Sacubitril / valsartan and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Mks...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 13, 2020

For Heart Failure "I was given Entresto when they said my EF was 30-35. Had to fight with the insurance to get them to cover it. Was told by cardiologist it was a miracle drug and would add years to my life. The first few months were okay but my blood pressure kept getting lower and lower. Was told by cardiologist not to take morning dose if the upper number was under 100. That was all the time. I was dizzy all the time, falling constantly. Started having chest pains and episodes of confusion. Went to cardiologist, was told they didn’t know what was wrong. My husband was having to help me walk everywhere we went. Was so tired, I couldn’t do housework, laundry, or anything. Made the decision on my own to stop taking Entresto. Within a week, I was a completely different person. Energy level is up, dizziness is gone, quality of life has returned. Entresto was one of the worst experiences of my life. Changing cardiologist. Entresto was a nightmare for me."

• pau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 7, 2021

For Heart Failure "Started Entresto in May and the side effects are bad, very low blood pressure, dizzy, weak, vomiting, diarrhea. I stopped taking and went back to old heart medication. Listen to your body, I thought I was going to end up in the emergency room."

• Eno...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 22, 2018

For Heart Failure "I was put on Entresto for approximately 6 months. This drug was a nightmare for me. Started on the recommended starting dose (med dose) in the beginning. Blood pressure and pulse rate went seriously low, and my doctor ignored these symptoms. I told him I was dizzy, weak, and felt worse than being on conventional heart failure drugs. So what does he do? He tells me to double the dose. I started taking the maximum dose. In short, it damn near killed me!! Pulse rate went as low as 30 then spiked to over 140. Blood pressure was 90/60. I had a blackout, and my life vest went into treatment mode. I ended up in the hospital emergency and was admitted to the hospital. They took me off Entresto and began treatment with conventional heart failure drugs. Doing better now but still weak. If anybody is reading this, look for supplements for heart failure. They have helped more than ever, such as CoQ10, Garlic, Krill Oil, Magnesium, L-Arginine, Taurine, D-Ribose, and L-Citrulline DL-Malate 2:1."

• Das...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2019

For Heart Failure "New Cardiologist, CHF since aggressive chemotherapy for Hodgkin's Lymphoma ten years ago my body chemistry changed. Taken all the ACE inhibitors, everyone of them made me horribly ill, Bisoprolol in combo with med I can't remember ended me up in emerg with a pulse of 30bpm. I told my new Cardiologist I was stopping all cardiac meds as I was no use to anyone as I couldn't function. He jumped up and down like a Mexican jumping bean telling me I will drop dead of a stroke if I don't take this Entresto. So I'm on week two of only two pills a day and am back on the couch with not enough energy to cook for myself. Lost my appetite, can't think straight, dizzy, and have given up on living. I mean why. Quality of life is most important for me even if it's going to be cut short. My last ECGs are normally irregular, I have a defib implant and the number of incidents have tripled since I've been on this med. I have no faith in big money pharmacologists. They are only out for the money."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 11, 2019

For Heart Failure "I have an enlarged heart and chronic systolic heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. My EF was 15-20. My condition was stable until my cardiologist retired. My new cardiologist told me the wonderful new medication, Entresto, was much better for me and he would have me feeling better in no time. After a year and a half of no improvement and terrible side effects, I am going back to my old medication. Entresto puts me in the donut hole for over half the year, forcing me to pay $400 a month for Entresto alone. I pray I can regain the ground I have lost, while trying to believe my cardiologist. I am tired, swollen, dizzy and have gained weight and am disgusted with myself for taking this horrible medication for so long. I have gone from using a cane to using a walker. My EF has not improved. Please don’t take this horrible medication."

• Vic...
• August 19, 2019

For Heart Failure "Two heart attacks diagnosed with CHF, open-heart surgery, stents x3 in 2014. Started on Entresto for almost a year, tired, dizzy, but my legs were suffering also my calves. My Entresto was increased since last month, everything got worse, panic attacks at night due to irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. Just came from the doctor and hate when they treat you as a drug addict. I have been struggling with severe leg pain, ankle pain due to joint pain, stiff calves, shooting pain in hands and feet! Yes, I have neuropathy, but Entresto makes you hypersensitive! Your heart feels like a washing machine when the clothes are not balanced, blurred vision, and worst of all extremely dizzy. I am stopping this medication right now! Definitely, the FDA is not on the consumer side, it is all about money! They are just using patients like us to test these medications, and I will not fall for it anymore."

