Precautions and Warnings With Amlodipine and Olmesartan

Knowing the precautions and warnings with amlodipine and olmesartan before starting the drug can help ensure safe and effective treatment. For example, you should not take amlodipine and olmesartan if you are allergic to any ingredients of the medication. It is also important to know that the drug can make certain health conditions worse, such as heart problems or kidney problems. Precautions and warnings also extend to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Amlodipine and Olmesartan: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking amlodipine and olmesartan (AZOR™) if you have:
 
  • Liver disease, including liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF)
  • Chest pain (angina)
  • Low blood sodium (hyponatremia)
  • Kidney disease or kidney failure
  • Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives.
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Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
  • Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
  • Breastfeeding.
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Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Amlodipine and Olmesartan

Some of the warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking
 amlodipine and olmesartan include the following:
 
  • Sometimes, amlodipine and olmesartan can lower blood pressure too much. This is most likely to happen in people who have low sodium levels in the blood or those who are dehydrated.
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  • In general, calcium channel blockers (including amlodipine, one of the components of amlodipine and olmesartan) should not be used by people who have congestive heart failure (CHF). However, amlodipine does not usually seem to have a negative effect on heart failure.
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  • If you have severe coronary artery disease, there is a low possibility that when starting amlodipine and olmesartan or increasing your dose, it can make chest pain worse and may increase your chances of a heart attack.
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  • If you have kidney disease, check with your healthcare provider before taking amlodipine and olmesartan. In some people, amlodipine and olmesartan can make certain kidney problems worse.
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  • The liver helps to remove amlodipine and olmesartan from the body. If you have liver disease, your body may not handle amlodipine and olmesartan as well as it should.
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  • If you have chest pain (angina) caused by a blocked or narrow artery in the heart, amlodipine and olmesartan can potentially make this problem worse (which could result in a heart attack).
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  • Amlodipine and olmesartan can interact with certain medications (see Drug Interactions With Amlodipine and Olmesartan).
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  • Amlodipine and olmesartan is considered a pregnancy Category C or D medication (depending on the trimester of pregnancy). This means that amlodipine and olmesartan may not be safe when used during pregnancy (see AZOR and Pregnancy).
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  • It is not known if amlodipine and olmesartan passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see AZOR and Breastfeeding).
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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