Hydrochlorothiazide for High Blood Pressure User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2020

"Took this medicine for about three weeks, 25 mg, along with Lisinopril 10 mg. Did nothing much to lower blood pressure. Ended up in the emergency room after three weeks with low sodium levels. Dr. lowered dosage to 12.5 mg and increased Lisinopril to 20 mg daily. After lowering dosage, it didn’t help. Family doctor finally took me completely off the drug, said I was allergic to it. Got to keep sodium levels checked for a while. Glad I’m off. Still on Lisinopril."

• Dor...
• July 28, 2010

"I am so grateful for this site and all the thoughtful comments. I now know I was not crazy or anything. I was on hydrochlorothiazide off and on for many years along with other different medicines. I always quit taking it because I got so sick. So I finally put myself on Lasix along with my Atenolol and now I feel just fine with the smallest dose of Lasix. The doctors mostly don't seem to know how sick it makes many people. Thought it was our imagination. I am now certain."

• mag...
• August 30, 2015

"I started at 12.5 and got moved up to 25's. To me, my weight loss is crazy. I've lost 20 lbs in about 2 months. Hair loss is horrible. It's lowered my BP a bit. I feel tired, achy, and have no energy. Also, my joints get stiff."

• LIS...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 30, 2016

"I was on this for a year. I am a healthy 50-year-old man that travels the world. The side effects started out slow (the pain did and other things). I was hospitalized, I had MRIs, my left hand went numb, and the pain was insane. On a scale of 1 through 10, it was like a 40. I could not even tie my shoes. The pain was behind my shoulder blades, then it would travel down under my feet and feel like I was walking on needles. My body was cramping. This drug should be banned. What they don't tell you is that every pill, even though it may say the same thing, is not the same. They use different base formulas in each state. The doctors were just about to schedule me for surgeries. I have had 3 MRIs, 2 CT scans, 4 hospital visits, all out of pocket, totaling around $100,000. No pill, all better."

• b52...
• May 8, 2015

"I guess I should count myself fortunate. I've been on a 25 mg daily dose of HCTZ for a little over a week and have had none of the side effects that others have commented here. It has, however, been very effective in bringing my BP down from an average of 160/90 to about 135/75. I feel great!"

• Tru...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 1, 2016

"I was taking Micardis/HCTZ for about 8 years (HCTZ is hydrochlorothiazide). I began having abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. I went to my PCP. He did a bunch of blood tests and referred me to a GI specialist. I had an EGD, which is a scope of my stomach, and a colonoscopy. All tests were negative. I continued to have these side effects. After much searching on various websites, I discovered that HCTZ should not be given to people with an allergy to penicillin. I went to my PCP and asked to be taken off the combination drug and to take only telmisartan, which is the other drug in Micardis. Within 24 hours, my symptoms were gone."

• Hyd...
• December 24, 2022

Hydrochlorothiazide "I had been taking hydrochlorothiazide for a couple of years. One day out of the blue, I became lost and confused. After being rushed to the ER, it was found that my potassium levels were so dangerously low that it took days in the hospital taking potassium in several different ways to finally get levels under control again. I’ve been instructed to quit taking hydrochlorothiazide for the time being. It’s been an ordeal to believe, first that your kidneys have failed, then next that your heart is damaged! So I’m blessed to be out on the other side and healthy enough to tell my story. Merry Christmas to all!"

• Qui...
• August 6, 2016

"I started taking HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE about 2 years ago. My blood pressure was 138/79. I didn't think that was high. If you know your body, you know normal things about it as well. I exercised every day and lost about thirty pounds. The doctor put me on this medicine at 25mg. As soon as I was on it for a week, I began to have numbness in my hands and feet. I started having bad muscle cramps until I couldn't sleep at night. I am not saying for anyone to get off their meds. That is your choice, but taking a bunch of medicine is not my choice of life. I have learned that this medicine also causes cramps, especially when I eat my dark green vegetables. I have been keeping a record of these side effects for 30 days and have not had the cramps or the numbness."

