Prescription medicine
Triamterene Brand names: Dyrenium
Triamterene (Dyrenium) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1964. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 3 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $5.98 per triamterene 50 mg capsule in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- Boxed warning
Check it at the source: the triamterene FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 5, 2024, Advanz Pharma (US) Corp.); the NDA 13174 record on Drugs@FDA; every triamterene label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of December 5, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Abnormal elevation of serum potassium levels (greater than or equal to 5.5 mEq/liter) can occur with all potassium-sparing agents, including Dyrenium. Hyperkalemia is more likely to occur in patients with renal impairment and diabetes (even without evidence of renal impairment), and in the elderly or severely ill. Since uncorrected hyperkalemia may be fatal, serum potassium levels must be monitored at frequent intervals especially in patients receiving Dyrenium, when dosages are changed or with any illness that may influence renal function. WARNINGS Abnormal elevation of serum potassium levels (greater than or equal to 5.5 mEq/liter) can occur with all potassium-sparing agents, including Dyrenium. Hyperkalemia is more likely to occur in patients with renal impairment and diabetes (even without evidence of renal impairment), and in the elderly or severely ill. Since uncorrected hyperkalemia may be fatal, serum potassium levels must be monitored at frequent intervals especially in patients receiving Dyrenium, when dosages are changed or with any illness that may influence renal function.
Used for
From the label: indications and usageDyrenium (triamterene) is indicated in the treatment of edema associated with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver and the nephrotic syndrome;
Forms and strengths
- 50 mg
- 100 mg
Capsule.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 10, 1964 Dyrenium, Advanz Pharma; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 2 first August 19, 2019; 2 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 5 of which 3 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $5.98 per capsule Triamterene 50 mg capsule
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 7,263 through July 30, 2026
What is triamterene used for?
From the label: indications and usageDyrenium (triamterene) is indicated in the treatment of edema associated with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver and the nephrotic syndrome; steroid-induced edema, idiopathic edema and edema due to secondary hyperaldosteronism. Dyrenium may be used alone or with other diuretics, either for its added diuretic effect or its potassium-sparing potential. It also promotes increased diuresis when patients prove resistant or only partially responsive to thiazides or other diuretics because of secondary hyperaldosteronism. Usage in Pregnancy. The routine use of diuretics in an otherwise healthy woman is inappropriate and exposes mother and fetus to unnecessary hazard. […]
Conditions named in the indications of triamterene's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other triamterene labelsHeart failure: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Dyrenium (triamterene) is indicated in the treatment of edema associated with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver and the nephrotic syndrome; …
Edema (fluid retention): Diuretics are indicated in pregnancy (however, see PRECAUTIONS below) when edema is due to pathologic causes, just as they are in the absence of pregnancy.
FDA pharmacologic class: Potassium-sparing Diuretic.
Source: FDA drug label (Dyrenium), Advanz Pharma (US) Corp., effective December 5, 2024 (SPL set ebb177c0-d45d-4443-a85a-e76bd9931a42), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for triamterene (Dyrenium)?
The FDA approved the first generic triamterene on August 19, 2019. 2 generic applications are approved; 2 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.
FDA's NDC Directory lists triamterene from 3 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 1 brand labeler. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1964 earliest approval on file
- 2019 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for triamterene (Dyrenium)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $5.98 per Triamterene 50 mg capsule, down 20% from $7.43 on October 8, 2025. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Triamterene 50 mg capsule (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triamterene 100 mg capsule | Generic | $7.05 per capsule | $211.42 | n/a |
| Triamterene 50 mg capsule | Generic | $5.98 per capsule | $179.26 | -20% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What does the triamterene label say about other medicines?
The triamterene label names 9 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 29 other medicines name triamterene. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Amiloride | contraindications | Dyrenium should not be given to patients receiving other potassium-sparing agents, such as spironolactone, amiloride hydrochloride, or other formulations containing triamterene. |
| Calcium chloride | warnings and precautions | For tachyarrhythmia, infuse 44 mEq of sodium bicarbonate or 10 mL of 10% calcium gluconate or calcium chloride over several minutes. |
| Calcium gluconate | warnings and precautions | For tachyarrhythmia, infuse 44 mEq of sodium bicarbonate or 10 mL of 10% calcium gluconate or calcium chloride over several minutes. |
| Indomethacin | drug interactions | A possible interaction resulting in acute renal failure has been reported in a few subjects when indomethacin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, was given with triamterene. |
| Lithium | drug interactions | Drug Interactions Caution should be used when lithium and diuretics are used concomitantly because diuretic-induced sodium loss may reduce the renal clearance of lithium and increase serum lithium levels with risk of lithium toxicity. |
| Penicillin g | drug interactions | … milk (may contain up to 60 mEq of potassium per liter); potassium-containing medications (such as parenteral penicillin G potassium); salt substitutes (most contain substantial amounts of potassium). |
| Sodium bicarbonate | warnings and precautions | The effect of calcium and sodium bicarbonate is transient and repeated administration may be required. |
| Sodium polystyrene sulfonate | warnings and precautions | Sodium polystyrene sulfonate may be administered to enhance the excretion of excess potassium. |
| Spironolactone | contraindications | Dyrenium should not be given to patients receiving other potassium-sparing agents, such as spironolactone, amiloride hydrochloride, or other formulations containing triamterene. |
Other labels that name triamterene
Source: FDA drug label (Dyrenium), Advanz Pharma (US) Corp., effective December 5, 2024 (SPL set ebb177c0-d45d-4443-a85a-e76bd9931a42), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for triamterene?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 7,263 reports that list triamterene among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 413 are coded as a death and 1,801 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as triamterene?
18 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as triamterene or labeled mainly for the same use (heart failure), the same class first. Heart failure lists all 37 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amiloride | Heart failure | 2 labelers | $0.190 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide | Heart failure | 1 labeler | $0.450 per tablet 5-50 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Carvedilol | Heart failure | 41 labelers | $0.0179 per tablet 6.25 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Spironolactone | Heart failure, Edema (fluid retention) | 38 labelers | $0.0426 per tablet 25 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
| Hydrochlorothiazide | Heart failure, Edema (fluid retention) | 44 labelers | $0.0115 per tablet 25 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
| Furosemide | Heart failure | 33 labelers | $0.026 per tablet 20 mg tablet | In shortage |
| Sacubitril and valsartan | Heart failure | 27 labelers | $0.533 per unit 49-51 mg | No current entry |
| Bumetanide | Heart failure | 24 labelers | $0.108 per tablet 1 mg tablet | Resolved |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as triamterene
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to triamterene
- 18 medicines for the same use
- Other potassium-sparing diuretics
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Triamterene side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other