There are 160 ratings for the drug: BENICAR in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for benicar: 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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Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken and Dosage		Date Added
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1		overweight,tiredness, high level of triglycerides..its a very wrong drug for high pressure patients....this can almost kill a man..		M	38	3 months 1X D		8/31/2010 Email
2	High Blood pressure	I have been taking benicar 20 mg 2 per day. I have experienced shortness of breath, hiar loss, thick tongue, increased appetite, poor sleep, heart palpitations, joint pain, acid reflux, and weight gain.	I am going to consult my dr agian. I have continued to take the medication because I have already been on so many meds for blood pressure. I am seriously over weight and the this medication has cause additional weigh gain	F	48	6 months 20 mg 2X D		8/26/2010 Email
1	HBP	Sudden dizziness when standing up from a sitting or lying position, sticky feeling in throat that needed to be cleared constantly, increased appetite, increase in airborne allergies.	Started on 20mg/q.d. for high systolic blood pressure. I have been on a few other bp drugs over the years, but my doc convinced me to switch to Benicar, as he feels it is a superior drug. Almost immediately started to see an increase in appetite (I'm a health-nut 6'3" 190lbs, and very active), but that was not the concern to me. NEVER had a problem in my life with dizziness until I started this medicine. Almost every time I would stand from a seated or lying position I would get immediately dizzy, to the point of almost passing out (called postural hypotension, search it on Google, common with certain bp drugs). My wife caught me a couple times. If you have ever been to the dentist and been on laughing gas the spinning and flashing was similar. Anyway, dropped from 20mg to 10mg/q.d., no change. Also had to clear my throat constantly, which was annoying. Stopped medicine all-together and every side effect cleared up. Started again and all came back. Hate the side effect of my old drug, which was frequent urination, but better than the risk of fainting and smashing your head on something, which could kill you. Also, I have never had a problem with airborne allergies, but for some bizarre reason this medicine makes me much more sensitive to allergens. WEIRD!	M	39	2 months 10mg, 20mg 1X D		8/2/2010
2	hypertension	Intolerable Fatigue. Poor Sleep.		M	50	6 months 40mg 1X D		7/5/2010
1	High Blood Pressure	I had been on Diovan for 4 years, when my insurance decided that they would no longer cover it. My doctor switched me to Benicar 20mg. On the 4th day of taking it.. I had a sudden reaction. My body started to ache from head to toe. It hit out of nowhere. I thought I must be getting a virus, but I had no fever. The pain got worse over time and my head, legs, arms all felt weak and heavy. I became very fatigued. There was no nausea, no cold symptoms, no flu like symptoms beyond the body aches and fatigue. Starting the Benicar is the only new possible cause. I researched the side effects which do say muscle aches are possible. I have stopped taking it.	Research any new medication before you take it and discuss it with your doctor.	F	46	4 days 20mg 1X D		7/2/2010
3	High Blood Pressure	Having severe dizziness/balance issues, palpatations, legs are heavy and cramping, tingling in hands and feet, gaining weight, lethargy, night sweats, sleep problems.	Survived a year on Norvasc (should be illegal) and switched to Benicar. Worked great and no side effects until the last 6-8 weeks. I know this feeling from Norvasc. Just back from the ER tonight as I thought I was having a stroke or heart attack. I am getting off this drug!!!!!!!!!	M	55	8 months 20 mg 1X D		6/24/2010 Email
1	HBP	Twice now, I've taken this medication for about 2 to 3 days, and both times I've been unable to get into a deep sleep, and my vision gets blurry. Can't imagine taking it for any length of time. This is probably the 9th BP med I've taken. All have had bad side effects for me. Coreg made my legs so weak that I could barely walk. Also, after getting off of all BP meds for several weeks (doc said I could see where I leveled off because my BP is not in stroke range) my plantar fasciitis went away.	I'm ditching this med. The doctor gave me 40mg. samples of this drug and told me to cut them into thirds, which explains why I'm taking only 13 mg. per day. The doctor had previously told me that if I lost 10 lbs., she'd take me off of the meds, so I'm going to work on losing the extra weight, drink plenty of water, watch the salt intake, and exercise regularly. No more chemicals for me! They're all poison! I'm going to go "natural" and try a "Blood Pressure Support" dietary supplement from my local holistic market while I lose the weight.	F	53	2 days 13mg 1X D		6/23/2010 Email
1	yes	BP dropped to 94/63. Profound fatigue. Aching in the evening like I had a fever, but there was no fever.		F	60	2 weeks 20 1X D		6/22/2010
1	high blood pressure	The first 5 months okay, then I started having tingling, burning muscle pain and spasms in arms, legs and face. Extreme neck and shoulder pain, vertigo, fuzzy vision. I had blood tests and an MRI to rule out MS and I found this website and talked with doctor about going off Benicar. 2 and 1/2 weeks off the medication my vertigo, tingling, muscle spasms, fuzzy vision is gone; I still have some muscle pain...nothing like it was. I believe some people have an adverse reaction to certain medications...and this one didn't work for me. My blood pressure wasn't "sky high" before and it really didn't lower it that much.		F	45	6 months 20 mg 1X D		6/22/2010
1	hbp	terrible palpitations, very fast hr/lower diastolic/much higher systolis	newly diagnosed with hp...first on bistolic...drove me crazy...felt horrible, then on benicar20...felt grest, dia and hb went down, but sys remained high...then on to benicar20/hct...awful, then on to benicae 40mg...terrible palpitations/fatigue/hr up to 100..on each of the above for several days each, except bystolis which was for a week..never needed no took any drugs before	F	73	3 days 40mg 1X D		6/17/2010 Email
1	high blood pressure	Athletic individual, difficulty getting breath while running. Fainting incident in March 2010, cause undetermined, possibly dehydration contributing. Died suddenly while running in June 2010 - autopsy results not available yet.	He was convinced the high blood pressure medication or cholesterol medication was causing problems while running	M	52	40-12.5 1X D		6/14/2010
2	hbp	I was on a 20 mg my bp was still high 140/85 increase to 40 mg. I feel so sick now never been this sick before. I am always weezing and I developed bad allergies no idea what is going on. my blood pressure still high 138/85		F	55	2 years 40 1X D		6/1/2010 Email
3	High BP	I think my cough is coming back!	I was on Lisinopril. Took 3 months to realize cough was from med. I THOUGHT the Benicar was working well....but I've noticed in the last few days my dry cough is coming back. Benicare co-pay is horribly expensive. I'm willing to stay on it for another few weeks. If cough persists, going back to the specialist for ANOTHER med.	F	67	3 weeks 20 mg 1X D		5/26/2010
3	HBP	Stomach cramps		F	40	7 days 20 1X D		5/26/2010
2	BP	unexplainable joint pain, increased appetite, tireness	Was on Cozaar for 5 years, lost our insurance, Dr. gave me Benicar as a trial, 6 weeks into taking Benicar I developed unexplainable joint, neck & back pain. ringing (buzzing) ears. Been back on a Cozaar generic, Losartan Potassium 100mg, after 15 days symptoms beginning to dissappear.	F	48	6 weeks 40mg 1X D		5/25/2010
2	High blood pressure	Cough. Uncontollable dry hacking cough and wheezing. Also swollen ankles and numbness in feet. Exhaustion - constant fatigue; yawning all day. Voracious and uncontrollable appetite: I had lost 35 pounds over two years. Then started Benecar and gained back 30 in 3 months. It does control blood pressure but the side effects are horrible. Do something else but don't take this drug!	Side effects are bad. To control high blood pressure, seek another remedy.	M	69	6 months 20 1X D		5/23/2010
1	HBP	Fatigue, depression, muscle soreness, headaches, heaviness in legs and arms, hives, just felt AWFUL	I had been on the generic from of Ziac (bisoprolol-hctz) for about 13 years and that worked wonderfully, but then, at age 65 my BP was creeping up to 158/78 when it had always been soooo stable at around 115/70. So, doctor started me on one 20mg per day of Benicar in addition to my current BP pill. It did take my BP back down to my normal readings, and even lower PLUS all these side effects. I thought it was all just me until I read all these posts. I'm stopping this poison now. Thanks for this site.	F	65	2 weeks 20 mg 1X D		5/23/2010
2	High Blood Pressure	Heart palpitations, anxiety, Itchy skin & scalp, Left arm weakness and pain in both legs.	Made my BP normal but the side affects make me feel to bad.	F	36	4 days 20mg 1X D		5/17/2010
3	high BP and kidney problems	muscle cramps in back and legs. diarrhea	Taking it	M	39	14 days 20mg 1X D		5/5/2010
4	HBP	No adverse side effects that I am aware of and blood pressure is now very good.	I am now starting to wonder about some things others have said - occasional tingling fingers, lethargic, low energy that I just attributed to other life/environmental experiences.	F	59	9 months 20 1X D		4/6/2010
2	HBP	Benicar lowered my BP to normal level. My symptoms didn't start until I was almost in year 2. I gradually noticed things like breathing heavily during the most basic functions, like taking a shower, or mowing my lawn. Also started to notice loss of appetite, stomach problems, such as pain in abdomen, and diaria. Also started to notice loss of sexual drive, and trouble maintaining an erection. All of this would be enough to stop taking the med. but I didn't contribute my symtoms to the Benicar. So, lately I've noticed I'd have bouts of itching at night, my scalp, my sides, my face, all over really. Also, I've fealt like there is kind of a film over my eyes, making my vision blurred, especially in the morning! Also, been noticing a kind of "fog" in my head, which made it kind of hard to concentrate. But the biggest "unexceptable" issue was I just felt so tired all the time. I could sleep for 10 hours, and in the middle of the day, sit down for 5 minutes and I'd be out	I'm a hemophiliac and am taking other meds for various other problems, but I was feeling very healthy and optimistic about life in general before these symtoms started from taking benicar. Life is not worth living if you feel like crap all the time. I'm not a depressed person, but feeling like crap can be depressing!!!!!!!	M	52	2 years 20Mg 1X D		4/1/2010
1	high blood pressure	tingling sensation in hands and feet, painful gas, bloating, diarrhea	did control my blood pressure but after a month I just felt awful. Have done lisinopril and stopped due to cough, next was hydrochlorothyiside-didn't control bp enough; next was Benicar, then onto norvasc--caused chest pain. Now dr has prescribed Lopressor. Tired of all the side effects.	F	39	6 weeks 20 mg 1X D		3/30/2010
1	High blood pressure	Severe allergic response after two years. Face head lips tongue would swell, hives, feet and hands itching, fainting. after 6 ER visits it was discovered. My fault for not looking deeper into the side effects		M	50	40/25 1X D		3/22/2010 Email History
1	High blood pressure	I thought i was going to die. My kidneys shut down, terrible back ache, cold, chilled like i had a fever, but did not. The worse experience with medicine ever. Ankles and legs swollen and achy all over. Back on Cozaar, will watch my diet better.	Terrible drug for me.	F	73	2 days 40mg 1X D		3/16/2010
5	High BP	None	BP is under control 107/75	F	53	2 years 20-12.5mg 1X D		3/8/2010
4	to lower my blood pressure	Extreme fatigue, I usually have enough energy to work all day, exercise 2 hours in the evening. I can't hold my head up, all I want to do is sleep. After trying to exercise I feel like my arms way 100 pounds each. Also very hungry	It does lower my blood pressure. Was 155/90 now every time I check 130/75 or even lower.	F	48	2 weeks 20mg 1X D		3/7/2010
1	high blood pressure	dizziness, leg and rib cramps...itchiness, hair loss	The dizziness leg and rib cramps were the worst side effect until my head itching began. My scalp stopped itching after about 1 month and then my hair was different. My scalp feels like it is crawling, like when you get goose bumps, except it is 24/7. I have about half of my hair left and it doesn't feel like my hair. It is very thin, dry and lifeless. I have lost at least 50% of my hair. When I questioned my hair loss my doctor advised me to keep taking Benicar because it did lower my blood pressure...he also advised that I should quit reading up on it on the internet! Is he telling me to sit, stay, roll over, stay dumb? Good bye doctor...I have an appointment with a different doctor next week and I will try another of the gazillion drugs for BP. I want a drug that has been used for years, not Benicar, that is relatively new. Also, I did find on their website that alopecia has been reported but not enough to make a dang statement!	F	64	4 months 40 mg 1X D		2/21/2010 Email History