• Ava...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2019

For Heart Failure "My dad was on this medication for 3 months. He literally had all of its side effects: weight loss, high potassium, kidney failure, dizziness, blurred vision, and on top of it, ended up in the hospital due to abnormal labs and poor kidney function where they took him off of that medication. His kidneys are getting worse and worse when they were functioning well prior to taking Entresto! I advise everybody to really watch its side effects and ask your doctor for other medications out there but not this one. Please don't take this one, it's too risky."

• Bad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2020

For Heart Failure "I'm 34 years old. The doctor claimed my heart was weak because of non-compaction, and my ejection fraction was at 30 percent from an echo. He told me to take Entresto. I was taking it for 6 months, then they sent me to take an MRI. The MRI showed the ejection fraction was 38%. All of a sudden, my body started to reject Entresto. My feet and hands started to tingle, I was extremely dizzy, I was having chest pain under my pec muscle, and one night I was breathing funny, and I thought my life was finishing. I was like, is this it? The next morning, I tried to contact my doctor's office, and they claimed that's normal. So I took it upon my own, and stopped taking the pills for a while. I want my ejection fraction to increase."

• woo...
• January 14, 2017

For Heart Failure "Took the 24 mg med and feeling lightheaded and dizzy. Blood pressure dropped to 60 and was sent to ICU for observation for several days. My potassium level went up to 6.9 and lab test results show kidney problems. The new cardiologist put me on Metolazone instead to remove excess fluid on lungs and it worked great! No more shortness of breath and no more swelling in the legs and stomach, and no excess fluid in the lungs. I advise to take a look at it first and do your research before taking this medication. Good thing I only took it for 6 weeks, but that short time did not give me good results."

• Roc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2019

For Heart Failure "A NP switched me from Lisinopril to Entresto eight weeks after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) x2. Bad news from day 1. I took it for approximately 5 days thinking it must just be me, not realizing I was hitting on EVERY side effect mentioned. I've taken all kinds of drugs (including some illicit ones that I'm not really proud of) and in my case found this one to be the most dangerous compound I have ever come across. Blood pressure dropped, fatigue, constant nausea and dizziness, unbelievable shortness of breath even with the most minor exertion, night sweats, and a cough I didn't have before. I put this med in the toilet and went back to Lisinopril. No problems now and have changed cardiologist."

• wal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2019

For Heart Failure "I have congestive heart failure (ejection fraction around 27%) after a massive attack back in Nov 2013. My cardiologist switched me from Ramipril to Entresto on Feb. 1st, 2019, and within a couple of weeks of starting, I experienced swelling & severe calf muscle pain, muscle weakness in my legs, waking up in the night with ice-cold toes & feet. My lower legs felt 'hard' and swollen but not like when I retained fluids, much more painful. I had a significant (& scary) increase in my blood pressure readings. I experienced overall body weakness, feeling like crap, dizziness, and a 'spacey' feeling. Entresto made me feel much worse than I had ever felt since my 'event' in 2013. I stopped taking it and went back to my old medication, feeling back to my 'normal' within a week. Three months later now and still recovering from the damage/pain to my calf muscles. What a nightmare Entresto was, it was truly awful for me."

• CMB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2020

For Heart Failure "I went into sudden cardiac arrest and had to be shocked with the defibrillator. My heart was functioning at 35%. I now have an implanted defibrillator. My cardiologist said that they think I had a virus that attacked my heart, which caused myocarditis. Dr. prescribed Entresto, Carvedil, and Aldactone. I had to have the Dr. lower my dose of the Carvedil because I was experiencing very bad dizziness and lightheadedness. The Entresto has me coughing all day and night. It’s the worst feeling having to cough so much. I just recently had an ultrasound and after a few months on this medicine, my heart is still pumping at 35%. I pray that this number increases."

