Milrinone: functions, dosage, side effects, how to use it

What Drug Milrinone?

What is milrinone for?

Milrinone is a drug used as a short-term treatment for heart failure. Heart failure is a medical term that refers to a heart condition that is unable to function properly. A heart that cannot function properly can affect blood circulation throughout the body.

These drugs include vasodilators that work by relaxing the muscles in blood vessels. By taking this medicine, blood will flow more easily through the veins and arteries. This allows the heart to work more easily and lightly to pump blood.

Your doctor may also prescribe milrinone for other purposes not listed in this guide. Don't hesitate to ask your doctor directly for more information about this drug.

How do you use milrinone?

Milrinone is given intravenously by injecting the drug into a vein. You may have to go to the nearest clinic or hospital to get one.

Drugs given intravenously are usually more rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This allows the drug to work more quickly to treat the patient's condition.

In adults, the most commonly injected areas are the backs of the hands or the folds between the lower and upper arms.

Before inserting the needle into the vein, the nurse will usually rub the area to be injected with gauze that has been given alcohol. This method is done so that the part is free from exposure to germs.

After that, the nurse will slowly inject the drug into the vein. You may feel some pain or discomfort when the needle penetrates the skin. No need to worry, these reactions will generally get better soon after the procedure is done.

To ensure that the medicine is working properly in the body, your heart rate and blood pressure will be continuously monitored by doctors and nurses.

In certain cases, your doctor may ask you to regularly check your blood to see if your kidneys are in condition and electrolyte levels in your body.

The dosage is adjusted to the health condition and the patient's response to treatment. That is why, the dosage of drugs for each person can be different.

In some cases, you may be allowed to use this medication yourself at home. Study all preparation instructions and how to use them carefully and thoroughly. Always check the medicine packaging before you use it. Do not use if the liquid changes color with particles in it.

This drug will work more optimally if used regularly. Make sure you are following all of the treatment courses your doctor recommends.

Immediately go to the doctor if your condition does not improve or gets worse. The sooner it is treated, the better.

How do I store milrinone?

Milrinone is a drug that should be stored at room temperature. Keep away from direct light and damp places. Don't keep it in the bathroom. Don't freeze it.

Other brands of this drug may have different storage rules. Observe the storage instructions on the product package or ask your pharmacist. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medicines down the toilet or down the drain unless instructed to do so. Discard this product when it has expired or when it is no longer needed.

Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company about how to safely dispose of your product.

Milrinone dosage

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment.

What is the milrinone dosage for adults?

The dosage for each person can be different. This is because the dosage is adjusted to body weight (BW), health condition, and patient response to treatment. Please consult a doctor for more information.

• Dosage given: 50 mcg / kg by injection into a vein for than 10 minutes.
• Infusion rules: 0.375-0.75 mcg / kgBW / minute.

Use any type of medicine according to the rules given by the doctor or the instructions for use listed on the packaging label. Do not attempt to increase and decrease the dosage of your own medication, as this can decrease the effectiveness of the drug or trigger dangerous side effects.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately if your condition does not improve or gets worse. Your doctor may give you other drugs that are more suitable and safer for your condition.

What is the milrinone dosage for children?

Dosage for children is based on their age and body weight. Doctors also consider the child's health condition and response to medication.

Therefore, the dosage of medicine for each child can be different. To find out the exact dose, please consult directly to a doctor.

In what dosage is milrinone available?

This drug is available in both injectable and intravenous forms.

Milrinone side effects

What side effects can be experienced due to milrinone?

Just like drugs in general, this drug also has the potential to cause side effects from mild to severe. Some of the most common side effects that a person often complains about when using this drug include:

• Headache
• Pain and swelling at the injection site
• Nausea and vomiting
• Shaking (tremor)
• Stomach ache
• Diarrhea
• Sleep disorders such as insomnia
• The frequency of urination decreases
• Mild fever
• Limp body

It's best to tell your doctor right away if you experience any of the following side effects:

• Chest pain
• Chest tightness
• It's hard to breath
• Feelings like you want to pass out
• Heart palpitations
• Extreme thirst
• Urinating frequently
• Numbness or tingling in certain body parts
• The body feels very weak and weak

Serious allergic reactions resulting from using this medicine are very rare. Even so, you should immediately see a doctor if you experience the following signs and symptoms:

• Skin rash
• Itchy rash
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Consciousness was almost lost

There may be some side effects not listed above. If you want to know about certain side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Milrinone Drug Warnings and Cautions

What should be known before using milrinone?

