Candesartan
Candesartan cilexetil 4mg, 8mg and 16mg tablets for high blood pressure and heart failure — an angiotensin II receptor blocker, in packs from 10 to 360 tablets.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4mg | 30 tablets | $30.60 | $1.02 |
| 4mg | 60 tablets | $49.80 | $0.83 |
| 4mg | 90 tablets | $63.90 | $0.71 |
| 8mg | 30 tablets | $46.80 | $1.56 |
| 8mg | 60 tablets | $73.20 | $1.22 |
| 8mg | 90 tablets | $102.60 | $1.14 |
| 8mg | 120 tablets | $126.00 | $1.05 |
| 8mg | 360 tablets | $352.80 | $0.98 |
| 16mg | 10 tablets | $26.30 | $2.63 |
| 16mg | 20 tablets | $49.20 | $2.46 |
| 16mg | 30 tablets | $71.40 | $2.38 |
| 16mg | 60 tablets | $117.00 | $1.95 |
| 16mg | 90 tablets | $157.50 | $1.75 |
| 16mg | 120 tablets | $193.20 | $1.61 |
| 16mg | 180 tablets | $270.00 | $1.50 |
- Category
- Heart & Blood Pressure
- Active ingredient
- Candesartan cilexetil
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 4/8/16mg
You will receive a quality generic, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Hypertension · Heart failure
- Brands with the same ingredient
- Atacand
- Therapeutic Class
- ARB
- Pharmacological Class
- Angiotensin II receptor blocker
- Minor Side Effects
- Dizziness, Headache
- Moderate Side Effects
- Fatigue, Back pain, Flu symptoms
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- AstraZeneca
- Onset Time
- 2–4 hours
- Duration
- 24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Drug Interactions
- Potassium-sparing diuretics, Lithium
- Age Restrictions
- Not recommended for children
What you will receive
Candesartan is a generic medicine sold under the name of its active ingredient, Candesartan cilexetil.
- The manufacturer depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
- It contains the same active ingredient, at the same strength, as the brand-name versions.
FAQ
Which Candesartan strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Candesartan tablets come in 4mg, 8mg and 16mg, with packs of 10 to 360 tablets. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How are large Candesartan orders handled?
Very large Candesartan orders over 120 units may be split into several parcels. This helps each parcel move through the delivery network. This applies only to very large orders. Smaller orders ship as one parcel.
What is another name for candesartan cilexetil?
Brand names for candesartan cilexetil include Blopress and Atacand. Candesartan tablets are a pure generic candesartan cilexetil product and are not any of those brands.
Is candesartan the same as Atacand?
Yes — Atacand is a brand name under which candesartan cilexetil is sold; candesartan is the generic name of the same active ingredient. Both treat high blood pressure and heart failure, and both come as once-daily tablets.
Does candesartan cause a cough?
Not usually. The stubborn dry cough that people on ACE inhibitors such as ramipril or lisinopril often develop is rare with candesartan and the other ARBs, which is one reason this family gets chosen when a cough has been a problem.
How long does candesartan take to work?
The pressure starts to come down within about two weeks of daily use, and the full effect on the reading is generally there by four weeks. In heart failure the gains accumulate over a longer stretch, measured in months rather than days.
Can I drink alcohol while taking candesartan?
Drinking adds to the drop in blood pressure, so light-headedness and dizziness are more likely, particularly in the first few weeks of treatment. Regular heavy drinking pushes blood pressure the other way and makes the tablets work less well.
Can candesartan be taken with other blood pressure medicines?
Often, yes. When one tablet does not bring the reading down far enough, candesartan is commonly combined with a water tablet (diuretic) or a calcium-channel blocker, and in heart failure it may be added to an ACE inhibitor. A single tablet pairing candesartan with hydrochlorothiazide also exists.
About Candesartan
What candesartan is used for
Candesartan cilexetil is a once-daily tablet used for two conditions. One is essential hypertension: blood pressure that runs high without one clear reason behind it. The other is heart failure, where the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, has become too weak to push blood around the body efficiently. For heart failure it is given with an ACE inhibitor, or alone when that family has not suited. It belongs to the ARB family (angiotensin II receptor blockers), along with losartan and valsartan. Strengths sold here are 4mg, 8mg and 16mg.
How the tablet lowers pressure
The hormone angiotensin II narrows arteries by docking onto receptors in their walls. The tablet's active molecule, candesartan, occupies those docking points instead, so the hormone finds nowhere to attach and the artery walls stay open. With less resistance in front of it, the heart empties more easily, which is why the same tablet helps a struggling heart as well as a high reading. Pressure stays down for as long as you keep taking it; the cause of the hypertension itself is untouched.
When should I take candesartan?
Swallow the tablet with water. Food in your stomach makes almost no difference, so breakfast or early evening both work; what matters is choosing one slot and keeping to it. Blood pressure treatment usually starts at 8mg a day and heart failure at 4mg a day, with any increase spaced at least a fortnight after the last. Drinking heavily makes a sharper drop in pressure more likely, with giddiness and a racing pulse.
What side effects can candesartan cause?
Headache and light-headed spells come up most, and both are more noticeable in the first weeks or after a dose step-up. A dry, tickly cough, the sort that makes ACE inhibitors unpopular, is not something candesartan is known for. Blood potassium can drift upwards, especially alongside a potassium supplement, a potassium-sparing diuretic such as spironolactone, or a low-salt substitute; a blood test may be arranged to keep watch. Lithium is cleared more slowly while candesartan is taken. Regular anti-inflammatory painkillers of the ibuprofen or naproxen type work against the fall in pressure and put extra strain on the kidneys. Rapid swelling around the face, mouth or throat that makes breathing hard is a medical emergency.
Choosing between 4mg, 8mg and 16mg
The three tablets differ only in how much candesartan cilexetil each carries. A 4mg tablet suits the gentler start that heart failure calls for, 8mg is the usual entry point for blood pressure, and 16mg raises the daily amount without needing two tablets. Keep your tablets somewhere dry, out of direct sun.
Sources
- Atacand - referral | European Medicines Agency (EMA) — European Medicines Agency
- Candesartan cilexetil 8mg tablets - Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) — electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC)