Furosemide Precautions
To finish off this 4 part article Drugs! are you on a diuretic, I will show you some questions written by worried patients prescribed diuretics. If you’re on this class of drugs, you may find a question here relating to you and problems you are encountering. As Furosemide is a diuretic that is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world, questions about this particular drug will be covered here. Click for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Over 7 million users in the US
Over 7 million US citizens were prescribed this diuretic to lower hypertension (high blood pressure) up to 2012. I can’t find an up to date figure but you can imagine what a money spinner this drug is.
This was to reduce water retention by duping the kidneys to shed more fluid than they would normally do. Also, that lost fluid would contain precious minerals and nutrients that would have been salvaged through a secondary filtering system that naturally happens with normal kidney function. In other words, this drug changes the way kidneys normally function, to the detriment of the filtering process.
Furosemide (Lasix) – A loop diuretic
Furosemide (Lasix) is a “loop” diuretic, meaning that it affects a special part of the kidney called the loop of Henle to facilitate salt elimination from the body. This medication not only kicks sodium out of the body (considered a beneficial action), it also promotes removal of other key minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. Many health professionals are aware of the potassium problem, but they may ignore the depletion of magnesium. Low levels of magnesium and potassium can have devastating consequences.
Makes pharmaceuticals billions of $ every year
This drug is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world, are you on it? Here are some question asked by worried patients about furosemide which brings in billions of dollars to the pharmaceutical industry every year.
This patient should change his Dr.
“My husband’s doctor is concerned about his blood pressure. It has been fine until three days ago when at the doctor’s office it was 140/80. (When we got home it was 125/75). The doctor doubled his dose of furosemide.
I frankly am afraid he is going to end up in the hospital! I would like to learn more 
about this drug. My husband fortunately works close to home; he sometimes urinates on himself because he can’t always make it to the bathroom in time. He does operate heavy equipment at times and the dizziness thing is scary too. Please tell us more about furosemide (Lasix) side effects.”
White coat syndrome
This is absolutely disgraceful. Doubling the dose of Lasix just because someone exhibits a slightly high BP reading is scandalous, especially as his BP dropped as soon as he got home. This is a typical example of “White Coat Syndrome”. Be thankful you don’t have this medic as your doctor. But be aware, this is the kind of nonsense that happens. You MUST be au fait with your own body and say NO if you don’t agree with the doctor. After all, it’s you taking these drugs and taking the risk of side effects not him!
Overactive bladder
It is known that this drug can cause an overactive bladder causing frequent urination which sometimes is uncontrollable by the sufferer. (BMC Geriatrics, June 10, 2013). Unnecessary doubling of his dose of Lasix will only exacerbate the problem. There seems to be no consideration for the patient when these drugs are dished out willy nilly. Why should this man have to put up with these side effects?
Dereliction of duty
No attention has been given to this patient’s occupation. Operating heavy machinery
whilst suffering the side effects of dizziness or vertigo is an accident waiting to happen. This just confirms that this doctor failed in his duty to make sure his patient had the best possible medication for his particular lifestyle. This is a dereliction of duty in my mind, apart from the obvious misery it is causing the patient and his wife.
Lasix’s potential to cause kidney damage
“As part of the medications I take for high blood pressure, I take Lasix two times per day, 40 mg each. I am concerned as I just read that Lasix can potentially cause kidney damage or gout when taken over a period of time. I am very concerned that I have never been told about these serious side effects from my doctor. Are they true?”
Medics must inform!
Again, here is another example of medics not doing right by his patient. The most common side effects should be made clear so that the patient can come back to the doctor if he suffers them. How is the patient expected to know that something he has is due to the drug he is taking. Many people will just think they have the flu or their back aches because of the gardening etc.. Patients must be kept informed. The information must be given by the doctor. This patient actually looked up for himself what the side effects may be for this drug. So now he is turning to other means to find out for himself, which means he has lost faith in his doctor.
“My mother had swelling in her ankles, she only weighed 74 lbs. Her Dr. prescribed her lasix 40 mg.
