Short answer: The Micardis HCT label starts people whose blood pressure is not controlled on telmisartan 80 mg or hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg at 80 mg/12.5 mg once daily. The dose can be raised up to 160 mg/25 mg after 2 to 4 weeks if needed. People with bile duct blockage or liver insufficiency start at 40 mg/12.5 mg. It is not for initial therapy.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Micardis HCT is approved for: Micardis HCT combines telmisartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), with hydrochlorothiazide, a thiazide diuretic. It is approved to treat high blood pressure, alone or with other blood pressure medicines. It is not approved as the first treatment for high blood pressure; it is used when telmisartan or hydrochlorothiazide alone has not been enough. The label says there are no controlled trials showing risk reduction with Micardis HCT itself (section 1).
Source
MICARDIS HCT (telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide tablets), for oral use, prescribing information and Patient Information. Boehringer Ingelheim. DailyMed, version published March 27, 2025. DailyMed setid b078dae2-664d-4144-847a-3b9d9b557402
Micardis HCT is a tablet taken by mouth once a day, with or without food (Patient Information).
It comes in 40 mg/12.5 mg, 80 mg/12.5 mg and 80 mg/25 mg tablets (section 3). Tablets stay in the blister until just before the dose (section 2.3).
It may be given with other blood pressure medicines (section 2.1). It is not indicated as the first treatment for high blood pressure (section 1).
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Situation | Starting dose | Adjustments the label allows |
|---|---|---|
| Not controlled on telmisartan 80 mg alone | 80 mg/12.5 mg once daily | Can be titrated up to 160 mg/25 mg after 2 to 4 weeks, if necessary |
| Not controlled on hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg once daily, or controlled but with low potassium | 80 mg/12.5 mg once daily | Can be titrated up to 160 mg/25 mg after 2 to 4 weeks, if necessary |
| Already titrated on the separate components | The corresponding dose of Micardis HCT | Not given |
| Biliary obstruction or liver insufficiency | 40 mg/12.5 mg, under close medical supervision | Not recommended in severe liver impairment (section 2.2) |
| Mild or moderate kidney impairment (CrCl 30 to 90 mL/min) | No dose adjustment | Not recommended in severe kidney impairment, CrCl 30 mL/min or less (section 8.7) |
Fluid or salt loss, such as from high-dose diuretics, is corrected before starting.
Kidney function is monitored periodically in people at risk, and withholding or stopping is considered if it drops meaningfully.
Serum electrolytes are monitored periodically.
With cholestyramine or colestipol, hydrochlorothiazide is given at least 4 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after the resin.
For older adults, dose selection is cautious, usually starting at the low end of the range.
People are advised not to use potassium supplements or potassium-containing salt substitutes without asking the prescriber, and to protect skin from the sun and have regular skin cancer screening.
The Micardis HCT label gives no missed-dose rule. Neither the prescribing information nor the Patient Information says what to do if a dose is missed.
In Dose Track you set up Micardis HCT as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.