PHARMOCOLOGY DRUG LANOXIN BRAND / DIGOXIN GENERIC

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Digonin is synthesized by the hypothalamus in the human body. Outside the body digoxin is extracted from a leaf off the digitalis lanata plant. Digoxin is a white crystal that melts at 230o with no odor; it is not insoluble in water. Digoxin is available in tablets, oral solution and IV. Digoxin comes from cardiac glycosides class of medication. Digoxin is a generic name for Lanoxin. Other brand names for digoxin are cardoxin, digitek, lanoxicaps, and lanoxin. Digoxin contains active ingredients. Digoxin also contains other, additional ingredients that help ensure the stability, safety and effectiveness of the medicine. These other ingredients are added to improve the medicine’s taste and appearance and to make it easier for the patient to swallow; they also prolong the life of the medicine.
Digoxin is primarily used to treat heart failure, by increasing the physical strength and force of heart’s contractions. In turn increases the output of blood from the heart, this increase is done by inhibiting the enzyme ATPase (the release of energy to make chemical reactions occur within the cells) which controls circulation of calcium, sodium, and potassium into the heart muscle. Inhibiting ATPase brings a rise in intercellular calcium which increases the force of heart contractions and the contracture of smooth vascular muscle, the sodium pump moves the sodium ions out of and the potassium ions into the cells.
Digoxin is also a medicine which is used in heart rhythm disorders. Digoxin will slow the heart rate and help the heart beat more regularly when in arrhythmia. Normal heartbeats that pump blood rely on regular electrical impulses. Irregular electrical impulses (arrhythmia) can alter, reduce, and even stop the hearts...

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...rning that digoxin may cause severe sinus bradycardia or sinoatrial block in patients with pre-existing sinus node disease and may cause advanced or complete heart block in patients with pre-existing incomplete AV block. These patients should be given a pacemaker before treatment with digoxin. Another warning is that the accessory AV pathway should be blocked before the patient is given digoxin. Without the block antegrade conduction across the accessory pathway can bypass the AV node and cause rapid ventricular response. Also patients with heart failure can become toxic of the digoxin. Patients with this toxicity should not be given digoxin.
Heart failure and irregular heart beat can both be very serious conditions, there is no direct cure for these ailments. However with digoxin the symptoms can be prolonged for quite some time.

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