Valsartan

Order Valsartan Blood Pressure Tablets Online

Written by Clinical Pharmacist Hywel McGlinchy

Our UK registered doctors are able to prescribe valsartan tablets online. This is a prescription-only medicine and you will need to complete a medical questionnaire for our doctors to assess. This allows our doctors to make sure valsartan is safe and suitable for you to take.

If approved, a prescription will be issued and sent to our pharmacy team who will dispense and dispatch the medication to your delivery 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 valsartan?

Valsartan is a medicine used to treat a number of conditions. It can be used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure and is also prescribed after a heart attack. It is a prescription-only medicine.

Taking valsartan to lower your blood pressure helps to prevent serious conditions like heart attacks or strokes. Valsartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). 

How does it work?

Valsartan is an ARB which means it relaxes and dilates the blood vessels. This allows for easier blood flow through blood vessels and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around the body with each heart beat. This causes blood pressure to decrease.

Having high blood pressure over a long period of time can cause your arteries to constrict and stiffen. It also puts a strain on your heart because it has to work more to keep pumping blood around the body. This increases your risk of developing conditions like heart disease, strokes and heart attacks. It can also lead to problems like kidney disease, heart failure, and vascular dementia.

Due to these risks, if you have high blood pressure it is vital to try to lower it. Treatment with medicines like valsartan is important because it reduces your long term risks of these serious health problems.

Apart from medication, another effective method of lowering your blood pressure is to make healthy lifestyle changes. Making lifestyle changes can improve your health in a number of ways, including reducing your blood pressure. Examples of healthy lifestyle changes include eating a balanced diet, regular physical exercise, limiting alcohol intake, and reducing the amount of salt you eat. 

Smoking and being overweight are important risk factors for hypertension. We offer an online weight loss clinic and products to help you stop smoking at Simple Online Pharmacy. These are prescription-only medicines that our GPs can prescribe to help you implement these lifestyle changes.

The only way to know if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure checked. You can ask your GP surgery or sometimes your local pharmacy to check your blood pressure. The NHS has information about what your blood pressure reading means.

Dose

Valsartan is available as 40 mg, 80 mg and 160 mg capsules or tablets.

You should take valsartan exactly as your doctor told you. The starting valsartan dosage for hypertension is usually 80mg once daily. If it is not effective at this dose, it can be gradually increased every four weeks. The maximum dose is 320mg a day.

Valsartan can be taken at any time of the day and it can be taken with or without food.

Valsartan Summary

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Alternatives

Around the world, about 25% of adults have hypertension. It is a very common condition and there are many medicines available to treat it. Apart from ARBs like valsartan, other types of medicines used are ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, thiazide diuretics, and calcium channel blockers (CCBs).

Other ARBs that can be prescribed include losartan, candesartan, and irbesartan.

What are the side effects of valsartan?

Some common valsartan side effects include:

• Dizziness
• Low blood pressure
• Reduced kidney function

An uncommon side effect that requires immediate medical attention is angioedema. This is a specific allergic reaction. Signs include trouble breathing, itching, and swelling of the face,

This is not a complete list of side effects. For further information, see the patient information leaflet.

Is valsartan a diuretic?

Valsartan is not a diuretic, it belongs to a class of drugs known as angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). It is used to treat people diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Does valsartan make you pee?

Valsartan does not cause you to urinate more. Another type of medicine, called diuretics, causes you to go to the toilet more often. 

Should I take valsartan in the morning or at night?

The first dose of valsartan can cause your blood pressure to drop and make you feel dizzy. With this first dose, it is often recommended you take it at night. After the first dose, you can take valsartan at any time of the day. 

Does valsartan work instantly?

Your blood pressure may reduce within hours of your first dose of valsartan. However, the full effect on blood pressure can take several weeks to become apparent.

Is valsartan a good blood pressure medicine?

The best blood pressure medicine is one that gives you the fewest side effects while effectively reducing your blood pressure. Different medicines can affect people differently and valsartan may be the best choice for one person but not another.

Can I order valsartan online?

Yes, valsartan blood pressure tablets (UK) are available to order from Simple Online Pharmacy. Valsartan is a prescription medicine which means you will have to complete an online medical questionnaire. Our doctors can review this to make sure the medicine is safe and effective for you to take.

If approved by our doctors, a prescription can be issued to our pharmacy team. The pharmacy team will dispense and dispatch your order to your delivery address.

Please note, our doctors can only issue a prescription for this medicine if your GP already prescribes it for you.

Content Reviewed: 21/10/2020

Any medicine has a risk of side effects and some are more common than others. Some side effects may subside as your body gets used to the medicine over time. If mild side effects do not subside, or you find you suffer from severe side effects, you should report them to us or to your doctor.

Some common valsartan side effects include:

• Low blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Reduced kidney function 

An uncommon side effect that requires immediate medical attention is angioedema. This is a specific allergic reaction. Signs include trouble breathing, itching, and swelling of the face,

This is not a complete list of side effects. For further information, see the patient information leaflet.

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.

• Valsartan PIL

Other conditions and valsartan

Valsartan may not be suitable for everyone to take. You should not take it if:

• You are more than 3 months pregnant
• You suffer from severe liver disease
• You are allergic to valsartan or any of the ingredients listed in the tablets/capsules.

Taking valsartan may also not be suitable in a number of other conditions. A list of these can be seen in section 2 of the patient information leaflet. For further information, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

Interactions with other medicines

Drug interactions between different medicines can cause side effects or affect how well the medicines work. Information on interacting medicines can be found in the patient information leaflet. Examples of medicines that may not be suitable with valsartan are:

• Aliskiren
• Other medicines to treat high blood pressure like ACE inhibitors
• Lithium
• Medicines that can increase blood potassium levels