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Syd,   Thanks for your question.   Your problem is not due to the benicar.  You are experiencing urinary retention, which is the inability to pass your urine, most commonly due to obstruction within the prostate.  This could be an enlarged prostate gland, and in some cases, could be caused by a growth within the prostate.  Left untreated, this could lead to kidney failure.  You should call your doctor and be seen immediately.  Should he not be available, you should go to the emergency room.  You will most likely require a catheter to be placed past the blockage to empty your bladder.    Once the bladder is emptied and things settle down, your doctor will perform some tests to find the cause of the obstruction.   Benicar can affect kidney function, and if severe enough urine production could be affected.  However, this scenario would lead to less urine with little or no urge to urinate.  Your abdominal distention, urge to urinate, and little passage of urine add up to urinary retention.   Best wishes.   Martin Cane, M.D.