Mrs Park Suzie: Right. Thats correct. You ve been taking it for a while Mrs Parker Suzie: Thats a very good question, Mrs Parker. Not everybody asks questions. They just follow what the doctors say. There are no silly questions about your health concerns Mrs. Parke Suzie: Sure. Mrs. Parker. You know what? Before the urine becomes urine. it is fluid in your blood stream. Your kidneys remove fluid from your blood when they make urine,and the total blood volume decreases. Healthy individuals maintain a normal blood pressure with a normal urine output. But kidneys of people with hypertension tend to make enough urine to decrease the blood volume and this raises their blood pressure. In that case, the diuretic drugs help you make more urine so the total blood volume gets lower Mrs Parker Suzie: Correct. HCTZ also lowers your blood pressure by acting directly on blood vessels, lowering their resistance to blood flow. Mrs Parker Suzie: There you (RN Suzie gives another tablet to Mrs Parker) Mrs Parker Suzie: This is potassium chloride. You need it because the diuretic drugs wash potassium out of your system and the potassium level becomes low. Your doctor ordered regular blood tests to check your potassium level to see if you need potassium supplements. Potassium is an electrolyte. Doctors may order an electrolyte panel which gives the potassium level, as well as that of other electrolytes Mrs Parker Suzie: YesMrs. Parker: Suzie: Right. That’s correct. You’ve been taking it for a while. Mrs. Parker: Suzie: That’s a very good question, Mrs. Parker. Not everybody asks questions. They just follow what the doctors say. There are no silly questions about your health concerns. Mrs. Parker: Suzie: Sure, Mrs. Parker. You know what? Before the urine becomes urine, it is fluid in your blood stream. Your kidneys remove fluid from your blood when they make urine, and the total blood volume decreases. Healthy individuals maintain a normal blood pressure with a normal urine output. But kidneys of people with hypertension tend to make enough urine to decrease the blood volume, and this raises their blood pressure. In that case, the diuretic drugs help you make more urine so the total blood volume gets lower. Mrs. Parker: . Suzie: Correct. HCTZ also lowers your blood pressure by acting directly on blood vessels, lowering their resistance to blood flow. Mrs. Parker: Suzie: There you go. (RN Suzie gives another tablet to Mrs. Parker.) Mrs. Parker: Suzie: This is potassium chloride. You need it because the diuretic drugs wash potassium out of your system and the potassium level becomes low. Your doctor ordered regular blood tests to check your potassium level to see if you need potassium supplements. Potassium is an electrolyte. Doctors may order an electrolyte panel, which gives the potassium level, as well as that of other electrolytes. Mrs. Parker: Suzie: Yes