Last Updated on March 16, 2024
Furosemide is a diuretic drug that is commonly used for the treatment of high blood pressure and edema. It works by increasing the amount of urine produced by the body, which helps to decrease the amount of excess fluid in the body. While furosemide is a prescription-only drug in many countries, some individuals may be wondering whether it is possible to purchase furosemide over the counter in the UK.
Unfortunately, furosemide is not available over the counter in the UK. This means that individuals who require furosemide will need to obtain a prescription from their healthcare provider in order to purchase the medication. This is because furosemide can interact with other medications or medical conditions, and may cause side effects in some individuals. A healthcare provider will be able to determine whether furosemide is a safe and appropriate treatment option based on an individual’s medical history and current health status.
Ask your pharmacist any questions you might have relating to this medication, especially if it’s new to you. Purchase Furosemide online at the best affordable cost from BuyOvertheCounterUK.net and get your Furosemide tablets shipped at your doorstep in time.
What is Furosemide?
Furosemide belongs to the group of loop diuretics. It is used as a diuretic for hypertension, ascites, and fluid retention (edema) to remove excess fluid from the body. Although furosemide came on the market in 1962, it is still the most powerful diuretic available. Here you can read everything you need to know about Furosemide, including side effects and usage.
How it works?
The kidneys filter the blood. Waste products, pollutants, and some drugs are extracted and finally excreted in the urine. The smallest functional unit of the kidney is the nephron, which consists of glomeruli and renal tubules. Many of these nephrons are connected in parallel and filter small molecules from the blood (blood proteins and blood cells remain in the blood). The resulting primary urine is still unfiltered and is concentrated in the renal tubules by reabsorption of the water it contains. At this point, other substances that are essential to the body, but have been filtered out (such as glucose, sodium, potassium, and chloride ions), are reabsorbed into the blood.
The renal tubule is divided into different sections, furosemide in the so-called ascending limb of Henle’s loop (hence the name loop diuretic) effect: It inhibits here the resumption of sodium, potassium and chloride ions – they leave the body with the urine. Along with these charged particles and large amounts of water are excreted, which is actually Furosemide’s intended effect. At high doses of Furosemide urine amounts up to 50 liters a day. Increased excretion of water lowers blood pressure.
Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of furosemide
After ingestion, about two-thirds of the drug is absorbed from the intestine into the blood. The effect occurs after about half an hour. Only a small portion of the drug is metabolized in the liver (about ten percent), the rest is excreted unchanged – about one-third with the stool, the remaining amount in the urine. After about an hour, half of the active ingredient has been excreted.
Uses
The active ingredient furosemide is used for:
- water retention in the body (edema) caused by diseases of the heart, kidneys or liver
- threatening kidney failure
Depending on the underlying condition, the drug may be prescribed for short-term or long-term therapy.
Use of the drug during pregnancy and lactation
In the first trimester of pregnancy Furosemide tablets are not prescribed to women, since at this stage internal organs of the fetus are formed and the influence of medicinal substances on the maternal organism is undesirable.
In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy, Furosemide can be given to patients only if there are serious indications. The doctor carefully evaluates the possible risks for the fetus with the ratio of benefits for the mother. The drug easily penetrates the placental barrier, however, during clinical trials there was no teratogenic or embryotoxic effect of Furosemide on the child.
The drug is excreted in breast milk and can enter the baby’s body. If you need Furosemide with a nursing mother, stop breastfeeding to avoid harm to the baby.
Dosage
Furosemide is usually given in the form of slow-release tablets or capsules. Doses are taken sober in the morning with a glass of water. Higher dosages may also be taken in several doses throughout the day. Most 40 to 120 milligram doses of Furosemide a day are sufficient in some cases and depending on the underlying disease and doses of up to 500 milligrams a day may be prescribed.
In hypertension therapy Furosemide is often combined with other anti-hypertensives to reduce the rate of side effects and increase effectiveness.
Side Effects
In more than one in ten patients, furosemide side effects show up as electrolyte imbalance (especially changes in sodium and potassium), dehydration, low blood volume and, elevated blood lipids and increased creatinine in the blood.
In addition, one in ten to one in a hundred patients develops elevated blood cholesterol and uric acid levels, gout attacks and symptoms due to electrolyte imbalance (leg cramps, weakness, drowsiness, confusion, irregular heartbeat, etc.).
Special instructions
They are used with caution in hyperplasia of the prostate gland, SLE, hypoproteinemia (risk of ototoxicity), diabetes mellitus (decreased glucose tolerance), with stenosing cerebral arteriosclerosis, against prolonged therapy with cardiac glycosides, in elderly patients with severe atherosclerosis, pregnancy first half), lactation.
Electrolyte disorders should be corrected before starting treatment. During treatment with furosemide it is necessary to monitor blood pressure, levels of electrolytes and glucose in serum, function of liver and kidneys.
To prevent hypokalemia, it is advisable to combine furosemide with potassium-sparing diuretics. If furosemide is used in combination with hypoglycaemic agents, it may be necessary to adjust the dose of the latter.
It is not recommended to mix a solution of furosemide in a syringe with other medicines.
How does this medicine affect your ability to drive and operate machinery?
The use of furosemide may reduce the ability to concentrate, which is important for people who drive or work with machinery.
If you take other medicines such as glucocorticoids (‘cortisone’) or laxatives while being treated with furosemide, you may get low blood potassium levels. The same applies to large amounts of liquorice.
For example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin), which are often used to treat headaches, may reduce the effect of furosemide. The same effect may occur with the concomitant use of phenytoin (at) or substances that are also excreted by the kidney tubules, such as probenecid (for gout) and methotrexate (for cancer and autoimmune diseases).
Caution is advised if you are taking drugs that act on the heart or that have the side effect of causing a certain heart rhythm disorder (called QT prolongation). Because furosemide affects electrolyte concentrations, the effect of these drugs on the heart may be made weaker or stronger. This is particularly true of cardiac glycosides such as digoxin and digitoxin.
Co-administration with drugs that damage the kidneys or hearing (nephrotoxic or ototoxic effects) should be avoided. Examples of such drugs are antibiotics such as gentamicin, tobramycin, kanamycin and anti-cancer drugs such as cisplatin.
The concomitant use of the mood stabiliser lithium should be monitored closely because lithium is transported in the body like sodium. Its distribution in the body may therefore change significantly.
Furosemide may be used in pregnancy for short periods under close medical supervision. It crosses the placenta and passes into breast milk, so breast-feeding may be discontinued.
The drug is also suitable for use in children, but at a reduced dose. As children under the age of six often have problems swallowing tablets, the oral solution should not be used.
Where to buy Furosemide 40 mg or 100 mg online?
The medicine furosemide is only available on prescription in any dose and can be bought from a pharmacy with a valid prescription. You can also buy it online.
How long has furosemide been on market?
Toxic mercury compounds have been used as diuretics since 1919. The German company Hoechst finally developed the mercury-free drug furosemide in 1959 and applied for a patent in 1962. The drug furosemide was approved for medical use in 1964. It was soon put into practice.