blood pressure	none	Tried a number of different types of medication for high blood pressure, and this is the only one where I had no side effects and that also effectively regulated my b/p.	F	31	3 years		6/7/2004
4	HBP	NONE. Switched over from ACE both Zestril & Vasotec gave me the cough which stopped after taking Diovan. Took 80mg once/day.	Took for about 2.5-3 years and it stopped working for some reason so increased dose to taking twice/day and didn't really lower BP and got slight leg cramps so stopped. Now trying Avapro.	M	50	3 years		4/10/2007
4	high blood pressure	none that i am aware of		M	54	3 years		8/11/2005
4	Hypertension/ Diabetic	None..... was switched from another drug that gave me a cough.	Insurance does not cover as a general drug. EXPENSIVE! But it is what works for me.	F	45	3 years		11/14/2007 Email
4	HP 150/90	Ringing ears	I have cut the pill in half 40mg and my BP is 130/78	M	66	3 years		7/19/2008 Email
4	High blood pressure 155/95	Started out 80mg, some improvement, after 1 year went to 160mg...now 125/65 First 3 weeks I was in "slow motion". Since then, everything is fine. No side effects.	I started excercising more, watched calories, lost weight.	M	55	3 years		9/3/2008
4	high blood pressure	Lately with increased dosage to 160 mg. feet are swelling. Not sure if it's the Diovan increase.	I took 80 mg. for about 3 years. It helped my b/p but lately it has begun to increase, and now am on 160 mg. Also take Maxzide and was put on Magnesium and Potassium due to low blood counts on both. Don't really know if any of these are causing the problem. I just know, my feet are swelling and that isn't normal.	F	71	3 years		9/20/2009
3	HBP	I'm so glad I found this site! I am only 22 years old and was diagnosed with HBP when I was 19. I have been taking Diovan HCT for the past few years. I've been SOOOOO tired!!!! I just feel completely wiped out from the time I wake up until I go to bed. I also constantly have to urinate. I get dizzy often and see weird spotty colors in front of my eyes. The worst part though has been the constant fatigue. Since i've been on this medicine I can fall asleep anytime. I could sleep all day long if I wanted to. Even if I get a solid 8 hours of sleep i'm exhausted after being awake for a few hours. I'm getting off of this!		F	22	3 years		8/31/2009
3	High Blood Pressure	Dry mouth and throat, headaches, hair loss, heart palpatations(rarely), loss of sex drive (totally- gradual onset), general lethargy (gradual onset)	Diovan worked well for the first 1.5 years that I took it. It lowered my BP from 155/104 to 115/70 or lower. The dose was 160mg. Then, over the next year I lost 25-30 pounds. That is when Dry mouth and throat, headaches, hair loss, heart palpatations, loss of sex drive, and general lethargy started. My dosage has deceased to 80mg/day. I am hoping the side effects will go away. Personally, I think my side-effects were brought on by the weight loss without a drop in dosage and wonder why my physician did not do something sooner.	F	54	3 years		9/26/2009 Email
3	High BP	Some mood swings. Some fatigue. After 3 years dosage increased to 80mg. Two weeks later major allergic reaction, swollen face, lips, hands. Extensive raised red rash on knees, back, forearms. Like major flea bites but not itchy.	Shame, until then it was doing a brilliant job controlling BP.	M	50	3 years		8/7/2009
3	high blood pressure	I have been taking Diovan for three years. I have gained about 40 lbs. I have scalp problems constantly. I have muscle cramps and spasms constantly. I have pain until I have almost become home bound. I really have just give up on life. I now have mouth pain. My tonque is sore and my throat is sore almost all the time. I have been to the doctor numerous times and have asked if the Diovan is causing this because I was not like this before I got on the drug. Now I am having kidney problems. My stomach is so big and bloated that I can't breathe good. I was told to stay on the drug every time I complained. I can't walk without my legs feeling like they weigh a ton. I was walking five miles a day four years ago. I changed doctors one month ago. I am going to talk to her about this. I am even having severe memory problems. My scalp broke out about one month after starting the drug. I do not sleep at all. I stay up all night all the time. I have the ringing in the ears. My hair is coming out a	The doctor gave me samples for a long time. I told my doctor that I was having all these symptoms but she said that it was not the drug.If this drug has caused all these problems, I really am irritated. I have went to the doctor thirty or forty times in the past three years. I