Hydrochlorothiazide and Weakness: What Users Say

• sir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2013

For High Blood Pressure "My doctor put me on this medication for high blood pressure. It made me very sick within two weeks after taking it. I felt like I was coming down with the flu. My muscles were weak, my joints began hurting. I had a very low-grade fever and wanted to go home and go to bed. Then my bladder began to hurt so bad. I had been on some other type of medication for high blood pressure and the same thing happened with it. I knew that I had experienced this before and immediately stopped the hydrochlorothiazide, and my body went back to normal within a week and a half. Another thing I noticed was my urine was like water, there was no color whatsoever in it, until I started taking vitamins and the color returned."

• Vkp...
• January 14, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "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."

• But...
• February 5, 2014

For High Blood Pressure "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."

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

For High Blood Pressure "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."

• sup...
• February 20, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "This med was added to enhance my present ACE inhibitor (Enalapril 20 mg/2x daily) to reduce my BP. Recently, I became extremely ill with a viral sinus infection, and ultimately my BP spiked because of fighting this wicked infection. The physician thought it may be prudent to lower the BP, so HCTZ was added to the regimen of treatment at 25 mg per day. I've been on it for 3 weeks. BP is normal, but it was normal before the infection on Enalapril. I am in good health, eat right, and exercise. I can't believe the side effects: extreme fatigue, nausea, gastric pains, muscle pains, weakness, anxiety, and on and on. I contacted the physician today, and she immediately removed me from the med. Be careful and be watchful if this med!!"

• Mar...
• October 26, 2015

For High Blood Pressure "I only took one-half a pill, had a terrible reaction, severe nerve pain in both forearms, weakness all over, went to the ER in the hospital for 3 days. Now I have loss of sensation in my skin on my left side and sciatic nerve pain, plus burning all the way down my leg and foot on my left side. I have had MRIs, pain blocks, CT scans, been to orthopedic, neurosurgeons, neurologists, etc., with no relief. I am in pain every day of my life thanks to this medicine. I could walk 3 miles 1 year ago, and now I cannot walk one block without extreme pain!"

• 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."

• Dis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I was on irbesartan for about 4 years, but it was causing fecal incontinence, so I decided to ask my new PCP to try another BP med. If I had known then how terrible the other categories of meds are with side effects, I would never have done this. I went to a calcium blocker, which made me horribly ill. So I told him I wanted to go back to irbesartan. The irbesartan doesn't kick in for weeks (I'm praying that it will), so he prescribed hydrochlorothiazide. For four days, I felt fine. Then I started to get terribly weak with on-and-off debilitating headaches. Also, constipation. I stopped one day and felt better. Then I took it for two days and could barely function because of weakness, joint aches, back pain, and neck pain. I stopped again today. I'm seeing the doctor in two days. I am just going to go back to the irbesartan alone and pray that it works. Irbesartan is the category that relaxes your blood vessels. Other categories are horrid for me. This did lower my blood pressure."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "I’m 45, female. I have hypertension around 145. Went to the ER twice because it went up over 165. My doctor prescribed me thiazide 26 mg because I have side effects with Lisinopril 5 mg. I got low potassium 2.9 after I was taking thiazide for two weeks. My potassium was normal before I started taking thiazide. My heart rate increased, I lost 5 lb. in two days, and my blood pressure was up sometimes. I got a bladder infection. Now I stopped the medicine. Taking potassium to reboot the potassium in my body. Still feeling weak if I'm walking too much."

• Nep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 6, 2015

For Nephrocalcinosis "I was put on thiazide 25 mg for severe lifelong nephrocalcinosis (kidney stone disease). I have been on it for 6 weeks. Yes, it cut my urine calcium in half, which is great and what we wanted, but I have had some terrible side effects: daily migraines and new acne daily on my jawline (never had acne until I started this medication). It lowered my potassium levels, causing lethargy and muscle weakness. I took a 2-day break and there was an instant stop of headaches and no new pimples for 2 days. I have gone back on it today, but I only took 12.5 mg to see if it makes a difference, only time will tell if I get a headache soon and then I will know for sure it is the tablet causing it."

• kry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2019

For Edema "Took 25 mg for two days. Swelling down some 30%. Extreme weakness and dizziness (86-year-old male). Awaiting callback from my MD."