Telmisartan and Headaches: What Users Say

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2019

Telmisartan for High Blood Pressure "I was prescribed 20 mg of Micardis and, like many, experienced lightheadedness, dizziness, and back pain. It also caused my throat to swell, mild nausea, vision problems, chest tightness, heartburn, the feeling I was going to faint, flushing, and pressure in my head. Basically, my blood pressure medication made me feel like I was going to have a heart attack and stroke. I stopped taking it 4 days ago and still have these symptoms. Time will tell if this stuff has done permanent damage."

• Anonymous
• October 8, 2010

Telmisartan for High Blood Pressure "I started on Micardis 4 months ago, the first month it didn't seem to help, the second month it controlled my high blood pressure perfectly, then the third month I started getting horrible side effects. My left arm would go numb and tingly, I had horrible headaches, insomnia, diarrhea, and chest pains. I was exhausted all the time yet I couldn't sleep, had terrible nightmares. The pills work great for controlling my blood pressure but the side effects are awful!"

• Mik...
• March 15, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I felt terrible on this medication. I am 35 years old, in good shape, exercise, and eat well, but I have genetically high blood pressure. I was put on telmisartan 20 mg. Not only did my blood pressure not improve at all, but within one week I had extreme fatigue, it was difficult for me to think clearly, and I had a headache all day. I visited my doctor after 16 days, was put on a new medication, and within two days my blood pressure went from the 150s/160s/95 to 125 over 81, and the symptoms have subsided completely."

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Absolutely awful!! Didn't realize how bad it was. I have been on 40 mg for years along with 10 mg of Felodipine, and still blood pressure is a problem at 180/100 and even higher. Put the Telmisartan up to 80 mg and still blood pressure is coming in at dangerous levels. Developed a constant cough since the medication was increased. Not sleeping, feeling exhausted, experiencing nightmares, back pain, headaches, etc. GP decided to stop the Telmisartan, and surprisingly, after being off it for two weeks, my blood pressure is now 117/120 over 65/70, absolutely normal. The Telmisartan was actually INCREASING my blood pressure. I should have realized it considering the number of times I have been hospitalized for my blood pressure issues. Sometimes I have gone as much as 3 days without any medication and my blood pressure remains NORMAL. Work that one out. I'm in the UK, not the USA, but medication is the same everywhere."

• Ano...
• July 24, 2009

Telmisartan for High Blood Pressure "Soon after starting Micardis, I suffered from dizziness, nausea, irritability, and I had no energy. It continued, then I started experiencing shortness of breath. I was told by my doctor it was not the medication. I went to a cardiologist, and she kept me on it and put me on Imdur. Then severe headaches occurred. I'm now going natural and taking my chances."

• Kle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I began taking telmisartan (40 mg) for high blood pressure in Nov 2018 - age is 77. My pressure went back to 120/80, but as time went on, I experienced muscle pain (tendinitis); difficulty in putting a sentence together, could not remember words and forgot them right away after being told what they were; gained weight; had mild headaches; swelling. Today, I decided to do a little research and I realized I was experiencing side effects. Hopefully, I will find another way to deal with my blood pressure."

• Day...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "I have taken Telmisartan 20 mg for three days and find the effects/side effects very unpleasant and scary. I have a constant headache, dizziness whether getting up or standing still, an increase in chest pain and dyspnea, and an increase in blood pressure with systolic up to 190s and diastolic up to 90s. This is similar to effects I had with ARBs 20 years ago, but the hypertension expert I saw claimed that the newer ones had virtually no side effects."

• Doc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 24, 2024

For High Blood Pressure "In general, I've had great success with telmisartan both personally and professionally. It typically works very well and with minimal side effects. That said, I'll offer a caveat - two separate patients have had issues with the generic version of telmisartan from Ascend Laboratories - both of them have gotten headaches with it, and it didn't help control their blood pressure in the least in either case. I'm about to send a sample to a third-party service for purity testing because their experiences have been so different than those of my other patients with other brands. In the meantime, if you're going to be on this drug, I'll strongly suggest going with a different generic manufacturer (Glenmark seems to be okay) or the original brand name Micardis if you can afford it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Started telmisartan in the morning and had to come home from work, due to a headache, being agitated, and had trouble with vision. Took my BP, and it was 145/106. Rested, and now it is normal, and I feel better except for the lingering headache. I will take it at night and see if that helps with side effects."

• Can...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "I was on Coversyl for high blood pressure for a few years. Doing a fairly decent job. Then I was switched to telmisartan 40 mg because I have pulmonary fibrosis to rule out the cough associated with this condition to my BP med. I was put on telmisartan and I feel lousy. My legs feel like they weigh a ton, my sinus issues are magnified, dizziness is present and I get these headaches which are hard to get rid of. Not to mention irritability, sleeplessness, and confusion. I'm taking myself off. I'd rather have the disease than the cure."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2024

For High Blood Pressure "I am a 56 yo male, who switched from generic (Accord Pharmaceutical) 40 mg/25 mg Olmesartan HCTZ to generic (Glenmark Pharmaceutical) 80 mg Telmisartan, separately taking 25 mg chlorthalidone. I started the first week at 1/2 pill (40 mg), upping to 80 mg. Aside from headache and occasional dizziness, no other side effects. However, after two weeks, my BP did not decrease and actually increased (180/125). Read generic may not be as effective as name brand, as others reviewed when insurance made them switch. Was useless for me - disappointed, as I was hoping this would work, given other benefits of Telmisartan. Going back to Olmesartan HCTZ, which did cause sinus problems, heavy legs, and lower back pain (someone noted Claritin did the trick, so I will try). However, Olmesartan HCTZ managed BP to ave. 150/100. Adding a beta blocker at night (Nebivolol) to see if I can get into normal range. Also recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, so plan to treat."

• Lol...
• September 18, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Side effects were headaches, tendonitis, chest pain, diarrhea, and depression."