Digitalis Intoxication

Abstract

Colestipol, a new anion exchange resin which binds digitalis glycosides, was administered to five patients with digoxin or digitoxin intoxication. Two patients with digoxin and one with digitoxin intoxication were treated with supportive measures only in order to obtain the "normal" rate of disappearance of digitalis glycosides from plasma. Signs and symptoms of digitalis intoxication and plasma glycoside levels subsided in a much shorter time in the patients treated with colestipol. Colestipol shortened the plasma half-life of digitoxin from 9.3 days to an average of 2.75 days. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the presence of duodenal juice may decrease the binding capacity of cholestyramine, although it does not seem to have a significant effect on the binding capacity of colestipol.