User:Mr. Ibrahem/Chlortalidone

Chlortalidone, also known as chlorthalidone, is a diuretic medication used to treat high blood pressure, swelling including that due to heart failure, liver failure, and nephrotic syndrome, diabetes insipidus, and renal tubular acidosis. In high blood pressure it is a preferred initial treatment. It is also used to prevent calcium-based kidney stones. It is taken by mouth. Effects generally begin within three hours and last for up to three days.

Common side effects include low blood potassium, low blood sodium, high blood sugar, dizziness, and erectile dysfunction. Other side effects may include gout, low blood magnesium, high blood calcium, allergic reactions, and low blood pressure. Some reviews have found chlortalidone to have a higher risk of side effects than hydrochlorothiazide, while other reviews have found a similar risk. While it may be used in pregnancy it is a less preferred option. It is specifically a thiazide-like diuretic. How it works is not completely clear but is believed to involve increasing the amount of sodium and water lost by the kidneys.

Chlortalidone was patented in 1957 and came into medical use in 1960. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines as an alternative to hydrochlorothiazide. It is available as a generic medication. In the United States the wholesale cost is about US$13.50 a month. In 2017, it was the 173rd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than three million prescriptions.