3	BP	I'am always tired. Not enough energy to exercise. Cannot maintain an erection. Cannot loose weight even after healthy diet.	Was on 20 MG for a year and that wasn't controlling BP. Went to 40 and that keeps it under control.	M	71	24 months 40 MG 1X D		2/18/2010 Email
1	take chemo for a disease along w/b	Horrible! Extreme muscle pain,high fever,extreme weakness,dropped BP,HR high,vision messed up. Could not get up. Thought I was dying for two days.	I read, also, that it causes kidney failure. I was taking it to protect my kidneys. I hope I have not had damage!! I would not recommend anyone taking any chance with this drug.	F	62	20 days 20 1X D		2/18/2010
2	high bp	heartburn, leg cramps, dizziness	expensive, not working for me	F	74	5 years 40mg 1X D		2/4/2010 Email
3	High BloodPressure	It has worked well on my BP - sometimes very low in the morning. But I am tired ALL of the time. Tingling in my hands, leg cramps and the rib pain others have been describing.	Was on Norvasc and HZCT for a year and it was awful. BP was never well controlled: 140/90. Horrible vertigo/light headiness -ended up in the ER 6 or 7 times this past year. Finally relieved symptoms after stopping Norvasc - it really should be taken off the market!!! Benicar caused dizziness first week or 2, but it has had a dramatic effect on my BP taken daily (118/77 average for January 2010). I am tired ALL of the time though, tingling in hands and some rib pain - but it IS working for me. Will see if it changes otherwise I will have to find another new medication.	M	54	3 months		2/1/2010
1	High Blood pressure	Weight gain due to ravenous insatiable voracious appetite. Also having numbness tingling in extremities. Extreme Fatigue		F	58	90 days		1/29/2010
3	BP - 145/90	Absolutely no side effects, but it stopped working	40 mg worked great for about 2 years. I take my BP almost daily, and I noticed a spike to 160/100 from 120/80 all of a sudden. The high BP remained there, so now I'm floundering around by adding HCT and Amlodipine to the base 40mg of Benicar. BP is at 135/90. Not desirable.	M	65	3 years		1/23/2010 Email
3	hypertension	I have been on 10mg Benicar for 1 week. The only side effect I notice is I feel sooooo tired. It is lowering my BP which is a plus,now 140/80ish as opposed to 165/90ish. I am moving in the right direction. I know it takes several weeks for your body to acclimate to a new medication so I will wait to see if the tired feeling subsides.	I see some people here are having, what seems like, panic attacks in relation to Benicar HCT. If you are taking that form of Benicar ( with hydrochlorithiazide) be careful. I was first placed on HCT and had panic attacks, or at least thats what I thought it was, in fact I am allergic to it, it is somehow related to the sulfa family of drugs which I am allergic to. SO, if you have an allergy to Sulfa drugs DO NOT TAKE BENICAR HCT, you could do the one without however.	M	35	7 days		1/18/2010
5	high blood pressure	none		M	42	2 years		1/14/2010
5	high blood pressure	None		F	52	3 months		1/6/2010
2	rising blood pressure	change in length of time for orgasm	no other side effects except the one but my blood pressure keeps rising despite taking this drug. My diet, exercise and weight are all excellent. Now taking 10 mg. per day. 5 mg. at night, 5 mg. in the morning.	F	70	1 years		1/1/2010 Email
2	HBP	Strong rib pain, muscle and bone pain in knee area, worsening of arthritis particularly in one finger, muscle cramps	it did lower my blood pressure, but I found side effects too debilitating and I have discontinued it last week. I found immediate relief from the side effects. Looking for new blood pressure medication.	F	70	300 days		12/26/2009
5	TO PREVENT KIDNEY PROBLEMS - AM DIA	I HAVE HAD NO SIDE EFFECTS AT ALL AND HAVE BEEN ON BENICAR FOR YEARS.	MY INS CO HAS DECIDED NOT TO COVER BENICAR AS IS IS NOT A GENERIC SO MY DR TRIED ME ON LISINOPRIL AND AFTER ONLY 2 DAYS I COUGHED SO HARD AND LONG I ACTUALLY LOST MY BREATH TWICE. I AM GOING TO LOOK INTO GETTING IT FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY.	F	58			12/15/2009
4	High BP	Taking 20 mg a day - I feel some type of 'calming' effects - no side effects on sex drive, sleep pattern, appetite, or attitude. Almost like a "chill" cocktail for those that have been under the scapel.		M	38	60 days		12/14/2009
2	blood pressure	tired,	I have only been on benicar 40 for 3 weeks and have had cough for 2 weeks. get up eat and so tired I have to go back to bed. I did not know what was causing my problems till I read the other people's reports. I can not live with this med.	M	61	3 weeks		12/8/2009
3	HBP - WCHT	Joint and muscle pain. Good BP control. no other side effects. Taking 40mg 1 x day. bp = 120's over 80's	Thought I found the perfect drug after trying ALL other classes and having bad side effects with each. However, after "Complete" blood work revealed Glucose lever had gone up to 129 I felt this must be wrong. - Dr. said you may have type2 Diabetes, I took myself off Benicar for 30 days. Retested and "Fasting" Glucose back at 85, where it's AlWAYS been. Lesson learned: If you think you found a good BP drug and get good numbers make sure ALL your blood work baseline numbers stay the same. PhysiciansDeskReference book says Benicar can raise glucose levels.	M	61	6 months		11/5/2009 Email
2	HBP	pain in Ribs, bdominal muscle pain, Kidney pain, low urine, Headache and chest pain and no sex drive.	My BP was 125/90 and lowered it to 89/60 too low for 5/ml. I was on Lisoprin and Azor was same brought my BP down too low. And I was seeing ghost at night they were talking to me (LOL). With Benicar I lost my sex drive while I was so active.	M	57	4 days		10/23/2009
1	HBP	Fatigue, trouble with sex drive and ability to maintain an erection, dizziness, depression and anxiety	I am a very healthy 41 year old male that works out(weights and cardio) 5 days a week. I have no other health problems other than HBP. I started BP meds in January 2009 due to being unable to control BP through lifestyle changes. I started out on 20/12.5 with good results for about 6 monts. I started noticing problems in July 2009 and visited my doctor. He switched me to 40 mg and I have been off and on it for the last couple of months. I do OK for a few days but once I am on it for about 10 days I start having problems. I stopped today and am going to visit my doctor tomorrow. If this is the only option for me then I won't take anything!	M	41	10 months		10/14/2009
