triamterene

(trye AM teh reen)
Dyrenium

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

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To reduce nighttime urination, take triamterene early in the day unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

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Take triamterene with food or milk to lessen stomach upset.

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Do not use salt substitutes or low-sodium milk products that contain potassium while taking triamterene. These products could cause high levels of potassium in the blood.

What is triamterene?

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Triamterene is in a class of drugs called potassium-sparing diuretics (water pills). It is used to reduce the amount of fluid in the body without causing the loss of potassium.

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Triamterene is used to treat edema (swelling) and hypertension (high blood pressure).

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Triamterene may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking triamterene?

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Before taking triamterene, tell your doctor if you

have kidney disease;

have liver disease;

have diabetes mellitus;

have a high level of potassium in the blood; or

are taking a potassium supplement, an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor), or an angiotensin II inhibitor.

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You may not be able to take triamterene, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

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Triamterene is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take triamterene without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.

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Triamterene passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing infant. Do not take triamterene without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take triamterene?

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Take triamterene exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

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Take each dose with a full glass of water.

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Triamterene can be taken with food or milk to decrease stomach upset.

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To reduce nighttime urination, take triamterene early in the day unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

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Do not stop taking triamterene suddenly even if you feel better. Stopping suddenly could make your condition worse.

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Store triamterene at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

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Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the dose you missed and take only the next regularly scheduled dose as directed. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

What happens if I overdose?

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Seek emergency medical attention.

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Symptoms of an triamterene overdose include an irregular heartbeat, lethargy, fatigue, weakness, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting.

What should I avoid while taking triamterene?

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Do not use salt substitutes or low-sodium milk products that contain potassium while taking triamterene. These products could cause high levels of potassium in the blood.

What are the possible side effects of triamterene?

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Stop taking triamterene and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following serious side effects:

an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);

an irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, fatigue, confusion, weakness, numbness, or tingling (caused by high levels of potassium in the blood); or

decreased urination.

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Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take triamterene and talk to your doctor if you experience

nausea, diarrhea, or decreased appetite;

headache or dizziness;

dry mouth;

bloating;

muscle cramps; or

lowering of the voice, excessive hair growth, or enlarged breasts.

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Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect triamterene?

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Before taking triamterene tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications:

lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith, others);

an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) such as benazepril (Lotensin, Lotensin HCT), captopril (Capoten, Capozide), enalapril (Vasotec, Vaseretic), fosinopril (Monopril, Monopril HCT), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril, Prinzide, Zestoretic), moexipril (Univasc, Uniretic), quinapril (Accupril, Accuretic), or ramipril (Altace);

an angiotensin II inhibitor such as losartan (Cozaar, Hyzaar), valsartan (Diovan, Diovan HCT), candesartan (Atacand, Atacand HCT), telmisartan (Micardis, Micardis HCT), or irbesartan (Avapro, Avalide);

a potassium supplement such as K-Dur, Klor-Con, and others;

another potassium-sparing diuretic such as amiloride (Midamor) or spironolactone (Aldactone);

a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as indomethacin (Indocin), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin, others), ketoprofen (Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam), etodolac (Lodine), nabumetone (Relafen), oxaprozin (Daypro), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve, Anaprox), celecoxib (Celebrex), rofecoxib (Vioxx), valdecoxib (Bextra), meloxicam (Mobic), and others; or

a diabetes medication such as chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), or glyburide (Diabeta, Glynase, Micronase), and others.

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You may not be able to take triamterene, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medications listed above.

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Also, before taking triamterene, tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicine to treat high blood pressure, water retention, heart problems, prostate problems, or another condition. Some medicines used to treat these conditions may interact with triamterene and the effects on your heart may be increased.

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Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with triamterene. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products.

Where can I get more information?

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Your pharmacist has additional information about triamterene written for health professionals that you may read.

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Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children. Never share your medicines with others and only use this medication for the condition prescribed.

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Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. 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. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.