{"id":336895,"date":"2025-12-26T17:27:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T17:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/336895\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T17:27:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T17:27:14","slug":"nhs-losartan-warning-as-blood-pressure-medication-side-effects-require-999-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/336895\/","title":{"rendered":"NHS losartan warning as blood pressure medication side effects require 999 call"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NHS has issued a caution about losartan, a commonly prescribed blood pressure medication, warning that some side effects require immediate emergency care<\/p>\n

Fiona Callingham Lifestyle writer<\/p>\n

04:54, 26 Dec 2025<\/p>\n

\"BloodLosartan is typically taken to help manage high blood pressure(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n

The NHS<\/a> has warned that a “commonly prescribed” medicine may not be suitable for all patients. Losartan, regularly dispensed to manage high blood pressure<\/a>, could pose risks for some individuals.<\/p>\n

Losartan is part of a group of drugs known as angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). In addition to managing elevated blood pressure (hypertension), it’s also used for treating heart failure, kidney problems and diabetic kidney disease.<\/p>\n

The medication functions by relaxing and dilating blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure and enables the heart to circulate blood more efficiently throughout the body.<\/p>\n

According to the NHS, “most” adults aged 18 and above can take losartan. Nevertheless, the health<\/a> service warned: “Losartan is not suitable for some people.”<\/p>\n

Consequently, you need to tell your GP if you:<\/p>\n

Have previously experienced an allergic reaction to losartan or any other medicationSuffer from diabetesExperience heart, liver or kidney complicationsHave recently undergone a kidney transplantHave experienced diarrhoea or vomiting whilst taking losartanHave been following a reduced sodium dietSuffer from low blood pressure (hypotension)Are attempting to conceive, are currently pregnant or are breastfeeding<\/p>\n

reports the Mirror<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Tablet\"The NHS warned that a common medication is ‘not suitable’ for everyone(Image: Getty)Side effects<\/p>\n

Like many medicines, losartan may cause unwanted reactions. Some of these are classified as “common” as they occur in more than one in 100 people.<\/p>\n

These include:<\/p>\n

Feeling dizzyHeadachesFeeling sick (nausea)Being sick (vomiting)DiarrhoeaPain in your joints or muscles<\/p>\n

The NHS added: “It happens rarely, but some people have serious side effects after taking losartan.”<\/p>\n

\"FeelingFeeling dizzy is one “common” side effect of losartan(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n

You must contact a doctor immediately or ring 111 if:<\/p>\n

The whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your skin turns yellow although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin \u2013 this can be a sign of liver problemsYou get severe stomach pain \u2013 this can be a sign of an inflamed pancreasYour skin becomes more pale than usual, you feel tired, faint or dizzy, get purple spots (that come from superficial bleeding into the skin), show any sign of bleeding, or have a sore throat and high temperature \u2013 these can be signs of a blood or bone marrow disorderYou feel weak, have an irregular heartbeat, pins and needles and muscle cramps \u2013 these can be signs of changes in the potassium levels in your blood<\/p>\n

On rare occasions, patients may experience a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to losartan. Should this occur, you must “call 999 now” if:<\/p>\n

Your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollenYou’re breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you’re choking or gasping for air)Your throat feels tight or you’re struggling to swallowYour skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)You suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzySomeone faints and cannot be woken upA child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)You or the person who’s unwell may also have a rash that’s swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling<\/p>\n

The NHS stated: “These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.”<\/p>\n

The NHS further recommended: “Always take losartan exactly as your doctor has told you, and follow the directions on the label. If you’re not sure, check with your doctor or pharmacist.”<\/p>\n

For more details, visit the NHS website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NHS has issued a caution about losartan, a commonly prescribed blood pressure medication, warning that some side…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":336896,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[59,102,104,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-336895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-nhs","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336895\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/336896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}