The NHS has flagged eight specific groups who must have a talk with their GP before taking the medication
NHS advice alerts Brits to a common medication you may need to see a GP about before using. Many Brits rely on furosemide to keep conditions like heart failure and high blood pressure in check. Whilst this diuretic is widely used across all age groups – from children to adults – there are guidelines everyone needs to know about the medication, which was dispensed around 11 million times in 2024.
The NHS has flagged eight specific groups who should have a chat with their GP before taking furosemide to guarantee it’s safe for them. This encompasses anyone who displays key signs of dehydration, such as feeling thirsty, having a dry mouth, or noticing dark-coloured urine.
Beyond this, the NHS advises that the following people consult a doctor:
- Anyone who has ever had an allergic reaction to furosemide or any other medicine
- Anyone experiencing low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Anyone displaying signs of dehydration, such as being thirsty, having a dry mouth and dark pee
- Anyone diagnosed with liver disease
- Anyone diagnosed with diabetes
- Anyone who struggles to urinate
- Anyone diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare disorder of the adrenal glands
- Anyone diagnosed with gout
The health service adds that furosemide users should also speak to a doctor if:
- You are due to have a glucose test
- You are having a test that involves using a dye containing iodine being injected into your blood, such as X-rays or scans
- You are set to have a major operation, or a general anaesthetic is required for a procedure
Official NHS online guidance adds: “Diuretics are sometimes called ‘water tablets’ because they make you pee more. This helps get rid of extra fluid in your body.
“Furosemide is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets and a liquid that you swallow. It can also be given by injection, but this is usually only done in hospital.”
Furosemide users should be careful when combining it with other medications, as some drugs can decrease its effectiveness or increase side effects. This applies to common over-the-counter drugs like paracetamol and co-codamol, as well as remedies for heartburn and indigestion.
Anyone prescribed furosemide should consult their doctor before taking these:
- Painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including diclofenac, ibuprofen or naproxen
- Medicines that can change the level of potassium in your blood, such as potassium supplements, steroids, or other diuretics
- Medicines to treat, or which have the side effect of, an irregular heartbeat, including amiodarone, digoxin, disopyramide, flecainide or sotalol
- Soluble paracetamol
- Soluable co-codamol
- Certain remedies for heartburn and indigestion
- Medicines used to treat mental health problems, such as amisulpride, lithium, pimozide or risperidone
- Medicines that treat high blood pressure, or those that have a side effect of low blood pressure
- A medicine used to treat ulcers, called sucralfate, leave about two hours between the time you take furosemide and sucralfate
The NHS adds: “Tell your doctor if you are taking any potassium supplements. These change the levels of potassium in your blood and can affect the way furosemide works.
“There’s not enough information to say that other herbal remedies or supplements are safe to take with furosemide. They’re not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They’re generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.”
For more information, visit the NHS website here.
