Drugs Used to Treat Children with Heart Conditions Not all children with cardiac problems will require the use of medication. If your child does need it, the drugs prescribed will depend on the nature of your child's heart condition, and the degree of symptoms they are showing. All of the drugs have a chemical or generic name which identifies the 'ingredients' of the medication, but the pharmaceutical companies which make the drugs also give them a company or proprietary name, so there may be several names for the same drug.

Digoxin: This increases the force of contraction of the heart muscle making it more efficient, and it also slows down the electrical impulses within the heart. It is used to give extra support to the heart muscle and to slow down the heart if it is beating too fast. It can occasionally make your child sick or nauseous and they may lose their appetite.
Diuretics Frusemide and Chlorothiazide: These drugs enable the kidneys to produce and excrete more urine. When the heart is not working very efficiently it causes the body to retain fluid within the lungs and the liver. Consequently the lungs become heavier and work less efficiently causing the child to become breathless, which often results in difficulty in feeding in babies. These drugs tend to excrete potassium, sodium, and chloride in the urine and supplements of these substances are sometimes needed.
Spironolactone / Amiloride: These are slightly weaker diuretics that also do not cause the excretion of potassium. They are often used together with one of the other diuretics. Potassium supplements These are given with the diuretics to help replace the lost potassium, but your child will probably not like the taste very much..
Hydralazine and Captopril: These drugs are vasodilators, which means that they increase the size of the blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. They are also used to lower high blood pressure, but can also be used if the heart action is very weak, as by reducing the blood pressure it reduces the work of the heart. Propranolol Another drug that reduces the rate and force of contraction of the heart muscle, it is used to treat fast heart rates, high blood pressure, and to relieve the spasms of the heart muscle in Fallot's Tetralogy.
Anti-arrythmic Drugs. There are many anti-arrythmic drugs such as Verapamil, Disopyramide, Lignocaine, Phenytoin, Mexilitene, Flecainide, and Amiodarone. They are used to control arrhythmias - irregular or abnormal heartbeats Anticoagulants These drugs thin the blood and are used in patients who have an artificial heart valve, to prevent blood clots forming in the valve. Warfarin is the drug used and regular blood tests are essential to assess the amount of thinning and to adjust the dose. All children on this drug should carry a card with them detailing the dose and result of the latest blood test, so that they receive the correct treatment in an emergency. Any medicines containing Aspirin should be avoided when taking Warfarin, as it is also an anticoagulant. Aspirin is sometimes used in adolescents with heart conditions as it reduces the stickiness of the platelets in the blood.

These are just a few!