What Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide is used for This medicine is indicated for the treatment of essential hypertension (high blood pressure). Do not take Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide • if you are allergic to losartan, hydrochlorothiazide or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine, • if you are allergic to other sulfonamide-derived substances, • if you have severely impaired liver function, • if you have low potassium, low sodium or high calcium levels which cannot be corrected by treatment, • if you are suffering from gout, • if you are more than 3 months pregnant, • if you have severely impaired kidney function or your kidneys are not producing any urine, • if you have diabetes or impaired kidney function and you are treated with a blood pressure lowering medicine containing aliskiren. Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this combination: • if you have previously suffered from swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue; • if you take diuretics (water pills); • if you are on a salt-restricted diet; • if you have or have had severe vomiting and/or diarrhea; • if you have heart failure; • if your liver function is impaired; • if you have narrow arteries to your kidneys (renal artery stenosis) or only have one functioning kidney, or you have recently had a kidney transplant; • if you have narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), angina pectoris; • if you have ‘aortic or mitral valve stenosis’; • if you are diabetic; • if you have had gout; • if you have or have had an allergic condition, asthma or a condition that causes joint pain, skin rashes and fever (systemic lupus erythematosus); • if you have high calcium or low potassium levels or you are on a low potassium diet; • if you need to have an anesthetic (even at the dentist) or before surgery, or if you are going to have tests to check your parathyroid function, you must tell the doctor or medical staff that you are taking losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide tablets; • if you suffer from primary hyperaldosteronism; • if you are taking any of the following medicines used to treat high blood pressure: an ACE-inhibitor, Aliskiren. Possible side effects These include cough, upper airway infection, congestion in the nose, sinusitis, sinus disorder; diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, indigestion; muscle pain or cramps, leg pain, back pain; insomnia, headache, dizziness; weakness, tiredness, chest pain; increased potassium levels (which can cause an abnormal heart rhythm), decreased hemoglobin levels; changes in kidney function including kidney failure; too low sugar in the blood (hypoglycemia). Other medicines and Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking: • potassium supplements, potassium-containing salt substitutes, potassium-sparing medicines, or other medicines that may increase serum potassium • other medicines to reduce your blood pressure; • steroids; • medicines to treat cancer; • pain killers; • drugs for treatment of fungal infections; • arthritis medicines; • resins used for high cholesterol, such as cholestyramine; • medicines which relax your muscles; • sleeping tablets; • opioid medicines such as morphine; • ‘pressor amines’ such as adrenaline or other drugs from the same group; • oral agents for diabetes or insulins. How to take Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide The usual dose of Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide for most patients with high blood pressure is 1 tablet of Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg/12.5 mg per day to control blood pressure over the 24-hour period. This can be increased to 2 tablets once daily of Losartan / Hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg/12.5 mg Film-Coated Tablets. The maximum daily dose is 2 tablets per day of Losartan / Hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg/12.5 mg Film-Coated Tablets. • The tablets should be swallowed whole with a glass of water. How to store Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. • Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the container. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. • Store this medicine in the original package in order to protect from light and moisture. Do not store the package above 30°C. • Store in the original container in order to protect from light. Keep the bottle tightly closed in order to protect from moisture. Do not store the bottle above 25°C. • Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment. * Dosage form and route of administration of Losartan potassium, HCTZ 100mg/12.5mg film-coated tablets, Losartan potassium, HCTZ 100mg/25mg film-coated tablets should be prescribed according to therapeutic indication and disease severity of each individual patient.