Triamterene

A diuretic is any drug that facilitates the increases of the flow of urine, and so thus eliminate the chance of water and fluids to accumulate on several parts of the body. Water retention is possible in an injury, like in congestive heart failure where there is insufficient blood amount pumped to eliminate the volume of liquid in safe levels. Kidney diseases (cirrhosis), hypertension, and edema, all benefit from the action of induced urinating by diuretics.

Triamterene is a type of potassium sparing diuretic used in junction with other diuretics, especially Thiazide diuretic to facilitate release of specific substances for the treatment of edema or hypertension. In order to avoid the possibility of acquiring hyperkalemia, it is suggested that patients with chronic kidney disease avoid using medications with Traimterene. And if Triamterene is used, salt substitutes should not be used.

General Information

The function of a diuretic substance is simple; it increases the flow of urine so that it also depletes the general part of the body with liquid. This is useful on a number of occasions, and most especially on edema, where the liquid is accumulated abnormally in pockets, cavity, or organs found anywhere within the body. In pleural effusion, liquid accumulates in the pleural cavity (chest cavity); in hydrocephalus, liquid accumulates in several cavities found in any part of the skull; and in Ascites, liquid accumulates in the abdominal cavity. One of the biggest causes of edema is heart failure, when the heart cannot pump the sufficient amount of blood that can effectively eliminate a normal fluid volume. Kidney failure would result less formation of urine will likely cause liquid to be accumulated on several parts of the body. Starvation would also result to low blood serum protein, and the impaired cycle of the blood to and from the extremities also contribute to water accumulation (while this may also be caused by congestive heart failure, other disease do exhibit in arterial blockage on the extremities resulting to edema).

A diuretic such as Triamterene helps facilitate the removal of the dangerous levels of accumulated liquid by inducing urine to form. As a type of potassium sparing diuretic, the mechanism of action of Triamterene is to directly block the ENaC (epithelial sodium channel) found on the lumen side of the kidney collecting tubule. While other types of diuretics facilitates an increased sodium concentration to forming urine by causing more amounts of sodium to enter the epithelial sodium channel, Triamterene’s blockage of the epithelial sodium channel prevents such from taking place. The drug Amiloride functions in a similar manner to Triamterene.

Prescription And Side Effects Of The Drug Triamterene

Triamterene needs prescription, and there is a generic available. Marketed brand names for Triamterene is Maxzide, Dyazide, Dyrenuim (oral Triamterene). Triamterene is used along with the combination of other diuretic called Hydrochlorothiazide. Traimterene medication is a mild form of diuretic and anti hypertension (lowers blood pressure) whose general activity is the reduction of potassium while used in junction with Hydrochlorothiazide.

Triamterene is taken orally and as a combination drug, it is usually paired with other substance, possibly another diuretic. Patients suffering elevated blood pressure, edema resulted from other disorder and illnesses are prescribed the usage of Triamterene. However, Triamterene side effects are dangerous at high levels, and could deplete sodium, folic acid and calcium. Triamterene medication can risk elevate potassium in the blood to extreme levels, which is its most serious side effect.

Physician’s advice is highly important in administering Triamterene dosage, which is because strict compliance with dosage intake is mandatory. The potassium levels in the blood stream are to be monitored closely, with the patient in close contact with a physician.