1	High BP	Feeling faint, dizzy, heart palpitations, irregular heart beat, fatigue, insomnia, increased hot flashes, hair loss, and some kind of brief brain muddles.	I began with 20mg, then after BP plunges causing me to nearly pass out, the Dr. decreased it to 10mg. I felt the same. On my own, I lowered it to 5mg, then 2.5mg. All the bad symptoms persisted, even on the lowest dose. Yesterday my heart pounded so irratically, I felt like I might go into cardiac arrest, so I didn't take the pill. Today I feel like a new person. Before I tell my DR, I will try to eat 4000 mg of potassium a day, absolutely no salt, and more excercise. I am not overweight. This is the only prescription drug I take. Has anyone tried Hawthorn Berry supplements?	F	73	6 months		9/12/2009 Email
1	Hypertension	Dry mouth, pressure in my head, extreme confusion and dizzyness. I missed work I couldn't think straight or stay focused. Worst HBP Med I've been on. Was on Lisinopril Dr took away all my migraines, but I developed a severe cough.	The drug made me feel mentally unstable. Scared me - I know they all have side affects but Benicar was the worst. I could deal with dizzness, but the way it affected my thinking, was too much. I left my car in the parking lot running for over 2 hours, because I forgot to turn it off. I'm going to see another Dr if I can't get something better. I'm cutting salt down and dropping 20 lbs - maybe then I can get off HBP meds. This is not life.	F	63	3 days		8/30/2009 Email
1	high blood pressure	Side effects of vertigo and weight gain didn't become pronounced until after 6 or 7 years of 20 mg. a day. Increased to 40/12.5 (with diuretic) for two years and dropped back down to HCT 20/12.5. Stopped Benicar for 2 days and felt much better. Dr. took me off this and placed me on Diazide.	Symptoms did not reveal themselves until seventh year on this various strengths of Benicar.	F	67	7 years		8/11/2009
1	hypertension	This drug stole (7) years of my life. Only fate and persistence on my part identified this drug as the culprit in a nightmare of almost constant unrelenting pain. Finger joints were so sore I could not do anything requiring grip strength. Neck and back were constantly in pain as was my ribcage/sternum. Had an episode of vasculitis that nearly cost me my hands. I frequently suffered photophobia and dizziness. I have spent in excess of $5,000 dollars in co-pays for exotic tests and scans this year alone. I've Been put on dangerous drugs like methotrexate and prednisone to deal with the vasculitis and the swelling of my hands face and ankles. Had a constant skin rash during the bout of vasculitis that mirrored radiation burns. Skin on my ankles would itch and become red and caused me to scratch the flesh until raw and bloody. In short, pain and discomfort had become my constant companions and made me feel like I was not living the life of other normal people in the prime of	So HOW did I finally find out that this drug was the cause of my symptoms? I fainted one day about a month ago and wound up in the hospital. I was so hypotensive I needed intravenous fluid infusion. My Dr. suggested that my hypertension may have gone into remission for some unknown reason, and so he instructed me to stop taking the Benicar unless my BP started to creep back up. After about a week off the drug, BP was increasing to well above normal, so I started taking Benicar at my 40mg daily dosage again. After all, I had tolerated it well for the first year that I started taking it, so it never occurred to me that that my body's immune chemistry and subsequent inflammation response had been very gradually altered to the point that these symptoms started to appear. And this is where fate comes into play. I came down with a bad cold. My Dr. who noted my higher BP decided to put me on an entirely different BP medicine. Why a different drug? Because my cheap-ass insurance company took Benicar off of its covered drug list. If not for that, I might still be suffering with all the weird side effects. It is VITAL that people realize that Benicar is a VERY powerful drug. It can have profound detrimental effects on all kinds of immune, inflammatory, and biological processes. It also builds up in the tissues slowly over many months.	M	50	7 years		8/4/2009 Email
4	HBP 190/95	Benicar 40mg: Messing with the sex drive. General fear over the side-effects I can feel.	Been on every other med under the sun. This is the only one that works. My BP is now between 135/80 and 120/70. I do plan on reduction in dose in 6 months.	M	37	6 months		7/31/2009
3	High BP	Itchy Skin. I am thinking it may be Hives. I need to check with my Physician to confirm.		M	33	3 weeks		7/17/2009
3	Chronic Fatigue	Made me feel dizzy and like there were little bubbles fizzing around in my head. However, I think this may have had to do with the Minocycline I was taking this with. This was an off-label use and winded me up in the ER with a weird headache. This is not recommended by the pharmaceutical company, as far as I know.	The fizzy, scary headache went away as soon as I stopped both medications, recommended by the Marshall Protocol. Later it was believed that I was suffering from Lyme disease and a Western Blot test showed some reactive bands. Following CALDA's recommendations saved my life, though the first few months were tough. ER doctors know nothing about this reaction or Lyme disease and thought I was just a crazy person. So I spent $1600 for eight hours of sitting in a bed while they helped everyone else and did nothing for me.	F	45	100 days		7/16/2009
3	HBP	Weight gain even with exercise and watching what I eat. Fatigue, some trouble sleeping, depressed, and less interest in sex has gradually become an issue. Has kept BP stable, but I think it's time to try something else.	I'd like to know what is out there to take that's effective without some of these side effects.	F	59	3 years		7/13/2009
2	Moderately High Blood Pressure	I did have some success with Benicar. Initially lowered my bp from about 140/90 down to about 120/70 (after a few months). Was initially on Benicar HCT, but that made me drool (embarrassing). Switched to Benicar 20mg and blood pressure remained good. After a time, noticed blurred vision/eye fatigue, muscle cramps, feet and joint pain and higher cholesterol. When I started Benicar, I also increased workouts (3-5 mile running or 10+ mile biking daily, plus circuit trainig weight program 3 X per week). At same time started better diet. Began cutting Benicar in 1/2 and noticed no change in bp, but noticed decrease in side affects. 2 weeks ago, PCP refused to refill without full physical, so I stopped. bp is 110/74 (max) and all side effects clearing up (especially my vision). I am also taking 200mg of CoQ 10, fish oil, a multi-vitamin, HA joint formula and 81mg aspirin daily.	I took the medication for over 6 years and never missed a daily dose. The side affects came on so gradually, I just attributed them to going from 30's to 40's. There may be more side affects that I am not yet aware of, so the longer I stay off of the medication, I may notice more. I monitor my bp frequently (often daily), so I will keep up with this and go back to the PCP if my bp goes out of control again.	M	46	6 years		6/25/2009
