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

Inotropes

Milrinone

Milrinone is used for patients with heart failure and is given through an IV continuously. Milrinone helps the heart squeeze and relaxes the blood vessels so the heart can pump more blood to the body. This medicine may improve symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue.

Common side effects:

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling or shakiness
  • Headache
  • Easy bruising or bleeding

Epinephrine

Epinephrine is used for patients with heart failure and is given through an IV continuously. Epinephrine helps the heart squeeze and pump more blood to the body. This medicine may improve symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue.

Common side effects:

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling or shakiness
  • Hot flashes
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling nervous or excitable
  • Sweating
  • Headache

Dobutamine

Dobutamine is used for patients with heart failure and is given through an IV continuously. Dobutamine helps the heart squeeze and relaxes the blood vessels so the heart can pump more blood to the body. 

Common side effects: 

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling
  • Hot flashes

Calcium Chloride

In some hospitals, calcium chloride can be given through an IV continuously to help the heart squeeze and improve blood flow.  

Common side effects:

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling
  • Hot flashes

Milrinone

Milrinone is used for patients with heart failure and is given through an IV continuously. Milrinone helps the heart squeeze and relaxes the blood vessels so the heart can pump more blood to the body. This medicine may improve symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue.

Common side effects:

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling or shakiness
  • Headache
  • Easy bruising or bleeding

Epinephrine

Epinephrine is used for patients with heart failure and is given through an IV continuously. Epinephrine helps the heart squeeze and pump more blood to the body. This medicine may improve symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue.

Common side effects:

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling or shakiness
  • Hot flashes
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling nervous or excitable
  • Sweating
  • Headache

Dobutamine

Dobutamine is used for patients with heart failure and is given through an IV continuously. Dobutamine helps the heart squeeze and relaxes the blood vessels so the heart can pump more blood to the body. 

Common side effects: 

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling
  • Hot flashes

Calcium Chloride

In some hospitals, calcium chloride can be given through an IV continuously to help the heart squeeze and improve blood flow.  

Common side effects:

  • Redness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling feeling
  • Hot flashes