Ethacrynic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Ethacrynic Acid is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand, for ascites, edema and heart failure. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Treats
- Ascites, Edema and Heart Failure
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- Edecrin
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $24 for a 30-count supply — not your price
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How ethacrynic acid is dosed
From the FDA label for Edecrin (application NDA016092). Other ethacrynic acid products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Dosage must be regulated carefully to prevent a more rapid or substantial loss of fluid or electrolyte than is indicated or necessary. The magnitude of diuresis and natriuresis is largely dependent on the degree of fluid accumulation present in the patient. Similarly, the extent of potassium excretion is determined in large measure by the presence and magnitude of aldosteronism. Oral Use EDECRIN is available for oral use as 25 mg tablets. Dosage: To Initiate Diuresis In Adults: The smallest dose required to produce gradual weight loss (about 1 to 2 pounds per day) is recommended. Onset of diuresis usually occurs at 50 to 100 mg for adults. After diuresis has been achieved, the minimally effective dose (usually from 50 to 200 mg daily) may be given on a continuous or intermittent dosage schedule. Dosage adjustments are usually in 25 to 50 mg increments to avoid derangement of water and electrolyte excretion. The patient should be weighed under standard conditions before and during the institution of diuretic therapy with this compound. Small alterations in dose should effectively prevent a massive diuretic response. The following schedule may be helpful in determining the smallest effective dose. Day 1 — 50 mg once daily after a meal Day 2 — 50 mg twice daily after meals, if necessary Day 3 — 100 mg in the morning and 50 to 100 mg following the afternoon or evening meal,…
Ethacrynic Acid side effects
Gastrointestinal Anorexia, malaise, abdominal discomfort or pain, dysphagia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea have occurred. These are more frequent with large doses or after one to three months of continuous therapy. A few patients have had sudden onset of profuse, watery diarrhea. Discontinue EDECRIN if diarrhea is severe and do not give it again. Gastrointestinal bleeding has occurred in some patients. Rarely, acute pancreatitis has been reported. Metabolic Reversible hyperuricemia and acute gout have been reported. Acute symptomatic hypoglycemia with convulsions occurred in two uremic patients who received doses above those recommended. Hyperglycemia has been reported. Rarely, jaundice and abnormal liver function tests have been reported in seriously ill patients receiving multiple drug therapy, including EDECRIN. Hematologic Agranulocytosis or severe neutropenia has been reported in a few critically ill patients also receiving agents known to produce this effect. Thrombocytopenia has been reported rarely. Henoch-Schönlein purpura has been reported rarely in patients with rheumatic heart disease receiving multiple drug therapy, including EDECRIN. Special Senses (see WARNINGS ) Deafness, tinnitus and vertigo with a sense of fullness in the ears, and blurred vision have occurred. Central Nervous System Headache, fatigue, apprehension, confusion. Miscellaneous Skin rash, fever,…
Who shouldn’t take ethacrynic acid
All diuretics, including ethacrynic acid, are contraindicated in anuria. If increasing electrolyte imbalance, azotemia, and/or oliguria occur during treatment of severe, progressive renal disease, the diuretic should be discontinued. In a few patients this diuretic has produced severe, watery diarrhea. If this occurs, it should be discontinued and not used again. Until further experience in infants is accumulated, therapy with oral and parenteral EDECRIN is contraindicated. Hypersensitivity to any component of this product.
Ethacrynic Acid drug interactions
Lithium generally should not be given with diuretics because they reduce its renal clearance and add a high risk of lithium toxicity. Read circulars for lithium preparations before use of such concomitant therapy. EDECRIN may increase the ototoxic potential of other drugs such as aminoglycoside and some cephalosporin antibiotics. Their concurrent use should be avoided. A number of drugs, including ethacrynic acid, have been shown to displace warfarin from plasma protein; a reduction in the usual anticoagulant dosage may be required in patients receiving both drugs. In some patients, the administration of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent can reduce the diuretic, natriuretic, and antihypertensive effects of loop, potassium-sparing and thiazide diuretics. Therefore, when EDECRIN and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents are used concomitantly, the patient should be observed closely to determine if the desired effect of the diuretic is obtained.
Every ethacrynic acid product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Edecrin.
What ethacrynic acid pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Ethacrynic Acid and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for ethacrynic acid: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadBecause no information is available on the use of ethacrynic acid during breastfeeding and because intense diuresis might decrease lactation, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. Low doses of ethacrynic acid may not suppress lactation.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised January 20, 2020. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about ethacrynic acid
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 330 reports naming ethacrynic acid, and the FDA flagged 78% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms59 reports
- dyspnoea30 reports
- drug hypersensitivity27 reports
- acute kidney injury22 reports
- nausea22 reports
- fatigue21 reports
- diarrhoea17 reports
- dizziness16 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean ethacrynic acid caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is ethacrynic acid?
Edecrin (Ethacrynic Acid) is a medication used to treat Ascites, Edema, Heart Failure, Hypertension.
Can you take ethacrynic acid with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run ethacrynic acid against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does ethacrynic acid come in?
Across the brands we track, ethacrynic acid is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic ethacrynic acid?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled ethacrynic acid product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Ethacrynic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ethacrynic-acid
- MLA
- “Ethacrynic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ethacrynic-acid.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for ethacrynic acid on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.