BENICAR Reviews (OLMESARTAN MEDOXOMIL)

Average Rating: 2.2 (332 Ratings)

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 Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

 Type: Rx Drug

  

BENICAR  (OLMESARTAN MEDOXOMIL):  Olmesartan is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. Olmesartan belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). It works by relaxing blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily.   FDA Approval Date: 2002-04-25 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

Results are sorted by Age from youngest to oldest (reviews with no age reported listed first).

Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17


RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR BENICARCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 3  HBP Fatigue,muscle pain on the legs. Some joint pain and weakness when climbing stairs. This drug controlled my hypertension and prevented frequent headaches and migraine. The pain on the back of my neck and shoulders was also helped by this drug. There were no other undesirable side effects. I thought I found my "wonder drug" until subsequent blood tests revealed that it was causing muscle damage. I now switched to a different class of drug (CCB's) and the muscle aches still linger but has definitely improved. I no longer awake in the morning, feeling sore--as though I ran all night! F 2 months
8/19/2006
 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  HTN On just 5 mg of Benicar, I was having frequent intermittent episodes of disequilibrium, hangover like feelings, occasional concerning heart palpations, mild depression, weakness, poor concentration. It did keep BP normal limits, but not worth the side effects. Stopped the drug, feeling 100% better. Seeing my doctor later for a new Rx. Not all ARB's are the same or have the same effect. Don't put up with the side effects! M 3 years
12/24/2007
 1  HBP i took benicar for two days... 8 hours after the first dose i started to get really bad headaches and excruciating neck pain... by day two i almost called 911 i had severe headache, neck pain, numbness throughout my entire body, really bad chest pain and dizziness upon standing... i haven't taken the medication in two days and i'm still feeling all the side effects... do not take this medication, i felt like i was going to have a CVA or a TIA. M 22 2 days
20 mg 1X day
5/6/2012
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 1  High Blood Pressure Severe Anxiety Was taking Benicar 20MG for high BP. Controlled BP but gave me severe anxiety. M 27 7 months
20 1X day
6/26/2011
 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
 5  High BP None This medicine is the best hypertension/ High Blood Pressure out there. It works like nothing else. M 29 1 years
1/10/2007
 4  High BP 160/110 Headaches, bloating, gas, abdominal pain, *extreme* tiredness and fatigue. All but fatigue have vanished after a few weeks. This is my first BP medication, it has dropped by BP to a normal range (always under or around 120/75 or so depending on diet) and my heart isn't beating nearly as hard. Elevated BP due to genetic factors, not excess weight, etc. F 29 3 weeks
5/31/2007
 4  essential hypertension none I take this in combination with 25 mg hydrochlorothizide for hypertension. After trying other ARBs, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers for several years, only this one seems to be an effective remedy to lower my pressures to acceptable levels. Be patient and talk with your doctor. Try them all until you find balance between efficacy and side effects. M 30 8 months
20 mg 1X day
11/2/2012
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 3  High Blood Pressure Elevated Liver Enzymes, Gout, hair loss, difficult time losing weight, fatigue, shortness of breath, and some depression. Benicar has managed my blood pressure extremely well, however, over the years I have developed other health problems that do not run in my family, (see side effects), and I think are a result of Benicar. I have asked my doc to change my medication, but he seems to think it is one of the best blood pressure medications. I previously took Altace for 4 years, but was switched to Benicar because of the nagging cough associated with ace inhibitors. M 30 5 years
40 1X day
3/23/2011
 3  High Blood Pressure Bone pain, severe heart palpitations, chest pain, stomach pain, swelling of the hands, feet, and face, headaches, blurry vision, very low BP 80/50, no energy, no good deep sleep. It was a great medicine at first but 3.5 months in horrible symptoms started. F 30 4 months
40mg 1X day
4/11/2011
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 1  Blood pressure Disconnected, brain fog, muscle cramps, very shaky Couldn't stop feeling the need to shake my leg, extremely shaky M 30 2 days
20 mg 1X day
10/24/2012
