Olmesartan

The Basics

What is Olmesartan?

Used to treat high blood pressure.

Brand names for Olmesartan

Benicar

How Olmesartan is classified

Antihypertensive Agents, Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers, ARBs

Olmesartan During Pregnancy

Olmesartan pregnancy category

Category C / D / DNote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Olmesartan while pregnant

There is no clinical experience with the use of Benicar in pregnant women. When used in pregnancy during the second and third trimesters, drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and even death to the, developing fetusNo teratogenic effects, were observed when olmesartan medoxomil was administered to pregnant rats at oral doses up to 1000, mg/kg/day (240 times the maximum recommended human dose [MRHD] of olmesartan medoxomil on, a mg/m2 basis) or pregnant rabbits at oral doses up to 1 mg/kg/day (half the MRHD on a mg/m2 basis;, higher doses could not be evaluated for effects on fetal development as they were lethal to the does)., In rats, significant decreases in pup birth weight and weight gain were observed at doses ≥1.6, mg/kg/day, and delays in developmental milestones (delayed separation of ear auricula, eruption of, lower incisors, appearance of abdominal hair, descent of testes, and separation of eyelids) and dosedependent increases in the incidence of dilation of the renal pelvis were observed at doses ≥8, mg/kg/day. The no observed effect dose for developmental toxicity in rats is 0.3 mg/kg/day, about, one-tenth the MRHD of 40 mg/day.

Taking Olmesartan While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Olmesartan?

Because no information is available on the use of olmesartan during breastfeeding, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Because no information is available on the use of olmesartan during breastfeeding, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.

Possible effects of Olmesartan on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Olmesartan

Captopril, Benazepril, Enalapril, Quinapril.