• 48i...
• March 24, 2017

For Heart Failure "I am 48 years old and I have Left bundle branch block (LBBB) and a low ejection fraction of 30 to 35. I used to be on Lisinopril and Carvedilol before taking Entresto. The Lisinopril didn't suit me well and gave me anxiety. I have been on Entresto and Carvedilol for almost a year and I enjoy taking the medicines together. I workout 3 times a week and I am losing weight, and my ejection fraction is increasing. I am not having any side effects, but a very light dizziness if I sit for a long time and get up fast. I can feel that my heart works easier than before and my average blood pressure is 117/68. Entresto is about $485 a month; however, if you go online and register, they provide a discount card and after my insurance, I pay $60 a month."

• maz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2016

For Heart Failure "I felt dizzy, light-headed, confused, and my throat felt like it was closing. I can't tell if it is any good because you are on so many medications when you have stage 3 heart failure. But I do know this: the trials should have gone forward to look at all evidence, these fast-track FDA approvals have killed a lot of people because of serious side effects. Look at the law commercials you see every day."

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2019

For Heart Failure "My doctor, as well as the Cleveland Clinic, recommended Entresto. To make this short, every side effect listed for this med I ended up having. After gaining 20 pounds in 30 days, I called it quits on this poison as dizziness turned into vertigo, and nausea kept me on the couch, leaving me feeling lifeless. Prior to this med, I was slowly losing weight via diet and lifestyle changes and dropped from 247 to 217 in four months. I was feeling better and on my way to recovery-NATURALLY! After a week of stopping this med, I gained another 5 pounds, as expecting quick results is like turning the Titanic. The sudden weight gain is like picking up and carrying three 1-gallon bottles of milk and carrying them with me all day long. I have never felt so near death and so pray that I come out of this spiral before this iceberg called Entresto takes me down. If Russian roulette is your game, then Entresto is the name."

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2019

For Heart Failure "My doctor, as well as the Cleveland Clinic, recommended Entresto. To make this short, every side effect listed for this med I ended up having. After gaining 20 pounds in 30 days, I called it quits on this poison as dizziness turned into vertigo, and nausea kept me on the couch, leaving me feeling lifeless. Prior to this med, I was slowly losing weight via diet and lifestyle changes and dropped from 247 to 217 in four months. I was feeling better and on my way to recovery-NATURALLY! After a week of stopping this med, I gained another 5 pounds, as expecting quick results is like turning the Titanic. The sudden weight gain is like picking up and carrying three 1-gallon bottles of milk and carrying them with me all day long. I have never felt so near death and so pray that I come out of this spiral before this iceberg called Entresto takes me down. If Russian roulette is your game, then Entresto is the name."

• Dav...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 1, 2018

For Heart Failure "David: while seeing a cardiologist, I offer the following: Con- really, I can't believe that I stayed on Entresto 49/51 mg this long - started June 2018 with the following side effects; the following effects are constant - constant dizziness and headaches - the headache feels like knocking a ball around inside my head - feeling like collapsing - nose itch so bad I scratch that brought out blood - June 2018, I fell while going inside my garage from my family room, injured right foot - strong overall sickness came in - unable to drive due to backwards feeling of falling/trembling/lightheaded/vision out of focus - neck pain, bad right side - nausea/vomit feeling - July 2018, fell again, injured right foot again:: Pro: while on Entresto, my EF increased from 30% to 60% per July 2018 MUGA test at doctor's office. Due to chest pain, I had hospital stay and in Aug 2018 had ECHO test that shows my EF was 50%. NOTE: my cardiologist has since increased my dosage on Entresto to 97/103 mg."

• Rob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2021

For Heart Failure "After a severe heart failure in 2017, my husband was in a coma for 5 days. He was taken out of the coma, had a defib implant, HEF (heart ejection fraction) at 18%, and was discharged with metoprolol and Enalapril. Six months later, he is building a shed and feeling rejuvenated. The doctor changed Enalapril to Entresto, a new miracle drug for people with low HEF. This easygoing, laughing, funny man changed to a dizzy, weak-legged, extremely fatigued, despondent, depressed man. No energy, no stamina, no taste for food, can't bend over to put on shoes and socks, feeling like he is going to fall, up for a couple of hours, then needs to sleep for 4 hours, pulse in the 80s+, BP got as low as 63/41. Very low BP reading. Called the hospital, after a telephone conference due to COVID, advised to stop Entresto. Amazing, he feels back to his usual optimistic self, looking forward to a new grandchild, which he was thinking 'prepare for the time of death' planning! This drug might work for some, but not for 51% of people."

