How do potassium sparing diuretics work

Restrictions and warnings vary by specific drug. The following lists cover general warnings and restrictions. Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and history, as well as all of the medications you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and vitamins or supplements. Standard measures of kidney function include estimated glomerular filtration rate eGFR , creatinine clearance CrCl , blood urea nitrogen BUN , and serum creatinine.

Consult your healthcare provider regarding kidney function and potassium-sparing diuretics. Potassium-sparing diuretics should be used with caution if you:. Potassium-sparing diuretics can increase potassium levels. This is called hyperkalemia.

Hyperkalemia is more likely to occur in people with kidney problems, diabetes, and older adults or severely ill patients. Hyperkalemia is also more likely to occur when a potassium-sparing diuretic is taken with certain other medications such as ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers.

Symptoms of hyperkalemia include a tingling sensation, muscle weakness, paralysis of the extremities, slow heart rate, shock, and in more severe cases, an abnormal EKG.

B ecause untreated hyperkalemia can be fatal, potassium levels must be frequently monitored when taking a potassium-sparing diuretic, and also if the dose is changed or if there is an illness that can affect kidney function. Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes that contain potassium without asking your doctor.

Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you experience dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, swelling of the lower extremities, or difficulty breathing. No, potassium-sparing diuretics are not controlled substances.

Common side effects of potassium-sparing diuretics include:. Serious side effects of potassium-sparing diuretics include some may be both common and serious :. Spironolactone is known to have more endocrine side effects such as breast pain, irregular menstrual cycles, and in men, swelling of breast tissue.

Additional serious side effects of spironolactone include:. Additional serious side effects of triamterene:. Report side effects to your doctor. This is not a complete list of side effects. Consult your healthcare professional for a full list of side effects. Potassium-sparing diuretics are all available in generic form.

This significantly reduces the cost, making this class of drugs very affordable. Contact your health insurance plan or Medicare prescription plan for up-to-date coverage information.

You can always use a free SingleCare card or coupon when filling and refilling your potassium-sparing diuretic prescription. Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug. Potassium-sparing diuretics: Uses, common brands, and safety information Potassium-sparing diuretics lower the amount of salt and water in the body. They are used to help treat conditions such as high blood pressure, edema, and congestive heart failure. By Karen Berger, Pharm.

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Diuretics: Cause of gout? Dizziness Do infrared saunas have any health benefits? They do this by interfering with the transport of salt and water across certain cells in the kidneys. As more fluid is passed out by the kidneys, less fluid remains in the bloodstream. So any fluid which has built up in the tissues of the lungs or body is drawn back into the bloodstream to replace the fluid passed out by the kidneys.

This eases symptoms such as fluid retention in the legs oedema and breathlessness caused by excess fluid on the lungs. As well as increasing the amount of water that you pass out from your kidneys, potassium-sparing diuretics also help your kidneys keep retain potassium in the body.

They do this by blocking the channels that potassium would pass through. Eplerenone and spironolactone work in a slightly different way to amiloride and triamterene. These medicines block the action of a hormone called aldosterone and this causes the kidney to pass out more fluid and keep potassium. This is why they are sometimes referred to as aldosterone antagonists. When used on their own, potassium-sparing diuretics are weak diuretics.

Loop diuretics and thiazide diuretics are stronger than potassium-sparing diuretics with regard to making the kidneys pass out more fluid. However, they also increase the amount of potassium passed out of the body through the kidneys. Potassium-sparing diuretics are often combined with either a loop diuretic or a thiazide diuretic. This is because they help to keep the right amount of potassium in your blood and they help other diuretics to remove fluid from the body.

The higher the dose, the greater the risk of side-effects developing. The leaflet which comes in the tablet package provides a full list of possible side-effects. The more common or serious possible side-effects are listed below:.

Usually there are no side-effects but they can occur in some people. Possible side-effects include:. There are very few people who are not able to take these medicines. They should not be taken by anyone who has high levels of potassium in their blood, severe kidney problems, or Addison's disease. In addition, potassium supplements should not be taken with these medicines. Some salt substitutes that you can buy are high in potassium. These should be avoided if you take a potassium-sparing diuretic.

Taking a potassium-sparing diuretic at the same time as an angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor antagonist medicine eg, valsartan , losartan can also cause very high blood potassium levels. If you think you have had a side-effect to one of your medicines you can report this on the Yellow Card Scheme. You can do this online at www. The Yellow Card Scheme is used to make pharmacists, doctors and nurses aware of any new side-effects that medicines or any other healthcare products may have caused.