Nitrofurantoin

Nitrofurantoin (trade names Furadantin, Macrobid, Microdantina, and Macrodantinis) is an antibiotic drug. While it can fight a wide variety of infections, it is commonly used to fight urinary tract infections. The drug is considered reasonably safe during pregnancy by the FDA. 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. more...

Side Effects

Nitrofurantoin can cause nausea and vomiting, fever, rash, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and progressive pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. All these side effects are much more common in the elderly. Additionally, nitrofurantoin changes urine into a dark orange-brown color, and patients should be made aware of this so they are not alarmed.

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.

Reference

• drugs.com for Macrodantin
• Nitrofurantoin Side Effects, Interactions and Information

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