• hwe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2016

"I've been taking Hydrochlorothiazide for six months. I started out taking it with breakfast, but noticed it makes me a little sleepy and droopy. I switched to taking it at bedtime, and noticed I slept better. However, when I told my doctor this, he told me to take it in the morning because it will make you excrete excess fluid. I switched back, and have the same results. I've noticed only a slight drop in my blood pressure. That might be because I'm struggling to eat a healthy diet. I have good days and bad days."

• dan...
• July 18, 2015

"I have been taking 25mg Hydrochlorothiazide for one week now and have lost 15 lbs., which was mainly fluid retention...haven't had any side effects other than maybe low potassium which can lead to muscle cramps...so now I always eat a banana with my dose with no muscle cramps...I haven't noticed an increase in urinating so the dose must be releasing more sodium into my urine...I also wear compression stockings which help too and walk and exercise...and a better diet...Hydrochlorothiazide has been beneficial to me."

• Ele...
• October 11, 2015

"Subtle side effects which should be noted. This drug tends to dehydrate the body and lead to constipation, muscle and joint pain. It also contributes to leaching the body of critical electrolytes and in the event of accidental overdose may affect concentration to the point of generating unsafe judgments while driving. If a doctor chooses to prescribe this drug, at the very least electrolytes must be checked frequently."

• Anonymous
• June 8, 2019

"If you are taking this medicine and having gout. You should talk to your doctor. I had never had gout before being on hydrochlorothiazide, and the doctor kept on telling me it was my diet and not telling me that this is a side effect of HCTZ."

• And...
• July 12, 2017

"Worked for me by day 2, my BP now 125/76. I had been on a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine (Norvasc)) for 9 years, and my hair had thinned so badly. When I finally found out that hair loss is a known side effect of amlodipine, I barely took the medication anymore. I started going to a new doc, who was surprised that my previous doc had not tried a diuretic before putting me on a calcium channel blocker. She started me on 25 mg and told me to take it in the morning, and eat foods with lots of potassium to avoid cramping in my muscles, and drink water because I was probably going to start feeling dehydrated, with a headache. I followed her directions, and after feeling slightly nauseous the first couple of days, I feel great."

• Vkp...
• January 14, 2018

"Bad stuff. Second or third time over the past 3 months trying Hydro. It raised diastolic and heart rate to 90-100! Both were much lower before Hydro. 'Extreme' fatigue, shaky, jittery, dry mouth, dry eyes, gastric pains, hands stiff and weak."

• Bil...
• September 20, 2017

"Terrible drug. I stopped after one week. I had major side effects such as severe nasal congestion, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, and difficulty taking a deep breath. I was very fatigued as well. I will not take this drug ever again."

• Sun...
• April 2, 2018

"I am 69 years old and have had high blood pressure since my 40s. I am also obese, which doesn't help. My doctor put me on Benazepril/HCTZ (20/25 mg) daily, and I took that for many years without any problems. Last year, I lost 60 lbs and started having dizzy spells and lightheadedness. My blood pressure was very low. I stopped taking the medication and felt better immediately. My blood pressure was in the 120/80 range. This year, even with maintaining my weight loss, my blood pressure started creeping up. It was going between 125/80 to 140/90. My doctor said that it would continue to increase as I get older, and I need to go back on medication to treat it. He started me on 12.5 mg HCTZ. But after 2 weeks, my blood pressure had only gone down slightly. He then told me to take 25 mg daily. It has been a week since I started the higher dose, and my blood pressure is down to 120/80. I am very lucky that I have never experienced any of the side effects mentioned by other people."

• But...
• February 5, 2014

"I noticed blood pressure began to stabilize. The side effects were overwhelming. I had a very dry mouth, no appetite. During the day, constant drowsiness and weakness, along with body aches I do not normally experience. I take three other blood pressure medicines."

• Anonymous
• March 7, 2016

"I have been on this medicine for 2 days now. The second day of taking 5 hours after I took it. I had an allergic reaction. Dizzy, dry mouth, heart racing, and felt like I was about to faint. Anxiety panic attacks. Very scary medicine. I advise nobody to take this poison. I'm going back to my Dr. Changing this ASAP."

