Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, may lead to stroke, heart disease and heart attack. To lower your blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe diuretics to reduce your body's excess fluid. The effect of less fluid in your body will cause the pressure to decrease as blood flows through your vessels. Diuretics exist in three forms: potassium-sparing diuretics, loop diuretics and thiazide diuretics. Potassium-sparing diuretics include triamterene and amiloride. Loop diuretics include furosemide and bumetanide, and thiazides include hydrochlorothiazide and metolazone.
Dizziness and Lightheadedness
Dizziness and lightheadedness commonly occur when you first use diuretics because of the decrease in blood pressure. If you stand up quickly, the decreased amount of blood flowing through your body may cause a rapid drop in your blood pressure, causing postural hypotension. This change in pressure causes momentary dizziness, a feeling of lightheadedness and the potential for syncope, or fainting. As your body adjusts to your diuretic, these kinds of side effects typically stop. If they do not, contact your doctor for help. Your medication may have lowered your pressure too much.
Potassium-Sparing Diuretic Side Effects
These kinds of diuretics include amiloride and triamterene as well as other medicines. They may produce some serious side effects that require medical attention. For example, you may experience bradycardia, a slowing down of your heartbeat that decreases the amount of oxygen reaching areas of your body such as your brain. You also may feel tired or have difficulty breathing normally. Your heart rate may speed up and you may cease to urinate. You may become mentally confused. If you experience these side effects, immediately stop using the diuretic and call your doctor. Other side effects, classified as non-serious, also may occur including a rash on your skin, appetite loss, nausea and headaches. If these persist, consult your doctor.
Loop Diuretic Side Effects
Loop diuretics, such as furosemide, can produce many non-serious side effects, usually during your acclimation period, meaning once you get used to the medicine, these should stop. You may become temporarily sensitive to sunlight. You may feel restless and may have trouble focusing your eyes. You may have spasms in your muscles or in your bladder. You also may feel unusual sensations on your skin. Drugs.com categorizes these types of side effects as non-serious. Speak with a physician, however, if they feel severe or persist.
Thiazide Diuretic Side Effects
Thiazide diuretics may cause some serious side effects. Drugs such as hydrochlorothiazide may induce tachycardia, a condition in which your heart accelerates beyond the rate at which it should beat. The medication also may cause an irregular heart rate. This type of diuretic also may produce nausea, pain in your muscles, a fever or sensations of tingling in your skin. If you experience any of these problems, call your physician immediately and stop taking the medicine. Thiazide diuretics also may produce some temporary and non-serious side effects such as mild pain in your stomach, blurry vision, constipation or diarrhea. These side effects all may occur as the fluid levels in your body change, but should rectify themselves without medical intervention.
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