Digoxin PPH Treatment

Digoxin is a drug derived from the leaves of the foxglove plant (Digitalis purpurea) and has been used medicinally since ancient times. It works by increasing the amount of calcium inside the cells of the heart which in turn cause the heart muscle to strengthen and the heart rate to slow. This effect alleviates the symptoms of heart failure caused by a weak heart muscle and for this reason digoxin is sometimes used as a palliative treatment in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension.

Digoxin is an oral treatment and comes in a tablet, capsule, or liquid form. The pediatric elixir comes with a specially marked dropper for measuring the dose. Not all brands of digoxin are the same. Different brands of digoxin have different amounts of active drug. For this reason it is important that patients always take the same brand of digoxin.

Patients taking digoxin usually take one dose per day and it is very important that patients do not deviate from the dosing schedule outlined by their doctor. Generally, it takes several weeks to several months for digoxin to start working and typically patients do not feel better right away. Digoxin is a long term treatment designed for long term conditions and in most cases once started will not be discontinued for the duration of the patient's life.

Patients taking Digoxin should always follow the directions on their prescription label carefully, and ask their doctor or pharmacist to clarify any thing that they find difficult to understand. Digoxin must be taken exactly as directed.

Digoxin interacts with many other drugs and for this reason the patient taking digoxin should always notify their doctor of all the medicines he or she is taking, including any over the counter drugs, herbal medicines and natural remedies .

Liquid antacids, some cholesterol-lowering drugs, some antidiarrheal medicines, laxatives, high-fiber foods or nutritional supplements all decrease the amount of digoxin the body absorbs, and should not be taken too close to the time digoxin is taken. For this reason, it is better to take digoxin on an empty stomach.

Though side effects are very uncommon, the difference between toxic levels of digoxin and therapeutic levels is slight. If the level of digoxin in the blood gets too high, the earliest symptoms are usually nausea and vomiting.



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