have went to a cardiologist, dermatologist, rheumatologist, eye, ear, nose and throat doctors, emergency rooms, and no one pays any attention to me. I had basically just gave up. I really was just getting ready to die. I have been having kidney problems the last few months. I decided that I had lupus or RA. My stomach will not go down even if I diet. My kidneys in the back area begin hurting about three weeks ago. I have severe headaches, that never completely stop. I really need to know if this drug is causing my problems. My B/P is high and I have had reaction to several B/P drugs in the past. I have told these doctors this but no one seems to know what is causing these problems. I really get tired of tellin	F	61	3 years		11/17/2008
3	high b.p.	joint pain	not until reading the comments in this site did I make the connection to my severe joint pain, mostly in my shoulders and fore arms. I hate being on any sort of permanent medication and now I'll do more research to get my B.P. down some other way. Recently quite smoking cold turkey for 8 weeks now and that has lowered my speeding heart rate from 90-100/min. to 70/min. Absolutely hate the thought of going vegan....! Any other natural remedies would be appreciated.	M	48	3 years 1X D		2/20/2010
3	high blood pressure	dizziness at times. Wondering if hair loss is due to drug since post market research on one site stated that alopecia can be a dermatalogical side effect.		F	53	3 years		6/18/2007
2	Borderline HBP (140/90)	abdominal bloating, weight gain, swelling in lower legs and ankles, fatigue, muscle weakness, exhaustion & need to rest after minimal exertion, difficulty concentrating, extreme bowel and urinary "urgency" (i.e., have to RUN to restroom as soon as I become aware of the need to "go" in order to avoid having to wear a diaper), diziness, occasionally feeling like I'm about to faint. BP readings since starting this drug have been around 110/68 in dr's office; probably lower at home since I have always had "white coat hypertension" (higher BP readings in dr's office than at home).	I started this med after I was discovered to have Borderline HBP after an injury that required knee surgery to repair. Have been taking it for 3 years; thought all my symptoms were due to "menopause" or laziness or "getting old" or deconditioning following knee surgery or not eating right or not exercising enough (can't even imagine exercising due to weakness and fatigue that makes it hard to even walk from the house to the car and vice versa). Before my knee injury / surgery (and starting on Diovan) I was very active; had a job in which I was on my feet and moving 10 hrs/day. Now I can't even walk a block w/out stopping to rest. I have no other health problems. None. All my other "numbers" are excellent (cholesterol, blood glucose, etc.) I should FEEL **MUCH** better than I do. After reading the other comments here I am going to taper off this med. I'm not convinced that I ever needed it in the first place. I think my BP was slightly higher than usual d	F	53	3 years		5/2/2007
2	Prevent kidney damage due to diabet	Hair loss, weight gain of about 8 pounds all in my middle, dizziness, nausea, left shoulder pain, swollen ankles, loss of enthusiasm/motivation, can't walk more than a block without resting.	My doctor prescribed this to prevent damage to my kidneys due to diabetes. My BUN level was running about 27 (Normal is less than 20.). Did well as far as BUN is concerned for a couple years (I tolerated all the side effects because kidney failure scares the crap out of me.) Now today my latest labs show my BUN is UP to 33. What am I to do? Why did this drug stop protecting my kidneys? I'm waiting for a call back from my doctor to discuss my options.	F	63	3 years		4/12/2007
2	High Blood Pressure	Persistant cough and congestion, weight gain around the middle, joint (elbow) pain, occasional numbness and tingling in hand & arm, acid reflux, back pain, sore inside nose	Doctor told me my constant cough and congestion was allergies (which I never had before and allergy medication did not alleviate), my elbow pain was "tennis elbow." I went through weeks of physical therapy for back pain. I've tried to lose weight, but nothing helps. I never associated any of these symptons with Diovan until last week when I couldn't get my prescription refilled because the insurance company will not cover this drug anymore (HMO) and it's very expensive to buy on my own. I've been off it for a week waiting for my doctor to change me to something else - and I'm still waiting! Then suddenly last night I noticed that I haven't coughed in several days and I'm not up half the night coughing, and all the other symptons I've described seem to be going away. I was thinking all these things I was experiencing was just "getting older" but now I'm convinced that they are side effects from this drug. I think I'll try to find some other way to control my blo	F	56	3 years		3/22/2007
