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Have Become Allergic To HCTZ. Prescribed Chloralid In Place Of HCTZ. Will Chloralid Be Safe?

Posted on Sat, 4 May 2013

Question: I have recently become allergic to HCTZ. I have been prescribed chloralid to replace the HCTZ. I was taking avilide that really agreed with me. Lisinopril prescribed in the past. Caused low potassium. Will this drug have a great. Potential to drop my potassium? I have been taking avilide for years and for some unknown reason. I had like a histamine release that caused itching on my hands, feet and perineal area. In Dec. I took the shingles vaccine and after about 10day this occurred. Could this vaccine caused this reaction?

Answered by Dr. Anantharamakrishnan (1 hour later)

Hi friend,
Welcome to Health Care Magic

HCTZ (Hydrochlorothiazide) can cause allergy / can reduce the potassium

Lisinopril also can cause reaction, especially angio-neurotic oedema. / It is an Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor (ACEI) / It may increase the potassium - does not drop...

What is chloralid? - probably Chlorthalidone?

Avalide is a combination of Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB - Irbesartan) and HCTZ!

Vaccine is unlikely to have induced the change...

You can continue the ARB - safer than ACEI
Instead of HCTZ, you can switch over to a different class altogether - Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB - like amlodipine, Clinidipine, felodipine, and so on) - safer than diuretic.
There are combination formulas of these two for easy compliance

Take care
Wishing speedy recovery
God bless
Good luck

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar