Over-the-counter medicines you may need to avoid (talk to your doctor or pharmacist)

Prescription medicines you may need to avoid (talk to your doctor or pharmacist)

Pain relievers called NSAIDs

• Ibuprofen, such as Advil and Motrin
• Naproxen, such as Aleve
• Aspirin, such as Bayer
  • If your doctor has told you to take a low-dose aspirin every day for your heart problems, it's probably okay to take it. Low-dose aspirin can help prevent blood clots and may prevent a stroke or a heart attack.
  • Higher doses of aspirin may make your heart failure worse. Do not take aspirin for pain, such as from headaches or arthritis. Use acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, instead.

Pain relievers

• Celecoxib
• Etodolac
• Indomethacin
• Ibuprofen
• Ketoprofen
• Nabumetone
• Naproxen
• Piroxicam
• Salsalate
• Sulindac

Cold, cough, flu, or sinus medicines

• Be sure to check the label. Do not take medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, or oxymetazoline, such as:
  • Sudafed.
  • Nose sprays (decongestants), such as Afrin and Dristan.
  • Herbal remedies, such as ma huang and Herbalife.

• Make sure your cough and cold medicines don't contain aspirin or ibuprofen.

Antiarrhythmics

• These are drugs used to treat a fast or uneven heart rhythm. You may need to avoid the following:
  • Disopyramide
  • Dofetilide
  • Flecainide
  • Procainamide
  • Propafenone
  • Quinidine
  • Sotalol

Antacids or laxatives that contain sodium

• Check the label for sodium or saline. Examples include:
  • Antacids, such as Alka-Seltzer.
  • Laxatives, such as Fleet Phospho-Soda.

Calcium channel blockers

• People with a certain kind of heart failure may need to avoid the following medicines:
  • Diltiazem
  • Verapamil

• If you need to take a calcium channel blocker for another health problem, such as high blood pressure, your doctor will watch your health carefully.

Certain diabetes medicines

• Most diabetes drugs are safe to take, but you may need to avoid the following:
  • Metformin
  • Rosiglitazone and pioglitazone

Certain antibiotics

• Some antibiotics may interfere with how your body uses the medicine digoxin. If you take digoxin, talk with your doctor before taking antibiotics.