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Nitrofurantoin for UTI – Dosage & Side Effects
Key Takeaways
-Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic that combats bacteria in your system. It is available in oral form. This medication effectively treats lower urinary tract infections that is uncomplicated in nature
-Nitrofurantoin’s primary use lies in treating and prophylaxis of urinary tract infections. For capsules (macro crystals) and oral suspension, you may need to take this drug for a week or at least for a minimum of 3 days after sterility of urine is determined
-For dual-release capsules (macro crystals-monohydrate), you can take the medication for a period of nearly seven days (i.e. a week)
-Nitrofurantoin does not fight against other infections like cold, flu or other viral infections
-Nitrofurantoin is an effective drug against many organisms, particularly those, which are gram-positive and gram-negative.
Primary use of Nitrofurantoin is to treat symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) like cystitis – a bacterial infection resulting in uncomplicated UTI. Urinary tract infection can spread anywhere in your complete urinary system. Nitrofurantoin is an effective antibiotic useful in treating only UTIs, as it directly kills the bacteria causing the infection.
UTI mostly affects your bladder (cystitis), but at times, it can even affect your kidneys (pyelonephritis) as well. A urinary tract infection could also affect your ureters, or urethra.
How Nitrofurantoin Works to Treat Urinary Tract Infection?
Nitrofurantoin holds little serum concentration. At the same time, nitrofurantoin distillates in your lower urinary tract. It does not significantly affect bowel flora. Nitrofurantoin completely mixes in your urine. It also changes the color of your urine to somewhat brown.
Your bloodstream filters nitrofurantoin out as it dissolves within your system. Nitrofurantoin also exits through your pee. Therefore, this medication is beneficial in treating UTIs that possess fewer complications by nature caused by a bacterial infection.
Usually urologists prescribe and recommend a lower dose of nitrofurantoin for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The dosage strength is 50 mg, which is for four times every day. However, the regular dosage of nitrofurantoin (administered as capsules that has a suspension containing microcrystals or just macro crystals) for adults is 50-100 mg for four times every day.
Urologists prescribe other recommended dosage strengths depending on the condition of your UTI. There is also dual-release capsules (macro crystals-monohydrate). Healthcare professionals generally prescribe a 100 mg orally for every 12 hours i.e. two doses daily.
The duration of therapy for urinary tract infection depends on the dosage level and strength you take. For capsules (macro crystals) and oral suspension, you may need to take this drug for a week or at least for a minimum of 3 days after sterility of urine is determined. Your urine would be sterile only when the bacterial count is under a certain threshold. For dual-release capsules (macro crystals-monohydrate), the optimal period for taking this drug is ~ 7 days.
A systematic review of the benefits of nitrofurantoin in treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections, based on numerous Nitrofurantoin clinical study trials, showed cure rates ranging from 79% to 92% and bacterial eradication rates between 80% and 92%. The results indicated that a five-day course of nitrofurantoin was more effective than a seven-day course and clearly superior to a three-day course, which achieved clinical cure rates of only 61% to 70%.
Who Should not Take Nitrofurantoin?
Patients with severe kidney ailment should never take nitrofurantoin. If you have issues urinating, or you suffer from any liver ailment, nitrofurantoin is not advisable. Moreover, if nitrofurantoin had been the reason for your jaundice at an earlier instance, it is good that you avoid taking nitrofurantoin once again.
In addition, if you are allergic to nitrofurantoin itself, you should inform your urologist or a certified healthcare professional and should avoid taking this drug. This would prevent you from any further and severe health complications.
Other limitations include pregnant women who are during the last two to four weeks before delivery. They should completely avoid taking nitrofurantoin. Women who are breast-feeding also should ignore taking nitrofurantoin as the drug can pass into the breast milk and likely harm a nursing baby. In addition, this drug is not safe for the newborn (i.e. a baby less than one-month old).
Side Effects of Nitrofurantoin
This drug is considered safe and is tolerated quite well by most patients. But – in a few cases – you may Upon taking nitrofurantoin, if you experience any allergic reaction like difficulty in breathing, hives, swelling on your lips, tongue, face, or throat, you need to get medical assistance immediately.
Moreover, you can dial for emergency or call the medical helpline number if you encounter symptoms like diarrhea (watery or bloody stool), sudden pain, or discomfort in your chest, dry cough, wheezing, fever, tiredness, body aches, unexplained weight loss, numbness, and so on.
You could also experience nausea, liver problems, loss of appetite and pain in your upper stomach, itching, and jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).
If you are an adult and with some sickness, you may experience some serious side effects using nitrofurantoin. Some of them could be a general headache, you might get dizzy, experience gas trouble, your stomach might get upset, and you may feel itching in your vagina, or encounter abnormal discharge while you urinate or pee.
In addition, more severe reactions exist resulting from consuming nitrofurantoin. Pulmonary toxicity is a severe reaction caused by the use of nitrofurantoin. Pulmonary toxicity through nitrofurantoin has pulmonary reaction categories that include conditions like acute, subacute, and chronic.
When you consult with your urologist, you have to tell them your past medical history and your current health condition. You should also tell them if you are under any other medication. You need to disclose details of prior kidney ailments, blood conditions like anemia, vitamin B deficiencies or an electrolyte imbalance, deficiency of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) or you have any other medical conditions.
Emily is a licensed pharmacist with over 10 years of expertise in community pharmacy management. She is passionate about empowering individuals to understand their medications and improve overall well-being. In her spare time, she reads medical journals and shares valuable health insights.
Key Takeaways
-Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic that combats bacteria in your system. It is available in oral form. This medication effectively treats lower urinary tract infections that is uncomplicated in nature
-Nitrofurantoin’s primary use lies in treating and prophylaxis of urinary tract infections. For capsules (macro crystals) and oral suspension, you may need to take this drug for a week or at least for a minimum of 3 days after sterility of urine is determined
-For dual-release capsules (macro crystals-monohydrate), you can take the medication for a period of nearly seven days (i.e. a week)
-Nitrofurantoin does not fight against other infections like cold, flu or other viral infections
-Nitrofurantoin is an effective drug against many organisms, particularly those, which are gram-positive and gram-negative.
Primary use of Nitrofurantoin is to treat symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) like cystitis – a bacterial infection resulting in uncomplicated UTI. Urinary tract infection can spread anywhere in your complete urinary system. Nitrofurantoin is an effective antibiotic useful in treating only UTIs, as it directly kills the bacteria causing the infection.
UTI mostly affects your bladder (cystitis), but at times, it can even affect your kidneys (pyelonephritis) as well. A urinary tract infection could also affect your ureters, or urethra.
How Nitrofurantoin Works to Treat Urinary Tract Infection?
Nitrofurantoin holds little serum concentration. At the same time, nitrofurantoin distillates in your lower urinary tract. It does not significantly affect bowel flora. Nitrofurantoin completely mixes in your urine. It also changes the color of your urine to somewhat brown.
Your bloodstream filters nitrofurantoin out as it dissolves within your system. Nitrofurantoin also exits through your pee. Therefore, this medication is beneficial in treating UTIs that possess fewer complications by nature caused by a bacterial infection.
Usually urologists prescribe and recommend a lower dose of nitrofurantoin for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The dosage strength is 50 mg, which is for four times every day. However, the regular dosage of nitrofurantoin (administered as capsules that has a suspension containing microcrystals or just macro crystals) for adults is 50-100 mg for four times every day.
Urologists prescribe other recommended dosage strengths depending on the condition of your UTI. There is also dual-release capsules (macro crystals-monohydrate). Healthcare professionals generally prescribe a 100 mg orally for every 12 hours i.e. two doses daily.
The duration of therapy for urinary tract infection depends on the dosage level and strength you take. For capsules (macro crystals) and oral suspension, you may need to take this drug for a week or at least for a minimum of 3 days after sterility of urine is determined. Your urine would be sterile only when the bacterial count is under a certain threshold. For dual-release capsules (macro crystals-monohydrate), the optimal period for taking this drug is ~ 7 days.
A systematic review of the benefits of nitrofurantoin in treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections, based on numerous Nitrofurantoin clinical study trials, showed cure rates ranging from 79% to 92% and bacterial eradication rates between 80% and 92%. The results indicated that a five-day course of nitrofurantoin was more effective than a seven-day course and clearly superior to a three-day course, which achieved clinical cure rates of only 61% to 70%.
Who Should not Take Nitrofurantoin?
Patients with severe kidney ailment should never take nitrofurantoin. If you have issues urinating, or you suffer from any liver ailment, nitrofurantoin is not advisable. Moreover, if nitrofurantoin had been the reason for your jaundice at an earlier instance, it is good that you avoid taking nitrofurantoin once again.
In addition, if you are allergic to nitrofurantoin itself, you should inform your urologist or a certified healthcare professional and should avoid taking this drug. This would prevent you from any further and severe health complications.
Other limitations include pregnant women who are during the last two to four weeks before delivery. They should completely avoid taking nitrofurantoin. Women who are breast-feeding also should ignore taking nitrofurantoin as the drug can pass into the breast milk and likely harm a nursing baby. In addition, this drug is not safe for the newborn (i.e. a baby less than one-month old).
Side Effects of Nitrofurantoin
This drug is considered safe and is tolerated quite well by most patients. But – in a few cases – you may Upon taking nitrofurantoin, if you experience any allergic reaction like difficulty in breathing, hives, swelling on your lips, tongue, face, or throat, you need to get medical assistance immediately.
Moreover, you can dial for emergency or call the medical helpline number if you encounter symptoms like diarrhea (watery or bloody stool), sudden pain, or discomfort in your chest, dry cough, wheezing, fever, tiredness, body aches, unexplained weight loss, numbness, and so on.
You could also experience nausea, liver problems, loss of appetite and pain in your upper stomach, itching, and jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).
If you are an adult and with some sickness, you may experience some serious side effects using nitrofurantoin. Some of them could be a general headache, you might get dizzy, experience gas trouble, your stomach might get upset, and you may feel itching in your vagina, or encounter abnormal discharge while you urinate or pee.
In addition, more severe reactions exist resulting from consuming nitrofurantoin. Pulmonary toxicity is a severe reaction caused by the use of nitrofurantoin. Pulmonary toxicity through nitrofurantoin has pulmonary reaction categories that include conditions like acute, subacute, and chronic.
When you consult with your urologist, you have to tell them your past medical history and your current health condition. You should also tell them if you are under any other medication. You need to disclose details of prior kidney ailments, blood conditions like anemia, vitamin B deficiencies or an electrolyte imbalance, deficiency of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) or you have any other medical conditions.
Emily is a licensed pharmacist with over 10 years of expertise in community pharmacy management. She is passionate about empowering individuals to understand their medications and improve overall well-being. In her spare time, she reads medical journals and shares valuable health insights.
