Avapro (Irbesartan)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Quick Facts
What Is Avapro Used For?
Avapro contains irbesartan and belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin-II receptor antagonists. It works by blocking a substance in your body that causes blood vessels to narrow, helping to widen your blood vessels and make it easier for your heart to pump blood.
Primary Uses
Avapro is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is also used to treat kidney disease in patients who have both high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
How It Works
Avapro blocks angiotensin-II, a substance produced in the body that causes blood vessels to narrow. By blocking this substance, Avapro widens your blood vessels, making it easier for your heart to pump blood throughout your body. This helps lower your blood pressure and also slows the decrease of kidney function in patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Continue Reading
Sign in to access the complete medication guide including dosage, side effects, warnings, and more.
How to Take Avapro
Your doctor will tell you exactly how many tablets to take each day. Take Avapro at about the same time each day to help you remember.
Dosage Instructions
The usual starting dose is one 150 mg tablet once a day. Some patients may need a lower starting dose. Depending on how your blood pressure responds, your daily dose may be increased to 300 mg once a day. For patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, 300 mg once a day is the preferred dose for slowing kidney disease progression. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. It doesn't matter if you take it before or after food. The full blood pressure lowering effect should be reached about 4 to 6 weeks after starting treatment.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, and go back to taking your tablets as you would normally. Continue taking Avapro until your doctor tells you to stop.
Important: Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Headache
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Unusual tiredness or weakness
- Fatigue
- Nausea/vomiting
- Low blood glucose levels
- Decreased number of red blood cells (anemia)
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Severe and sudden onset of pinkish, itchy swellings on the skin (hives or nettle rash)
- Skin rash or itchiness
- Aching muscles not caused by exercise
- Muscle pain or weakness
- Swelling in the gut with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Buzzing, ringing or other persistent noise in the ears
- Symptoms of kidney disease (passing little or no urine, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, breathlessness, loss of appetite and weakness)
- Symptoms of high potassium levels (nausea, diarrhea, muscle weakness, change in heart rhythm)
- Yellowing of the skin and/or eyes (jaundice)
- Symptoms of liver disease (nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, feeling generally unwell, fever, itching, yellowing of skin and eyes, dark colored urine)
Important Warnings
There are several important situations where you should not take Avapro or need to discuss with your doctor before starting treatment.
Who Should Not Take Avapro
Do not take Avapro if you are allergic to irbesartan or any of the ingredients. Do not take it if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Do not take it if you are breastfeeding. Do not take it if you have diabetes or kidney problems and are being treated with ACE inhibitors, medicines containing aliskiren, or other angiotensin-II receptor antagonists.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Check with your doctor if you have kidney problems, heart problems, liver problems, diabetes, high potassium levels in your blood, are strictly restricting salt intake, have had recent excessive vomiting or diarrhea, have had a kidney transplant or dialysis, or have allergies to any substances.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Do not take Avapro if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking Avapro. Do not take Avapro if you are breastfeeding, as it is not known if Avapro passes into breast milk.
Drug Interactions
Some medicines may interfere with Avapro and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you are taking.
Important: Taking Avapro with anti-inflammatory medicines alone or with a thiazide diuretic may damage your kidneys and reduce Avapro's blood pressure lowering effect.
- Other medicines to treat high blood pressure
- Potassium supplements or potassium-containing salt substitutes
- Diuretics (water pills)
- Medicines containing lithium
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as diclofenac, ibuprofen and COX-2 inhibitors like celecoxib
- Medicines taken to treat diabetes such as repaglinide
Alcohol & Driving
Avapro may cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people, which can be made worse by alcohol and may affect your ability to drive safely.
Alcohol
If you drink alcohol, dizziness or light-headedness may be worse. Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Avapro affects you. Avapro may cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people. If this occurs, do not drive. Make sure you know how you react to Avapro before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or light-headed.
Storage
Keep Avapro tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them. Do not store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on windowsills. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date. Keep it where young children cannot reach it. If you no longer need to use this medicine or it is out of date, take it to any pharmacy for safe disposal.
Overdose Information
If you think you have used too much Avapro, you may need urgent medical attention. If you take too many Avapro tablets you will probably feel lightheaded or dizzy. You should immediately phone the Poisons Information Centre (by calling 13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital. You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
The full blood pressure lowering effect of Avapro should be reached about 4 to 6 weeks after starting treatment.
Yes, it does not matter whether you take Avapro tablets before or after food. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water.
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.
If you drink alcohol, dizziness or light-headedness may be worse. Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol.
Do not stop taking Avapro, or lower the dosage, without checking with your doctor. Continue taking Avapro until your doctor tells you to stop.
No, do not take Avapro if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking Avapro.
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Avapro affects you. Avapro may cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people. Make sure you drink enough water during exercise and hot weather when taking Avapro.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.