Lanoxin

Drug Description

Lanoxin is a drug that is derived from the leaves of digitalis. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of heart failure. Lanoxin belongs to the most important drug in the basic health care system

Indications

This drug is used for the treatment of heart failure, as it can make your heart beat stronger. Moreover, it can be used for the therapy of atrial fibrillation (which is a heart rhythm disorder of atria). However, this medicine shouldn’t be used for diseases of the lower chambers (such as ventricular fibrillation- a heart rhythm disorder of the ventricles).

Dosage

Lanoxin comes in different dosages (250 mcg/ml, 50 mcg/ml, 100 mcg/ml, 125 mcg, 250 mcg, 500 mcg, 50 mcg, 100 mcg, 200 mcg, 62.5 mcg and 187.5 mcg.) The dosage usually depends on the patient’s age, diseases and reaction to the treatment.

The drug must be used only according to the doctor’s prescriptions. It should be used regularly. Lanoxin can be prescribed only after evaluating all the factors that can impact the levels of digoxin in blood (such as renal function, weight and age). As when the level of this drug in the blood increases a little, then the medicinal effect will be lost and it can be toxic. Therefore, it is essential to take the right dosage of the drug.

Usually the treatment should be started with a lower dosage and gradually increased to a maintenance dose after checking the body’s response. The drug must be taken under the medical supervision.

Adverse effects

Several adverse effects that require immediate treatment include:

Vision impairment
Irregular heartbeat
Hallucinations
Behavioral changes

Common adverse effects are:

Vertigo
Skin rash
Loose bowels
Anxiety
Breast enlargement

Precautions

As any other prescription drugs, Lanoxin can cause some serious adverse effects. Therefore, you should inform your doctor about all the drugs you’re taking. For example, some antibiotics can cause removal of digoxin from the organism, therefore these drugs must be used with caution.

Pregnant or lactating women must take the drug only after the doctor’s approval.

Use this drug only with the agreement of a doctor as certain drugs, such as water pills can easily impact the minerals in the body, which in turn can impact the reaction of the drug.

Try to avoid overexerting yourself.

Drink enough water during the treatment.

Tell your physician if you have had a heart attack, thyroid problems, Parkinson’s disease, or sinus syndrome before starting to use this drug.