Do not take Frusol and tell your doctor if:

• you are allergic (hypersensitive) to furosemide, sulphonamides or any other ingredients in this liquid (listed in Section 6). The signs of an allergic reaction include a rash, itching or shortness of breath
• you have symptoms of weakness, difficulty in breathing and light-headedness. This could be a sign of having too little water in the body
• you are dehydrated
• you are not passing water (urine) at all or only a small amount each day
• you have kidney failure or liver problems, including cirrhosis or liver encephalopathy (confusion, altered levels of consciousness and coma as a result of liver failure)
• you have a severe change in blood salts, such as high potassium or calcium levels or low sodium or magnesium levels. You may notice signs of this such as muscle cramps, weakness and tiredness. You must not take other medicines or supplements that contain potassium
• you have low blood pressure. The signs of this include dizziness, feeling less alert than usual, fainting and general weakness
• you have an illness called ‘Addison’s disease’. This is when your adrenal glands are not working properly. It can cause weakness, tiredness, weight loss and low blood pressure
• you are taking digoxin, used to treat heart problems
• you are breast-feeding.

Do not take this medicine if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Frusol.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor before taking Frusol, if:

• you have difficulty in passing water (urine), particularly if you have an enlarged prostate gland
• you have gout
• you have low levels of protein in the blood. The signs of this may include swelling, feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting), diarrhoea and stomach pain
• you have liver congestion (slowed blood flow through the vessels) or other liver problems
• you have kidney problems
• you have brain disorders affecting your nervous system, or a condition called porphyria. This is a disorder that can cause skin blisters, pain in and around the stomach area (abdomen)
• you have diabetes
• you are going to give this medicine to a baby that was born too early
• you have an abnormal heart rhythm or have a history of heart problems
• you are elderly (above 65), especially if you are taking risperidone for dementia
• you are pregnant
• if you are elderly, if you are taking any other medication that can cause a drop in blood pressure or if you have any medical conditions that can cause a drop in blood pressure.

If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Frusol.

Having operations and tests whilst on Frusol

Tell your doctor, dentist or nurse you are taking this medicine if

• you are going to have an anaesthetic
• you are going to have an X-ray examination that involves taking medicines before the procedure.

While you are taking this medicine, your doctor may give you regular blood tests. Your doctor will do this to monitor levels of salts, minerals and glucose in your blood and to check that your kidneys are working properly.

Other Medicines and Frusol

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines you buy without a prescription, including herbal medicines. This is because furosemide, the main ingredient of this medicine, can affect the way some other medicines work. Also some medicines can affect the way furosemide works.

Tell your doctor if you are taking any of these medicines:

• medicines used to treat high blood pressure known as ACE-inhibitors or Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists, such as captopril and losartan or aliskiren or hydralazine
• medicines used to treat high blood pressure or prostate problems known as alpha-blockers, such as prazosin
• medicines used to treat high blood pressure and other medicines used to remove water from the body known as diuretics, such as amiloride, spironolactone, acetazolamide and metolazone
• medicines used to treat unusual heart beats, such as amiodarone, disopyramide, flecainide, lidocaine, sotalol and mexiletine
• medicines used to treat angina that you spray or dissolve under your tongue such as glyceryl trinitrate or isosorbide dinitrate
• warfarin, used to prevent atrial fibrillation, unwanted clotting and stroke
• medicines used to treat high cholesterol, such as clofibrate, colestyramine or colestipol
• moxisylyte used to treat Raynaud’s syndrome
• medicines used to treat pain and inflammation known as NSAIDs, such as indometacin or salicylates such as aspirin
• medicines used to treat inflammation known as corticosteroids, such as prednisolone and dexamethasone
• medicines used to treat infections caused by bacteria, such as lymecycline, vancomycin, gentamicin, trimethoprim, cephaloridine, ceftriaxone and colistin
• medicines used to treat infections caused by fungus, such as amphotericin
• medicines used to treat infections caused by a virus, such as nelfinavir, ritonavir and saquinavir
• drugs used after transplants, such as tacrolimus, ciclosporin, aldesleukin
• medicines used for depression, such as reboxetine, amitriptyline and phenelzine
• medicines used for mental problems called ‘psychoses’, such as risperidone (see section ‘Do not take Frusol’), amisulpride, sertindole, pimozide and chlorpromazine. Avoid using pimozide at the same time as furosemide
• lithium, used to treat extreme mood swings
• medicines used to help you sleep, such as chloral hydrate and triclofos
• atomoxetine used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• medicines used to treat epilepsy, such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital and phenytoin
• medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease such as levodopa
• medicines used to treat diabetes
• medicines to treat asthma, such as salmeterol, salbutamol and theophylline. These medicines also treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• medicines used to treat blocked noses, such as ephedrine and xylometazoline
• medicines used to treat cancer such as cisplatin, methotrexate and aminoglutethimide
• medicines to relax muscles such as baclofen and tizanidine
• laxatives that help you go to the toilet
• alprostadil, used to treat male impotence
• oestrogen and drospirenone, used as contraceptives or in hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• probenecid, used to treat gout
• potassium salts used to treat low potassium in the blood
• sucralfate, used to treat stomach ulcers. Do not take sucralfate within two hours of taking Frusol. This is because the sucralfate can stop the Frusol from working properly
• antihistamines, used to treat allergies such as cetirizine
• medicines or food containing liquorice.

If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Frusol.

Frusol with food, drink and alcohol

You should avoid drinking alcohol while taking Frusol as this may lower your blood pressure further.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

You should not take this medicine if you are breast-feeding.

Driving and using machines

While taking this medicine you may feel less alert than normal. If this happens, do not drive a car or use any tools or machines.

Frusol contains ethanol (10%v/v), liquid maltitol and propylene glycol:

• ethanol (Alcohol) – This medicine contains 79.5 mg of alcohol (ethanol) in each ml. The amount in 5ml of this medicine is equivalent to less than 10 ml beer or 4 ml wine. The amount of alcohol in this medicine is not likely to have an effect in adults and adolescents, and its effects in children are not likely to be noticeable. It may have some effects in younger children, for example feeling sleepy. The alcohol in this medicine may alter the effects of other medicines. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other medicines. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine. If you are addicted to alcohol, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.
• liquid maltitol (E 965) – If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product. May have a mild laxative effect.
• propylene glycol (E1520) – This medicine contains 0.35 mg propylene glycol in each 5ml. If your baby is less than 4 weeks old, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before giving them this medicine, in particular if the baby is given other medicines that contain propylene glycol or alcohol.
• This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per 5ml, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.