Bumex

Generic Name: bumetanide
Other Brand Names: bumetanide

What is bumetanide?

Bumetanide is a loop diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt, allowing the salt to instead be passed in your urine.

Bumetanide treats fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, liver disease, or a kidney disorder such as nephrotic syndrome.

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Uses Side Effects Precautions Interactions Overdose
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking bumetanide?

Do not use this medication if you have:

  • severe kidney disease or are unable to urinate;

  • severe liver disease; or

  • if you are severely dehydrated.

Before using bumetanide, tell your doctor if you have:

  • kidney disease;

  • liver disease;

  • gout;

  • lupus;

  • diabetes; or

  • an allergy to sulfa drugs.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use bumetanide, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether bumetanide passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take bumetanide?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

Bumetanide will make you urinate more often and you may get dehydrated easily. Follow your doctor’s instructions about using potassium supplements or getting enough salt and potassium in your diet.

To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Store this medication at room temperature away from heat, light, and moisture.

What happens if I miss a dose of bumetanide?

Bumetanide is sometimes used only once, so you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are using the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Where can I get more information about bumetanide?
Your pharmacist has information about bumetanide written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of bumetanide?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using bumetanide and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

  • dry mouth, thirst, nausea, vomiting;

  • feeling weak, drowsy, restless, or light-headed;

  • fast or uneven heartbeat;

  • muscle pain or weakness;

  • easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness; or

  • hearing loss.

Continue taking bumetanide and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:

  • mild nausea or stomach pain;

  • headache;

  • dizziness; or

  • mild itching or skin rash.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What is the most important information I should know about bumetanide?

Do not use this medication if you are unable to urinate, if you have severe liver disease, or if you are severely dehydrated.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, liver disease, gout, lupus, diabetes, or an allergy to sulfa drugs.

To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Bumetanide will make you urinate more often and you may get dehydrated easily. Follow your doctor’s instructions about using potassium supplements or getting enough salt and potassium in your diet.

Avoid becoming dehydrated. Follow your doctor’s instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink while you are taking bumetanide.

There are many other medicines that can interact with bumetanide. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

What should I avoid while taking bumetanide?

Avoid becoming dehydrated. Follow your doctor’s instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink while you are taking bumetanide.

What other drugs will affect bumetanide?

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

  • lithium;

  • digoxin (Lanoxin);

  • cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf);

  • pentamidine (Nebupent, Pentam);

  • probenecid (Benemid);

  • tacrolimus (Prograf);

  • other diuretics;

  • blood pressure medications;

  • amphotericin B (Fungizone, AmBisome, Amphotec, Abelcet);

  • antibiotics such as capreomycin (Capastat), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater), vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled);

  • antiviral medicines such as acyclovir (Zovirax), adefovir (Hepsera), cidofovir (Vistide), or foscarnet (Foscavir);

  • amikacin (Amikin), gentamicin (Garamycin), netilmicin (Netromycin), streptomycin, tobramycin (Nebcin, Tobi);

  • indomethacin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), diclofenac (Voltaren), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), piroxicam (Feldene), nabumetone (Relafen), etodolac (Lodine), and others; or

  • cancer medicine such as aldesleukin (Proleukin), carmustine (BiCNU, Gliadel), cisplatin (Platinol), ifosfamide (Ifex), oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), plicamycin (Mithracin), streptozocin (Zanosar), or tretinoin (Vesanoid).

If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use bumetanide, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

There may be other drugs not listed that can affect bumetanide. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

What happens if I have an overdose of bumetanide?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a bumetanide overdose may include ringing in your ears, loss of appetite, weakness, dizziness, or confusion.

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Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Content provided by Multum - Last Updated 2/11/2008