Blood Pressure Drugs | Too Many Meds.com

Brand Names: Lasix

What is it?
Furosemide is a a water pill that helps your body eliminate extra water.

What’s In It For Me?

Too much water in your system can cause swelling (usually in the feet) or it can back up into your lungs and cause shortness of breath. Furosemide is good at helping your body get rid of this extra water by peeing it out.

The Good
This drug is a very effective water pill. This is very important in patients with heart failure since the heart is already being overworked.

The Bad
Sometimes it works too well and you can get dehydrated. Another sign of losing too much water is getting dizzy when you stand up quickly. You should check your weight and let your doctor know if it decreases by more than 3 pounds.

Furosemide often causes you to lose more electrolytes. Your doctor wll want to check blood levels and you may have to take extra potassium.

The Controversial
It isn’t exactly controversial, but you should know that strong diuretics like furosemide should be used at the lowest dose possible to avoid the problems listed above.

Fact Boxes

For The Cynic
Sometimes leg swelling caused by an accumulation of water can be helped by support stockings. Not all symptoms require medications. Also, there are milder diurectics like chlorthalidone that should be tried first.

For The Cost
Furosemide is available generically and is relatively cheap. It is also available on the $4 dollar list where it is offered.

Furosemide is inexpensive and works very effectively to decrease signs and symptoms of edema. It is our first choice when a strong medication is required to decrease fluid.

Brand Names: Cozaar, losartan-hydrocholorthiazide(combination)

What is it?
Losartan is an Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB). Its primary use is to lower blood pressure.

What’s In It For Me?

Decreasing high blood pressure is helps reduce your risk for stroke and heart attack. Also, Losartan has a protective effect on the kidneys, which is important for patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

The Good
Losartan is an alternative treatment option for patients who cannot tolerate ACE Inhibitors (such as Lisinopril).

The Bad
Losartan can cause in increase in the postassium. It can also worsen kidney function, but that only happens in people at risk, like those who are dehydrated or have very weak hearts. For patients at risk, lower doses should be used. An aallergic type of reaction causing swelling of the tongue, neck, and jaw is less frequent with losasrtan than with ACE inhibitors like lisinopril, but it can still happen (less than 1% of people)

The Controversial
Using ARBs like Losartan as an addition to ACE Inhibitors (like lisinopril) may be only slightly beneficial, if at all.

For The Cynic
One study with Losartan 50mg daily showed no difference in mortality compared to placebo. This finding makes use of the drug at the lower 50 mg dose questionable.

For The Cost
At around $90 per month, Cozaar is the least expensive medication in its class. The good news is that it is scheduled to go generic soon, so the price will be coming down.

Losartan is a great drug that will go generic in the next year. Lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor) is still our first choice because there is more evidence for preventing heart attacks and strokes and it costs less.

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