Losartan withdrawal effects
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
Losartan Withdrawal Effects: Safety, Tolerability, and Blood Pressure Response
Safety and Tolerability of Losartan Withdrawal
Clinical studies show that losartan is generally well-tolerated, with a low rate of withdrawal due to adverse effects. Importantly, when patients stop taking losartan, there is no evidence of withdrawal effects such as rebound hypertension or other clinically significant problems. The rate of withdrawal due to adverse experiences is actually lower for losartan than for placebo, and no unexpected laboratory abnormalities have been observed after stopping the drug. This suggests that losartan can be discontinued without causing significant withdrawal symptoms or safety concerns in most patients 16.
Blood Pressure and Organ Effects After Losartan Discontinuation
Research in animal models indicates that the antihypertensive effects of losartan do not persist after the drug is stopped. In studies comparing losartan to other antihypertensive agents, blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy quickly return to pre-treatment levels after losartan withdrawal, indicating that its beneficial effects are not sustained without ongoing therapy . This is in contrast to some other antihypertensive drugs, such as aliskiren or early ACE inhibitor therapy, which may have more persistent effects even after discontinuation 35.
Losartan and Ethanol Withdrawal: Protective Effects
In the context of ethanol withdrawal, losartan has been shown to prevent increases in blood pressure and vascular oxidative stress that are otherwise triggered by withdrawal. These protective effects are due to losartan’s ability to block angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptors, which play a key role in the harmful cardiovascular changes seen during ethanol withdrawal. However, these findings relate to losartan’s use during ethanol withdrawal, not to withdrawal from losartan itself 24.
Conclusion
Stopping losartan does not cause rebound hypertension or other significant withdrawal effects in clinical settings. Its antihypertensive and organ-protective benefits do not persist after discontinuation, so ongoing therapy is needed for continued effect. In special situations like ethanol withdrawal, losartan can help prevent harmful cardiovascular changes, but there is no evidence that stopping losartan itself causes withdrawal symptoms or adverse effects 1356.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic