Hydrochlorothiazide User Reviews & Ratings (Page 4)
Brand names: Microzide, Esidrix, Ezide, Inzirqo, Aquazide H, Hydro Par Carozide Diaqua
Hydrochlorothiazide has an average rating of 5.2 out of 10 from a total of 186 reviews on Drugs.com. 34% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 38% reported a negative experience.
Reviews for Hydrochlorothiazide
- Hls...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- February 10, 2025
For Edema "In addition to having high blood pressure, I would have extreme swelling in my feet. So, my doctor gave me hydrochlorothiazide, and I swear within 24 to 48 hours, the extreme swelling in my feet was gone. But it makes you pee so much. It will drive you crazy, so I only take it when I don’t have to work or run any errands."
- ari...
- June 28, 2011
For High Blood Pressure "I was given hydrochlorothiazide in combination with a beta blocker for high blood pressure. Sadly, this diuretic did not succeed in lowering my blood pressure. The label says to take it no less than four hours before bed to avoid getting up in the night; however, I found myself getting up in the night even if I took the pill at 7 in the morning. During the day, however, there was not a major delta in urinary frequency or amount. The diuretic actually made me sweat more. Somehow, this medication also cleared up my acne. My dermatologist confirmed that this is medically possible."
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best time of day to take blood pressure medication?
- How long does hydrochlorothiazide stay in your system?
- Should you use a diuretic with diazoxide?
- Dan...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- July 31, 2019
For Edema "Doctor added 50 mg hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) daily to the 80 mg furosemide I have been taking due to swelling and water retention caused by CHF. Seems to have helped some with leg swelling and breast tenderness plus BP has dropped to an average of 128/72."
- Mim...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- July 19, 2021
For High Blood Pressure "My doctor prescribed this medication for my high blood pressure, even though I have had a tendency for years to have low sodium. Five days after starting the med, I had a medical emergency due to critically low sodium and potassium and was hospitalized for 4 days to try and bring my levels back up. My doctor has since added this medication to my list of drugs I can’t take. The hospital doctor tried to convince me that my doctor did not make a mistake by prescribing this for me, but common sense tells me if a patient already has low sodium, don’t prescribe a drug that could potentially lower it even more. My doctor has said more than once that she has never had a patient react so severely to hydrochlorothiazide. I am living proof that it can and does happen."
Are you taking this medicine?
Your review helps others make informed decisions.- d21...
- April 15, 2014
For High Blood Pressure "I'm in my 60s - 5'6 - 128 lbs - have been taking HCTZ for a few years. It worked fairly well, but the last few times I've had my blood pressure checked, it has been high - 158/106. Taking 25 mg. No problems with excessive urination or other side effects (thinning hair??). Might need another medication."
- Ter...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- May 20, 2016
For High Blood Pressure "I had been having issues with my blood pressure and edema, so my doctor started me on this medication. I took it for about three months and went to a regular appointment for lab work. My potassium level was 1.6. I spent 4 days in the VA hospital and was taken off this medication and started on spironolactone. Also added potassium tablets too. This one is a potassium-wasting diuretic. I rated it an 8, even though it didn't work well for me. It did do the job, but the side effects were dangerous for me. Many people have no problem with them."
- Tom...
- November 30, 2015
For High Blood Pressure "I went on it with my BP at 145/100 several years ago, and it lowered it while eating a standard American diet. A few years ago, I started eating a whole foods diet (limiting processed foods) and had to take myself off the medicine because I would become faint when standing up. Fast forward to a trip to Vegas in March of 2015. I went off the bus and fell back into the standard American diet, having long ago stopped regularly monitoring my BP. Four days ago, I woke up with a headache and called my parents to inform them that I wouldn't be making it to Turkey Day dinner. Still had some pills remaining and took 50 mg a day since, along with a 2-day fast and eating whole foods again. It's down to 124/80 after being at 201/113 four days ago. I'm reducing to"
- Ran...
- January 24, 2018
For High Blood Pressure "I have taken 25 mg for years with no issues. My doctor recently raised it to 50 mg when my BP started creeping up. Immediately, I had issues with headache, extreme dry sinuses, dry eyes, pain in my face and teeth. Also, occasional skipped heartbeats. I have contacted my doctor and am awaiting a response, but I won't continue this dosage."