Some things you need to know and do before using milrinone are:

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you have allergies to milrinone and other heart medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of ingredients that make up the drug before you use it.
• Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all medicines you are taking or will be taking regularly. Whether it's prescription, non-prescription drugs, to natural remedies made from herbal ingredients.
• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you have recently had a heart attack.
• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you have or have had a history of heart rhythm disorders or other types of heart disease.
• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you have low levels of potassium in the blood.
• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you have or have had liver disease and kidney disease. This medicine may interfere with kidney and liver function if not used carefully.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is not yet known whether this drug is safe to drink for pregnant or lactating women.

Milrinone is one of the drugs that can cause lightheadedness when you wake up too quickly from lying or sitting. If you're not careful, you are at high risk of falling.

So, to help avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly. Place your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.

Other side effects that may arise when taking this medicine are stomach upset and diarrhea. If you experience both side effects for more than 3 days, go to a doctor immediately. In essence, immediately consult your doctor whenever you feel something strange or unusual about your own body.

While using this medicine, your doctor may ask you to undergo periodic health checks. This is done to help doctors see the effectiveness of the treatment you are taking.

Lastly, be sure to follow all of the doctor's advice and / or therapist's instructions. Your doctor may need to change your medication dose or monitor you carefully to prevent certain side effects.

Is milrinone safe for pregnant and lactating women?

There are no adequate studies regarding the risks of using this drug in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Always consult your doctor to weigh the potential benefits and risks before using this medication.

This drug is included in the risk of pregnancy category C according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, or the equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) in Indonesia.

The following references the pregnancy risk categories according to the FDA:

• A = Not at risk
• B = No risk in several studies
• C = Maybe risky
• D = There is positive evidence of risk
• X = Contraindicated
• N = Unknown

Meanwhile, for breastfeeding mothers, there is no clear evidence whether this drug harms the baby or not. To avoid various negative possibilities, do not take this medicine carelessly or without the doctor's permission.

Milrinone Drug Interactions

What medicines may interact with milrinone?

Drug interactions may change how medications work or increase the risk of serious side effects. This article does not contain all possible drug interactions.

Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription / nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change your dose without your doctor's approval.

A number of drugs that have the potential to cause negative side effects when used together with milrinone are:

• Amifostine
• Anagrelide
• Diatrizoate
• Disopyramide
• Dobutamine
• Furazolidone
• Isocarboxazid
• Linezolid
• Maraviroc
• Nefazodone
• Phenelzine
• Procarbazine
• Rasagiline
• Safinamide
• Selegiline
• Tizanidine
• Tranylcypromine

There may be many other drugs that have not been mentioned above. Therefore, it is important to tell all the medicines you are taking and will be regularly taking. This simple information can help your doctor change the dose or prescribe another medication that is safer and more suitable for your condition.

Can food or alcohol interact with milrinone?

Certain drugs should not be used with meals or when eating certain foods because drug interactions can occur.

Consuming alcohol or tobacco with certain drugs can also cause interactions to occur.

Alcohol can usually lower blood pressure and increase certain side effects of losartan.

Also, do not take potassium supplements or salt substitutes while taking this medication unless your doctor says it is okay.

Discuss your use of drugs with food, alcohol, or tobacco with your health care provider.

What health conditions can interact with milrinone?

The presence of other drug problems may affect the use of this drug. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Recently had a heart attack
• Heart rhythm disturbances
• Lack of potassium levels in the blood (hypokalemia)
• Liver disease
• Kidney illness

The information mentioned above may not be comprehensive. Therefore, when you go to a doctor, make sure to tell your real condition. Include a medical history that belongs to your family or those closest to you. This is because a number of diseases are genetic in nature, aka family inheritance factors.

Milrinone overdose

What to do in an emergency or overdose?

In case of an emergency or overdose, contact the emergency medical services provider (119) or immediately to the nearest hospital emergency department.

When someone has an overdose, they will usually experience typical symptoms such as:

• Too low blood pressure (hypotension) which makes the head dizzy
• Hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that are not there)
• Fast and irregular heartbeat
• Slower than normal heart rate
• The face warms up or turns red
• Uncontrollable shaking of body parts
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness or fainting

What should I do if I forget to take medicine or forget to take medicine?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if you just remember when it's time for the next dose, just ignore the missed dose, and continue taking it as scheduled. Do not use this medication in double doses.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.