As with any medicine, side effects are possible with aliskiren.
However, not everyone who takes the drug will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider. Serious side effects are less common.
Common side effects of aliskiren include, but are not limited to:
(Click Side Effects of Aliskiren to learn more, including potentially serious side effects you should report immediately to your healthcare provider.)
What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Aliskiren?
Talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking this drug if you have:
- Kidney disease, such as kidney failure (renal failure)
- High blood potassium (hyperkalemia)
- Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medications you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
The dosage your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- How you respond to aliskiren
- Other medications you are taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
Aliskiren Drug Interactions
What If I Take an Overdose?
It is not known what exactly to expect from an overdose with this medication. However, it is predicted that people who take too much will develop low
blood pressure (hypotension).
If you happen to take too much aliskiren, seek immediate medical attention.
How Should Aliskiren Be Stored?
Aliskiren tablets should be stored at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. Keep this and all other medications out of the reach of children.
What Should I Do If I Miss a Dose?
If you forget to take a dose of aliskiren, take your missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose.
Aliskiren is classified as a renin inhibitor. It is the first medication of its kind. Renin is an enzyme produced in the kidneys that acts throughout the body. It converts angiotensinogen to angiotensin I. A different enzyme (angiotensin-converting enzyme, or ACE) then converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II, a powerful substance that increases blood pressure by narrowing blood vessels and indirectly stimulating the kidneys to retain salt.
Various
blood pressure medications work during different steps in this process (such as ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, known as ARBs). However, aliskiren is different; it acts at the beginning of the process, preventing renin from converting angiotensinogen to angiotensin I.
Studies have also shown that a combination of aliskiren with
hydrochlorothiazide (a diuretic) or with
valsartan (an ARB blood pressure medication) can further reduce blood pressure, compared with any of the medications used alone.
When and How to Take Aliskiren
General considerations for when and how to take this drug include the following:
- The medication comes in tablet form. It is taken by mouth once daily.
- You should take aliskiren consistently, either with or without food (fatty meals may decrease the absorption of the drug). Whether you take it with food or not does not matter, as long as you are consistent (in other words, either always take it with food or never take it with food).
- Make sure to take aliskiren at the same time each day to maintain an even level of in your blood.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. It will not work if you stop taking it.
Aliskiren is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Aliskiren tablets are available in the following strengths:
- Aliskiren 150 mg
- Aliskiren 300 mg.
At this time, the medication is not available in generic form
(see Generic Tekturna).
