Quinethazone, Oral

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: thiazide diuretic

Generic and brand names: quinethazone, oral; Hydromox

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is a diuretic used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. It reduces the amount of water in your body by increasing urination. It may be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

What should my health care provider know before I take this medicine?

Tell your health care provider if you are allergic to any medicines such as sulfonamides (sulfa drugs).

Females of childbearing age: Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your health care provider's approval.

How do I take it?

Take this medicine exactly as your health care provider prescribes. Take it regularly, even if you feel well.

This medicine increases the frequency of urination. Take the last dose of the day before 6 PM to avoid interrupting your sleep at night.

Taking this medicine with food or milk may lessen the chance the drug will upset your stomach.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your health care provider.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may drive potassium (a vital mineral) from your body. You health care provider may prescribe a potassium-rich diet or a potassium supplement for you to take every day.

You may need to have blood tests regularly to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments for these tests.

This medicine may make you feel tired when you first start taking it.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to the sun and may cause you to sunburn more easily. While you are taking this medicine, avoid long exposure to the sun. While you are in the sun, wear protective clothing and sunscreen lotion until you know how you will react to the sun. Do not use a sunlamp. If you get a severe sunburn, contact your health care provider right away.

Diabetics: This medicine may affect your blood sugar level and change the amount of insulin or other diabetes medicines you may need. Talk to your health care provider about this.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your health care provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Serious (report these to your health care provider right away): Stomach pain, nausea, severe vomiting or diarrhea, rash, muscle cramps, dry mouth, extreme thirst, weakness.

Other: Dizziness, stomach upset, diarrhea, sensitivity to sun.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your health care provider if you are taking:

• allopurinol (Zyloprim)
• amphotericin B (Fungizone)
• anesthetics
• anticancer medicines
• blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• cholestyramine (Questran)
• colestipol (Colestid)
• calcium supplements such as calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium chloride, Cal-Plus, Caltrate 600, Os-cal, Oyster Shell Calcium 500, Citracal, Neo-Calglucon, and Posture
• corticosteroids such as cortisone (Cortone), betamethasone (Celestone), dexamethasone (Decadron), hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone, A-Hydrocort), prednisone (Meticorten, Deltasone, Orasone), prednisolone (Delta-Cortef), and triamcinolone (Aristocort, Kenacort)
• diazoxide (Proglycem)
• digoxin (Lanoxin)
• insulin and medicines taken by mouth for diabetes
• lithium (Lithonate, Lithobid, Lithotabs, Eskalith)
• loop diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), and torsemide (Demadex)
• medicines to treat gout such as probenecid (Benemid) and colchicine
• methenamine (Hiprex, Urex)
• methyldopa (Aldomet)
• nonprescription medicines for appetite control, asthma, colds, coughs, hay fever, or sinus problems
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin) and naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve)
• vitamin D.

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medicine.

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. Be sure that you tell all health care providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.