Samsca
Generic tolvaptan in 15 mg and 30 mg tablets, ordered here under the name Samsca, used to raise low blood sodium by helping the kidneys pass more water.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15mg | 10 tablets | $55.20 | $5.52 |
| 15mg | 20 tablets | $108.80 | $5.44 |
| 15mg | 30 tablets | $160.50 | $5.35 |
| 15mg | 60 tablets | $316.20 | $5.27 |
| 15mg | 90 tablets | $466.20 | $5.18 |
| 15mg | 120 tablets | $612.00 | $5.10 |
| 15mg | 180 tablets | $903.60 | $5.02 |
| 30mg | 10 tablets | $70.60 | $7.06 |
| 30mg | 20 tablets | $140.20 | $7.01 |
| 30mg | 30 tablets | $208.20 | $6.94 |
| 30mg | 60 tablets | $412.80 | $6.88 |
| 30mg | 90 tablets | $609.30 | $6.77 |
| 30mg | 120 tablets | $798.00 | $6.65 |
- Category
- Hormone Therapy
- Active ingredient
- Tolvaptan
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 15/30mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Hyponatremia
- Therapeutic Class
- Vasopressin receptor antagonist
- Pharmacological Class
- Selective V2-receptor antagonist
- Minor Side Effects
- Thirst, Dry mouth
- Moderate Side Effects
- Frequent urination, Constipation
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical
- Duration
- 24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Drug Interactions
- CYP3A4 inhibitors, Sodium supplements
- Age Restrictions
- Adults only.
What you will receive
Samsca is the originator brand name, made by Otsuka Pharmaceutical. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Samsca.
- The same active ingredient (Tolvaptan) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
Which Samsca strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Samsca is offered as generic tolvaptan, not the original Samsca, in 15mg and 30mg tablets. The 15mg strength comes in packs of 10 to 180 tablets, and the 30mg strength in packs of 10 to 120 tablets. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
What if my Samsca parcel is delayed or lost in Hong Kong?
If a generic tolvaptan parcel does not arrive within the delivery window, or arrives damaged, it is sent again free; if that is not possible, the order is refunded. Very large orders over 120 units may be split into several parcels.
What are the alternative names for Samsca and tolvaptan?
Samsca, Jinarc and Jynarque are brand names of tolvaptan. Here, tolvaptan can be bought online as generic Samsca. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does tolvaptan take to work?
The first thing you notice is more urine, starting on the day of the first tablet rather than after weeks. Blood sodium then follows, and it is the blood tests over the first days that show how far it has moved. The dose is set from those results.
Why does tolvaptan make you thirsty?
Thirst is the most common effect and often the first one people mention. It comes directly from how the medicine works: the kidneys are passing more water, so the body asks for more. Dry mouth and extra trips to the bathroom, including overnight, go with it.
What is the difference between the 15 mg and 30 mg tablets?
A 30 mg tablet holds twice as much tolvaptan as a 15 mg one, and nothing else differs. Low sodium is usually treated from 15 mg once a day, moving up to 30 mg if the sodium stays too low. The two strengths are sold separately, so you order the one you take.
Can I drink grapefruit juice while taking tolvaptan?
It is best avoided. Grapefruit juice slows the breakdown of tolvaptan, so the level in the blood can rise higher than intended. Water, tea, coffee and most other drinks are not a problem.
Is tolvaptan used for anything other than low blood sodium?
Yes — in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD, where fluid-filled cysts grow in the kidneys) it is taken twice a day at much higher doses to slow the loss of kidney function. That is a long-term use, while low sodium is treated in short courses.
About Samsca
What tolvaptan tablets are for
Low blood sodium, or hyponatraemia, is more often a problem of too much water than of too little salt: the sodium already in the blood is being diluted. Tolvaptan is used for the two patterns this happens in — euvolaemic hyponatraemia, where the body's water total is normal but the sodium is spread too thinly, and hypervolaemic hyponatraemia, where fluid builds up, as in heart failure or liver cirrhosis. Often the driver is SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone), in which the body keeps releasing a hormone that tells the kidneys to hold on to water. The same medicine is taken long term in polycystic kidney disease, at higher daily doses than the 15 mg and 30 mg tablets.
How it works
Vasopressin, also called antidiuretic hormone, is the signal that tells the kidneys to reclaim water. Tolvaptan blocks it at the V2 receptor in the kidney's collecting ducts, so more water leaves in the urine and less returns to the blood, leaving the sodium already there more concentrated. Unlike a diuretic, it does not wash out sodium and other electrolytes along with the water. Thirst and a fuller bladder are the visible sign that it is working.
How it is taken
The tablets are taken once a day. Low blood sodium is usually treated starting at 15 mg daily, stepping up to 30 mg daily if the sodium has not moved enough. Food makes no difference, so take yours with a meal or between meals. Courses for low sodium are kept short — no longer than 30 days — because tolvaptan can harm the liver, and sodium levels and liver blood tests are checked while it is used. Some medicines raise the amount of tolvaptan in the blood, among them the antifungals ketoconazole and itraconazole and the antibiotic clarithromycin, while rifampicin and some epilepsy medicines lower it.
Side effects
Thirst is the one almost everyone notices, along with a dry mouth and more trips to the toilet, sometimes at night. Feeling light-headed, tired or sick during the first few days is common too and usually eases. Signs of liver injury — yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, itching, or pain under the ribs on the right — need urgent attention. Sodium can also climb too fast, which is why the dose goes up in steps and blood tests guide it rather than being pushed up all at once.
Sources
- Tolvaptan (low blood sodium): MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Polycystic Kidney Disease - The National Kidney Foundation — National Kidney Foundation