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Aldactone:
Aldactone is a diuretic given to retain potassium while getting
rid of the extra body fluid. The drug is available as a pill and as
a liquid. It is important to be consistent in the timing of the
medicine each day. The pill can still be taken 2 hours after the
regular hour in case the child forgot to take it, however if the
delay is more, it is recommended not to take anything and to take
the next dose regularly. The next dose should not compensate for the
missed one. If the child vomits the medicine 10 within 10 minutes,
the exact dose should be given one more time. If more than 10
minutes have passed, wait until the next dose and give it regularly.
The side effects of Aldactone are: dehydration seen with dry
mouth and skin, lack of tears when crying in babies and a decreased
urine output. Other side effects are rare but include fatigue,
muscle weakness, GI tract disturbances, irregular heartbeat and
anorexia.
Aspirin:
Aspirin is used as an anticoagulant drug. It prevents
blood clots. Aspirin should be administered at the same time each day
and preferably with food since it can cause some stomach disturbance.
If the child forgot to take the pill, he still can
take it up to 2 hours after the regular hour, however if more than 2
hours have passed it is recommended to wait for the next dose. The
next dose should not compensate for the missed one. If the child
vomits the drug within 10 minutes, the same dose can be given a second
time. If he vomits it more than 10 minutes after taking the pill, it
is recommended to wait for the next regular dose.
Your child’s dentist should know that he is taking
Aspirin. There are no known side effect except for some stomach
disturbances seen as stomach pain and sometimes black or bloody
stools, ulcers and nausea.
Coumadin:
Coumadin is an anticoagulant drug. It helps prevent
the blood to clot and thus prevent the obstruction of the blood
vessels or valve by these clots.
It is important to follow the doctor’s order on the
dosage of the medicine given. The dosage might be given in a cycle and
might be different each day. Even if the dosage is different, it
should be given at the same time each day.
If the child forgets to take a dose, he should take it
as soon as he remembers it during the same day, then on the next day,
he should go back to the regular schedule. Never try to compensate for
a missed dose by taking an extra dose the next time.
If the child is taking coumadin, he should be closely
monitored. The dose prescribed by the doctor is of great importance.
If it is too little, the blood will form clots and therefore will
obstruct blood vessel or valve. If the dose is too high, the blood
will be too thin and hemorrhages and bleeding can occur. To monitor
the child, a prothrombin test should be taken every week at first than
every two weeks or every month.
The child taking coumadin might encounter the
following side effects. Too much bleeding from small injuries, blood
in the stools, nose bleeding, blood vomiting, Joint pain, headaches,
anorexia and skin lesions.
Vitamin K, known for its coagulant effect should also
be monitored since it can interact with coumadin levels. To monitor
this vitamin in food, It is recommended to eat vitamin K-rich food in
a constant amount so that the coumadin level stabilizes. Some vitamin
K-rich foods include: Spinach, cauliflower, Broccoli, Lettuce,
cucumber, chick peas.
Digoxin or Lanoxin:
This drug is usually given when symptoms of congestive
heart failure are seen. It strengthens the heart muscle and helps to
slow the heart rate. It is usually given prior to surgery in order to
treat and reduce the symptoms of congestive heart failure.
The medicine should be given at a regular time each
day. A delay of a maximum of two hours is acceptable, the child can
still take the drug. However, in case of a longer delay, the child
should abstain from taking the drug until the next scheduled dose. The
missed dose should not be compensated during the next dose.
A child taking Digoxin might encounter the following
side effects: Nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite and anorexia,
diarrhea, and bradycardia.
Lasix or Furosemide:
This drug is a diuretic, used to treat symptoms of
congestive heart failure, and to remove the extra body fluid. It is used
especially after surgery.
The medicine should be taken at regular times each day.
The child can still take the dose until a maximum of two hours after the
regular hour. After that, it is advised to wait for the next regular
dose, and not to try to compensate for the missed dose.
A child taking lasix can have several side effects.
Since Lasix is a diuretic, the child will have an increased urination
causing dehydration and a loss of potassium. Children should get extra
potassium from food like bananas, potatoes, milk and yogurt. A child
having dehydration will have a dry mouth and skin, lack of tears and
decreased urination. Other side effects would include: elevated blood
sugar level, anemia, headache, dizziness and hypotension.
