Generic Lozol

Lozol can be generically prescribed as indapamide and is commonly used in the treatment of fluid retention in patients with congestive heart failure as well as an effective treatment for hypertension. Lozol is part of the family of medications known as thiazide diuretics and works in the body by preventing the absorption on salt and sodium. Salt absorption can contribute to the retention of fluid, especially in patients with congestive heart failure.

Lozol should not be indiscriminately prescribed and all physicians should take a thorough medical history prior to prescribing any medication. Lozol can aggravate other health conditions including allergies to sulfa medications, severe liver disease, severe kidney disease and the inability to urinate, and hypokalemia which is the condition of having low levels of potassium in the blood. Patients with these conditions can not take Lozol. Patients with a medical history that includes gout, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, or lupus may not be able to take Lozol or may require special monitoring, dosing, or care while taking Lozol.

Lozol was rated by the American Food and Drug Administration as a pregnancy risk category B, which means that there is not expectation that this medication will cause harm or birth defects in developing fetuses. It has not been determined whether or not Lozol passes through the mother’s breast milk and presents a risk to a nursing infant. Patients who are pregnant or nursing should weigh whether or not the benefits are worth any possible risks before taking Lozol.

Patients should take their regularly scheduled dose even of they are asymptomatic, as there are often no symptoms associated with hypertension. In the event that a patient who is taking Lozol misses a dose, the dose should be taken as soon as possible. If it almost time for the next regular dose however, the missed dose can be skipped and normal dosing resumed with the following regular dose. Patients should never take a double dose of Lozol as this may result in an overdose. An overdose of Lozol could result in thirst, dry mouth, muscle pain, weakness, or nausea and would require prompt medical evaluation.

In some cases serious side effects have been known to cause health complications for patients taking Lozol. Patients who experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, thirst, dry mouth, accelerated heart rate, uneven heart rate, muscle pain, weakness, drowsiness, lightheadedness, fainting, or restlessness should seek immediate medical attention. Some patients may experience sudden swelling of the face, lips, throat, or tongue, difficulty breathing, itching, and hives which would indicate an allergic reaction. This is considered quite serious and would require immediate medical attention.

Typically, most patients experience less serious side effects such as headaches, skin rash, or dizziness. These symptoms or others which cause mild discomfort do not require medical attention and can be discussed with a health care provider. Symptoms such as these are quite common and do not pose a serious risk to a patient’s health.

Lozol should not be taken with medications including baclofen, lithium, steroids, insulin, oral diabetes medications, additional blood pressure medications, ACE inhibitors, aspirin or other NSAID medications, amiodarone, bepridil, chloroquine, cisapride, clarithromycin, erythromycin, disopyramide, dofetilide, droperidol, haloperidol, pentamidine, pimozide, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol, sparfloxacin, or thioridazine without the consent of the prescribing physician. These medications have been proven to cause interactions or to create ineffective conditions when taken in conjunction with Lozol. Patients should never take new medications, over the counter or otherwise, without first speaking with the prescribing physician.