Alternatives for Patients Taking Digoxin
Alternate drugs to treat congestive heart failure

So, it goes without saying that when a person is prescribed a certain drug they have a reasonable expectation that is will work as promised. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Pharmaceutical companies do have their product miscues as well. In some instances, the drug may be so flawed that a recall is required. Such was the case with the heart medication Digoxin.

Digoxin is intended as a means of alleviating irregular heart rhythms and outright heart failure. The drug, however, was produced with instances of a product defect. Many of the tablets were coated with a double layer and this led to the tablet contain far more of its active ingredients than what is safe. As such, some individuals taking the drug suffered digitalis toxicity. This is essentially as minor overdose of the product that led to a number of adverse symptoms. Again, this is why the drug was pulled from the market. This does, however, leave the person who was supposed to take the drug in a quandary. What can the individual take as an alternative to Digoxin?

Now, before answering that question it is important to note that only a qualified medical doctor can make a decision as to what drug to substitute. The following information is not intended to endorse any specific prescription. Instead, it is meant as a brief overview of some of the products that may be offered as an alternative.

Digoxin is a drug designed to treat congestive heart failure. It serves this purpose by allowing the heart to pump blood in a more efficient manner. As such, other medications designed to treat congestive heart failure in the same manner would achieve similar ends.

There are three drug classifications which describe the drugs that treat congestive heart failure. These three classifications include cardiac glycosides, ACE Inhibitors and Diuretics. Cardiac glycosides include Digoxin, Digitoxin and Deslansiside. Those will serious concerns regarding Digoxin may wish to ask their doctor about using any one of the other two classifications.

ACE Inhibitors include a number of drugs. The main purpose of these drugs is to prevent the conversion of the enzyme Angiotensin I into Angiotensin II. The reason for this is that during the conversion a great deal of stress is placed on the heart's left ventrical. This can lead to major heart disease. As such, taking an ACE Inhibitor may eliminate a number of the problems associated with congestive heart failure.

There are three branches of diuretics that are prescribed for congestive heart failure. They are High Ceiling Loop Diuretics, Benzothiadiazide Diuretics and Potassium Sparing Diuretics. It would seem the latter two are more commonly prescribed than the former, however.  The actual process that these diuretics perform on the body to alleviate the congestive heart condition are rather complex as they work on a cellular level to restore proper heart function.

There are other aspects to consider to aid in the correction of congestive heart failure. Changes to one's lifestyle can work wonders. Improving one's diet and increasing one's level of exercise would all benefit the heart. Of course, none of these lifestyle changes would work as a substitute to a physician's proper diagnosis and remedy. As such, it is critical to seek a qualified physician so as to ascertain what method of treating congestive heart failure would be best based on your own particular situation and needs.