Dehydration Caused by a Medicine

Topic Overview

Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can cause dehydration. A few examples are:

• Antihistamines.
• Blood pressure medicines.
• Chemotherapy.
• Diuretics.
• Laxatives.

If you think that your dehydration is caused by a medicine:

• Call the doctor who prescribed the medicine to find out if you should stop taking it or take a different one. An appointment may not be necessary.
• If you are taking a nonprescription medicine, stop taking it. Call your doctor if you feel you need to continue taking the medicine.