She took one time day. We had home health nursing too. Mom was feeling weaker loss of appetite. They couldn’t figure out what’s wrong. About week Mom says let’s go to Hosp. we waiting for results, her body had no sodium.
Dr. didn’t prescribe potassium with her lasix…we were in Hosp 2 wks . We were home 2wks. She never recovered from that. I lost her…do u believe Dr. is responsible…I do.”
Medics MUST learn about electrolytes
As for the 2nd patient, words fail me. What a terrible mistake not to make sure all electrolytes are replete, especially in an older patient. This poor lady met her demise probably because she lacked the electrolytes for her body to survive. This is such a real danger with diuretics.
No nutritional knowledge required to be an MD!
Did you know that in the UK, medical school has just 1 day out of 6 years spent on learning about nutrition and these lessons are not compulsory so many don’t attend. There is no requirement for knowledge of nutrition to become an MD. I suspect many patients know more about nutrition than their doctors!
Are doctors in control?
There seems to be a serious and life threatening problem with medics just not knowing their stuff when it comes to prescribing these serious drugs. Why don’t medics know how minerals and other nutrients work. Or is there something else going on? Are doctors losing control to a larger machine?
Drugs have to be processed
One of the most serious side effects of this drug and other diuretics (and many other drugs) is kidney damage. After all, drugs must be processed through the kidneys so this delicate system has to cope with alien chemicals which are changing the way the kidneys work.
European Heart Journal says…
European Heart Journal. Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy, June 19, 2017 reports that kidney damage is a possible adverse reaction to this drug. Although this side effect is listed in the leaflet that comes with the drug, it seems to be unknown to those medics that prescribe it. Those patients that suffer the consequence of regularly taking this drug will no doubt consider themselves just unlucky to have succumbed to kidney disease. This despite the likely cause to be the furosemide they regularly take.
Gout can be caused by furosemide
“I had gout attacks only when I was taking Lasix. My uric acid levels were 11. I have not had any attacks since discontinuing the Lasix.”
Gout is another possible side effect of furosemide which is brought about by elevated levels of uric acid. Arthritis & Rheumatology, Dec. 29, 2011 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.33315/abstract)).
One medic says No, the other says Yes
“I take prescribed 20 mg Lasix twice a day. One doctor says to take potassium with it, but another doctor says no. I don’t know what to do.”
Depletion of vital minerals
It is known that furosemide depletes the body of minerals such as magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K). A common practice is to test the patient for deficiencies in these important minerals. Problem is, the test results are often false positives for both these minerals with Mg deficiency being particularly mis-diagnosed, when a reading, shown as normal, is hiding the fact that the patient is seriously deficient.
Doctors think Mg deficiency is rare
The total magnesium serum test is so inaccurate and antequated that it could be the reason why most doctors think a Mg deficiency is unusual. As for K, your doctor should prescribe Lasix-K or offer a K supplement. One of these doctors is wrong and the poor patient doesn’t know what to do!
Electrolytes
Electrolytes Mg and K are essential for muscle function and that includes the heart muscle. Muscle cramps are common when Mg is depleted, along with arrythmias which can be life-threatening if not addressed properly. You can’t overdose on Mg, the body won’t hold onto it. It is good practice to always make sure you are replete in this king of minerals. Without it you WILL become sick with many different problems.
Hearing loss in both ears!
“My wife (54 years old) started furosemide 20 mg twice a day for fluid retention. It has helped with that, but has caused hearing loss in both ears. She has been told to stop for two weeks and see her doctor for blood work afterwards.”
The possibility of hearing loss, which can be irreversible, is on the list of side effects for this drug. It should be stressed by all doctors, the serious side effects this drug can cause including kidney damage and irreversible hearing loss and many more. I’m sure if this patient had been told about the side effects, she would have requested a different medication. But she hasn’t been given the option. Because of this lack of information, she could be permanently hearing impaired!
Did Lasix cause diabetes?
“I have a very good friend who suffers from serious heart problems. He had a pacemaker implanted many years ago. That was replaced with a defibrillator pacemaker. He has been taking many medications for his heart problems, including furosemide (Lasix). He was diagnosed with diabetes about three years ago.
A few months ago, he was taken to the ER when he became very short of breath. They ran many tests and one doctor switched him from Lasix to torsemide (Demadex). Ever since this change, his blood sugar has been completely normal. Is diabetes one of furosemide side effects?”
The body’s lack of ability to deal with carbohydrates has been associated with furosemide (Lasix). This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels putting the patient at risk for diabetes. If this patient acquired his diabetes after being on this drug, there is a possibility the furosemide was a contributory factor.
Husband changed into a ‘Zombie’
“My husband took furosemide for many years. We now know from the cardiologist who is caring for my husband that he was taking too many drugs that were not beneficial for him including furosemide. He was like a zombie–just wanted to sit and do nothing.
After this cardiologist took my husband off this drug, plus others, plus prescribing 
something else instead and reducing the amounts of other drugs, my husband miraculously became alive again. He is now 86 years old and has survived two life-threatening surgeries. He is now very active and building things like he used to that he loved to do. He does many tasks and does not want to sleep all day, eats well and does so many other things…
and
“I have taken furosemide 40mg daily for the last 5 years and to me I seriously think that it is useless but I am told by the doctors not to stop taking this which was increased to 80mg daily after my visit to hospital for a knee op since which I have suffered with very swollen ankles and the increase in furosemide dose which I know is not helping me one bit. My doctor tells me that I cannot STOP taking this medication but I really intend to stop for a week as I honestly think that they are not relieving my swelling but only making me lifeless and immobile I am 82 years old”
Prime example of over prescribing
The first patient here is a prime example of too many drugs being taken, many of which were obviously not necessary and causing great harm. Thank goodness this patient found a cardiologist who recognised the problem. Why were his previous medics not checking his prescription drugs regularly. Can it be something to do with money?
The second patient knows the drug is doing no good, but will not stop it because the doctor insists it be taken for life and doubling the dose to boot! She is obviously declining in health as she states she is ‘lifeless and immobile’, what a crime! There is another way, but this doctor is not going to suggest anything other than a drug and more of the same.
Interaction
As well as furosemide, many drugs can clash with each other, possibly causing serious problems. Doctors do not seem to be au fait with which drugs can be incompatible with others. It should not be your job to look out for conflicts between your prescribed drugs but it may be wise to do so and check with your pharmacist who will likely know more about this subject than your medic.
From the horse’s mouth!
“Before I retired as a pharmacist, the two generic drugs that I received the most complaints about were generic Lasix and generic Ritalin.” Mark
A telling sentence
This is a very telling sentence. There is no reason why this professional should not be telling things as they are. He says the ‘two generic drugs that he received the MOST complaints about’, indicating that there are many other drugs causing many problems for many patients. Patients are complaining to their pharmacist, are they also complaining to their doctor. If not, why not?
Some medics are bumptious
Doctors are often held in the highest esteem and many patients are loath to complain to them for fear of disapproval or reproach. After all, doctor knows best, but does he? The fact that your doctor is looking after your health, or supposed to be, can be a little intimidating.
Be Brave!
But remember, this is your body and your health we’re talking about, not his. Don’t be frightened to ask questions and give your opinions. If you are not happy, change your doctor to a naturopath who is also an MD. These doctors of the future will look at the whole body. You will likely be prescribed natural medications before drugs. Drugs will only be prescribed if there are no alternatives.
More comments
Here are some more comments from desperate patients who really are in turmoil as how to proceed with their condition. It would appear that most are not over enamoured with how they have been treated by the medical profession.
“Been on furosemide 40 mg 3 times about 6 weeks and because it transformed me into a zombie, my MD dropped the dose to 20 mg 3 times a week. Within another month my legs were so weak, I couldn’t walk at all. Waiting to hear from my cardiologist for advice.”
“I have been on Lasix 40MG for approximately six weeks for edema, shortness of breath, and high blood pressure. Gradually, I have encountered cramps in my feet and left hand, mostly at night. The worst effect is very harsh left kidney pain where I’m unable to sleep at night. It starts to subside about 4:30 AM. I used to take Triamterene/HCTZ Capsules 37.5-25MG with little or no side effects. I almost went to the emergency room last night due to the intense kidney pain. I’m calling my cardiac MD this morning for advice. At the very least I’m stopping the Lasix.”
