Avapro is a medication used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and to help Type II diabetics avoid kidney damage.
Avapro is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist.
Because narrowing of the blood vessels within the body tends to raise a person's blood pressure, Avapro prevents the hormone angiotensin II from narrowing those blood vessels.
Avapro may be prescribed alone or in combination with other hypertension controlling medications.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes and hypertension, your physician may prescribe Avapro to help preserve your kidneys.
By preserving kidney function you may be able to delay the need for dialysis or kidney transplant.
Avapro may be taken with or without food but you should try to take it at the same time every day.
You may experience diarrhea, fatigue, or respiratory tract infections while on Avapro.
These are common side effects but must be reported to your doctor.
You may also experience dizziness or low blood pressure when standing up.
In extreme cases Avapro may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure.
Symptoms of this include light-headedness, dizziness, and faintness.
These effects are more likely to occur when you first begin your Avapro treatment.
If this occurs, call your doctor immediately as your dosage of Avapro may need to be adjusted.
Patients with kidney disease must use caution while on Avapro.
If you experience any side effects let your doctor know right away.
Avapro should not be used by pregnant women or women who are nursing and not used by children under 6 years of age.
If you find you are pregnant while an Avapro therapy let your doctor know right away.
You will need to switch medications to control your high blood pressure.
While Avapro does not cure high blood pressure it does help keep it under control.
Remember, only you and your doctor can decide if Avapro is right for you.