Hay Fever Caused by Diovan

If you are experiencing high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, or have had a recent heart attack, your doctor may prescribe an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) known as Diovan to treat your condition. But if you are susceptible to hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, or if you experience an allergic reaction while taking Diovan, tell your doctor.

Diovan and Valsartin

• Diovan is one of a group of drugs known as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) or antagonists. Used to treat both high blood pressure and heart failure, Diovan keeps your blood vessels from narrowing, which can help lower your blood pressure and improve blood flow. Diovan is distributed by Novartis Pharmaceutical.

  Valsartan, the key ingredient in Diovan, works to block angiotensin II, a chemical produced by your body that causes blood vessels to narrow or constrict, contributing to high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. By blocking or decreasing the effectiveness of angiotensin II in your body, valsartan allows blood vessels to relax, which can lower blood pressure.

Side Effects of Valsartan in Diovan

• Side effects of the valsartan in Diovan include allergic reaction, weakness, anxiety, palpitations, vertigo, fatigue, stomach pain and increased susceptibility to viral infections, such as cold or flu.

  An allergic reaction to Diovan, which is one of the more common side effects, often mimics hay fever, and you can find yourself experiencing all the usual symptoms of sneezing, wheezing, reddening and tearing of the eyes, and congestion found in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

  The real difficulty, of course, is in telling the difference between seasonal hay fever and hay fever that has been triggered by Diovan. One way to tell the difference is to stop taking Diovan for 8 to 10 days. If your hay fever symptoms calm down or disappear, they are probably a side effect of Diovan.

Diovan and Hay Fever

• While the allergic reaction that mimics hay fever, or any seasonal allergic rhinitis, is one of the more common side effects that Diovan can trigger, it is important that you do not treat your hay fever symptoms yourself with over-the-counter drugs.

  You should also refrain from taking your regular allergy medicine without first checking with your doctor. Certain medications used to treat hay fever can be contraindicated with Diovan.

Research on Antiallergy Medication and Diovan

• Antiallergy medications such as Tranilast can have an antagonistic effect on the angiotensin II chemical in your body. This can cause angiotensin II-induced contractions in human arteries.

  Other antiallergy medications to avoid with ARB medications may include chlorobenzyl, hexahydro-methyl-azepin, phthalazinone hydrochloride (Azelastine), methyl-tetrazol-pyrido and disodium cromglycate.

  These findings were confirmed by research done at the Department of Pharmacology, Osaka Medical College by Denan Jin, Shinji Takai, Naotaka Shiota and Mizuo Miyazaki. These findings were published in the November 1998 European Journal of Pharmacology, Volume 361.

If You Already Have Allergies

• If you already have allergies to food, dyes, preservatives or animal dander, or have hay or ragweed fever, tell your doctor before starting Diovan, especially if you are taking antiallergy medication.

  If you have an allergic reaction to Diovan, or have ongoing allergies, your doctor may want to put you on a different antiallergy medication that does not conflict with an ARB drug.

  If your pre-existing hay fever allergy is severe, he may want to switch you to a non-ARB drug to treat your blood pressure.

Additional Side Effects of Diovan

• Besides the allergic reactions that may resemble hay fever, there are more serious side effects with Diovan. Symptoms of difficulty in breathing or swallowing and decreased urine production should be reported to your doctor immediately. Severe side effects include low blood pressure (hypotension), kidney or liver problems. If you are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, you should not take Diovan.