2	High blood pressure	EXTREME HAIR LOSS	My blood pressure was 140/110 and Diovan was prescrived about 3 years ago. Worked well in normalizing blood pressure, BUT I am almost bald and didn't realize till now, reading this site, that Diovan is the cause. I am so depressed and don't know what to do. I took myself off yesterday and went to doctor. BP was 140/90 due to anxiety. PLEASE e-mail me with suggestion as to what I might take if the hair loss seems to be the only side-effect. Went to doctor and he gave me Atacand to try. I was up all night. PLEASE HELP ME.	F	68	3 years		2/13/2009 Email
2	high blood pressure	weight gain, light-headedness, eventually did not control my blood pressure	Dr. gave me diovan after hydrocholorothyazide seemed to quit working--BP 165/90. I took it for 3 years and had very mixed results. High BP in winter, low BP in summer. Dr. didn't care. Last winter she switched me to Benicar, which caused liver & kidney problems. I now take only garlic, 800 mg. Vitamin D, & forskolin (an Aruvedic herb from the coleus plant), & when I went to Dr. last week my BP was 104/60. Fifteen minutes of deep breathing exercises every day (like mediatation) can do wonders for BP too.	F	51	3 years		11/5/2007
1	hbp	fatique, weight gain 18 lbp , feet, legs , arms pain and crowling sensetion , numness , stomach bloated , troble sleepiing , tired , fatique , weight gain 18 lbp in 6 months . Feet , legs , arms pain and crawling sensetion , numness . Stomach bloated , trouble sleeping EAR RING	I had no idea why ?	F	52	3 years		8/7/2008
1	B.P WAS HIGH	I CANT COUNT THE SIDE EFFECTS BLURR VISION EYE LIDS SWELL UP HARD TO OPEN WHEN WAKING UP. THROAT CLOSES WHEN EATTING MASSTIVE BIG HEADACHES CHEST PAINS BACK PAINS LEGS ACHE ARMS ACHE NOSE RUNS NUMBNESS IN HANDS AND FEET AT TIMES MEMORY LOSS EARS RING WANT MORE IM OUT OF INK	DONT TAKE THIS CRAP DRUG ! STAY AWAY FROM DIOVAN ITS BAD BAD BAD NASTY BAD DRUG! IF YOUR DOCTOR WANTS YOU TO TAKE IT- DONT ! REFUSE HIM OR HER ! AND ALWAYS CHECK OTHER BRANDS OR PILLS THEY HAND OUT TO YOU GENERIC TYPES SAME CRAP SOMETIMES WITH DIFFRENT NAMES .. DONT TAKE DIOVAN ! DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD !	M	92	3 years		8/31/2007
1	High Blood Pressure	I have been taking Diovan for about three years and my sides affects have recently changed, not sure why but at first I had horrible diarrhea (on and off for 12 months) and the doctor keep saying it was not a result of the medication. Also, I have had an increase of sinus and upper respiratory infections. Most of those symptoms have gone away; however over the last 4 weeks, I have noticed a lot of hair loss, to the point I had to have my hair cut short to hide the new thining long hair. The strangest thing has been a side affect called Paresthesia, I feel like my skin is always crawling and tingling; especially the scalp of my head. It is almost not worth it, I am thinking of not taking the medication anymore, but I am so concerned with my blood pressure spiking again and putting my back in the hospital....		F	35	3 years		7/14/2008
1	Moderate high BP	For over two years I had increasing leg pains, finally unable to stand much, walk, or get out of chairs. Dr. unsympathetic, could find no reason, told me to walk more. You know these are just words, but the lost life and pleasure and joyful experience is not describable. Found this website in October of 2007. Quit the pills that day, had to get a new Doctor. Slowly rebuilding muscle loss, finally able to walk three miles again this week.	I hope for class action, this medication is responsible for a great deal of human pain.	F	60	3 years		4/29/2008 Email
1	htn	severe foot pain		F	45	3 years		8/31/2009
1	h.b.p	body aches and pains! headaches dizzyness tired all the time vision problems blurring and sore eyes, ear ringing off and on big sore inside nose-out of body feeling! angina pains from this medication! gas and gas build up trapped gas pains very bad short term memory loss. dry mouth yucky bad sick feeling all the time when on this junk!	been threw 3 diffrent hmo doctors already,not one would change or take me off this stinking medication ( reason -it works in lowering b.p down ) true ! but is it worth all the bad side effects??? Iv been in emergancy icu 3 times with chest pains from this drug! all times I check out normal ekg is normal blood tests are normal, the er doctors tell me right out! its the diovan causing all the problems. get off it! im behind a rock and hard place! if I go off it, all the side effects fade and I feel good again, but the chance of h.b.p is to big a risk factor! and I dont need a heart attack! Iv been told I cant take ace inhibbitors or sister meds..or cal blockers im allergic them to all.. yet these hmo doctors push these drugs on me! demanding I take them. I wish the FDA would recall this drug and look into all the side effects were all having from this drug! oh well it wont work! fda is sold out by big drug companys! I belive most hmo and hmo doctors are sold out as well.. dont kno	M	38	3 years		11/25/2006