- Mee...
- January 22, 2015
For High Blood Pressure "I was given 25 mg of this for my blood pressure plus 40 mg of lisinopril. I have never had acne in my life on my face. It was around the same time that I started these meds. The acne started as little white bumps around the nose and under the eyes, now it seems to be getting worse with more of the deeper welts (1-2 bumps) with drying skin. I'm 45, and this seems pretty unusual. The doctor doesn't think it's the meds. I'm drinking water with every meal but binge on beer about once a week while watching sports. Anyone else have acne or bumps break out on the face or other places from hydrochlorothiazide?"
- JTH...
- March 20, 2016
For High Blood Pressure "I am completing my 5th year of taking 25 mg Hydrochlorothiazide - with 1 tablet daily each morning, at times taken with and at others without food. In such respect, I am not aware of having experienced any noticeable effects - positive or negative - at any time. In year two, I came off the medication for some 20 days. CVS renews the 90-day prescription refills with automatic reminders. I happen to delay for more than two weeks with my picking up that refill but experienced no discerning effects with my sudden stopping or upon renewing the daily dosage."
- Les...
- December 9, 2010
For Edema "I lost a lot of water weight in the first few days, but my edema did not improve. I ended up having to combine it with Lasix. The cocktail of diuretics controlled my edema, and I have not had another flare-up in a year. The combination took a few months to get it under control, but I did start to see the swelling go down within the first week or two. The negative was that I had to take Mag-Ox and potassium pills that were horrible to swallow, and the Mag-Ox gave me headaches for about the first month."
- Yak...
- March 19, 2017
For High Blood Pressure "I am a 48-year-old woman diagnosed with high blood pressure. My overall health is good, however, I do need to lose 50 lbs to be at my healthiest weight. I am on only one other medication (citalopram) for anxiety and have been under much stress lately. I was prescribed this blood pressure medication by my doctor at 12.5 mg. Last evening I took one pill. I was unable to sleep, which is very unusual for me. Tossing and turning all night long. It was the longest evening of my life. I also experienced more urination during the evening. When I was able to fall asleep early in the morning, I experienced vivid, bizarre dreams. One after another. I will keep taking the pill but will take it in the morning instead."
- Dar...
- Taken for 10 years or more
- March 17, 2025
For Edema "I was on hydrochlorothiazide/hctz for about 15 years. Taking this drug has caused hypoparathyroidism - hypercalcemia, hypogammaglobulinemia, kidney disease, glomeruli imbalance, alkalosis, thrombocytopenia. I definitely wouldn’t recommend anyone take this for extended periods of time."
- Aun...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- August 16, 2015
For High Blood Pressure "I have a lingering concussion, my third, and my blood pressure went high with it again. My Dr. sent me to emergency. I ended up on this drug and another for 4 months. It took that long to get my BP more normal. I am just on the water pill now. The 12.5 mg didn't do much for me, but the 25 mg seems to be working well for me. I don't seem to have any side effects from the meds. I still have concussion issues though. My BP is usually around 120/80 now, and if it does go up, it is around 130-140/85-91. When my Dr. sent me to emergency, it was 201/142, and I was in pain. I'm doing much better."
- LIs...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- August 31, 2018
For Edema "My doctor added a 50 mg dose to the 80 mg dose of Lasix I was taking. After about a week, I noticed a big difference in my leg swelling without any additional side effects. Blood pressure is down slightly to 115/65."
- Bor...
- Taken for 6 months to 1 year
- August 15, 2017
For High Blood Pressure "I've been taking 12.5 mg for about six months now and can honestly say it lowered my BP. Unfortunately, it makes me sweat horribly. I was going through three T-shirts a day. I took myself off it last Friday so I could enjoy my vacation this week and will consult my PCM when I get home."
- Anonymous
- September 23, 2009
For High Blood Pressure "I started taking hydrochlorothiazide about 18 months ago. My blood pressure was never very high - about 125/95. It lowered it to 115/85, but my blood sugar jumped to 450 (I was not diabetic before taking HTCZ). My A1C was 9.6. I went off the HTCZ, and my blood glucose went to 97 within a week. I also reduced my diabetic medications from 5 pills a day to 2."
- Joe...