“I have these cramps so bad and gout, now I see it came from the Lasix as a side effect and my doctor just upped my dosage to 40 from 20. I am swollen in the legs and feet and I think my water pill isn’t working. I don’t think I’ll up the dosage but stop generic brand and opt for another brand of water pill. These doctors are not telling us everything. The gout is not hereditary, it came from the water pill and so did the ringing in my ears and blurry vision.”
“My doctor prescribed furosemide to reduce swelling, just the opposite effect happened. At first I thought it was just not working yet. Soon I noticed that my feet and legs would swell so much that they hurt when touched even the slightest. I stopped for a few days and things would be better, so I thought I would try it again and yes I would start swelling all over again. Sometimes I wonder if our doctors even research any of the meds before they give them to you.”
“My husband is 48 years old and has numerous health issues. He has gout, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, heart issues (5 stents in place). He has been on lasix for about a year now. He takes 16 different medications right now. After reading this blog I’m concerned because he is on lasix and omeprozale. His legs are constantly swollen and now his stomach is swollen with a bad pain on the left side under the rib cage. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do?”
Death by Medicine
I can’t tell you how much my heart goes out to these poor people who have been, in my opinion, mistreated by the medical profession. Instead of looking at possible natural treatments, the medical profession are burdening already sick bodies with pharmeceutical drugs. Believe me, there is another way. Drugs should be a last resort. We weren’t born with drugs in our bodies but we’re certainly dying with them. It is now reported that the 3rd leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer is prescription drugs!
Helpful I hope
I hope you’ve found this 4 part article informative giving you guidance to make an informed decision as to what drugs you will allow to be put into your body. Diuretics should not be one of them unless there is a medical emergency as I mentioned before.
Try natural before drugs
For those of us who have a little oedema from an ongoing condition, or slightly high blood pressure which is not life threatening, try the tips from Part 3. You will be surprised how much you can do for your own health. A lot of it is common sense. You know when you’re mistreating your body. Take action and be good to yourself. Make sure you are one of those who will live a long and healthy life, with all your faculties and a body that will keep you active right into old age. Here’s to you reaching your 100s!
Spread the word!
A little less Doctor -bashing will be much appreciated. And stick to the known benefits of vitamins and minerals so we can all learn from you. Stop the open-ended accusations like “could it be…….”
Just speak what you know is true and proven. Leave all else aside, please.
If you are an MD Sam, do you always follow the hippocratic oath “first do no harm”? When you are on the receiving end of medical malfeasance, you look for the reason it is happening. That’s why I started this site. If doctors thought for themselves instead of hanging on every word of the pharmaceutical industry with many happy to take their kickbacks, something good may come of it. The saying “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” by Edmund Burke, is so true. We must ask ourselves, especially in these times of propaganda and malfeasance, what are we doing to combat policies of promoting fear and dread? Are we complying with rules which make no sense and taking our freedoms away, damaging our children and causing suffering to so many? If we’re doing nothing, then we are exacerbating the dire situation this world is in. Big pharma and their cohorts are in complete control of the medical fraternity including all our medics and this is the problem with medicine today. When I was young, doctors were family friends, part of the community, who would come to your home and treat each person individually. They would use their own experience to help with diagnosing and prescribing instead of giving the patient a drug that a pharma rep had recommended.
I’m sorry if you think I’m a doctor basher, but good doctors know who they are and would probably agree that some medics should change their profession. Looking to big pharma for a diagnosis is not in a patient’s good interest. After all, big pharma is just a business. Patient welfare has not been at the top of their agenda for decades!
Great article and very educative enough to save lives,I need to state magnesium is a significant substance that many are deficient with regards to enough of. By and large, there are a great deal of physician recommended drugs that individuals take that antagonistically influence their electrolytes. Much obliged to you for illuminating individuals on the diuretic issue as it’s a major significant one. Medication sedate communications must be taken into consideration when including more than one prescription. Thanks for sharing this awesome write-up.
Hello Abayomi and I am gratified you know about magnesium, so many of the general population don’t know how devastating a magnesium deficiency can be. We must all be aware that pharmaceutical drugs have side effects and we must watch out for those side effects giving an adverse reaction and making a patient worse.
This was a pretty scary read, as I know many people who are on Diuretic drugs due to high blood pressure. As with many chronic medications, there are some pretty serious side effects listed here, the worst being kidney failure. Hearing loss is another side effect that I wouldn’t like to risk.
I totally refuse to go on any chronic meds unless the need is dire. I was told to go on cholesterol tablets a few years ago, but with some minor diet adjustments, my levels are normal now and I am glad I didn’t do it. I think doctors are in too much of a hurry to put people on drugs before seeing if there are other options that they can try first.
Hi Michel, I’m pleased to note you take care as to which meds you ingest. As for Statins, this is one of my favourite hates. It is also one of the biggest money spinners for Big Pharma.
I feel for doctors, they are not in control any more. They are dictated to and told to stick with protocol. This is detrimental to how they treat their patients. Many know it and many are disillusioned. Those that stand up to protocol and try and go against the rules, will be dealt with harshly, sometimes even losing their license. They are not allowed to use their own ingenuity, resourcefulness and talent to treat each patient as an individual. The trusted family doctor is now under the thumb and long gone!
Hello,
It’s a great article. We all know medicines are beneficial to the patients. It helps to recover sickness to the patients. We also know that all medicines are not good for health. Some medicines have too many side effects and that causes another great problem. I did not know which medicines are harmful to the human body and which problems they create. You have said some harmful medicines and their side effects in your article. Fortunately, I have read your article and now know about diuretics.
Thank you so much for your kind information.
Hello Adiba and thanks for your input. Unfortunately that’s the problem. Many medications can actually make a patient worse. All drugs have side effects which the body has to cope with, along with the illness it has already. It is often best to help the body heal itself by providing it with a balance of all the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Drugs often clobber the immune system, allowing diseases to proliferate. A balance of nutritions for that individual patient (and each patient will be different), is usually the best way to help the body fight infection and disease.
We need to educate ourselves as to which nutrients we are lacking in and rectify the deficiency. Only we know how we feel. I really don’t understand why we leave the whole of our health to a stranger, a stranger who is being controlled by a consortium that only cares about the bottom line! Follow the money!
Hello there and thanks for this eye opening article. I totally agree with your informed observations.
It’s usually so sad to see that the very medications that most people trust have so devastating after effects on their bodies and many medical professionals will not even caution about this. Makes the world of medicine a necessary evil of some sort.
Like the way a concerned patient who says they were told by one medic to take Lasix with potassium but told not to by another, one can be left totally confused by such unsure statements from the professionals.
I believe it’s high time we first tried natural before all else and that’s the only way we’ll ever reach a 100.
.
Boniface from AndroidBix
Hi there Boniface (what a great name!) I totally agree, first look for a natural nutritional alternative before resorting to pharmaceuticals. We have to temper our reliance on a drug with the knowledge that the pharmaceutical companies are in business for profit and the medical profession is controlled by the pharmaceuticals. I’m afraid the patient is not the top of big pharma’s list of priorities.
wow, what a great article and a concerning one to boot.
Its a complete oxymoron that the worlds pharmaceutical companies deploy the majority of their products to the developed world consisting of the countries that need them least!
What is also highlights is that doctors and GP’s are too quick to prescribe medicine rather than understand what is best for the patient. Is this due to the time pressures they are under or worse the financial benefits involved from these drug companies.
We trust these professionals, but we also shouldn’t be afraid to challenge them because in medicine there are more opinions than right and wrong answers. We shouldn’t be afraid to get second opinions. We shouldn’t be afraid to ask about previous successes with procedures or medications. What is the success rate, what are the side effects?
Most importantly we should not be afraid to find a practitioner that we trust rather than the one assigned to us or closest to us.
Hi there golftechguy and thanks for your comments. I think doctors have a real problem when prescribing a drug for their patients. They sometimes know that this is not the best option, especially if they are au fait with vitamins and minerals, which most are not. Changing your doctor to an MD who is also a naturopath is the way to go. These doctors will prescribe natural solutions to a problem if possible and only use a pharmaceutical drug if there is no other option. They will also know which drugs have serious side effects and choose one that is less likely to upset the patient.
