Benicar for High Blood Pressure User Reviews

• Pip...
• October 21, 2020

"I am not overweight at all yet still developed HT at 50 years old. I tried the gamut of BP meds, all producing the desired results, but all having the same varying side effects, most often a dry cough. Then I tried Benicar 20mg. It lowered my BP, but I was extremely lethargic. Started to take it at night, but then couldn't get up in the morning. I cut my tablets into quarters and started taking 5mg instead of 20mg. My BP remained fine at 5mg, and I stayed at that dose for 12 years without any side effects. At 66 years old, I switched to a vegetarian diet, and within half a year, my BP began to drop too low. I reduced my dosage to 5mg every other day, and my BP was still too low. I stopped taking Benicar altogether and have not found it necessary to go back on it for nearly 18 months now. I'm still learning to eat vegetarian and make things taste good but very pleased that I have been able to control HT through diet. PS: you should also know, I do 10k steps a day every day."

• LYN...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2020

"I was given Benicar 20 mg in Jan 2020 for BP. I was on it 10 days then was rushed to the hospital with severe chest pains and difficulty breathing. I was kept for 'observation' while stress tests were done. All good thank goodness, but the chest pains remained. Then I read the 'more serious side effects'... chest pains was #2!!! Don't give me a pill that is going to cause more problems and less quality of life!!!"

• bay...
• April 20, 2021

"Been on 20mg Benicar for a decade (I am 72). Works great. Took a cheaper generic made by Glenmark & developed bronchitis. Do your research when switching to any generic. Look to see if there’s an authorized generic. If not, ask about other pharmaceutical companies that make generic. These companies can add fillers to the brand formula. CVS Caremark gave me three more suppliers they could get a generic from. An internet search for generic Olmesartan Medoximil (Benicar) along with the manufacturing company gave the ingredients used to compare to the Benicar-Brand produced by Sankyo. Accord Pharmaceuticals’ list of ingredients looks identical to Sankyo’s Brand Benicar. I’m hoping the Accord generic will work like Brand Benicar, as Accord cost is about $13/month. Much better than $2K for Sankyo-produced brand Benicar. Hope this info helps."

• Bec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2018

"I have just turned 66 years old on 4/30/18. I've been taking Benicar HCT for 6 months. I have been very sick with persistent uncontrollable diarrhea (having it right after eating anything), extreme shortness of breath (so bad that I had a lung scan done, which was negative), dizziness (had to stand slowly and in place until stabilized), debilitating fatigue (couldn’t muster the energy to do anything, even taking a bath was exhausting), muscle/joint pain (difficult to walk and walked with a limp), nausea (had to frequently take antinausea medication), sleeping problems (couldn’t stay awake and sometimes had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep), weight gain (approximately 20 pounds in 6 months), and bloating (always felt full). However, no more, I stopped taking it on my own without doctor approval after researching the side effects. It has been 2 days since I stopped, and there is a remarkable difference."

• Jim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2018

"Benicar kept my HBP down to normal for years. Aside from fatigue and subsequent weight gain, I felt no ill effects as long as I took it at bedtime. However, now that the generic form is being pushed by the pharmacies, my HBP is back with a vengeance. The systolic number went from years at 123 to 190 in 2 months. The worthless generic substitute is Olmesartan Medoxomil! This experience has totally changed my opinion about generic drugs and where they are made. I reported this to the FDA because I was on the verge of having a stroke because of this generic Benicar."

• Ang...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 24, 2019

"Benicar was not a good medication for me. I experienced awful side effects. Stiffening of the body, very painful joint pain especially at night, leg pain, daily stomach pains (thought I had cancer), chest pains, diarrhea, bloating, difficulty in walking, could barely walk a block without getting out of breath and needed an inhaler. I had swelling of tongue, face, feet, weight gain, and some depression due to dealing with all these issues. One day after seeing my reflection in a large window at work, I was shocked to see how hunched I was and full of pain. I was never like this and how did this happen? I started to believe I must be aging. I realized the only change in life was this medication and insisted it be switched. Once removed, the critical side effects stopped except for ongoing digestive issues."

• Anonymous
• August 13, 2017

"I've been on Benicar HCT 20mg/12.5mg for 3 weeks now. This medicine has some bad side effects. I've experienced light-headedness, dizziness, coughing, feeling like my chest is tight, sometimes muscle aches, and feeling tired all the time. Does anybody else experience these side effects? When you tell your doctor about your experience, they think it's not the medicine but we know our bodies."

