Details

Triamterene is a potassium-sparing diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt and keeps your potassium levels from getting too low. Triamterene is used to treat fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, or a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome. Triamterene is also used to treat edema caused by having too much aldosterone in your body. Aldosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands to help regulate the salt and water balance in your body. Do not use triamterene if you have kidney disease, urination problems, severe liver disease, or high levels of potassium in your blood. Do not use potassium supplements or other diuretics while you are taking triamterene. Before using triamterene, tell your doctor if you have diabetes heart disease liver disease gout a history of kidney stones or if you are using another diuretic.

Typical Uses

Triamterene is used to treat high blood pressure. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. This medication is a combination of two "water pills" (diuretics): triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide. This combination is used by people who have developed or are at risk for having low potassium levels on hydrochlorothiazide. It causes you to make more urine, which helps your body get rid of extra salt and water. This medication also reduces extra fluid in the body (edema) caused by conditions such as heart failure, liver disease, or kidney disease. This can lessen symptoms such as shortness of breath or swelling in your ankles or feet.

Side Effects

Common triamterene side effects may include numbness or tingly feeling muscle pain or weakness slow, fast, or uneven heartbeat feeling drowsy, restless, or light-headed urinating less than usual or not at all shallow breathing tremors, confusion or nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-coloured stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Drug Interactions

• Triamterene+amiloride- Using amiloride together with triamterene is generally not recommended. Combining these medications may cause hyperkalemia (high blood potassium), which in severe cases can lead to kidney failure, muscle paralysis, irregular heart rhythm, and cardiac arrest. You may be more likely to develop hyperkalemia while taking these medications if you are elderly, dehydrated, or have kidney disease, diabetes, or advanced heart failure.
• Triamterene+benazepril- Using benazepril together with triamterene may increase the levels of potassium in your blood (hyperkalemia), especially if you are dehydrated or have kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, or if you are an older adult.
• Triamterene+fosinopril- Using fosinopril together with triamterene may increase the levels of potassium in your blood (hyperkalemia), especially if you are dehydrated or have kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, or if you are an older adult.
• Triamterene+lithium- Talk to your doctor before using lithium and triamterene. The combination may increase lithium levels. This combination may cause diarrhoea, vomiting, drowsiness, tremor, thirst, lack of coordination, or muscle weakness. If you take both medications together, tell your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

Mechanism of action

Triamterene belongs to a class of medicines known as potassium sparing diuretics. It acts by directly inhibiting the exchange of sodium for potassium and hydrogen in the kidney thus causing excretion of sodium salts and conservation of potassium.

Pregnancy Category : C