hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan

Generic Name: hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan (HYE droe KLOR oh THYE a zide and ir be SAR tan)

Brand Names: Avalide

What is hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan?

Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that helps prevent your body from absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.

Irbesartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Irbesartan keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.

The combination of hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan?

Do not use hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan if you are pregnant. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. You should not use this medication if you are allergic to irbesartan or hydrochlorothiazide (Carozide, Diaqua, Ezide HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Microzide, and others), or if you are unable to urinate. Drinking alcohol can further lower your blood pressure and may increase certain side effects of hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan. In rare cases, hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan 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 discuss with my healthcare provider before taking hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to irbesartan or hydrochlorothiazide (Carozide, Diaqua, Ezide HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Microzide, and others), or if you are unable to urinate.

To make sure you can safely take hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• kidney disease;


• liver disease;


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  congestive heart failure;

  
  


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  glaucoma;

  
  


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  low or high levels of potassium in your blood;

  
  


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  asthma or allergies;

  
  


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  high cholesterol or triglyceride levels;

  
  


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  gout;

  
  


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  lupus;

  
  


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  diabetes; or

  
  


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  an allergy to sulfa drugs or penicillin.

  
  

FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan if you are pregnant. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Irbesartan can cause injury or death to the unborn baby if you take the medicine during your second or third trimester. Use effective birth control while taking hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan. It is not known whether hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan.

How should I take hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan?

Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often. Visit your doctor regularly.

Call your doctor if you have ongoing vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than usual. You can easily become dehydrated while taking this medication, which can lead to severely low blood pressure or a serious electrolyte imbalance.

Hydrochlorothiazide can interfere with the results of a thyroid test. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using this medication.

It may take up to 4 weeks for this medication to control your blood pressure. Keep using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life. If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time. Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

See also: Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan dosage (in more detail)

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include fast or slow heartbeat, feeling light-headed, or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan?

Drinking alcohol can further lower your blood pressure and may increase certain side effects of hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan.

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 irbesartan, unless your doctor has told you to.

Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan side effects

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 irbesartan 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. Call your doctor at once if you have any other serious side effects, such as:

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  eye pain, vision problems;

  
  


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  feeling like you might pass out;

  
  


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  chest pain, feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;

  
  


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  fever;

  
  


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  swelling, rapid weight gain;

  
  


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  urinating more or less than usual, or not at all;

  
  


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  jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or

  
  


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  dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, restless feeling, confusion, increased urination, fast heart rate, feeling light-headed, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).

  
  

Less serious side effects may include:

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  stomach pain, heartburn;

  
  


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  muscle pain;

  
  


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  dizziness, drowsiness;

  
  


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  headache;

  
  


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  runny or stuffy nose, sore throat; or

  
  


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  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.

Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan Dosing Information

Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension:

For use in patients not adequately controlled on monotherapy and as initial therapy in patients likely to require multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals:
Initial dose: 1 tablet (12.5 mg-150 mg) orally once a day.
Maintenance dose: Up to 25 mg-300 mg orally once a day.

For use as replacement therapy when substituted for titrated components:
Patients may be given the combination of HCTZ-irbesartan tablets equivalent to the established necessary and safe dose of each drug.

What other drugs will affect hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan?

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

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  any other diuretics or blood pressure medications;

  
  


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  steroids (prednisone and others);

  
  


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  lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);

  
  


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  cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);

  
  


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  insulin or oral diabetes medications;

  
  


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  a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);

  
  


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  aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Treximet), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Pennsaid, Solareze), indomethacin (Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), and others;

  
  


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  a muscle relaxer such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), dantrolene (Dantrium), metaxalone (Skelaxin), or methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine (Norflex), or tizanidine (Zanaflex); or

  
  


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  a narcotic medication such as hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Methadose), oxycodone (OxyContin), propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet), and others.

  
  

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

More hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan resources

• Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan Dosage
• Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
• Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan Drug Interactions
• Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan Support Group
• 4 Reviews for Hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan - Add your own review/rating

Compare hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan with other medications

• High Blood Pressure

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan.