Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic that is used only to prevent or treat uncomplicated bladder infections.
How nitrofurantoin works is not fully understood, but it disrupts several bacterial processes.
Nitrofurantoin is taken by mouth.
Nitrofurantoin
Common Uses | Some Potential Side Effects |
|---|---|
Nausea and vomiting Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy) |
Doctors do not give nitrofurantoin to people whose kidneys are not functioning well. It should not be given to people who have a red blood cell disorder called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (see table More About Some Causes of Anemia) because nitrofurantoin may cause anemia (a low number of red blood cells).
(See also Overview of Antibiotics.)
Matumizi ya Nitrofurantoin Wakati wa Ujauzito na Kunyonyesha
Nitrofurantoin is not given to pregnant women when delivery is near nor is it given during labor or delivery because it can damage and destroy red blood cells in newborns, resulting in hemolytic anemia. (See also Safety of Medications During Pregnancy.)
Nitrofurantoin should not be taken during the first month of breastfeeding. (See also Medication and Substance Use During Breastfeeding.)