1	almost off it !	I have been on this site before and left a few reports on this bad nasty drug!DIOVAN!!! this drug is unsafe to take! as are most b.p medications,please read all side effects before taking it! make sure your not allergic to the medication your taking! in some cases you will or Must force your Doctor to test you ,with this drug !! I know it wont happen if your in a HMO group -	Diovan is one Nasty medication for high blood pressure! if taken with another medication its super Nasty bad! I will soon be totaly off Diovan and Toprol free forever of them both! as I step into the Natural world of medications for the first time -I know it sounds crazy folks! but really I have no choice since iv tryed over 18 diffrent medications and been threw 9 doctors in my hmo system! every pill has side effects! and has caused my body harm and problems! and has interfeared with my life at work and at home! not one has worked good in lowering b.p down to normal readings! so I must turn to a natural way of medications and help. I keep seeing a old tv ad DRUGS KILL ! so do dumbell doctors! as I have found out, most dont care what they hand out ! its in and out the door ! see you in 6 or 8 months bye bye ! they get the co pay - you get bent over ! Im threw with Hmo's - thats another story! hope this works for me.. best of luck to me Loling.. here goes everything	M	53	3 years		1/31/2007 Email
1	Kidney Protection	Weight gain, shoulder pain bad enough to disrupt sleep and keep me in constant pain, muscle weakness and fatigue, blurred vision... Almost all of the symptoms described by other patients I have experienced, except the hair loss.	Dr. Rx'd this for kidney protection (I'm diabetic) and the side effects are affecting my health worse than the original condition. Diovan was Rx'd for preventive purposes only, and never for HBP. If your Dr. wants you on this stuff, tell him no thanks doc.	M	39	3 years		1/11/2007
1	BP Diabeties	didnt really know all my problems were from the Diovan but they are! weight gain, leg pains, DIZZINESS so bad I couldn't drive or walk!	Had an MRI for a brain tumor and the whole time dizziness was caused by the daM diovan!!!!!!	F	46	3 years		5/1/2007 Email
1	High Blood Pressure	Feel dizzy all the time. Lightheaded and horrible time concentrating. Can't sleep. Numbness in hand. Anxious all the time.	Thought i was a hypochondria with all these symptoms. The more research i do i realize it is the medicine. Don't think my gp understands the side effects.	M	45	3 years		1/25/2006 Email
1	High Blood Pressure	Gained 60 lbs around middle; tingling in hands and feet (which wakes me up at night); no energy - lack of stamina; broke a tooth for the first time in my life while eating an almond; loss of sexual desire; recently noticed hair loss	Although it lowers my BP, it's not consistent. Some days BP is still high (154/101) and some days it's really low (136-73). I don't believe this can be healthy in itself.	F	37	3 years		11/7/2006
5	HBP 150/85	I am perhaps bothered by cold weather more than I used to be and I think I may get an extra virus or two (common cold) each winter	Overall very satisfied. Been on it for 2 years. I take one 80mg pill each morning and my BP has dropped at least 20 points to about 130/80. I have had none of the horrible reactions reported on here (weight gain, nasuea, depression, hair loss, etc.)	M	35	2 years		11/3/2008
5	blood pressure	No side effects	Brought my blood pressure down to normal within 2 weeks.	F	53	2 years		6/9/2002
5	Mild hypertension	Some bowel irregularities during first month. Absolutely no problems since.	This drug has done exactly what I had hoped. I take 40 mg every morning and have done so for over two years. I did not make any lifestyle changes. It might be working for me because I take a small dose, I am not at all overweight, I have always exercised and I watch what I eat.	F	56	2 years		7/26/2008
