Candesartan causing Cancer

I also take Candesartan (32mg) along with Amlodipine (5mg) and Bendroflumethiazide (2.5mg). After reading the same article in the Daily Mail about Candesartan increasing risk of cancer I have decided to ask my doctor to take me off Candesartan when I see him next. Interestingly enough I have just read on the Internet that Amlodipine is banned in Holland and Belguim so I think I will stop taking these tablets also.

As a GP I would like to point out that the risks from your probably now uncontrolled blood pressure (eg stroke, kidney failure, aneurysm, heart attack) are much greater than a small possible increased risk of cancer. I wouldn't take what you read in the daily mail too seriously it is usually badly and irresponsibly reported. Interestingly there is also a study that shows candesratan inhibiting growth of bladder cancer cells. Please do not take one article too seriously. Your treatment is always a result of risks and benefits!!

Hi, as a user of candesartan I wonder if any readers are experiencing any strange respiratory diseases. A month after starting the drug I contracted quite persistent pneumonia with much aggravated breathlessness that defies proper diagnosis and treatment. Many scans, xrays, 6 months of warfarin treatment, etc. have not helped. The warfarin was stopped after the 6 months as being of no help or change in the VQ scans before and after wearfarin. The blood pressure clinic, and respiratory medecine sections claim no adverse reactions have been noticed. Can anyone comment on this? thanks

Hi Mike 15. My husband and I both take Candesartan and have done for years. We also know several other people on it with no problems either.

I suffer from asthma as well which has not been affected by the Candersartan. I used to be prone to Pleurisy but haven't had a bout since taking the medication.

Is it possible it was a coincidence that you had such a dreadful time? Did the docs change you to something else or are you still taking it? Is it possible you could be allergic to either the Candersartan or one of it's filler properties?

I also read the cancer scare and asked several docs/nurses about it. Candersartan is one of the best bp lowering meds out there. All meds have side effects and nothing is written in stone.

This drug has helped both my husband and myself. We were taking a much larger dose than we are now when we began taking it, due to it's reducing our bp's so well. We had also both tried other bp meds before the Candersartan unsuccessfully.

I hope someone can give you a bit more information to help you. Try not to worry. If you are still taking it, I'm sure you could be changed to another bp medication if you are not happy on this one.

Good luck, Fanny Jane.

Hi, I am on 4mg of Amias and am feeling really tired all the time and also I am having trouble with walking

I cannot walk very far at all before my joints start hurting, I was on 5mg of Ramipril at first but I developed

a terrible cough and my legs felt as heavy as lead when walking about, then I was put on the Amias and

now my joints hurt and also bottom of my back and sometimes I feel breathless. I go to bed at 10pm every night because I am so exhausted.

I did stop taking them for about 3 weeks and felt a lot better so I told my GP and he said to go back on it, so I did as I was told and the symptoms have returned. my blood pressure whilst on them is 126/69.

Please is anyone else having these problems because its ruining my life I am so confused !!

Hi Chatty,

You are experiencing very unusual side effects of this medication. Is there anyway that it could be something else giving you the joint pain? For instance do you take a statin as well? I only ask because statins can give quite severe joint/muscle pain for some people. I stopped taking them myself for this reason. Also your back pain and exhaustion could be the result of a completely different problem that needs investigating.Do you have another health problem that can give you these symptoms? Our bodies are very complex and sometimes we blame one thing when it's actually something else that's causing the problem.

I have arthritis, spinal disc and nerve damage and my walking is impared because of this, it has nothing to do with the Candarsarten and is very wearing on the whole body, making me really tired all the time. As your gp was happy for you to resume taking the medication after your three weeks break, he/she probably doesn't associate the joint pain with the medication.

You really need to sort this out and have to go back to your gp for further help and advice. Most blood presssure lowering medications give some side effects but as a rule the family that Candersarten is in is one of the better ones for least side effects .

It is a shame because you bp is perfect on it, which is really good.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful and hope someone answers that has the same problems as yourself soon.

I read about this potential problem in the Wall St Journal a few weeks ago, and looked into it further. As a result, I stopped taking Amias, and have been amazed at how much better I now feel.

I have been taking 16mg for about four years, with mixed results, but have been unwilling to take anything else as I have had many bad side effects in the past.

Since stopping this drug, my skin no longer itches, I am free from muscle and back pain for the first time in around three and a half years, and have been able to ditch the painkillers I had to take every day. I no longer have pains in my stomach, and in addition, I have energy all day for the first time in ages, and am sleeping much better.

Possibly the most interesting effect is that my bp has not really gone up at all. When I was first diagnosed, I changed my diet to Paleo and started to go to the gym, and I also take a couple of supplements, including regular beetroot juice.

To be honest, I feel like I have my life back, and will not be in a any hurry to give it up to drugs again!