Consumer Information

Tekturna HCT

Generic Name: hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren (HYE droe KLOR oh THYE a zide and a LIS ke rin)
Brand Names: Tekturna HCT

What is Tekturna HCT?

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Tekturna HCT is a combination of hydrochlorothiazide and aliskiren.

Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that helps prevent your body from absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.

Aliskiren (Tekturna) is an anti-hypertensive (blood pressure lowering) medication. It is a direct renin inhibitor and works by decreasing substances in the body that narrow blood vessels and raise blood pressure.

Tekturna HCT is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Tekturna HCT may also be used for other purposes not listed here.

Important information about Tekturna HCT

Do not use Tekturna HCT without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. It 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 Tekturna HCT and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking this medication, unless your doctor has told you to. There are many other medicines that can interact with Tekturna HCT. 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. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

It may take up to 4 weeks for Tekturna HCT to control your blood pressure. Keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Before taking Tekturna HCT

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to aliskiren (Tekturna) or hydrochlorothiazide (Carozide, Diaqua, Ezide HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Microzide, and others), or if you are unable to urinate.

Before using Tekturna HCT, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

low or high levels of potassium in your blood;
kidney disease;
liver disease;
gout;
lupus;
diabetes; or
an allergy to sulfa drugs.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.

FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby. Tekturna HCT may cause injury and even death to the unborn baby if you take it during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Do not use Tekturna HCT without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Tekturna HCT passes into breast milk. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take Tekturna HCT?

Take Tekturna HCT exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from Tekturna HCT.

You may take Tekturna HCT with or without meals, but take it the same way every time.

Call your doctor if you have ongoing vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than usual. You can easily become dehydrated while taking Tekturna HCT, which can lead to severely low blood pressure or a serious electrolyte imbalance.

To be sure Tekturna HCT is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. You may also need blood tests. Visit your doctor regularly.

It may take up to 4 weeks for Tekturna HCT to control your blood pressure. Keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using Tekturna HCT. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

Hydrochlorothiazide can interfere with the results of a thyroid test. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using this medication.

Store Tekturna HCT at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose of Tekturna HCT as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, restless feeling, confusion, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, muscle pain or weakness, fast heart rate, feeling light-headed, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).

What should I avoid while taking Tekturna HCT?

Avoid taking this medication with a high-fat meal, which can make it harder for your body to absorb the Tekturna HCT.

Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking Tekturna HCT, unless your doctor has told you to.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of Tekturna HCT.

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.

Tekturna HCT side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
easy bruising or bleeding;
feeling like you might pass out;
urinating less than usual, or not at all;
fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
joint pain or swelling with fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, unusual thoughts or behavior, and/or seizure (convulsions); or
dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, confusion, increased urination, muscle pain or weakness, fast heart rate, or fainting.

Less serious side effects may include:

diarrhea, stomach pain, indigestion;
dizziness, spinning sensation;
blurred vision;
weakness;
joint pain;
runny or stuffy nose, sore throat; or
dry cough.

This is not a complete list of Tekturna HCT side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect Tekturna HCT?

Before taking Tekturna HCT, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
irbesartan (Avapro);
ketoconazole (Nizoral);
steroids (prednisone and others);
any other blood pressure medication or diuretic (water pill);
insulin or diabetes medicine you take by mouth;
cholesterol medication such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);
aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and others;
a muscle relaxer such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), metaxalone (Skelaxin), methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine (Norflex), or tizanidine (Zanaflex);
a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); or
a narcotic medication such as hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Methadose), oxycodone (OxyContin), propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet), and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Tekturna HCT. 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.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about Tekturna HCT.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.