5	High blood pressure	Sleep problems. I get breathing problems if I try to raise the dosage.	I have been on 160 mg. of Diovan for two years. The only side effect I've had since starting it is waking up during the night and having trouble going back to sleep. It started when I started taking Diovan and has not stopped. Otherwise, this medication takes care of my high blood pressure with no other side effects for me. Once, my doctor doubled the dosage because it wasn't lowering my bp enough, but then I had trouble breathing because it made my asthma worse. So I stuck with the 120 mg. dosage and started an exercise program. That did the trick and my bp is now normal with the exercise and the Diovan. I am very happy because I had horrible side effects on other bp meds over the years.	F	39	2 years		12/30/2008 Email
4	had problem with lowtesin	As others I feel more tired than I think I should be. However, I am 67 but in generally excellent health. I did gain weight when I started this medicine. But thought it was due to my extremely bad eating habits. Went on Akins and lost much of it. However,I do think this medicine may have had someting to do with it. My heart rate has been a worry and the BP readings are not consistent.	I wish you could control the dosage by cutting the pill in half but hard to do with its configuration.	M	67	2 years		4/29/2007
4	Borderline hbp	at first I was very tired by about 2pm in the afternoon everyday,but after 4 or 5 months that subsided.I never experienced weight gain but a slight loss then bounced back to my normal weight.	So far I cannot complain about the drug.	M	44	2 years		5/11/2007
4	high blood pressure	some fatigue; tingling in hands and feet.		F	36	2 years		11/7/2006 Email
4	hypertension			M	50	2 years		7/2/2006
3	HBP	I have been takin diovan and Diovan HCT now for almost two yrs. I want to say I agree witht the remarks that everyone has made from the scale of 3 to 1. This drug is good at lowering your BP but it is awful on your body. I have experienced a lot of the symptoms you all have described and they are not very comfortable. I also say to the people who have been experiencing the ringing in the ears to take that very seriously. If you have been to a ENT then go to another one for a second opinion, Now i am telling you this from experience, I went through the same thing three yrs ago and now, I am deaf. I went from ENT to ENT and there was no diagnosis ever given. I dont think the Diovan caused it but, it definitely havent helped with the after effects. Please take the seriousness of the ringing in your ears personally and try to get as much help as possible, as I said my deafness started with a simple ringing in the left ear and ended up taking control over my right ear in a short per	The medicine works to lower your BP, but the side effects are murder on your body.	M	46	2 years		1/10/2007 Email
3	hypertension			M	45	2 years		11/14/2004
3	mild hypertension	weight gain - 25 lbs in a year; some loss of mental clarity; don't sleep as well as I used to. Went for a physical and they started looking at blood sugar, what with all the weight gain.	Worked to reduce my BP, but side effects are beginning to bother me. I just don't have the energy I used to have. I'd like to give Diovan about a 3.5	M		2 years		6/2/2006
3	High BP	Taking Diovan 160 for 2 years, with Toprol XL 50 mg. Lowered my BP significantly, and enough for my doctor to reduce the Diovan this week to 80 mg. Suddenly, I've developed asthmatic symptoms---feeling like I'm not getting enough oxygen, feeling anxious, etc. Has anyone else had this happen upon lowering a dosage? Please email me		F	44	2 years		2/8/2008 Email
3	o lower blood pressure	ringing in left ear. palpations, anxiety, weight gain in middle, tiredness,constant urination, stomach pain if taken w/o food.dr has taken me off. will try something diff on a lower dosage.	my friend almost died on this drug due to low potassium. my mom had the same symptoms as me...will try the dash diet and more exercise to go the natural way.	F	59	2 years		6/13/2007
3	hypertension	Started out on Diovan HCT 80/12.5 but made legs swell. MD switched to 160mg w/o HCT. Have gained quite a bit of weight w/o change in diet or activity level (30-40 lbs). Have been experiencing depression, blurry vision and occassional vertigo/dizzyness. No hair loss, but skin has been very dry, itchy with strange dermititis from time to time. I have developed insomnia which may be part of the side effects though not 100% sure. I have a dry cough that developed that also may be Diovan related. Some leg cramps and pain from time to time as well. I normally am fairly active but I must admit it seems more often than not I am feeling extremely fatigued. Definitely seem to have some memory loss as