Chlorthalidone Side effects

• Side effects of Chlorthalidone in details
• Chlorthalidone contraindications
• Chlorthalidone reviews

What are the possible side effects of Chlorthalidone?

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Incidence not known

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• black, tarry stools
• bleeding gums
• blistering, peeling, or loosening of skin
• bloating
• blood in urine or stools
• blurred vision
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• chest pain
• chills
• clay-colored stools
• cold sweats
• confusion
• constipation
• cough or hoarseness
• coughing up blood
• darkened urine
• diarrhea
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
• dry mouth
• fast heartbeat
• fatigue
• fever
• flushed, dry skin
• fruit-like breath odor
• general feeling of tiredness or weakness
• headache
• increased hunger
• increased thirst
• increased urination
• indigestion
• itching
• joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
• loss of appetite
• lower back or side pain
• nausea
• pain in joints or muscles
• painful or difficult urination
• pains in stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
• pinpoint red spots on skin
• red irritated eyes
• red skin lesions, often with a purple center
• redness, soreness or itching skin
• shortness of breath
• skin rash
• sore throat
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth
• sores, welting, or blisters
• sugar in the urine
• sweating
• swelling of feet or lower legs
• swollen glands
• tightness in chest
• troubled breathing
• unpleasant breath odor
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• unusual weight loss
• vomiting
• vomiting of blood
• weight loss
• wheezing
• yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Incidence not known

• Cramping
• decreased interest in sexual intercourse
• difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
• feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
• hives
• inability to have or keep an erection
• increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight
• loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• muscle spasm
• redness or other discoloration of skin
• restlessness
• sensation of spinning
• severe sunburn
• weakness

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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Side effects of Chlorthalidone in details

Applies to Chlorthalidone: oral tablet

In addition to its needed effects, some unwanted effects may be caused by Chlorthalidone (the active ingredient contained in Chlorthalidone). In the event that any of these side effects do occur, they may require medical attention.

Major Side Effects

You should check with your doctor immediately if any of these side effects occur when taking Chlorthalidone:

Incidence not known:

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• black, tarry stools
• bleeding gums
• blistering, peeling, or loosening of skin
• bloating
• blood in urine or stools
• blurred vision
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• chest pain
• chills
• clay-colored stools
• cold sweats
• confusion
• constipation
• cough or hoarseness
• coughing up blood
• darkened urine
• diarrhea
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
• dry mouth
• fast heartbeat
• fatigue
• fever
• flushed, dry skin
• fruit-like breath odor
• general feeling of tiredness or weakness
• headache
• increased hunger
• increased thirst
• increased urination
• indigestion
• itching
• joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
• loss of appetite
• lower back or side pain
• nausea
• pain in joints or muscles
• painful or difficult urination
• pains in stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
• pinpoint red spots on skin
• red irritated eyes
• red skin lesions, often with a purple center
• redness, soreness or itching skin
• shortness of breath
• skin rash
• sore throat
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth
• sores, welting, or blisters
• sugar in the urine
• sweating
• swelling of feet or lower legs
• swollen glands
• tightness in chest
• troubled breathing
• unpleasant breath odor
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• unusual weight loss
• vomiting
• vomiting of blood
• weight loss
• wheezing
• yellow eyes or skin

Minor Side Effects

Some of the side effects that can occur with Chlorthalidone may not need medical attention. As your body adjusts to the medicine during treatment these side effects may go away. Your health care professional may also be able to tell you about ways to reduce or prevent some of these side effects. If any of the following side effects continue, are bothersome or if you have any questions about them, check with your health care professional:

Incidence not known:

• Cramping
• decreased interest in sexual intercourse
• difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
• feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
• hives
• inability to have or keep an erection
• increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight
• loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• muscle spasm
• redness or other discoloration of skin
• restlessness
• sensation of spinning
• severe sunburn
• weakness

What is the most important information I should know about Chlorthalidone?

• Chlorthalidone may cause dizziness or lightheadedness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Chlorthalidone with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Chlorthalidone may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting; alcohol, hot weather, exercise, or fever may increase these effects. To prevent them, sit up or stand slowly, especially in the morning. Sit or lie down at the first sign of any of these effects.
• Chlorthalidone may cause you to become sunburned more easily. Avoid the sun, sunlamps, or tanning booths until you know how you react to Chlorthalidone. Use a sunscreen or wear protective clothing if you must be outside for more than a short time.
• Patients who take medicine for high blood pressure often feel tired or run down for a few weeks after starting treatment. Be sure to take your medicine even if you may not feel "normal." Tell your doctor if you develop any new symptoms.
• Your doctor may have also prescribed a potassium supplement for you. If so, follow the dosing carefully. Do not start taking additional potassium on your own or change your diet to include more potassium without first checking with your doctor.
• Lab tests, including liver function, kidney function, and electrolytes, may be performed while you use Chlorthalidone. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• Chlorthalidone should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN; safety and effectiveness in children have not been confirmed.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Chlorthalidone while you are pregnant. Chlorthalidone is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Chlorthalidone.

Chlorthalidone contraindications

Hypersensitivity to Chlorthalidone, other sulfonamide-derived drugs, or any component of the formulation; anuria

Note: Although the FDA approved product labeling states this medication is contraindicated with other sulfonamide-containing drug classes, the scientific basis of this statement has been challenged. See "Warnings/Precautions" for more detail.

Documentation of allergenic cross-reactivity for drugs thiazide-type diuretics is limited. However, because of similarities in chemical structure and/or pharmacologic actions, the possibility of cross-sensitivity cannot be ruled out with certainty.

References

1. DailyMed. "ATENOLOL; CHLORTHALIDONE: DailyMed provides trustworthy information about marketed drugs in the United States. DailyMed is the official provider of FDA label information (package inserts).". https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailyme... (accessed September 17, 2018).
2. DTP/NCI. "chlorthalidone: The NCI Development Therapeutics Program (DTP) provides services and resources to the academic and private-sector research communities worldwide to facilitate the discovery and development of new cancer therapeutic agents.". https://dtp.cancer.gov/dtpstandard/s... (accessed September 17, 2018).
3. European Chemicals Agency - ECHA. "Chlortalidone: The information provided here is aggregated from the "Notified classification and labelling" from ECHA's C&L Inventory. ". https://echa.europa.eu/information-o... (accessed September 17, 2018).

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Information checked by Dr. Sachin Kumar, MD Pharmacology