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.
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Types
Diuretics
Overview
Overview
Diuretics help your kidneys remove extra water and salt (or sodium) from your body. Getting rid of extra water helps your heart pump easier and can help to decrease symptoms of heart failure.
When living with heart failure, it’s important to take medicines that help balance the fluids in your body.
Furosemide (Lasix) and Bumetanide (Bumex)
Bumetanide and Furosemide are in a class of diuretics called “loop diuretics”. Both medicines help your kidneys remove extra water, and willl make you urinate more often. Both medicines can be given by mouth or through your IV continuously while in the hospital.
Common side effects:
- Frequent urination
- Tiredness or weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Increased thirst
- Dizziness
Hydrochlorothiazide and Chlorothiazide
You may be prescribed hydrochlorothiazide tablets or chlorothiazide solution. These medicines help your body get rid of extra water and salt. They can also help lower blood pressure.
Common side effects:
- Frequent urination
- Tiredness or weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Increased thirst
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Spironolactone
Spironolactone is used to remove extra water and salt from the body, but it does not get rid of potassium like the other diuretics. It can also be used as a heart failure therapy. This medicine might make you need to urinate more often.
Common side effects:
- Stomach cramps
- Dry mouth
- Excessive thirst
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Enlarged breast tissue
- Breast pain and irregular menstrual periods (women)
Metolazone
Metolazone is used to remove extra water and salt from the body. It can also help lower blood pressure. This medicine might make you need to urinate more often. It can help the other diuretics remove more water and salt when they are used with metolazone.
Common side effects:
- Dizziness
- Vertigo, or feeling like you’re spinning
- Increased thirst
- Numbness
- Tingling
Furosemide (Lasix) and Bumetanide (Bumex)
Bumetanide and Furosemide are in a class of diuretics called “loop diuretics”. Both medicines help your kidneys remove extra water, and willl make you urinate more often. Both medicines can be given by mouth or through your IV continuously while in the hospital.
Common side effects:
- Frequent urination
- Tiredness or weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Increased thirst
- Dizziness
Hydrochlorothiazide and Chlorothiazide
You may be prescribed hydrochlorothiazide tablets or chlorothiazide solution. These medicines help your body get rid of extra water and salt. They can also help lower blood pressure.
Common side effects:
- Frequent urination
- Tiredness or weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Increased thirst
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Spironolactone
Spironolactone is used to remove extra water and salt from the body, but it does not get rid of potassium like the other diuretics. It can also be used as a heart failure therapy. This medicine might make you need to urinate more often.
Common side effects:
- Stomach cramps
- Dry mouth
- Excessive thirst
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Enlarged breast tissue
- Breast pain and irregular menstrual periods (women)
Metolazone
Metolazone is used to remove extra water and salt from the body. It can also help lower blood pressure. This medicine might make you need to urinate more often. It can help the other diuretics remove more water and salt when they are used with metolazone.
Common side effects:
- Dizziness
- Vertigo, or feeling like you’re spinning
- Increased thirst
- Numbness
- Tingling
