Fludrocortisone : Before Using

Fludrocortisone - Systemic

Brand Names

Florinef Fludrocortisone *** Before Using *** How to Use *** Fore Safe Use *** Side Effects *** Additional Information

Before Using

In deciding to using a medication, the chance of taking the drug must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you will make. For fludrocortisone, the following must be considered

Allergic reaction

Tell your family doctor if you have any unusual or allergy to fludrocortisone. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Diet Your family doctor may want you to control the amount of sodium in your diet. When fludrocortisone is using to treat certain types of kidney diseases, too much sodium may cause high blood sodium, high blood pressure and excess body water.

Pregnancy care

Studies on birth defects have not been done with fludrocortisone. Adequate studies have not been done with fludrocortisone in pets, however many corticosteroids have been shown to cause birth defects. Before taking this drug, make sure your family doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding problem

Fludrocortisone passes into the breast milk and may cause problems with growth or other unwanted effects in the nursing baby.

Use for Children

Fludrocortisone may slow or stop growth in child or growing adolescents when using for a long time. The natural production of corticosteroids by the body may also be decreased by the use of this drug. Before this drug is given to a child or adolescent, you and your child's family doctor must talk about the good this drug will do as well as the chance of using it. Follow the family doctor's directions very carefully to lessen the risk that these unwanted effects will occur.

Elderly care

Many medication have not been studied specifically in elderly people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in adults people or if they cause various side effects or problems in elderly people. There is no special info comparing the use of fludrocortisone in the elderly with its use in other age groups.

Drug interactions

Although certain medication must not be using together at all, in other cases two various medication may be using together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your family doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking fludrocortisone, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

Acetazolamide - Diamox
Amphotericin B by injection - Fungizone
Azlocillin - Azlin
Bronchodilators - asthma drug albuterol
Capreomycin - Capastat
Carbenicillin by injection - Geopen
Corticotropin - ACTH or
Dichlorphenamide - Daranide
Diuretics - water pills
Insulin
Laxatives - with overdose or chronic misuse
Methazolamide - Neptazane
Mezlocillin - Mezlin
Piperacillin - Pipracil
Piperacillin and tazobactam - Zosyn
Salicylates
Sirolimus - Rapamune
Sodium bicarbonate - baking soda
Sodium Polystrene Sulfonate - Kayexalate
Ticarcillin - Ticar
Ticarcillin and clavulanate - Timentin Fludrocortisone and these medication decrease the amount of potassium in the blood, which may increase the risk of severe low blood potassium

Alcohol Alcohol and fludrocortisone decrease the amount of potassium in the blood, which may increase the risk of severe low blood potassium; alcohol may also make fludrocortisone less effective by causing the body to get rid of it faster

Barbiturates
Carbamazepine - Tegretol
Efavirenz - Sustiva
Griseofulvin - Fulvicin
Modafinil - Provigil
Nevirapine - Viramune
Phenylbutazone - Butazolidin
Phenytoin - Dilantin
Primidone - Mysoline
Rifabutin - Mycobutin or
Rifampin - Rifadin
Rifapentine - Priftin Using these medication may make fludrocortisone less effective because they cause the body to get rid of it faster

Digitalis glycosides - heart drug Fludrocortisone decreases the amount of potassium in the blood, which may increase the risk of irregular heartbeat

Other corticosteroids - cortisone-like drug Using any corticosteroid drug with fludrocortisone will cause the body to get rid of both medication faster. This may make either or both medication less effective. Always fludrocortisone and other corticosteroids decrease the amount of potassium in the blood, which may increase the risk of severe low blood potassium

Sodium-containing drug When using fludrocortisone to treat certain types of kidney diseases, too much sodium may cause high blood sodium, high blood pressure and excess body water

Other Information for using

The presence of other medical problems may effect the use of fludrocortisone. Make sure you tell your family doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Bleeding problems Using fludrocortisone and also using aspirin may cause bleeding problems to become worse.

Bone disease Fludrocortisone may make bone disease worse because it causes more calcium to pass into the urine

Edema - swelling of feet or lower legs
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Kidney disease Fludrocortisone causes the body to retain - keep more salt and water. These conditions may be made worse by this extra body water

Herpes infection of the eye may cause a hole in the cornea of the eye.

Liver disease
Abdominal surgery - fresh
Diseases of the intestines
Myasthenia gravis
Tuberculosis
Ulcers in the stomach or intestines Fludrocortisone suppresses the immune system. Infections with these conditions may be made worse by this suppression.

Thyroid disease The body may not get fludrocortisone out of the bloodstream at the usual rate, which may increase the effect of fludrocortisone or cause more side effects