Uniretic

Uniretic is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure. It is a single product containing 2 medications: moexipril and hydrochlorothiazide. Moexipril belongs to a group of drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Moexipril works by blocking the ACE enzyme, which helps blood vessels to relax and lowers blood pressure. Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to a group of drugs called thiazide diuretics, which work by stopping reabsorption of salt into your body. This prevents fluid from building up in the body.

This medication comes in tablet form. It is given once or twice daily, one hour before meals.

Common side effects of Uniretic include dizziness, tiredness (fatigue), and cough. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Uniretic affects you. 

Uniretic is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

• UCB, Inc.

Serious side effects have been reported with Uniretic. See the "Uniretic Precautions" section. 

Common side effects of Uniretic include the following:

• dizziness
• tiredness (fatigue)
• cough
• an infection that affects the nose, throat, and airways (upper respiratory infection)
• headache
• pain
• flu syndrome
• sore throat (pharyngitis)
• a high level of a substance in the blood called uric acid (hyperuricemia)
• diarrhea
• back pain
• stuffy nose (rhinitis)
• sinus infection (sinusitis)
• abnormal heart rhythms (abnormal ECG)
• infection
• stomach (abdominal) pain
• chest pain
• indigestion (dyspepsia)
• high blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
• low potassium blood levels (hypokalemia)
• rash
• feeling like your surroundings are spinning (vertigo)
• nausea
• an abnormal increase in muscle tension and a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch (hypertonia)
• an increase in an enzyme that is normally present in liver and heart cells (increased SGPT)
• urinary tract infection
• cannot get or keep an erection (impotence)
• retaining fluid/swelling (peripheral edema)
• urine containing white blood cells or pus (pyuria)
• Inflammation of the airways which carry air to and from the lungs (bronchitis)
• fever

This is not a complete list of Uniretic side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. 

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you are taking:

• potassium supplements or potassium-containing salt substitutes
• potassium ­sparing diuretics such as spironolactone (Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium), and amiloride (Midamor)
• anticoagulant (blood thinner) medications such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), heparin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), fondaparinux (Arixtra), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), and  apixaban (Eliquis)
• lithium (Lithobid)
• injectable gold (sodium aurothiomalate)
• alcohol, a class of drugs called barbiturates, or a type of pain medications called narcotics
• diabetic medications
• cholestyramine (Questran) and colestipol (Colestid)
• medicines that provide relief for inflamed areas of the body (corticosteroids) such as methylprednisolone (Medrol) and dexamethasone (Decadron)
• substances that raise blood pressure (pressor amines) such as norepinephrine (Levophed)
• medicines that relax skeletal muscles such as cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and carisoprodol (Soma)
• lithium (Lithobid)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil)
• certain medications that also lower blood pressure such as angiotensin-­converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors like enalapril (Vasotec, Vaseretic) and angiotensin receptor II blockers (ARBs) like valsartan (Diovan)
• aliskiren (Tekturna)

This is not a complete list of Uniretic drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Serious side effects have been reported with Uniretic or its ingredients including the following:

• Allergic reactions. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • swelling of the face, limbs, lips, tongue, throat
  • difficulty breathing
  • stomach (abdominal) pain (intestinal angioedema) with or without nausea or vomiting
• Low blood pressure.
• Lowered white blood cell count (neutropenia/agranulocytosis) increasing the risk of infections
• Harm to an unborn baby (fetal toxicity). Do not take Uniretic if you are pregnant or will become pregnant.
• Liver damage
• An autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue (systemic lupus erythematosus)
• A condition in which close objects appear clearly, but far ones don't (myopia) or a buildup of pressure in the eye that can cause blindness (glaucoma). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience  visual changes or eye pain.
• Imbalances in the levels of salts and fluids in your body (electrolyte and fluid imbalance). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • dry mouth
  • thirst
  • weakness
  • drowsiness
  • restlessness
  • muscle pains or cramps
  • low blood pressure
  • low output of urine
  • fast heart rate
  • nausea
  • vomiting

Uniretic can cause dizziness and tiredness (fatigue). Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Uniretic affects you.

Do not take Uniretic if you:

• are allergic to Uniretic or any of its ingredients or to other sulfonamide-derived drugs
• kidneys are unable to produce urine (anuric)
• history of a type of swelling that affects deeper layers of your skin, often around your eyes and lips (angioedema) to other ACE inhibitors
• are a diabetic patient taking aliskiren (Tekturna)

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Uniretic, salt substitutes containing potassium should be avoided. 

Before taking Uniretic, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if:

• are allergic to Uniretic or any of its ingredients or to other sulfonamide-derived drugs
• kidneys are unable to produce urine (anuric) or have kidney disease
• history of a type of swelling that affects deeper layers in your skin, often around your eyes and lips (angioedema)
• you have diabetes or low blood sugar, especially if you are also using aliskiren (Tekturna)
• you are about to have major surgery
• you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed
• you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant

Tell you doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Uniretic falls into category D. When pregnancy is detected, discontinue Uniretic as soon as possible. Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the unborn baby.

Tell your doctor is you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. 

It is not known if moexipril, a component of Uniretic, is excreted in human breast milk. Hydrochlorothiazide, the other component of Uniretic, has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from Uniretic, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered. 

• Take Uniretic exactly as prescribed.
• This medication comes in tablet form and is typically given once or twice daily one hour before meals.
• If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Uniretic at the same time. 

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• your blood pressure
• previous medications used and the doses tried
• how you respond to this medication
• other medical conditions you have

The recommended dosing of Uniretic for treating high blood pressure is based on its two components: moexipril and hydrochlorothiazide. The recommended dose range of moexipril is 7.5 to 30 mg daily, taken as a single or two divided doses one hour before meals. Hydrochlorothiazide is recommended at a dose of 12.5 to 50 mg daily.

If you take too much Uniretic, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away. 

• Store, tightly closed, at room temperature, 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C).
• Protect from excessive moisture.
• Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children. 

WARNING: FETAL TOXICITY

• When pregnancy is detected, discontinue Uniretic as soon as possible.
• Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus.