Accuretic

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Take this medication by mouth with or without food, usually once daily or as directed by your doctor. It is best to avoid taking this medication within 4 hours of your bedtime to avoid having to get up to urinate. Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about your dosing schedule. Drink plenty of fluids to prevent losing too much body water (dehydration). If you are on restricted fluid intake, consult your doctor for further instructions. This product contains magnesium which may interfere with the absorption of some medications. See the Drug Interactions section and consult your pharmacist for more information. Do not take potassium supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first. This medicine can infrequently raise or lower your potassium blood levels. This effect can rarely cause serious side effects such as muscle weakness/cramping or very slow heartbeat. Tell your doctor immediately if these effects occur. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same time each day. Do not skip doses or stop taking this medication unless directed by your doctor. It is important to continue taking this medication even if you feel well. Most people with high blood pressure do not feel sick. It may take up to several weeks before the full benefit of this drug takes effect. Inform your doctor if your condition worsens (e.g., your routine blood pressure readings increase).

See also How to Use section. Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first. This drug should not be used with the following medication because a very serious interaction may occur: dofetilide. If you are currently using the medication listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting quinapril with hydrochlorothiazide. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: cisapride, drugs affecting the bone marrow (e.g., azathioprine), drugs that can increase dizziness (e.g., phenobarbital, narcotic pain relievers such as codeine), diazoxide, lithium, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-NSAIDs (e.g., celecoxib, ibuprofen, indomethacin), probenecid, products that may increase your potassium level (e.g., potassium supplements, salt substitutes, drospirenone), drugs that may decrease your potassium level (e.g., amphotericin B, corticotropin, corticosteroids including prednisone), other "water pills" (diuretics such as amiloride, furosemide, triamterene), drugs whose removal from the body is affected by the acid level of urine (e.g., amphetamine, methenamine, quinidine), gold injections. This product contains magnesium which can interfere with the absorption of some medications. For example, if you are taking a tetracycline antibiotic, take it at least 2 hours apart from quinapril/hydrochlorothiazide. If you are taking a quinolone antibiotic (e.g., ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin) or a bisphosphonate (e.g., risedronate), consult your pharmacist for the proper times to take those medications apart from quinapril/hydrochlorothiazide. This is not a complete list. A very serious reaction may occur if you are getting injections for bee/wasp sting allergy (desensitization) and are also taking quinapril with hydrochlorothiazide. Make sure all your doctors know which medicines you are using. Cholestyramine and colestipol can decrease the absorption of this medication by your body. If you are taking either of these drugs, separate them from quinapril/hydrochlorothiazide by at least 4 hours. Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products, diet aids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-NSAIDs for pain/fever reduction) because they may contain ingredients that could increase your blood pressure (e.g., pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine) or reduce the effect of this medication (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen). Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of those products. Low-dose aspirin, as prescribed by your doctor for specific medical reasons such as heart attack or stroke prevention (usually at dosages of 81-325 milligrams per day) should be continued. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details. This product can affect the results of certain lab tests. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug. This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. For enrollment information call MedicAlert at 1-800-854-1166 (USA) or 1-800-668-1507 (Canada).

Do not share this medication with others. Lifestyle changes such as stress reduction programs, exercise, and dietary changes may increase the effectiveness of this medicine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about lifestyle changes that might benefit you. Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., sodium and potassium blood levels, kidney function) should be performed from time to time to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details. Check your blood pressure regularly while taking this medication, especially when you first start this drug or when your dose is changed. Learn how to monitor your own blood pressure at home, and share the results with your doctor.

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include severe dizziness, weakness, fainting.

Before taking this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to either quinapril or hydrochlorothiazide; or to other ACE inhibitors (e.g., captopril, lisinopril); or to other thiazides (e.g., chlorothiazide); or if you have any other allergies (including an allergic reaction after exposure to certain membranes used for blood filtering). This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details. This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: a history of an allergic reaction that included swelling of the face/lips/tongue/throat (angioedema), an inability to make urine. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: kidney problems, liver disease, gout, untreated salt/mineral imbalance (e.g., imbalance of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium), loss of too much body water (dehydration), high levels of fats in the blood (high cholesterol/triglycerides), collagen vascular disease (e.g., lupus, scleroderma), recent nerve surgery (e.g., sympathectomy). This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages. To reduce the risk of dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position. You can develop dehydration if you do not drink enough fluids or if you have too much diarrhea, vomiting, or sweating. This can cause dizziness and lightheadedness due to low blood pressure. Avoid heavy exercise, and keep cool in hot weather. Contact your doctor if you are unable to drink fluids or if you have persistent diarrhea or vomiting. Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medication. This medication may make you more sensitive to the sun. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, tanning booths, and sunlamps. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors. If you have diabetes, hydrochlorothiazide may affect your blood sugar levels. Check your blood sugar levels regularly as directed and share the results with your doctor. Tell your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of high blood sugar such as increased thirst/urination. Your doctor may need to adjust your anti-diabetic medication or diet. Kidney function declines as you grow older. This medication is removed by the kidneys. Therefore, the elderly may be more sensitive to the effects of this drug, especially dizziness. This medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy due to the risk for harm to an unborn baby. Consult your doctor for more details. (See also Warning section.) This medication passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Store at room temperature between 68-77 degrees F (20-25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, headache, tiredness, blurred vision, or dry cough may occur as your body adjusts to the medication. You may also experience decreased sexual ability or increased sensitivity to the sun. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. The hydrochlorothiazide in this product may cause too much body water and salt to be lost (dehydration). Tell your doctor immediately if you have any of these unlikely but serious symptoms of dehydration: very dry mouth, thirst, muscle cramps, weakness, fast heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, severe dizziness, unusual decrease in the amount of urine, fainting, seizures. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: signs of infection (e.g., fever, chills, persistent sore throat), easy bruising/bleeding, irregular heartbeat, numbness/tingling/swelling of the hands/feet, muscle/joint aches. This drug may rarely cause serious (possibly fatal) liver problems. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of the following rare but very serious side effects: yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, severe stomach/abdominal pain, persistent tiredness, persistent nausea/vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention if this rare but very serious side effect occurs: unusual change in the amount of urine (not including the normal increase in urine when you first start this drug). A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing. This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. In the US - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional. This medication may also be used to treat congestive heart failure.

This drug can cause serious (possibly fatal) harm to an unborn baby if used during pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to prevent pregnancy while taking this medication. Consult your doctor for more details and to discuss the use of reliable forms of birth control while taking this medication. If you are planning pregnancy, become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant, contact your doctor immediately.