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 I am 46 years old male and I have been taking Losar-H from the last 8 months or so. My blood pressure has reduced from 140/100 to 125/90 and is generally under control.
Some time after starting the medication, I have noticed that my vests are getting yellow stains (I have started morning walks some time after starting the medication) My vests never use to stain previously even after profuse perspiration.
Recently I consulted a Physician who prescribed certain tests. Results are:
S. Bilirubin-Total 1mg/dl (normal 0 to 1)
SGPT 84 u/dl(0 to 49)
S Creatinin 1.25 mg/dl (0.8 to 1.4)
Hb% 12.9 gm%
Blood sugar(F) 93 mg/dl
Total cholesterol 186 mg/dl (150 to 250)
Triglyceride 160 mg/dl (60 to 165)
HDL Cholesterol 46 mg/dl (30 to 70)
VLDL Cholesterol 32 mg/dl (9 to 35)
LDL Cholesterol 108 mg/dl (90 to 150)
Could you please tell me whether my elevated levels of SGPT are responsible for the stains? Could Losar-H lead to elevated levels of SGPT? I eat two bananas daily; is it safe as I read that Losar-H could lead to elevated levels of potassium and bananas are very rich in potassium?
Thank you for your time.
Answer Hi Ashish,
Barring SGPT all your values are within range, no worry on that count. With regard to serum electrolytes this is what the literature says:
In double-blind clinical trials of various doses of losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide, the incidence of hypertensive patients who developed hypokalemia (serum potassium < 3.5 mEq/L) was 6.7% versus 3.5% for placebo; the incidence of hyperkalemia (serum potassium > 5.7 mEq/L) was 0.4%.
Thus there is greater risk of hypokalemia than hyperkalemia. I woudl not think that taking bananas will harm you since bananas will counter act hypokalemia which is more common.
There is no mention of staining fo clothes with this drug, yet yello colouration would point to loss of bilirubin in sweat, rather uncommon. Are you sure you are not taking multivitamins alongwith? Vit B1 and B2 can cause this effect.
Presently I see no reason to worry.
Ravi Ghooi