2	HP	First of all the medication smells awful and I think it makes my urine smell. I have dizzyness, weakness, great fatigue, stomach upset and nausea. Blurry vision too.	I've been on this medication for about 5 yrs. during which my bp has gone down a bit, but generally I feel awful. I do have other health issues such as hypothyroid and MS. However neither of these problems were severe and were managed. Now I feel so much worse and I am going to go off this medication and try natural means of lowering blood pressure. Frankly I think it might work for some people but for others there must be other factors that make this stuff hard to tolerate. I just hope the damage done with this medication can be turned around!	F	62	5 years		6/25/2009
1	High blood pressure	Muscle pains were so bad that I gradually lost the ability to walk. My PCP did not suspect side effects of B. i am now wheel-chair bound and have many other symptoms, slowly recovering.	I took 40 mg/d for at least 6 years and Diovan before that	M	81	999 days		6/22/2009 Email
3	HBP	Uncontrollable rash on torso for 4 years (did not link it to Benicar), turned to intolerable itching of torso, scalp, legs, & arms in the last few months. Fatigue, weak leg muscles, minimal exercise (15 minutes yard work) causes Pulse to jump to 130 to 150, and BP to plunge dangerously low to 82-90 over 42 to 58. After discontinuing Benicar: Stinging/Tingling in hands & feet improved, while massive vascular headaches and chest pain went away completely (recently had ultra-sound and nuclear stress test on my heart due to these chest pains - heart is in great shape according to cardiologist).	Taking 20 mg for 4 years. Doc had me on 40 mg, then 30 mg; but could not stand up without a quick black out (I work on roofs of buildings all day - can't be getting wobbly legged up there if I want to live to go home at the end of the day).	M	47	4 years		6/21/2009
3	heart attack; diabetic	tired; no motivation; bouts of depression	Think the combination of drugs I am taking are causing similar side effects. Dr. says this drug works best for diabetics. I do not have high blood pressure - keeping my BP steady in order to help my heart function better. Not sure as all the meds are really helping or if side effects will do me "in" in the end! Had been on lisiniprol.Taking Benicar I can get out of bed in the morning! Lisiniprol lowered my BP so far I wasn't moving! Throw in a low blood sugar level and the family had to call 911!	F		3 months		6/9/2009
2	Hypertension	Fatigue, confusion, depression	I bagan taking 20 mg. of Benicar daily to replace 20 mg. of Lisinopril I had been taking for high blood pressure. I stopped taking the Lisinopril as it was causing me severe gout, something I had never had in the past. After 2 weeks on the Benicar I noticed I was feeling wierd, and very unconfident in my decisions. After another week I realized something was definitely wrong when I failed to reassemble a tool I had taken apart and put back together many times in the past. I immediately stopped taking Benicar and felt normal within 2-3 days. Upon reviewing this episode with my doctor, he said my symptoms were probably unrelated to the drug and I most likely was experiencing a mild form of dementia! I am taking a new drug that seems to be working O.K. for me and looking for a new physician. I find it odd the symptoms of confusion appear nowhere in the testing reviews of this drug yet abound here where people share their experiences. I want to thank those who have done just that as it has given me some comfort to know I have not been the only one to have this happen to me.	M	50	21 days		5/10/2009
1	High Blood Pressure	After awaking my left eyelid didn't open easily. I sometimes had to lift the lid with my finger and then "exercise" it several times until it opened on its own. Began having weakness in the right arm and couln't lift a milk jug into the refrigerator. The doctor was talking to me about neurological testing. He doubled the dose of benicar because my bp was still high and I saw a rapid increase in weakness in my right arm. I stopped the BP medicine and 1 month later all symptoms were reversed.	www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2004/nov_PI/Benicar_Tab_PI.pdf See the above website, it indicates rhabdomyolysis (muscle weakness) as a side effect. Certainly was for me!	F	53	1 years		4/29/2009
2	Hypertension	Fatigue, confusion and depression sets in after taking Benicar. So I started taking it at night but it gave me severe headaches the next day which turns into a migraine.	Benicar was recommended by my doctor since it had fewer side effects than Norvasc/HCTZ or Lisinopril. I was on Norvasc and HCTZ for one year and I never realized the side effects until my doctor referred me to a neurologist for migraine and dizziness. I was then prescribed more meds to control my migraine which made me felt miserable. After researching both medication and it's side effects, I stopped taking Norvasc and HCTZ for 3 weeks and felt so much better. Migraines, dizziness and sexual disfunction all went away. My doc prescibed Lisinopril which gave me a rash and upper respiratory problems. I stopped taking Lisinopril for 10 days and started 10 mg of Benicar for 21 days. I experienced hacking cough, fatigue and the migraines came back. The plus side is I had a normal sexual drive and it did control my BP. I will be seeing my doctor to try other meds.	M	39	21 days		4/17/2009
2	high blood pressure	extreme anxiety of oncoming heart attack,light headed,dizzy when getting up from couch,tingling sensation in both feet to a point where can not sleep at night, trouble breathing.	been on benicar 20mg for about 15 months,at first everything was great with no side effects. did great job of lowering my blood pressure however side effects at first were just being light headed and after about a year the anxiety and tingleing sensations in the feet became so severe that they are worse then the high blood presure.Getting off this drug and all drugs of this nature as this is the second one that I have been on and they all start out ok and then go down hill real fast. Does anyone know the best way to stop using this drug? all at once or slowly?	M	61	1.5 years		4/7/2009 Email
