What it's used for
This medication is used as an adjunctive treatment for fluid retention due to heart failure or drug use. It is also prescribed for certain types of epilepsy, glaucoma, and the prevention of acute mountain sickness.
Source: U.S. FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA).
Typical dosing
The dosage for chronic open-angle glaucoma ranges from 250 mg to 1 gram per 24 hours, usually taken in divided doses.
Dosing shown here is the general FDA-labeled range. Your prescribing clinician determines the exact dose, form, and schedule for you — this is not a substitute for medical advice.
Boxed warning / key safety info
Rare and severe reactions to sulfonamides, including fatal skin syndromes, liver necrosis, and blood disorders, have occurred.
Common side effects
Common side effects include headache, fatigue, fever, flushing, and gastrointestinal disturbances like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Covered strengths on the Tab $0 list
Covered at $0 with an active Tab membership when filled at a participating pharmacy nationwide or through mail order. A licensed clinician must prescribe the medication.
Related medications
Other everything else medications covered at $0 with an active Tab membership.
Acetazolamide cost without insurance
Cash prices for Acetazolamide without insurance vary widely by pharmacy, strength and quantity — the same prescription can cost very different amounts at two pharmacies in the same town. That is the problem a membership solves.
Acetazolamide is on Tab's covered $0 generic list. With an active Tab membership, every covered strength is $0 — not a percentage off, not a coupon that changes month to month — at participating pharmacies nationwide or through mail order. You do not need insurance, and Tab works whether or not you have a health plan.
Tab is a membership, not insurance. Covered medications require a prescription from a licensed clinician.
Acetazolamide dosage and administration
Glaucoma: Acetazolamide should be used as an adjunct to the usual therapy. The dosage employed in the treatment of chronic simple (open-angle) glaucoma ranges from 250 mg to 1 g of acetazolamide per 24 hours, usually in divided doses for amounts over 250 mg. It has usually been found that a dosage in excess of 1 g per 24 hours does not produce an increased effect. In all cases, the dosage should be adjusted with careful individual attention both to symptomatology and ocular tension. Continuous supervision by a physician is advisable. In treatment of secondary glaucoma and in the preoperative treatment of some cases of acute congestive (closed-angle) glaucoma , the preferred dosage is 250 mg every four hours, although some cases have responded to 250 mg twice daily on short-term therapy.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Your prescribing clinician decides the exact dose, form and schedule for you — this is not medical advice.
Acetazolamide side effects
Body as a whole: Headache, malaise, fatigue, fever, flushing, growth retardation in children, flaccid paralysis, anaphylaxis Digestive: Gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea Hematological/Lymphatic: Blood dyscrasias such as aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopenic purpura, melena Hepato-biliary disorders: Abnormal liver function, cholestatic jaundice, hepatic insufficiency, fulminant hepatic necrosis Metabolic/Nutritional: Metabolic acidosis, electrolyte imbalance, including hypokalemia, hyponatremia, osteomalacia with long-term phenytoin therapy, loss of appetite, taste alteration, hyper/hypoglycemia Nervous: Drowsiness, paraesthesia (including numbness and tingling of extremities and face), depression, excitement, ataxia, confusion, convulsions, dizziness Skin: Allergic skin reactions including urticaria, photosensitivity, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis Otologic : Hearing disturbances, tinnitus Eye Disorders: choroidal effusion, choroidal detachment, transient myopia.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. This is not a complete list. Report side effects to your clinician, and seek care for anything severe or unexpected.
Who should not take acetazolamide
Hypersensitivity to acetazolamide or any excipients in the formulation. Since acetazolamide is a sulfonamide derivative, cross sensitivity between acetazolamide, sulfonamides and other sulfonamide derivatives is possible. Acetazolamide therapy is contraindicated in situations in which sodium and/or potassium blood serum levels are depressed, in cases of marked kidney and liver disease or dysfunction, in suprarenal gland failure, and in hyperchloremic acidosis. It is contraindicated in patients with cirrhosis because of the risk of development of hepatic encephalopathy. Long-term administration of acetazolamide is contraindicated in patients with chronic noncongestive angle-closure glaucoma since it may permit organic closure of the angle to occur while the worsening glaucoma is masked by lowered intraocular pressure.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Whether this medication is appropriate for you is a clinical decision made by your prescribing clinician.
Common questions
Is acetazolamide covered at $0 with Tab?
Yes. Acetazolamide is on Tab's covered $0 generic list — every covered strength is $0 with an active membership, at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order.
Do I need insurance to get acetazolamide through Tab?
No. Tab is a membership, not insurance. Covered medications are $0 with an active membership whether or not you have a health plan.
How do I get an acetazolamide prescription with Tab?
Book a video visit with a licensed Tab clinician (unlimited visits are included with membership). If it's clinically appropriate, they send the prescription to your chosen participating pharmacy or by mail order.
How much does acetazolamide cost without insurance?
Without insurance, retail cash prices for acetazolamide vary by pharmacy, strength and quantity. Acetazolamide is on Tab's covered $0 generic list, so every covered strength is $0 with an active Tab membership at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order.
What is the cheapest way to get acetazolamide?
For medications on Tab's covered list, a Tab membership is the cheapest route: covered strengths of acetazolamide are $0 with an active membership, and unlimited video visits with a licensed clinician are included, so the visit that produces the prescription is covered too.
What is the usual dose of acetazolamide?
Glaucoma: Acetazolamide should be used as an adjunct to the usual therapy. The dosage employed in the treatment of chronic simple (open-angle) glaucoma ranges from 250 mg to 1 g of acetazolamide per 24 hours, usually in divided doses for amounts over 250 mg. It has usually been found that a dosage in excess of 1 g per 24 hours does not produce an increased effect. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15. Your clinician sets your dose.)
What are the side effects of acetazolamide?
Body as a whole: Headache, malaise, fatigue, fever, flushing, growth retardation in children, flaccid paralysis, anaphylaxis Digestive: Gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea Hematological/Lymphatic: Blood dyscrasias such as aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopenic purpura, melena Hepato-biliary disorders: Abnormal liver function, cholestatic jaundice, hepatic insufficiency, fulminant hepatic necrosis Metabolic/Nutritional: Metabolic acidosis, electrolyte imbalance, including hypokalemia, hyponatremia, osteomalacia with long-term phenytoin therapy, loss of appetite, taste alteration, hyper/hypoglycemia Nervous: Drowsiness, paraesthesia (including numbness and tingling of extremities and face), depression, excitement, ataxia, confusion, convulsions, dizziness Skin: Allergic skin reactions including urticaria, photosensitivity, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis Otologic : Hearing disturbances, tinnitus Eye Disorders: choroidal effusion, choroidal detachment, transient myopia. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15.)
Acetazolamide is $0 on the covered list
Members pay $0 for covered generics at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order — plus unlimited virtual primary care, urgent care and dermatology visits. No insurance needed.
Solo $49/mo · Family $119/mo for up to 4 people · Family+ $149/mo for up to 8
Start your membership → Compare plansTab is a membership and prescription-discount program, not insurance. A licensed clinician must prescribe any medication. Cancel anytime — no renewal.