My doctor put me on HCTZ today for high bood presure, I was wondering if taking this I will also lose weight?

Question

My doctor put me on HCTZ today for high bood presure, I was wondering if taking this I will also lose weight?

Answer 1

I was on that for awhile. You won't lose weight, just water from your tissues. Did she/he prescribe you the supplement, "Slow K"? It's an antidote to the above prescribed drug. Its keeps the potassium levels in place. Eat a few bananas every day.

Answer 2

HCTZ, or hydrochlorothiazide, is a diuretic ("water pill") in the "thiazide" class.

Compared to other diuretics, such as furosemide (Lasix), HCTZ is relatively mild in its diuretic (pee-inducing) effect.  On the other hand, it has good blood pressure lowering effect, especially when used at the 25-mg or 12.5-mg doses.

Since it does have some diuretic effect, if you have excess water onboard (known medically as edema), you might notice some weight loss when the excess water is pee'd out.  However, you should not expect HCTZ to have much effect on excess body weight caused by adipose tissue.

Good luck with your weight loss (and with your blood pressure control).