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Lanoxin
Generic Name: Digoxin
Brand Name:Lanoxin
Indications
Lanoxin is indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate heart failure.
Dosage and Administration
Lanoxin (digoxin) Injection is available as 500 mcg (0.5 mg) in 2 mL (250 mcg [0.25 mg] per mL).
Normal Dosage: Recommended dosages of digoxin may require considerable modification because of individual sensitivity of the patient to the drug, the presence of associated conditions, or the use of concurrent medications.
Overdose: Overdose symptoms include nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, diarrhea, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, light "halos" around objects, green or yellow vision, fatigue, irregular heartbeats, and abnormally fast or slow heartbeats.
Drug Description
Lanoxin (digoxin) is one of the cardiac (or digitalis) glycosides, a closely related group of drugs having in common specific effects on the myocardium. These drugs are found in a number of plants. Digoxin is extracted from the leaves of Digitalis lanata. The term "digitalis" is used to designate the whole group of glycosides. The glycosides are composed of two portions: a sugar and a cardenolide (hence "glycosides").
Digoxin is described chemically as (3β,5β,12β)-3-[(O-2,6-dideoxy-β-D-ribo-hexopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-2,6-dideoxy-β-D-ribo-hexopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,6-dideoxy-β-D-ribo-hexopyranosyl)oxy]-12,14-dihydroxy-card-20(22)-enolide. Its molecular formula is C41H64O14, its molecular weight is 780.95, and its structural formula is:
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Side effects
The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
There has to be a certain level of digoxin in the blood for it to be effective. However, if the level rises too high, unpleasant and potentially serious side effects can occur. You should tell your doctor if you experience any of the side effects listed below whilst taking this medicine.
- Loss of appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Diarrhoea.
- Abdominal pain.
- Visual disturbances, such as blurred or yellow vision.
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Fatigue.
- Weakness or loss of strength (asthenia).
- A general feeling of being unwell (malaise).
- Confusion.
- Hallucinations.
- Slow heart rate (bradycardia).
- Abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias).
- Blockade of the electrical pathways which control the pumping action of the heart (heart block).
- Abnormal enlargement of breasts in men (gynaecomastia) with long term use of medication.
- Skin rashes.
- Changes in blood clotting factors, such as platelets.
Precautions
- Avoid becoming dehydrated and take proper diet, medication and regular exercise.
- This drug belongs to the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether this medication will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.
- This medicine may reduce your ability to drive or operate machinery safely. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you and you are sure it won't affect your performance.
- During treatment with this medicine you should have regular blood tests to monitor your kidney function and the levels of salts (electrolytes), particularly potassium, in your blood.
Drug Interactions
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- another medication for irregular heartbeats, such as quinidine (Quinidex, Quinora, Cardioquin, others), amiodarone (Cordarone), or propafenone (Rythmol)
- an antacid or laxative that contains aluminum, magnesium, or kaolin-pectin such as Maalox, Rolaids, Mylanta, Milk of Magnesia, and others
- a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), propranolol (Inderal), acebutolol (Sectral), metoprolol (Lopressor), carteolol (Cartrol), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), or nadolol (Corgard)
- a calcium channel blocker such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR, Tiazac), amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), verapamil (Verelan, Calan, Isoptin, Covera-HS), and others
- a cancer chemotherapy drug
- a diuretic (water pill) such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, others), chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), furosemide (Lasix), torsemide (Demadex), bumetanide (Bumex), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), triamterene (Dyrenium, Maxzide, Dyazide), amiloride (Midamor), spironolactone (Aldactone), eplerenone (Inspra), and others
- a steroid medicine such as prednisone (Deltasone), methylprednisolone (Medrol, others), prednisolone (Prelone, Pediapred, others), dexamethasone (Decadron), and others and a thyroid medication
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