Women who do not suffer from swelling during pregnancy are lucky. The majority are not so lucky, so swelling under the eyes, swollen legs and arms, the feeling of heaviness that accompanies this process is a frequent and very unpleasant phenomenon for them. It’s no wonder that a pregnant woman is looking for ways to get rid of this problem.
You can often hear that Furosemide during pregnancy is the best option for combating swelling. This drug is one of the best known of all diuretics. It is the choice of those losing weight, those who want to rid the body of excess fluid, and expectant mothers. Is it worth using the medication during pregnancy?
What effect does the drug have?
Before you figure out whether Furosemide can be taken during pregnancy, it is worth finding out what properties this medicine has. The drug has a pronounced diuretic effect. In addition, the product dilates blood vessels in the human body. For this reason, the patient's blood pressure is affected. In most cases it simply decreases.
"Furosemide" during pregnancy, as well as outside this state, has a strong effect on the kidneys, facilitating their work. It does not matter how the medicine entered the body. The most commonly used capsule or tablet form of release of the drug. However, in some cases, intravenous administration of the medication is prescribed.
Contraindications for use
There are many more contraindications for using this product:
- severe damage to the valvular apparatus of the heart;
- severe renal failure;
- coma caused by liver failure;
- acute glomerulonephritis;
- disturbances in the outflow of urine of various origins;
- children under three years of age;
- disturbances of water and electrolyte metabolism;
- pregnancy, in addition to situations where refusal to use the drug can lead to the woman’s death;
- acute liver failure;
- lactation period.
The justification for the use of Furosemide during pregnancy can only be extreme necessity and the serious condition of the woman. In other cases, which also include the fight against edema - the so-called mild form of gestosis - it is advisable to choose a less dangerous remedy for treatment, and this should be done together with the attending physician of the pregnant patient.
Can you drink Furosemide during pregnancy or not?
There is currently no consensus on this medicine. Doctors are divided into two groups on this issue. Some argue that such compounds can only cause harm to a woman’s body and her unborn baby. Other experts are confident that, if there are certain indications, it is possible to use Furosemide during pregnancy.
Experienced women have their own opinion on this matter. Expectant mothers say that they took this medicine, and nothing bad happened to the baby. What should representatives of the fairer sex do if they are in an interesting position? Is it possible to drink Furosemide during pregnancy or should you refrain from such treatment? Let's look into this issue.
diuretics and herbs during pregnancy
medicosite.ru/lekarstva/furosemid-pri-beremennosti Furosemid is a drug that has a diuretic effect. This medication effectively and quickly copes with acute edema, for example of the brain or lungs, which can be life-threatening. Furosemide is widely taken for forced diuresis in hospital settings. However, with long-term use of this medication, microelements are removed from the body along with the excreted fluid, so furosemide is used in short courses, under the control of an ionogram.
There is an opinion that it is possible to relieve edema in pregnant women by using furosemide. But if we delve even superficially into the pathogenesis of edema in pregnant women, it becomes clear that for edema pregnant women should not use not only furosemide, but also other diuretics, including herbal diuretics.
During pregnancy, women may experience orthostatic edema, which is associated with lymphostasis. They do not pose a danger to the health of the pregnant woman or the health of the unborn baby. Another thing is swelling that occurs against the background of developing gestosis. Their mechanism of occurrence is completely different. It represents a cascade of biomechanisms that entail pathological processes one after another.
One of these processes is hypovolemia. It is aggravated when taking diuretics, while a visible temporary visual effect is noticeable, however, other pathological processes are launched that aggravate the course of gestosis. Thus, furosemide is not recommended during pregnancy. When taking furosemide during pregnancy, hypovolemia increases, which leads to a reflex spasm of peripheral vessels and, instead of the expected effect of lowering blood pressure in arterial hypertension, on the contrary, a persistent increase in blood pressure occurs.
What does the abstract say?
The instructions for use of the drug indicate that using it while carrying a child is quite dangerous. The product removes excess fluid from the mother’s body, alleviating her condition. However, it is completely unknown how the medication affects the fetus. Only one thing is clear: the active ingredient of the drug is able to penetrate the placental barrier and enter the child’s body.
The instructions indicate that the medicine can only be used if the positive effect of treatment for the woman significantly outweighs the danger to the unborn child.
Furosemide during pregnancy: reviews
Reviews about the drug cannot be called strictly positive. Many agree that the drug really helps quickly and effectively, but for many, a few days after stopping it, the swelling returns, sometimes even more pronounced than it was before. Also, many pregnant women experience side effects such as nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, constipation or, on the contrary, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy, etc.
Experts' opinion
Doctors say that it is better not to use the medicine while pregnant. Currently, there are more modern and proven, as well as safe diuretics. In most cases, they have a price category that is several times higher than the cost of the drug Furosemide. However, doctors strongly do not recommend saving on your child’s health. It is better to purchase a safer product than to pay with the baby’s condition later.
According to doctors, the medicine can only be used in emergency cases. In this case, it is preferable to use intravenous administration of the drug. In this form, the drug is eliminated from the body faster and has less effect on the fetus.
What experienced women say
Among the fairer sex, the drug "Furosemide" (during pregnancy) has positive reviews in most cases. Women say that after using the medication, their body begins to “melt” before their eyes. The diuretic effect occurs within 20 minutes after oral administration. If the medicine was injected into a vein, the reaction becomes noticeable within 2-5 minutes.
Pregnant women note that this treatment leads to weight loss. This is due to the removal of excess fluid from the body of the expectant mother. Representatives of the fairer sex really like all this. They feel better, the hated volumes disappear from the arms, legs, hips and face. However, it is worth remembering that all this also affects the baby’s health.
Is it possible to take medication while expecting a baby?
According to the instructions for use of Furosemide, the drug can be prescribed to women suffering from swelling during pregnancy only in special cases. This means that the drug can be used only if the benefit from it outweighs the possible harm to the expectant mother and fetus.
As can be seen from the list of contraindications and possible side effects, this medicine can cause a lot of harm to pregnant women.
- One of the possible consequences is the “washing out” of beneficial microelements from the body. This can result in abnormal development of the fetus both in the early and late stages of the baby’s intrauterine development. A lack of elements can cause improper development of the heart and brain. A sharp decrease in the amount of potassium in the mother’s body in some cases leads to arrhythmia in the fetus, which sometimes ends tragically.
- Due to the effects of the drug, the child may not receive enough oxygen, which can also cause serious developmental pathologies.
- Doctors note that the dosage of the drug should not be exceeded.
- If it is increased several times, there is a high risk that the pregnancy will end in miscarriage. This can happen at any stage of the baby’s development, and any other side effects are not always observed.
Swelling is annoying for women expecting a baby, but if it is not accompanied by pathology, it is not recommended to get rid of it with the help of medications. In this case, plant-based preparations should not be used.
Medicines can be prescribed only in cases where swelling is accompanied by pathologies. It is highly desirable that treatment be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, and better yet, in a hospital.
As for Furosemide, it is sometimes indicated if protein is found in the urine of a pregnant woman and a diagnosis of gestosis is made. For treatment, the medication is administered intravenously. Its action will be quick and effective, but modern doctors try to prescribe it as little as possible. It is often impossible to use Furosemide during pregnancy, especially in the later stages, even as an “emergency aid”.
It is also impossible to “prescribe” this drug to yourself, just as it is strictly contraindicated to indicate its dosage on your own.
If you have been prescribed this particular medication, drink plenty of fluids and eat foods containing protein. In some cases, patients are prescribed acids that help stabilize cell membranes, as well as drugs that normalize blood circulation. All these recommendations will help reduce the negative impact of the medicine on the body and the risk of side effects, which are stated in the instructions for use of the medicine.
Early pregnancy and use of the drug
If you use the medicine at the very beginning of the formation of the baby’s systems and organs, this can lead to completely unexpected consequences. The medicine can have a particularly detrimental effect on the baby’s brain, kidneys, liver and digestive system.
It is worth noting that the drug is used to relieve swelling. At the very beginning of pregnancy, such pathologies usually do not occur. From this we can conclude that treatment is not only dangerous, but simply unnecessary.
Furosemide during late pregnancy
In the second half of pregnancy, many women experience increased blood pressure and swelling. It is worth noting that the accumulation of excess fluid may be normal after 33-35 weeks. However, in earlier periods we can talk about gestosis. This condition is quite dangerous for a child and requires modern correction.
Often modern and safe medications are chosen for treatment. However, Furosemide can provide emergency assistance during pregnancy (in later stages). It is worth noting that the use of the drug before childbirth is not recommended due to the possibility of penetration into breast milk. In addition to the negative effect on the composition of the baby’s natural food, the medicine often provokes suppression of lactation.
Description of the medicine
Furosemide is a potent diuretic that increases urine output for a short period of time, but in a significant volume.
