Hyzaar (Generic)
Hyzaar ( Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide) is a combination of losartan (Cozaar) and hydrochlorothiazide Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide is used for treating high blood pressure and decreases the risk of stroke.

Generic Hyzaar 50/12.5mg pills

Uses

Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that helps prevent your body from absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.
Losartan is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Losartan keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure improves blood flow.
The combination of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and to reduce the risk of stroke in people with hypertension.
Hydrochlorothiazide and losartan may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

How to take

· Take Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide by mouth with or without food.
· Drinking extra fluids while you are taking Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide is recommended. Check with your doctor for instructions.
· Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide may increase the amount of urine or cause you to urinate more often when you first start taking it. To keep this from disturbing your sleep, try to take your dose before 6 pm.
· If you take cholestyramine or colestipol, ask your doctor or pharmacist how to take it with Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide .
· Continue to use Losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses.

Side effects

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Back pain; diarrhea; dizziness; lightheadedness, especially when sitting up or standing; nausea; numbness or tingling of the skin; tiredness.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; confusion; decrease in sexual ability; decreased urination; depression; drowsiness; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; fever, chills, or persistent sore throat; hoarseness; muscle pain, tenderness, or cramps; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; restlessness; seizures; severe or persistent dry mouth; shortness of breath; swelling of the arms or legs; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual thirst; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Precaution

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to hydrochlorothiazide or losartan, or if you are unable to urinate. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. Losartan may cause injury and even death to the unborn baby if you take it during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment.
Before using hydrochlorothiazide and losartan, tell your doctor if you have congestive heart failure, kidney or liver disease, asthma, low or high blood levels of potassium, gout, lupus, diabetes, or an allergy to sulfa drugs.
Hydrochlorothiazide and losartan can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of hydrochlorothiazide and losartan.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.
Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking hydrochlorothiazide and losartan, unless your doctor has told you to.

Drug interactions

Before taking hydrochlorothiazide and losartan, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
·1 any other blood pressure medications;
·2 steroids (prednisone and others);
·3 lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
·4 celecoxib (Celebrex) or valdecoxib (Bextra);
·5 cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);
·6 rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater);
·7 a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
·8 any other diuretics, such as amiloride (Midamor), bumetanide (Bumex), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril), indapamide (Lozol), metolazone (Mykrox, Zarxolyn), spironolactone (Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium, Maxzide, Dyazide), torsemide (Demadex), and others;
·9 aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), diclofenac (Voltaren), diflunisal (Dolobid), etodolac (Lodine), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), piroxicam (Feldene), and others;
·10 a muscle relaxer such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), dantrolene (Dantrium), metaxalone (Skelaxin), or methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine (Norflex), or tizanidine (Zanaflex);
·11 a narcotic medication such as hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Palladone), levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Methadose), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin), oxycodone (OxyContin), oxymorphone (Numorphan), or propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with hydrochlorothiazide and losartan. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose, take as soon as remembered; do not take if it is almost time for the next dose, instead, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not "double-up" the dose to catch up.

Storage

Store at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (between 15 and 30 degrees C) away from moisture and sunlight. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep away from children and pets.