Valzaar 40 mg is prescribed for treating high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. It also improves the chance of living longer after a heart attack. In people with heart failure, it also reduces the risk of hospital visits due to heart failure. The medicine's active ingredient is valsartan, which belongs to a class of medications known as angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). These drugs cause the relaxation of blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily. Controlling blood pressure helps prevent heart attacks, strokes, and kidney problems.     

Follow all directions given on your prescription. Take the tablet each day before or after consuming food. Your blood pressure needs to be monitored often during the treatment; your renal function may need to be checked. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. Hypertension often has no symptoms. This medicine should be used in conjunction with diet, exercise, lowering cholesterol, exercise, not smoking, and controlling diabetes.  

If a patient suffers recently with excessive vomiting and diarrhoea, this drug may worsen the condition; therefore, consult your doctor before taking this medicine. Do not drive or use machinery because these tablets may have a minor or moderate effect on your ability to drive and use machines. They may cause dizziness, so avoid driving and use machines while taking this drug. Drugs that can alter drugs that can alter the pharmacological effect of Valsartan:

    —   Diuretics eg furosemide

    —   Potassium-sparing diuretics like amiloride, spironolactone or potassium supplements because of the risk of high blood potassium levels.

    —   Lithium, a drug used to treat certain mental disorders

    —   Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory painkillers (such as ibuprofen or diclofenac)

    —   COX-2 inhibitors like celecoxib, etoricoxib

    —   Other blood pressure-lowering medicines may cause an additional reduction in the blood pressure

    —   ACE inhibitors such as captopril and lisinopril. 

    —   Ask your doctor and get the full list of drugs that may increase the possibility of drug interactions or interfere with the effectiveness of Valsartan.

Get immediate medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of your face, throat, and tongue. Valzaar 40 mg can cause serious side effects such as a light-headed feeling, little or no urination, and symptoms of high potassium levels (weakness, nausea, tingly feeling,  chest pain,  loss of movement, and irregular heartbeats). Common side effects of the medicine include cough, flu symptoms, tiredness, high potassium, tiredness, dizziness, light-headedness, back pain, joint pain, and cough.

This is not the complete list of side effects that may develop. Speak to your doctor for medical advice about side effects.