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Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Benicar HCT (Olmesartan / Hydrochlorothiazide) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 4 ratings/reviews, Benicar HCT has an overall score of 7. The effectiveness score is 7.50 and the side effect score is 7.50. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Benicar HCT review by 50 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | high blood pressue -- diuretic |
| Dosage & duration: | | not sure (dosage frequency: once per day) for the period of from 2005 to the present |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | My blood pressure levels were controlled quite well. However, they spike from time to time, not dropping until I take another dose. |
| Side effects: | | There were no side effects that I am aware of. |
| Comments: | | The medication was prescribed to control symptoms of high blood pressure and water
retention that I was experiencing.
I was also advised to adhere to a low-sodium diet and to exercise moderately. This and taking the medication faithfully has served well to decrease high blood
pressure symptoms. However, water retention has not significantly reduced. |
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| | Benicar HCT review by 50 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | hypertension |
| Dosage & duration: | | 25mg taken 1x/day for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | stress |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | lowered blood presssure with no notable side effects.The reduction in blood pressure was immediate with no other bothersome side effects |
| Side effects: | | none -- i was warned that many blood pressure medications have bothersome side-effects including lowered libido, sleep disturbances etc. i suffered no change in any physiological symptoms other than the lowering of my blood pressure |
| Comments: | | Take the medication once per day and take measures to reduce the sources of stress in my life as well as take measures to more efficiently deal with existant daily stress. |
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| | Benicar HCT review by 46 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | High Blood Pressure |
| Dosage & duration: | | 40/12.5 (dosage frequency: once a day) for the period of 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | Potassium | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The benefits were that it did help lower my blood pressure. |
| Side effects: | | With the HCT added to the Benicar, I was constantly going to the bathroom. My potassium got so low on this medication that I am currently taking 3 potassium pills daily. |
| Comments: | | Benicar/HCT was taken once a day due to my blood pressure being high. It did help control my blood pressure, if I ever forgot to take it I could feel the results - headache, etc. When I first began taking it I felt really tired all the time but eventually got used to it. I started losing weight (not because of the medication, I was actually trying to lose weight) and my potassium got so low that my physician took me off of the HCT part and started me just on the Benicar 40 mg daily. I am still taking potassium pills until my labs show that my potassium is okay. |
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| | Benicar HCT review by 55 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Hypertension |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg/day taken once a day for the period of a couple of months |
| Other conditions: | | Overweight but no other conditions |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Blood pressure was decreased initially to where it should have been, and gradually stopped being so effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe rectal pain, beginning around 4 weeks into the treatment. At first there was burning, after bowel movements, then increased to severe burning all the time, then to pain, and finally severe pain (could not sit or lay down). No hemorrhoids, tears, or fisures, but the pain continued, even if no bowel movements for days. Finally stopped taking the medication at the end of August 2009, but the symptoms continue even now (Feb 2010), although not nearly as bad. Now the pain just makes me sit sideways, but at least I can sit and lay down to sleep. |
| Comments: | | I had never been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but had recently gained several pounds because of the double round of steroids I was put on because of a severe skin rash (seasonal allergic reaction). Since we had recently moved I didn't have a PCP yet and the rash on my arms looked like it may have been getting infected, I went to a local emergent care center and saw a doctor there. They took my blood pressure and immediately put me on Benicar HCT, 20 mg, once a day. I took the medication as prescribed until the anal pain got to be too bad. Since going off the medication my BP is a little elevated but I'm reluctant to go back on any meds, especially no one seems to be willing to admit the Benicar caused this problem or is offering any solutions to help it get better. |
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