Lasix is a diuretic drug that basically helps rid your body of urine in a fast, quite safe, and reliable way. It comes in tablets, as well as injections. Either way, it doesn’t take much time for Lasix to start acting, although most of you will take tablets anyway. This way, the effect comes within an hour and lasts for another three.
Lasix is essentially a compound we call furosemide that is given edible form. Furosemide is a well-known compound created in the 50s in the US. Since then, it’s proven itself as one of the better ways to speed up the urination process. Not only is it fast, but it’s also reliable and pretty safe to use. You’ll still need to find a prescription for it, which means visiting your doctor.
One reason for it is that it’s generally good to see your doctor for such questions. However, it’s more than just a diuretic.
Lasix is a medication you need to use in case fluids don’t want to leave your body the intended way. The condition is called edema, it can cause swelling and general disruption within your body, but you don’t have to remember these details. The main thing is that urine is encouraged to leave your body with the help of Lasix.
Lasix Generic and Brand in Canada and abroad
Lasix is not the most expensive drug. It is one of the more popular and sought-after solutions, which dictates at least some affordability. Obviously, it differs from country to country, but in some places, the prices could be higher.
Here are a couple of pricing examples for Lasix (20 mg, 100 tablets) from several countries:
- Prices can start as low as 25 USD in Canada;
- The usual price is 60 USD in Australia;
- The average cost is 100 USD in the USA.
You can find cheaper options, of course. In Canada, in particular, Lasix can be sold for a relatively cheap price, but you could go for Lasix Generic instead. It’s basically furosemide just as patented, not a brand product. Lasix Generic can still cost 25 USD per 100 tablets but has more concentrated (up to 80 mg) tablets, for instance.
‘Generic’ products offer largely the same experience as the brand products. The latter add a mark-up on the price of their Lasix, which can differ in some small ways. ‘Lasix Generic’ is pure furosemide without any additives, the same compound from 1982, when it was first patented. The differences in side effects are minimal.
Across the Lasix options produced in Canada, the USA, Australia, India, and the UK, the regular sizes are 20 and 40 mg. Some products, typically Lasix Generic, come in 80 mg tablets. The size of packages can vary between 50, 100 & 200 tablets. Sometimes, packages can be even bigger.
How does Lasix Generic works?
General idea
The main area of effect here is the nephron – a substantial part of your kidney that filters your blood and makes sure that all the necessary elements you consume stay with your blood to keep you energized and healthy, such as glucose, minerals, and other stuff.
Lasix helps reduce the reabsorption of some elements, as well as causes a general diuretic action. These elements are essentially salt: sodium, potassium, and magnesium. They are minerals that have a nasty habit of holding onto fluids, which can very well cause fluid swelling. Lasix basically helps you expel these, and fast.
Prescription
Lasix is typically prescribed to people with kidney, liver, or heart conditions that may cause the problems we described above. A lot can go wrong with these organs, and taking Lasix to reduce excessive fluids would be a good first step, all things considered. However, it’s often prescribed alongside other drugs.
Sometimes it would be enough to just take this drug, but it’s really up to the doctor to decide what’s wrong with you. However it may be, if you suffer from swelling and feel like you don’t urinate nearly as much as you should, then going to the doctor would be an ideal decision.
Effects of Lasix Generic
Provided you take this drug in tablets, it usually takes 0.5-1 hour to kick in. The effects last up to 3 hours, during which you’ll experience an increase in urination.
It can last much longer if it just so happens your kidneys work slower. In this case, you’ll urinate more, but the intensity of the diuretic effect will likely be stretched out across this timeline. It can also last a bit less, but it’s just up to your personal condition and your kidney function.
A good thing is that Lasix doesn’t diminish its effects over the course of taking it. It’s always at its peak effectiveness, but it may be difficult to reduce swelling and other problems unless you take it for a long time and regularly. It happens because the removal of sodium and other minerals increases during the effects of Lasix, but drops sharply after the effects stop.
So, you’ll essentially need to reduce the concentration of sodium and water in you step by step. You’ll have to take up to 4 straight days of this drug each week, and continue until you’re better. Lasix tends to make you dehydrated, so it’s really not a good idea to take it more often than that.
Heart conditions
Besides helping with urination and enema, Lasix also works well as a heart medication. It’s probably not your best option if blood pressure is your only real complaint. But it’s an outstanding accompanying drug because it widens your blood vessels. Lasix reduces the risk of strokes and helps with heart attacks and typical high blood pressure. In addition, this effect further helps with kidney conditions.
So, Lasix is grand for patients with both kidney problems and heart issues. It might not help with everything, but doctors may prescribe the drug if both organs are somehow affected by maladies. It’s a common story for people of older age, which can explain its popularity as a prescribed drug in North America.
Doses
The personal dosage can vary, obviously. The usual prescription is one tablet (of a specified size) of Lasix a day. Patients are usually prescribed to take these for several consecutive days (1-4), then rest for several days and resume the process. The duration and frequency should be discussed at length with your doctor because many factors determine these things.
How to take Lasix Generic
After your doctor prescribed a specific dosage to you, they may or may not tell you when to take the medication. If they didn’t, you’ll basically need to decide it for yourself and make sure you take it more-or-less during the same time.
Lasix is typically sold in tablets, but it can be administrated internally through blood vessels. You’ll need special equipment for it, and it’s obviously better done in the hospital. So, more often than not you’ll be dealing with oral doses of Lasix. The injected form kicks in much faster, however.
Warnings, precautions & side-effects
Lasix is pretty safe and reliable. It’s not without its side effects and dangers, though. Most of its side-effects revolve around water aspects of your body: dry mouth, dehydration, excessive urination, no urination, dark urine, swelling, etc. Some include muscle spasms, pale skin, lightheadedness, and others.
The side effects aren’t that common, they usually have something to do with personal conditions.
There are also quite a few precautions. People with dehydration conditions, general weakness, stomach issues, component allergies (obviously), and some others aren’t recommended to take this drug. Again, the doctor would know best about these incompatibilities. Your job is to keep them aware of all of this.