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

Chlorthalidone treats fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, or kidney disorders, or edema caused by taking steroids or estrogen.

Chlorthalidone is also used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Chlorthalidone may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Chlorthalidone side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Chlorthalidone may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• low sodium–headache, confusion, slurred speech, severe weakness, vomiting, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady;
• low potassium–leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness or limp feeling;
• low magnesium–dizziness, irregular heartbeats, feeling jittery, muscle cramps, muscle spasms, cough or choking feeling; or
• kidney problems–little or no urination, swelling in your feet or ankles, feeling tired or short of breath.

Common side effects of chlorthalidone may include:

• low blood pressure (feeling light-headed);
• kidney problems;
• dizziness; or
• an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium, sodium, or magnesium in your blood).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Warnings

You should not use chlorthalidone if you are unable to urinate, or if you are allergic to sulfa drugs.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use chlorthalidone if you are allergic to it, or if:

• you are unable to urinate; or
• you are allergic to sulfa drugs.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• kidney disease;
• heart failure;
• gout;
• high cholesterol or triglycerides;
• diabetes; or
• if you are on a low-salt diet.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Taking chlorthalidone during pregnancy may cause side effects in the newborn baby, such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), bruising or bleeding, low blood sugar, or an electrolyte imbalance.

Do not start or stop taking chlorthalidone during pregnancy without your doctor’s advice. Although chlorthalidone may cause side effects in a newborn, having high blood pressure during pregnancy can cause complications such as diabetes or eclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure that can lead to medical problems in both mother and baby). The benefit of treating hypertension may outweigh any risks to the baby.

You should not breastfeed while using chlorthalidone.

How should I take chlorthalidone?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Call your doctor if you are sick with vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than usual. You can easily become dehydrated while taking chlorthalidone. This can lead to very low blood pressure, a serious electrolyte imbalance, or kidney failure.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often. Your blood and urine may both be tested if you have been vomiting or are dehydrated.

chlorthalidone can affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using chlorthalidone.

If you need surgery, tell your surgeon you currently use this medicine.

If you have high blood pressure, keep using this medicine even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

Store this medicine at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.

Chlorthalidone dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension:

-Initial dose: 25 mg orally once a day
-Titration: Increase to 50 mg orally once a day if response is inadequate; if response is still inadequate, increase to 100 mg orally once a day, or a second antihypertensive drug (step 2 therapy) may be added
-Maintenance dose: 25 to 100 mg orally once a day
-Maximum dose: 100 mg orally once a day

Comments:
-Doses should be taken in the morning with food.
-Maintenance doses may be lower than initial doses and should be adjusted according to individual patient response.
-Effectiveness is well sustained during continued use.

Use: Hypertension (alone or with another antihypertensive drug)

Usual Adult Dose for Edema:

-Initial dose: 50 to 100 mg orally once a day, or 100 mg orally every other day; some patients may require 150 to 200 mg orally at these intervals
-Maximum dose: 200 mg orally once a day

Comments:
-Doses should be taken in the morning with food.
-Maintenance doses may be lower than initial doses and should be adjusted according to individual patient response.
-Effectiveness is well sustained during continued use.

Use: For edema due to various forms of renal dysfunction, such as nephrotic syndrome, acute glomerulonephritis, and chronic renal failure

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line .

Overdose symptoms may include nausea, weakness, dizziness, drowsiness, extreme thirst, muscle pain, or rapid heartbeats.

What should I avoid while taking chlorthalidone?

Drinking alcohol with chlorthalidone can cause side effects.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy.

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise, in hot weather, or by not drinking enough fluids. 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.

What other drugs will affect chlorthalidone?

Using chlorthalidone with other drugs that make you light-headed can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures.

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

• other blood pressure medications;
• lithium;
• digoxin, digitalis;
• insulin or oral diabetes medicine; or
• steroid medicine.

What is indapamide?

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

Indapamide treats fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure. indapamide is also used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Indapamide may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Indapamide side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have signs of an electrolyte imbalance, such as:

• drowsiness, lack of energy, feeling tired;
• leg cramps, muscle weakness or limp feeling;
• severe weakness, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady;
• fast or irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, feeling restless;
• numbness or tingling;
• vomiting, constipation;
• headache, confusion, slurred speech;
• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• dry mouth, increased thirst; or
• little or no urinating.

Common side effects of indapamide may include:

• dizziness;
• weakness, tiredness;
• back pain, muscle cramps;
• feeling anxious or agitated;
• headache; or
• runny nose.

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 .

Warnings

You should not use indapamide if you are allergic to sulfa drugs or if you are unable to urinate.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use indapamide if you are allergic to it, or if:

• you are unable to urinate; or
• you are allergic to sulfa drugs.

To make sure indapamide is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• cirrhosis or other liver disease;
• kidney disease;
• low levels of potassium or sodium in your blood;
• gout;
• diabetes;
• lupus; or
• if you are on a low-salt diet.

Indapamide is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether indapamide passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

Indapamide is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

How should I take indapamide?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not use indapamide in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Indapamide is usually taken once per day in the morning. Follow your doctor’s dosing instructions very carefully.

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 medicine, which can lead to severely low blood pressure or a serious electrolyte imbalance.

While using indapamide, you may need frequent medical tests and blood pressure checks. Your blood and urine may both be tested if you have been vomiting or are dehydrated.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medicine even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.

Indapamide dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Edema:

Initial dose: 2.5 mg orally once a day.

Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension:

Initial dose: 1.25 mg orally once a day.

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 .

Overdose symptoms may include vomiting, weakness, dizziness, dry mouth, thirst, and muscle pain or weakness.

What should I avoid while taking indapamide?

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise, in hot weather, or by not drinking enough fluids. 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.