Some medicines can increase the risk of dehydration when you are suffering from a dehydrating illness and should be temporarily stopped.
These medicines are:
| ACE inhibitors: A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. | If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly. | Eg. Lisinopril, Perindopril, Ramipril |
| ARBs: A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. | If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly. | Eg. Losartan, Candesartan, Valsartan |
| Diuretics: Or ‘water pills’. Used for excess fluid and high blood pressure. | These medicines can make dehydration more likely. | Eg. Furosemide, Bendroflumethiazide, Indapamide, Spironolactone, Bumetanide |
| Metformin: A medicine for diabetes. | Dehydration can make it more likely that you will develop a serious side effect called lactic acidosis. | |
| NSAIDs: Anti-inflammatory pain killers. | If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly. | Eg. Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Diclofenac |
| SGLT2 inhibitors: A medicine used in the treatment of diabetes, kidney disease or heart failure. | Dehydration can make it more likely that you will develop lactic acidosis. | Eg. Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin, Empagliflozin, Ertugliflozin. |
If you develop a dehydrating illness such as:
- Vomiting or diarrhoea (unless only minor), or
- Fevers, sweats or shaking,
Then you should pause your medication, and restart it again once you recover. This is usually between 24 and 48 hours of eating and drinking normally.
It is important that when you restart your medication, you take them as normal. Do not take extra for the doses you have missed.
If you are sick once, or have diarrhoea once, then you are unlikely to become dehydrated. Having two or more episodes of vomiting or diarrhoea can lead to dehydration, and you should follow the medicine sick day guidance.