How do diuretics work

These effects are called an interaction. Be sure to tell your doctor about every medicine and vitamin or herbal supplement that you are taking, so he or she can make you aware of any interactions. The following are some of the medicines that can interact with diuretics.

Because there are so many kinds of medicines within each category, not every type of medicine is listed by name.

Tell your doctor about every medicine that you are taking, even if it is not listed below. Talk to your doctor about your medical history before you start taking a diuretic. The risks of taking the medicine need to be weighed against its benefits. People with high blood pressure or heart failure are often advised to limit how much salt or sodium they consume. One way to do that is to use salt substitutes, but these products are high in potassium—a quarter teaspoon of one brand contains about mg of potassium.

So, people who take potassium-sparing diuretics should avoid these products. If you take any diuretic medication, ask your doctor whether you need periodic testing of your potassium and kidney function. To learn more about managing hypertension, buy " Controlling Your Blood Pressure: What to do when your doctor says you have hypertension. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

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Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss They work via antagonism of vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone and enable your body to secrete electrolyte-free water.

As such, vaptans help with hyponatremic conditions defined by low sodium concentration in the blood like SIADH. If you have high blood pressure or another condition that could benefit from the use of diuretics, talk to your healthcare provider. Most diuretics are available by prescription, and though some can be purchased without a prescription, increasing your urine volume and altering your electrolyte levels can cause some side effects, including dehydration.

Diuretics can also exacerbate other conditions, so it's best to discuss taking diuretics with your healthcare provider first. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Heart disease drug therapy. Sterns RH. Diuretics: Introduction. Seminars in Nephrology. Wile D. Diuretics: a review. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry. Lomelino C, Mckenna R. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: a review on the progress of patent literature — Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents.

Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. Published Oct Annals of Pharmacotherapy. Akbari P, Khorasani-Zadeh A. Thiazide Diuretics. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Horisberger J-D, Giebisch G. Potassium-Sparing Diuretics. Kidney and Blood Pressure Research.

Peri A. The Use of Vaptans in Clinical Endocrinology. Chapter 8. Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised.

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Products and services. Diuretics Diuretics, also called water pills, are a common treatment for high blood pressure. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.

Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Types of blood pressure medications. American Heart Association. Accessed July 12, Mann JFE. Choice of drug therapy in primary essential hypertension. Accessed June 25, Cifu AS, et al. Prevention, detection, evaluation and management of high blood pressure in adults. Brater DC, et al. Mechanism of action of diuretics.