Drug & supplement interaction

Potassium + Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene

Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene brand names: Maxzide, Dyazide, Maxzide-25, Triamzide, Triazide.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Potassium has a moderate interaction with Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene. Concomitant use increases the risk of hyperkalemia.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodLikely
EvidenceC
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

POTASSIUM-SPARING DIURETICS

Why this applies to Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene

Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene falls under POTASSIUM-SPARING DIURETICS — the group Potassium interacts with.

Concomitant use increases the risk of hyperkalemia.
Using potassium-sparing diuretics with potassium supplements increases the risk of hyperkalemia.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Likely Evidence C

Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the key thing about your combo pill: the triamterene part is a potassium-sparing diuretic, meaning it helps your body hold onto potassium instead of flushing it out. So when you add a potassium supplement on top, you can end up with too much potassium in your blood, a problem called hyperkalemia. The hydrochlorothiazide side lowers potassium a bit, but it usually doesn't fully cancel out the triamterene.

High potassium often has no symptoms until it's serious, but it can cause muscle weakness, tingling, a slow or irregular heartbeat, and in bad cases dangerous heart rhythms. This risk is higher if your kidneys aren't working well. Please don't start or stop anything on your own. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor first, since they can check your potassium level and decide what's safe.

References
  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Potassium Also Interacts With Other Medications

Potassium has 61 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Potassium

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Potassium. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Potassium or Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Potassium or Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene

This page covers Potassium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene page lists 235 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Asarabacca (major) and Dolomite (major).

By severity: 10 major · 199 moderate · 26 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene page

“Hydrochlorothiazide with triamterene (Dyazide, Maxzide) does two delicate jobs at once, pulling fluid off the body while holding on to potassium, and that is exactly where most of these supplements press. The great majority either add to its blood-pressure-lowering and diuretic effects, tipping people toward dizziness and unbalanced po…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Potassium as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 22,782 real supplement products containing Potassium, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Potassium. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene too, on top of Potassium — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Potassium
Top 10

#10 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene
Steady interest

#1,745 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Potassium

What is Potassium?

  • Preventing or treating low potassium (hypokalemia)
  • Supporting healthy blood pressure
  • Muscle cramps
  • Replacing losses from diuretics or vomiting/diarrhea
  • General electrolyte balance

Potassium is an essential mineral your body needs for nerve signals, muscle function, and a steady heartbeat, and most people get enough from a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Potassium supplements can help when blood levels are truly low, but too much potassium can be dangerous, especially for people with kidney problems. Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before taking a potassium supplement.

Read the full Potassium monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Potassium

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Potassium — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
61Moderate
0Minor
2,768No known interaction
Moderate

61 interactions

Showing 60 of 61 moderate interactions — see all 61 on the Potassium page.

No interaction 2,768 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene Together: Common Questions

Can you take Potassium with Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.