Athletes very often use Lasix before championships to loose weight, even if this drug is in the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of banned preparations. For example, a young athlete was overweight two days before the trial, so she went to a drug store to buy Lasix that was sold her OTC. In only 2 days, she lost 7 kg out of necessary 9 due to the strong diuretic effect of the medication.
Such cases often occur according to a confirmation of a number of wrestlers and coaches.
Lasix has been used as a weight loss remedy by the athletes in the last 10 years. However, neither the coaches nor the athletes have no idea the drug is banned by official authorities. It helps to achieve quick results but may cause severe health problems in the long term.
Lasix (Furosemide) is a loop diuretic that decreases water retention in the body via increasing urination. However, if used without prescription, it may cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. In case of overdose, a person may experience seizures, renal failure, and other serious problems. Thus, using Lasix for quick weight loss before championships is forbidden.
It is known that Lasix is used not only by wrestlers – weightlifters love it too! Besides Lasix, the weightlifters also use laxatives for the weight loss but only as the last solution. Some coaches claim their athletes never use anything without consulting a doctor. Other say that only ignorant players could take Lasix for such purposes.
Obviously, Lasix was not made for weigh loss. It is used to treat edema in heart failure, renal insufficiency, cirrhosis, pulmonary edema, cephaledema, and severe arterial hypertension. Due to a large range of side effects, the drug must be used only under medical supervision.
Despite all the possible adverse reactions, Lasix has become available in a generic form that can be purchased over-the-counter in the US. Such a grant was given by FDA to an Indian company Ranbaxy.
