Hydrochlorothiazide vs Furosemide: what is the difference?

How they differ

Both are diuretics and they act on different parts of the kidney's tubule, which decides how strong each is. Furosemide is a loop diuretic, blocking sodium reabsorption in the thick ascending limb where the bulk of it happens, so it produces a large and fast urine output and is used for fluid overload in heart failure. Hydrochlorothiazide acts further along in the distal tubule, where much less sodium is available to block, so it is gentler and is used for ongoing blood pressure control. They also differ on calcium: thiazides retain it and loop diuretics lose it, which matters for bone and for kidney stones. Furosemide is the heavier at 330.7 against 297.7 and both carry a sulfonamide group.

Side by side

Common questions

What is the difference between Hydrochlorothiazide and Furosemide?

Both are diuretics and they act on different parts of the kidney's tubule, which decides how strong each is. Furosemide is a loop diuretic, blocking sodium reabsorption in the thick ascending limb where the bulk of it happens, so it produces a large and fast urine output and is used for fluid overload in heart failure. Hydrochlorothiazide acts further along in the distal tubule, where much less sodium is available to block, so it is gentler and is used for ongoing blood pressure control.

Is Hydrochlorothiazide bigger than Furosemide?

Furosemide is the heavier molecule, 330.74 g/mol against 297.7 g/mol for Hydrochlorothiazide. Hydrochlorothiazide is C7H8ClN3O4S2 and Furosemide is C12H11ClN2O5S.