What is Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

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

Aliskiren is an anti-hypertensive (blood pressure lowering) medication. It works by decreasing substances in the body that narrow blood vessels and raise blood pressure.

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

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

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

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

Before using hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• low or high levels of potassium in your blood
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• gout
• lupus
• diabetes; or
• an allergy to sulfa drugs

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.

FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby. Hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren may cause injury and even death to the unborn baby if you take it during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Do not use hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren without your doctor’s consent if you are pregnant. 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 aliskiren passes into breast milk. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

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.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• easy bruising or bleeding
• feeling like you might pass out
• urinating less than usual, or not at all
• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash
• joint pain or swelling with fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, unusual thoughts or behavior, and/or seizure (convulsions); or
• dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, confusion, increased urination, muscle pain or weakness, fast heart rate, or fainting

Less serious side effects may include:

• diarrhea, stomach pain, indigestion
• dizziness, spinning sensation
• blurred vision
• weakness
• joint pain
• runny or stuffy nose, sore throat; or
• dry cough

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide Interactions

What other drugs affect Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

Before taking hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• irbesartan (Avapro)
• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• steroids (prednisone and others)
• any other blood pressure medication or diuretic (water pill)
• insulin or diabetes medicine you take by mouth
• cholesterol medication such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol (Colestid)
• aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and others
• a muscle relaxer such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), metaxalone (Skelaxin), methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine (Norflex), or tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); or
• 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 there may be other drugs that can interact with hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren. 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 should I avoid while taking Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

Avoid taking this medication with a high-fat meal, which can make it harder for your body to absorb the hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren.

Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren, unless your doctor has told you to.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren.

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.

Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide Dosage

How should I take Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

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.

You may take this medication with or without meals, but take it the same way every time.

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.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. You may also need blood tests. Visit your doctor regularly.

It may take up to 4 weeks for this medication to control your blood pressure. Keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

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

Store hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I overdose on Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, restless feeling, confusion, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, muscle pain or weakness, fast heart rate, feeling light-headed, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).

What happens if I miss a dose of Aliskiren-hydrochlorothiazide?

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.

Edited from everydayhealth.com