Bumetanide

💊 What is Bumetanide used for?

• •The label says bumetanide tablets are used to treat edema (swelling caused by extra fluid) that is linked to congestive heart failure, liver (hepatic) disease, or kidney (renal) disease, including nephrotic syndrome.

How it works

The label describes bumetanide as a diuretic, a medicine that causes diuresis, meaning the body passes more urine and loses more water. The label also says it acts quickly and its effect is short.

How it is usually taken

• •The label says the usual total daily amount is given as a single dose in most patients. If the first dose does not produce an adequate response, the label allows extra doses spaced several hours apart, up to a maximum daily limit stated in the label. The label recommends an intermittent schedule for ongoing control of swelling, meaning doses on alternate days or for a few days followed by rest days. The label says patients with liver failure should be kept on the lowest dose possible. Follow the instructions from your prescriber or pharmacist.

Comes as

• •0.5 mg tablets
• •1 mg tablets
• •2 mg tablets

⚠️ Bumetanide side effects

🛑 Who should not take Bumetanide, and who should be careful

The label says not to take it if

• 🚨The label says bumetanide is contraindicated in anuria (no urine production).
• 🚨The label says it is contraindicated in patients in hepatic coma.
• 🚨The label says it is contraindicated in states of severe electrolyte depletion until the condition is improved or corrected.
• 🚨The label says it is contraindicated in people who are hypersensitive to bumetanide.

Tell your doctor before taking it if

• •The label says patients allergic to sulfonamides may show hypersensitivity to bumetanide.
• •The label says blood sugar should be checked periodically in people with diabetes or suspected latent diabetes.
• •The label says potassium levels should be measured periodically, and people with digitalis use, liver cirrhosis with ascites, or a history of ventricular arrhythmias need particular attention to low potassium.
• •The label says blood counts, liver function, and kidney function may need regular monitoring, and people with renal insufficiency may have reversible rises in BUN and creatinine.
• •The label says people with hepatic cirrhosis and ascites are best started in a hospital setting with small doses and careful monitoring.

🔀 Bumetanide with other medicines, food and alcohol

The label says to discuss these with your doctor or pharmacist

• •Lithium: the label says lithium should generally not be given with diuretics such as bumetanide because they reduce lithium clearance and add a high risk of lithium toxicity.
• •Probenecid: the label says probenecid reduces the diuretic effect of bumetanide and should not be given at the same time.
• •Indomethacin: the label says it blunts bumetanide's effects, so concurrent use is not recommended.
• •Antihypertensive (blood pressure) medicines: the label says bumetanide may increase the effect of these, which may require a lower dose of those medicines.
• •Aminoglycoside antibiotics: the label says parenteral bumetanide should be avoided in patients receiving them, especially with impaired kidney function, except in life-threatening conditions.
• •Nephrotoxic (kidney-harming) drugs: the label says these should be avoided with bumetanide because there is no experience with using them together.
• •Digoxin and warfarin: the label says human studies showed no effect on digoxin blood levels or warfarin metabolism.

Alcohol and food

The label does not say.

🤰 Bumetanide in pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pregnancy

The label includes animal studies only in the text provided. In mice, bumetanide was neither teratogenic nor embryocidal. In rats and rabbits, effects on developing young and maternal weight appeared only at very high doses. The label text is cut off before any information for people, so talk with your prescriber or pharmacist about pregnancy.

Breastfeeding

The label does not say.

🗓️ Storage, missed doses and taking too much

Storage

The label does not say.

If a dose is missed

The label does not say.

If too much is taken

The label says overdose can cause acute, profound water loss, electrolyte depletion, dehydration, reduced blood volume, and circulatory collapse, with a possibility of vascular thrombosis and embolism. Signs of electrolyte depletion can include weakness, dizziness, mental confusion, loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and cramps. Treatment involves replacing fluid and electrolyte losses with careful monitoring of urine output and blood electrolyte levels. Seek emergency medical help right away if an overdose is suspected.

🗒️ Questions to ask about Bumetanide

• Why am I being prescribed bumetanide, and what condition is it treating for me?
• How often should my potassium and other electrolyte levels be checked while I take it?
• Should I be taking it on a daily schedule or an intermittent schedule, and how will that be decided?
• Do any of my other medicines, such as lithium, blood pressure medicines, or digoxin, need to be reviewed with it?
• What signs of dehydration or electrolyte loss should I watch for, and who should I call?
• Do I have a sulfonamide allergy or any history that the label says needs extra attention?

❓ Bumetanide: frequently asked questions