Moduretic 5mg/50mg (Aspen brand)

Moduretic general information

What is Moduretic used for?

Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets are used to help lower blood pressure in the treatment of hypertension, which is high blood pressure when at rest, particularly if there is risk of depletion of potassium from the blood. They can used be either alone or in combination with other antihypertensive medication. Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets are also used to treat oedema (water retention) caused by several conditions, including oedema associated with congestive heart failure; hepatic cirrhosis with ascites, which is liver disease that causes accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets help remove excess fluid from the body tissues, such as around the feet and ankles, which can become very swollen, and also from the blood and for this reason they are often called water tablets.

How does Moduretic work?

Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets contain a combination of two drugs, amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide, which are both diuretic and antihypertensive medications. Amiloride hydrochloride in Moduretic 5/50 is a weak diuretic that is also potassium sparing and acts by blocking the sodium channels in the kidney cells at the distal convoluted tubule, cortical collecting tubule and collecting duct. This action inhibits reabsorption of sodium and chloride ions back into the blood resulting in loss of sodium and water without loss of potassium. Hydrochlorothiazide in Moduretic 5/50 is a thiazide diuretic that acts directly on the distal convoluted tubule of the kidneys. This action inhibits the renal tubular reabsorption of sodium and chloride ions back into the blood, and promotes their excretion along with water. The combined action of amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide in Moduretic 5/50 increases the urine volume and decreases blood volume, which removes excess fluid caused by oedema and reduces blood pressure. Moduretic 5/50 begins to work within 1-2 hours and its effect lasts up to 24 hours.

What does Moduretic contain?

Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets contain the active ingredients amiloride hydrochloride (5mg) and hydrochlorothiazide (50mg that are both diuretics used to treat hypertension and oedema. They also contain: calcium hydrogen phosphate, lactose, starch-pregelatinised maize, starch-maize, guar gum, magnesium stearate, sunset yellow FCF CI15985.

Treating hypertension with Moduretic

Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets contain a combination of two drugs, amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide that are used to help lower blood pressure in the treatment of hypertension, which is high blood pressure when at rest. Although there are usually no other symptoms, high blood pressure increases risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack, also kidney failure. Amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide are both antihypertensive and diuretic medications that act directly on the kidneys but work by slightly different mechanisms and are particularly helpful if there is risk of depletion of potassium from the blood. Hydrochlorothiazide in Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets is a strong diuretic and works by inhibiting reabsorption of salts (sodium and chloride ions) back into the blood in the kidney tubules, and this action promotes excretion of salt along with water. Amiloride in Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets is a weaker diuretic but also potassium-sparing. It acts on a different part of the kidney tubules to promote excretion of salts and water but prevents the excessive loss of potassium that can happen when using a more potent thiazide diuretic, such as hydrochlorothiazide. These two drugs work together to decrease blood volume and increase urine volume, which removes excess fluid from the tissues, caused by oedema and reduces the resistance on the blood vessels and this reduces blood pressure.

Moduretic for oedema

Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets contain a combination of two drugs, amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide, which are both diuretic medications with antihypertensive action and are used to treat oedema (water retention) caused by several conditions, including oedema associated with congestive heart failure and hepatic cirrhosis with ascites, which is liver disease that causes accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Diuretics work directly on the kidneys causing salts and water to be filtered out of the blood into the urine for excretion. Hydrochlorothiazide in Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets is a strong diuretic and works by inhibiting reabsorption of salts (sodium and chloride ions) back into the blood in the kidney tubules, and this action promotes excretion of salt along with water. Amiloride in Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets is a weaker diuretic and acts on a different part of the kidney tubules to promote excretion of salts and water but prevents the excessive loss of potassium that can happen when using a more potent thiazide diuretic, such as hydrochlorothiazide. Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets help relieve symptoms of congestive heart failure by removing excess fluid that builds up in the body tissues, such as around the feet and ankles, which can become very swollen; also from the lungs, which can cause shortness of breath. Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets also help remove fluid build up in the abdomen, due to hepatic cirrhosis with ascites.

What are the side effects of Moduretic?

The most commonly reported side effects when taking Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets include: gastrointestinal upset, (diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain) nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dry mouth, thirst, dizziness, headache, weakness, drowsiness, passing less urine than normal, transient blurred vision.

When should Moduretic not be used?

You should not use Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets if you:

• are allergic to amiloride or hydrochlorothiazide or any ingredients in Moduretic
• are allergic to sulphonamides
• are pregnant or are breastfeeding
• have kidney or liver disease
• are taking potassium supplements or other potassium-conserving medicines
• are taking medicines that interact with Moduretic: antihypertensives like ACE inhibitors, the immunosuppressants cyclosporin and tacrolimus, lithium for mood swings, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, insulin and other diabetic medications like metformin, cholestyramine and colestipol, for high cholesterol, corticosteroids like prednisone and adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH adrenaline for emergency treatment, barbiturates for epilepsy like phenobarbitone, narcotic analgesics like codeine, muscle relaxants like tubocurarine

What medications interact with Moduretic?

Several medications interact with Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets and should either not be taken while you are taking Moduretic or only after discussion and instruction from your doctor:

• Drugs that cause a serious reaction with Moduretic: antihypertensives like ACE inhibitors, the immunosuppressants cyclosporin and tacrolimus, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids like prednisone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (can increase potassium levels), barbiturates for epilepsy like phenobarbitone, narcotic analgesics like codeine (can cause low blood pressure when getting up from sitting)
• Drugs that affect Moduretic: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cholestyramine and colestipol, for high cholesterol,
• Drugs that are affected by Moduretic: lithium for mood swings, insulin and other diabetic medications like metformin, adrenaline for emergency treatment, muscle relaxants like tubocurarine, muscle relaxants like tubocurarine

How should Moduretic be taken?

You should take your Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets with a glass of water with or without food and at the same time each day. The dose you take will depend on what you are being treated for and your doctor’s recommendation, usually 1 or 2 tablets per day, morning and evening. If you are taking one tablet a day, you should take it in the morning. Your doctor may increase or decrease your dose depending on how you respond and your potassium levels. You should continue to take your Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets for as long as your doctor recommends, which may be until your oedema is reduced or may be for longer to control blood pressure. Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets will help control your blood pressure but will not cure it, so you should continue to take your Moduretic 5/50m tablets for as long as your doctor recommends, to keep your blood pressure down to normal levels.

How long should you take Moduretic?

You should continue to take your Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets for as long as your doctor recommends, which may be until your oedema is reduced or may be for longer to control blood pressure. Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets will help control your blood pressure but will not cure it, so you should continue to take your Moduretic 5/50m tablets for as long as your doctor recommends, to keep your blood pressure down to normal levels.

Missed dose of Moduretic

If you miss a dose of Moduretic 5mg/50mg tablets take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take the next dose, then skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose.

How should Moduretic be stored?

You should store your Moduretic below 30°C in a cool dry place.