 1  For high blood pressure Dizziness, headache, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, muscle ache and left side numbness. I will not suggest anyone to use this med if they are young this med will kill you. Pls go on a diet of no sodium, no fat, no sugar to lower your HBP and don't take this med. It will kill you. I was very close of to have a stroke with this med. F 31 1 months
20 mg/12.5
4/22/2012
 3  High Blood Pressure I was started on the med for 2 weeks when I started mood swings. Dr said try one more week & I did & was fine and took 1 more week before being out. Was off three weeks when started back again. The week I started I woke & loss all control of left leg. As days went by it got a little better use but could not bend, rotate, lay one that side. Needed help dressing and putting shoes on. I was told to go to the Dr again. I was like no. The second week back on I got diarrhea till I was bleeding. That still happening now into the third week back on but no bleeding. This past week (3rd wk on) I have had loss appetite, change in taste. Heart rate fluctuates between 111 and 137. Feel like passing out & having calf cramps. Husband has to shave my legs because I cant bend nor lean forward enough to do it myself. Hair loss increasing. I had thick hair. I have reflux but with my meds for it I still suffer till I vomit. Chest always feels like it is tight and sometimes gasp for air expessially if I am walking around the block with my family (have to stop 3 times before doing one block & I used to walk it up to three times before being tired). Saw Dr today & they did an x-ray but treated me like I was crazy saying they dont know where I see those are side effects I am having. Said keep taking it. Made me feel like I was crazy! I got on my phone & showed her since she said they did not see it as a side effect. She then said it is a side effect but we dont know why. F 33 2 months
20 mg 1X day
5/22/2011
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History
 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
 1  HBP Gradual increased hair loss F 33 4 years
20mg
12/17/2011
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 5  Immune system modulation As part of an experimental treatment for Sarcoidosis, benicar can completely replace the steroid vitamin-D in your body. At low doses it incredibly ramps up immune system activity. At high doses, at 4-6hr intervals it can suppress many kinds of autoimmune inflammation by blocking INF-G. At low doses, it will make rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, sarcoidosis and other AI's MUCH worse. Instant flare at 10-40mg. Its immune system effects could be a real problem if you have an AI condition. M 35 9 months
10/22/2007
 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
 2  high bloid pressure I feel bad all the time..sleepy ..I feel like I am out of it sometimes.and vision. Is blurry .starting to have pain in legs..most of all my mouth feel like i have been sucking cotton balls..the tiredness has gotton worse by the day..I don't know I thought it was gonna help me not make me feel worse F 35 8 days
20mg
1/16/2013
 1  High Blood Pressure I’ve been struggling with horrible blood pressure since the end of pregnancy 3 years ago. I have been on so many other meds and struggled with side effects. I started taking the generic form of Benicar, and it seemed like a dream come true. I developed reflux but did not initially connect that to the medication. Fast forward a year later, and I was having random bouts of nausea when eating and drinking. After a week I remembered that this medication had a reputation for GI side effects and chose to stop it. That was about 4 weeks ago, and things are still not back to normal. I still have nausea, reflux, lethargy, and am dealing with anxiety and depression because of it all. I feel like it would be better to try and lower it in other ways. My blood pressure started at 180/120 at the doctors, and went down to maybe 150/100 anyway. It did not help much there either. My home readings were always more reasonable. I have tried desperately to find message boards with other people who have experienced side effects but it seems impossible. Maybe because of the lawsuits? Can anybody tell me how long it took to feel normal again after stopping?? I really need some hope. I am scared this medicine has ruined my life, and I might have to deal with this forever. :( F 35 1 years
40mg
1/30/2019
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BENICAR  (OLMESARTAN MEDOXOMIL):  Olmesartan is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. Olmesartan belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). It works by relaxing blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily.   FDA Approval Date: 2002-04-25 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

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