Nitrofurantoin

Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections of the urinary tract caused by certain bacteria.

• Take this medication with or after food.
• You should complete each course of antibiotics even if you feel better as incomplete treatment might cause the infection to return or cause antibiotic resistance. When antibiotic resistance happens, the antibiotic will not be able to control the growth or kill the bacteria anymore.

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.

Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You have Glucose-6-Phosphate-Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
• You have liver or kidney problems

This medication can affect the levels of other medications in your body. Do let your doctor know if you are taking other medications, including over-the-counter medications, vitamins and herbal products, before starting on this antibiotic.

Inform your doctor if you are taking magnesium trisilicate, a medication used for gastric discomfort.

The common side effects of this medication include:

• Nausea or vomiting, stomach pain
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation or diarrhoea

Nitrofurantoin may also cause your urine to turn dark yellow or brown in colour.

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

Other rare but serious side effects include:

• Difficulty breathing, fever, chills, chest pain and cough
• Serious skin rash that looks red, swollen, blistered or peeling
• Very sensitive to touch, sharp pain, numbness or having a tingling feeling in your feet or hands
• Signs of liver injury, which may include dark coloured urine, light coloured stools, severe nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain or yellowing of skin or eyes.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

• Keep away from children
• Keep in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight

Please return any unused or expired antibiotics to the pharmacy where you received it from.