What Foods To Avoid When Taking Furosemide?

We know that foods and medicines are interlinked. Food interacts with the drug consumed affecting its results. So it is important to keep in mind what foods you should eat and what not while taking any specific medicine. In the case of furosemide, do you know what foods should be avoided with the medicine and how they affect the results of the medicine? If not, then read below to know. 

What Is The Purpose Of Furosemide?

Furosemide is a medicine from the category of diuretics used for treating fluid retention, and swelling caused by any health problem like kidney disease, heart failure, liver problem, or any other condition and for treating hypertension.  

The main purpose of taking Furosemide is to assist in the removal of extra fluids from the body. It also helps prevent the absorption of salt in the body and helps kidneys to remove sodium, letting it pass out the body through urine. In this way, it helps against fluid retention. 

It is important to know the dose of the medicine, so let’s discuss the dosage of Furosemide per day.

How Much Furosemide To Take In A Day?

It is recommended to take medicine as per the doctor’s prescription. But generally, the recommended dose for children, adults, and the elderly are given below in the table.

	Children	Adults	Elderly
For Hypertension	–	80 mg per day	Lower dose as per doctor
For Edema	2 mg/kg body weight	20-80 mg	Lower dose as per doctor

As we have discussed the medicine and its dosage, let’s get to know about foods that interact with the “Furosemide” and should be avoided.  

What Foods To Avoid When Taking Furosemide?

When you are taking Furosemide, it is important to avoid:

1- Sodium 

Avoid sodium in your diet. You should consume foods low in salt and avoid high-salt foods like processed and readymade foods as they contain large amounts of sodium.  The salt in your diet contains sodium chloride, and its high consumption can worsen conditions like high BP, water retention, intense thirst, or other issues that Furosemide treats. Some famous high-salt foods according to American Health Association are:

• Pizza
• Bread 
• Burritos
• Sandwiches
• Cured or processed meat
• Soup

2- Some Diuretic Herbs

You should avoid certain herbs containing diuretic properties as they cause excess diuresis. These herbs are:

• Hibiscus
• Dandelion
• Parsley
• Juniper
• Horsetail
• Uva ursi
• Buchu
• Licorice

3- Alcohol

Avoid taking alcohol when taking Furosemide as alcohol affects the results of the medicine by interfering in its absorption which causes dizziness, headache, or fainting.

Now, you might be wondering what foods could be consumed when taking furosemide.

What Can You Eat When Taking Furosemide?

If you are taking Furosemide, you can eat all those foods that do not interact in a negative way with the drug. For example

1- Potassium-rich foods

Consume foods containing potassium. This is because when you take Furosemide, potassium is also lost from the body. So, in order to maintain the K-levels, you should eat it from the diet.

2- Fruits

You can eat fruits like bananas, apples, apricots, pomegranates, and all other fruits that are rich in potassium as well. These fruits have high electrolyte levels which help in the restoration of lost electrolytes.

3- Vegetables 

You can eat vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, okra, and sprouts as they are rich in potassium and other healthy minerals. 

Side Effects Of Taking Furosemide

Some common side effects of this medicine are:

• Dizziness or lightheaded feeling
• Dry mouth 
• Increased thirst
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Numbness
• Increased urination

Conclusion

Furosemide is a diuretic medicine used for the purpose of treating edema, swelling possibly due to conditions like liver problems, kidney disease or heart failure. When taking Furosemide, it is important to avoid certain foods and herbs that interact with the effect of the medicine. You should avoid high-sodium foods like processed, canned, or packed foods, alcohol, and diuretic herbs like hibiscus, dandelion, parsley, uva ursi, juniper, etc. Avoid the consumption of licorice as well when taking Furosemide as it interacts negatively with the medicine.