Digoxin oral tablet side effects: A detailed guide

Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved digoxin oral tablet to:

• treat mild to moderate heart failure in adults
• manage resting heart rate in adults with chronic (long-term) atrial fibrillation
• help the heart muscles contract and pump blood in children with heart failure

This article describes possible side effects of digoxin oral tablet. You can explore this overview article to learn more about digoxin, including the drug’s uses, side effects, ways to save on cost, and more.

Digoxin oral tablet is a generic version of the brand-name drug Lanoxin. Digoxin also comes in an injectable form and a solution that you’ll swallow, but those forms aren’t described in this article. To learn more about those forms, talk with your doctor.

More common side effects of digoxin

Digoxin oral tablet may cause mild or serious side effects. Below are some of the more common side effects of this medication.

Commonly reported side effects of digoxin oral tablet include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• headache
• dizziness
• heart-related side effects*

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects of digoxin in detail” section below.

Mild side effects of digoxin

Digoxin may cause certain mild side effects. Usually, mild side effects are temporary and can be easily managed. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have side effects that don’t go away or become bothersome.

Mild side effects of digoxin oral tablet that occurred in studies include:

• abdominal pain
• apathy (expressing little emotion or change in mood)
• confusion
• dizziness
• gynecomastia (increased breast gland tissue in males†)
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• weakness
• mild allergic reaction*‡

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects of digoxin in detail” section below.
† Sex and gender exist on spectrums. In this article, we use the term “male” to refer to a person’s sex assigned at birth.
‡ An allergic reaction is possible with digoxin oral tablet. But it wasn’t reported in the drug’s studies.

Digoxin oral tablet may cause more mild side effects than those listed above. For details, see the drug’s prescribing information.

Serious side effects of digoxin

Digoxin may cause certain serious side effects. If you have any serious side effects from digoxin oral tablet, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency or your side effects feel life threatening, take immediate action. Call 911 or a local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency room.

After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. Visit MedWatch’s website if you’d like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with digoxin.

Serious side effects of digoxin oral tablet that occurred in studies include:

• low blood platelet levels
• digoxin toxicity*
• heart-related side effects*
• problems with the intestines*
• severe allergic reaction*†

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects of digoxin in detail” section below.
† An allergic reaction is possible with digoxin oral tablet. But it wasn’t reported in the drug’s studies.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on some prescription medications.

Common questions about side effects of digoxin

Here are answers to some common questions about side effects of digoxin oral tablet. If you have other questions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Can digoxin cause changes in blood potassium levels or blood pressure?

Digoxin isn’t expected to cause changes in blood pressure. And it’s only expected to cause changes in blood potassium levels in the setting of overdose or toxicity.

Digoxin toxicity occurs when the level of digoxin in your blood is too high. This can happen over time even if you use digoxin as directed by your doctor. If the level of digoxin in your blood gets too high, it can cause a high blood potassium level. A high digoxin level can also cause a low blood potassium level.

Due to this risk, your doctor will closely monitor the amount of digoxin in your system during your treatment. They’ll adjust your digoxin dose if your level is too high or too low. Talk with your doctor to learn more about how often you’ll need to receive a lab test to check your digoxin level while you’re taking the drug.

Does digoxin cause long-term side effects?

Yes, in some cases digoxin oral tablet may cause long-term side effects. These can occur if you take the drug for a long time, and may last for a while after you’ve stopped taking the drug.

Examples of long-term side effects reported with digoxin oral tablet include increased breast gland tissue in males*, which can happen after using the drug for a long time.

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have more questions about digoxin and long-term side effects.

* Sex and gender exist on spectrums. In this article, we use the term “male” to refer to a person’s sex assigned at birth.

Side effects of digoxin in detail

Below you’ll find details on some of the side effects of digoxin oral tablet.

Heart-related side effects

In studies, heart-related side effects were common in people taking digoxin oral tablet. These side effects may be mild or serious.

Heart-related side effects reported with digoxin include:

• severe slow heart rate
• sinoatrial block, a type of sick sinus syndrome
• other types of irregular heart rhythms, including ventricular fibrillation

Symptoms can differ depending on the specific heart-related side effect. But some general symptoms include:

• chest pain
• dizziness
• fainting and losing consciousness
• heart palpitations (fluttering, pounding, or racing heart rate)

Ways to manage

If you experience mild symptoms of heart-related side effects, immediately tell your doctor. But if your symptoms feel severe or threatening, immediately call 911 or seek emergent medical treatment.

