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Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic used by millions of women every year to treat UTIs. After a brief consultation, our doctors can issue this treatment for fast home delivery.
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Information last reviewed 10/18/19
Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic used to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). An uncomplicated UTI may involve the bladder but does not involve the kidneys. UTIs are usually caused by bacteria traveling up the urethra and into the bladder.
Nitrofurantoin works by concentrating in the bladder, killing bacteria that have entered the bladder through the urethra and multiplied. At lower concentrations, Nitrofurantoin is generally bacteriostatic, meaning it stops bacteria from reproducing, At higher concentrations, Nitrofurantoin is bactericidal, meaning it kills bacteria.
Nitrofurantoin takes effect within days to stop bacteria from multiplying. For uncomplicated urinary tract infections, a 3 to 7 day course may be prescribed. Nitrofurantoin can also be used to prevent UTIs in patients with recurrent infections. When used for prevention, it may be prescribed daily for several months. Ultimately, your doctor will decide the appropriate duration of treatment.
Nitrofurantoin is not an appropriate treatment for kidney infections. Although it may have some effect, your doctor is more likely to prescribe an alternative antibiotic, that is better-suited for this purpose.
Each capsule contains 50 or 100mg of Nitrofurantoin as the active ingredient.
Additional ingredients include lactose, maize starch, pregelatinized maize starch, sodium starch glycolate, magnesium stearate. Inactive ingredients may vary between manufacturers.
To treat a UTI, you'll usually take 200mg of Nitrofurantoin each day. This might be in the format of 2-4 pills daily. Space these out evenly throughout the day, taking one in the morning and one 12 hours later in the evening. If the dose is split into 4 tablets, then you should take these every 3-4 hours. Always take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed.
Nitrofurantoin should be taken as soon as possible after noticing symptoms.
Always finish the course of Nitrofurantoin that you have been prescribed. Stopping treatment early can lead to a recurrence of the infection, as bacteria may still be present in the bladder.
Accidentally taking one additional dose of Nitrofurantoin should not result in significant toxicity. If you take more than one additional dose, you should contact your doctor or seek medical attention.
Side Effects commonly include:
Drowsiness
Nausea
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Reduced appetite
Feeling dizzy
Headache
Darker urine
Serious side effects which require attention from a doctor include:
Weakness, numbness or tingling in the muscles or joints
Yellowed skin (jaundice)
Coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath
Fever or chills
Unexplained bruising or bleeding
A severe headache
Allergic reaction
Feeling generally unwell
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:
Regarding the above conditions, your doctor will be able to assess if nitrofurantoin is suitable for you.
Certain medications may interact with Nitrofurantoin. Tell your doctor if you are taking:
Antacids
Medication for gout
Any over-the-counter UTI remedies
Quinolones
A UTI can be uncomfortable, painful and disruptive to your daily life. If you are prone to UTIs, you can try to implement these preventative steps:
Drink lots of water
Wipe from front to back after going to the toilet
Always urinate after sexual intercourse
Avoid using contraception with spermicide
Avoid perfumed washes and perfumed sanitary products
Macrobid and Nitrofurantoin are the same medication with the same active ingredient. Nitrofurantoin is the generic name for the medicine, while Macrobid is a brand name.
Some alternative antibiotics for a UTI include:
Cephalexin
Fosfomycin
Ceftriaxone
Trimethoprim
Cranberry juice is often marketed as being helpful for preventing urinary tract infections. Although some studies have shown that cranberry juice helps in this regard, to date, there is no definitive evidence to support this claim. Cranberry juice does not help treat an active infection.
If you take Nitrofurantoin for longer than the standard length of treatment, this makes you more likely to get a yeast infection. This happens because the antibiotic kills off the bacteria, which would normally stop a yeast infection from growing.
You can still drink alcohol while you are taking Nitrofurantoin.
Nitrofurantoin is safe for pregnant women to take.
Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic specifically used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). Nitrofurantoin is generally effective when the UTI is caused by certain strains of E. coli, enterococci, Staphylococcus aureus, and some strains of Klebsiella and Enterobacter species.
Nitrofurantoin is not indicated for treatment of STIs. If you suspect that you may have a sexually transmitted infection, you should see your doctor for evaluation and treatment to ensure proper treatment for the specific infection.
