diovan side effects

I recently started to take Diova.I am 52 years old and have never had any problems w/ my healst. Moderetely active 3 to 5 times a week, walking,fishing, riding bike.
I have never taken any meds except for over the counter for colds and sinus. After much protest agreed to take the Diovan.I reluctantly stareted o 80mg, once daily. Emmediately my blood pressure came down to normal 112/70 and I was happy. After approximately 5 weeks, a few days ago I began to experience loose bowel syndrome,achy muscles, urgency to urinate. Yesterday I began to feel dizzy, lightheaded, dry and sensitive skin, very similar to when one gets the flu. Today I am eperiencing all of the above and a severe headache. My Dr. is out of town, the nurse or Dr. has not returned my calls. Has anyone experiended elevated blood pressure if the suddenly stop taking the Diovan?

Started taking diovan 160/12.5 about three weeks ago been to the e.r. 3 times already with severe anxiety,ringing in the ears ,ear pressure,....My Dr.ays diovan is a clean med.....after readingall these messages, there is no doubt in my mind that diovan is the culprit..and my BP is stilll elevated 160/102...if I mis anymore work Ill lose my house

I was prescribed Diovan in October06 to replace a blood pressure tablet that my doctor thought was causing fatigue. The day I took Diovan I stopped sleeping,due to the Insomnia my doctor took me off it after 8 days.Despite a whole range of tablets to try and get me sleeping again,nothing was successful.I became suicidal and was admitted to a high dependency unit at a local psychiatric hospital.I am now home but the symptoms persist.All the doctors I see are unable to find a tablet/drug that will return me to my pre Diovan state.All they seem to do is work their way down a long list of drugs in the hope that maybe one of them will cure my insomnia.So far they have not been at all successful,help.

Yeah I started 80mg this week and have had side effects. My BP went down to normal. However, sometimes I feel queazy and anxious. Also, get bloating and sometimes feels like hear skipped a beat. Started with a bit of tenderness in the upper right part of my abdomen. That seems to be gone now. Is this normal? I can exercise with no problem. Anyone else get this?

Carole wrote:

I started diovan on Saturday...3 doses. I have flu like symptoms at times i feel almost lethargic! I am wondering if its the meds or if I picked up a bug at the drs office....
Anyone out there that has the same problems??

Yes, I too have flu like symptoms...not all the time, but recently has really bothered me...affects sleeping so-so (can't really tell as I'm prone to this problem anyway)...excessive gas and bloating at times and feeling of hunger when I shouldn't be hungry....This med is great for the BP and side effects aren't all the time...Just some of the time...I've been taking Diovan for 6 months...80mg didn't work, so went to 160mg with HCT...Thanks for sharing your symptoms...helps to know there are others experiencing the same thing....

Ken wrote:

Yeah I started 80mg this week and have had side effects. My BP went down to normal. However, sometimes I feel queazy and anxious. Also, get bloating and sometimes feels like hear skipped a beat. Started with a bit of tenderness in the upper right part of my abdomen. That seems to be gone now. Is this normal? I can exercise with no problem. Anyone else get this?

Yes, I've had slight pain and tenderness and usually in right side...not all the time...it comes and goes...I have some problem with flu-like symptoms, hunger pains when really not hungry, a little constipation....Ever have any of this?

I'm glad I found this forum. I started taking Diovan 80 mg five days ago and have been dizzy and tired ever since. I had been taking Altace since Oct '06 for my BP, but found out the cough I had for many months was due to it, so my doctor switched me to the Diovan. He checked to make sure I wouldn't have any reactions to it, but I read somewhere that if you are allergic to Sulfa you shouldn't take it. Guess who's allergic to sulfa? Also, my hair is already thin enough and if this is another possible side effect, I may just toss out the Diovan and forget the whole medication thing.

I have been on Diovan 80mg for about three weeks after trying several other medicines and having swelling of the eyes, face, and ankles. Now, I have developed problems with the eyes. Blood vessels in the eyes seem to be brought to the eye surface, some pain, and unable to wear contacts. Anyone experiencing any eye problems?

Carole wrote:

I started diovan on Saturday...3 doses. I have flu like symptoms at times i feel almost lethargic! I am wondering if its the meds or if I picked up a bug at the drs office....
Anyone out there that has the same problems??

I was on Diovan for about a year. It is a horrible addictive drug with many side addects, including your flu like symptoms. What I mean by addictive is that your body craves this drug when you attempt to stop it. Your blood pressure goes wild your head pounds your ears scream and total fatigue sets in to a point where you cant get out of bed for days. You may also be experienceing shortness of breath and horaseness.
I told my doc all this and his answer was TO INCREASE THE DOSAGE! I decided to get off it cold turkey about a month ago. I went through hell the first 3 weeks but am feeling almost normal again at this point. My energy level is almost back to normal but the only thing I still have is the ringing in the ears. I have been taking an herb called Hawthorn Berries for my blood pressure and it is working WITH NO SIDE AFFECTS! My BP is down an average of 14 point since taking it for the past 2 weeks. I am off drugs for good now. My quality of life has improved vastly. They say heart disease is a silent killer, but the drugs they want you to take are all but silent. I have opted for quality of life over quantity. I hope I have been of some help to you and good luck in the future...

I have just started taking Diovan after eight previous meds have failed to reduce my blood pressure (150/110...on a good day!). Although I immediately started experiencing dizziness, nausea, achiness and anxiousness, my blood pressure is within normal range, which offsets, to my way of thinking, the dangerously-high blood pressure level. I'm frustrated by these side effects but am more concerned about the hypertension, as heart disease is rampant in my family. I'm hoping that these symptoms improve over time since I am experiencing them during the early weeks of taking this medication.

I have been having tremors so I can hardly write, also depression, hair loss, fatigue, memory loss, and trouble getting words out when I talk. I have been on diovan for about 3 yrs. At first I thought it was my age (74 yrs.) But after a little research I am now convinced it is the diovan. I am not taking it anymore.

I have already written my comment.

been on diovan for 10 days,along with lotrel and atenolol,have started a dry cough,waking up with anxiety unlike any i have ever experienced with strange feelings in my chest was fatigued before but now it is almost to the point of falling over goin to stop taking in the morning,anyone else experienced this doctors act like i'm crazy when i complain abput ready to give up all the meds and take my chances the last 10 -12 yrs have been nothing but exhaustion.hasn't droped bp much either.

works great!but im bald, so i dont know about hair thing.

When I found this forum I thought my only side effect might be dry & itchy skin. After reading all the rest I think I can add insomnia, weight gain, memory loss & anxeity, trembling hands, coughing, constant ringing in ears, neck & shoulder pain, vision problems & maybe hair loss. BP is O.K.(135/90)

just started diovan 160....after a few days i started uncontrollably sweating every time i did any type of excersise or even walking. am now getting dizzy, feel weak ALL the time and feel like i am about to throw up all the time as well as have a headache and feel like my glands are swollen. doctor sez it isnt the diovan..after reading this site I think the doctor is wrong.

lossing my hair in bunches will stop taking this drug

I'm taking quite a few medications for enlarged prostate and type 2 diabetes. I was put on Diovan HCT about 8 months ago. My sugar was very difficult to control and I had absolutely no energy to exercise. I selectively stopped each medication for a couple weeks at a time and discovered Diovan was the culprit. I have my energy back, the sugar is easier to control, and no more side effects (fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness).

My blood pressure was quite low while taking Diovan and has gone back up some but is still better than it was. I think exercise is helping to keep it down.

you loose a little bit of your erection soon