Irbesartan and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Dre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I was given 150 mg of this medication for moderate high blood pressure. I’ve never had a negative reaction to any medication until this stuff. While I realize everyone is different, this stuff shouldn’t be allowed on the market. I only took it for 3 days but I can’t even begin to tell you how terrible it made me feel. Anxious, extremely tired - yet inability to sleep at all (up 100% of the night), brain fog, feeling like a zombie, and weird buzzing feeling. This is a terrible medication and I don’t suggest anyone take it."

• tig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 14, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "My cardiologist put me on irbesartan. It gave me anxiety and sweats. I could not calm down. Both the cardiologist and my doctor told me it wouldn't do that to me. I took it for a few months. My doctor put me on anxiety medicine so I could calm down. I had to ask my cardiologist if I could try a different medicine to rule out irbesartan. He put me on lisinopril, and after taking the lisinopril for a few days, I wasn't having the anxiety and sweats. Both my doctor and cardiologist don't seem to care about what irbesartan did to me. All they both said was, 'Well, you're feeling better now.' The irbesartan medicine was a nightmare for me."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 31, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I've been taking irbesartan for about 1 year. I went from taking 300mg to 150mg, and now I break the pill in half. My blood pressure is not consistent. I'm always tired, have muscle aches, ankle swelling, headaches, palpitations, experience dry cough periodically, blurred vision, night sweats, and uncontrollable anxiety. I wish I had read the comments prior to starting taking the pills."

• Gag...
• October 24, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "I started getting leg cramps at night. I got lots of anxiety and couldn't go to sleep. I would get up to go to the bathroom 3 or 4 times during the night to urinate. Also, I had stiffness in my neck and hands. I have blurry vision, swollen eyes, and headaches. I have been taking irbesartan for 3 years. I'm going to stop for a while to see if the side effects go away."

• Dav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 25, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Been taking this med since the Valsartan recall. Have had bouts with insomnia and anxiety. Does okay with improving BP, but the side effects are not worth it. Dr. prescribed a mild sedative, but I just want to be off of this med...and get normal sleep again."

• Ton...
• March 9, 2010

Irbesartan for High Blood Pressure "I've been taking 150mg samples for almost 2 weeks. The medication (Avapro) increased my tiredness levels, which are quite high with fibromyalgia and Sjogren's day-to-day. Normal anxiety is heightened as well and is almost unbearable in its severity. I am experiencing no lessening in my blood pressure readings. I plan to discuss this medication with my PCP during my scheduled follow-up visit. It's quite expensive too."

• Tfr...
• December 28, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "This medicine has not lowered my blood pressure much in 4 months. I feel weak, tired, very hard to breathe, like I have asthma, which causes me to panic and get anxiety, and when it's cold out, I have chest pains walking fast, headaches, and some kind of weird swollen feeling in my throat and tonsil area all day that seem to ease up if I take a Halls menthol, but soon comes back. It also feels like I have angina, and on the days I forget to take my pill, I feel wonderful. No side effects. I can breathe, no swollen feeling, nothing. I guess it's time to look for a different med. Losartan did almost the same thing but not as intense."

• Pat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 27, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I have been on irbesartan 150 mg for 2.5 years, and the side effects have been terrible. I have been experiencing nausea, headaches, heart palpitations, nervousness, and shortness of breath. At first, I thought my body would ultimately adjust to the drug, but some of the symptoms did decrease but were still present. The pressure was not controlled, and my readings were still high. After reading these reviews, I feel much better knowing I am not alone and I am not crazy. I would explain my symptoms to my doctor, and he would act like it's just in my mind and I should try relaxing methods. I am coming off this drug as I can't be feeling this sick all the time, that's ridiculous."

• Aqu...
• January 25, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "I've been on Avapro 300 mg for only 13 days and am having severe heart palpitations, to the point where I had to go to the hospital. I'm a power walker/jogger, and I'm used to resting heart rates of 60-67. Now I'm getting resting heart rates of 90-100. The anxiety is so bad that I have to take sedatives just to get my pulse down to acceptable levels, like 80. Having a pulse of 104 is very difficult and dangerous. I look forward to 9:00 PM when I take my Tiazac, which thankfully lowers my heartbeat. Tomorrow, I'm going on Vasotec (Enalapril). If this also causes me heart palpitations, then I will definitely be going to the hospital for more heart checks. In October, I passed all the heart tests: ECG, echocardiogram, stress, MIBI."

• ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "This worked in 3 weeks to bring down BP from 160s/90s. Now it's 130/80. But the side effects are scary: loss of libido, weak erections, loss of appetite, tingling in feet, muscle twitches, neck pain, irritability, impatience, breathing problems within the first 3 hours of taking the 150 mg daily morning dose, loose bowels, anxiety, disturbed sleep, heart palpitations, and general feeling of dis-ease. Apart from these, I am happy with the BP-lowering effect, but I don't want to continue with these side effects, so I'll be asking my GP for an alternative in the coming days."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 8, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "Been on Karvezide for 7 years and all my problems started pretty much straight away. I had a burning feeling in my hands and feet up my leg to the knee and dizziness, anxiety, stomach cramps, and eyesight changing all the time. I would go to the hospital to be told nothing wrong and carry on taking it. Well, I'm over it after reading reviews on here. I'm going to my doctor to tell him I want to stop taking this medication."