Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

  1. Diuril Sodium
  2. Sodium Diuril

Descriptions


Chlorothiazide is used to treat fluid retention (edema) that is caused by congestive heart failure, severe liver disease (cirrhosis), kidney disease, or from treatment with a steroid or hormone medicine.

Chlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic. It reduces the amount of water in the body by increasing the flow of urine, which helps reduce fluid retention (edema).

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

  • Powder for Solution

Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of chlorothiazide in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of chlorothiazide in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving chlorothiazide.

Breastfeeding

Studies suggest that this medication may alter milk production or composition. If an alternative to this medication is not prescribed, you should monitor the infant for side effects and adequate milk intake.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Acarbose
  • Aceclofenac
  • Acemetacin
  • Acetyldigoxin
  • Albiglutide
  • Albuterol
  • Alogliptin
  • Amphetamine
  • Amtolmetin Guacil
  • Arsenic Trioxide
  • Aspirin
  • Benzphetamine
  • Bepridil
  • Bromfenac
  • Bromocriptine
  • Bufexamac
  • Buprenorphine
  • Canagliflozin
  • Celecoxib
  • Chlorpropamide
  • Choline Salicylate
  • Clonixin
  • Codeine
  • Dapagliflozin
  • Deslanoside
  • Desmopressin
  • Dexibuprofen
  • Dexketoprofen
  • Dextroamphetamine
  • Diclofenac
  • Diflunisal
  • Digitalis
  • Digitoxin
  • Digoxin
  • Dipyrone
  • Dofetilide
  • Droxicam
  • Dulaglutide
  • Empagliflozin
  • Etodolac
  • Etofenamate
  • Etoricoxib
  • Exenatide
  • Felbinac
  • Fenoprofen
  • Fepradinol
  • Feprazone
  • Flecainide
  • Floctafenine
  • Flufenamic Acid
  • Flurbiprofen
  • Formoterol
  • Glimepiride
  • Glipizide
  • Glyburide
  • Ibuprofen
  • Indomethacin
  • Insulin
  • Insulin Aspart, Recombinant
  • Insulin Bovine
  • Insulin Degludec
  • Insulin Detemir
  • Insulin Glulisine
  • Ketanserin
  • Ketoprofen
  • Ketorolac
  • Linagliptin
  • Liraglutide
  • Lisdexamfetamine
  • Lithium
  • Lixisenatide
  • Lornoxicam
  • Loxoprofen
  • Lumiracoxib
  • Meclofenamate
  • Mefenamic Acid
  • Meloxicam
  • Methamphetamine
  • Metildigoxin
  • Miglitol
  • Morniflumate
  • Nabumetone
  • Naproxen
  • Nateglinide
  • Nepafenac
  • Niflumic Acid
  • Nimesulide
  • Nimesulide Beta Cyclodextrin
  • Oxaprozin
  • Oxyphenbutazone
  • Parecoxib
  • Phenylbutazone
  • Piketoprofen
  • Pioglitazone
  • Piroxicam
  • Porfimer
  • Pramlintide
  • Proglumetacin
  • Propyphenazone
  • Proquazone
  • Repaglinide
  • Rofecoxib
  • Rosiglitazone
  • Salicylic Acid
  • Salsalate
  • Saxagliptin
  • Sitagliptin
  • Sodium Salicylate
  • Sulindac
  • Tapentadol
  • Tenoxicam
  • Tiaprofenic Acid
  • Tolazamide
  • Tolbutamide
  • Tolfenamic Acid
  • Tolmetin
  • Valdecoxib
  • Vildagliptin
  • Vonoprazan

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Aminolevulinic Acid
  • Calcium
  • Ginkgo
  • Gossypol
  • Licorice

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Anuria (not able to form urine)—Should not be used in patients with this condition.
  • Asthma or
  • Diabetes or
  • Gout or
  • Hypercalcemia (high calcium in the blood) or
  • Hyperuricemia (high uric acid in the blood) or
  • Hypochloremia (low chloride in the blood) or
  • Hypokalemia (low potassium in the blood) or
  • Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium in the blood) or
  • Hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood) or
  • Hypophosphatemia (low phosphorus in the blood) or
  • Liver disease or
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus—Use with caution. This medicine may make these conditions worse.
  • Kidney disease—Use with caution. The effects of the medicine may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper Use

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins.

Precautions

Your doctor will only give you a few doses of this medicine until your condition improves, and then you will be switched to an oral medicine that works the same way. If you have any concerns about this, talk to your doctor.

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine 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 or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Incidence not known

  1. Abdominal or stomach pain
  2. back, leg, or stomach pains
  3. black, tarry stools
  4. bleeding gums
  5. blisters on skin
  6. blood in urine or stools
  7. bloody or cloudy urine
  8. blue lips and fingernails
  9. blurred vision
  10. burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
  11. chest pain
  12. chills
  13. clay-colored stools
  14. cold sweats
  15. confusion
  16. constipation
  17. cough or hoarseness
  18. coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum
  19. coughing up blood
  20. darkened urine
  21. decrease in urine output or decrease in urine-concentrating ability
  22. decreased frequency or amount of urine
  23. diarrhea
  24. difficult, fast, or noisy breathing, sometimes with wheezing
  25. difficulty swallowing
  26. dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
  27. dry mouth
  28. fast heartbeat
  29. feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
  30. fever
  31. flushed, dry skin
  32. fruit-like breath odor
  33. general feeling of discomfort or illness
  34. general feeling of tiredness or weakness
  35. headache
  36. hives
  37. increased blood pressure
  38. increased hunger
  39. increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight
  40. increased sweating
  41. increased thirst
  42. increased urination
  43. indigestion
  44. itching
  45. joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
  46. loss of appetite
  47. lower back or side pain
  48. muscle cramps or pain
  49. nausea
  50. nosebleeds
  51. numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in hands or feet
  52. pain in joints or muscles
  53. painful or difficult urination
  54. pains in stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
  55. pale skin
  56. pinpoint red spots on skin
  57. puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
  58. redness or other discoloration of skin
  59. redness, soreness, or itching skin
  60. seizures
  61. sensation of spinning
  62. severe sunburn
  63. shortness of breath
  64. skin rash
  65. sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth
  66. sores, welting, or blisters
  67. sugar in the urine
  68. sweating
  69. swelling in legs and ankles
  70. swelling of face, fingers, or lower legs
  71. swollen or painful glands
  72. tenderness of salivary glands
  73. thickening of bronchial secretions
  74. tightness in chest
  75. trembling
  76. troubled breathing
  77. unexplained weight loss
  78. unpleasant breath odor
  79. unusual bleeding or bruising
  80. unusual tiredness or weakness
  81. unusual weight loss
  82. vomiting of blood
  83. weight gain
  84. yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects 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:

Incidence not known

  1. Blistering, peeling, or loosening of skin
  2. cracks in the skin
  3. cramping
  4. decreased interest in sexual intercourse
  5. difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
  6. hair loss, thinning of hair
  7. inability to have or keep an erection
  8. loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
  9. loss of heat from the body
  10. muscle spasm
  11. pinpoint red or purple spots on skin
  12. red, irritated eyes
  13. red, swollen skin
  14. restlessness
  15. scaly skin
  16. weakness

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.