DIURETICS FOR HYPERTENSION
 
Generic & Class Brand & Company Strength Formulations Usual Adult Dose
LOOP DIURETICS
furosemide Lasix
(Sanofi Aventis)
20mg, 40mg+, 80mg tabs Adults: Initially 40mg twice daily. Adding to other antihypertensives: initially reduce other agent's dose by 50%.
Children: not recommended.
torsemide Demadex
(Roche)
5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 100mg scored tabs Adults: 5mg once daily, may increase to 10mg once daily. Give IV dose over a period of 2 minutes.
Children: not recommended.
Demadex injection
(Roche)
10mg/mL injection
POTASSIUM SPARING DIURETICS
amiloride (various) 5mg tabs Adults: Administer with kaliuretic and food. Initially 5mg/day; 5–10mg usually adequate. If hypokalemia persists, may increase to 15mg/day and then 20mg/day with careful electrolyte monitoring.
Children: not recommended.
eplerenone Inspra
(Pfizer)
25mg, 50mg tabs

Adults: Initially 50mg once daily; may increase after 4 weeks to max 50mg twice daily. Concomitant weak CYP3A4 inhibitors (eg, erythromycin, verapamil, saquinavir, fluconazole): initially 25mg once daily. Adjust based on serum K+ (see literature).

 

Children: not recommended.

spironolactone Aldactone
(Pfizer)
25mg, 50mg+, 100mg+ tabs Adults: Initially 50–100mg/day in single or divided doses. Titrate at 2 week intervals.
Children: not recommended.
POTASSIUM SPARING DIURETICS + HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE
amiloride/ hydrochlorothiazide (various) 5mg /50mg scored tabs Adults: Initially 1 tab daily with food. May increase to 2 tabs daily in single or divided doses.
Children: not recommended.
spironolactone/ hydrochlorothiazide Aldactazide
(Pfizer)
25mg/25mg, 50mg/50mg+ tabs Adults: Usual maintenance: 50–100mg each of spironolactone and HCTZ daily in single or divided doses.
Children: not recommended.
triamterene/ hydrochlorothiazide Dyazide
(GlaxoSmithKline)
37.5mg/25mg caps Adults: 1–2 caps once daily.
Children: not recommended.
Maxzide-25mg
(Bertek)
37.5mg/25mg scored tabs Adults: 1–2 tabs daily.
Children: not recommended.
Maxzide
(Bertek)
75mg/50mg Adults: 1 tab daily.
Children: not recommended.
THIAZIDE-LIKE DIURETICS
hydrochlorothiazide (various) 25mg, 50mg scored tabs Adults: Initially 25mg once daily; usual max 50mg/day in single or divided doses.
Children: See literature. 1–2mg/kg per day in 1 or 2 divided doses. <6months: up to 3mg/kg per day in 2 divided doses. ≤2years: max 37.5mg/day. 2–12years: up to 100mg/day.
Microzide
(Watson)
12.5mg caps Adults: 12.5mg once daily; usual max 50mg/day.
Children: not recommended.
indapamide (various) 1.25mg tabs Adults: Initially 1.25mg once daily in the AM. May adjust at 4 week intervals to 2.5mg then 5mg once daily.
Children: not recommended.
metolazone Zaroxolyn
(UCB)
2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg tabs Adults: 2.5–5mg once daily.
Children: not recommended.
NOTES

+ = scored tablets

(Created 10/2009)