What is Exforge HCT?
Amlodipine is in a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Amlodipine relaxes (widens) blood vessels and improves blood flow.
Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that helps prevent your body from absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.
Valsartan is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Valsartan keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.
The combination of amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).
This medication is usually given after other blood pressure medications have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.
Amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about Exforge HCT?
Your chest pain may become worse when you first start taking this medication or when your dose is increased. Call your doctor if your chest pain is severe or ongoing.
You should not take this medication if you are allergic to amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Hyzaar, Vaseretic, Zestoretic and others), valsartan (Diovan), or sulfa drugs, or if you are unable to urinate.
Before taking amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, congestive heart failure, asthma or allergies, low or high blood levels of potassium, gout, lupus, or diabetes.
Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. Amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan 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.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan.
Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan, unless your doctor has told you to.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Exforge HCT?
You should not take this medication if you are allergic to amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Hyzaar, Vaseretic, Zestoretic and others), valsartan (Diovan), or sulfa drugs, 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 magnesium or potassium in your blood
- gout
- lupus; or
- diabetes
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. Amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan 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.
Hydrochlorothiazide can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Exforge HCT Side Effects
What are the possible side effects of Exforge HCT?
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:
- feeling like you might pass out
- swelling, rapid weight gain
- chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling
- slow, fast, or pounding heartbeats
- urinating less than usual, or not at all
- easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness
- numbness, burning, pain, or tingly feeling; or
- 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:
- dizziness
- headache, tired feeling
- nausea, upset stomach
- muscle spasms, back pain; or
- stuffy nose, sore throat
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.
Exforge HCT Interactions
What other drugs affect Exforge HCT?
Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:
- any other blood pressure medications
- steroids (prednisone and others)
- carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol)
- lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
- cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol (Colestid)
- insulin or diabetes medications you take by mouth
- a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton)
- any other diuretics (water pills)
- aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), 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), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Methadose), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin), oxycodone (OxyContin), and others
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan. 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 Exforge HCT?
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan.
Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan, 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.
Exforge HCT Dosage
How should I take Exforge HCT?
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.
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.
Your chest pain may become worse when you first start taking this medication or when your dose is increased. Call your doctor if your chest pain is severe or ongoing.
To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.
It may take up to 2 weeks of using this medicine before your blood pressure improves. For best results, keep using the medication as directed.
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, so you may not know when your blood pressure is high. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.
Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I overdose on Exforge HCT?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
Overdose symptoms may include fast or slow heartbeat, confusion, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling; feeling light-headed, and fainting.
What happens if I miss a dose of Exforge HCT?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Sourced from everydayhealth.com