What is the best diuretic for high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is one of the most common medical conditions among American adults. It is also one of the top contributors to serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, and chronic kidney damage. Using a blood pressure medicine known as a diuretic can help keep your blood pressure within a safe range and prevent the development of certain health conditions stemming from high blood pressure. So, what is the best diuretic for high blood pressure? The answer to the question of the best diuretic pills lies in the function of diuretics themselves combined with your personal health history.

What are diuretic blood pressure medications?

You may be familiar with the term “diuretic,” but it can still be hard to conceptualize what’s going on in the body when a person uses a diuretic. A diuretic is a specific type of medicine that helps you remove excess fluid from the volume of blood in your body, thereby lowering your blood pressure. This excess fluid is removed by the process of urination, known as “diuresis.” Because they help you remove this fluid through the mechanism of urination, diuretics are also known as “water pills.” A water pill for high blood pressure can be very effective.

How do diuretics lower blood pressure?

How do diuretics reduce blood pressure? A diuretic is a specific type of blood pressure-lowering medication that uses a method called “diuresis” to help lower your blood pressure. Diuresis is a process that physically removes fluid from your bloodstream in the form of water and sodium. This is why diuretics are called “water pills.” When your kidneys remove this water from the bloodstream, you eliminate it via urine. Urinating helps lower your blood pressure because your heart has to work less hard to pump less fluid throughout the circulatory system.

Commonly used types of water pills.

There is more than one type of diuretic medication. The best water pill for you may depend on the medication class. The different classes of diuretics affect the kidneys in slightly different ways.

Type 1: Thiazide diuretics

A thiazide diuretic is one of the most commonly prescribed water pills. This type of medication helps your kidneys take water out of the bloodstream by coupling it with sodium. While both water and sodium are intentional waste products, potassium is also unintentionally lost via the urine during this exchange. You cannot get thiazide diuretics over the counter. The following are examples of thiazide diuretics:

• Thalitone (Chlorthalidone)
• Microzide (Hydrochlorothiazide)
• Zaroxolyn (Metolazone)
• Natrilix (Indapamide)

Type 2: Loop diuretics

A loop diuretic gets its name because of the region of the kidney in which it takes effect, the loop of Henle. This type of diuretic is extremely powerful and it removes a good deal of fluid from the system. In the process, it also removes potassium. Because loop diuretics are so effective at removing fluid, they are typically not considered “first line” for high blood pressure. Instead, they are usually used to help remove extra fluid from the system in conditions like edema, heart failure, and nephrotic syndrome. You cannot get loop diuretics over the counter. The following are examples of loop diuretics:

• Lasix (Furosemide)
• Bumex (Bumetanide)
• Demadex (Torsemide)

Type 3: Osmotic diuretics

This type of medication is usually given through the vein, or intravenously. This IV method helps to quickly remove excess fluid from the system in cases of swelling in confined spaces, such as within the brain or the eye. An example of this type of diuretic is Osmitrol (Mannitol).

Type 4: Potassium-sparing diuretics

This type of diuretic medication helps your kidneys remove water and salt while preserving your store of potassium. This can be helpful if you tend to lose too much potassium when taking a different class of diuretic; however, you may need to be monitored to make sure that your potassium levels don’t get too high. The following are examples of potassium-sparing diuretics:

• Aldactone (Spironolactone)
• Midamor (Amiloride)
• Dyrenium (Triamterene)

Type 5: Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor diuretics

This type of diuretic works by reducing the activity of an enzyme in the kidneys known as carbonic anhydrase. This can help lower blood pressure. This type of diuretic is not “first-line” for blood pressure management but it is often used for conditions such as altitude sickness or glaucoma. An example of this type of diuretic is Diamox (acetazolamide).

What is the best diuretic for high blood pressure?

What is the best blood pressure medication with diuretic properties? When it comes to high blood pressure management, the right diuretic depends on your particular health history and blood pressure condition. However, certain diuretics and doses are more commonly prescribed by healthcare professionals. The key word here is “prescription,” as over-the-counter diuretics for high blood pressure are not recommended. The most commonly prescribed diuretic drugs are below.

