Benicar is a common medication used to treat high blood pressure. Manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo, it is a combination of olmesartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, and hydrochlorothiazide, a thiazide diuretic. Unfortunately, Benicar has been linked to severe side-effects such as vision problems, fever, dizziness, and headaches.
Benicar is a prescription medication used to control high blood pressure, a very serious condition affecting one in three adults in the United States. High blood pressure (hypertension) can potentially damage your body for years as your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries and blood vessels, a pressure that can become dangerous.
Benicar is used primarily too control high blood pressure which reduces the risk of heart attacks, kidney problems and strokes.
Benicar is the top-selling hypertensive medication currently on the market. It is manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo, which was established in 2005 and currently has revenues exceeding 9 billion dollars. Despite a warning by the FDA in 2013 that Benicar can lead to severe weight loss and chronic diarrhea, Benicar continues to generate more than 3 billion in sales each year for Daiichi Sankyo. The patent is set to expire in 2016.
Benicar is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). It is commonly used alone, but it can also be used in conjunction with other medications to effectively treat high blood pressure. Benicar works by controlling chemicals in the body which cause the narrowing of a patient’s blood vessels. With this control, Benicar effectively widens the blood vessels allowing for the effective flow of blood.
On July 3, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning for the blood pressure drug olmesartan medoxomil, which is currently marketed under the brand names Benicar, Benicar HCT, Azor, Tribenzor. According to the report issued by the FDA, labels for these medications should be updated to include additional warnings about the side-effects of these products. Specifically, the FDA stated that these medications increased the risk of severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss. Furthermore, some of the side-effects may not be evident until years or months after the medication was used. Patients who developed these symptoms should discontinue use of the product and start taking therapy medications.
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