Great article.Personally,I can’t follow the logic of taking something that both dehydrates you and robs your body of the very minerals that are required to maintain healthy BP.As far as I understand it,dehydration normally causes the secretion of vasopressin,which constricts blood vessels as its an anti diuretic.Plus,most people on diuretics will drink more liquid.The body surely will try to maintain the optimum level of water in the blood,pulling it from other tissues(and organs).To me,it’s obvious that having a higher ratio of potassium to sodium in your diet is the best way to combat HT induced from sodium levels.
Not much profit to be made from advocating eating more potassium rich plants I guess.
Chris
Hi Chris and thanks for reading the article. I did find these questions by worried patients quite upsetting, especially when you know there is a simple solution to most of the problems. Of course, you’re right about potassium (K) and the other electrolytes that are so vital for our health, especially for heart health. It’s interesting to note that if you have too little magnesium (Mg) in the body, K is not efficiently used because it does need Mg to be viable. If you think you’re deficient in K, get your Mg levels to optimum before taking a K supplement. You may find with replete Mg, your K levels become normal. Big pharma will do their utmost to vilify the use of natural medication. If everyone knew or realised the truth, the pharmaceutical industry would lose much of its business!
I have to say magnesium is a very important substance that many are lacking enough of. In general, there are a lot of prescription drugs that people take that adversely affect their electrolytes. Thank you for enlightening people on the diuretic issue as it’s a big important one. Drug-drug interactions have to be taken into considerations when adding yet another medication. I am a physician and am amazed at how many people do better on less presciption medication when making other dietary or lifestyle changes and sustain those changes. Thank you for your information
Thank you Leigh for your input and comments. I am so pleased that you, as a physician, are seeing the differences when some prescription medication is withdrawn and dietary and lifestyle changes are substituted for them. You are the kind of doctor I would be visiting if I needed medical help!
Hello
When I was ill a couple of years ago I was hospitalized and almost died. I was deficient in both potassium and magnesium. They were giving me potassium which I drank and magnesium was given to me intravenously. When I first started taking the potassium I could feel the effects right away, I couldn’t believe it. If I don’t take a magnesium supplement I suffer terribly with my legs.
During my stay at the hospital, they had me on all kinds of drugs. I never had a problem with high blood pressure until I was hospitalized and I believe it was due to all the drugs they had me on. My doctor put me on Perindopril Erbumine brand is Coversyl for the high blood pressure which I was able to get off of it thankfully. You trust your doctors to know what they are doing but that is not always the case. I’m pretty lucky with my doctor he doesn’t like to push drugs unless absolutely necessary.
This is a great article thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for telling your story which sounds quite harrowing. Deficiency in these two minerals is so common but magnesium levels actually help potassium levels to rise so quite often if you’re replete with magnesium, potassium sorts itself out as long as you’re consuming plenty of it in your diet.
It is your prerogative to know what drugs are being prescribed to you, what they do to your body and their potential side effects. Always ask your doctor these questions and to list the side effects so that you know if and when you start to suffer them.
It’s great to hear that you have one those few doctors that are not obsessed with prescribing drugs. Is he/she a naturopath as well as an MD? These doctors are the doctors of the future and I think ALL doctors should be educated in vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Unfortunately, doctors are not required to know anything about nutrients to become an MD. But there are plenty of pharmaceutical companies out there that will be all too happy to tout their drugs to doctors, along with benefits of course. What a crime!
Penser à votre santé prenez soin de vous et venez faire un tour pour faire le pleins de magnésium. Votre corps vous remercira et vous en réclamera d’avantge. Vous avez des questions jetez donc un œil ! C’est bon pour tout ne perdez plus de temps et faite un beau cadeau à votre corps
Thanks very much Amel for your comment. I do not speak French but got the jist of your input ie. to take Mg and keep your body in good condition. Check out your questions because the answers are here and do yourself a favour by taking magnesium. I hope I’ve translated it reasonably well?