Drug interactions
Hydrochlorothiazide + Insulin degludec / insulin aspart
Severity: Moderate
Hydrochlorothiazide and Insulin degludec / insulin aspart: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Thiazide diuretics can raise blood glucose and reduce the effectiveness of insulin in patients with diabetes. Insulin requirements may increase after a thiazide is started or its dose is raised.
What this interaction means in plain words
Hydrochlorothiazide and Insulin degludec / insulin aspart can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Thiazides reduce insulin secretion and sensitivity, partly through hypokalemia, opposing insulin's glucose-lowering effect.
What to do
Monitor blood glucose more frequently when starting or adjusting the thiazide and increase insulin doses if needed; correct hypokalemia.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Hydrochlorothiazide
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Hydrochlorothiazide with Insulin degludec / insulin aspart?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Hydrochlorothiazide and Insulin degludec / insulin aspart can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Thiazide diuretics can raise blood glucose and reduce the effectiveness of insulin in patients with diabetes. Insulin requirements may increase after a thiazide is started or its dose is raised.
How serious is the interaction between Hydrochlorothiazide and Insulin degludec / insulin aspart?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor blood glucose more frequently when starting or adjusting the thiazide and increase insulin doses if needed; correct hypokalemia.
What other medicines interact with Hydrochlorothiazide?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Hydrochlorothiazide with, for example, Dofetilide, Amifostine, Amiodarone. The full list is on the Hydrochlorothiazide page.
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