DIOVAN Reviews (VALSARTAN)

Average Rating: 2.0 (776 Ratings)

Filter Results

Compare DIOVAN with similar:
 Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

 Type: Rx Drug

  

DIOVAN  (VALSARTAN):  Valsartan is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. It is also used to improve the chance of living longer after a heart attack. In people with heart failure, it may also lower the chance of having to go to the hospital for heart failure. Valsartan belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). It works by relaxing blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems.   FDA Approval Date: 1996-12-23 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

Results are sorted by Date added.

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 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39


RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR DIOVANCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 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  High blood pressure Within 3 weeks wife figured out my mind numbing pain in my muscles was caused by the Diovan. Stopped taking the drug immediately. Pain has only intensified. No relief. After 2 1/2 months now my doctor says it's fibromyalgia. Can't sleep the pain is so bad. Can't raise my arms and the back of my legs are killing me. I can't believe they have this drug on the market. I've reported to the FDA - no doubt they'll jump on this! Hoping the pain starts to subside. Began accupunture treatments yesterday and have pain killers, muscle relaxants, sleep medication to get me through the next few weeks. I never take medicine and the fact that this medication has done this to me and to many others makes me sick. We need a class action lawsuit. M 70 3 weeks
4/22/2008
Email
 2  HBP Bloating, gas, slight weight gain and shoulder cramps every morning after taking 1600-12.5MG for about a month. BP is not controlled and heart rate is UP. Don't know if its related, but have the sense of pressure in my ears as if congested. EENT says he sees nothing wrong. Could it be the Diavan? Docs generally pay no attention to reports of side affects and will kill you rather than admit a drug they prescribed is making you sick. I told a doc of a bad reaction to another med so she doubled the dose but a pharmacist told me to stop taking it immediately because there were many complaints about that drug. What's wrong with the doctors, anyway? Are they making too much money on prescriptions and don't want to give it up, or what? As for Diovan, what works in place of it? M 57 28 days
4/19/2008
Email
 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
 1  High Blood Pressure Initially I had more energy and felt good, then I started to feel fatigued at times, progressive memory loss, tingly feeling then numbness in my right leg above the knee, weight gain, itchy arms. High Blood sugar and low good cholesterol. I am taking Diovan 320mg. My blood pressure was typically around 140/90 without medication. Initially it brought my blood pressure down to about 117/76. The last time I saw my doctor while I was on the medication my pressure was 145/95. I just stopped taking it after I've seen this website. Diovan is poison. I am looking to Homeopathic options like diet, exercise and vitamin supplements. M 34 4 months
4/16/2008
 1  High blood pressure Gain 40 pounds in 1 year. Started with 80 mg and went to 160 mg. I had already Adalat XL.Doesn't really control high blood pressure. Doctor want me to go to 320 mg. I am tired all the time and starting being depressed.I have problem sleeping at night . All that started when I first took diovan and more I am taking , more side effects are strong. I am looking for another medication but am really happy to see that I am not the only one having those side effects. F 52 1 years
4/6/2008
Email
 3  HBP Foggy headed, hair loss, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, fatique, bloating BP lingered at 140/90 been on 80mg for years, no side effects. Dr switched to 160mg 2 wks experiencing severe irregular heartbeat, hair loss, fatique, foggy headed. Did lower BP 112/70 but not sure if I like the side effects. F 54 14 days
4/2/2008
 2  high blood pressure Weight gain! I gained 5 pounds the first month, asked the doctor and he said it wasn't the medication. Gained 5 more pounds both of the next two months and doctors said it wasn't the med. Had a constant gnawing sensation in my stomach that was relieved by eating. Also flare ups of the diverticulor disease I have. Lazy not energy not caring about life or doing anything other than sitting. Feeling joint pains and back pains when I do get up. Hasn't lowered the BP very much at all. Taking 160 mg daily, about to stop. Headaches come on which I thought were due to BP but now may be thinking they are caused by the med. And this is the best of the lot for me of all have tried! If it effectively lowered the BP I might be willing to take it anyway but I am still elevated quite a bit. I have lowered it naturally on a stringent low salt diet. I have taken it on and off for 12-15 months. I take it until I can't take the weight gain and other side effects. Stop and start but have been on for a consistent 9 months. F 62
4/2/2008
 2  Hypertension I have been on Diovan for about 1 yr.Since starting it, I have gained 25 lbs. which don't want to come off. I asked my doctor, but he said it wasn't from the Diovan. I am also very tired all the time and have very bad leg cramps. After reading all these comments, I strongly feel that my first instinct was right and that my symtoms are from the Diovan. I am going to ask my doctor to switch me to another med. I don't recommend this medication and think it should probably be taken off the market. F 60 1 years
4/2/2008
