Telmisartan Dosages for Adults: Your GoodRx Guide

Telmisartan (Micardis) is an oral medication that’s FDA approved to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It’s part of a group of medications known as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). It’s also approved to lower the risk of major health problems (like heart attack and stroke) in some adults who are over 55 years old.

If you’re prescribed telmisartan, it’s important to follow the dosing instructions from your healthcare provider. Understanding why your dose might be increased or decreased can also be helpful. Here, we’ll cover what you need to know about telmisartan dosages.

What’s the typical telmisartan dosage for adults?

Telmisartan is available as 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg oral tablets. The typical telmisartan dosage for adults usually ranges from 40 mg to 80 mg daily. Your specific dose will depend on what you’re taking it for and how your body responds to the medication. It can be taken with or without food.

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Below, we’ll discuss the manufacturer’s recommendations for telmisartan dosages. But if your healthcare provider prescribes something different, don’t be alarmed. Talk to them to make sure you understand how to take your dose.

Telmisartan hasn’t been studied in children. So kids usually shouldn’t take telmisartan.

Hypertension

If you’re taking telmisartan to lower your blood pressure, you may start out at 40 mg once daily. If your blood pressure remains high, your healthcare provider could increase your dose up to 80 mg once daily. On the other hand, if telmisartan 40 mg lowers your blood pressure too much, your provider may decrease your dose.

Your blood pressure should go down significantly within 2 weeks of starting telmisartan. But it can take up to 4 weeks to see the full effects.

Cardiovascular risk reduction

Telmisartan is also FDA approved to decrease the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in adults who are at least 55 years old and are at high risk for CV events. CV events are serious health problems that affect the blood vessels or heart. This includes heart attack or stroke.

Health conditions that put you at high risk for CV events include:

• Coronary artery disease

• Peripheral arterial disease

• Previous stroke or “mini-stroke”

• Diabetes with major damage to organs in the body including the eye, kidney, or heart

The recommended telmisartan dosage for this group of people is 80 mg once daily.

Kidney problems in people with diabetes

There’s a large amount of research showing that ARBs help slow down the progression of kidney problems in people with diabetes (diabetic nephropathy). Diabetic nephropathy is most likely to happen if you have diabetes with uncontrolled blood sugar. If it’s not managed well, it can lead to major kidney damage.

Many studies show that telmisartan has a beneficial effect on kidney function in people with diabetes. The telmisartan doses used in these studies were between 40 mg to 80 mg once daily.

Telmisartan isn’t FDA approved for diabetic nephropathy. But for people with diabetic nephropathy and hypertension, ARBs are considered a first-choice medication by the major international guideline on this topic. What’s more, ARBs may also be considered for people who have diabetic nephropathy and normal blood pressure.

Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?

There’s no specific telmisartan dosage adjustments for people with liver and kidney problems. But since telmisartan is metabolized (broken down) by the liver, your healthcare provider may monitor your liver function more closely (or start you at a lower telmisartan dosage) if you have existing liver problems.

The same is true for people with kidney problems, as there’s no recommended dosage adjustment for kidney problems. ARBs like telmisartan can protect the kidneys, but in rare cases they can make kidney problems worse. So if you have existing kidney disease, talk to your provider before starting telmisartan. They may recommend starting with a lower dose, or monitoring your kidney function more closely.

Keep in mind: Telmisartan may be taken with other medications that lower blood pressure. If your blood pressure drops too low, you may need a lower telmisartan dose.

What happens if you miss a dose of telmisartan?

If you miss a dose of telmisartan, take it right when you remember. But if it’s close to the time of your next scheduled dose, you’ll want to wait. This means you’ll skip your missed dose, and resume taking telmisartan with the next scheduled dose. 

Never take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose. If you’re having trouble remembering to take telmisartan, there are a few helpful strategies you can use. For example, setting a reminder on your online calendar to take telmisartan and using a pill organizer can help.

What should you do if you take too much telmisartan?

If you take too much telmisartan, let your healthcare provider know right away. Taking too much telmisartan can cause dizziness, low blood pressure, and a fast heartbeat.

In some cases, these side effects can be managed at home. But in other scenarios, they can be more serious. If you’re having blurry vision, severe dizziness, or weakness, you may need emergency care. In this case, you’ll want to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency medical care.

How to save on telmisartan

Telmisartan is available as a lower-cost generic tablet. GoodRx may be able to help you save up to 80% off the average retail price of a one-month supply of telmisartan 80 mg. Telmisartan's price at certain pharmacies may be as low as $11.00 with a free GoodRx discount.

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Written by:

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP, is a board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacist. In his early career, he provided direct patient care in a variety of settings, including hospital and community pharmacies, and in a primary care clinic as a clinical pharmacist.

Edited by:

Amy B. Gragnolati, PharmD, BCPS

Amy Gragnolati, PharmD, BCPS, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. Amy currently holds her pharmacist license in Georgia and California.

Reviewed by:

Stacia Woodcock, PharmD

Stacia Woodcock, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky and is licensed in New York and Massachusetts.

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