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Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Diovan (Valsartan) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 5 ratings/reviews, Diovan has an overall score of 6.40. The effectiveness score is 8.40 and the side effect score is 6.80. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Diovan review by 78 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | hypertension |
| Dosage & duration: | | 320 mg taken once/day for the period of 1 month |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | aspirin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | lower blood pressure |
| Side effects: | | hives |
| Comments: | | qd |
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| | Diovan review by 38 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | high blood pressure |
| Dosage & duration: | | 80mg taken daily for the period of 5 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Some of the treatment benefits were: lower blood pressure, less headaches, less fatigue |
| Side effects: | | The first few weeks of treatment, I felt a little dizzy. After that phase, there were no treatment side effects. |
| Comments: | | The doctor asked me to take 80mg daily. He also asked me to lower my salt intake and exercise regularly. |
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| | Diovan review by 51 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | high blood pressure |
| Dosage & duration: | | 80 (dosage frequency: 1x day) for the period of 5 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | Verapamil 360 mg SR | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I was able to reduce my dependence on Verapamil down to 240 mg. when I added the Diovan |
| Side effects: | | There were many! Enough that I stopped taking the Diovan and went back to the higher dose of Verapamil... I am over 50 and menopausal so weight gain is an issue anyway. Diovan causes substantial increase in hunger. Substantial. Not just an urge to eat but hungry to the point of discomfort. I tried eating carrots and celery, drinking lots of water and milk, but still I gained weight. I also lost virtually ALL of my sex drive. |
| Comments: | | Diovan is not taken alone but is in addition to your regular blood pressure medication. It is taken 1x a day, in the morning, along with your regular med. The change in blood pressure was immediate, and within days I had to reduce my Verapamil. But the side effects were so troubling that I quit taking it. |
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| | Diovan review by 52 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | High Blood Pressure |
| Dosage & duration: | | 80 - 160 mg. taken 1 x daily for the period of Better part of five years |
| Other conditions: | | Menopause, Hypo-thyroid |
| Other drugs taken: | | Climara, Progesterone, Levoxyl | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Reduced blood pressure. If I was consistent with my dosage, after time if I missed a dose it wouldn't matter. If I was inconsistent and forgetful with my dosage, I could feel heart palpitations and my bp would rise. Bringing my weight down also helped greatly. Typically my bp w/o dosing is 140/90. At one time, I got it down to 118/80. Consistency is a key in remembering to take the tablet faithfully every day and at the same time daily. |
| Side effects: | | Initially I didn't notice any side effects. After time, sometimes forgetting to take it, not getting RX refilled in time, chaning RX's, going back to Diovan, etc., my side effects became more noticeable and I had more of them. Moderate to sever muscle aches were my major side effect. Noticed more concentration required during driving, and eye vision blurriness. |
| Comments: | | At first took 80 mg dose, did well for several years. Over time, weight crept up, wasn't managing stress well and dosage was upped to 160 mg. Noticed more side effects on that dosage than on the 80 mg dose. Also caffeine seems to play a major role for me in rising bp, as well as salt causing water retention. |
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| | Diovan review by 79 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | High BP |
| Dosage & duration: | | 360 (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of 3 days |
| Other conditions: | | ICD installed |
| Other drugs taken: | | Carvedilol, Warfarin, Levothyroxine, Pravastatin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | After taking Altase, then Lisinopril, began Diovan, first 80 MG, then 160. The "ACE" cough disappeared with the 80 MG almost immediately. However morning surge BP continued. |
| Side effects: | | Three days after increasing dosage from 160MG to 320 MG experienced a sudden rash outburst along left rib cage and lower chest. |
| Comments: | | Sprayed rash with HC Derma-Pax and applied Hydrocortisone Cream afterward. Continued med and random daily BP reading to advise cardiologist if BP altered by increased dosage. If hives recur, will call Dr. and request lower dosage. |
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