Benicar Precautions and Warnings

Benicar precautions and warnings include being aware of drug interactions, avoiding the medication while pregnant, and paying attention to a decrease in urine output. People with certain types of liver or kidney disease, as well as those with heart disease should talk to their doctor before taking the drug. Benicar precautions and warnings also extend to women who are trying to become pregnant or who are breastfeeding.

 

Benicar: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking Benicar® (olmesartan medoxomil) if you have:
 
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
  • Pregnant or trying to become pregnant
  • On dialysis
  • Breastfeeding.
     
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you are currently taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

Specific Benicar Precautions and Warnings

Some Benicar precautions and warnings to be aware of include:
 
 
  • Benicar can interact with certain medications (see Benicar Drug Interactions).
     
  • Benicar may cause extremely low blood pressure in some people. This is more likely to happen in people who are taking a diuretic, who are on dialysis, or who have congestive heart failure. If you have any possible symptoms of low blood pressure, such as dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting, contact your healthcare provider. If you have fainted, stop taking Benicar until you have talked to your healthcare provider. Also, make sure not to drive, operate any heavy machinery, or perform any other tasks that require alertness before you know how Benicar affects you.
 
  • Benicar is a pregnancy Category C medicine for the first trimester and a pregnancy Category D medicine for the second and third trimesters, meaning that Benicar has health risks to your unborn child. Let your healthcare provider know if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking Benicar, contact your healthcare provider immediately (see Benicar and Pregnancy).
     
  • While taking Benicar, do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes with potassium, unless you have discussed this with your doctor. In some people taking Benicar, potassium in the blood can increase to dangerous levels.
     
  • Angiotensin II receptor blockers, including Benicar, have been known to cause a decrease in kidney function, especially in certain groups, such as those with severe congestive heart failure. Let your healthcare provider know if you have symptoms such as a decrease in urine output, drowsiness, headache, or back pain. Your healthcare provider will also regularly check your kidney function with a simple blood test.
     
  • If you are nursing, it is not known whether Benicar passes through your breast milk. Therefore, if you are nursing, talk with your healthcare provider about whether you should stop taking Benicar or stop breastfeeding.
     
(Benicar Precautions and Warnings Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;