YOUR HEART STILL WORKS—JUST NOT AS WELL
Your body depends on your heart’s pumping action to deliver blood to your organs and keep them working properly. A heart with heart failure hasn’t stopped working—it is not pumping as well as it should be.
WHAT IS FLUID BUILDUP IN HEART FAILURE?
Heart failure can cause fluid to collect in parts of your body. When this happens, it is called “fluid buildup.” When fluid builds up, it can cause your arms and legs to swell and make breathing difficult.
To treat fluid buildup, your heart failure care team may give you oral diuretics, also known as water pills.
However, sometimes fluid buildup can’t be managed by oral diuretics alone. This can be true even when the dosage of your oral diuretic is increased. Some people may need additional treatment to address worsening fluid buildup.
Did you know?
- Fluid buildup is one of the main reasons people with heart failure are admitted to the hospital1
- People who have fluid buildup stay in the hospital four days on average2
- Each time a person is hospitalized for heart failure, their heart may be damaged. This can make heart failure worse3
OPTIONS TO FIGHT FLUID BUILDUP
To bring down your fluid levels, your care team may try a different oral diuretic or combination of oral medications. Or they may try a diuretic that is not taken by mouth and instead goes more quickly into your bloodstream.4
In the past, intravenous (IV) medications were the only diuretics that could bypass your digestive tract. Since IV diuretics are injected directly into your bloodstream, they must be given by a medical professional. That means IV treatment is usually done in a specialized clinic or at a hospital.
Now, if you have fluid buildup that is not improving, the time may be right for FUROSCIX. A different kind of treatment option, it avoids your digestive tract like an IV.5 However, you can use FUROSCIX in your own home—either by yourself or with a caregiver.6