Methyclothiazide

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include upset stomach, dizziness, confusion, and muscle weakness.

Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension:

2.5 to 5 mg orally once a day

Comments: If blood pressure remains uncontrolled after 8 to 12 weeks at 5 mg once a day, another antihypertensive drug should be added.

Uses: Treatment of mild to moderate hypertension as monotherapy; treatment of more severe hypertension when used concomitantly with other antihypertensive drugs.

Usual Adult Dose for Edema:

2.5 to 10 mg orally once a day

Maximum dose: 10 mg

Uses: Adjunctive treatment of edema associated with congestive heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis, and corticosteroid and estrogen therapy; this drug has also been useful in edema due to various forms of renal dysfunction (e.g., nephrotic syndrome, acute glomerulonephritis, and chronic renal failure).

Taking this medicine with other drugs that can lower blood pressure can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before taking methyclothiazide with a narcotic medicine, or medicine for anxiety or seizures (butabarbital, phenobarbital, secobarbital, and others).

Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with methyclothiazide, especially:

• any other blood pressure medicines;

• digoxin (digitalis);

• insulin or oral diabetes medicine;

• lithium; or

• steroid medicine (prednisone and others).

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with methyclothiazide, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure methyclothiazide is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects .

Check with your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms while taking methyclothiazide: convulsions or seizures; decreased urine; drowsiness; dry mouth; excessive thirst; muscle pains or cramps; nausea or vomiting; increased heart rate or pulse; or unusual tiredness or weakness. These may be symptoms of a condition called hypokalemia or potassium loss .

methyclothiazide may cause some people to become dizzy. Do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy.

Drinking alcoholic beverages may also make the dizziness worse. While you are taking methyclothiazide, be careful to limit the amount of alcohol you drink .

Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are taking methyclothiazide. The results of some tests (e.g., tests for parathyroid function) may be affected by methyclothiazide .

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements .

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take this medicine. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how methyclothiazide affects you.
• To lower the chance of feeling dizzy or passing out, rise slowly if you have been sitting or lying down. Be careful going up and down stairs.
• If you have high blood sugar (diabetes), you will need to watch your blood sugar closely.
• Have your blood pressure checked often. Talk with your doctor.
• Have your blood work checked. Talk with your doctor.
• This medicine may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take this medicine.
• If you are taking methyclothiazide and have high blood pressure, talk with your doctor before using OTC products that may raise blood pressure. These include cough or cold drugs, diet pills, stimulants, ibuprofen or like products, and some natural products or aids.
• This medicine is a strong fluid-lowering drug (diuretic). Sometimes too much water and major elements (potassium) in the blood may be lost. This can lead to serious health problems. Your doctor will follow you closely to change the dose to match your body's needs.
• You may need extra potassium. Talk with your doctor.
• If you are on a low-salt or salt-free diet, talk with your doctor.
• Talk with your doctor before you drink alcohol or use other drugs and natural products that slow your actions.
• Tell your doctor if you have too much sweat, fluid loss, throwing up, or loose stools. This may lead to low blood pressure.
• Watch for gout attacks.
• If you have lupus, this medicine can make your lupus active or get worse. Tell your doctor right away if you get any new or worse signs.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using methyclothiazide while you are pregnant.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby.

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
• Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. Check with your pharmacist. If you have any questions about this medicine, please talk with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take methyclothiazide or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to methyclothiazide. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine.

Review Date: October 4, 2017

Methyclothiazide tablets are contraindicated in patients with anuria and in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to this compound or other sulfonamide-derived drugs.

Methyclothiazide tablets are administered orally. Therapy should be individualized according to patient response. This therapy should be titrated to gain maximal therapeutic response as well as the minimal dose possible to maintain that therapeutic response.

For edematous conditions

The usual adult dose ranges from 2.5 mg to 10 mg once daily. Maximum effective single-dose is 10 mg; larger single doses do not accomplish greater diuresis, and are not recommended.

For the treatment of hypertension

The usual adult dose ranges from 2.5 mg to 5 mg once daily.

If control of blood pressure is not satisfactory after 8 to 12 weeks of therapy with 5 mg once daily, another antihypertensive drug should be added. Increasing the dosage of Methyclothiazide tablets will usually not result in further lowering of blood pressure.

Methyclothiazide tablets may be either employed alone for mild to moderate hypertension or concurrently with other antihypertensive drugs in the management of more severe forms of hypertension. Combined therapy may provide adequate control of hypertension with lower dosage of the component drugs and fewer or less severe side effects.

When other antihypertensive agents are to be added to the regimen, this should be accomplished gradually. Ganglionic blocking agents should be given at only half the usual dose since their effect is potentiated by pretreatment with Methyclothiazide tablets.

Applies to methyclothiazide: oral tablet

Along with its needed effects, methyclothiazide may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking methyclothiazide:

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• back, leg, or stomach pains
• black, tarry stools
• bleeding gums
• blistering, peeling, or loosening of skin
• bloating
• blood in urine or stools
• bloody urine
• blue lips and fingernails
• blurred vision
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• chest pain
• chills
• clay-colored stools
• cloudy urine
• cold sweats
• confusion
• constipation
• cough or hoarseness
• coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum
• coughing up blood
• cracks in the skin
• darkened urine
• decrease in urine output or decrease in urine-concentrating ability
• decreased frequency or amount of urine
• diarrhea
• difficult, fast, or noisy breathing, sometimes with wheezing
• difficulty swallowing
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from lying or sitting position
• dry mouth
• fast or irregular heartbeat
• fever
• flushed, dry skin
• fruit-like breath odor
• general body swelling
• general feeling of discomfort or illness
• general feeling of tiredness or weakness
• greatly decreased frequency of urination or amount of urine
• headache
• hives
• increased blood pressure
• increased hunger
• increased sweating
• increased thirst
• increased urination
• indigestion
• itching
• joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
• loss of appetite
• loss of heat from the body
• lower back or side pain
• muscle cramps or pain
• nausea or vomiting
• nosebleeds
• numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in hands or feet
• pain in joints or muscles
• painful or difficult urination
• pains in stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
• pale skin
• pinpoint red spots on skin
• puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
• rash
• red, irritated eyes
• red skin lesions, often with a purple center
• red, swollen skin
• redness, soreness, or itching skin
• scaly skin
• seizures
• shortness of breath
• sore throat
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth
• sores, welting or blisters
• sugar in the urine
• swelling of face, fingers, legs, ankles, feet, or lower legs
• swollen or painful glands
• tenderness of salivary glands
• thickening of bronchial secretions
• tightness in chest
• trembling
• troubled breathing
• unpleasant breath odor
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• unusual weight loss
• vomiting of blood
• weakness and heaviness of legs
• weight gain
• wheezing
• yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects of methyclothiazide may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Cramping
• decreased interest in sexual intercourse
• difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
• feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
• hair loss, thinning of hair
• inability to have or keep an erection
• increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight
• loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• muscle spasm
• pinpoint red or purple spots on skin
• redness or other discoloration of skin
• restlessness
• sensation of spinning
• severe sunburn
• weakness