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What is hydrochlorothiazide-olmesartan?

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

Olmesartan is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Olmesartan keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.

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

Olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

Instructions

Side-effects

Interactions

Precautions

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

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

• kidney disease;
• liver disease;
• congestive heart failure;
• low or high levels of potassium in your blood;
• asthma or allergies;
• high cholesterol or triglyceride levels;
• 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. Olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide 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 olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide 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 olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide passes into breast milk. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

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

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 olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide, unless your doctor has told you to.

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Instructions

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

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

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.

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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.

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

• feeling like you might pass out;
• chest pain, feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;
• fever;
• swelling, rapid weight gain;
• urinating more or less than usual, or not at all;
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• 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).

Less serious side effects may include:

• nausea, stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea;
• joint or muscle pain;
• dizziness, spinning sensation;
• headache; 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.

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Interactions

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

• any other blood pressure medications;
• steroids (prednisone and others);
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
• cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);
• insulin or diabetes medicine you take by mouth;
• a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
• any other diuretics, such as amiloride (Midamor), bumetanide (Bumex), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril), indapamide (Lozol), metolazone (Mykrox, Zarxolyn), spironolactone (Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium, Maxzide, Dyazide), torsemide (Demadex), and others;
• 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), dantrolene (Dantrium), metaxalone (Skelaxin), or methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine (Norflex), or tizanidine (Zanaflex); 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 olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide. 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.

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