Furosemide

Uses of Furosemide

Furosemide is a loop diuretic used to treat fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, liver disease, or a kidney disorder such as nephrotic syndrome. Furosemide is also used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Furosemide works by increasing the amount of urine the body makes, which helps reduce swelling and symptoms of fluid retention and helps lower high blood pressure. Furosemide tablets are sometimes called water pills as they increase how much you urinate.

Precautions and Warnings

Before using this medicine, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, enlarged prostate, urination problems, cirrhosis or other liver disease, an electrolyte imbalance, high cholesterol, gout, lupus, diabetes, or an allergy to sulfa drugs.

Tell your doctor if you have recently had an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or any type of scan using a radioactive dye that is injected into your veins. Do not take more of this medication than is recommended.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medicine even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Furosemide is a potent diuretic which, if given in excessive amounts, can lead to a profound diuresis with water and electrolyte depletion. Therefore, careful medical supervision is required and dose schedule must be adjusted to the individual patient’s needs

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines. Some drugs should not be used with furosemide.

It is not known if furosemide will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It may not be safe to breastfeed while using furosemide. Ask your doctor about any risk. Furosemide may slow breast milk production.

Dosage

Oral: Initial dose: 20 to 80 mg orally once; may repeat with the same dose or increase by 20 or 40 mg no sooner than 6 to 8 hours after the previous dose until the desired diuretic effect has been obtained.
Maintenance dose: Administer the dose that provided the desired diuretic effect once or twice a day (e.g., at 8 am and 2 pm).

Side Effects

Common side effects:

• diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite;
• numbness or tingling;
• headache, dizziness; or
• blurred vision.