Can the SDopers being treated for high blood pressure tell me about what to do and NOT to do when using hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)? I didn’t know what to ask my specialist, but when asked about side effects, he acted like this was nothing. Nothing? Easy for him to say!
Now, I’ve read you have to watch your fluid intake (too little AND too much). He didn’t give me a speech about cutting salt (i.e., sodium). So, what should I be asking of ANOTHER doctor or my Rx? - Jinx
P.S. I haven’t started on the stuff yet…too afraid.
I’m on it and 2 others. Here in Australia it is sold as Atacand. It was the first thing I started on. Went to the doctor for a routine checkup. Previous checkup 120/70. Next time 170/120. Had all kinds of investigations due to the sudden onset but found nothing. After a while the HCTZ stopped controlling my hypertension so started on Atacand Plus which is the same thing with a tiny dose of a diuretic which makes it work better for reasons they don’t understand. As time went on two more things were added and all under control now.
I haven’t really ever had any problems other than impotence, which turned out to be more situational than the side effect I assumed it was. I didn’t need to change drugs, I just changed women.
Hydrocholorthiazide is a salt wasting diuretic- you are likley to lose higher amounts of sodium, potassium and magnesium in the urine than normal. You could get into diffficulties if your sodium intake was lower than the amount the drug was causing you to lose. Low serum sodium is a bad thing.
I assume you don’t take digoxin, lithium or insulin and that your doc is re-checking your kidney function and your electrolytes in a couple of weeks? Make sure you get the renal function and serum electrolytes checked on a regular basis so that problems can be caught early.
Don’t take the tablets last thing at night or you’ll be up peeing all night. Don’t take the medication if you are dehydrated or likley to become dehydrated for any reason (i.e. vomiting or diarrhoeal illness, spiking fevers etc). Diuretics plus dehydration is not a good thing.
Seek medical attention if you develop abdominal pain, joint pain, mental “fuzziness” or palpitations. They’re all possible side effects or consequences of thiazide use, although rare.
Having said all that, it’s a good drug that works well and rarely causes anything more than sinister than making you pass more urine.
Oh, I never use salt anyway but I was a smoker when first diagnosed. I gave up years later but it didn’t help my BP kept going up until controlled by drugs.
I pay no attention to my fluid intake but I guzzle water all day, I love fruit juice, I have a protein drink instead of breakfast, I drink tea. coffee and alcohol. I would guess over 2 litres a day of fluids.
Well silly me. After seeing the post from **irishgirl ** it seems that HCTZ **is ** the diuretic in my Atacand Plus. I just looked at the sheet of pills. So obviously I am on three anti-hypertensives plus 12.5mg of HCTZ.
So I know little about its effects except in tiny doses.