Common questions about candesartan

Candesartan is a type of medicine called an angiotensin receptor blocker. It's used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure.

Like other angiotensin receptor blockers, candesartan relaxes and widens your blood vessels. This lowers your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.

Candesartan starts to work after about 2 hours to reduce high blood pressure but it may take up to 4 weeks for full effect.

If you're taking candesartan for heart failure, it may take weeks, or even months, before you feel better.

If you have high blood pressure, you may not have any symptoms, and you may not feel any different when you take candesartan. This does not mean that the medicine is not working. It's important to keep taking it.

Candesartan is generally safe to take for a long time. In fact, it works best when you take it for a long time.

Taking candesartan for a long time can sometimes cause your kidneys to not work as well as they should. Your doctor will check how well your kidneys are working with regular blood tests.

Even if your blood pressure is successfully lowered by candesartan, it's best to carry on taking it. If you stop taking candesartan, your blood pressure could rise back up again.

If you need blood pressure-lowering medicines, you'll probably need to take them for the rest of your life.

Remember, keeping your blood pressure low helps protect you from having a heart attack or stroke in the future.

There are several other angiotensin receptor blocker medicines that work in the same way as candesartan. They include irbesartan, losartan and valsartan.

There are also other types of blood pressure-lowering medicines including:

• ACE inhibitors, such as ramipril
• calcium channel blockers, such as amlodipine
• beta blockers, such as bisoprolol
• diuretics (medicines that make you pee more), such as bendroflumethiazide

The blood pressure-lowering medicine you're prescribed depends on your age and ethnicity:

• if you're under 55 and you're not of African Caribbean or black African origin, you'll usually be offered an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker
• if you're 55 or older, or you're any age and of African Caribbean or black African origin, you'll usually be offered a calcium channel blocker

Many people need to take a combination of different blood pressure-lowering medicines.

Candesartan works as well as other angiotensin receptor blockers when it's used to lower blood pressure. Its side effects are also similar.

If you are going to be put to sleep (have a general anaesthetic) for an operation, tell your doctor that you're taking candesartan.

Candesartan can reduce your blood pressure when it's used with general anaesthetics.

Your doctor will advise you if you need to stop taking candesartan 24 hours before surgery.

There have been some studies that have looked at whether blood pressure medicines could help protect people against Alzheimer's disease. But at the moment there is not enough evidence to recommend taking candesartan or other similar medicines for Alzheimer's.

There are steps you can take that may help to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. If you are worried about getting Alzheimer's disease in the future, or have a family history of this condition, speak to your doctor.

No, there's no evidence that candesartan is addictive.

Candesartan will not affect your sex life.

Candesartan will not affect any type of contraception.

However, some types of hormonal methods of contraception, such as the combined pill and contraceptive patch, are not usually recommended if you have high blood pressure.

Talk to your doctor if you're taking or using a combined hormonal contraceptive.

Candesartan can make some people feel dizzy, especially when they first start taking it or after taking a bigger dose. If this happens to you, do not drive a car, ride a bike, or use tools or machinery.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking candesartan. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

Drinking alcohol can increase the blood pressure-lowering effect of candesartan, which can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded.

During the first few days of taking candesartan or after your dose increases, it's best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.

If you find candesartan makes you feel dizzy it's best to stop drinking alcohol.

Do not use salt substitutes such as Lo-Salt. This is because they are high in potassium. When mixed with candesartan they may make the level of potassium in your blood too high.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help if you have high blood pressure or heart failure.

You can boost the health of your heart by making some key lifestyle changes. These will also help if you have Pneumococcal vaccinehigh blood pressure or heart failure.

• Quit smoking – smoking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Stopping smoking brings down your blood pressure and relieves heart failure symptoms. Try to avoid secondhand smoke too.
• Cut down on alcohol – drinking too much alcohol raises blood pressure over time. It makes heart failure worse too. Try to keep to the recommended guidelines of no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. A standard glass of wine (175ml) is 2 units. A pint of lager or beer is usually 2 to 3 units of alcohol.
• Exercise – regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition. It does not need to be too energetic, walking every day is enough.
• Eat well – aim to eat a diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products and lean proteins. It's a good idea to follow these tips for a lower salt diet too. Eating too much salt is the biggest cause of high blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be. Aim for no more than 6g of salt a day.
• Deal with stress – when you're anxious or upset, your heart beats faster, you breathe more heavily and your blood pressure often goes up. This can make heart failure worse too. Find ways to reduce stress in your life. To give your heart a rest, try napping or putting your feet up when possible. Spend time with friends and family to be social and help keep stress at bay.
• Vaccinations – if you have heart failure, it's recommended that you have the flu vaccine every year and the pneumococcal vaccine as recommended by your GP. Ask your doctor about these vaccinations. You can have them free on the NHS. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for most people. Make sure you've had all the doses that you are eligible for. Talk to your doctor if you think you might be in one of the at risk groups.