 1  blood pressure so glad i saw this sight. Side effects. Memory loss, heart palpitations, hair loss, and gained 30 pounds and I eat right and workout regularly. M 37 3 months
3/30/2008
 2  High Blood Pressure joint pain, headaches, vision problems, tired feeling, but my biggest problem was having diarrhea and gas. It did a great job on keeping my blood pressure down, almost too low. My last reading on Diovan was 100/60. I was told by my doctor to stop taking this medicine. F 40 6 months
2/28/2008
 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
 2  To lower my bloodpressure I am currently taking Diovan 160 and have noticed only a small drop in the bp numbers. I bought the arm-cuff bp machine and have noticed quite a variety of readings, some good, some bad. However, upon finding this site I have seen quite a few similar side-effects (listed below). My major problem after starting it was that I now how cracking/popping of my knees/ankles/wrists and elbows. Has anyone else experienced this??? Before I started Diovan earlier last year, I worked out the gym 2-3 nights a week and had no cracking/popping in any joints. It was only after I started Diovan! My kness are puffy and are more than often stiff. I am still able to work out. My doctor doesn't think it's the Diovan, but I certainly do! I will be asking my Doctor to change my med tomorrow. Perhaps I can get her to prescribe Avapro this go-around. I have been on Diovan 320 and also Lotrel and none seem to work that well. The stronger doses have not been good for me. Side-effects as follows: 1. Knee, elbow, Anyone have any ideas as to why the cracking/popping of the joints has occurred, please advise. I have taken MSM Glucosamine for years and thought I'd try "Osteo Bi-Flex with Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM" to see if it would help the cracking/popping. Nothing yet after three weeks! M 59 9 months
2/24/2008
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
 3  high blood pressure I had no side effects when I started Diovan 160 mg. I took it before bed and was fine in the morning. I've been on this about six months now and have been experiencing an increase in my hand and arm pain, which originates with my DDD, stenosis, herniations in my neck. I also have a "trigger finger" on the right hand and my left thumb as well. Very painful. I found this website and now I think that the increased pain and trigger fingers may be related to the Diovan. Since my blood pressure is not that high (generally 140/90 before the Diovan)and I'm very healthy otherwise, I will be asking my doctor to d/c the Diovan. If she feels I still need something, I'll try another drug. The Diovan has brought down my readings as low as 116/60 which is where I was a few years ago. I will be asking to switch meds when I visit my doc next. I want to see if the Diovan is, in fact, increasing my pain before I go ahead and have neck surgery. F 52 6 months
2/8/2008
 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
 1  hypertension Terrible insomnia, and joint pain, my heels were so sore, back spasms between my shoulder blades. I can't seem to take these Ace Or Arb's If a docotr tells you these are not side efects from the drug, make him look it up in the CPS at his desk F 2 months
2/3/2008
 1  hbp One 160 a day,immediate skin issues on fingers appeared and then elevated BP. My upper and lower eye lids became extremely puffy. When BP elevated I was given 360 + 12.5 HCT. Then, I experienced extreme (10 pounds) in two days. I had ongoing chest pains, pain under my ribs, leg pains, joint pains, crippled feet, tingling hands and legs and a sensation of coldness on my legs. The longer I took Diovan the worse the symptoms got. My lips started blowing up and tingling each time I took the pill. Then, my throat would close and face would swell. Lastly, trapped gas. I started to think I was dying. My calcium became elevated due to thiazide in Diovan. The doctor informed me that I probably have bone cancer due to the elevated calcium and all the bone pain. Thank god for my endocrinologist! She asked me to check the side effects of med. As it turns out, Diovan is poison to me. The last pill I took almost killed me. My throat closed etc.. thank god I was told to take Benadryl immediately lots of it. Since I stopped taking Diovan a couple days ago all the symptoms have started to subside of go away completely. Shame Shame Novartis. I spents lots of money to figure out it was your pill wreaking damage on me. F 39 7 months
2/1/2008
Email
 1  HBP Reduction in blood pressure was the good side effect. Other effects include vertigo, light-headedness, feeling out of body, weight gain around stomach, lower limb soreness, loss of sex drive, feeling lazy and unable to get going in the morning, weird reactions to unforeseen noise and movement. Until I found this site, I thought I was just losing my mind with the weird spaced-out feeling that I get, usually when walking around. I thought there was something wrong with my brain and I never linked it to the drug. Diovan is the only drug that I take at 160 mg. I feel like I have to walk very gingerly and watch my steps. I feel groggy, like I am floating and less mentally aware, almost a sloth-like feeling. I miss not having energy, and I hate this loss of control over my body. My blood pressure has gone down, but I cannot stand these symptoms. I feel like I am losing days, months, years of my life not being able to participate more fully. And I am constantly afraid that I may faint or fall and cause grief to others so my irritability is no fun either. I cannot recommend this drug and I am seeing my Dr immediately for a change. Wish I knew of an herbal remedy. F 51 2 years
1/31/2008
 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

Previous Page       Next Page

BACK TO TOP