Telmisartan: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Telmisartan is an angiotensin 2 receptor blocker sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for diabetic nephropathies, heart failure and hypertension. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blocker
- Treats
- Diabetic Nephropathies, Heart Failure and Hypertension
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- 2 products — Micardis and Telmisartan
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $5 for a 30-count supply — not your price
- Boxed warning
- Boxed warning
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How telmisartan is dosed
From the FDA label for Telmisartan (application ANDA205150). Other telmisartan products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
May be administered with or without food ( 2.1 ) When used for cardiovascular risk reduction, monitoring of blood pressure is recommended, and if appropriate, adjustment of medications that lower blood pressure may be necessary ( 2.2 ) Indication Starting Dose Dose Range Hypertension ( 2.1 ) 40 mg once daily 40 to 80 mg once daily Cardiovascular Risk Reduction ( 2.2 ) 80 mg once daily 80 mg once daily 2.1 Hypertension Dosage must be individualized. The usual starting dose of telmisartan tablets is 40 mg once a day. Blood pressure response is dose-related over the range of 20 to 80 mg [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ]. Most of the antihypertensive effect is apparent within 2 weeks and maximal reduction is generally attained after 4 weeks. No initial dosage adjustment is necessary for elderly patients or patients with renal impairment, including those on hemodialysis. Patients on dialysis may develop orthostatic hypotension; their blood pressure should be closely monitored. Telmisartan tablets may be administered with other antihypertensive agents. Telmisartan tablets may be administered with or without food. 2.2 Cardiovascular Risk Reduction The recommended dose of telmisartan tablets is 80 mg once a day and can be administered with or without food. It is not known whether doses lower than 80 mg of telmisartan are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and…
Telmisartan side effects
The following adverse reaction is described elsewhere in labeling: Renal dysfunction upon use with ramipril [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Hypertension: The most common adverse events (≥1%) reported in hypertension trials are back pain, sinusitis, and diarrhea ( 6.1 ) Cardiovascular risk reduction: The serious adverse events (≥1%) reported in cardiovascular risk reduction trials were intermittent claudication and skin ulcer ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Ascend Laboratories, LLC at 1-877-272-7901 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reactions rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Hypertension Telmisartan has been evaluated for safety in more than 3700 patients, including 1900 treated for over 6 months and more than 1300 for over one year. Adverse experiences have generally been mild and transient in nature and have infrequently required discontinuation of therapy. In placebo-controlled trials involving 1041 patients treated with various doses of telmisartan (20 to 160 mg) monotherapy for up to 12 weeks, the overall incidence of adverse events was similar to that in patients treated with…
Who shouldn’t take telmisartan
Telmisartan is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis or angioedema) to telmisartan or any other component of this product [see Adverse Reactions (6.2) ]. Do not co-administer aliskiren with telmisartan in patients with diabetes. [see Drug interactions(7) ]. Known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis or angioedema) to telmisartan or any other component of this product ( 4 ) Do not co-administer aliskiren with telmisartan in patients with diabetes ( 4 )
Telmisartan drug interactions
Aliskiren: Do not co-administer aliskiren with telmisartan in patients with diabetes. Avoid use of aliskiren with telmisartan in patients with renal impairment (GFR <60 mL/min). Digoxin: When telmisartan was co-administered with digoxin, median increases in digoxin peak plasma concentration (49%) and in trough concentration (20%) were observed. Therefore, monitor digoxin levels when initiating, adjusting, and discontinuing telmisartan for the purpose of keeping the digoxin level within the therapeutic range. Lithium: Reversible increases in serum lithium concentrations and toxicity have been reported during concomitant administration of lithium with angiotensin II receptor antagonists including telmisartan. Therefore, monitor serum lithium levels during concomitant use. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents including Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors (COX-2 Inhibitors): In patients who are elderly, volume-depleted (including those on diuretic therapy), or with compromised renal function, co-administration of NSAIDs, including selective COX-2 inhibitors, with angiotensin II receptor antagonists, including telmisartan, may result in deterioration of renal function, including possible acute renal failure. These effects are usually reversible. Monitor renal function periodically in patients receiving telmisartan and NSAID therapy. The antihypertensive effect of angiotensin II receptor antagonists, including telmisartan may be attenuated by NSAIDs including selective COX-2 inhibitors. NSAIDs : Increased risk of renal impairment and loss of anti-hypertensive effect ( 7 ) Do not co-administer aliskiren with telmisartan in patients with diabetes ( 7 )
Telmisartan and food
Potassium-rich foods & salt substitutes
Don't use potassium-based salt substitutes unless your clinician approves, and ask before taking potassium supplements. Your clinician may check your potassium level with blood tests.
Lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor) — MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) ↗
Every telmisartan product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $5 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $5 | View → |
What telmisartan pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Combination products containing telmisartan
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
Telmisartan recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
How long telmisartan keeps
No telmisartan label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does telmisartan expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsTelmisartan and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for telmisartan: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of telmisartan during breastfeeding and the manufacturer advises avoidance of breastfeeding during telmisartan therapy. An alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised July 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about telmisartan
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 21,017 reports naming telmisartan, and the FDA flagged 86% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- fatigue1,546 reports
- nausea1,505 reports
- diarrhoea1,363 reports
- dyspnoea1,304 reports
- headache1,282 reports
- fall1,227 reports
- dizziness1,144 reports
- asthenia1,112 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean telmisartan caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 26, 2026.
Related guides
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Frequently asked questions
What is telmisartan?
Telmisartan is an angiotensin 2 receptor blocker used to treat Diabetic Nephropathies, Heart Failure, Hypertension, Left Ventricular Dysfunction.
What kind of drug is telmisartan?
The FDA classifies telmisartan as an angiotensin 2 receptor blocker. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) block the AT1 receptor that the hormone angiotensin II uses to tighten blood vessels and make the body hold onto salt and water. With that receptor blocked, vessels relax and widen, so blood pressure falls. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take telmisartan with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run telmisartan against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is telmisartan sold under?
We track 2 telmisartan-containing products in the U.S.: Micardis and Telmisartan. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does telmisartan come in?
Across the brands we track, telmisartan is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic telmisartan?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic telmisartan product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has telmisartan been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions telmisartan. The most recent: Telmisartan Tablets (Feb 9, 2024). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
What should I avoid while taking telmisartan?
Food: salt substitutes containing potassium, and large amounts of potassium-rich foods or supplements — see the food section above for what each one does and whether it means avoiding it or just being consistent. This is what the FDA label and our cited sources say — it is not a complete list. Your pharmacist can check your own combination.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Telmisartan: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/telmisartan
- MLA
- “Telmisartan: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/telmisartan.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for telmisartan on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.