Alcohol does not directly affect the efficacy of Nitrofurantoin. It is generally safe to drink alcohol in moderation while taking Nitrofurantoin. However, alcohol has been shown to intensify some of the side effects of Nitrofurantoin. You should talk to your doctor about alcohol use if you are prescribed Nitrofurantoin. Even though alcohol may not directly affect Nitrofurantoin, it is recommended to avoid alcohol if you have a urinary tract infection. Alcohol can lead to dehydration, which can make it more difficult to treat your infection.
Nitrofurantoin is safe during pregnancy. It is rated pregnancy category B. This means that there was not a risk to the fetus in animal reproduction studies that have been completed. There have not been any well controlled studies with pregnant women.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. You and your physician will determine if and how you should take any medication prescribed to you following a medical consultation.
“DailyMed - NITROFURANTION- Nitrofurantion Capsule” (U.S. National Library of Medicine) <https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ad020393-1c97-49da-b0f3-d6a9359fb73d> accessed July 27, 2019
“FDA Pregnancy Categories - CHEMM” (U.S. National Library of Medicine) <https://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/pregnancycategories.htm> accessed July 27, 2019
Ghouri F, Hollywood A and Ryan K, “A Systematic Review of Non-Antibiotic Measures for the Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections in Pregnancy” (2018) 18 BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Nicolle LE, “Cranberry for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infection?” (2016) 316 Jama 1873
Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by a common infection of the lower urinary tract. The lower urinary tract comprises the bladder, the urethra (the tube from the bladder which carries urine out), the kidneys, and ureters, which connect the kidneys to the bladder.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a whole bunch of wonderful things about being a woman, but let’s face it, we’ve all had our moments of resentment at the idea that there are some issues our male counterparts simply don’t have to worry about.
Women are 30 times more likely to get UTIs (urinary tract infections) than men. I know 30 times, that doesn't seem fair. UTIs are not fun, usually painful and inconvenient to daily life. So let's talk. Here's a list of ways to cure STIs and some top tips to prevent them from happening in the first place.
The abdominal pain and burning urination of a UTI is an awful experience and, understandably, you want to get rid of the symptoms as fast as possible. Antibiotics can make this happen within 2-3 days, if, and only if, you make sure to get the right kind of antibiotic. There are many different E. coli bacteria strains that can cause UTIs and some of them are resistant against commonly prescribed antibiotics.
After your doctor has diagnosed you with a urinary tract infection (UTI) the next task is to find out which bacteria has caused the infection. In ~80% of cases the troublemaker is E. coli, but there are about 45 recognized strains of that bacteria species and only about ten of those cause UTIs. Each strain responds in its own way to different antibiotics. Therefore, your doctor will have you do a urine sample test which will be sent to a lab for a urine culture.
So, you just saw a doctor about the pain and burning you experience when peeing and were diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI). Most likely, after testing a urine sample to figure out which bacteria has caused the UTI, your doctor will or already has given you a prescription for antibiotics. How long your antibiotics treatment will be depends on how serious your UTI is. A mild simple UTI may require 2-3 days of antibiotics, but it can go as long as seven days, and complicated UTI may call for a two-week treatment. To ensure that all the bacteria are killed, it’s important that you follow the instructions of your doctor and take the antibiotics as long as prescribed for.
UTIs are infections that typically occur in the urethra, the bladder and — in rare and but potentially fatal cases — in the kidneys. UTIs are among the top three most common infections in the world and over 90% of all UTIs happen to women. This has simple anatomical reasons: it’s much easier for bacteria to enter the vagina and move up the urinary tract. In many cases the troublemaking bacteria come from the woman’s own digestive tract. They go from the anus across the perineum (more commonly known as the “dam”) into the vagina. Another common cause of infection is sex, where bacteria enter the vagina with the partner’s penis.
If you feel a sharp pain in the two sides of your mid to lower back (these are the flanks where the kidneys are) and you experience at least one of the symptoms shown on the list below, it’s quite likely that you have an acute kidney infection (acute pyelonephritis) that requires immediate medical attention. Go see a doctor right away, because if kidney infections are left untreated, they can put your life in danger.
Many women use hygiene products on and in their vaginas on a daily basis, be it soaps, tampons, sprays, or douches. Then there’s a range of birth control devices, such as traditional condoms, internal condoms, and diaphragms, as well as lubes and sex toys. In general, all of the above is well tolerated by most women, especially by women prior to the menopause. But it’s worth discussing the proper use and risks of some of those things we apply to or insert into our vaginas.
When you feel pain or discomfort inside your vagina or in the vulva area in general, or when you notice any unusual discharge or odor that last for longer than a few days, it’s always a good idea to see a doctor. This is because there are several common as well as a couple of rarer vaginal health problems that have similar symptoms and thus are difficult to discern on your own. This is true even if you have previous experience with some of these infections.
As you probably noticed yourself, urinary tract infections (UTI) get better relatively fast once you start taking antibiotics. As the bacteria in the bladder are killed, within the first day of treatment you’ll notice a big improvement in terms of reduced pain and burning. For the bladder to fully recover it will take another 3-4 days after which you should no longer have strong symptoms.
In the United States, urinary tract infections (UTI) account for 6 million patient visits annually, whereas all sexual transmitted infections (STI) amount to around 3 million cases, with roughly 80% of them being for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. And that’s 3 million for men and women combined, whereas over 90% of the 6 million UTI are women. So, statistically speaking, when you notice something is wrong with your pee or the process of peeing — a burning sensation, pain, strange color or odor — it’s more likely that it’s “just” a UTI. Of course, UTI is a very serious condition in its own right, with risks of complications and chronic reoccurrence, and absolutely requires a doctor’s visit. But it’s probably still better news than an STI.
As you probably know, urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common bacterial infections among women. By the time you reach your mid-30s, there’s on average a 50% chance that you already had at least one UTI in your life so far. The burning pain during urination and constant urge to pee is an unpleasant experience many women are only too familiar with.
UTI are infections of the urinary tract, which includes the urethra, the bladder and the kidneys. The vast majority of UTI registered every year are acute bladder infections (called cystitis in medical speak). They are caused by bacteria entering the vagina, who then move up the urethra (which is the duct between the entrance of your vagina and your bladder) and start multiplying in the bladder. These bacteria most often stem from the E. coli family and can originate from the woman’s own digestive tract (via the anus) or outside sources. Such bacterial infections can result in mild to moderate pain in the bladder, “burning” urine, and an increased urge to urinate. This is what doctors call a “simple UTI.”
UTI is one of the most common infections globally, with around 150 million cases occurring every year. More than 90% of people who get UTI are women and it’s most often seen in the 16-35 age range. That said, women that are experiencing menopause or are in their 60s or older are also at an increased risk, simply because the immune system tends to be a bit weaker at that age. In the vast majority of cases, UTI is a simple acute bladder infection (cystitis) caused by bacteria and treatable with antibiotics. It can be painful and there’s an increased urge to urinate, but there aren’t any more severe symptoms.
UTIs are very common, with some 150 million cases recorded globally in a normal year. Over 90% of patients are women and the ages most at risk are 15 to 35 and any age older than 50. Doctors differentiate between simple UTI, which is an acute cystitis (bladder infection), and complicated UTI which includes chronic UTI, pregnancy related UTI, post-surgery UTI, UTI in patients older than 65, and any UTI where the infection has already advanced to the kidneys. Complicated UTI often need more than just antibiotics to be successfully treated. However, for a simple, acute UTI (i.e., it has only lasted for less than 10 days) antibiotics can be all it takes to effectively treat the infection.
UTI is one of the most frequently seen microbial infections in the world and in a typical year occurs in about 2% of the global population. Some 90% of patients are women. In fact, 50% of all women in the U.S. will have at least one UTI by the time they are 35, and ~20% of women aged 18-24 even experience it annually. The risks of getting UTI is less severe for middle-aged women but the risks rises again in and after menopause. Aside from age, existing diabetes is a risk factor.
While many people who are suffering from cystitis turn to their doctor for a medical treatment, many others prefer to try an alternative bladder infection treatment. Although there’s doubt that a natural bladder infection treatment will work, some of them have been effective, especially when treating mild forms of the condition. However, to best prevent the spread of cystitis, and further complications such as kidney infections, we recommend seeking confirmed medical treatments such as Trimethoprim, Nitrofurantoin and MacroBid. It is possible to use these alternative treatments alongside prescription medications to improve your condition. Here are some of the most popular alternative treatments for bladder infections like cystitis.
While Nitrofurantoin and alcohol do not have any known interactions, it is still not a good idea to mix the two. Moderate alcohol consumption (one glass a day for women and two glasses a day for men) has been shown to have no negative effect on Nitrofurantoin. However, if you drink excessive amounts, it could cause serious health problems and may reduce the drug’s effectiveness.
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