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- September 3, 2024
For High Blood Pressure "I'm just here to say that although hydrochlorothiazide has worked to get rid of some of my fluid, it matters which manufacturer you get it from! I got switched to Heritage Pharma and Avet Pharma, which are the same company. I had a very strong urge to urinate and thought I actually had a UTI. I went back to my regular manufacturer and bam, that urge is gone. Don't let doctors make you think you're just being crazy. You know your body. Tell them what manufacturer you prefer. They can tell the pharmacy what you want. Each brand uses different ingredients that you may be more sensitive to."
- Lon...
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- January 6, 2022
For High Blood Pressure "I've been on Losartan and HCTZ for a few years now. I've had mixed experiences, and after some research, I think it has to do with the manufacturer. The same generic drug can be produced by several different companies. For example, I had Losartan from Aurobindo and had no issues. I changed pharmacies and was given Losartan from Camber, which was awful. Went back to Aurobindo, and problems went away. My HCTZ is from Leading Pharmaceuticals. I am currently on a Losartan-HCTZ combo pill from Lupin Pharmaceuticals and have no issues. Can you all post which manufacturer you were given? The pill will have letters and numbers on it you can Google, or just post the letters/numbers. I am willing to bet the wide range of experiences can be at least partially linked to the manufacturer. If we all post, we might just find that there is a manufacturer to avoid, just like Camber Pharmaceuticals."
- Jai...
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- December 6, 2017
For High Blood Pressure "I have been taking this medicine for a while, but my BP never or hardly ever gets down to 120/80. I changed my diet, so I'm going to do yoga, then see if this helps. I lost 10 pounds already at 220/5'4, so a way to go. I don't want to take meds because I have many side effects that I don't like: the sweats, the aching pains in my joints, thirst, it's really annoying. Is there any meds that don't have as many side effects for hypertension?"
- Anonymous
- June 29, 2015
For High Blood Pressure "My BP was 170/110 and was put on 50 mg of Losartan Potassium, and 6 weeks later my BP was 242/129 and I was sent to the ER, and 25 mg of Hydrochlorothiazide was prescribed. After one week my BP came down and now stays about 140/100. I take my meds about 5 am and I have not experienced any side effects except for feeling sluggish until about 10 am, which is one side effect. No weight loss either, which I was really hoping for!"
- son...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- December 4, 2022
For High Blood Pressure "This drug works well in getting rid of water retention. I would give it at least an 8 for that. But the side effects are just horrible for me. So I am rating it much lower at a 1. I've tried to take this medication several times. Every time I end up with a very dry mouth, dizziness, and fatigue. It makes me feel very lousy. It is strange that I used to take this drug for many years as part of a high blood pressure combo such as Valsartan HCTZ. But I can't anymore. I think I am allergic to this medication. I will never take it again."
- 33...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- March 4, 2021
For High Blood Pressure "I am currently nursing and have been dealing with high blood pressure since I gave birth. I was started on labetalol, but my PCP wanted to try out HCTZ instead because he said beta blockers are not a first-line drug for high BP. From day one of taking it, I had a terrible headache that never went away after three weeks of taking it daily. My blood pressure (which was 160/98 prior to any medication) shot up to 172/118 at my last doctor visit. In addition to the headaches, I also experienced some brain fog, tiredness, and weakness. I think I may have been severely dehydrated from HCTZ combined with breastfeeding (which also uses a lot of the water in your body), despite drinking water all day long... So this was not a good fit for me at all. I stopped taking it today and started back on the labetalol, and my BP is now 142/86. I’ll be asking the doctor to increase my labetalol dose or add on something else because I didn’t have a good experience with it."
- SBa...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- February 6, 2021
For High Blood Pressure "My doctor first prescribed amlodipine, which caused swelling in my ankles and feet, then prescribed hydrochlorothiazide. I peed a lot, but swelling noticeably went down by the next day. I had some leg cramps, not sure if it’s related to the meds. Overall, I think it’s helped a great deal!"
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For Edema "Well! You would not think to get such a thing at the age of 36, but it is me you know? And anything annoying like that usually has to bite me in the rear. But this medicine gave noticeable results a couple of days later. I can now see the knots on my ankles again! And I no longer have legs like John Goodman. So I suppose this means my kidneys are not up to snuff then."