Frusenex

What is Frusenex by Geno?

Frusenex is a furosemide tablet made by Geno, at a strength of 40 mg per pill and 10 pills per pack. Furosemide, best known under the brand name Lasix, is a loop diuretic: one of the most powerful water pills in medicine. It makes the kidneys pass much more salt and water, and it does so quickly.

The name "loop diuretic" comes from the place where it works. In the kidney, the loop of Henle normally takes sodium, potassium and chloride back into the blood through a transporter called NKCC2. Furosemide blocks that transporter. The salt stays in the urine and pulls water with it. After an oral dose, urine output rises within about an hour, peaks in the next one to two hours, and the effect lasts around six to eight hours.

What is furosemide used for?

In medicine, furosemide is a mainstay treatment for fluid overload:

• swelling (edema) of the legs and lungs in heart failure;
• fluid buildup in liver cirrhosis and in some kidney diseases;
• high blood pressure, usually when other drugs are not enough;
• certain cases of high blood calcium, together with fluids.

In bodybuilding it is used for a different reason: to shed water under the skin in the last day or so before a competition, so that muscles look harder and more detailed on stage. This is one of the most dangerous practices in the sport. Fluid loss with a loop diuretic is fast and hard to control, and deaths of competitors have been linked to diuretic use. Diuretics are banned by anti-doping rules, partly because they can mask other substances.

How is Frusenex taken?

For edema in adults, typical starting doses are 20 to 80 mg by mouth once daily, adjusted by the doctor according to weight and response. The tablet is usually taken in the morning so that the frequent urination does not disturb sleep. Long-term treatment requires regular blood tests for sodium, potassium, kidney function and blood sugar.

Reported pre-contest use is usually a single dose of 20 to 40 mg. Repeated doses in quick succession are behind many emergencies, and even one dose can trigger cramps and collapse. Any use of Frusenex, including the dose and the timing, must be agreed with a qualified medical professional.

Side effects and risks

The main risks come from losing too much fluid and minerals. Dehydration causes thirst, dizziness on standing, low blood pressure and fainting. Low potassium and magnesium cause muscle cramps, weakness and heart rhythm disturbances that can be fatal. Furosemide can also raise uric acid and trigger gout, increase blood sugar, and, at high doses or with certain antibiotics, damage hearing.

It must not be taken by people who produce no urine, who are already dehydrated or low in sodium or potassium, or who are allergic to furosemide or related sulfonamide drugs.

Frusenex package

One pack contains 10 pills of furosemide 40 mg, produced by Geno. Frusenex can be ordered on MaxLabs.co.