For this reason your doctor will want to check the electrolytes in your blood after beginning this medication. In men, spironolactone can occasionally cause a painful swelling of the breasts. The third drug is digoxin, a medication derived from the foxglove plant. It has several effects on the body, but is thought to help the heart squeeze harder. The common side effects of digoxin include irregular or slow heartbeats, nausea and loss of appetite.
Blood thinners The next group of drugs is blood thinners.
These drugs can reduce the risk of stroke for heart failure patients. When the heart is not functioning normally and the amount of blood pumped in each beat is decreased, small blood clots can develop inside the heart. Occasionally, one of these blood clots may leave the heart and travel to the brain, where it can cause a stroke. The risk of forming clots in the heart is increased if the heartbeat is irregular or if there is valve disease. Warfarin requires frequent blood test to ensure that blood is neither too thick nor too thin.