aliskiren

Generic Name: aliskiren (a LIS ke rin)
Brand Names: Tekturna

What is the most important information I should know about aliskiren?

Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Aliskiren could cause birth defects in the baby if you take the medication during pregnancy, especially during the last 6 months. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment.

Before you take aliskiren, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, gout, diabetes, heart disease, or if you are on a low-salt diet.

If you take aliskiren with meals, avoid high-fat foods. They can make it harder for your body to absorb aliskiren.

Some things can cause your blood pressure to get too low. This includes vomiting, diarrhea, heavy sweating, heart disease, dialysis, a low-salt diet, or taking diuretics (water pills). Follow your doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink while taking aliskiren. Tell your doctor if you have a prolonged illness that causes diarrhea or vomiting.

What is aliskiren?

Aliskiren is an anti-hypertensive (blood pressure lowering) medication. It works by decreasing substances in the body that narrow blood vessels and raise blood pressure.

Aliskiren is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Aliskiren may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking aliskiren?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to aliskiren.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication:

kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
gout;
diabetes;
heart disease;
if you are on a low-salt diet; or
if you have ever had an allergic reaction to an ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor medication such as benazepril (Lotensin), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), and others.

FDA pregnancy category D. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Aliskiren could cause birth defects in the baby if you take the medication during pregnancy, especially during the last 6 months. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether aliskiren passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take aliskiren?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

Take aliskiren with a full glass of water.

You may take aliskiren with or without food, but take it the same way every time.

If you take aliskiren with meals, avoid high-fat foods. They can make it harder for your body to absorb aliskiren.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Store aliskiren at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include feeling light-headed or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking aliskiren?

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can further lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of aliskiren.

Do not use salt substitutes or potassium supplements while taking aliskiren, unless your doctor has told you to.

What are the possible side effects of aliskiren?

Stop taking aliskiren and get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; severe stomach pain; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

If you have an allergic reaction to aliskiren you should not take it again.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

feeling light-headed, fainting;
nausea with slow uneven heart rate and a weak pulse; or
swelling around your eyes.

Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:

stomach pain or upset, diarrhea, heartburn;
itching or skin rash;
headache, dizziness, tired feeling;
back pain, joint pain or swelling; or
stuffy nose, sore throat, cough.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect aliskiren?

The following drugs can interact with aliskiren. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

atorvastatin (Lipitor);
cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
furosemide (Lasix);
antifungal medication such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ketoconazole (Nizoral);
a potassium supplement such as K-Dur, Klor-Con;
salt substitutes that contain potassium; or
a diuretic (water pill).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs not listed that can affect aliskiren. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about aliskiren.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children. Never share your medicines with others and only use this medication for the condition prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.