Exploring Medicine
Treatment Options
If you’re living with heart failure, you may need medicines to help keep your heart and body healthy.
If you’re in the hospital, medicine is often given through an IV (intravenous therapy).
If you are at home, or ready to leave the hospital, your medicines will be taken by mouth.
If you’re living with heart failure, you may need medicines to help keep your heart and body healthy. If you’re in the hospital, medicine is often given through an IV (intravenous therapy). If you are at home, or ready to leave the hospital, your medicines will be taken by mouth.
1
Types
IV Therapy
While you’re in the hospital, it’s likely that you’ll have IV (intravenous therapy) medicines. This means the medicine will be given to you by your care team and will go directly into your vein through the IV.
There are three main kinds of medications you will get through IV:
- Inotropes: Medicines that help your heart squeeze easier
- Diuretics: Medicines that help your body remove extra water
- Anticoagulants: Medicines that thin the blood and help prevent blood clots
Your care team will monitor you closely while you’re on these medicines. If IV therapy is unsuccessful, your doctor may discuss more advanced therapy options.
Click the images below to learn more about each medicine.
Inotropes
Learn about the medicines given through an IV that help your heart contract more easily.
Diuretics
Learn about the medicines given through an IV that help your body remove extra water.
Anticoagulants
Learn about the medicines given through an IV that thin your blood.
