Olmesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide

Olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure. This medication is a single product containing 2 medications: olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide. Olmesartan is in a class of medications called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It works by blocking the action of certain natural substances that tighten the blood vessels, allowing the blood to flow more smoothly and the heart to pump more efficiently. Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to a group of drugs called thiazide diuretics, which work by stopping reabsorption of salt into your body. This prevents fluid from building up in the body.

This medication comes in tablet form. It is taken once daily, with or without food.

Common side effects include nausea, a condition of excess of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia), dizziness, and an infection that affects the nose, throat, and airways (upper respiratory tract infection).

Olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. 

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• your blood pressure
• previous medications used and the doses tried
• how you respond to this medication

The recommended starting dose of olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide to treat high blood pressure is one 20 mg/12.5 mg tablet once daily. The maximum dose is 40 mg/25 mg once daily.

Warning: Fetal Toxicity

• When pregnancy is detected, discontinue olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide as soon as possible.
• Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus.

Serious side effects have been reported with olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide or its ingredients including the following:

• Harm to an unborn baby (fetal toxicity). Do not take olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide if you are pregnant or will become pregnant.
• Low blood pressure
• Severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss (sprue-like enteropathy)
• Allergic reactions. More likely with a history of allergic reactions. 
• A condition in which close objects appear clearly, but far ones don't (myopia) or a buildup of pressure in the eye that can cause blindness (glaucoma). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience  visual changes or eye pain.
• An autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue (systemic lupus erythematosus)
• Imbalances in the levels of salts and fluids in your body (electrolyte and fluid imbalance). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • dry mouth
  • thirst
  • weakness
  • drowsiness
  • restlessness
  • muscle pains or cramps
  • low blood pressure
  • low output of urine
  • fast heart rate
  • nausea
  • vomiting
• A condition of excess of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia)
• Painful joint(s) (gout)
• Increases in cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels 

Do not take olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide if you:

• are allergic to olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide or any of its ingredients or sulfonamide-derived drugs
• your kidneys do not produce urine (anuria)
• are a diabetic patient who is taking aliskiren

Serious side effects have been reported with olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide. See the "Olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide Precautions" section. 

Common side effects of olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide include the following:

• nausea
• a condition of excess of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia)
• dizziness
• an infection that affects the nose, throat, and airways (upper respiratory tract infection)

This is not a complete list of olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

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

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you are taking:

• colesevelam (Welchol)
• angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) like valsartan (Diovan) , ACE inhibitors (ACE) like enalapril (Vasotec, Vaseretic), or aliskiren (Tekturna)
• alcohol, a class of drugs called barbiturates, or a type of pain medications called narcotics
• diabetic medications
• cholestyramine (Questran) and colestipol (Colestid)
• medicines that provide relief for inflamed areas of the body (corticosteroids) such as methylprednisolone (Medrol) and dexamethasone (Decadron)
• substances that raise blood pressure (pressor amines) such as norepinephrine (Levophed)
• medicines that relax skeletal muscles such as cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and carisoprodol (Soma)
• lithium (Lithobid)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil)

This is not a complete list of olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide falls into category D. When pregnancy is detected, discontinue olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide as soon as possible. Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the unborn baby.

Tell your doctor is you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. 

It is not known if olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with the use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide.