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Diuretics
Diuretics, sometimes called water pills, treat a variety of conditions, such as high blood pressure, glaucoma and edema. Find out more about this class of medication.
By Mayo Clinic staffDiuretics, sometimes called water pills, help rid your body of salt (sodium) and water. They work by making your kidneys put more sodium into your urine. The sodium, in turn, takes water with it from your blood. That decreases the amount of fluid flowing through your blood vessels, which reduces pressure on the walls of your arteries.
Examples of diuretics
There are three types of diuretics: thiazide, loop and potassium-sparing. Each works by affecting a different part of your kidneys, and each may have different uses, side effects and precautions. Which diuretic is best for you depends on your health and the condition being treated.
Examples of thiazide diuretics include:
- Chlorothiazide (Diuril)
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Metolazone (Zaroxolyn)
Examples of loop diuretics include:
- Bumetanide (Bumex)
- Ethacrynic acid (Edecrin)
- Furosemide (Lasix)
- Torsemide (Demadex)
Examples of potassium-sparing diuretics include:
- Amiloride
- Triamterene (Dyrenium)
- Eplerenone (Inspra)
- Spironolactone (Aldactone)
Different types of diuretics may also be combined into one pill.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Kaplan NM, et al. Thiazide versus loop diuretics in the treatment of hypertension. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
- Chobanian AV, et al. The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003;289:2560.
- Initial antihypertensive therapy: Drugdex Consults. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com/. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
- Blood pressure-lowering drugs. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=159. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
- Sheps SG, ed. Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2008:184.
