What does hydrochlorothiazide do for a person?
Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill). It is used to help reduce the amount of water in the body by increasing the flow of urine. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
It usually takes about two to four days until you notice hydrochlorothiazide working. For example, you might notice less fluid retention and lower blood pressure readings. If you don't see any improvements after this amount of time, your doctor may increase your dose or recommend a different course of treatment.
Hydrochlorothiazide may cause acute pancreatitis, which is sudden inflammation of the pancreas. This may be due to a higher level of triglycerides and calcium in the blood, which raises the risk for pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can be very painful. Treatment usually requires hospital care.
Pharmacological effects begin in about 2 hours after an oral dose, peak in 4 hours, and lasts for about 6 to 12 hours. Hydrochlorothiazide is not metabolized, and a majority is excreted in the urine unchanged. It also causes a loss of potassium and bicarbonate.
It takes approximately 3.5 days for hydrochlorothiazide to be removed from the body. Hydrochlorothiazide has an elimination half-life of 6 to 15 hours. The half life is used to estimate how long it takes for a drug to be eliminated from the body.
This helps your body get rid of extra salt and water.This medication also reduces extra fluid in the body (edema) caused by conditions such as heart failure, liver disease, or kidney disease. This can lessen symptoms such as shortness of breath or swelling in your ankles or feet.
Keep using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well.
You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. Do not stop using hydrochlorothiazide and metoprolol suddenly, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may cause serious or life-threatening heart problems.
Lithium. In general, lithium should not be taken with hydrochlorothiazide. That's because hydrochlorothiazide slows the clearance of lithium from your body. This increases your risk of high levels of lithium in your body, which can cause dangerous side effects.
To the contrary, in higher doses HCTZ has been shown to increase the risk of cardiac arrest in a dose-dependent way. Compared to HCTZ 25mg daily, 50mg daily has been reported to increase the risk of primary cardiac arrest (OR 1.7) and 100mg was associated with an even larger increase in risk (OR 3.6).
Adults—The usual dose is 25 to 100 milligrams (mg) daily as a single or divided dose. Your doctor may want you to take this dose every other day or on 3 to 5 days each week.
Will hydrochlorothiazide lower blood pressure immediately?
6. Response and effectiveness. Hydrochlorothiazide starts to work within 2 hours and its peak effect occurs within 4 hours. The diuretic and blood pressure lowering effects of hydrochlorothiazide may last six to 12 hours.
Hydrochlorothiazide does not cause specific withdrawal symptoms, but quitting this medication suddenly can lead to: Higher blood pressure. Heart problems. An increase in water retention from the underlying medical conditions that the prescription drug treats.
Call your doctor if you notice any new skin changes or growths. you should know that hydrochlorothiazide may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking hydrochlorothiazide.
Hydrochlorothiazide starts working about 2 hours after you take it and its effects can last up to 12 hours. With this in mind, try to have easy access to a bathroom about 2 hours after your dose because you'll likely need to use it. Hydrochlorothiazide is a water pill that makes you urinate more often.
Men aged 19+: 3.7 liters per day, which includes approximately 3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages. Women aged 19+: 2.7 liters per day, which includes approximately 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages.
This systematic review shows that hydrochlorothiazide has a dose-related blood pressure-lowering effect. The mean blood pressure-lowering effect over the dose range 6.25 mg, 12.5 mg, 25 mg and 50 mg/day is 4/2 mmHg, 6/3 mmHg, 8/3 mmHg and 11/5 mmHg, respectively.
Popular diuretics include hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, and spironolactone. They are associated with a risk for acute kidney injury.
If you are to take a single dose a day, take it in the morning after breakfast. If you are to take more than one dose a day, take the last dose no later than 6 p.m., unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
Natural alternatives to hydrochlorothiazide
Garlic, celery, ginseng, and black cumin are some dietary supplements that have been used for hypertension, and watermelon and other foods may have a diuretic effect.
It is best to avoid drinking coffee, especially excessive amounts of caffeine, while on hydrochlorothiazide. Caffeine can raise blood pressure. Also, taking caffeine with water pills like hydrochlorothiazide can lead to serum potassium depletion (too low serum potassium levels).
Can I take vitamin D with hydroCHLOROthiazide?
Using hydroCHLOROthiazide together with cholecalciferol can cause your blood calcium levels to become too high. Contact your doctor if you experience symptoms such as dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, lethargy, headache, nausea, vomiting, or seizures.
If you are to take a single dose a day, take it in the morning after breakfast. If you are to take more than one dose a day, take the last dose no later than 6 p.m., unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
It's important that you drink the right amount of water everyday, especially when you're taking hydrochlorothiazide. During exercise or in hot weather, make sure you stay hydrated since the combination of hydrochlorothiazide and sweating can put you at higher risk for fluid loss and low blood pressure.
Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic (this means it increases urination) that works by inhibiting the reabsorption of salts in the kidneys.
Do not stop using hydrochlorothiazide and metoprolol suddenly, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may cause serious or life-threatening heart problems. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.
Popular diuretics include hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, and spironolactone. They are associated with a risk for acute kidney injury.
It is best to avoid drinking coffee, especially excessive amounts of caffeine, while on hydrochlorothiazide. Caffeine can raise blood pressure. Also, taking caffeine with water pills like hydrochlorothiazide can lead to serum potassium depletion (too low serum potassium levels).
If you take a low dose of chlorthalidone or hydrochlorothiazide and have normal kidney function, your doctor will probably recommend getting potassium from dietary sources. You can boost your potassium intake from the same foods that are heart healthy - vegetables, fruits and fish.