Two medicines, side by side
Bumetanide vs hydrochlorothiazide
Bumetanide and hydrochlorothiazide are both labeled for heart failure. Drugs@FDA records approvals of bumetanide since 1983 and of hydrochlorothiazide since 1959. Pharmacies paid $0.108 per bumetanide 1 mg tablet and $0.0115 per hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Hydrochlorothiazide's other strengths are brand-only: $4.46 per mL (Inzirqo 10 mg/mL oral suspension). In FDA's classes, bumetanide is a loop diuretic and hydrochlorothiazide a thiazide diuretic.
Check it at the source: the bumetanide FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 8, 2025); the hydrochlorothiazide FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 12, 2026).
Highlights of the bumetanide record
Bumetanide (Bumex) · label of September 8, 2025
Bumex ® (bumetanide) is a potent diuretic which, if given in excessive amounts, can lead to a profound diuresis with water and electrolyte depletion. Therefore, careful medical supervision is required, and dose and dosage schedule have to be adjusted to the individual patient's needs (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ).
Used for
From the label: indicationsBumex tablets are indicated for the treatment of edema associated with congestive heart failure, hepatic and renal disease, including the nephrotic syndrome. Almost equal diuretic response occurs after oral and parenteral administration of bumetanide. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 28, 1983
- Generic labelers
- 36 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.108 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- Resolved
- Recalls
- 4
Highlights of the hydrochlorothiazide record
Hydrochlorothiazide (Inzirqo) · label of June 12, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsHydrochlorothiazide tablets USP are indicated as adjunctive therapy in edema associated with congestive heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis, and corticosteroid and estrogen therapy. Hydrochlorothiazide tablets USP have also been found useful in edema due to various forms of renal dysfunction such as nephrotic syndrome, acute glomerulonephritis, and chronic renal failure. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 12, 1959
- Generic labelers
- 43 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0115 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 7
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Bumetanide label of September 8, 2025, Hydrochlorothiazide label of June 12, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do bumetanide and hydrochlorothiazide differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, bumetanide is a loop diuretic and hydrochlorothiazide a thiazide diuretic.
Half-life, in each label's words: Bumetanide, “Small pharmacokinetic studies of intravenous bumetanide in preterm and full-term neonates with respiratory disorders …”; Hydrochlorothiazide, “When plasma levels have been followed for at least 24 hours, the plasma half-life has been observed to vary between 5.6 …”
Only the bumetanide label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: bumetanide since 1994; hydrochlorothiazide since 1973 (Drugs@FDA).
| Bumetanide | Hydrochlorothiazide | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Heart failure | Heart failure, High blood pressure, Edema (fluid retention) |
| Pharmacologic class | Loop Diuretic | Thiazide Diuretic |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | Small pharmacokinetic studies of intravenous bumetanide in preterm and full-term neonates with respiratory disorders have reported an apparent half-life of approximately 6 hours, with a range up to 15 hours and a serum … | When plasma levels have been followed for at least 24 hours, the plasma half-life has been observed to vary between 5.6 and 14.8 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | February 28, 1983 | February 12, 1959 |
| First generic approved | October 31, 1994 | January 12, 1973 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 36 labelers | 43 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.108 per tablet (Bumetanide 1 mg tablet) | $0.0115 per tablet (Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -25% | -7% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Shortage now | Resolved | A presentation being discontinued |
| Recalls recorded | 4 | 7 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 26,259 | 144,413 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to bumetanide
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions