hydrochlorothiazide vs spironolactone
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Side-by-side comparison of hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Use of lisinopril with potassium-sparing diuretics (e.g., spironolactone, eplerenone, triamterene, or amiloride), potassium supplements, or potassium-containing salt substitutes may lead to significant increases in serum potassium.
Microzide
Aldactone
No summary available.
Spironolactone is a medicine that helps remove extra fluid from your body and lower blood pressure. It also helps your heart work better if you have heart failure.
Information not available.
Spironolactone is used to treat heart failure by reducing fluid build-up and helping you live longer. It also treats high blood pressure, which can lower your chance of having a stroke or heart attack. This medicine can also manage fluid build-up caused by liver problems or a kidney problem called nephrotic syndrome. It can also treat a condition where your body makes too much of a hormone called aldosterone.
Information not available.
Spironolactone belongs to a class of drugs called aldosterone antagonists. It works by blocking the effects of aldosterone, a hormone that causes your body to hold onto salt and water. By blocking aldosterone, spironolactone helps your body get rid of extra fluid and salt, which lowers blood pressure and reduces strain on the heart.
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Cough
- • Fatigue
- • Breast enlargement in men
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- Fatigue 10,014
- Nausea 9,709
- Diarrhoea 8,311
- Pain 7,663
- Dyspnoea 7,582
- Dyspnoea 10,389
- Fatigue 8,178
- Nausea 7,818
- Diarrhoea 7,418
- Acute Kidney Injury 6,785
No specific warnings noted.
Spironolactone can cause your potassium levels to get too high, which can be dangerous. Your doctor will check your potassium levels regularly, especially if you have kidney problems or are taking other medicines that can raise potassium. This medicine can also cause low blood pressure or make kidney problems worse. Tell your doctor if you have side effects.
No pregnancy information available.
Spironolactone may affect the sex organs of a baby boy if taken during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if spironolactone passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking this medicine.
How to Read This hydrochlorothiazide vs spironolactone Comparison
hydrochlorothiazide is classified in the Thiazide Diuretic drug class, while spironolactone sits within the Potassium-Sparing Diuretic / Aldosterone Antagonist class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, hydrochlorothiazide has 43,279 submissions while spironolactone has 40,588. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to using these medications together can cause your body to hold onto too much potassium, which can be dangerous.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for hydrochlorothiazide or spironolactone.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.