Is coughing a common side effect of Benicar?

Cough is not a common side effect of the blood pressure medication Benicar (olmesartan) or other medications in its category, called angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). Cough is a common side effect of another family of high blood pressure medications, called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. About 8% of people who take an ACE inhibitor experience a dry cough.

Approximately 1% of iGuard patients reported cough as a side effect while taking enalapril. Since you seem to experience the cough with the drug class that Benicar and enalapril are in, you may want to ask your doctor about other drug classes to help control you blood pressure. You may tolerate taking a drug from the calcium channel blocker family better. Followup with your doctor to be further evaluated.