1	low grade high blood pressure	aching in arms, then light twiching in left upper arm. after about 3 months I began to have increased muscle twiching / tremmors all over my face, neck arms, hands etc. itching almost all over my body. back aching at night when i tried to sleep it felt like a light vibration in my upper spine and neck. finger tips tended to lose sensation while working with hands. became concerned when symptoms matched ms and maney other diseases. then dr. ordered brain scane (which was negative) I was very worried and not sleeping due to stress over this! I can't believe I waited this long to check other people's symptoms after not seeing my symptoms on the list that came with the meds! they just seem to be getting worse and worse. I am only 38 and bp was not real high but took about 10 min of sitting to come down from about 134/88 to 127/80. I have decided to stop benicar 20mg 3 days ago and try to relx, work out more and eat way more fresh fruits and vegetables.	I wonder how much unseen damage is done to the body by drugs like this? I feel like I am killing myself by trying to be proactive and stay in top shape. I will continue to monitor my bp and if it goes higher I will try something else. I am also getting a dr who understands side effects and doesn't send me for an expensive mri when he should have researched the side effects.	M	38	4 months		3/31/2009 Email
2	hbp	Lethargic, exhaustion, leg muscle pains, depression, short of breath, no motivation, increased appetite, nausea, confusion, difficulty remembering things	This is an additional hbp medication. HCTZ caused same symptoms plus severe itching. After going off HCTZ two weeks, I started having energy and feeling optimistic. Doctor put me on samples of Benicar 20 mg. and lethargy, depression, confusion returned. Life is not worth the struggle on this medication! I cannot live on the couch sleeping day and night!	F	66	2 weeks		3/25/2009
2	HPB	Tired,lethargic,dizzy,confused,cant walk any distance or stairs without feeling like i ran a marathon	Dr said this medicine had least side affects, he prescribes it to his father, Looked at me like i was nuts when he prescribed me new meds.	M	42	2 weeks		3/24/2009 Email
1	Hypertension	My cholesterol levels became abnormally high after 6 months, including my LDL cholesterol, the bad kind. Before starting Benicar, they were normal, in fact, very good. Also, my tongue became "thick", causing slurred, dificult speech. Now, the doctor wants to put me on Lipitor. No, thanks! I'm quitting all drugs.	I regret ever taking this drug. I hope I haven't suffered permanent damage. I took it for 6 1/2 months.	F	51			3/4/2009 Email
2	high B/P heart beating too much	bad cough, tired, blurry vision sometime, weight gain, didn't work and many more, feet swelled	This did not work very well for me. After about one month it was back to square one-back to doctor for something else. Many more side effects that lots of others had, but it just didn't work. GOODBYE Benicar!! SAME TO YOU BYSTOLIC-this made me feel really bad-tired all the time and I took it at night and Benicar in the AM. Bystolic had just about the same nasty side effects as Toprolol. Might work for some, but not for me. Also, GOODBYE doctor that gave me these, hello new doctor, ANYTIME YOU GET MEDICINE-ALWAYS GET SAMPLES-always!!	F	60	2 months		2/28/2009
1	High blood pressure	Difficulty to breathe, tingling, dizziness, tachycardia, difficulty to relax, punch in the plexus and only after four days of taking it. More damaging than high blood pressure itself which would go up and way day during the day.		F	60	10 days		2/14/2009
3	HBP	Fatigue, dizzyness when bending over and muscle cramps.	Benicar is an effective drug as far as drugs go...I tried 10 other medications that did nothing. When my PCP basically gave up (after giving me samples of every drug in her cabinet), she referred me to a cardiologist who was a God send. He gave me samples of Norvasc, which worked almost instantly. Unfortunately, I had to discontinue its use because I have gum disease. My cardiologist is something that's rare: a doctor who doesn't just say try this, try that but one who actually knows about the drugs he prescribes, their side effects and interactions. He advised me to discontinue its use because it accelerates bone loss (my gums had started bleeding after years of being clean). Of course, my periodontist didn't believe it and disputed his claim; he was kind enough to make copies of the study so that I could present it to her--you should have seen the look on her face! Once taken off Norvasc, Benicar was prescribed and it actually worked without making me feel like I was going to	F	49	4 years		2/6/2009
2	HBP	No major side effects	Drug did not bring down pressure at all	M	43	3 weeks		2/6/2009
1	hypertension	Fatigue, blurry vision, dizziness and vertigo, belching, can't seem to do much without resting, generally just feel lazy, can't bend over without feeling dizzy and off balance. Dry hacking cough like choking more than coughing that wakes me at night. Jaw pain, dull headache. Heart palpates a lot after eating which seems to be connected in some way with digestion. In general I hate this medicine and all other BP meds which I have tried for the last 10 yrs. They all seem to work at first and then the side effects begin after awhile. When I stop taking them I feel great, but BP goes too high. Really wish I could try something natural that really works. High BP not connected to weight problem, just unknown reason.	It has helped lower my BP, but don't know how long I can put up with the side effects! Someone on this site mentioned forskolin & garlic as a natural help for high BP, but don't know where this can be purchased with assured quality or the proper dosage. Would that person or anyone out there that has taken forskolin please give me this information. I would really appreciate it, I am desperate to find something without these awful side effects!	F	67	2 years		1/25/2009 Email
3	Hypertension	I took this drug several years ago with good results. I am now taking 20 mg. after the layoff and am now experiencing relatively severe tingling in my forearms and sleep difficulties. There could be some problems involving decreased libido but I'm guessing it's probably fatigue.		M	61	23 days		1/20/2009
2	HBP	Started taking Benicar after trying other BP meds, hands started tingling, constant ringing in right ear. Also, has anyone else had any experiences with their jaw hurting and cracking. I only noticed this since I started the Benicar and I went off for a time and that went away. I have now started back on it and the jaw problem has come back.		F	57	1 months		1/13/2009
3	changed me fron norvasc to benicar	Benicar makes me very tired i don't even feel like i want to go out and i am very depressed	benicar did lower my B/P i was put on 20mg first then they put me on 40mg a day because my pressure did not lower enough with the 20mg pill.	F	68	2 months		1/11/2009 Email