well... Why was I on this website again..? :)	I usually avoid reading the side effects panel on drugs because there is a tendency to start thinking you are getting all the side effects.. so in this case I didnt look up the weight gain, depression, anxiety, memory loss, blurry vision, etc until I was experiencing it.. and going "hmmm.. I wonder if it could be.. this drug" Diovan did seem to lower my BP significantly at first, but it seems like there was a 'rebound' effect. At first it dropped to 120/80 but after a few months the pressure seemed to creep back to high normal and sometimes higher.. I stopped taking Diovan for a few months and cut back on Toprol and managed to lose 30 lbs. I am thinking about stopping Diovan again to see if the recent bad blurry vision and fatigue clear up.	M	47	2 years		6/24/2008
3	Hyperyension	I've been on Diovan HCT for 2 years and have been having severe hip and leg pain, especially when walking for more than 2 or 3 blocks. Feet and legs also begin to go numb. Have been tested for PAD with test results negative. Are these symptoms associated with Diovan?		M	55	2 years		9/4/2008
3	high blood pressure	loud ringing in ears...muscle twitching...vivid dreams... insomnia...lack of sex drive...weight gain...dry cough... and phantom sounds in my ears like a bell ringing	After reading comments from others, I now think it has been the diovan that has caused side effects. There has been a direct correlation between the side effects and the time I started taking the diovan. I am going to speak to my doctor tomorrow about going off it.	F	66	2 years		7/14/2009
2	High Bllood Pressure	Heart Palipations esp. at night. ED, Low sex drive. Joint pain.	Disruptive sleep with heart palipations often waking me up. Also occasionally would wake up hot & sweaty. Both of these side effects are gone now that I switched to another type of medicine. Also now that I'm off of Diovan my sex drive is returning to normal. Worked OK for my High BP but has Too many serious side effects.	M	56	2 years		7/24/2009
2	Hypertension	Lack of mental clarity, weight gain (10lbs), joint pain, twitching eye, lethargic, bloated	I stated on Diovan HCT over 2 years ago at 40mg. My bp at that time (before meds) was 140/80. The Diovan lowered the bp to around 125/70 for a year. During that time, I had torn a bicep requiring surgery then PT. I have worked out for years and it was increasing difficult to go to the gym due to joint pain that my Ortho surgeon attributed to arthritis. I started taking Aleve to reduce the joint pain, but it reduces the Diovan's effectiveness. My doctor upped the dose to 80mg to lower the bp further. I started suffering shoulder problems and wound up having 2 operations due to pain. Between the pain, weight loss and bloating, and a general lack of energy, I have had to really concentrate on hitting the gym consistently. After finding this site, it all makes sense now. I stopped taking Diovan this morning and will not start again. I regularly monitor my bp, so if being off meds and working out doesn't keep it down, I will talk to my doctor about Azor.	M	51	2 years		9/10/2008
2	High Blood Pressure	I was taking Diovan and Crestor for about 2 years. It brought my blood pressure down from 145/100 to 125/80. But, I wasn't able to sleep at night, headaches in the morning - where it would hurt to turn my head. I also lost so much hair!!!! I used to have thick hair, but now it's thining and falling out. The shower drain is always full of it. And when I brush it, tons fall out.	I decided to stop taking them. It's been 2 weeks - hairloss is less and I'm sleeping better. I am on weightwatchers and am trying breathing techniques to lower my blood pressure. My blood pressure was 128/91 this morning.	F	40	2 years		7/5/2008
2	high bp	Been on 80mg for 2 years with norvasc also. I changed doctors last week and BP was too high for his liking, so he changed my dose to 320mg, and added atenolol. On the 2nd day I started having much difficulty swallowing. Sometimes my throat locks up, and I can't swallow, no matter how hard I try. Loose bowel also started about same time.	Did anyone else have the swallowing problem from the Diovan? Did it stop when you quit the Diovan? I have seen a few posts about trouble swallowing, but don't see if it stopped when the drug was discontinued.	F	53	2 years		11/4/2007 Email
2	HBP	Headaches leg pain back pain neck pain dizzness tooth pain	It helps to lower blood pressure but too many side effects	F	46	2 years		1/21/2008

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Key to ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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