Lotensyl 20 mg is a prescription medicine for patients with mild to moderate hypertension (high blood pressure) in adults. It contains the active ingredient Lercanidipine, which belongs to the group of medicines known as calcium channel blockers that lower blood pressure. In general, pressure helps get your blood all around your body. Your blood pressure levels may differ at different times of the day, depending on how busy or tense you are. You have high levels when your blood pressure stays higher than your body requires, even when relaxed. Usually, people suffering from hypertension do not show symptoms.

The only way to know you have hypertension is to get your blood pressure checked. Left untreated, this condition may lead to serious health issues such as stroke, heart, kidney failure, and heart disease. Lercanidipine functions by relaxing some of the blood vessels in the body vessels and reducing resistance to blood flow through the blood vessels. It has an established role in antihypertensive therapy as monotherapy or with other antihypertensive drugs. Lowering blood pressure will automatically reduce the risk of serious heart complications. The product produces a sustained blood pressure-lowering activity with a high rate of normalized patients associated with a favourable tolerability profile.   

Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully. The dosage instructions given by your doctor may differ from the information given in this guide. The usual dose is 10 to 20 mg once daily. Swallow the Lotensyl tablet whole with a glass of water. Take it at about the same time each day, at least fifteen minutes before a meal. Lercanidipine will have the best effect if consumed at the same time each day, at least fifteen minutes before meals. This will also help you remember when to take the medication. Lercanidipine is effective at controlling your condition but does not cure it. Therefore, you must take this medicine every day as the doctor prescribes. Continue taking the tablets for as long as your doctor tells you to.     

Do not take Lotensyl if you have an allergy to Lercanidipine or any of the ingredients of the medicine. Also, avoid taking medicine in case of the following conditions:

   — An obstruction to blood from the heart

   — Unstable angina (chest pain or tightness at rest) or had a heart attack a month ago

   — Severe kidney or liver disease

   — Untreated heart failure

   — Eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice

   — Are also taking other medications, such as ciclosporin

Talk to your doctor if you are not sure.

Also, do not take lercanidipine if you are pregnant or trying to conceive. Like most calcium channel blocker drugs, Lotensyl is not recommended during pregnancy. Also, avoid taking medicine if you are breastfeeding.

In general, Lotensyl 20 mg is well tolerated and is associated with a very low rate of side effects. Possible side effects include headache, flushing, palpitations, dizziness or fainting, swelling of the ankles/feet or lower legs, fatigue or sleepiness, and gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea, heartburn, diarrhoea, or epigastric pain.