Some medicines can interfere with the way digoxin works or can increase the risk of side effects. Tell your doctor if you’re taking: medicines used to treat an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), heart conditions or high blood pressure such as
amiodarone
, verapamil or diltiazem.
What drugs should digoxin patients avoid?
The adverse effects of digoxin are potentiated by renal impairment, which may be pre-existing or due to nephrotoxic drugs such as
nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
, angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists and ciclosporin.
What medication increases risk of digoxin toxicity?
You are more likely to have this condition if you take digoxin, digitoxin, or other digitalis medicines along with drugs that interact with it. Some of these drugs are
quinidine, flecainide, verapamil, and amiodarone
. If your kidneys do not work well, digitalis can build up in your body.
Which medication can interfere with absorption of digoxin?
Drugs which reduce digoxin absorption include the
antacids aluminium hydroxide
, magnesium hydroxide and magnesium trisilicate, the antidiarrhoeals kaolin and pectin, the hypocholesterolaemic agent cholestyramine and the chemotoxins cyclophosphamide, vincristine and bleomycin.
What foods should you avoid when taking digoxin?
- Banana: Avoid eating banana when you are on digoxin as it increases the potassium level in the body. …
- Fiber Rich Foods: Foods rich in fiber like wheat bran muffins and psyllium interact with digoxin and reduce the absorption of digoxin from the digestive tract.
What is the most common side effect of digoxin?
It’s usual to take digoxin once a day and it’s best if you take it at the same time each day. Common side effects include
feeling confused, dizzy, feeling or being sick, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, changes in your vision or skin rashes
.
Why is digoxin not used?
The use of digoxin is
limited because the drug has a narrow therapeutic index and requires close monitoring
. Digoxin can cause many adverse events, is involved in multiple drug interactions, and can result in toxicity. Despite its limitations, however, digoxin has a place in therapy.
What happens when you stop taking digoxin?
Discontinuation of digoxin is associated with
worsening heart failure (HF) symptoms
.
How often should digoxin levels be checked?
Digoxin level determinations were always considered to have an appropriate indication when a subtherapeutic response or previously undocumented toxic effects were suspected, when evaluating a high-risk patient, after initiation of digoxin therapy or dosage adjustment after steady state was reached, and as an admission …
What increases digoxin levels?
The most common trigger of digoxin toxicity is
hypokalemia
, which may occur as a result of diuretic therapy. Dosing errors are also a common cause of toxicity in the younger population. Factors that increase the risk of digoxin toxicity include: Hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism.
Does digoxin make you tired?
Digoxin oral tablet does not cause drowsiness
. However, it can cause other side effects.
What foods interact with digoxin?
- Erythromycin and tetracycline (antibiotics)
- Antiarrhythmic drugs (amiodarone)
- Calcium channel blockers.
- Over-the-counter antacids.
- Hawthorn (an herbal remedy)
- Black licorice. …
- Large amounts of oatmeal, milk and high-fibre cereals.
What does digoxin do to potassium?
Digoxin toxicity
causes hyperkalemia
, or high potassium. The sodium/potassium ATPase pump normally causes sodium to leave cells and potassium to enter cells. Blocking this mechanism results in higher serum potassium levels.
When should you not take digoxin?
Digoxin is not suitable for some people with certain types of arrhythmia (such as ventricular fibrillation or WPW syndrome and pre-excited atrial fibrillation) and with some other types of cardiac disease, such as myocarditis or substantial sinus or AV block
unless a pacemaker is present
.
What interferes with digoxin?
Other medications can affect the removal of digoxin from your body, which may affect how digoxin works. Examples include
azole antifungals
(such as itraconazole), dronedarone, lapatinib, macrolide antibiotics (such as clarithromycin, erythromycin), propafenone, rifampin, St. John’s wort, among others.
How quickly does digoxin work?
If more than 12 hours have passed, skip that dose altogether. You don’t want to double up on digoxin doses.
It may take several weeks to several months
for digoxin to start working. Don’t be surprised if you don’t feel better right away.
