Dobutamine
Description
Dobutamine is used for the short-term treatment of heart failure (a condition in which your heart is unable to pump a sufficient amount of blood) caused due to a weakened heart muscle. It works by improving the blood flow through stimulation of the heart muscles.
Dobutamine may cause side effects such as nausea, headache, chest pain, fever, leg cramps, pain/swelling at the injection site, etc. It may also cause an irregular heartbeat and an increase in blood pressure. Consult your doctor if these side effects persist or worsens.
Dobutamine is administered by your doctor in a clinic or a hospital setting. Your doctor will determine the dose and duration of treatment based on your condition. Follow the instructions given by your doctor.
Dobutamine is not recommended if you are allergic to it. Use this medicine with caution if you have arrhythmia (a heart condition that causes irregular heartbeat), or low potassium levels in your blood. Inform your doctor if you are taking any other medicines as they may react with each other and cause side effects. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant or are breastfeeding before receiving this medicine.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Dobutamine
- Increased heart rate
- Chest pain
- Changes in blood pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
- Increased urination frequency
- Nausea
- Skin Rash
- Fever
- Swelling and redness at the injection site
- Anxiety
- Low blood potassium
Uses of Dobutamine
What is it prescribed for?
- Congestive Heart Failure
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionDobutamine shows its effect within 1 to 2 minutes after administration.
- Duration of effectThe effect of Dobutamine may last not more than several hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendency has been reported with Dobutamine.
- Usage in pregnancy?Animal studies indicate that Dobutamine does not harm your foetus. However, due to a lack of human data, consult your doctor before receiving the treatment.
- Usage while breast-feeding?It is not known, whether Dobutamine passes into breastmilk, so the risk to your baby is not known. If you are breastfeeding, consult your doctor before receiving the treatment.
Allergy
Dobutamine is not recommended if you are allergic to it. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms such as skin rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, breathing difficulty, etc.
Obstructive heart disease
Obstructive heart disease is a condition that causes narrowing or obstruction in blood vessels that supply blood to your heart. Dobutamine is not recommended if you have obstructive heart disease as it may worsen your condition.
Hypovolaemia
Hypovolaemia is a condition of very low blood volume. It may occur due to loss of blood or body fluids (due to excessive bleeding, vomiting, diarrhoea, etc.). Dobutamine is not recommended in such conditions. Your doctor will suggest measures to correct hypovolaemia before the administration of this medicine.
Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis
Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis is a genetic condition with abnormally thick heart muscle which makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood. Dobutamine is not recommended due to the increased risk of worsening your condition.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
Animal studies indicate that Dobutamine does not harm your foetus. However, due to a lack of human data, consult your doctor before receiving the treatment.
Breast-feeding
It is not known, whether Dobutamine passes into breastmilk, so the risk to your baby is not known. If you are breastfeeding, consult your doctor before receiving the treatment.
General warnings
Other medicines
Dobutamine may interact with other medicines and may cause severe side effects. Hence, inform your doctor about all your current medicines including any herbs and supplements before beginning treatment with this medicine.
Use in elderly
Dobutamine should be used with caution in the elderly since the risk of side effects is significantly high. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be necessary in some cases based on the clinical condition.
Missed Dose
As Dobutamine is usually administered by a qualified healthcare professional in the clinical/hospital setting, the likelihood of a missed dose is very low.
Overdose
As Dobutamine is administered in the hospital or clinical setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of an overdose is very low. However, emergency medical treatment will be initiated by your doctor if an overdose is suspected.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Insulin
Formoterol
Salmeterol
Beta blockers
Glimepiride
Amitriptyline
Linezolid
Metformin
Disease interactions
Cardiac arrhythmias
Dobutamine may cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Hence, this medicine should be administered with caution if you have cardiac arrhythmia (a condition of an irregular heartbeat. Your doctor may suggest tests to monitor the functioning of your heart while receiving this medicine.
Hypokalaemia
Dobutamine may cause hypokalaemia (decrease in blood potassium levels). Hence, this medicine should be administered with caution if you have decreased levels of potassium in your body. Your doctor may frequently monitor the blood potassium levels while receiving this medicine.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Dobutamine injection is usually administered in the clinical or hospital setting under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional. Follow all the instructions given by your doctor.
Your doctor may regularly monitor the functioning of your heart and blood potassium levels while receiving Dobutamine.
Miscelleneous
How it works
Dobutamine works by stimulating the muscles of the heart, resulting in improved blood flow.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Catecholamines, Inotropic agents
Schedule
Schedule H
[Internet]. Sandoz.ca. 2018 [cited 25 September 2018]. Available from:
[Internet]. Medicines.org.uk. 2018 [cited 25 September 2018]. Available from:
DailyMed - DOBUTAMINE- dobutamine injection, solution [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2018 [cited 25 September 2018]. Available from:
Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Dobutamine 5 mg/ml, solution for infusion - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: < [Accessed 27 August 2021].
Accessdata.fda.gov. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 27 August 2021].
Information on this page was last updated on 17 Sep 2021
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.