Hydrochorothiazide question please... - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

Claire 525 · 03-30-2007, 11:15 PM

Does anyone know if one of the side effects from Hydrochlorothiazide is an increased heartbeat??

I am taking this diuretic for HBP and it has really helped with my numbers, but sometimes I feed like my heart is "racing" and it really scares me.

Anyone else experience this feeling?

Lenin · 03-31-2007, 07:42 AM

Claire,

Generally speaking, an increase in heart rate is not one of the usual side effects of HCTZ.

But there are two caveats:

1. After taking it for a while your blood electrolytes can get out of whack...primarily low sodium and low potassium. Have these checked.

2. IF you notice that you get a little swoony when you stand up quickly, you could be suffereing POSTURAL HYPOTENSION. During these events, your heart rate can increase dramaticallly...but it passes quickly.

bethsheba · 04-01-2007, 06:17 AM

Claire,

Fast heartbeat is a side effect that should be reported immediately according to the drug sheet that came with my hct.

Do keep (and REFER to) those sheets that come with your meds...I refer back to mine regularly. I also keep the sheets from meds I no longer take because it's handy to have a record of my "side effect" history when the doc puts me on a new med.

Bethsheba

flowergirl2day · 04-05-2007, 09:27 PM

Thanks for the tip regarding keeping records of the side effects of various drugs. I am being taken off Lipitor as of tomorrow night - at least temporarily-(after the bloodwork is done) and this information might come in handy. One cannot rely on one's memory if on too many meds....because, of course, short-term memory loss is one of the possible side-effects

bethsheba · 04-06-2007, 06:03 PM

flowergirl,

Yes, indeedy...short term memory loss is one of those side effects...I really appreciate hearing this from someone else. Friends who listened to me repeat the same "story" a second and a third time just didn't understand. What I don't understand is that, at times, for some odd reason, I knew I was repeating myself.

Makes me think of my mother's memory lapses that were severe enough for me to report them to her physician...that was several years ago and she's fine now...but on another bp med. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Bethsheba

Bethsheba