5	hypertension	Early on experienced some dizziness associated with drinking alcohol. More recently no experiences of any problems whatsoever.	Benicar has worked great improving my blood pressure numbers.	M	49	3 years		1/1/2009
4	High Blood Pressure	None that I am aware of, but I have a lot that I attributed to Zocor and TriCor which I was taking for high cholesterol	As I have been reading about various prescriptions and how they affect different people, it becomes very obvious that most medicines are toxic to some and fine for others. Why, because they are strong chemicals and affect people differently just as other things do in our diet, like peanuts as a great example. Some people are very alergic to poision ivy and some are totally unaffected by it. I tolerate benicar well (so far) but when it comes to statins and other cholestorol meds, they really affect me badly and I seem to have all of the side affects that many of the people experience. Actually I was toking Statins first, in the middle of that experience I started taking benicar. I developed bad sided affects and from reading the reviews of people I decided to go off of the Chol. meds, and the side effects went away, most of them totally, some significantly. Then after about 6 months I moved from Zocor to Tricor due to re-elevated cholesterol. All the time I stayed on the Benicar. I did	M	64	1 years		12/19/2008
2	high bP	Extremely fatigued. Out on STD and slept all day. Fuzzy brain, confused, dizzy, legs and arms tingling. Dr thought it could be MS. Stopped taking it and after 2 weeks feeling much better. Using HerbPharm Heathy Heart tonic, magnesium/potassium/mineral complex, and milk thistle along with a B complex and am feeling much better. BP is remaining low enough that PCP is not pushing me to try another pharmaceutical. After this experience I think my answer would be no!	HerbPharm Healthy Heart Tonic is here http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=4577685736670005066 Use this referral code and get $5 off your purchase ROT043 My BP has gone down and no side effects -- yippee!	F	48	10 weeks		12/13/2008
5	high blood pressure	on and off nausea, best taken on full stomach	Worked great for me, lowered and keep my BP down and was well tolerated.	M	48	5 years		12/11/2008
3	Hypertension	Worked fine for about 1 year, then started having lower backache, muscle cramping/soreness and trouble breathing during exercise/moderate-vigorous work. Didn't associate it with the medicine at first, but decided I was too young to feel this old. Stopped med several times for a few days and pain went away. Dr. looked Benicar up and said all these wer known side effects. Switched to new med and suddenly feeling much better, sleeping better and mood is better.		M	48	1 years		12/8/2008
3	High blood pressure	uncontrollable itching and rash on sides and back, upper arm and calves	Don't know if it from Benicar (the itching). But am going to stop taking it to find out.	M	60	1 days		12/4/2008 Email
2	blood pressure	Anxiety, jittery feeling, pounding heart.	Switched back to my original med (propranolol) after 1 month.	F	52	30 days		12/3/2008
3	Hypertension	My most significant "possible" side effect is drug-induced lupus, although very little data is presently available by the medical fraternity on this. I was referred to a rheumatologist by my primary care physician, as my most recent blood test (Histone AB panel) strongly indicated drug-induced lupus. The rheumatologist took me off Benicar as a first step to diagnose the cause, and the Histone AB blood panel will be checked again in two months to determine if indeed Benicar is the culprit.	Benicar significantly improved my systolic BP. But, the possible side effect of drug-induced lupus eliminates it as a hypertension alternative for me.	M	62	11 months		11/24/2008
1	HBP	I HAVE BEEN ON BENCAR 20MG FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS. I HAVE RHEUMATOID ARTRHITIS, FIBROMYALGIA AND SJOGREN'S SYNDROME. I AM FATIGUED, WEAK, HURT MYSELF TRYING TO WORK OUT, FALL, SENSITIVE TO LIGHT. SJOGREN'S SYNDROME DRIES OUT MUCUS MEMBRANES AND THE BENICAR IS NO HELP WITH THAT. I ALSO HAVE A NASTY GAGGING COUGH. I'VE TRIED DISCUSSING THIS WITH MY PCP WHO SEEMS TO FEEL I'M IMAGINING THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT NEXT WEEK AND AM GOING TO INSIST ON A CHANGE OR FIND ANOTHER PCP.		F	56	8 months		11/24/2008 Email
3	HBP	Had some dizziness/vertigo but that is to be expected when lowering your BP! May be causing some muscle (leg) cramping. I am a cyclist and like to ride 40 to 60 miles, but leg cramps are a problem on or off the bike. Sexual problems such as loss of erections may be Benicar related however either side effect Could be age related.	This was a good drug for me - ACE or beta blockers caused extreme weakness and I could not ride as long as I wanted too.	M	50	1 years		11/2/2008
1	hypertension	Insomnia, depression, anxiety, tremor, facial rash, fatigue.	I have hypertension of about 150/90. Good health otherwise, weight is well in control with BMI of 22. I really disliked the comment that someone made here saying, well, it works for me so you all must have been sick to begin with. I have had three bouts of angio edema with ACE inhibitors, I take them for a few years and suddenly find myself in the emergency room. I am now having rashes and am questioning my stupidity of allowing my doctor to give me yet another ACE inhibitor after not being able to tolerate three other ones, and it should be a great time in his office next week. My point is, I'm happy if it works for you, but to some of us, these things actually are poison after you take them for awhile and I do empathize with all who are having weird symptoms. Yes, it probably is your BP medicine.	F	53	3 years		10/28/2008 Email
2	hypertension	dry orgasm. it is embarrassing being told by my GF, nothing came out. i am also on norvasc and zyrtec.		M	45	2 years		10/16/2008
1		After a days' work, experience fatigue and depression. I've had a lot of muscle pains, including leg cramps at night! Hadn't related it to Benicar until read these posts! Finally told my dr. to get me off Benicar & tried me on Diovan, which made my leg cramps worse! Now taking Atacand and so far, my first day on this med, no side effect. Will keep you posted.		F	47	1 months		10/8/2008
2	high blood pressure	very tired from the time i get up in the morning..no motivation to do anything. my blood pressure has not come down that much. it started at 150/90 and now is 130/85..	not sure if i want to stay on this med.....went off and blood pressure went up past original numbers.	M	56	1 years		10/1/2008
4	High Blood Pressure	None so far. Started using samples dr gave me. My blood pressure was about 140/90 due to age and premenopauso. I always had blood pressure of 120/80 forever. the next day my blood pressure was down and continues to be down. I'm monitoring it now and it's been about 3 weeks. I get my blood pressure taken about twice a week so far so good. In fact I'm thinking of asking the dr to lower the mg. I'm only taking 20 but maybe I can get away with less since my pressure so much lower.	May get a little light headed at times if I get up to fast from the couch but I feel great. I have a backache but I don't think thats from the benicar. Anyone else have backaches. Im gonna go to a chiropracturer and maybe my acupunturist to see whats up with my back	F	49	3 weeks		9/7/2008 Email
3	high blood pressure	very low blood pressure, so low that i really did not even feel like getting up from my bed much less even talk. At times I also felt tired,confused,irritated,depressed.Sometimes I feel confused I do not really know whether i should stop taking it. I tried doing so at one time and my bp went through the roof. I even feel that telling my doctor is such a waste of time, what will he prescribe next. I am glad to know that there are others who have felt the same symptoms. I thought I was loosing my mind.	I have been taking benicar for approximately 1 yr.	M	38	1 years		9/2/2008
2	HBP 150/110	I am incredibly tired--want to sleep all day.	In addition to being VERY lethargic, my blood pressure has not gone down much after four days on the med. I can't take it anymore.	M	39	4 days		8/25/2008
1	hbp	This med has me feeling dizzy, I feel like vomiting, and don’t feel like eating. All I want to do is lie down and sleep. I also feel fatigue.	Listen!! I exercise and have a good diet. I eat no red meat just chicken and fish. Since I have been taking this pill I feel like Shit. That bad thing is that I only have been taking it for 5 days. I am about to throw these meds out the window.	M	27	5 days		8/15/2008
2	high BP	Weight gain, great fatigue, heart palpitations, insomnea, tingling in low back and legs, frequent muscle and joint pain in upper back and shoulders, easily winded, can hardly walk any distance anymore, transposing of letters when typing on computer is very bad.	Doctor put me on Benicar after a couple other meds didn't bring my BP down enough. Reading the comments of others at this site has made me realize I need to discuss with dr and not accept all these symptoms as age-related.	F	69	3 years		8/13/2008
5	HBP	Achey knees and legs.	On 40 mg Benicar HCT. Pressure went from 150/88 to 126/76.	M	54	7 months		7/24/2008
3	High Blood pressure	This helped my blood pressure and had what seemed like minor side effects. It didn't make me super fatigued, like beta blockers, didn't give me a cough like ACE inhibitors. Worked great on my mild hypertension.	However, I have been depressed for about 4 years. This is about the time I went on this med. I recently ran out of Benicar and noticed an increase in my mood. I ran out again this week (2 months later) and noticed an increase in my mood. So I am thinking there is a link between depression and Benicar for me. I have also gained weight since I went on this drug. Not sure if I can pin point it directly to this drug (as I am the age where you start gaining weight), but there is a correlation. I am going to try something new.	F	53	4 years		7/24/2008
1	HBP	Extreme fatigue and depression. I've had a lot of muscle pain, but hadn't related it to Benicar until reading these posts! I'm on 2 meds for depression, but they don't seem to help anymore...now I'm thinking it's because of the Benicar. My doc increased my doseage from 20 to 40 a couple of months ago and my depression and fatigue are worse than ever. I don't get anything done, except struggle through work and get meals on the table. I'm sick of all these meds and their side effects!		F	56	1 years		7/8/2008
3	high bp	my body feels like its tingling mostly in the lower legs and back I have to take sleeping pills to help with sleep. Does anyone else have this problem?	it works bp was 140=90 now 115 65	M	49	1 years		6/28/2008 Email
2	hypertension	Very fatigued, heart palpitations, arms feel very limp. no motivation. Everything is an effort. Headache( sinus pressure at times)chest pressure.	I was on Benicar 20mg and amlodipine 5mg for 1yr.Started feeling dizzy and very weird. Doctor took me off amlodipine. All my tests come back fine but I have terrible weakness and heart palpitations. I have missed alot of work. Feel terrible.	F	49	1 years		6/28/2008 Email
4	Hypertension	Anaphalatic shock - I turned into a pumpkin and had to go to the ER for treatment. Believe it was an alergice ratction.	Did a great job of lowering BP, but I seem to be alergic to this drug.	M	48	40 days		6/26/2008
3	high blood pressure	This stuff is ruining my sleep, regardless of dosage. I waken after only 2 hours & then fall back to a long sleep that never seems restful. In addition, after only a few days, I developed painful, burning urination and blurred vision. Having read that blurred vision was a sign of overdose, I cut back to 20 MG. It seems that the blurred vision was mostly due to my tears (like the urine) becoming toxic, and the lowered dose seems to have taken care of that side effect. I'm still waiting to see whether it's doing anything for the high BP.	I had much worse response to Benicar HCT. A brief experience with Azor (Benicar plus generic Norvasc) was somewhat happier, but that stuff is VERY $$$$$$$$$$	F	56	2 months		6/23/2008 Email
2	High blood pressure	None	I've had high blood pressure for at least three years, like 175/105 and higher. I finally got some good insurance and went to the doc, started me on lisinopril, that was terrible. So he switched me to Atenolol, which lowered my bp but made me tired and nearly impotent. So after 2 or 3 weeks on that I've switched to Benicar after tapering off from Atenolol. Right away I started feeling better, but of course it was because my bp and pulse went up. On Atenolol, my resting pulse was around 55, when normally it's around 72. On Benicar pulse is back to normal, bp is around 145/90 most of the time, so that's not too good. I started with 20 mg, when that wasn't doing much I went to 40mg. My bp is 130/80 for a long time after strenuous exercise, but other than that it's too high. I've read a lot about these drugs here and elsewhere, and I'm thinking it's time to get scientific about prescribing them. This whole "take some of this and we'll see if it works" thing is ridiculous. By no	M	51	7 days		6/6/2008

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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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