Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that helps prevent your body from
absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.
Losartan is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Losartan keeps blood
vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.
The combination of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan is used to treat high blood pressure
(hypertension) and to reduce the risk of stroke in people with hypertension.
Hydrochlorothiazide and losartan may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this
medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to hydrochlorothiazide or losartan, or if you
are unable to urinate.
If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to
safely take this medication:
kidney disease;
liver disease;
congestive heart failure;
asthma or allergies;
low or high levels of potassium in your blood;
gout;
lupus;
diabetes; or
an allergy to sulfa drugs.
FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an
unborn baby.
Do not
use this medication without telling your doctor if you are
pregnant. Losartan may cause injury and even death to the unborn baby if you take it during the second
and third trimesters of pregnancy. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication
and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether hydrochlorothiazide and losartan passes into breast milk. Do not
take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger
amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your
prescription label.
Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this
medication.
Take this medication with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.
To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be
checked on a regular basis. Your kidney function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any
scheduled appointments.
Hydrochlorothiazide can interfere with the results of a thyroid test. Tell any doctor who treats
you that you are using this medication.
If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms.
Store hydrochlorothiazide and losartan at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Your pharmacist has information about hydrochlorothiazide and losartan written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
In rare cases, hydrochlorothiazide and losartan can cause a condition that results in the
breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you have
muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, nausea or vomiting, and dark
colored urine.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect
such as:
feeling light-headed, fainting;
swelling, rapid weight gain;
fast or pounding heartbeats;
urinating more or less than usual, or not at all;
jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, restless feeling,
confusion, increased urination, fast heart rate, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).
Less serious side effects may include:
stomach pain;
back pain;
dizziness;
skin rash;
runny or stuffy nose, sore throat; or
dry cough.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to hydrochlorothiazide or losartan, or if you
are unable to urinate.
Do not
use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant.
Losartan may cause injury and even death to the unborn baby if you take it during the second and third
trimesters of pregnancy. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication and tell your
doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment.
Before using hydrochlorothiazide and losartan, tell your doctor if you have congestive heart
failure, kidney or liver disease, asthma, low or high blood levels of potassium, gout, lupus, diabetes, or
an allergy to sulfa drugs.
Hydrochlorothiazide and losartan can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or
reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the
side effects of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your
doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking
too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.
Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking
hydrochlorothiazide and losartan, unless your doctor has told you to.
In rare cases, hydrochlorothiazide and losartan can cause a condition that results in the
breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you have
muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, nausea or vomiting, and dark
colored urine.
What should I avoid while taking hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Hydrochlorothiazide and losartan can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or
reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the
side effects of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your
doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking
too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.
Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking
hydrochlorothiazide and losartan, unless your doctor has told you to.
What other drugs will affect hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Before taking hydrochlorothiazide and losartan, tell your doctor if you are using any of the
following drugs:
any other blood pressure medications;
steroids (prednisone and others);
lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
celecoxib (Celebrex) or valdecoxib (Bextra);
cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol
(Colestid);
rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater);
a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital
(Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal,
Solfoton);
any other diuretics, such as amiloride (Midamor),
bumetanide (Bumex), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin),
furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril), indapamide (Lozol), metolazone
(Mykrox, Zarxolyn), spironolactone (Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium, Maxzide, Dyazide),
torsemide (Demadex), and others;
aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), diclofenac (Voltaren), diflunisal (Dolobid), etodolac
(Lodine), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac
(Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen
(Aleve, Naprosyn), piroxicam (Feldene), and others;
a muscle relaxer such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol
(Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), dantrolene (Dantrium), metaxalone (Skelaxin), or
methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine (Norflex), or tizanidine (Zanaflex);
a narcotic medication such as hydrocodone (Lortab,
Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Palladone), levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran), meperidine
(Demerol), methadone (Methadose), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin), oxycodone (OxyContin),
oxymorphone (Numorphan), or propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
hydrochlorothiazide and losartan. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter
medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other
doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan?
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share
your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
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up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum
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Content provided by Multum - Last Updated 11/10/2009