Diovan Oral Blood Pressure Medicine Review

As most of you may have guessed by now, I really like to eat.  In fact, I spent decades eating a lot of the wrong things and salting them liberally so it is not surprising that I have been coping with high blood pressure for a long time.  I have made a lot of changes in my diet and general lifestyle plan and this has helped but also of vital importance are the medications I take to alleviate my symptoms.  One of the most important of these is Diovan manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Diovan is the brand name for Valsartan which belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers which means that it works by blocking the hormone angiotensin thereby relaxing the blood vessels and causing them to widen.

When I buy Diovan from Caremark CVS Prescription Insurance mail order service, it costs $20 a month (90-day supply).  The pill is easy to take and mine only requires one dose a day.  This is not a casual medication, however, and should be taken only under the supervision of a doctor who understands your personal history and knows about other medications you may be taking. 

MY VIEWPOINT:

There are certain people who  should not be taking Diovan and everyone needs to discuss a prescription like this with their doctor and also read the information provided by the pharmacist.  Pregnant women should not take this drug and there are also general precautions warning against the use of "salt substitutes" or potassium supplements while taking Diovan.  As in the case of any blood pressure medication, Diovan should not be discontinued without checking with your doctor and it is also important to continue to have your blood pressure monitored regularly by a professional medical person. 

Aside from that disclaimer, I have to say that Diovan has helped me -- for me, it was a good thing.