Four years ago I started taking Telmisartan 40mg for high blood pressure.
Everything I read said it had other benefits...
Some time after this I began to get painful neuralgias in my back that lasted a few minutes, only sporadic but enough to really annoy. I did not think to connect it back to the Telmisartan.
A year ago we upped the dose to 80mg. A month later I started getting bad diarrhea which would not go away. After 6 months I started getting blood in the stool and a high temperature. A CT scan of my entire abdomen showed diffuse inflammation of the splenic region of the colon and nothing else.
I consulted with my doctor and a functional medicine doctor. Comprehensive stool tests showed no markers that would suggest a serious condition requiring colonoscopy. Previous colonoscopy 5 years ago had no significance.
Finally after 9 months I found "olmesartan induced enteropathy" online. Apparently it can be many months before troubles start. Why I had not put the two together or why the two doctors did not immediately suggest it might be the Telmisartan I don't know. I stopped the drug at New Year and have been absolutely fine since, no neuralgia, no bowel issues. The weight loss during the same 9 month period also resolved the high BP.
I would say if you get any new symptoms, maybe start by testing whether it is the drugs you are on.
Everything I read said it had other benefits...
- reduces weight gain
- increases total energy expenditure
- increases expression of key mitochondrial enzymes in skeletal muscle
- multiple mechanisms to protect against arterial occlusion
- including that it increases NO
- promotes biochemical, biological & metabolic effects - boost athleticism
- stimulates PPAR-gamma which stimulates the burning of excess calories
(others ARBs have the property but Telmisartan is >10x better)
Some time after this I began to get painful neuralgias in my back that lasted a few minutes, only sporadic but enough to really annoy. I did not think to connect it back to the Telmisartan.
A year ago we upped the dose to 80mg. A month later I started getting bad diarrhea which would not go away. After 6 months I started getting blood in the stool and a high temperature. A CT scan of my entire abdomen showed diffuse inflammation of the splenic region of the colon and nothing else.
I consulted with my doctor and a functional medicine doctor. Comprehensive stool tests showed no markers that would suggest a serious condition requiring colonoscopy. Previous colonoscopy 5 years ago had no significance.
Finally after 9 months I found "olmesartan induced enteropathy" online. Apparently it can be many months before troubles start. Why I had not put the two together or why the two doctors did not immediately suggest it might be the Telmisartan I don't know. I stopped the drug at New Year and have been absolutely fine since, no neuralgia, no bowel issues. The weight loss during the same 9 month period also resolved the high BP.
I would say if you get any new symptoms, maybe start by testing whether it is the drugs you are on.
