TREATMENT OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE WITH TRIAMTERENE.

Triamterene, a newer oral diuretic, was administered to nine hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure for an average of 15 days, and to 22 ambulatory patients for a period of three to 11 months. The daily dosage of triamterene ranged from 50 to 250 mg., but usually 100-200 mg. was administered daily in two divided doses, with or without the addition of 50 mg. of hydrochlorothiazide daily.Triamterene is a safe and effective diuretic at doses of 100-200 mg. daily and no drug tolerance develops with long-term therapy. However, when used alone, it is not as effective as hydrochlorothiazide, but in combination with the latter drug the resultant diuresis is unsurpassed by any other oral diuretic therapy that we have used to date.Triamterene itself does not produce kaliuresis and it blocks thiazide-induced kaliuresis. Serum uric acid levels may rise slightly, but no clinical gout was seen in this study.