— Product
OLMEROS AM TAB
OLMESARTAN MEDOXOMIL 20MG + AMLODIPINE 5MG
OLMEROS AM TAB is a tablet combining olmesartan medoxomil 20 mg with amlodipine 5 mg, an angiotensin receptor blocker paired with a calcium channel blocker. It is used for hypertension not adequately controlled by either agent alone.
01
Benefits
- Two complementary vasodilating mechanisms acting through different pathways, giving greater blood pressure reduction than either alone.
- The angiotensin blocker reduces the ankle swelling caused by amlodipine, so the combination is better tolerated than amlodipine alone at equivalent effect.
- Combination therapy reaches target blood pressure in more patients, at lower doses of each component.
- Once-daily dosing in a single tablet supports adherence.
- Does not cause the dry cough associated with ACE inhibitors, and is metabolically neutral unlike thiazide combinations.
02
Side effects
Not everyone gets these. Most are mild and settle as the course finishes.
Common
- Ankle swelling, though less than with amlodipine alone
- Dizziness, particularly on standing
- Headache
- Flushing
Less common
- Palpitations
- Fatigue
- Rise in serum potassium or creatinine
- Gum swelling
Stop and get medical help if any of these occur
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing
- Fainting, or severe persistent dizziness
- Chest pain, or a marked worsening of angina after starting or increasing the dose
- Severe chronic diarrhoea with weight loss
- Marked swelling of the legs with breathlessness
- A marked fall in urine output
03
Precautions
- Contraindicated in pregnancy — drugs acting on the renin-angiotensin system cause fetal injury and death in the second and third trimesters. Contraindicated in breastfeeding.
- Contraindicated in severe aortic stenosis, in cardiogenic shock, and shortly after myocardial infarction because of the amlodipine.
- Do not combine with an ACE inhibitor or aliskiren.
- Check renal function and serum potassium before starting and after dose increases.
- Olmesartan can cause a severe sprue-like enteropathy with chronic diarrhoea and weight loss.
- Amlodipine levels are raised by grapefruit juice and by CYP3A4 inhibitors — avoid grapefruit and check interacting drugs.
- Ankle swelling is dose-related and not a sign of heart failure; it responds to dose reduction rather than a diuretic.
- Do not stop abruptly without advice.