Generic Benicar

Common use

Benicar is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It is used to control high blood pressure in adults and children who are at least 6 years old, but it is not a cure. It is known that high blood pressure can damage your kidneys, and may lead to a stroke or heart failure so this drug helps prevent these things. It is sometimes given together with other blood pressure medications.



Dosage and direction

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you be your doctor. Take your doses at regular intervals, do not take the medication in larger amounts and, of course, do not take it for longer than it have been recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription schedule. Your doctor may change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. Take this medication by mouth with a full glass of water with or without food. You need to check your blood pressure on a regular basis, in this way you will be sure this medication is helping your condition. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor. It may take up to 4 weeks for Benicar to control your blood pressure. Keep using this medication even if you feel fine because high blood pressure often has no symptoms. If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using Benicar. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.



Precautions

You should discuss with your doctor if you have any of these conditions: previous swelling of the tongue, face, or lips with difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, or tightening of the throat; heart failure, kidney disease or liver disease; if you are on a special diet, such as a low-salt diet; an unusual or allergic reaction to olmesartan, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives; pregnant or trying to get pregnant and breast-feeding.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of Benicar. Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. You have to follow your doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.



Contraindications

You should not take Benicar if you are allergic to it. In case, you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or some special tests for observing kidney disease, liver disease, congestive heart failure or if you are dehydrated.

Do not use Benicar if you are pregnant and stop using Benicar and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Benicar can cause injury or death to the unborn baby if you take the medicine during your second or third trimester. Use effective birth control while taking Benicar.

It is not known whether Benicar passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. So you should not breast-feed while you are taking Benicar.



Possible side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of the signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat). In rare cases, Benicar can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you feel muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, nausea or vomiting, and dark colored urine. Call your doctor at once if you have any other serious side effects, such as feeling like you might pass out, chest pain, urinating more or less than usual, or not at all, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) or dry mouth. Less serious side effects may include stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea, joint pain, dizziness, spinning sensation, headache or dry cough. And this is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.



Drug interactions

Discuss with your doctor or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including nonprescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also you should tell your doctor or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. This things may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your doctor or health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.



Missed dose

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.



Overdose

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include fast or slow heartbeat, feeling light-headed, or fainting.



Storage

Store Benicar at room temperature away from moisture and heat.



Disclaimer

We provide only general information about medications which does not cover all directions, possible drug integrations, or precautions. Information at the site cannot be used for self-treatment and self-diagnosis. Any specific instructions for a particular patient should be agreed with your health care adviser or doctor in charge of the case. We disclaim reliability of this information and mistakes it could contain. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other indirect damage as a result of any use of the information on this site and also for consequences of self-treatment.

Clinical Verification

Last Clinically Updated: August 15, 2026

Written By

Dr. Elena Vance, PharmD

Clinical Specialist in Neuropharmacology

Fact Checked By

Marcus Thorne, MS

Biomedical Data & FDA Label Verification

Medically Reviewed By

Dr. Arthur Campbell, MD

Board-Certified Psychiatrist (ABPN)