• Loi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 25, 2020

"Was switched from Losartan to Benicar due to recall of Losartan. First week was ok, some nausea which was helped with taking with food. Have been on it about 6 months and have had multiple issues but had not thought related until recently. Awful head fullness in the morning, migraines, steady headache most of the day, lower leg pain, not able to sleep, and then feeling like my ears are blocked and was treated for middle ear infection several times due to constant ear pain and vertigo, dizziness. Very blurry vision, floaters. Finally started looking at all my medications and found that when I moved Benicar to later in the day, the nausea, dizziness, and fatigue occurred within an hour of taking. It did great at lowering my BP, but side effects are awful! After discussion with the doctor and safe Losartan again available I am switching back. This drug is just not for me. Hoping things settle down once it is out of my system."

• azr...
• June 20, 2011

"If you are having problems with Benicar, try taking your dose at night before you go to bed. It took me almost a year to finally figure it out. Plus, you will sleep much better. Give it some time. Most blood pressure medicines make you pee a lot. This is a good thing. Even if you hate getting up to pee a lot, your body is flushing out the sodium from your body. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day so you have something to expel. Water is good for you anyway, helps you digest better and helps you lose weight. Ditch the caffeinated drinks, coffee, sodas (diet too). Hope this helps."

• zap...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 6, 2016

"Beware!! This med worked well to lower BP, but I have been on 40mg for 3 years now. This slowly caused problems I didn't catch on to immediately, such as severe pain in feet (top and bottom) like plantar fasciitis - extremely painful to walk on. Stiffness in legs like bad arthritis pains, woke up so stiff. Possibly caused depression, weight gain, and lack of sex drive. Fatigue, no energy. Also was diagnosed with underactive thyroid. Also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Stopped taking Metformin for 2 weeks now, only noticed slight improvement in foot pain. Been off of Benicar for 5 days, seeing improvement each day, pain in feet going away, also stiffness going away. I'm a 50-year-old female, felt like a 90-year-old body in so much pain."

• jf2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2014

"Benicar is very effective, but has side effects. It is causing me irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. My doctor first put me on Lisinopril, which caused my lungs to feel like they were full of fluid. After having difficulty breathing, I stopped that medication. Then the doctor put me on samples of Benicar and it dropped my blood pressure readings to normal. I didn't notice side effects, but the insurance wouldn't approve it. So they approved losartan, which seems to have no side effects, but barely reduced my blood pressure. It worked but not very well. They got the insurance to approve Benicar, but after taking it for almost 2 months, it has caused me to have irritable bowel syndrome. If I stop taking it, I improve. If I start taking it, it gets worse."

• Bad...
• June 24, 2016

"This is the worst medication I have ever taken! It was poison to me! Severe lower back pain so bad had to walk with 2 canes! Thought it was sciatica, had extreme bladder pain, headaches, burning itching feet, severe constipation, stomach pain so bad I ended up in the emergency room! And ended up with upper respiratory infection. My primary care took me off this garbage, all symptoms seem to be going away! Just a warning before you take this poison, ask questions and read up on it!"

• Diz...
• July 13, 2015

"Have been on this medication for 10 years. Didn't realize that side effects crept up very slowly. I have an entire list of side effects but the highest on my list are extreme fatigue, trouble breathing, gradual worsening depression, and just a massive feeling of unwell. Besides Benicar, I only take Zantac for GERD issues (which popped up after I began taking Benicar). I used to be a healthy, active man, now I am a sad, sick mess. If I only knew what this medication was doing to me way back then..."

• Two...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 7, 2020

"I was put on Benicar as an additional BP medication due to a vitamin B deficiency of 2 years. Took 2, yes 2 doses of 5 mg, one in A.M. and one at P.M. Suffered from every side effect listed very quickly. Don’t know why they even tried it on me as I have damaged kidneys and a heart condition. It pushed my BP even higher and caused bad chest pain. Benicar should be outlawed. Was put on Lisinopril 20 mg today. I’m one who normally gets the worst of side effects from most medications. This was the worst. Glad I acted quickly."

• Big...
• May 27, 2013

"My blood pressure was high (144/90 - 180/110). My doctors tried Alpha and Beta Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers, Ace Inhibitors, Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers, and diuretics. My best pressure was 138/90. The first week we tried Benicar HCT 40/25, I could tell a big difference. My best pressure was 128/78. After losing some weight, pressure dropped as well to 116/68. I started feeling extremely dizzy. I broke the pill in half and the dizziness improved. The doctor will need to adjust the dosage and hopefully will be able to discontinue use by the end of the year if weight loss continues. My appointments are now every three months instead of monthly. Overall, I am pleased with my progress since I started taking Benicar."

