Sometimes, due to heart disease, kidney problems, or liver disease, your body accumulates unnecessary water, causing swelling in your hands and feet, right? In such cases, today we are going to talk about a special medicine that doctors use to remove excess water and salt from the body. That is a vaccine called Ethacrynic Acid.
What kind of medicine is Ethacrynic Acid?
Simply put, this is a diuretic . In common parlance, it's a "water pill," but it's given as an injection. Its main function is to stimulate your kidneys and help your body produce more urine. When you urinate, it also removes excess salt and water from your body.
Therefore, this medicine is very helpful in reducing swelling caused by heart disease, kidney disease, or liver disease.
What should I tell the doctor before using this medicine?
It is essential that your doctor is fully aware of your health condition before deciding to prescribe this medication for you. Therefore, if you have any of the following conditions, you should definitely tell your doctor .
- About other heart diseases you have.
- If you have previously been diagnosed with low or high levels of electrolytes in your blood, such as potassium , magnesium , or sodium .
- If you have a pre-existing kidney or liver disease.
- If you have an allergic reaction to this Ethacrynic Acid medicine or any other medicine, food, or dye.
- If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
- If you are a mother who is breastfeeding a child.
Based on this information, your doctor will decide whether this medicine is right for you or not.
How can I give you this medicine?
This is not a medicine you can take at home. It is an injection into a vein . It is given only in a hospital or clinic by a trained medical professional, such as a doctor or nurse.
Even small children can be given this medicine in some special cases, but only with great caution and under medical supervision.
If you suspect you have accidentally taken too much of this medicine, go to the ETU (Emergency Treatment Unit) immediately. Or call the National Poisons Information Centre at the Colombo National Hospital for advice.
Since this medication is not used daily and is given in a hospital setting, you will not have the problem of missing a dose.
What other medications may interact with this medicine?
Other medications you are taking can affect the way Ethacrynic Acid works. So give your doctor a complete list of all the medications, vitamins, herbal remedies, and supplements you are taking. It is especially important to tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications:
- Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. indomethacin)
- Some antibiotics given by injection
- Other types of diuretics
- Medicines for heart disease (e.g. digoxin )
- Steroid hormones (e.g. cortisone , fludrocortisone, hydrocortisone)
- Lithium
- Medications for diabetes
- High blood pressure medication
- Blood thinners (e.g. warfarin )
It is also important to tell your doctor if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use other drugs.
What are the things to be careful about when taking medicine?
While you are being given this medicine, the doctors and nurses will be monitoring your condition closely. They will be checking things like your blood pressure, heart rate, and electrolyte levels in your blood. So don't worry about it. If you feel any discomfort, tell the doctor or nurse right away.
What are the possible side effects of this medicine?
As with any medication, there is a chance that this medication may cause side effects. Some of these can be serious, while others are not so serious.
| Side effect | Description and symptoms |
|---|---|
| Serious side effects that should be reported to your doctor immediately | |
| Allergic reactions | Skin rash, itching, swelling of the face, lips or tongue. |
| Changes in vision or hearing | Blurred vision, decreased hearing, ringing in the ears. |
| Changes in blood sugar levels | High blood sugar: Excessive hunger, thirst, frequent urination, extreme fatigue. Low blood sugar: anxiety, dizziness, tremors, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat. |
| Kidney damage | Difficulty urinating or a change in the amount of urine you pass. |
| Decreased electrolyte levels | Potassium/Magnesium deficiency: Difficulty breathing, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, muscle twitching, and weakness. |
| Other serious symptoms | Severe diarrhea, excessive sweating, loss of appetite. |
| Common side effects that should be reported to the doctor if they persist or are bothersome: | |
| Low blood pressure | Dizziness, fainting, feeling of being unwell. |
| Other general characteristics | Headache , fever, cold-like symptoms, stomach pain, vomiting, difficulty swallowing. |
This list does not include all possible side effects. If you experience any other symptoms, talk to your doctor about them.
Take-Home Message
- Ethacrynic Acid is a powerful diuretic injection given to reduce fluid retention and swelling in the body due to heart, kidney, or liver disease.
- This is only given in a hospital or clinic, under medical supervision. You are not allowed to take it home and use it.
- Be sure to inform your doctor about all other medications you are taking and any medical conditions you have.
- Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if you experience any serious side effects, such as vision changes, hearing loss, severe hives, or allergic reactions.
- If you have any questions about this medicine, don't hesitate to ask your doctor.
👩🏽⚕️ Additional questions (FAQs)
💬 What is Ethacrynic Acid Injection / Edecrin?
This is the most severe and extremely powerful 'Loop Diuretic' available in pharmacies! When a patient's lungs/head or entire body suddenly become so full of 'water/fluid (Edema)' that they can't breathe and are about to die, due to heart failure, kidney/liver failure, this injection is injected into a vein in the hospital and the water (a few liters) that is filled in the body is immediately released as urine.
💬 How does this medicine (Ethacrynic Acid) help to expel the water that has accumulated in the lungs through urine?
This directly attacks the 'Loop of Henle' factory in our kidneys. Normally, when the kidneys absorb sodium/salt into the body, water also goes into the intestines with it. When this medicine (Ethacrynic Acid) is taken, that sodium absorption machine (Na-K-2Cl cotransporter) is 100% broken/blocked. When sodium is no longer taken into the body, all the water in the entire body combines with that salt and goes out through the urinary tract like a big waterfall!
💬 Why use this when there are regular diuretics (Furosemide / Lasix)? What are the side effects?
The biggest advantage of this vaccine is that it is free of harsh chemicals (Sulfa)! Some people in the world have a severe allergy to the common drug Furosemide (Lasix). This is the 'only solution' for them to lose water. But the most dangerous side effect of this is that it is so strong that it can destroy our auditory nerves and cause 'permanent hearing loss (Ototoxicity/Deafness)'! (Also, all the potassium/salt goes out and the body becomes dehydrated).
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