Losartan

Order Losartan Blood Pressure Tablets Online

Written by Clinical Pharmacist Hywel McGlinchy

Losartan can be ordered online from our UK registered online pharmacy and doctor service. Our UK doctors will ensure the medicine is suitable and safe for you to take. They will do this by reviewing an online medical questionnaire that you complete as part of your order.

If approved by our doctors, our pharmacy team will be sent a prescription. From there, the medication will be dispensed and dispatched to your address.

Please note, this medication can only be prescribed as an emergency supply of your repeat prescription. You should receive a regular supply of this medication from your GP. Some people take more than one type of blood pressure medicine. If you would like to order an emergency request of all of your blood pressure medicines, you just need to fill out a consultation for each one.

What is Losartan?

Losartan is a common medicine used in the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension) and Heart failure. By lowering blood pressure in people with hypertension, losartan reduces the risk of future health problems like heart attacks and strokes. It can also be used to treat diabetic kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy).

Losartan is a type of medicine called an angiotensin-2 receptor antagonist (ARB). These are often used as a second-line treatment if first-line blood pressure medicines are not suitable for you. 

The active ingredient is losartan potassium. It is also known by the brand name Cozaar.

How does it work?

ARBs like losartan work by relaxing blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to widen, which reduces your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around the body.

It is vital for people with high blood pressure to take steps to reduce their blood pressure. High levels over time can make it harder for your heart to pump blood around the body and stiffen and damage your blood vessels. This increases the risk of developing future health problems like vascular dementia, strokes, aneurysms, and heart attacks.

Taking medication, like losartan, to reduce your blood pressure helps to reduce the risk of the above future health problems. Certain lifestyle changes can also help to reduce your blood pressure such as stopping smoking, regularly exercising, reducing the amount of alcohol you drink, and losing weight if overweight. Weight loss treatments and stop smoking treatments are available from Simple Online Pharmacy.

Your GP surgery or local pharmacy can perform blood pressure checks for you. Blood pressure monitors can also be bought, to enable you to take a blood pressure reading at home. BP monitors measure both the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure measures the force that your heart pumps blood and the diastolic pressure measures the resistance to blood flow in the blood vessels.

Dose

Losartan is available as 12.5 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg tablets.

For people aged 18-75 years old, the starting losartan dosage is 50mg once daily. If necessary, this can eventually be increased to 100mg once daily.

For people aged 76 and over, the starting dose is lower at 25mg once daily. This can also be increased if necessary to 100mg once daily.

It may take 3 to 6 weeks for it to have a full effect on your blood pressure.

Losartan Summary

Alternatives

High blood pressure is a very common medical condition and several classes of medicines exist to treat it such as:

• Diuretics and thiazide diuretics
• Calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) 
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) 
• Beta blockers

Candesartan, valsartan, olmesartan, and telmisartan are examples of other ARBs.

What is losartan used for?

Losartan is a common medicine that is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. By lowering blood pressure in people with hypertension, losartan reduces the risk of future health problems like heart attacks and strokes. It can also be used to treat diabetic kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy).

What are the most common side effects of losartan?

Commonly reported side effects of losartan include:

• Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Increased blood potassium levels
• Anaemia
• Low blood pressure

Rare side effects can include an irregular heartbeat, numbness and tingling sensations, and chest pain. See the patient information leaflet for further information on side effects.

Is losartan an ACE inhibitor or a beta blocker?

Losartan is not an ACE inhibitor or a beta blocker. Losartan is part of a family of medicines known as angiotensin-2 receptor antagonists (ARBs). 

How long does it take for losartan to lower blood pressure?

Losartan can work within hours to reduce blood pressure but it may take 3-6 weeks for the full effect to take hold.

When to take losartan - morning or night?

Losartan can be taken in the morning or in the night. The time of day you take it does not matter but you should take it at the same time each day.

Is losartan a good blood pressure medication?

Losartan can be effective at reducing blood pressure but it may be more or less effective for different people. With blood pressure medicines, your doctor may try different types to see which suits you best. The best blood pressure medication for you is one that is effective at reducing your blood pressure while giving you no side effects or the fewest side effects possible.

Can I order losartan online?

Losartan blood pressure tablets (UK) are available to order from Simple Online Pharmacy. You simply have to complete an online consultation for our doctors to check. After ensuring that it is safe and suitable for you, our doctors will authorise a prescription. This will be dispensed and sent to your address by our pharmacy team.

Only patients currently prescribed this medicine by their GP can order it from our online doctors.

Content Reviewed: 14/10/2020

Losartan side effects

There can be a risk of side effects with any medication. Common losartan side effects include:

• Fatigue
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
• Increased blood potassium levels
• Low blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Anaemia

Losartan can affect your kidney function and your GP may schedule regular blood tests during treatment. This allows your doctor to monitor your kidney function and blood potassium levels to ensure both are healthy.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

• Losartan 12.5mg PIL
• Losartan 25mg PIL
• Losartan 50mg PIL
• Losartan 100mg PIL

Other conditions and losartan

It is not suitable for everyone to take. You should not take it if:

• Your liver function is severely impaired
• You are more than 3 months pregnant
• You are allergic to losartan or any of the ingredients listed in the tablets

Losartan may not be suitable for people with:

• Impaired liver function
• A recent kidney transplant
• Excessive diarrhoea and vomiting
• A history of angioedema

For a full list of other conditions and losartan, consult the patient information leaflet. If you are unsure if it is safe for you to take, discuss this with a healthcare professional like your GP or pharmacist.

Interactions with other medicines

Losartan might be unsuitable to take with other medicines such as ACE inhibitors, aliskiren, NSAIDs, and medicines that raise blood potassium levels.

See the patient information leaflet or your pharmacist for further advice.