• Eli...
• February 10, 2015

"I am hypertensive and have been on hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg for 2 years, and at 12.5 mg for 1 year before that. For the last year, I have had severe leg cramps, urinating every half hour with extreme pressure, my hair is thinning, and a rash developed along my hairline above my forehead. My body temperature would drop significantly to 95, so my husband would make hot drinks and wrap me in a blanket. On top of that, my blood pressure went up. A doctor where I'm vacationing cut the medication back to 12.5 mg and from the first day, my pressure is normal, my body temperature has stabilized with no drops. The doctor here said too much of this medication wipes out potassium, and since reducing to 12.5 mg, in 4 days I feel much better."

• kel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 12, 2024

"I took this for 1 year for my blood pressure and edema in my legs due to being overweight. Changed my lifestyle, cut out Gatorade, then I believe I started getting dehydrated. A week ago, I almost had to go to the ER due to dizziness, which got worse, then weird numbness, feeling like I was about to go unconscious, sweating, slight nausea, VERY weak. Stopped medicine 5 days ago, re-hydrated with Gatorade, OJ, eating bananas, and now am back to normal. Will never take this medicine again, I felt like I was going to die, very scary. If you must take this, stay very well hydrated and make sure potassium, magnesium, and electrolyte levels are all stable. This medication does what it's supposed to do, but side effects can be very dangerous."

• Ima...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2021

"I am a 49-year-old woman, no weight issues, never a smoker. I have been on lisinopril the past year for sudden high blood pressure. Then I started to have vertigo and severe vertigo that was so debilitating I couldn’t move my arms or limbs. Dangerous sleep apnea. Headaches every day. One day after taking this medication, I feel like it’s saved my life."

• gda...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 30, 2019

"Started getting headaches after 3 months, then developed capillaritis over the next few months. Started on hands, went up my arms, then covered my legs. It was horrible. The dermatologist took a biopsy and ran bloodwork and has noted in my medical record that my condition was drug-induced. Thankfully, after stopping this poison, the rash went away, but it took 8 weeks to completely clear."

• Kim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 1, 2015

"I was diagnosed with HBP in late August and was prescribed HCTZ. For the past two months, I experienced nausea and dizziness almost every single day. On the 5th day of taking HCTZ, I got numbness on my scalp, which did go away. Still scary! I traveled with a huge water bottle everywhere I went for fear of becoming dizzy/lightheaded. Eating became a concern as my dizzy/lightheaded feelings were overwhelming after eating or if I waited too long to eat. I had an increase in migraine episodes. I barely got any before, and I had 4 episodes in the 2-month period. I already had cervical neck pain, but this medicine made it worse. I had to use a topical muscle rub and take Tylenol (one dose) almost every day. Needless to say, this medicine was not for me."

• Fra...
• October 27, 2015

"I take 10 mg Lisinopril, and it reduces my BP to the normal pre-hypertension range. My doctor decided to give me a water pill. Now, I have a history of drugs working the opposite on me. For instance, he put me on a beta blocker to help my BP and warned it would lower my normal heart rate. In 2 days, it increased my heart rate enough to put me in the hospital (where they kept giving it to me). It also caused me to have heart pains. I'm weaned from it but may have the heart pains for up to a year as a side effect. I've taken this water pill on 2 separate occasions, and it doesn't do anything but increase my lower BP number. I don't retain water, and my output does not increase. No more. Lisinopril, diet, and exercise are all I need to control my BP. No additional pills."

• Sta...
• February 18, 2018

"I've been on this medication for about 6 months for edema and high blood pressure. It helps with both issues, but I have horrible side effects: blurred vision, tiredness, sadness (never had this before), weight gain (even with exercise, I'm up almost 30 lbs in 6 months), back pain that feels like kidney pains, random headaches, hot flashes, increased sweating. I was on lisinopril prior to this, but that made my heart race. The only way to resolve is by healthy eating, exercise, and not taking this pill. I have an appointment next week with my doctor to take me off."