Monday 29 July 2013

Olmesartan can cause chronic diarrhea


The US FDA has approved a label change for the AR blocker (ARB) olmesartan to state that the drug can cause an intestinal problem known as sprue-like enteropathy.  The symptoms include severe and chronic diarrhea that results in significant weight loss. Olmesartan is the only ARB known to cause this adverse event. The agency is continuing to monitor the safety of all olmesartan-containing products.

The label change is based on an evaluation of adverse events received by the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), a published literature case series, and other data. In the FAERS, the agency identified 23 patients who presented with late-onset diarrhea and significant weight loss. All patients improved clinically when olmesartan was stopped. When 10 patients were rechallenged with the drug, the symptoms appeared again.


Patients should be told to contact doctors if they develop severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss while taking an olmesartan-containing product, even if it takes months to years for symptoms to develop.

1 comment:

  1. Dear Sir, thanks a lot 4 d valuable info provided by you on Olmesartan,it will b quite useful to keep this possible side effect of d drug in mind while following up d cases of HTN on Olmesartan,instead of subjecting him/her vid battery of investigations for symptom of chronic diarrhoea vid weight loss

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