Lasix (furosemide) is a drug designed to treat conditions such as renal failure, kidney failure, heart failure, and nephritic syndrome. Doctors will prescribe this as medication for children and adults. After taking the drug orally, it starts working within the hour.
The peak diuretic effect will happen within the next 1 to 2 hours, and it will begin to reduce over the next 6 to 8 hours.
Doctors refer to Lasix as a loop diuretic that keeps you from getting excessive salt in the body. Instead, the salt passes out of the body through your urine. People who cannot urinate or have hepatic cirrhosis should avoid the use of Lasix.
You should also avoid the use of this medication if allergic. A very serious allergic reaction can occur, and while rare, the results can prove fatal.
Lasix was meant to treat heart failure, renal failure, and kidney failure. It has especially seen popularity in those with kidney failure who may struggle with fluid retention. The drug can help to reduce swelling of the heart and kidneys.
In some cases, doctors treat high blood pressure and edema with this medication. You must carefully monitor changes in blood pressure to prevent serious issues.
Many times when the doctor prescribes it for treating high blood pressure, they will prescribe it in combination with other drugs to increase its effectiveness. You can also buy Lasix in the generic form referred to as furosemide found in oral tablet form.
The drug can either be taken orally or as an injectable solution that a healthcare provider administers.
You can take Lasix either with or without food twice a day. To prevent getting up in the middle of the night to urinate, you may want to avoid taking this drug 4 hours before bed.
How much you take depends on several factors like age, medical condition, and response to treatment. The doctor includes another factor for children, which is based on their weight.
Older adults normally take a lower dosage to decrease the risk of side effects. The older adult population is at a higher risk for serious side effects. Do not decrease the dosage or take more than prescribed. Always take the amount instructed by your doctor.
This reduces the risk that you would encounter serious side effects from the drug.
Some medications should also not be used with Lasix because of the reactions between the drugs. Tell your doctor your full medical history to reduce the risk. If you happen to be taking colestipol, sucralfate, and cholestyramine, you should separate the timing of dosage for Lasix and those drugs by 2 hours.
Lasix comes with a number of side effects. Some of the most common side effects that you will encounter on Lasix include:
To lower the risk of lightheadedness and blurred vision, rise slowly from the lying position and sitting.
Many people who take Lasix do not experience serious side effects, but with that said, it should still be mentioned what you could encounter. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice the following side effects:
Do not use more of this drug than prescribed. In some cases, high doses may lead to permanent hearing loss. Your doctor should continue to monitor you closely as you take this drug. Tell your doctor right away if you develop muscle cramps, weakness, or experience confusion.
You should tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions before you take Lasix:
Alert your doctor if allergic to sulfa drugs as well, since it may mean that you could have an allergy to Lasix. Also, speak with your doctor if you have previously undergone an MRI scan or used radioactive dyes injected intravenously.
The dye can negatively interact with Lasix to harm your kidneys. If you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant, you should tell your doctor. It isn’t known if this drug will harm the baby.
It also may not be safe to breastfeed while taking this drug. Some researchers believe that Lasix may slow the production of breastmilk. Also, if you will need surgery in the future, you should tell the surgeon ahead of time that you would need Lasix.
You should store this drug at room temperature away from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture.
Lasix is sometimes only used once, so you may not need to take it on a scheduled dosing. They first invented Lasix in 1959 and approved it for medical use in 1964. The World Health Organization includes it on its list of essential medicines.
Taking this drug can often improve symptoms from fluid on different organs. For example, it can reduce the workload on the heart and improve things like shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling. This drug helps to prevent further deterioration of the function of the heart.
