Drug Name

Avalide (Irbesartan/Hydrochlorothiazide)

Drug Uses

Avalide is used for treating high blood pressure. It may as well as be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

How Taken

Take Avalide as directed by your doctor.

• Avalide may be used with or without food.
• Drinking extra fluids while you are using Avalide is recommended. Check with your doctor for instructions.
• Avalide may increase the amount of urine or cause you to urinate more often when you earliest start using it. To keep this from disturbing your sleep, try to take your dose before 6 pm.
• Incase you take cholestyramine or colestipol, ask your doctor or pharmacist how to take it with Avalide.
• Continue to take Avalide even incase you feel well. Do not miss any doses.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may possess about how to take Avalide.

Drug Class as well as Mechanism

Avalide is a combination angiotensin II receptor blocker as well as diuretic. The angiotensin II receptor blocker works by relaxing the blood vessels. Exactly how the diuretic works to decrease blood pressure is unknown, but it helps the kidneys to eliminate fluid as well as sodium from the body.

Missed Dose

Incase you miss a dose of Avalide, take it as soon as likely. Incase it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose as well as go back to your normal dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store Avalide at room temperature, between 68 as well as 77 degrees F (20 as well as 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, as well as light. Keep Avalide out of the reach of children as well as away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not take Avalide if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Avalide or to any other sulfonamide medicine (e.g., sulfamethoxazole);
• you are pregnant;
• you possess very bad kidney problems or are unable to urinate;
• you are using dofetilide or ketanserin.

Contact your doctor or health care provider fair away incase any of these apply to you.

Important :

• Avalide may cause drowsiness, dizziness, or lightheadedness. These effects may be worse incase you take it with alcohol or confident medicines. Take Avalide with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Avalide may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting; alcohol, hot weather, exercise, or fever may increase these effects. To halt them, sit up or stand slowly, especially in the morning. Sit or lie down at the earliest sign of any of these effects.
• Report any lightheadedness or fainting to your doctor immediately. Your risk of lightheadedness or fainting may be increased incase you experience diarrhea, vomiting, excessive sweating, incase you do not drink enough fluids, or incase you are on a low-salt diet.
• Patients who take medicine for high blood pressure often feel exhausted or run down for a few weeks after starting treatment. Be sure to take your medicine even incase you may not feel common. Tell your doctor incase you develop any recent symptoms.
• Avalide may cause you to become sunburned more easily. Avoid the sun, sunlamps, or tanning booths until you know how you react to Avalide. Take a sunscreen or wear protective clothing incase you must be outside for more than a abridged time.
• Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Avalide before you receive any health examination or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.
• Incase you possess high blood pressure, do not take nonprescription products that contain stimulants. These products may include diet pills or chilly medicines. Contact your doctor incase you possess any questions or concerns.
• Your doctor may possess as well as prescribed a potassium supplement for you. Incase so, follow the dosing carefully. Do not start using additional potassium on your own or change your diet to include more potassium without earliest checking with your doctor.
• Check with your doctor before you take a salt substitute or a product that has potassium in it.
• Diabetes patients - Avalide may affect your blood sugar. Check blood sugar levels closely. Ask your doctor before you change the dose of your diabetes medicine.
• Avalide may raise your blood sugar. High blood sugar may make you feel confused, drowsy, or thirsty. It can as well as make you flush, breathe faster, or possess a fruit-like breath odor. Incase these symptoms occur, tell your doctor fair away.
• Avalide may interfere with confident lab tests, including parathyroid function tests. Be sure your doctor as well as lab personnel know you are using Avalide.
• Lab tests, including kidney function, blood pressure, as well as blood electrolytes, may be performed while you take Avalide. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor as well as lab appointments.
• Take Avalide with caution in the elderly; they may be more sensitive to its effects.
• Avalide should be used with extreme caution in children; safety as well as effectiveness in children possess not been confirmed.
• Pregnancy as well as breast-feeding: Avalide may cause birth defects or fetal death incase you take it while you are pregnant. Incase you think you may be pregnant, contact your doctor fair away. Avalide is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while using Avalide.

Likely Side Effects

Check with your doctor incase any of these most ordinary side effects persist or become bothersome:

• dizziness; nausea; tiredness; vomiting.

Seek health examination attention fair away incase any of these very bad side effects occur:

• very bad allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; confusion; decrease in sexual ability; depression; drowsiness; fainting; quick or irregular heartbeat; fever, chills, or persistent sore throat; decreased urination; hoarseness; muscle pain, tenderness, or cramps; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; restlessness; seizures; very bad or persistent moistureless mouth; very bad or persistent vomiting; shortness of breath; swelling of the arms or legs; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual thirst; unusual tiredness or weakness; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

More Information

Avalide is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
If your symptoms do not improve or incase they become worse, check with your doctor.