Get Informed: Hydrochlorothiazide
Active Ingredient(s)
Hydrochlorothiazide
What does it do?
This product is primarily used for the treatment of high blood pressure. It increases excretion of sodium and chloride by the kidney, although the exact mechanism of its anti-hypertensive effect is not well understood.
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Mar-20 1:48 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Mar-19 9:03 PM
Other Names
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Hctz
- Microzide
- Oretic
- Hydrex
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- B
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 12 Feb 1959
- Est US Patients*
- 3,839,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Hydrochlorothiazide or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Hydrochlorothiazide
There have been no iGuard.org alerts regarding Hydrochlorothiazide during the past year.
Hydrochlorothiazide Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
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What is Hydrochlorothiazide used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 25,500 patients that use Hydrochlorothiazide (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| High Blood Pressure | 83% | 
|
| Heart Failure/Edema | 21% | 
|
| Other | 3% | 
|
How well does Hydrochlorothiazide work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 25,500 users taking Hydrochlorothiazide (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 75%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Hydrochlorothiazide outweigh the bad things.
- 14%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Hydrochlorothiazide.
Common Side Effects of Hydrochlorothiazide
iGuard regularly polls our more than 25,500 users taking Hydrochlorothiazide (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
25% of patients experience side-effects on Hydrochlorothiazide
4% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Hydrochlorothiazide
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Urinary Frequency
-
Dizziness
-
Heat Sensitivity
-
Electrolyte Problems
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Breathlessness, Constipation, Dryness, Fatigue, Grogginess/Confusion, Itch/Rash, Memory/Speech Problems, Mood/Behavior Changes, Muscle Pain/Cramps, Nausea/Vomiting, Palpitations, Sweating, Swelling/Edema, Vision Changes, Weight Gain
Global Patient Feedback for Hydrochlorothiazide ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
Has anyone noticed a reduction in the effects of other medications when on Hydrochlorothiazide? Example; at one point I could take .25 of a 2 mg Xanax, a few days after taking Hydro.....I can take 4 X the dose with minimal response. This has also had the same response with other medications. Another way to explain this is it seems to deactivate some medications all together. Generally 1 MG of Xanax would sedate me way too much. I can take 4 mg and feel nothing. Now that I have stopped the medication I am noticing my other medications working again.
39 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-03-05 01:19:42
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Hydrochlorothiazide does not usually cause decreased effects of other medications. You can try keeping a journal to track what other medications you take and if you notice similar effects. You should report your symptoms and findings to your physician.
Posted: 2010-03-14 20:39:12
Question/Comment:
I have been taking HCTZ for years, and this is the first time I have seen anything concerning sweating. I definitely have excessive sweating (all over) and have been trying to figure out why for a very long time with no results. I'm definitely going to explore the possibility that HCTZ could be the problem. Is there any other information on this topic?
61 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-19 13:52:56
Question/Comment:
When I first started taking HCTZ, I started sweating quite a bit and was hot all the time. I went to several pharmacists to ask them if this was possible on this drug. They all said no. It's nice to know that "heat sensitivity" can be one of the side effects of this medication, as shown on your "side effects" section.
59 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-06 11:22:06
Question/Comment:
I had a warning on the bottle of HCTZ from the VA that said "do not stay in the sun for prolonged periods of time when taking this drug." All other reference sources, i.e. PDR, Mosby's, WebMD do not say anything about sun exposure. Any ideas? Thanks,
63 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-04 18:10:26
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Hydrochlorothiazide contains a sulfonamide component as part of the drug compound. Sulfa drugs or sulfonamide drugs have a warning to stay out of the sun for long periods and or to wear sunscreen, even in the winter, because it increases your risk for sunburn. This is why your medication contained the warning. Wearing sunblock year round is a very healthy habit.
Posted: 2010-02-04 22:28:22
Question/Comment:
My 12 year old son takes 12.5 mg. 1x daily he has been on it for 4 years. He recently began complaining of knee pain, is there a link?
41 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-28 19:13:56
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Hydrochlorothiazide does not have reports of causing knee pain. It would be best to make an appointment with your son's physician to determine the cause of the knee pain.
Posted: 2010-02-07 09:44:48
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
128
Patient Comments about
Hydrochlorothiazide