Side Effects of Bumetanide: An Overview
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with
bumetanide (
Bumex®). However, not everyone who takes it will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate the medication quite well. When side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with bumetanide. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of bumetanide side effects with you.)
Common Side Effects of Bumetanide
Bumetanide has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials, in which the side effects of a group of people taking the drug are documented and compared to another group not taking the medicine. As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
The most common side effects of bumetanide include changes in certain chemicals in the body (found by using blood tests). These changes can be very serious and include:
- Low chloride levels in the blood (hypochloremia) -- in up to 14.9 percent of people
- Low potassium levels in the blood (hypokalemia) -- up to 14.7 percent
- High levels of urea and other waste products in the blood -- up to 10.6 percent
- Low sodium levels in the blood (hyponatremia) -- up to 9.2 percent
- Increased serum creatinine (which indicates problems with kidney function) -- up to 7.4 percent
- High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) -- up to 6.6 percent.
Changes in phosphorus, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, and
calcium levels were also common. Other relatively common bumetanide side effects include:
- Muscle cramps -- in up to 1.1 percent of people
- Dizziness -- up to 1.1 percent
- Low blood pressure (hypotension) -- up to 0.8 percent
- Headaches -- up to 0.6 percent
- Nausea -- up to 0.6 percent.
