Who can and cannot take digoxin

Most adults can take digoxin.

It's sometimes prescribed for children if a heart specialist recommends it.

Digoxin is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, check with your doctor before you start to take digoxin if you have:

• ever had an allergic reaction to digoxin or any other medicine
• serious heart problems such as cardiomyopathy, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, heart block, pericarditis, myocarditis, or you have recently had a heart attack
• kidney problems
• an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) – changes in how the thyroid works can affect how digoxin works
• stomach or bowel problems, such as Crohn's disease, or if you have had surgery on your bowel or stomach – these can affect how much digoxin gets into your body and may change the dose of digoxin you need
• lung disease or severe asthma
• a rare hereditary problem of galactose intolerance, including the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption
• beriberi disease (also known as thiamine deficiency)
• a low blood potassium or magnesium level, or a high blood calcium level