Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and Exercise

In this video, clinical exercise physiologist Nick Pratap discusses the medication Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). He goes over why this medication is prescribed, it's mechanism of action, common side effects and how it effects exercise.

[@thekkhollowayexperience]

very informative, thank you. i just started today 12.5mg .. my BP readings have been very high.. today 173/103 and i have gained at least over 30 lbs.. hoping this helps and immediately changing my diet and getting back to exercising regularly.. im looking forward to getting on the right track and maintain great health.. i just turned 47 this year and i will put in the work and dedication along with determination

[@kateskeys]

My very first time viewing this channel. My impression? This Nick is really smart, ethical and 100% trustworthy

[@ItsTheJourney24]

This medication is hard on the body and makes you feel like crap, it depletes your electrolytes not just sodium. It can cause your mental health to decline. It can cause higher blood sugars. Taking this medication I could not lose weight because of the high blood sugars. It makes you crave sugar at an alarming rate because your body isn’t holding on to electrolytes so your kidneys want the sugar to try and hold on to some electrolytes. Also I would always get random kidney pains and spasms in that region. This medication made me sun light sensitive and itchy. I was getting sciatica and chronic back pain from it, the electrolytes help stimulate your nerves and nervous system thus being low in them can cause so many issues. Electrolyte deficiency can cause chronic cortisol elevation. I had extremely low libido and could not hold an erection, also it exacerbated my ADHD to where I couldn’t concentrate on the slightest thing for more than a few minutes, low electrolytes can cause neurotransmitter disruption thus making my ADHD worse. It caused my hands and feet to always get numb, this is associated with lack of nerve stimulation and or damage to the nerves. Lastly this medication increased my heart rate I was always tachycardic my heart rate just after a simple walk would be 110-130 my resting heart rate would always be high 90s-100. This medication is so harsh, and I had no clue it was this medication causing me so many health problems, my Dr never explained any of this to me. What I did was up my magnesium via supplement with magnesium glycinate and ate potassium rich foods, and my BP normalized within a week, and all these side effects subsided in about 3 weeks. I’ll never take a diuretic again.

[@brandoncauley8574]

Hi. I appreciate your analysis. I'm finally achieving a healthy blood pressure on losartan-hctz 50-12.5mg after numerous other pharm didn't work over the last decade. I'll wait see if a diminished return ensues or if those side effects manifest. TURN UP YOUR MICROPHONE SO WE CAN HEAR YOU. Thanks again.

[@pjsavage664]

hey nick just wanted to say thank you. i am currently in grad school and starting my cardiac rehab intership at UNC in january. I plan to sit for my CEP as soon as a graduate in may so your videos are a big help. Especially when you talk about how certain medications affect exercise prescription

[@nextgenrehab]

Great to hear the content was helpful. All the best with the exam!

[@pjsavage664]

@@nextgenrehab if you didn’t mind, one day would you be able to talk about some of the important drug classes and medications that cardiac rehab specialists need to know?

[@nextgenrehab]

@@pjsavage664 Yes that's something I can go over in a future video!

[@northofmainstreet7281]

This medication removes potassium and magnesium from the body how is this helpful ???

[@northofmainstreet7281]

This drug isn't safe for kidneys

[@catsrus2890]

Thank you!

[@rissaaspurias6012]

hi my name is neriss Aspurias when I went to go get my blood pressure check up on April 12 pick up my meds at the pharmacy started using it on Saturday April 13 does hydrochlorothiazide makes you loss weight reply back for info thanks!!

[@catsrus2890]

@@rissaaspurias6012 I don't know about the losing weight... But make sure you drink enough water. It will make you extremely dehydrated and it raised my blood sugar. I switched now to Triamterene, which is a combination of HCTZ and another medication. However I still need to make sure I drink enough water. My goal is to get off the blood pressure pill if I can lose enough weight.

[@Dabeauty123]

@@rissaaspurias6012maybe water weight

[@expressbm]

I'm a cyclist and I avidly workout. Since taking this drug a few months ago I realized that my stamina has diminished significantly. It's my legs constantly feel as if I've been working out and they never fully recover. This has significantly impacted my routines and I just wanted to know if this is a common occurrence. Also, it did nothing to reduce my blood pressure.

[@redmanjbj]

I was a runner. Same experience. Felt like complete crap after taking it. It did reduce my BP though. I ended up splitting the pill in half and spacing out when i took it. My doc explained that the reason it makes us feel bad is that our bodies are losing electrolytes. I started sipping on Pedialyte throughout the day and that help a lot. But i still never felt 100% when taking this med.

[@nextgenrehab]

Since the medication is a diuretic, it may be impacting your electrolytes causing the fatigue in your legs. If the medication is not having an effect on your blood pressure, speak with your doctor to see if they can change the medication.

[@expressbm]

@@nextgenrehab thanks! I spotted taking the meds, it was way too much for me. The side effects were overwhelming and the impact impeded on my activities. However, the meds have a noticeable impact on my BP. I’ll have to try something new.

[@MrHerks]

Great video,, thank you. I just started this and was curious if the nausea side effect will diminish over time?

[@nextgenrehab]

Yes it should go away after a few weeks. However, if it does not go away, or gets worse, follow up with your doctor.

[@MrHerks]

@@nextgenrehab Great thanks! Appreciate the response!