It can be used both in tablet and injectable form and is often indicated to eliminate acute conditions, significant swelling or as part of detoxification therapy. The mechanism of action of Furosemide is based on the suppression of the reabsorption of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium ions from primary urine. The drug acts at the level of the ascending part of the loop of Henle - a formation where all the necessary substances from the initially filtered primary urine enter back into the blood. This leads to the fact that these ions “pull” water onto themselves and the subsequent volume of secondary urine becomes significantly larger. In addition, the drug accelerates the elimination of drugs from the body by the kidneys, but can also increase their toxic effect on these organs.
Indications for Furosemide
- Acute and chronic heart failure;
- Acute or chronic renal failure (with persistent urine output);
- Acute or chronic liver failure;
- Edema of any origin and location;
- Hypertensive crisis (a sharp increase in blood pressure with a deterioration in general health);
- Brain swelling;
- Preeclampsia and eclampsia in pregnancy (impaired kidney function, increased blood pressure and swelling, which can cause swelling of the brain, loss of consciousness and death).
Contraindications for use
- Drug intolerance;
- Comatose states;
- Complete absence of urine output due to kidney damage;
- Low blood pressure;
- Severe loss of body fluids;
- Impaired urine outflow due to existing obstacles;
- Heart defects;
- Taking digoxin;
- Acute glomerulonephritis.
How to take the drug while pregnant
If you have weighed the pros and cons and then come to the conclusion that it is necessary to use the medicine, then do it correctly. You should first consult a doctor and get individual prescriptions. In most cases, the following dosage of the drug and dosage regimen are indicated. A single dose of the medication is 40 milligrams (one tablet). Only in especially severe cases can the medicine be used in double or triple doses. Expectant mothers are advised to use half a tablet of the drug, which is 20 milligrams of the active substance. The course of treatment is chosen individually and depends on the severity of the disease. During pregnancy, it is recommended to take the drug for the shortest possible time.
Properties and composition of the drug
Furosemide is a diuretic that can alleviate the condition of pregnant women with disorders of fluid excretion and accumulation. The drug is prescribed as a diuretic and decongestant. The medicine acts quickly enough, so the effect of taking the tablets is noticeable immediately.
Furosemide is available in the form of injections (not recommended for pregnant women) and tablets. Usually one pack contains 30 or 50 pieces. The drug contains the active substance (furosemide, 40 mg) and auxiliary components (talc, gelatin, lactose, etc.). The medicine is excreted in the urine 6 hours after taking the tablets.
When is it prohibited or simply dangerous to use medicine for expectant mothers?
Among the contraindications for using the drug during pregnancy are the following conditions:
- first and second trimesters of fetal development;
- renal coma or suspicion of it;
- arterial hypotension;
- dehydration of the body of the expectant mother;
- hypersensitivity or the possibility of developing an allergy to the components of the drug;
- obstruction of the urinary system caused by mechanical damage.
In some cases, using the medicine is unacceptable in complex therapy. If the expectant mother is taking antibacterial or antimicrobial agents, sedatives, blood pressure lowering agents, or other diuretic medications, then you should first consult with your doctor. When self-prescribing Furosemide tablets, an unexpected reaction may develop on the part of the woman and her child.
Indications and contraindications
Edema during pregnancy can be physiological or pathological. The first are a variant of the norm and appear after the 30th week, when the baby is already quite large and puts pressure on the vena cava - a blood vessel that ensures the outflow of fluid from the lower part of the body.
In addition to this, a load is created on the ureters - the channels connecting the kidneys to the bladder. Swelling intensifies in the evening, and is almost unnoticeable in the morning.
If this symptom appears after the 20th week of pregnancy, accompanied by shortness of breath, weakness, and increased fatigue, then it is a sign of pathology - gestosis (late toxicosis). Read more about gestosis in pregnant women→
In this case, swelling is observed in the morning or remains outwardly invisible when fluid accumulates in the organs.
The use of Furosemide is indicated for acute edema syndrome of various origins: due to chronic and acute renal failure (including in pregnant women), liver pathologies, nephrotic syndrome, arterial hypertension. Intramuscular and intravenous administration is also prescribed for acute heart failure, cardiac asthma, cerebral edema, eclampsia, hypercalcemia, as well as during the procedure of forced diuresis.
Furosemide is contraindicated in cases of hypersensitivity to its components, renal failure with anuria, severe liver failure, hepatic coma and precoma, electrolyte imbalance, hypovolemia or dehydration.
Also, the drug is not prescribed to patients with impaired urinary outflow of any origin, digitalis intoxication, acute glomerulonephritis, decompensated mitral or aortic stenosis, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and hyperuricemia. Tablets are not used to treat children under 3 years of age.
