Lasix

Lasix (furosemide) is a medicine used to treat fluid retention or high blood pressure. While taking Lasix you may get dehydrated easily. You will probably need to get plenty of potassium in your diet and your health care provider will give you all the recommendations necessary. Your health care provider is supposed to know as much as possible about your personal or family medical history. Some medical conditions you have and some drugs you are taking can affect the dose you are prescribed initially. In other cases you may need additional tests to establish the safety of using Lasix. The following medical conditions must be reported to your doctor in case you have them: kidney disease, allergy to sulfa drugs, lupus, liver disease, diabetes, and gout. Any other medical conditions you have that may be of importance need to be reported as well. Make sure you mention the fact of taking any of the following medications: ethacrynic acid, indomethacin, diet pills, cold medicines, streptomycin, digoxin, salicylates, amikacin, netilmicin, steroids, other blood pressure medications, or lithium, as interactions between them and Lasix have been reported. Drug interactions can lower the efficiency of Lasix or alter its effects, which is why you are not supposed to start taking any other medications before talking to your health care provider. Sometimes Lasix can cause side effects. Their intensity cannot be predicted as they may be individual depending on every patient. The following are considered to be mild side effects and there is no need for you to report them to your health care provider: constipation, numbness, stomach pain, diarrhea, headache, blurred vision, pain, dizziness, and burning. More serious side effects are sometimes possible. Unlike mild side effects mentioned, serious side effects should be reported to your doctor as they are unlikely to get better. The following serious side effects have been reported by people taking Lasix so far: muscle pain, peeling skin, rash, hearing loss, blistering, fast or uneven heartbeat, light-headedness, vomiting, dry mouth, nausea, easy bruising or bleeding, muscle weakness, unusual weakness, and restlessness. Even if you think some other person may benefit from taking Lasix, you are not supposed to share this medicine with them. Lasix is supposed to be taken only people to whom it was prescribed. There are a number of contraindications for taking this drug (such as certain medical conditions, allergies, pregnancy, medications the person is taking etc) that can cause unpleasant and even dangerous reactions in the person using Lasix without previously discussing it with a qualified health care professional. Being pregnant is one of the contraindications. Lasix is FDA pregnancy category C. This category means the drug is known to pass to breast milk but it is not known whether it can do any harm to an unborn baby. The use of Lasix is very rarely justified in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if you think you may have become pregnant while on this medication.