methyclothiazide

Skip to the navigation

Pronunciation: METH i kloe THYE a zide

Methyclothiazide 5 mg-MYL

slide 1 of 1, Methyclothiazide 5 mg-MYL,

round, blue, imprinted with M 29

Image of Methyclothiazide 5 mg-MYL
slide 1 of 1
    

What is the most important information I should know about methyclothiazide?

You should not use methyclothiazide if you are unable to urinate.

What is methyclothiazide?

Methyclothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that helps prevent your body from absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.

Methyclothiazide is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Methyclothiazide is also used to treat fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, kidney problems, or edema caused by using steroids or estrogen.

Methyclothiazide may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my doctor before taking methyclothiazide?

You should not use methyclothiazide if you are allergic to it, or if you are unable to urinate.

To make sure methyclothiazide is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

  • an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium in your blood);
  • kidney disease;
  • liver disease;
  • asthma or allergies;
  • high cholesterol or triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood);
  • gout;
  • lupus;
  • diabetes;
  • an allergy to sulfa drugs; or
  • if you have recently had surgery.

FDA pregnancy category B. Methyclothiazide is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Methyclothiazide can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

How should I take methyclothiazide?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often.

You may have very low blood pressure while taking this medicine. Call your doctor if you are sick with vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than usual.

This medicine can cause unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using methyclothiazide.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using methyclothiazide. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medicine even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

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.

What happens if I overdose?

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.

What should I avoid while taking methyclothiazide?

Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of methyclothiazide.

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.

What are the possible side effects of methyclothiazide?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

  • weakness, drowsiness, lack of energy;
  • a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
  • little or no urinating;
  • severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate;
  • pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, fever, confusion or weakness;
  • anxiety, sweating, severe shortness of breath, cough with foamy mucus, chest pain; or
  • electrolyte imbalance --dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, restless feeling, confusion, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, muscle pain or weakness, fast heart rate, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).

Common side effects may include:

  • headache, dizziness, tingly feeling;
  • blurred vision;
  • nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite; or
  • mouth pain.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect methyclothiazide?

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.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about methyclothiazide.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2017 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.01. Revision date: 4/11/2014.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.