Results for nitrofurantoin
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nitrofurantoin

  (nī'trō-fyʊ-răn'tō-ĭn) pronunciation
n.

A derivative of nitrofuran, C8H6N4O5, used in the treatment of bacterial infections of the urinary tract.

[NITROFURAN + (hydan)toin, a chemical compound; see diphenylhydantoin.]


 
 
Drug Info: Nitrofurantoin

Brand names: Furadantin®, Macrobid®, Macrodantin®, Urotoin™

Chemical formula:



Nitrofurantoin tablets or capsules

What are nitrofurantoin tablets or capsules?

NITROFURANTOIN (Furadantin®, Macrodantin®, Macrobid®) is an antibiotic. It is used to treat cystitis and other urinary tract infections. Generic nitrofurantoin tablets or capsules are available.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
• anemia or other blood disorders
• dehydration or fluid or electrolyte problems (problems with the amount of water and salts in your body)
• diabetes
• glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• lung disease
• vitamin B deficiency
• other chronic illness
• an unusual or allergic reaction to nitrofurantoin, other antibiotics, other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

How should I take this medicine?

Take nitrofurantoin tablets or capsules by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Take with food or milk if nitrofurantoin upsets your stomach. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Finish the full course of medicine prescribed by your doctor or health care professional, even if you feel better. Take your doses at regular intervals and at the same time each day.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double doses. You must leave a suitable interval between doses. If you have to take a missed dose make sure there is at least 2 to 4 hours between doses.

What drug(s) may interact with nitrofurantoin?

• antacids containing magnesium trisilicate
• certain antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin)
• probenecid
• sulfinpyrazone

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including nonprescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What should I watch for while taking nitrofurantoin?

Tell your prescriber or health care professional if your symptoms do not improve in 3 or 4 days.

If you are taking this medicine for a long time, you must visit your prescriber or health care professional for regular checks on your progress.

Drink several glasses of water a day. This will help to reduce possible kidney damage.

If you are diabetic you may get a false-positive result for sugar in your urine. Check with your prescriber or health care professional before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetic medicine.

What side effects may I notice from taking nitrofurantoin?

Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
• fever or chills, sore throat
• chest pain
• cough
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• dizziness, drowsiness
• headache
• joint aches or pains
• pale skin
• redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
• skin rash, itching and swelling
• tingling, burning, pain, or numbness in hands or feet
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual weakness or tiredness
• vomiting
• yellowing of eyes or skin

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• stomach pain
• dark yellow or brown urine

Where can I keep my medicine?

Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.

Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Protect from light. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Last updated: 7/1/2002

Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.

 
Veterinary Dictionary: nitrofurantoin

A nitrofuran derivative antibacterial agent used in the treatment of urinary tract infections.

 
Wikipedia: nitrofurantoin
Nitrofurantoin.png
Nitrofurantoin
Systematic (IUPAC) name
1-[(5-nitro-2-furyl)methylideneamino]imidazolidine-2,4-dione
Identifiers
CAS number 67-20-9
ATC code J01XE01
PubChem 5353830
DrugBank APRD00191
Chemical data
Formula C8H6N4O5 
Mol. mass 238.16
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability 40%
Metabolism liver (75%)
Half life 20 minutes
Excretion urine and bile
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.

B
Legal status

Rx, PoM
Routes oral

Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic. It is usually used in treating urinary tract infection.

Pharmacology

Organisms are said to be susceptible to nitrofurantoin if their Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is 32μg/ml or less. The peak blood concentration of nitrofurantoin following an oral dose of nitrofurantoin 100mg, is less than 1 μg/ml and may be undetectable; tissue penetration is negligible; the drug is well concentrated in the urine: 75% of the dose is rapidly metabolised by the liver, but 25% of the dose is excreted in the urine unchanged, reliably achieving levels of 200 μg/ml or more. For this reason, nitrofurantoin cannot be used to treat anything other than simple cystitis.

