Aquazide H

Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure and fluid retention. Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to a group of drugs called diuretics ("water pills"), which help the body get rid of excess fluid.

This medication comes in tablet and capsule forms. Hydrochlorothiazide is usually taken once in the morning, with or without food.

Common side effects of hydrochlorothiazide include frequent urination, weakness, and dizziness.  Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how hydrochlorothiazide will affect you.  

Hydrochlorothiazide is a prescription medication that is used alone or together with other medicines to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is also used to treat fluid retention (edema) caused by certain medications, congestive heart failure, severe liver disease, and kidney disease. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take hydrochlorothiazide exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you.

For adults with fluid retention (edema) the usual dosage is 25 mg to 100 mg daily. The dose can be split into two smaller daily doses. For some people, hydrochlorothiazide works well if taken on alternate days or on three to five days each week. For infants and children with fluid retention, the dose must be calculated using body weight.

For adults with high blood pressure the usual starting dose is 25 mg daily. The dose may be increased to 50 mg daily, to be taken as a single dose or split into two daily doses. Most people do not need more than 50 mg of hydrochlorothiazide daily if it is taken along with another blood pressure medication. For infants and children with high blood pressure, the dose must be calculated using body weight.

Before receiving this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to hydrochlorothiazide, sulfa drugs, or any other medication.

This medication may decrease your potassium levels. Symptoms of low potassium levels include:

• Abnormal heart rhythms, especially in people with heart disease
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Muscle damage
• Muscle weakness or spasms
• Paralysis (which can include the lungs)

Hydrochlorothiazide can cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how hydrochlorothiazide affects you. Limit alcoholic beverages.

If you have diabetes, this medication may affect your glucose levels.

This medication may cause a decrease in kidney function, especially in certain groups (such as those with severe congestive heart failure). Tell your doctor if you have the following symptoms:

• decrease in urine output
• drowsiness 
• headache
• back pain

Tell your doctor if you have prolonged diarrhea or vomiting as this may lead to a serious loss of body water (dehydration) To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids unless your doctor directs you otherwise.

Frequent urination (having to pee often), one of the side effects of hydrochlorothiazide, should go away after you've been taking it for a few weeks. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• muscle weakness
• dizziness
• cramps
• constipation
• thirst
• stomach pain
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• headache
• hair loss
• sexual dysfunction (impotence)

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• sore throat with fever
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• severe skin rash with peeling skin
• difficulty breathing or swallowing

This is not a complete list of hydrochlorothiazide side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• other medicines for high blood pressure 
• NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, others)
• corticosteroids (such as prednisone, hydrocortisone, others)
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid) 
• oral (taken by mouth) medications for diabetes 
• insulin
• narcotics such as hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, oxycodone
• barbiturates such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol Sodium), phenobarbital (Luminal), primidone (Mysoline), pentobarbital (Nembutal), thiopental (Pentothal)
• probenecid (Benemid)
• vitamins
• alcohol
• cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran)
• colestipol (Colestid)

This is not a complete list of hydrochlorothiazide drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if hydrochlorothiazide will harm your unborn baby. Research studies in animals have not shown evidence of harm to the fetus, however, there are no adequate studies in pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Hydrochlorothiazide is excreted in human breast milk. There is some evidence it may reduce the amount of breast milk produced by women who take it. Because of the possibility for serious adverse effects in nursing infants, you and your doctor will need to decide if you should stop breastfeeding or stop taking hydrochlorothiazide.

If you are to take hydrochlorothiazide once a day, take it in the morning; if you are to take it twice a day, take it in the morning and in the late afternoon to avoid going to the bathroom during the night. 

Although the incidence is unknown, hair loss or thinning of the hair has been reported with hydrochlorothiazide use. It is difficult to determine if the hair loss is caused by the medicine or other factors. Talk to your doctor if you have increased hair loss while taking hydrochlorothiazide.

Do not take this medication if you have a "sulfa" allergy.

Hydrochlorothiazide may make your skin sensitive to sunlight. Wear sunscreen and protective clothing.