Capoten or Captopril:
Capoten is a medicine given to reduce the blood
pressure and the workload against which the heart has to pump. It
enlarges the blood vessels. The drug should be given at the same time
each day, preferably 1 hour before a meal. Until 2 hours after the
scheduled hour, the child can still take the dose safely. However if
more than 2 hours have passed, it is advised to wait until the next
scheduled dose without trying to compensate for the missed dose. The
onset of action of the drug is after 15 to 30 minutes. If the child
vomits, no extra dose should be given unless if it occurred less than
15 minutes after taking the drug.
Capoten has several side effects including cough, fever, headache,
hypotension, diminution of taste, proteinurea, increased potassium
renal absorption, fainting, irregular heartbeat. Capoten may also
decrease the effect of some antihypertensive drugs.
Tenormin:
This drug is given to control abnormal heart rhythm
and hypertension. Tenormin is a long lasting b blocker. The drug
should be taken at the same time each day. If a dose has been missed,
it is advised to wait for the next scheduled dose and not to
compensate for the missed dose by taking extra at the next dose. The
onset of action of the pill is between 60 to 120 minutes.
Tenormin has several side effects including
hypotensiom, nausea, vomiting, bradycardia, fatigue and depression.
Inderal:
This medicine is used to treat several symptoms. Its
main action is to control abnormal heart rhythm, but it is also used to
decrease blood pressure as well as to decrease the contractions of the
heart muscle. Inderal is a b-blocker. The drug should be taken at the
same time each day. If a dose has been missed, it is recommended to wait
until the next scheduled dose and not to try to compensate for the
missed dose by taking an extra dose the next time. Whenever taken as
pill, the onset of action of inderal is between 40 to 120 minutes after
ingestion, however, if a very quick effect is desired, inderal can be
ingested intravenously.
Inderal has several side effects including: Hypotension,
nausea, vomiting, fatigue, hypo or hyperglycemia and bradycardia.
Diuril:
This medicine is a diuretic, it removes the extra
fluid by increasing urine production. By doing so, the blood volume
will be reduced and thus reducing the workload on the heart. The drug
should be taken at the same time each day. The child can still take
the medicine until 2 hours after the regular hour. If more than 2
hours have passed, it is recommended to wait until the next scheduled
dose and not to try to compensate the missed dose by an extra dose. It
is advised to give Diuril few hours before bedtime so that the child
will not be disturbed in his sleep.
The onset of action of Diuril is 1 to 2 hours. Diuril
has several side effects including hypokalemia (low potassium level),
hypotension, dizziness, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, muscle
weakness, vomiting, frequent urination, dehydration seen by a
decreased urine output, lack of tears when crying, and dry skin.
It is advised to give the child potassium rich food to
prevent hypokalemia. These foods include bananas, potato, milk, orange
and yogurt.
Renitec:
Renitec is part of the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE)
inhibitors.
This drug is used to lower blood pressure and to treat heart failure.
Hypertension is defined as a high blood pressure. A person is said to
have hypertension when the blood pressure stays higher than is needed
even at rest. Heart Failure is when the heart muscle is too weak to
pump enough blood to the body. Symptoms of heart failure are usually
shortness of breath, fluid accumulation in the body (swollen ankles)
and tiredness after light physical activity.
Renitec widens blood vessels so that blood is able to pass through
them more easily and the heart doesn’t have to pump hard to move the
blood around the body. Therefore it helps prevent the shortness of
breath as well as the fatigue after light physical activity.
If the child is taking Renitec to treat heart failure, it should be
used with diuretics to help the body lose the excess fluid. It Is
Important to follow Doctor’s order on the dosage of the medicine.
The medicine should be taken at a regular time each day. If the child
forgets to take the dose, he should take it as soon as he remembers it
during the day. If it is almost time for the next dose, then he should
skip that dose and take the next one regularly. Never try to
compensate for a missed dose by taking an extra dose the next time.
A child taking Renitec may encounter the following adverse effects:
Headache, fatigue, and dizziness because of a drop in blood pressure.
Other side effects include, diarrhea, stomach pain, muscle cramps,
fainting, and an increase in heartbeats.
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