Hydrochlorothiazide and the Risks of Abuse
While misuse of diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide is unusual, these drugs are sometimes misused alongside performance-enhancing substances to avoid detection in drug tests. This can be dangerous because the side effects associated with a large hydrochlorothiazide dosage can be harmful and performance-enhancing drugs are typically very dangerous, too.
This page will discuss what hydrochlorothiazide is, its side effects, the dangers of misuse, and how to get treatment for misuse of the drug.
What Is Hydrochlorothiazide?
Hydrochlorothiazide is the second most commonly prescribed anti-hypertensive medication in the United States, and it has been around for decades. This medication was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1959.
Found most often under the brand name Microzide, Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ or HCT) is a generic prescription medication, that treats swelling from edema or water retention, often associated with:
- High blood pressure.
- Congestive heart failure.
- Cirrhosis of the liver.
- Kidney failure.
- Nephrotic syndrome.
- Corticosteroid prescriptions.
To treat heart conditions, this prescription is usually used in combination with other drugs that manage blood pressure, cholesterol, arrhythmias, and more.
Hydrochlorothiazide Side Effects
Typically, uncomfortable side effects associated with hydrochlorothiazide use can be managed with a physician’s help by adjusting the dose. Common side effects include:
- Muscle weakness.
- Thirst.
- Blurry vision.
- Dizziness.
- Constipation.
- Photosensitivity.
There are some serious HCTZ side effects, including allergic reactions, that may require emergency medical treatment. Very serious side effects include:
- Severe stomach pain.
- Sustained loss of appetite.
- Dark urine or clay-colored stool.
- Bleeding or bruising that is unusual.
- Skin rash leading to peeling skin.
- Fast or uneven heartbeat.
- Tingling or numbness.
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice).
Can Hydrochlorothiazide Get a Person High?
Diuretic drugs like hydrochlorothiazide specifically increase how much urine the body produces to reduce edema or swelling. While this is not an effect that many people seek out as a high, there are some reports of substance misuse of this drug.
Of 92,557 people who reported adverse side effects related to hydrochlorothiazide, 112 people reported that misuse or addiction to the substance was one of those effects. This was most often among people who had taken the drug for more than a decade, and could indicate either relapse behaviors from previous addictions or drug misuse alongside taking hydrochlorothiazide as prescribed.
Unlike many prescription drugs, more women than men misused the substance, but this may be due to women’s physiology involving higher risk of water retention than men. It is reported that:
- 57.8% of the people who misused the drug were women and 42.2% were men.
- About 29% were at least 60 years old.
- About 28% were 40–49 years old.
Doping with Diuretics
Athletes may misuse diuretics to rapidly lose weight through dehydration so they can compete in a lower weight class or meet specific weight requirements. In addition, diuretics can flush out traces of performance-enhancing drugs like stimulants or steroids in urine tests. Many diuretics are listed as illegal for competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
In 2008, WADA laboratories reported that 7.9% of banned substances found on tests were diuretics, including hydrochlorothiazide, which was the most commonly detected medication, found in 137 cases (31.4% of positive cases). That year, hydrochlorothiazide overtook furosemide as the most misused diuretic drug.
Although WADA routinely tests athletes both during and between competitions, hydrochlorothiazide has a very short half-life, and is typically eliminated from the body within 24–48 hours after it is consumed. This half-life can be shortened sometimes with sustained exercise for an hour or longer. Consistent drug testing is important to find instances of misuse.
Long-Term Abuse Dangers
Any side effects can be managed with the help of a physician, but if the drug is consistently misused, long-term harm can include:
- Kidney damage.
- Stomach damage.
- Cardiovascular damage from low blood pressure and not enough electrolytes, which are excreted through urine.
Hydrochlorothiazide does not cause specific withdrawal symptoms, but quitting this medication suddenly can lead to:
- Higher blood pressure.
- Heart problems.
- An increase in water retention from the underlying medical conditions that the prescription drug treats.
Simply stopping this medication without help from the prescribing physician can lead to a rebound of symptoms that hydrochlorothiazide treats, which can be life-threatening.
Hydrochlorothiazide Overdose
Although overdose on hydrochlorothiazide is rare, it can happen. Poisoning occurs when a person takes too much of this medication, either accidentally, purposefully, or by combining it with another medication that enhances the drug’s effects.
Signs of a hydrochlorothiazide overdose include:
- Nausea.
- Muscle weakness.
- Extreme dry mouth and thirst.
- Dizziness.
- Physical weakness.
Drug Interactions with Hydrochlorothiazide
Because hydrochlorothiazide interacts with blood pressure and swelling related to chronic health problems, this medication can interact with several other prescriptions, and illicit drugs can cause serious harm or make this medication fail to work appropriately.
Stimulant drugs like Adderall, Ritalin, cocaine, meth, MDMA, or bath salts can change heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate by raising them to dangerous levels. They can also raise body temperature, leading to kidney damage.
Heart and kidney damage can be exacerbated by hydrochlorothiazide, so any current or past misuse of these stimulant medications must be reported to a physician if prescribed this drug.
Other drugs that interact with hydrochlorothiazide include:
- Lithium.
- Digoxin, which treats heart damage and failure.
- Cholestyramine, which lowers cholesterol levels.
- Barbiturates like phenobarbital and secobarbital.
- Cholestyramine, which treats high cholesterol.
- Colestipol, which also treats cholesterol.
- Other sedatives and muscle relaxers.
- Medication for seizures.
- Depression and anxiety prescriptions.
Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse Among Athletes
Anyone who struggles with addiction to prescription drugs, or who has a loved one who may have problems with substance misuse, can locate nearby evidence-based treatment through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) online treatment finder.
For athletes or exercise enthusiasts who have misused diuretics to enhance performance, there is help in the form of Anti-Doping Advocacy Organizations and education programs about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.
If you or someone you care about needs help with drug misuse or addiction, Laguna Treatment Center offers premier drug and alcohol detox in Orange County, CA. Find out more about the various levels of addiction treatment by reaching out to an admissions navigator today at .
Our compassionate team can answer your questions about the rehab admissions process, how to pay for rehab, and paying for rehab with health insurance. You can also quickly and securely . Please don’t wait to get help. Recovery is possible.
Issues Affecting California
American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
While we are unable to respond to your feedback directly, we'll use this information to improve our online help.