• Nik...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 2, 2020

"This medicine caused me to have pain in my ankles. Three doctors didn’t believe that it was the medicine and ordered autoimmune tests, which were negative. I finally insisted they change my medicine to Lisinopril. After being on the medicine for a full month after suffering for a year and a half, my ankle pain is gone! I am so annoyed after wasting money spent on tests and a trip to the rheumatologist."

• Ree...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2018

"I have been on Benicar 20/12.5 for 10 years and my blood pressure has been normal 110/65. I had to switch to the generic because of insurance reasons and I experienced all kinds of side effects: dizziness, cough, and higher blood pressure. It is not the same."

• hyd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 25, 2015

"It made me feel like I was drunk all the time, with unsteadiness on my feet and blurred vision. It also gave me hives. It made me eat constantly, and I gained about 25 pounds during the 2 months I was on it. My lower legs and ankles swelled up, and I couldn't get the swelling to go down, I tried everything. About a week to 2 weeks after quitting Benicar 300mg, the side effects started subsiding, my lower legs and ankles took the longest to go down. Even my eating has gone back to normal, but now I have 25 pounds to lose. I hope this helps anyone thinking about taking it. My mother also worked with a woman who took it for about a month, and it made her pass out at work one day, so she quit taking it too. Hope this helps!"

• Kis...
• March 24, 2017

"I took Benicar for 12 years or more and went through the leg cramps, etc., but it worked well on my BP. I would get kidney infections occasionally but didn't know why. One day a few years ago, I came down with painful gout. My new doctor took me off Benicar right away. She said it contributed to my gout flare-ups because it affected my kidneys. I was so angry because I didn't know and hadn't read up on it. Have your kidneys checked regularly while taking this med. Now, through diet and another BP med, I do well with the gout, however, I wish I hadn't taken Benicar so long and had it affect my kidneys. Be careful!"

• Nur...
• November 29, 2007

"My 65-year-old Darling Husband takes Benicar for HTN, and even though I'm an RN, I didn't know what would happen to a person taking Benicar who becomes 'run down'. Twice after 'burning the candle at both ends', my DH had episodes of profuse sweating, a non-palpable pulse, and passed out with very low BP. The cardiologist finally said Benicar can cause zero BP."

• God...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 4, 2016

"I was taking a different pill at first, but my doctor decided it wasn't working to lower my pressure enough, so they said we are going to try you on this one. I took one the next day since I had already taken my old pill. The first day, the pill did lower my blood pressure with no problems. The second day I took it, my pressure was still at a good number. I did not notice that later when I tried to sleep, I couldn't. Each time I would fall asleep, it was hard for me to breathe, and a few times that I woke up, my heart was beating differently, and I had some pain in my chest. I won't be taking this medication anymore. I will lower it the natural way by watching what I eat, walking, and with God's help, I will be just fine."

• Anonymous
• November 14, 2012

"I have been taking Benicar for four years with no noticeable side effects; keeps my blood pressure at 115/75 easily. I had experienced negative effects such as leg cramps and severe dizziness with other medicines prior to taking Benicar. I still monitor other aspects of my life that affect blood pressure - adequate exercise, proper diet, etc., but am happy this medicine is available to 'close the gap.'"

• You...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 5, 2019

"I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (HBP) at the young age of 14. I weighed about 100 lbs at the time. I've been taking Benicar for about 4 years, previously Lisinopril 40 mg. I started 20 mg of Benicar, and blood pressure was not controlled. So I was put on 40 mg. I would take it every day, and I would get so tired. So I told a new doctor, and she said to decrease back to 20 mg, so I did and switched my time taking it to bedtime. It puts me to sleep, however, after 4 straight nights of it, I wake up so drained, have no energy, and feel a little confused. I too have breathing problems but assumed my asthma was getting worse. I've been asking for a new medicine, with no luck. I'll be honest, I hope for the weight gain, I could use some of that, but it hasn't happened. Hopefully, I can get off of this soon!"

• Lol...
• July 20, 2018

"Have taken Benicar for 10 years or so. Blood pressure around 123/70. When forced by insurance to take generic, now 156/89. In the past, I got name brand with $42.00 a month co-pay. In order to get name brand now, my co-pay would be around $290.00 a month. Outrageous! Switching to something else."

• Nik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2019

"Ended up in ER. Had taken generic form Olmesartan 20 mg every night at bedtime for 3 weeks. I felt okay until one early evening. I was out, felt weak, nauseated, and actually fainted while sitting down. First time ever in my life, luckily med staff were near. I went to ER and BP recorded very low 60 over...? Blood work showed kidney function impaired, very frightening and traumatic for my family to see."