Your doctor will determine whether it’s safe to continue digoxin treatment should you experience a heart-related side effect while taking the drug.

Problems with the intestines

In studies, problems with the intestines such as intestinal ischemia and hemorrhagic necrosis of the intestines were rare in people using digoxin oral tablet. These side effects may be serious and even life threatening.

With intestinal ischemia, you don’t experience enough blood flow to part or all of your intestines. With hemorrhagic necrosis of the intestines, blood is blocked from draining out of your intestines, and the blood vessels eventually rupture.

Symptoms may include:

• severe abdominal pain
• abdominal bloating
• nausea and vomiting

Ways to manage

If you experience symptoms of intestinal ischemia or hemorrhagic necrosis of the intestines, immediately call 911 or seek emergency medical services.

Digoxin toxicity

In studies, digoxin toxicity was common in people using digoxin oral tablet. This side effect may be serious.

With digoxin toxicity, you experience side effects due to too much digoxin building up in your body. This is possible even when dixogin is used as directed by your doctor.

Symptoms may include:

• nausea and vomiting
• disturbances to vision, including a “halo effect” (seeing a halo-like appearance while looking at light) or green-yellow disturbances to your color vision
• diarrhea that doesn’t go away
• confusion
• weakness

Digoxin toxicity can also cause some of the heart-related side effects discussed above.

Ways to manage

During treatment with digoxin, your doctor will order blood tests to check the amount of digoxin in your system. They’ll adjust your dose if this level is too high or low.

If you experience symptoms of digoxin toxicity, tell your doctor right away. They’ll likely recommend making an appointment to check the amount of digoxin in your system. They’ll adjust your dose if this level is too high or low.

Allergic reaction

For some people, digoxin oral tablet can cause an allergic reaction.

Symptoms can be mild or serious, and they may include:

• itchiness
• skin rash
• swelling under the skin, usually affecting eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
• swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe
• flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)

Ways to manage

For mild allergic reaction symptoms, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may recommend treatments to help manage your symptoms. They’ll also let you know whether you should keep taking the medication.

For severe allergic reaction symptoms, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms require immediate medical care because they can become life threatening. If you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to digoxin oral tablet, your doctor may recommend taking a different medication instead.

Warnings for digoxin

Below are some factors you may want to discuss with your doctor before taking digoxin oral tablet.

Warnings

It may not be safe for you to take digoxin oral tablet if you have specific health conditions. These are sometimes called drug-condition interactions. Other things may also affect whether digoxin oral tablet is a safe treatment option for you.

Before taking digoxin oral tablet, tell your doctor about your health and medications you take. Things to consider include:

• AV block
• cardiac amyloidosis
• kidney condition, such as chronic kidney disease
• low level of magnesium or potassium in your blood
• high level of calcium in your blood
• myocarditis (inflammation of the heart)
• under- or overactive thyroid
• Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
• past allergic reaction to digoxin

Digoxin and pregnancy

It’s not known whether digoxin oral tablet should be taken during pregnancy. If you’re planning a pregnancy or can become pregnant, talk with your doctor before using this medication.

Digoxin and breastfeeding

In general, digoxin oral tablet is considered safe to take while breastfeeding. That said, check with your doctor about whether they feel it’s safe for you specifically.

Digoxin and alcohol

Digoxin oral tablet is not known to interact with alcohol.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about whether it’s safe to consume it during your treatment with digoxin oral tablet.

What to ask your doctor

This article describes common and serious side effects of digoxin oral tablet. If your doctor prescribes this medication, they can discuss possible side effects with you. Let your doctor know if you have concerns or questions about treatment with this medication.

Here’s a list of some possible questions you may want to ask your doctor:

• If I experience side effects from digoxin, can you prescribe a lower dosage for me?
• Are older adults at higher risk of side effects caused by digoxin?
• Do other medications I take interact with digoxin and raise my risk of side effects?

Disclaimer: Optum Perks has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.