AboutDr. Ravindra Bhaskar Ghooi Expertise I can provide information on drugs and medicines, their actions, uses, interactions and adverse effects. To avoid confusion, generic names of
medicines may please be provided. I am a pharmacologist, having worked
on animal and human pharmacology, and presently I am the Dean of Bilcare Research Academy, where we teach courses on clinical research. We dont work on saturdays and sundays, hence questions reachng me on these days will be replied on Monday, please bear with me.
Question My father (75 years) has developed severe allergic rash for the past 3 months. I am suspecting that it could be due to Cozaar/Hyzaar which he has been taking for the past 18 months. He is also on Plavix, Crestor, folic acid. I have ruled out Crestor as there was no changes after stopping taking it for 10 days. I am suspecting that it could be tha Hyzaar. What is the best way to find out. Should I stop him from taking it for 2 weeks or replace it with another drug? Please advise. Thank You
Answer Hi Yap,
Actually you are on the right. The best way to find out is to stop the drug for a short while and see if the problem goes away. Hyzaar contains Losartan and Hydrochlorthiazide. In my reading I have felt that there is a greater incidence of allergy to hydrochlorthiazide. So I would replace Hyzaar first with its ingredients singly. That means stop hyzaar and take losartan tablets and hydrocholrthiazide tablets separtely. The stop Losartan and replace it with say Telmisartan. If that does nto help restart losartan, and stop hydrocholrthiazide and relace it with say lasix. This way you can test each drug separately.
Best wishes
Ravi Ghooi
