Heart Failure

Medicines That Treat Heart Failure

There are many medicines used to help treat heart failure. Some drugs can help decrease progression of heart failure, while other drugs help decrease symptoms. The different medications can help you feel better.

Of course, the more medications you take, the easier it is to make a mistake (such as missing a dose). Forgetting medications is one of the most common reasons people are hospitalized for heart failure. The best results are seen when patients understand what medicines they are taking and why.

Medication Also Called What It Does Possible Side Effects

ACE inhibitors Benazepril
Captopril
Enalapril
Fosinopril
Lisinopril
Quinapril
Ramipril - Relaxes blood vessels
- Makes it easier for heart to pump
- Helps heart muscle work better
- Can lower blood pressure
- Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital
- Blocks substances made by the body - Persistent cough
- Kidney problems
- Weakness or dizziness
- Skin rashes
- An altered sense of taste
- High potassium levels

Beta-Blockers Atenolol*
Bisoprolol
Carvedilol
Metoprolol XL (succinate) - Blocks the body's response to certain substances that can damage the heart
- Help the heart muscle to not work as hard -Helps heart muscle work better
- Can lower blood pressure and heart rate
- Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital - Less tolerance for physical activity
- Low blood pressure
- Worsening of asthma symptoms

Spironolactone Aldactone
Novo-Spiroton - Blocks sodium and water reabsorption -Helps prevent further damage to the heart
- At low doses (12.5 - 50mg) is not used as a water pill - Lethargy
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Cramps
- High potassium

Cardioglycoside Digoxin - Helps your heart pump
- Increases your heart's strength
- Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital - Loss of appetite
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Nausea or vomiting
- Impaired kidney function
- Headaches
- Skipped heartbeats
- Rapid breathing

Diuretics Bumetanide
Furosemide
Hydrochloro-hiazide
Torsemide - "Water Pill"
- Gets rid of excess water in your legs, feet and lungs
- Helps symptoms - Fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Poor kidney function
- Low potassium levels
- Reaccumulation of fluid

Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists Candesartan
Irbesartan
Losartan
Valsartan - Opens up vessels of the heart
- Makes it easier for heart to pump
- Helps heart muscle work better
- Can lower blood pressure
- Helps symptoms
- Block substances made by the body - No significant effects
- Headache
- High Potassium

Vasodilators Hydralazine/Nitrates:
- Isosorbide Dinitrate (isordil)*
- Isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur)*
- Nitroglycerin patch* - Opens up vessels of the heart v
- Makes it easier for heart to pump v
- Helps heart muscle work better v
- Can lower blood pressure v
- Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital - Fainting or dizziness
- Headaches
- Flushing
- Heart palpitations
- Nasal congestion

Calcium Channel Blockers Amlodipine
Diltiazem *
Felodipine*
Verapramil* - Can lower blood pressure Uncommon side effects include:
- Headaches
- Facial flushing
- Dizziness
- Ankle swelling

Blood Thinners Aspirin
Clopidogrel
Ticlopidine
Warfarin - Thins out blood
- Your blood will need to be monitored monthly - Increased risk of bleeding
- Easy bruising

Anti-Arrhythmics Amiodarone
Dofetilide
Sotalol - Helps keep heart in a regular rhythm - Dizziness
- Numbness
- Tingling in arms
- Facial flushing
- Headache
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath

Potassium Choride Magnesium Choride K-Dur Slow-Mag - May be affected by your other medications
- May need a supplement - High potassium
- High magnesium
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea

*These medicines should be avoided if you have heart failure from poor pumping function. Discuss this with your doctor.

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This article is a NetWellness exclusive. NetWellness Article

Last Reviewed: Feb 11, 2009

Ileana L Piña, MD
Professor, VA Quality Scholar
Louis Stokes VA Medical Center
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University

Medication	Also Called	What It Does	Possible Side Effects
ACE inhibitors	Benazepril Captopril Enalapril Fosinopril Lisinopril Quinapril Ramipril	- Relaxes blood vessels - Makes it easier for heart to pump - Helps heart muscle work better - Can lower blood pressure - Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital - Blocks substances made by the body	- Persistent cough - Kidney problems - Weakness or dizziness - Skin rashes - An altered sense of taste - High potassium levels
Beta-Blockers	Atenolol* Bisoprolol Carvedilol Metoprolol XL (succinate)	- Blocks the body's response to certain substances that can damage the heart - Help the heart muscle to not work as hard -Helps heart muscle work better - Can lower blood pressure and heart rate - Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital	- Less tolerance for physical activity - Low blood pressure - Worsening of asthma symptoms
Spironolactone	Aldactone Novo-Spiroton	- Blocks sodium and water reabsorption -Helps prevent further damage to the heart - At low doses (12.5 - 50mg) is not used as a water pill	- Lethargy - Drowsiness - Fatigue - Diarrhea - Cramps - High potassium
Cardioglycoside	Digoxin	- Helps your heart pump - Increases your heart's strength - Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital	- Loss of appetite - A bad taste in the mouth - Nausea or vomiting - Impaired kidney function - Headaches - Skipped heartbeats - Rapid breathing
Diuretics	Bumetanide Furosemide Hydrochloro-hiazide Torsemide	- "Water Pill" - Gets rid of excess water in your legs, feet and lungs - Helps symptoms	- Fatigue - Low blood pressure - Poor kidney function - Low potassium levels - Reaccumulation of fluid
Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists	Candesartan Irbesartan Losartan Valsartan	- Opens up vessels of the heart - Makes it easier for heart to pump - Helps heart muscle work better - Can lower blood pressure - Helps symptoms - Block substances made by the body	- No significant effects - Headache - High Potassium
Vasodilators	Hydralazine/Nitrates: - Isosorbide Dinitrate (isordil)* - Isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur)* - Nitroglycerin patch*	- Opens up vessels of the heart v - Makes it easier for heart to pump v - Helps heart muscle work better v - Can lower blood pressure v - Helps symptoms and helps keep you out of the hospital	- Fainting or dizziness - Headaches - Flushing - Heart palpitations - Nasal congestion
Calcium Channel Blockers	Amlodipine Diltiazem * Felodipine* Verapramil*	- Can lower blood pressure	Uncommon side effects include: - Headaches - Facial flushing - Dizziness - Ankle swelling
Blood Thinners	Aspirin Clopidogrel Ticlopidine Warfarin	- Thins out blood - Your blood will need to be monitored monthly	- Increased risk of bleeding - Easy bruising
Anti-Arrhythmics	Amiodarone Dofetilide Sotalol	- Helps keep heart in a regular rhythm	- Dizziness - Numbness - Tingling in arms - Facial flushing - Headache - Nausea - Shortness of breath
Potassium Choride Magnesium Choride	K-Dur Slow-Mag	- May be affected by your other medications - May need a supplement	- High potassium - High magnesium - Nausea - Vomiting - Abdominal pain - Diarrhea