Nitrofurantoin

• Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic that treats urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by certain bacteria.
• It only works against bacterial infections, not viral infections like colds or flu.

• Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare professional tells you. The amount and how often you take it will be on your prescription label.
• Take nitrofurantoin with food or milk. This helps your body absorb it better and helps prevent an upset stomach.
• Keep taking this medicine for as long as your healthcare professional tells you, even if you start feeling better early. Stopping too soon can let the infection come back and become harder to treat.
• Do not share this medicine with anyone else.

If you miss a dose

• If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
• If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one. Do not take two doses together to make up for it.

• Do not take nitrofurantoin if you are pregnant and close to your delivery date, unless your doctor has clearly told you it is needed.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you are breastfeeding, especially if your baby is younger than one month old or has a known blood condition called G6PD deficiency.

• Tell your healthcare professional if you are allergic to nitrofurantoin or any of its ingredients.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you have kidney disease, since nitrofurantoin is not used when kidneys are not working well.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you have diabetes, anemia, a lack of vitamin B, a lung or liver condition, or a nerve condition.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• This medicine contains lactose. Tell the Care365 care team if you have been told you cannot have certain sugars.

Important warnings

• Nitrofurantoin can rarely cause lung problems. Tell your healthcare professional right away if you get a new cough, chest pain, fever, or trouble breathing, especially early in treatment or after using this medicine for a long time.
• Nitrofurantoin can rarely cause liver problems. Watch for nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, feeling unwell, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or pale stools, and get medical help if these occur.
• Nitrofurantoin can rarely cause nerve damage, felt as numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands or feet, which can become long-lasting. Tell your healthcare professional right away if this happens.
• In people with a certain inherited blood condition called G6PD deficiency, nitrofurantoin can cause a serious type of anemia. Tell your healthcare professional if you know you have this condition.

• Headache, stomach pain, or loss of appetite.
• Diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
• Feeling drowsy or dizzy.
• Joint pain.
• Fever and chills.
• Short-term hair thinning.
• Your urine may turn a rust-yellow to brown colour. This is harmless and expected.

When to get emergency help

• Sudden swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Trouble breathing or swallowing.
• A severe skin rash, hives, or widespread itching.
• Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as wheezing or feeling faint.

When to contact a healthcare professional

• New or worsening cough, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or pale stools.
• Numbness, tingling, or pain in your hands or feet.
• Unusual paleness, tiredness, or shortness of breath, which could be signs of anemia.
• Any rash, even if mild.
• A troublesome symptom or side effect that does not go away or gets in the way of your daily activities.

• Take this medicine with food or milk to help your body absorb it and to reduce stomach upset.
• Tell the Care365 care team about all other medicines you take, especially anything that could affect your kidneys.

• Store at room temperature, away from light.
• Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
• Return any unused medicine to your pharmacy for safe disposal.