Hydrochlorothiazide

Hydrochlorothiazide prevents from absorbing too much salt, that can cause fluid retention. It is a thiazide diuretic. This drug can treat fluid retention in a human body with cirrhosis of the liver, congestive heart failure, or kidney disorders, or edema caused by taking steroids or estrogen.

Hydrochlorothiazide is also used in the treatment of high blood pressure. This drug is also used for other purposes. If a person is allergic to hydrochlorothiazide or unable to urinate, he or she shoud not use Hydrochlorothiazide. This medicine should be used cautiously if a person has kidney disease, liver disease, asthma or allergies, diabetes, gout, , or allergic to sulfa drugs.

Technical detail:

It inhibits the active reabsorption of sodium, chiefly in the distal renal tubule, thus increasing the excretion of sodium, chloride & water. Cardiac output and both extracellular & plasma volume decrease and during longterm treatment peripheral vascular resistance diminishes. Combined treatment with other drugs used for the treatment of hypertension potentiates the blood pressure lowering effects.

INDICATIONS: Hypertension: 25-50 mg 1-2 times. Heart failure, oedema due to heart failure, mild to moderate renal or hepatic failure. Renal diabetes insipidus. Idopathic hypercalciuria.

CONTRA-INDICATIONS: Anuria, severe renal & hepatic & oedema : 25-75 mg daily in 1-2 doses. Children: 2 mg/kg/day. Renal diabetes insipidus: initially 100 mg daily in 2-4 doses.

SIDE-EFFECTS: Reduced glucose tolerance, hyperuricaemia, hypokalaemia.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Potentiates anti-hypertensives, caution in patient taking digoxin, increased risk of hypokalemia with corticosteroids, dose of oral antidiabetic agents may need to be raised, probenecid competitively inhibits tubular secretion.