At the concentrations achieved in urine, nitrofurantoin is bacteriocidal. The mechanism of action of nitrofurantoin is unique and complex. The drug works by damaging bacterial DNA, since its reduced form is highly reactive. This is made possible by the rapid reduction of nitrofurantoin inside the bacterial cell by flavoproteins (nitrofuran reductase) to multiple reactive intermediates that attack ribosomal proteins, DNA,[1] respiration, pyruvate metabolism and other macromolecules within the cell. It is not known which of the actions of nitrofurantoin is primarily responsible for its bacteriocidal acitivity.

Nitrofurantoin and the quinolone antibiotics are mutually antagonistic in vitro. It is not known whether this is of clinical significance, but the combination should be avoided.

Resistance to nitrofurantoin may be chromosomal or plasmid mediated and involves inhibition of nitrofuran reductase.[2] Acquired resistance in E. coli continues to be rare.

Nitrofurantoin and its metabolites are excreted mainly by the kidneys. In renal impairment, the concentration achieved in urine may be subtherapeutic. Nitrofurantoin should not be used in patients with a creatinine clearance of 60 ml/min or less.

Uses

The normal adult dose of nitrofurantoin is 50 to 100 mg four times daily for seven days. If a long-acting preparation (e.g., Macrobid®) is used then the dose is 100mg twice daily. The pediatric dose is 3mg/kg/day in four divided doses. Nitrofurantoin should be taken with food, as this improves the absorption of the drug by 45%.

Nitrofurantoin is only clinically proven for use against E. coli or Staph. saprophyticus. It may also have in vitro activity against:

and is used in the treatment of infections caused by these organisms. Only a minority of Enterobacter species and Klebsiella species are sensitive to nitrofurantoin; nitrofurantoin has no activity against

Nitrofurantoin must never be used to treat pyelonephritis,[3] renal abscess, pyeloempyema or any urinary tract infection other than cystitis because of its extremely poor tissue penetration and low blood levels. Urinary catheter infections may be treated with nitrofurantoin if there are no systemic features; the catheter must be changed after 48 hours of antibiotics and treatment is ineffective if the catheter is not replaced or removed.

Adverse effects

Nitrofurantoin can cause nausea and vomiting, fever, rash, hypersensitivity pneumonitis. When given for long periods of time, nitrofurantoin can cause progressive pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. All these side effects are much more common in the elderly.

Patients should be informed that nitrofurantoin colours urine a dark orange-brown; this is completely harmless.

Neonates (babies up to the age of one month) have immature enzyme systems in their red blood cells (glutathione instability) and nitrofurantoin must therefore not be used because it can cause haemolytic anaemia. For the same reason, nitrofurantoin should not be given to pregnant women after 38 weeks of pregnancy, or who are about to give birth.

Precautions

Nitrofurantoin must be taken with food and can cause bleeding in the stomach, vomiting and other gastrointestinal disruptions if these warnings are not adhered to. Nitrofurantoin is contraindicated in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency because of risk of extravascular hemolysis resulting in anemia.

Trade names

  • Furadantin ® (U.S., UK)
  • Macrobid® (long acting preparation for twice daily dosing available in U.S. and UK)
  • Macrodantin® (U.S., UK)

References

  1. ^ Tu Y, McCalla DR (1975). "Effect of activated nitrofurans on DNA,". Biochem Biophys Acta 402: 142–49. 
  2. ^ McCalla DR, Kaiser C, Green MHL (1978). "Genetics of nitrofurazone resistance in Escherichia coli". J Bacteriol 133: 10–16. 
  3. ^ Richards WA, et al. (1955). "Nitrofurantoin: Clinical and laboratory studies in urinary tract infections". Arch Intern Med 96: 437–50. 
Antibacterials for systemic use: others (J01X)
Glycopeptide Vancomycin - Teicoplanin
Polymyxins Colistin - Polymyxin B
Steroid antibacterials Fusidic acid
Imidazole derivatives Metronidazole - Tinidazole - Ornidazole
Nitrofuran derivatives Nitrofurantoin - Nifurtoinol
Other Fosfomycin - Xibornol - Clofoctol - Spectinomycin - Methenamine - Mandelic acid - Nitroxoline - Linezolid - Daptomycin - Hitachimycin

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Drug Info. Gold Standard. Copyright © 2008 by Gold Standard. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. The Veterinary Dictionary. Copyright © 2007 by Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Nitrofurantoin".  Read more

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