Indapamide – a water tablet for high blood pressure

Indapamide – a water tablet for high blood pressure

Indapamide is a water tablet (diuretic) that works on the kidneys for high blood pressure.

What is Indapamide?

Indapamide is a type of medicine known as a thiazide-like diuretic. While it is technically a “water tablet,” it is used differently than other diuretics.

At the standard dose used for blood pressure, it has a very mild diuretic effect (you won’t notice a massive increase in urination), but it is very effective at relaxing blood vessels.

Uses

Indapamide is primarily used to treat:

• High blood pressure (hypertension): It is a first-line treatment, often used alone or alongside other medications like ACE inhibitors or calcium channel blockers.

• Heart failure: Sometimes used to help reduce fluid build-up, though other diuretics are more common for this specific purpose.

Dosage

• Usually taken once daily, preferably in the morning.

• The standard dose is 2.5 mg for immediate-release tablets or 1.5 mg for modified-release (MR) tablets.

• Because it works over a long period, taking it in the morning usually avoids the need to wake up during the night to use the bathroom.

Side-effects

Common side-effects:

• Low potassium levels (hypokalaemia): This is usually mild (and cannot be detected by the patient0; but can sometimes cause tiredness or muscle weakness.

• Skin rashes: People with a known allergy to “sulfonamide” drugs may be more prone to this.

• Dizziness: Feeling faint when standing up, especially when first starting the medication.

Less common (but more serious) side-effects:

• Electrolyte imbalance: Significant decrease in sodium, potassium or magnesium.

• High blood glucose (sugar): It can increase blood glucose levels; which is important for people with diabetes to monitor.

• Gout: Like other diuretics, it can raise uric acid levels and trigger a gout attack.

• Sensitivity to sunlight: You may sunburn more easily while taking this medication.

How it works

• Indapamide works in the kidneys to increase the amount of salt (sodium) and water passed out in the urine.

• More importantly, it acts directly on the walls of the blood vessels, causing them to relax and widen.

• This combination reduces the pressure within the circulatory system, making it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body.

Monitoring

Doctors should monitor:

• Blood pressure: To check the medication is working effectively.

• Blood tests: To check kidney function (creatinine/GFR) and mineral levels, particularly potassium, sodium, and magnesium.

• Blood glucose: Especially if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Note: If you experience severe vomiting or diarrhoea while taking indapamide, you should contact your doctor, as you may become dehydrated or develop an electrolyte imbalance more quickly.