Uregyt (Ethacrynic Acid)

Pharmaceutical name: Ethacrynic Acid

Ethacrynic acid is a loop diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt, allowing the salt to instead be passed in your urine.
Ethacrynic acid treats fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, liver disease, or a kidney disorder such as nephrotic syndrome.
Therapeutic actions:
Ethacrynic Acid is a loop diuretic. It works by making the kidneys eliminate larger amounts of electrolytes (especially sodium and potassium salts) and water than normal (diuretic effect). It is useful for treating many conditions in which salt and water retention (eg, edema, swelling) is a problem.

What is it used for?:
- Treatment of the edema associated with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and renal disease, including the nephrotic syndrome.
- Short- term management of ascites due to malignancy, idiopathic edema, and lymphedema.
- Short- term management of hospitalized pediatric patients, other than infants, with congenital heart disease or the nephrotic syndrome.
- Intravenous SODIUM EDECRIN is indicated when a rapid onset of diuresis is desired, e.g., in acute pulmonary edema, or when gastrointestinal absorption is impaired or oral medication is not practicable.

Contraindications and cautions:
Do not use this medication if you:
- are unable to urinate;
- have recently had severe watery diarrhea;
- Have kidney disease;
- Have liver disease; or
- gout.

Interactions:
- The effectiveness of Uregyt may be decreased by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (eg, ibuprofen, indomethacin);
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (eg, captopril), aminoglycosides (eg, gentamicin), cephalosporin (eg, cephalexin), or salicylates (eg, aspirin) may provoke serious side effects to the kidneys (decreased ability to urinate) and ears (hearing loss);
- Chloral hydrate or corticosteroids (eg, prednisone) may increase the risk of side effects, such as excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, stomach bleeding, and changes in blood pressure ;
- Uregyt may increase side effects of anticoagulants (eg, warfarin), digoxin, or lithium.