Can you buy water pills over the counter? Finding the right OTC diuretics for high blood pressure

What is the best diuretic for high blood pressure over the counter? Analysis of the best OTC water pill may surprise you. While it is possible to find an over-the-counter diuretic for high blood pressure, it is not a good idea to use an OTC diuretic for blood pressure without the advice and guidance of a healthcare professional. Over-the-counter diuretics for blood pressure are often not standardized or regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So, the answer to the question “What is the best over-the-counter diuretic?” or “What is the strongest over-the-counter diuretic?” is simply: None. Using OTC water pills for high blood pressure without consulting a healthcare professional can actually be dangerous.

How to take water pills for high blood pressure

If you have been prescribed a water pill for high blood pressure, make sure you understand your medical provider’s instructions on how to take the medication. In general, it is important to take the medication at the same time each day. The time of day may be an important point to discuss with your healthcare provider, as diuretics increase your urination. For example, taking the pill at bedtime may disrupt your sleep. It’s important to take the prescribed dose of your diuretic, and not more, because too much diuresis can cause a severe change in blood pressure or your chemical balance of electrolytes.

Alternatives to diuretics for high blood pressure

You may also be considering natural diuretics for high blood pressure. There are several ways to increase your natural diuresis. There are also natural ways to lower your blood pressure without the use of a diuretic medication. These methods and remedies include:

• Limiting your intake of dietary salt
• Increasing your consumption of natural diuretic food sources, such as watermelon, tea, and certain herbs
• Increasing your physical exercise
• Losing weight
• Quitting smoking

*DISCOUNT ONLY – NOT INSURANCE. The program is administered by Medical Security Card Company, LLC.

FAQs related to water pills for blood pressure

How long do OTC diuretic medications need to start working?

There are no single OTC diuretic medications that work particularly well. If you are looking to help lower your blood pressure with a diuretic medication, it is best to work with your healthcare provider to determine which diuretic medication may be best. The best OTC diuretic for high blood pressure is not nearly as safe as a prescription diuretic. Many prescription diuretic medications begin to work quickly, after just one dose.

What are the best natural diuretic foods?

The process of diuresis is not limited to prescription medications: Several foods are also natural diuretics. Experts note that these diuretic foods include fruits and vegetables such as lemons, celery, onions, garlic, bell peppers, cucumbers, watermelon, asparagus, and some herbs (such as parsley). It’s also well-known that coffee and tea are diuretics; however, this can be a tricky gamble, because the caffeine content of coffee and tea can also drive up blood pressure. Consider caffeine-free options.

What is the best thiazide diuretic?

The best thiazide diuretic is the one that works for you. Sometimes it can take a bit of trial and error when working with your healthcare provider to arrive at the best drug or combination of drugs that help keep your blood pressure within a safe range. Two common thiazide diuretics include chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide. Both medications have been in use for several years, which is advantageous when it comes to monitoring safety profiles, efficacy, and side effects.

What are the safest diuretics?

The safest and best diuretic pills are the diuretics that have been prescribed to you by a healthcare provider who is very familiar with your personal medical history. A diuretic prescription should be personalized, and over-the-counter diuretics for high blood pressure should be avoided. This is because a diuretic that may be safe for one person may not be the safest for another person. Your healthcare provider will take into account your whole health history when deciding on the safest diuretic for you.

Do water pills make you pee?

To put it simply: Yes. The intended action of a water pill is to decrease the amount of fluid in the blood volume. When there is less fluid in the blood volume, the heart does not have to work as hard with each beat to pump blood throughout the body. Therefore, water pills help improve blood pressure by making you pee out unneeded fluid.

What do water pills look like?

A water pill does not have a special appearance. Instead, it may look quite similar to other pills that you may have in your pill box. Some water pills are white-colored, and others have a pastel color. However, they are all relatively generic in size and appearance. To learn more about certain pill appearances, make sure to check out the images of the medications, such as Bumex or Hydrochlorothiazide.

What does a diuretic do to your body?

A diuretic helps manipulate your blood pressure by controlling how much water is filtered out of the body by the kidneys in the form of urine. When more water is removed via the urine, your blood pressure should be lowered, in turn. There are a few different classes of diuretics, and each is determined by exactly how and where in the kidney it takes its effect.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557838/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9072265/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/diuretics/art-20048129

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/natural-diuretics