Fore Safe Use

It is important that your family doctor check your progress at regular appointments to make sure that this drug is help you.

This drug may cause a loss of potassium from your body :

• To help prevent this, your family doctor may want you to:
  • eat or drink foods that have a high potassium content - for example, orange or other citrus fruit juices,
  • take a potassium supplement,
  • take another drug to help prevent the loss of the potassium in the first place.
• The best for you to follow these directions. Always it is important not to change your diet on your own. This is more important if you are already on a special diet - as for diabetes, or if you are taking a potassium supplement or a drug to reduce potassium loss. Extra potassium may not be necessary and, in some cases, too much potassium could be harmful.

Check with your family doctor if you become sick and have severe or continuing vomiting or diarrhea. These problems may cause you to lose additional water and potassium.

For diabetic diseaseds :

• Thiazide diuretics may raise blood sugar levels. While you are using this drug, be especially careful in testing for sugar in your blood or urine.

Thiazide diuretics may cause your skin to be more sensitive to sunlight than it is normally. Exposure to sunlight, even for brief periods of time, may cause a skin rash, itching, redness or other discoloration of the skin, or a severe sunburn. When you begin taking this drug:

• Stay out of direct sunlight, especially between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., if possible.
• Wear protective clothing, including a hat. Always wear sunglasses.
• Apply a sun block product that has a skin protection factor - SPF of at least 15. Some diseaseds may require a product with a higher SPF number, especially if they have a fair complexion. If you have any questions about this, check with your health care professional.
• Apply a sun block lipstick that has an SPF of at least 15 to protect your lips.
• Do not use a sunlamp or tanning bed or booth.

If you have a severe reaction from the sun, check with your family doctor.

For diseaseds taking this drug for high blood pressure :

• Do not take other medication unless they have been discussed with your family doctor . This especially includes over-the-counter - nonprescription medication for appetite control, asthma, colds, cough, hay fever, or sinus problems, since they may tend to increase your blood pressure.