FURADANTIN

Furadantin Information

Furadantin is an anti-infective medicine based on the active ingredient Nitrofurantoin. This medicine is only available under the form of capsules and tablets or oral suspension. Typically, it is used in the treatment and prevention of infections, especially in the patient’s urinary tract. It acts by fighting invasive agents such as bacteria, stopping their growth and destroying them.

Furadantin Indications

Typically, Furadantin is prescribed for the prevention and treatment of infections, especially urinary tract infections. The prescribing health care professional may also recommend this medicine for the treatment of other affections not listed here, so if you would like to obtain further information on why you have been prescribed a treatment with Furadantin, you should consult your prescribing physician.

Furadantin Warnings

Furadantin should not be prescribed to patients that are allergic to it or to any of its ingredients, or to patients that are suffering from severe affections of the kidneys. Also, patients suffering from anemia or diabetes may require a reconsideration of the dosage, or an alternative therapy. This is also the case for patients that are suffering from a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and for patients that have a debilitating disease.

Furadantin should be safe to use in pregnant women, however the treatment must end before entering the last 4 weeks of pregnancy. Also, this medicine is known to pass into breast milk, so nursing mothers should avoid this medication. This medicine may not be safe for use in children of less than 12 years of age, and the prescribing doctor should weigh the risks and benefits of the treatment before prescribing this medication to children.

Furadantin Intake Guidelines

In order to obtain the best results from the Furadantin therapy, it is advised that you take this medicine exactly as you have been recommended by the prescribing health care professional. The capsule / tablet doses of the medication should be taken with food or with a glass of water. If you are taking Furadantin under the form of oral suspension, make sure that you shake the bottle well before measuring a dose. Use a dose measuring dropper or spoon in order to ensure that you take the correct dose of medication. After measuring the dose, you may combine it with water, fruit juice or milk before ingesting it.

You should take Furadantin for the entire prescribed duration. You may experience a relief of the symptoms sooner, but it is imperative to continue the treatment for its full duration to ensure that the infection has cleared.

Furadantin Dosage

The exact Furadantin dosage varies from one case to another, depending on a number of factors such as the patient’s age, health status and medical history. It is highly advised to use the dosage that has been prescribed to you by your personal health care professional. Typically, in order to prevent an infection, the average dose is of 50 to 100 mg daily, while in the treatment of urinary tract infections the patients will be administered 50 to 100 mg of Furadantin four times each day, at six hour intervals between intakes.

For the treatment of children over 1 month of age, the dosage depends on the patient’s body weight and will be determined by the examining health care professional according to the particularities of the case. This medicine should not be administered in children less than 1 month of age.

Furadantin Overdose

You should always use the Furadantin dosage that has been prescribed to you by your personal physician. Never attempt to modify the dosage, either by changing the intake schedule or by altering the doses themselves.

In the case of Furadantin overdose, the patient is likely to experience nausea, vomiting and a number of other symptoms. If you have reasons to believe that you are suffering from an overdose with this drug, go to the nearest hospital to seek emergency medical attention.

Furadantin Missed Dose

If you happen to miss a dose of Furadantin, you should take it as soon as you remember, and then proceed with your regular medication schedule. If it is almost time for another dose of the medication, it is advised that you completely skip the missed dose and take the next dose as appropriate. You should never attempt to make up for a missed dose by taking a double dose, unless you are explicitly advised to do so by the prescribing health care professional.

Furadantin Side Effects

As with any drugs, there are some side effects associated with Furadantin therapy. Some of these are not severe and should go away within a few days, as your body becomes adjusted to the medication. Such symptoms include, but are not limited to urine discoloration (typically brownish or rust-colored), nausea, vomiting, headaches, constipation, flatulence, dizziness or drowsiness, blurring of the vision, vaginal itching or vaginal discharge.

Furadantin therapy may result in rare cases in the appearance of severe symptoms that need to be immediately investigated by a health care professional. Among these, fever, chills, chest pain, coughing, jaundice, breathing problems, easy bruising, weakness, numbness or tingling sensations and watery or bloody diarrhea should be immediately reported to your personal health care provider. Also, let your personal physician know at once if you develop any signs of an allergic reaction to this medication.

Furadantin Drug Reactions

There are several drugs that may interact with Furadantin. You should always make sure that the prescribing health care professional knows what other drugs you are taking.

This drug may interact with Magnesium salicylate, Choline magnesium salicylate, probenecid or Sulfinpyrazone. As such, a simultaneous treatment with Furadantin and any of these drugs is not recommended.

This medicine may also interact with other drugs not listed here. For a complete list of drug interactions, you should consult a doctor or a pharmacist.