A sufficient furosemide dose depends on many factors, such as the method of administration of the drug, the patient’s response to the drug and the specific condition being treated. The ordinary oral dose of the drug is 20-80 milligrams twice per day. This can increase to as much as 600 milligrams per day, depending on the patient’s response to the drug. Different methods of administration, such as a continuous intravenous line and intravenous or intramuscular injections require more frequent but lower doses. The required furosemide dose for hypercalcemia is 10-40 milligrams four times per day.
Furosemide is classed as a diuretic drug, which means that it is used to increase urination and remove salt and water from the system. The kidneys are the bodily organs responsible for the production of urine. Ordinarily, the kidneys filter out molecules of salt and water from the blood and combine them into the mixture that is to become urine. The constituent parts, such as the sodium ions, chloride ions and water, are filtered out of the mixture to be used again by the body before it is expelled as urine. A furosemide dose prevents the kidneys from reabsorbing the salt and water and thereby increases the amount of urine produced.
The most noticeable factor that affects a sufficient furosemide dose is the patient’s reaction to the drug. If a patient’s condition is not improved after the initial dose, it can be increased by 20-40 milligrams per dose, which is ordinarily administered six to eight hours after the previous dose. Dosages should be increased only according to instructions from a healthcare professional.
Another important factor in determining the correct furosemide dose is the way the drug is being administered. Intravenous and intramuscular doses are given in lower amounts than oral dosages, but they are given more frequently. The average dosage for intravenous or intramuscular administration is 10-20 milligrams infused over two minutes and repeated after two hours. When the drug is administered over a continuous intravenous drip, the initial dosage is 0.1 milligrams per 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of body weight, followed by doses of 0.1 milligram per 2.2 pounds (1 kg) per hour, which can be doubled if required. These dosages, although individually different, are likely to fall into the same range as the oral dosages over the course of a day.