Author: Alex Thompson
Furosemide: medicine to treat high blood pressure and oedema
This can lessen symptoms such as shortness of breath and swelling in your arms, legs, and abdomen.This drug is also used to treat high blood pressure. This helps your body get rid of extra water and salt. Furosemide is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure.
Check your blood pressure regularly while taking this medication. Learn how to monitor your own blood pressure at home, and share the results with your doctor. Severe sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting may cause dehydration and cause you to feel lightheaded. Tell your doctor if you have severe diarrhea or vomiting. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids unless your doctor tells you not to. Your doctor will recommend the best treatment plan for your condition that minimizes your risk for side effects.
Your doctor may prescribe furosemide alone or together with other medications for your condition. If you develop a rash after starting or at any time while taking furosemide, call your doctor right away. They can check to see what’s causing your rash and may recommend ways to treat it. Your blood pressure will need to be checked often and you may need other medical tests. This medicine will make you urinate more often and you may get dehydrated easily.
Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension:
Measure liquid medicine with the supplied measuring device (not a kitchen spoon). You should not use furosemide if you are allergic to it, if you are unable to urinate or have hepatic cirrhosis. This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.
Let them know if you have side effects or have other concerns. If needed, your doctor can recommend how to safely stop taking furosemide. And they can suggest alternate treatment options for your condition.
If you’re taking the drug for swelling, you may notice that your swelling has gone down with furosemide. Furosemide should not be used if you’re breastfeeding, due to nursing implications. The drug can pass into breast milk, and it may cause serious side effects for a child who’s breastfed. Your doctor can give you more information on foods to avoid for your condition.
Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company. Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. This medication may interfere with certain lab tests (such as thyroid hormone levels), possibly causing false test results. Make sure lab personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug. Alcohol or marijuana (cannabis) can make you more dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs alertness or clear vision until you can do it safely.
Ask your doctor for more information on the best diet for your condition. So it’s best to avoid these types of foods with furosemide. Examples of processed foods include potato chips, salted nuts, and lunch meat. Your doctor may lower your dosage of furosemide if you take it with other drugs that have similar effects.
Does furosemide cause certain side effects in older people?
Your doctor will tell you how much furosemide you can take in a day. Your dosage will vary depending on the condition you’re treating. You can take this drug once or twice a day, based on your condition. In some cases, the drug can cause a severe skin reaction called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Talk with your doctor about all of your medications and health history. They can tell you if you have an increased risk for orthostatic hypotension.
- No, stopping furosemide doesn’t cause withdrawal symptoms.
- This drug has not been studied in children for treating high blood pressure.
- Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects.
- If you’re treating high blood pressure, your doctor may suggest that you monitor your blood pressure.
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval. Furosemide is a loop diuretic used to treat hypertension and edema in congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, renal disease, and hypertension. Furosemide tablets are sometimes called water pills as they increase how much you urinate.
In general, generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs do. Furosemide oral tablets are available in a brand-name version called Lasix. To learn about this version, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. To learn more about furosemide’s uses, see the “What are furosemide oral tablets used for? The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records.
Drugs & Supplements
Furosemide may be used as part of combination therapy to treat high blood pressure. This means you may need to take it with other medications. Lab and/or medical tests (such as kidney function, blood mineral levels such as potassium) should be done while you are taking this medication. Babies born early (premature infants) and children may be more sensitive to certain effects of this drug, such as kidney stones. Using too much of this drug can lead to serious water and salt/mineral loss. It is important that you are closely monitored by your doctor while taking this medication.
If you have high blood pressure or edema (fluid buildup), your doctor may discuss furosemide with you. To learn more about these conditions and how furosemide treats them, see the “What are furosemide oral tablets used for? Having kidney disease can cause furosemide to build up in the body, leading to more side effects from the drug. And taking other drugs with furosemide could increase the risk of interactions.
Furosemide belongs to a class of drugs called diuretics. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. This medication may cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The dosage is based on your medical condition, age, and response to treatment.