Furosemide Tablets 20mg
Patient Information Leaflet FUROSEMIDE TABLETS 20 mg
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine. Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If any of the side effects become serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet:
1. What Furosemide Tablets 20mg are and what they are used for
2. Before you take Furosemide Tablets 20mg
3. How to take Furosemide Tablets 20mg
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Furosemide Tablets 20mg
6. Further information
1. WHAT FUROSEMIDE TABLETS 20mg ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE USED FOR
Furosemide belongs to a group of medicines called "diuretics". Diuretics make you pass more water (urine).
Excess fluid can build up in certain conditions which affect the heart, lungs, kidneys or liver. Furosemide Tablets 20mg are used to remove that fluid by making you pass more water.
It may also be used when your kidneys are not functioning properly and not producing normal amounts of urine, or to treat high blood pressure, alone or in combination with other medicines.
2. BEFORE YOU TAKE FUROSEMIDE TABLETS 20mg
You should not take Furosemide Tablets 20mg if:
• You know that you have an allergy to furosemide or any of the other ingredients (see section 6 of this leaflet)
• You know you are allergic to the antibiotics known as sulphonamides, eg trimethoprim, sulfadiazine
• You have very low levels of potassium, sodium or other electrolytes in your blood (your doctor will be able to advise you)
• You have severe kidney damage which has stopped them functioning and producing urine
• You have a severe liver disease (cirrhosis)
• You have a blood disorder called porphyria which can affect the skin and nervous system
• You are suffering from digitalis toxicity (harmful effects of the drug digoxin)
Speak to your doctor if one of these applies to you before you are given this medicine.
Before you take Furosemide Tablets 20mg
Your doctor will take special care if any of the following situations apply to you. Make sure your
doctor is aware of these situations, if it is not already obvious:
• You have difficulty in passing water, for example because of an enlarged prostate gland (males only)
• You have been told that you have a low volume of fluid in the body or a low blood pressure
• You have diabetes or any disease of the adrenal glands
• You have any problems with your liver or kidneys
• You have gout (causes excess uric acid in the blood and painful inflammation of the joints,
mainly in the feet and hands and especially in the big toe)
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor before you are given this medicine if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
A large number of drugs can interact with Furosemide which can significantly alter their effects. These drugs include:
• Antibiotics (for infection) such as cephalothin, gentamycin and neomycin.
• Digoxin used to increase the force of the heart muscle, and medicines to correct abnormal heart
beats, eg amiodarone
• Tablets for high blood pressure (including medicines called ACE inhibitors such as captopril)
• Lithium (for depression)
• Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (to relieve pain or inflammation in the joints, or to lower a high temperature) such as ibuprofen and piroxicam
• Corticosteroids (such as prednisolone) for allergic or inflammatory conditions such as asthma or arthritis
• Medicines for diabetes, eg insulin
• Aspirin related drugs (known as salicylates)
• Theophylline used to treat asthma
• Antihistamines, eg cetirizine
• Curare-type muscle relaxing drugs such as tubocurarine
If you are already taking or receiving one of these medicines, speak to you doctor before you receive Furosemide Tablets 20mg.
Pregnancy and breast feeding
Tell your doctor before you are given this medicine if you are or think you may be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. As with all drugs Furosemide should only be given in pregnancy and when breast feeding if the doctor thinks that it is absolutely necessary.
Driving and using machines
Furosemide may cause some patients to be less alert which could interfere with the ability to drive or to operate machines. If you notice that you are not as alert as usual, do not drive or operate machinery and ask your doctor for advice.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Furosemide Tablets 20mg
This medicine contains lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
3. HOW TO TAKE FUROSEMIDE TABLETS 20mg
Furosemide Tablets 20mg are to be taken by mouth.
Your doctor will decide on the most suitable dose for you, and how the medicine will be given. The dosage and frequency of repeated doses may change depending on how you respond to treatment. Do not change without first checking with your doctor.
Adults: The initial dose is 40mg a day, reduced to 20mg daily or 40mg on alternate days, depending on how you respond.
Elderly: Furosemide is generally cleared from the body more slowly in the elderly. If you are elderly, your doctor may decide to start with a low dose and increase the dose gradually according to your response.
Children: The doctor will decide on the dosage, depending on how severely the kidneys are affected and on the response to initial doses.
Whilst you are receiving treatment with this medicine, your doctor may want to take blood for testing which will show if you have the right balance of fluid and chemicals in the body.
Your doctor will tell you how long your treatment with Furosemide Tablets 20mg will last. If you think that the effect of your tablets is too strong or too weak, or if you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you think you have taken more Furosemide Tablets 20mg than you should have:
If you think that you, or any other person, have taken too many tablets, contact your doctor or hospital casualty department immediately. Take any remaining tablets and this leaflet with you so that the medical staff know exactly what you have taken.
If you forget to take your Furosemide Tablets 20mg:
If you miss a dose, wait until your next dose. Do not take the dose you have missed. You can then carry on as before. Do not take more than one dose at a time.
4. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
Like all medicines, Furosemide Tablets 20mg can sometimes cause side-effects, although not everyone gets them.
All medicines can cause allergic reactions although serious allergic reactions are rare. Any sudden wheeziness, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the eyelids, face or lips, rash or itching (especially affecting your whole body) should be reported to a doctor immediately.
If you notice any of the following effects, tell your doctor at once because some of these effects may require furosemide treatment to be stopped:
• Nausea (feeling sick), upset tummy or a feeling of discomfort (if they occur, these symptoms are usually mild)
• Headache, weakness, faintness or muscle cramps from changes of chemicals in the blood
• Gout (causing a swollen painful joint or joints)
• Hearing problems such as deafness or noises in the ears
• Sudden, constant pain in the upper part of your tummy (this may suggest inflammation of a gland called the pancreas)
• Allergic reactions causing skin rash, excessive skin sensitivity to sunlight, fever, or kidney inflammation
• A reduction of the blood cells in the bone marrow causing tiredness, unexplained bruising and paleness
• Abnormal liver function which may cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
During treatment with furosemide, the blood levels of some fats (cholesterol and triglyceride) may rise, but these usually return to normal within six months. Deposits of calcium salts in the kidneys have been reported in premature babies following treatment with furosemide.
If any of the side effects becomes serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
5. HOW TO STORE FUROSEMIDE TABLETS 20mg
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the container. Do not store above 25°C. Protect from light.
6. FURTHER INFORMATION
The active substance is Furosemide.
The other ingredients are lactose, starch, magnesium stearate, povidone, sodium starch glycollate.
What Furosemide Tablets 20mg looks like and contents of pack
Each tablet contains 20mg of Furosemide.
The tablets are packed in plastic child proof containers of 100, 250, 500 or 1000 tablets. Marketing authorization holder
Dalkeith Laboratories Ltd, 2 Park Street, Woburn, Bedfordshire, MK17 9PG, UK Manufacturer
Goldshield Pharmaceuticals Ltd, NLA Tower, 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon CRO OXT, UK. Date leaflet revised: October 2015
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