Furosemide (a benzoic-sulfonamide-furan) is a loop diuretic (water pill) with fast onset and short duration used for edema and chronic renal insufficiency that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt. This allows the salt to instead be passed in your urine.
Furosemide is used to treat fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, liver disease, or a kidney disorder such as nephrotic syndrome.
Furosemide is also used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).
For the treatment of edema associated with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and renal disease, including the nephrotic syndrome. Also for the treatment of hypertension alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents.
Furosemide, a sulfonamide-type loop diuretic structurally related to bumetanide, is used to manage hypertension and edema associated with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, and renal disease, including the nephrotic syndrome.
Furosemide, a loop diuretic, inhibits water reabsorption in the nephron by blocking the sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter (NKCC2) in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle.
This is achieved through competitive inhibition at the chloride binding site on the cotransporter, thus preventing the transport of sodium from the lumen of the loop of Henle into the basolateral interstitium.
Consequently, the lumen becomes more hypertonic while the interstitium becomes less hypertonic, which in turn diminishes the osmotic gradient for water reabsorption throughout the nephron. Because the thick ascending limb is responsible for 25% of sodium reabsorption in the nephron, furosemide is a very potent diuretic.
Metabolism: Only a small amount is hepatically metabolized to the defurfurylated derivative, 4-chloro-5-sulfamoylanthranilic acid.
Absorption: 60% absorbed in patients with normal renal function
Route of elimination: Furosemide is excreted in urine. Significantly more furosemide is excreted in urine following the I.V. injection than after the tablet or oral solution.
Half life: 2 hours
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects.Some medical conditions may interact with Furosemide.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions.
Common furosemide side effects may include: diarrhea, constipation, numbness or tingling, headache, dizziness or blurred vision.
Profound diuresis may cause fluid and electrolyte depletion. Excessive dehydration and potassium depletion may occur. Excessive diuresis may cause rapid weight loss, orthostatic hypotension or acute hypotensive episodes. May also cause tinnitus, reversible or permanent hearing loss or reversible deafness.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider.