Drug name
Nitrofurantoin
Drug Instruction
Nitrofurantoin is prescribed for the treatment and prevention of urinary tract infections which are caused by certain categories of bacteria.
Intake Instruction
Please make sure to take Nitrofurantoin as prescribed by your health care provider. Necessarily perform a check up of the label on the medicine for learning exact dosing instructions.
Pleas make sure to intake medicine by mouth with food, by preference; breakfast and dinner, or milk to increase tolerance and make better absorption of Nitrofurantoin.
Taking an antacid which contains magnesium trisilicate in it as a component while you take Nitrofurantoin is not recommended. Please make sure to check with your health care provider or pharmacist if you are not confident which antacids possess magnesium trisilicate in them.
To entirely fight up your infection, please make sure to intake Nitrofurantoin for the full course of treatment. Please retain taking it even if you feel improvement in a few days.
Drug Category and Mechanism
Nitrofurantoin represents a urinary tract antibiotic. It functions by intercrossing with sufficient number of chemical processes in the bacteria, which results in the death of the bacteria.
Missed Dose
Should you miss a dose of this medicine please take it asap. If you find you have missed the previous dosage when it is almost time for your next dose, you should better skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Taking double or extra doses at once is not recommended. If more than one dose is missed, please contact your attending medical doctor or health care provider.
Storage
The best conditions to keep the medicine is at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is allowed. The container where the medicine is stored should be tightly closed. It should be also strictly protected from moisture, heat and light. Please retain the medicine out of reach of children and pets.
Safety Precautions
Taking the medicine is not recommended in case:
you have allergic reactions to any component in Nitrofurantoin;
you have small or no urine formation or you have kidney troubles;
you are pregnant and at term (38 to 42 weeks pregnant),
you have scheduled onset of labor, or during labor and delivery;
the patient is under 1 month old.
Please inform your health care provider if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of these are applicable to you.
Crucial Information:
Nitrofurantoin may cause giddiness, vertigo, lightheadedness, or changes in vision. These effects may get worse in case you intake the medicine with alcohol or certain categories of medicines. Please make sure to use Nitrofurantoin with caution.
Do not drive, use machinery, or do any actions which require mental alertness until you certainly inform how this medicine may affect you.
Nitrofurantoin may cause austere lung harm that may be persistent or fatal. If lung damage takes place, it may be unexpected or chronic thus resulting in inability to be immediately recognized. This generally occurs in patients who are taking the medicine for 6 months or longer. Please make sure to inform your health care provider immediately if chest pain, coughing, hard breathing (especially upon exertion), or perceptible changes in lung function take place. Symptoms generally occur during the first 1 to 2 weeks of therapy.
Mild diarrhea is common with antibiotic use. However, a more serious form of diarrhea (pseudomembranous colitis) may rarely occur. This may bring to occurence while you use the antibiotic or within several months after you stop the treatment with it. Please consult your health care provider immediately if stomach pain or convulsions, austere diarrhea, or bloody stools happen. Treatment of diarrhea without preliminary checking with your health care provider is not recommended.
Long-term or recurring use of Nitrofurantoin may bring about a second infection. Please inform your health care provider if signs of a second infection appear. There might be an obvious may need to be changed to treat this.
Nitrofurantoin only effects against bacteria; please take into consideration that it does not treat viral infections (e.g., the common cold). Make sure to use Nitrofurantoin for the full course of treatment. Please note that if you give up, the medicine may not fight your infection entirely. The bacteria could also turn to be less sensitive to this or other medicines. This could make the infection much more serious to treat in the future.
Nitrofurantoin may bring to urine discoloring. This is quite normal and not a reason for concern.
Diabetes patients - Nitrofurantoin may be the reason for results of some tests for urine glucose to appear wrong. Please inform your health care provider before you make any changes in your diet or the dose of your diabetes medicine.
Lab tests, involving liver function, kidney function, as well as entire blood cell counts, may be executed while you use Nitrofurantoin. These tests may also be used to control your medical condition or check for side effects. Make sure to retain all doctor and lab appointments.
Please note that you should use Nitrofurantoin with caution in the elderly; as they may be much more sensitive to its side effects, especially side effects which include the lungs and liver.
Nitrofurantoin cannot be used in children under 1 month old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not yet been explored.
Methotrexate should be used with outermost caution in children under 2 years old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been yet explored.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: In case you become pregnant, please immediately contact your doctor. You will be in a certain need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Nitrofurantoin ate the period of pregnancy. Make sure not to use Nitrofurantoin if you are at term (38 to 42 weeks pregnant), when the onset of labor is soon to occur, or during labor and delivery.
Also note that Nitrofurantoin outfalls into breast milk. Breast-feeding the child while taking Nitrofurantoin is not recommended.
Probable Side Effects
Please discuss with your health care provider if any of the mentioned most COMMON side effects afterglow or become or causing bother:
chills; cough; giddiness; vertigo; fever; headache; appetite loss; emesis; rash; tingling or anemia in fingers or toes; upset stomach; retching.
Please inform your health care provider if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the below – provided are applicable to you:
austere allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; hard breathing; tenseness in the chest; tumor of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bizarre behavior; bloody stools; chest pain; coughing; common body discomfort; high levelled pressure in the head; conflagration of the pancreas (stomach tenderness; emesis; retching; an abnormally high body temperature; increased pulse); tingling, anemia, or burning of the fingers and toes; austere diarrhea; hard breathing, especially when using energy; stomach pain/convulsions; yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Extra Information
An important note: This medicine is for you only. Sharing this medicine with others is not recommended.
Please consult your health care provider for more clarifications on medicine use and its safety instructions.