Hydrochlorothiazide Oral: Dosing and Precautions
Hydrochlorothiazide guidance for hypertension and edema, with electrolyte and pregnancy contraindications.
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Source reviewed
source date listed on the source page
Guide category
Oral drugs
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
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Therapeutic action
Thiazide diuretic.
Indications
- Hypertension.
- Oedema associated with renal, hepatic or congestive heart failure.
Forms and strengths
- 12.5 mg and 25 mg tablets.
Dose
Hypertension
- Adult: 12.5 to 25 mg once daily in the morning, maximum 25 mg daily.
Oedema associated with renal, hepatic or congestive heart failure
- Adult: 25 mg once daily in the morning or 25 mg 2 times daily, maximum 100 mg daily.
Duration
According to clinical response.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with severe renal failure.
- Administer with caution in patients with hypokalaemia, hyponatraemia, and in elderly patients.
- May cause dehydration, hypotension, hypokalaemia, hyponatraemia, gastrointestinal disturbances, headache, dizziness, skin rash, impotence, and photosensitivity.
- Avoid or monitor combination with NSAIDs and lithium.
- Monitor combination with drugs that provoke hypotension, potassium-depleting drugs, sodium-depleting drugs, drugs enhancing hypercalcaemic effect, oral antidiabetics, and insulin.
- Pregnancy: contraindicated.
- Breast-feeding: contraindicated.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
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