Though not used for routine treatment of chronic hypertension, diazoxide is an extremely important drug for short-term treatment of both malignant hypertension and hypertensive urgency. It is also occasionally used to treat cases of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure when that condition fails to respond to the usual treatment options. Along with its utility in treating certain types of high blood pressure, diazoxide is also used -- in capsule form -- to treat low blood sugar that results from an overproduction of insulin by the pancreas.
Diazoxide is an interesting drug because it works in two distinct ways. One action of diazoxide is the direct relaxation of medium sized blood vessels. This vessel relaxation is the primary way that diazoxide lowers blood pressure. Along with this relaxing action, diazoxide is also a thiazide diuretic, which means that it acts on the kidneys to increase the excretion of salt and water. When used to treat low blood sugar, diazoxide decreases the amount of insulin released by the pancreas. In the United States, diazoxide is available under the trade names Hyperstat and Proglycem.
The blood vessel relaxing effects of diazoxide are very similar to those of drugs such as hydralazine, though the precise details of how these two drugs work are slightly different. As a thiazide diuretic, diazoxide belongs to the same family as hydrocholorthiazide (HCTZ), an extremely common high blood pressure drug. Despite these similarities to hydralazine and HCTZ, no other drugs work exactly like diazoxide.
Diazoxide has many potential side effects, especially when used to treat high blood pressure, since this use requires the drug to be given intravenously rather than in pill form. Some common side effects of diazoxide include:
- Low blood pressure
- Elevated heart rate
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Sugar in the urine
Only you and your doctor can decide on a proper medication for treatment of high blood pressure. Be sure to notify your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and to supply the names of any other medicines and/or supplements you are taking. Remember to include over-the-counter medicines, like aspirin or Advil (ibuprofen), and herbal/natural supplements.
Source:
Diazoxide. (n.d.). DRUGDEX® System Retrieved December 10, 2007, from http://www.thomsonhc.com . Greenwood Village, CO : Thomson Healthcare.
