Details

Furosemide is a loop diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt, allowing the salt to instead be passed in your urine. Furosemide treats fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, liver disease, or a kidney disorder such as nephrotic syndrome. This medication is also used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). To make sure you can safely take furosemide, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease enlarged prostate, bladder obstruction or other urination problems cirrhosis or other liver disease an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood) high cholesterol or triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) gout lupus diabetes or an allergy to sulpha drugs.

Typical Uses

Furosemide is used to reduce extra fluid in the body (edema) caused by conditions such as heart failure, liver disease, and kidney disease. 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. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. Furosemide may also be used to decrease a high level of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia).

Side Effects

Stop using furosemide and inform your doctor immediately if you have ringing in your ears, hearing loss itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-coloured stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting weight loss, body aches, numbness swelling, rapid weight gain, urinating less than usual or not at all chest pain, new or worsening cough with fever, trouble breathing pale skin, bruising, unusual bleeding, feeling light-headed, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling) low calcium (tingly feeling around your mouth, muscle tightness or contraction, overactive reflexes) headache, feeling unsteady, weak or shallow breathing.

Drug Interactions

• Furosemide+amikacin- Ask your doctor before using amikacin together with furosemide this can increase the effects of amikacin. This can cause damage to the kidneys or hearing loss. This may be more likely to occur in older adults or those with high dosages of drug, pre-existing kidney problems, and dehydration.
• Furosemide+amiodarone- Talk to your doctor before using amiodarone together with furosemide. Combining these medications can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious. If your doctor prescribes these medications together, you may need regular monitoring of your electrolyte (magnesium, potassium) levels as well as other tests to safely use both medications.
• Furosemide+cisapride- Using cisapride together with furosemide is not recommended. Combining these medications can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop sudden dizziness, light-headedness, fainting, or fast or pounding heartbeats during treatment with cisapride.
• Furosemide+dofetilide- Using dofetilide together with furosemide can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious. If your doctor prescribes these medications together, you may need regular monitoring of your electrolyte (magnesium, potassium) levels as well as other tests to safely use both medications.
• Furosemide+gentamicin- Ask your doctor before using gentamicin together with furosemide this can increase the effects of gentam

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