• Joy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2022

For Heart Failure "I started Entresto for chronic heart failure. It did remove the fluid from my legs and feet, but I could not stand the chronic diarrhea, foggy head, muscle pain. I had more shortness of breath than I had before I took the medication. I fell because I was extremely dizzy, and my blood pressure was too low. I stopped taking it, and I feel a lot better than I did before. It just didn't work for me. I will be alerting my cardiologist."

• Bir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 8, 2022

For Heart Failure "I took it a few days, then got so tired and dizzy. Blood pressure was getting so low that I feel lucky that I didn't go into shock! Maybe this works for people with very high blood pressure, but mine is only slightly elevated, so this med was too strong. I was on the lowest dosage."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 28, 2017

For Heart Failure "When I was first taken off of Enalapril, I started Entresto on the lowest dosage (50 mg). The only side effect I had was a lack of energy. My dosage was doubled to 100 mg after a few weeks. That was when I started noticing worse side effects. Breathing difficulties were the most significant. I also noticed my energy levels decreased even further: lightheadedness and dizziness when standing, dry mouth, increased thirst, and throat swelling (all of which I'm suffering from at the moment). As suggested on the insert for this medication, I will not be taking my next PM and AM dosage because of the throat swelling and will be calling my cardiologist first thing in the morning."

• Ker...
• October 18, 2022

For Heart Failure "Doc put me on this stuff low dose, but right away I started being a little more dizzy than usual. I am diabetic, so my balance isn't great anyway, but it got noticeably worse in about a week on Entresto. AND I started retaining more water than usual on my lower legs, even though I was taking my usual Furosemide, to the point of a tiny scrape on the shins that wouldn't stop draining. So I read up on Entresto and found some patients do retain fluid. Stopping it right now. We'll see if that stops the bad stuff. Not recommended!"

• Dgf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 10, 2021

For Heart Failure "Suddenly, one evening I couldn’t breathe, went to the ER and was diagnosed with CHF, dilated cardiomyopathy, pulmonary edema, and pneumonia. A 2D echo showed LVEF of 30-35% and I was started on a low dose of Entresto and have felt worse since being on it, with symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, increased PVCs, hypotension, dizziness, numbness and tingling in the entire body, with feelings of doom. After revisiting the ER two more times and one more hospital admission and still feeling worse, I realized after having taken Entresto for 3 months that my horrible symptoms began when I started taking Entresto. I stopped taking Entresto four days ago and am actually beginning to feel better, more normal. Know that Entresto is a great new drug for treating heart failure, but unfortunately I could not tolerate it ... the side effects outweighed the benefits for me."

• are...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 14, 2021

For Heart Failure "I've had CHF for years, but my former cardiologist never put me on any medication to help my heart. Plus, he was a total a**hole, so I found another cardiologist with great credentials. At any rate, only 2 weeks ago, they started me on a very low dose of Entresto because of high creatinine levels. Even at that low dose of splitting a 24-26 mg tab and taking half in the morning and half at night, I've had an increase in my balance issues (already had some from neuropathy in my feet), itchiness that won't stop, what was just a small pain in my left side is now a really bad pain all around my waistline area, about 8-10 inches wide, from abdominal pain to back pain. I'm dizzy or lightheaded all the time, get confused easily, and my legs feel like they weigh 100 lbs each at times. All this at a very minimal dose! I have an appointment with my cardiologist in about 6 hours from now, and I'm telling them to take me off this S#!t because for me, it's dangerous! I can't even stand up straight."

• are...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 14, 2021

For Heart Failure "I've had CHF for years, but my former cardiologist never put me on any medication to help my heart. Plus, he was a total a**hole, so I found another cardiologist with great credentials. At any rate, only 2 weeks ago, they started me on a very low dose of Entresto because of high creatinine levels. Even at that low dose of splitting a 24-26 mg tab and taking half in the morning and half at night, I've had an increase in my balance issues (already had some from neuropathy in my feet), itchiness that won't stop, what was just a small pain in my left side is now a really bad pain all around my waistline area, about 8-10 inches wide, from abdominal pain to back pain. I'm dizzy or lightheaded all the time, get confused easily, and my legs feel like they weigh 100 lbs each at times. All this at a very minimal dose! I have an appointment with my cardiologist in about 6 hours from now, and I'm telling them to take me off this S#!t because for me, it's dangerous! I can't even stand up straight."