Taking Digoxin
Digoxin helps slow your heartbeat. It also strengthens the heart muscle so it pumps better. Take your medication as directed by your doctor. Use the tips below as reminders.
Guidelines for Taking Digoxin
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Take digoxin once a day. Try to take it at the same time each day.
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Check your pulse before you take your digoxin. If your pulse is under 60 beats per minute, wait 5 minutes. Then check your pulse again. If it’s still under 60, call your healthcare provider. If your pulse is normal, take your digoxin.
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Do not stop taking digoxin unless your healthcare provider tells you to. This could cause serious problems.
If You Miss a Dose
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If no more than 12 hours have passed from the normal time you take your digoxin, take it as soon as you remember. The next day, take it at the normal time.
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If more than 12 hours have passed from the normal time you take your digoxin, don’t take that dose. The next day, take it at the normal time.
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Never take more than one dose of digoxin at a time.
How to Take Your Pulse
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Place your first two fingers on the inside of your wrist, below the base of the thumb. Press lightly.
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Count the number of beats for 1 full minute. A normal pulse is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
When to Call Your Healthcare Provider
Call your healthcare provider before you take your next dose of digoxin if you have any of these symptoms:
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Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
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Extreme fatigue
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Changes in your pulse, or a pulse below 60 beats per minute
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Chest pain
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Drowsiness or confusion
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Trouble breathing
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Blurred or double vision, or you see green or yellow halos around lights
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Swelling in your feet or ankles
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Sudden weight gain
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Publication Source:
Miller JM, Zipes DP, Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 8th ed., Chapter 33 - Therapy for Cardiac Arrhythmias, 2007, pp 779-785
Publication Source:
Mooney GP, Nursing Times 99(8), Pulse (monitoring and assessment supplement), Feb 23 2003, pp S20-S21
Date Last Reviewed:
1/1/2006
Date Last Modified:
1/1/2006