How Effective is Hydrochlorothiazide, Know It’s Dosage, Side Effects

Before taking hydrochlorothiazide, notify your physician if you have glaucoma, kidney or liver disease, allergies or asthma, diabetes, gout, or if you experience allergic reactions to penicillin or sulfa drugs.

Hydrochlorothiazide is a water pill meaning it will increase urination. Hydrochlorothiazide prevents the re-intake of salts in the kidney. Hydrochlorothiazide also reduces hypertension by unclear mechanism. Patients with no hypertension are not generally affected.

Hydrochlorothiazide is a water pill (thiazide diuretic) that inhibits excess assimilation of salt by the body which can lead to fluid withholding.

Hydrochlorothiazide is effectively utilized in treatment of hypertension. It is also effectively utilized in treatment of edema in patients with liver cirrhosis, kidney problem, congestive heart failure or edema brought by use of estrogen or steroids.

• People with difficulties in urinating must not use hydrochlorothiazide.
• Do not take alcohol when using hydrochlorothiazide; it can worsen the side effects.
• Prevent yourself from being dehydrated or overheated in hot weather or when exercising. Adhere to your doctor’s advice on the kind of fluids you are not supposed to use. Sometimes too much intake of fluids may be dangerous just like not drinking sufficient fluids.
• Hydrochlorothiazide can interact with other medications. Inform your doctor of all the medicines you are taking including herbal medicine, vitamins and over counter prescriptions. Always have a list of the drugs you are using and show it to any doctor treating you. Never start a new drug without informing your doctor.
• If you are using this medicine to treat hypertension, make sure you continue using it even after feeling better because hypertension may not have symptoms sometimes.
  Administered together with other medicines to eliminate edema brought by liver illness, renal problem, heart failure, or estrogen and steroid treatment.
• Reduces blood pressure. Daily dose of hydrochlorothiazide is prescribed when treating hypertension.
• Intermittent treatment may be right for some edema patients.
• Inform your doctor at once in case of visual or eye problems.
• Report any signs like dizziness, confusion, weak muscles and GI disturbances to your physician.
• Dose can be changed depending on individual patients. High doses require regular monitoring by a doctor.

The response and effectiveness of hydrochlorothiazide is excellent. Mild effects appear in the first 2 hours and the climax within 4 hours. These effects may occur for 12 hours.

Usual dose: Take hydrochlorothiazide between 25 milligrams and 100 milligrams orally once or two times every day.

Some people will respond to irregular treatment such as taking the medicine on alternate days or 3 to 5 days per week. Extreme reactions and adverse electrolyte unevenness are not likely to appear with irregular dosage.

Initial dose: Take hydrochlorothiazide orally, 25 milligrams once each day.

Maintenance dose: Can be enlarged to 50 milligrams orally per day, as 1 or 2 divided doses. Normally patients do not need excess doses of 50 milligrams per day when using it concurrently with other antihypertensive.

Initial dose: Take hydrochlorothiazide orally 25 milligrams once daily.

Maintenance dose: May be enlarged to 50 milligrams two times daily.

Children below 6 months: Give up to 1.5 milligrams/pound orally in 2 separated doses daily.

Children below 2 years: give 1 to 2 milligrams of hydrochlorothiazide per kg daily orally as 1or 2 divided doses.

Maximum dose: give 37.5 milligrams daily.

Children between 2 to 12 years: Give hydrochlorothiazide orally 1 to 2 milligrams per kg daily as 1 or 2 divided doses

Maximum dose: is 100 milligrams daily.

Common side effects of hydrochlorothiazide include:

• Lack of appetite, vomiting, nausea.
• Constipation, diarrhea are side effects of hydrochlorothiazide.
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Muscle spasms are also seen.

Seek emergency medical assistance if you experience allergic reactions to hydrochlorothiazide; like breathing difficulty, hives or swelling if your tongue, face, throat and lips. Inform your doctor immediately if you have the following severe side effects of hydrochlorothiazide:

• Visual problems and eye pains.
• Feeling light headed or as if you can faint.
• Jaundice
• Easy bruising, pale skin or unfamiliar bleeding of the mouth, nose, vagina or rectum.
• Soapy mucus, coughs, short breaths, wheezing, chest pain.
• Symptoms of serious skin reactions like sore throat, fever, burning eyes, swelling of tongue or face, skin pain leading to rashes that scatter particularly to the upper body causing peeling and blisters.
• Symptoms of electrolyte imbalance such as muscle weakness or pain, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, drowsiness, thirst, vomiting and nausea, minute or no urination.

People of between 18 and 60 years who have no other illnesses and are not using any other medicine are most likely to suffer the following hydrochlorothiazide side effects;

• Can result to allergic reactions in patients who are allergic to sulfonamide medications
• Dehydration, headache, dizziness, reduction of electrolytes, reactions; effects can be worsened by hot weather, illness and alcohol.
• Rarely can it lead to acute angle glaucoma. Signs include lowered vision, eye pains that may occur within weeks or hours of medicine intake.
• Hydrochlorothiazide May hasten gout in some patients or increase triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
• Dosage larger than 50 milligrams daily are not normally required when hydrochlorothiazide has been administered together with other drugs to treat hypertension. High doses are linked with bigger potassium loss.

Hydrochlorothiazide is effective in treatment of hypertension and edema, but is not safe for patients with liver or renal problems.