Lasix – An Effective Hypotensive Drug
Descriprion of Lasix
Generic Furosemide, a strong emictory, or loop diuretic that helps to release excessive salt and water through urinary tract. When water, chloride, calcium, and sodium are strained out of the blood into the kidneys, they are mostly reabsorbed. Due to diuretic action of Furosemide kidneys can better discharge this unneeded accumulation through urine. The drug is prescribed to treat edema and hypertention.
The Uses of Generic Lasix
Since Lasix increases the frequency of urination, it reduces blood tension in hypertensive patients, and is administered in the treatment of edema that can be caused by liver cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome, backward heart failure, severe hypercalcemia, and problems of conglobate gland. Besides, it is helpful in treating cerebral and pulmonary edema.
Precautions, adverse effects, and dosage
The advisable dosage of Furosemide is 40 mg bis in day orally. Like with many emictories, it can trigger dewatering and electrolyte imbalance, involving loss of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. It is particularly significant to advert potassium loss. Overuse of Furosemide will most probably result in a metabolic alkalosis because of hypokalemia and hypochloremia. Hence, the medicen should be avoided by those who have kidney failure or experience dehydration. Besides, it should be cautiously used by patients with electrolyte abnormalities or liver problems. Excessive use may result in dewatering, GI problems, seizures, change in urination and drinking patterns, kidney damage, drowsiness, collapse, and even coma.
Furosemide should be administered carefully if combined with aminoglycoside antibiotics (raises the risk of ear or kidney damage), trimethoprim sulfa (decreases platelet count), and corticosteroids (increases the hazard of electrolyte imbalance). Besides, it may interact with anesthetics, therefore its use should be discussed with a doctor if you are going into surgery, and it also decreases the ability of kidneys to release aspirin, therefore dosages should be adjusted when combined with this medicine.
Furosemide may trigger digoxin toxicity because of hypokalemia.
The use of Furosemide should be avoided during gestation or lactation period, because experiments have shown that it gets through the placenta and enters the milk.
Interactions with Medicines
Furosemide can interact with the drugs that are listed below:
o Aminoglycoside antibiotics (for example, Gentamicin)
o Aspirin and other salicylate medicines
o Other emictories (for example, hydrochlorothiazide, ethacrynic acid)
o Lithium
o Indomethacin
o Sucralfate
o Synergism with other hypotensive drugs (for example, Doxazosin)