Application
The substance is used to treat water retention in tissue (edema). Water retention caused in particular by heart, kidney and liver diseases can be flushed out by loop diuretics such as Torem®. Torasemide acts just as quickly and strongly as the lead substance furosemide.
The special feature compared to furosemide is that it acts longer and therefore more efficiently. Torem® is particularly well suited for water retention caused by cardiac insufficiency. In addition, loop diuretics are used when other diuretics are no longer effective due to advanced (kidney) disease and the filtration capacity of the kidneys is significantly reduced. For the treatment of high blood pressure, loop diuretics such as furosemide or torasemide are only used when other diuretics such as thiazides show a loss of efficacy.
Dosage
The drug is usually taken as a tablet. The dose is 20 – 40 mg. Due to the longer efficacy (half-life about 4 hours) compared to furosemide (half-life), 1 to 2 tablets per day are usually sufficient. In hospital, administration by infusion may be indicated.
Loop diuretics lead to an increased excretion of water, sodium and potassium. This can even lead to a derailment of the water and electrolyte balance. The thickening of the blood can lead to the formation of blood clots (thrombosis).
If the clots or parts of the clots dissolve, they are carried along with the bloodstream and then get stuck in other blood vessels (thromboembolism). A dreaded complication of this is pulmonary embolism. A loss of potassium can lead to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia.
In addition, it can sometimes lead to a loss of hearing. This is due to the fact that a similar transporter is present in the ear, the function of which may be impaired when Torem® is taken. However, this is usually reversible and is more likely to occur when high doses are administered.
Torem also leads to a loss of calcium and magnesium.This can cause muscle tension and muscle cramps. Long-term use without electrolyte substitution increases the risk of osteoporosis. In addition, gastrointestinal complaints and an increase in the uric acid level (gout) can occur during prolonged use.
