Furosemide

Generic Name: furosemide (fur OH se mide)
Brand Names: Lasix, Diaqua-2, Lo-Aqua

What is furosemide?

Furosemide is a loop diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt. This allows the salt to instead be passed in your urine.

Furosemide is 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).

Important information

You should not use furosemide if you are unable to urinate.

Do not take more than your recommended dose. High doses of furosemide may cause irreversible hearing loss.

Before using furosemide, 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.

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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 medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use furosemide if you are allergic to it, or:

if you are unable to urinate.

To make sure furosemide is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

kidney disease;

enlarged prostate, bladder obstruction or other urination problems;

cirrhosiss 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

sulfa drug allergy.

Tell your doctor if you have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or any type of scan using a radioactive dye that is injected into your veins. Both contrast dyes and furosemide can harm your kidneys.

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

Furosemide can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. This medicine may also slow breast milk production. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take furosemide?

Take furosemide exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Do not take more than your recommended dose. High doses of furosemide may cause irreversible hearing loss.

Measure liquid medicine with the dosing syringe provided, or with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

Furosemide will make you urinate more often and you may get dehydrated easily. Follow your doctor's instructions about using potassium supplements or getting enough salt and potassium in your diet.

While using this medicine, you may need frequent blood tests.

Keep using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using this medicine.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Throw away any furosemide oral solution (liquid) 90 days after opening the bottle, even if it still contains unused medicine.