Valsartan and Hydrochlorothiazide (Systemic)

Brand Names : Diovan HCT

Before Using This Medicine

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 valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to valsartan, sulfonamides (sulfa drugs), bumetanide, furosemide, acetazolamide, dichlorphenamide, or methazolamide or to hydrochlorothiazide or any of the other thiazide diuretics (water pills). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, sulfites or other preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Use of valsartan during pregnancy, especially after the first three months, can cause low blood pressure, kidney failure, too much potassium, or death in newborns. Additionally, when hydrochlorothiazide is used during pregnancy, it may cause jaundice, blood problems, and other side effects in the newborn baby. Therefore, it is important that you check with your doctor immediately if you think that you may be pregnant .

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether valsartan passes into breast milk. However, it does pass into the milk of lactating rats. Hydrochlorothiazide does pass into breast milk. Be sure that you discuss this with your doctor if you decide to breast feed while taking these medicines.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide combination in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Elderly patients may be more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of this medicine.

Other medicines - 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. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) - Hydrochlorothiazide may raise blood sugar levels

• Fluid or electrolyte (e.g., potassium, chloride, sodium) imbalance (due to excessive perspiration, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) - The side effects of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide may be increased

• Gout - Hydrochlorothiazide may increase the amount of uric acid in the body, which may activate or aggravate this condition

• Heart failure, severe - Lowering of blood pressure by these medicines may make this condition worse

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - These conditions may be aggravated by valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide