Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide
Amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide is a combination water pill (a potassium-conserving diuretic plus a thiazide diuretic) used for high blood pressure or heart failure in people who develop low potassium with other diuretics or need to keep potassium normal.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 1 clinical label set within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide is a combination water pill for high blood pressure or heart failure, pairing a thiazide that clears salt and water with amiloride, which stops potassium from washing out; on the market since about 1989 and available as a generic, it is usually saved for people whose potassium drops too low on a diuretic alone. Most people tolerate it well, and the usual complaints are headache, tiredness, dizziness or muscle cramps. The thing to watch is its boxed warning for high potassium (hyperkalemia), which can be fatal if not caught, especially with kidney problems or diabetes, so regular potassium blood tests matter.
Clinical pearls
- Take it with food, and a morning dose usually keeps the extra bathroom trips from disturbing your sleep.
- Skip potassium supplements and potassium-based salt substitutes unless your prescriber approves them, since they can push potassium up fast.
- Ibuprofen and similar anti-inflammatory pain relievers can blunt its blood pressure effect, and indomethacin can also raise potassium.
- Never pair it with spironolactone or triamterene, and tell every prescriber if you take lithium, an ACE inhibitor, cyclosporine or tacrolimus.
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾
This medicine can raise your potassium to dangerous levels (hyperkalemia), which can be fatal if not corrected.
The risk is about 1 to 2 percent in people without kidney problems or diabetes. It is higher in people with kidney impairment or diabetes. Your potassium should be checked carefully when you start, when your dose changes, and during any illness that could affect your kidneys.
Warning signs include tingling or numbness, muscle weakness, tiredness, limp arms or legs, and a slow heartbeat. Mild high potassium may not show on an ECG, so blood tests are essential.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide, written from its FDA label.
What Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide is used for
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This combination tablet treats certain people with high blood pressure or heart failure.
- High blood pressure in people who develop low potassium on thiazides or similar diuretics alone
- Congestive heart failure in people who develop low potassium on those diuretics
- People for whom normal potassium is especially important, such as those taking digitalis or with significant heart rhythm problems
- Alone or added to other blood pressure medicines like methyldopa or beta blockers
It is not meant as first treatment for edema (fluid swelling) or high blood pressure, except in people who cannot risk low potassium.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide dosage
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Amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide tablets are taken by mouth with food. The usual daily amount is given once a day, though it may be divided. Your prescriber may adjust it after fluid loss has started, and some people take it on an intermittent maintenance basis.
- Follow your prescriber's directions and the label exactly.
- If added to other blood pressure medicines, doses may need adjusting to avoid blood pressure dropping too far.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide tablets (usual dosing)
- The usual starting dosage is 1 tablet a day
- The dosage may be increased to 2 tablets a day, if necessary
- The daily dose is usually given as a single dose but may be given in divided doses
- Maximum: More than 2 tablets daily usually are not needed and there is no controlled experience with such doses.
- Should be administered with food. Once an initial diuresis has been achieved, dosage adjustment may be necessary; maintenance therapy may be on an intermittent basis.
- Hydrochlorothiazide when used alone
- 12.5 to 50 mg per day
- Maximum: Patients usually do not require doses in excess of 50 mg daily when combined with other antihypertensive agents.
Read the label’s full dosing text
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide tablets should be administered with food. The usual starting dosage is 1 tablet a day. The dosage may be increased to 2 tablets a day, if necessary. More than 2 tablets of amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide daily usually are not needed and there is no controlled experience with such doses. Hydrochlorothiazide can be given at doses of 12.5 to 50 mg per day when used alone. Patients usually do not require doses of hydrochlorothiazide in excess of 50 mg daily when combined with other antihypertensive agents. The daily dose is usually given as a single dose but may be given in divided doses. Once an initial diuresis has been achieved, dosage adjustment may be necessary. Maintenance therapy may be on an intermittent basis.
Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide side effects
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The label describes this medicine as usually well tolerated. Reported effects include:
Common side effects
- Headache
- Weakness or tiredness
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Dizziness
- Rash
- Stomach or abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Muscle cramps
- Abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea
When to get medical help
- Signs of high potassium: tingling or numbness, muscle weakness, unusual tiredness, a slow heartbeat, or limp, paralyzed-feeling arms or legs. Get medical help right away.
- Fainting, chest pain, or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
- Severe skin reactions such as widespread blistering, peeling, or Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
- Signs of a serious allergic reaction, including trouble breathing or hives.
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or severe stomach pain.
- Unusual bruising, fever, or frequent infections, which can signal blood problems.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide warnings and precautions
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High potassium (hyperkalemia) is the biggest risk. It is more likely with kidney problems or diabetes, and it can be fatal if uncorrected. Regular potassium blood tests are essential.
- Symptoms include tingling, muscle weakness, tiredness, limp limbs, and a slow heartbeat.
- If it occurs, the medicine should be stopped immediately.
- Avoid in people with diabetes if possible; if used, monitor electrolytes and kidney function often.
- Stop at least three days before a glucose tolerance test.
- Use with caution in severely ill people at risk of acidosis, such as those with cardiopulmonary disease or poorly controlled diabetes.
- Hydrochlorothiazide is linked to a higher risk of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide interactions
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Several medicines and substances can push potassium too high or change how this drug works.
- Spironolactone or triamterene: other potassium-savers; should not be combined.
- Potassium supplements, potassium salt substitutes, potassium-rich diet: can rapidly raise potassium.
- ACE inhibitors, cyclosporine, tacrolimus: raise high-potassium risk.
- NSAIDs: may reduce the diuretic and blood pressure effects; indomethacin may also raise potassium.
- Lithium: diuretics reduce lithium clearance, risking toxicity.
- Alcohol, barbiturates, narcotics: may worsen dizziness on standing.
- Diabetes medicines: dose may need adjusting.
- Cholestyramine, colestipol: reduce hydrochlorothiazide absorption.
- Corticosteroids, ACTH: may deepen potassium loss.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents: In some patients, an NSAID can reduce the diuretic, natriuretic, and antihypertensive effects of loop, potassium-sparing and thiazide diuretics. When used concomitantly, observe the patient closely to determine if the desired effect of the diuretic is obtained.
- Indomethacin: Indomethacin and potassium-sparing diuretics, including this product, may each be associated with increased serum potassium levels. Consider the potential effects on potassium kinetics and renal function when administered concurrently.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, cyclosporine or tacrolimus (with amiloride HCl): The risk of hyperkalemia may be increased. If concomitant use is indicated because of demonstrated hypokalemia, use with caution and frequent monitoring of serum potassium.
- Alcohol, barbiturates, or narcotics: Potentiation of orthostatic hypotension may occur.
- Antidiabetic drugs (oral agents and insulin): Dosage adjustment of the antidiabetic drug may be required. Dosage adjustment of the antidiabetic drug may be required.
- Other antihypertensive drugs: Additive effect or potentiation.
- Cholestyramine and colestipol resins: Absorption of hydrochlorothiazide is impaired; single doses of cholestyramine and colestipol resins reduce its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract by up to 85 and 43 percent, respectively.
- Corticosteroids, ACTH: Intensified electrolyte depletion, particularly hypokalemia.
- Pressor amines (e.g., norepinephrine): Possible decreased response to pressor amines but not sufficient to preclude their use.
- Lithium: Diuretic agents reduce the renal clearance of lithium and add a high risk of lithium toxicity. Generally should not be given with diuretics; refer to the lithium package insert before use with this combination product.
Read the label’s full interactions text
Drug Interactions In some patients, the administration of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent can reduce the diuretic, natriuretic, and antihypertensive effects of loop, potassium-sparing and thiazide diuretics. Therefore, when amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide plus non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents are used concomitantly, the patient should be observed closely to determine if the desired effect of the diuretic is obtained. Since indomethacin and potassium-sparing diuretics, including this product, may each be associated with increased serum potassium levels, the potential effects on potassium kinetics and renal function should be considered when these agents are administered concurrently. Amiloride HCl When amiloride HCl is administered concomitantly with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, cyclosporine or tacrolimus, the risk of hyperkalemia may be increased. Therefore, if concomitant use of these agents is indicated because of demonstrated hypokalemia, they should be used with caution and with frequent monitoring of serum potassium (see WARNINGS ). Hydrochlorothiazide When given concurrently the following drugs may interact with thiazide diuretics. Alcohol, Barbiturates, or Narcotics Potentiation of orthostatic hypotension may occur. Antidiabetic Drugs (Oral Agents and Insulin) Dosage adjustment of the antidiabetic drug may be required. Other Antihypertensive Drugs Additive effect or potentiation. Cholestyramine and Colestipol Resins Absorption of hydrochlorothiazide is impaired in the presence of anionic exchange resins. Single doses of cholestyramine and colestipol resins bind the hydrochlorothiazide and reduce its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract by up to 85 and 43 percent, respectively. Corticosteroids, ACTH Intensified electrolyte depletion, particularly hypokalemia. Pressor Amines (e.g., norepinephrine) Possible decreased response to pressor amines but not sufficient to preclude their use.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Drug Interactions section on DailyMed →
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide
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- Do not use with high potassium.
- Do not use with anuria, acute or chronic kidney insufficiency, or diabetic nephropathy.
- Use only with careful, frequent monitoring if you have kidney impairment or diabetes.
- Do not use if allergic to this product or other sulfonamide-derived drugs.
- Do not combine with other potassium-conserving agents.
- Tell your prescriber about every medicine you take.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide overdose
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No human overdose data are available, and there is no specific antidote. Expected signs include dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, including possible high or low potassium. Treatment is supportive, the medicine should be stopped, and the person watched closely. Seek emergency help or call poison control right away.
How to store Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide
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Dispense in a tight, light-resistant container as defined in the USP, with a child-resistant closure (as required). Store at 20º to 25ºC (68º to 77ºF) .
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide
236 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 10
- Moderate · 199
- Minor · 27
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide has been associated with lower levels of 8 nutrients in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
- Higher significance · 2
- Moderate · 3
- Unrated · 3
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is this medicine for?
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How should I take it?
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Why do I need blood tests?
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Can I use potassium supplements or salt substitutes?
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What side effects should I expect?
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Can I take ibuprofen or similar pain relievers with it?
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Is Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide available over the counter?
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When was Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide first available?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide on HelloPharmacist
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide forms and strengths (how it comes)
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Amiloride Hydrochloride and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets are used for high blood pressure or congestive heart failure in people who develop low potassium with other diuretics.
- Amiloride Hydrochloride and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets may be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
- Amiloride Hydrochloride and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets should be taken by mouth with food.
- Amiloride Hydrochloride and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets are usually taken once a day, but the daily amount may be divided.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
1 company lists 1 Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide product record with the FDA, mostly as tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1989. Brand names on the directory include Hydro-ride, Moduretic; the rest are generics.
How widely Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide ranks #1,261 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 21% of them.
Utilization by Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
amiloride hydrochloride 5 MG / hydrochlorothiazide 50 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 1 of 7 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 977883
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 1 of 7 listed Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| AMILORIDE HYDROCHLORIDE 5 mg/1; HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE 50 mg | Oral | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 1 of 1 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 1 Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide NDCs →
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide FDA approval history
How Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide recalls since July 2021.
✅No Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide supply and shortage status
Whether Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
💵 What Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide costs pharmacies (NADAC benchmark)
The national average invoice price pharmacies pay for the drug itself, from CMS's NADAC survey (data as of Sep 30, 2026). This is a supply-cost benchmark — not a retail price and not what you'd pay at the counter.
| Form | Strength | Pharmacy acquisition benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablet · Oral | 5; 50 mg/1; mg | $0.450 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet · Oral | AMILORIDE HYDROCHLORIDE 5 mg/1; HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE 50 mg | $0.450 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet | AMILORIDE HYDROCHLORIDE 5 mg/1; HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE 50 mg | $0.450 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), a survey of retail pharmacy invoice prices. Benchmarks shown are the range across package sizes of a representative product for each form and strength — other manufacturers' products may differ.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide brand names
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide is sold under 2 brand names in the FDA directory — Hydro-ride, Moduretic. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide: manufacturers and labelers
One company lists Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide drug class (RxNorm)
Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to the Thiazide Diuretic class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Amiloride and Hydrochlorothiazide page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →