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What is furosemide?
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). Furosemide may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

Pricing information provided by drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of furosemide

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using furosemide and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• dry mouth, thirst, nausea, vomiting;

• feeling weak, drowsy, restless, or light-headed;

• fast or uneven heartbeat;

• muscle pain or weakness;

• urinating less than usual or not at all;

• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;

• a red, blistering, peeling skin rash;

• hearing loss; or

• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious side effects may include:

• diarrhea, constipation, or stomach pain;

• headache;

• numbness, burning, pain, or tingly feeling;

• dizziness; or

• blurred vision.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take furosemide?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. 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.

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What is the most important information I should know about furosemide?
Do not use this medication if you are unable to urinate. Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, liver disease, gout, lupus, diabetes, or an allergy to sulfa drugs. To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled appointments. 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.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Furosemide is sometimes used only once, so you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are using the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect furosemide?
If you take sucralfate (Carafate), take it at least 2 hours before or after you take furosemide. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: lithium; digoxin (Lanoxin); steroids (prednisone and others); ethacrynic acid (Edecrin); diet pills or cold medicine; other blood pressure medications; amikacin (Amikin), gentamicin (Garamycin), netilmicin (Netromycin), streptomycin, tobramycin (Nebcin, Tobi); salicylates such as aspirin, Disalcid, Doan's Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others; or

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Furosemide has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have revealed evidence of fetolethality as well as maternal death. In addition, some animal studies demonstrate an increased incidence of hydronephrosis. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Furosemide should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

Furosemide crosses the human placenta, with some data showing equivalent umbilical cord serum and maternal serum furosemide concentrations. The fetus may experience pharmacologic effects of furosemide, including increased urine output and increased urinary sodium. Most experts do not recommend furosemide for the routine treatment of edema or hypertension during pregnancy because, as a potent diuretic agent, furosemide can induce maternal hypovolemia and decreased placental perfusion pressure. In addition, the use of diuretics for these conditions has not been shown to improve clinical outcome. Some experts suggest that the only conditions during pregnancy where furosemide might be indicated are pulmonary edema, severe hypertension, or congestive heart failure. One study has shown that furosemide promotes patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome. Data from the Michigan Medicaid Birth Defects Study (MMBDS) has revealed an association between the use of furosemide and congenital abnormalities (written communication, Franz Rosa, MD, Food and Drug Administration, 1994). The MMBDS is a retrospective study of 229,101 completed pregnancies between 1985 and 1992, of which 350 were exposed to furosemide at some time during the first trimester, and 758 were exposed to the drug at any time during pregnancy. Of the 350 pregnancies that were exposed to furosemide, 18 total birth defects were observed (15 were expected). There were 3 cases of hypospadias (1 was expected). The observed instances of cardiovascular defects, cleft palate, polydactyly, and limb reduction did not attain statistical significance. These data are consistent with an association between furosemide and birth defects, although other factors, including any underlying disease(s) of the mothers, are not accounted for.

Furosemide is excreted into human milk. There are no reports of adverse effects in nursing infants. The manufacturer recommends that caution be used when administering furosemide to nursing women.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Anuria.
• Known hypersensitivity to furosemide or any ingredient in the formulation.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include ringing in your ears, loss of appetite, weakness, dizziness, confusion, feeling light-headed, or fainting.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking furosemide?
Do not use this medication if you are unable to urinate. Before using furosemide, tell your doctor if you have: kidney disease; liver disease; gout; lupus; diabetes; or an allergy to sulfa drugs. If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take furosemide. FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Furosemide can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
Even though you may feel better you should not stop taking your high blood pressure medication without first checking with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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