Hydrochlorothiazide

Description

What is hydrochlorothiazide?

Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that helps prevent your body from absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.

Hydrochlorothiazide is used to treat high blood pressure(hypertension).

Hydrochlorothiazide is also used to treat fluid retention(edema) in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, or kidney disorders, or edema caused by taking steroids or estrogen.

Important information

You should not use hydrochlorothiazide if you are unable to urinate.

Before using hydrochlorothiazide, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, kidney disease, glaucoma, asthma or allergies, gout, diabetes, or if you are allergic to sulfa drugs or penicillin.

Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of this medicine.

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your doctor’s instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.

There are many other drugs that can interact with hydrochlorothiazide. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using hydrochlorothiazide even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use hydrochlorothiazide if you are allergic to it, or if you are unable to urinate.

To make sure hydrochlorothiazide is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• kidney disease;
• liver disease;
• gout;
• glaucoma;
• low levels of potassium or sodium in your blood;
• high levels of calcium in your blood;
• a parathyroid gland disorder;
• diabetes; or
• an allergy to sulfa drugs or penicillin.

Hydrochlorothiazide is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. However, if you take this medicine during pregnancy, your newborn baby may develop jaundice or other problems. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking hydrochlorothiazide.

Hydrochlorothiazide can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.