What Is the Primary Use of Digoxin?

Available in oral and intravenous forms, digoxin is a generic prescription medication known as a digitalis glycoside. Doctors commonly prescribe this drug for the treatment of conditions that affect your heart and cardiovascular system.

Function

• Digoxin causes an increase of sodium in cells of the heart, which helps the heart beat more strongly and regularly.

Effects

• The Mayo Clinic reports that digoxin helps improve circulation, which improves symptoms of swelling of your hands and ankles caused by heart problems.

Indications

• Digoxin is used for patients with heart failure and chronic atrial fibrillation, a condition in which your heart muscles twitch irregularly, explains the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Features

• In most cases, doctors prescribe a diuretic (for example, furosemide) and an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor along with digoxin for the treatment of heart failure and chronic atrial fibrillation, explains the Mayo Clinic.

Dosage

• For adults, the normal dosage of digoxin is 3 micrograms for each kilogram you weigh per day, reports the Mayo Clinic. Your doctor will monitor how the drug affects you and may adjust your dosage up or down depending on how well you respond to treatment.