Nitrofurantoin 50mg Tablets x12

Nitrofurantoin (the active ingredient) is an antibiotic. It is used to prevent and treat infections of the bladder, kidney and other parts of the urinary tract. Nitrofurantoin works by killing bacteria. It does this by slowing folate synthesis which is required by the bacteria for replication.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Most of them are mild and disappear when you stop taking Nitrofurantoin Tablets.

All medicines can cause allergic reactions although serious allergic reactions are rare.
If you notice any sudden wheeziness, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the eyelids, face or lips, rash or itching
(especially affecting your whole body)
STOP TAKING your medicine and go to a doctor immediately.

If you experience any of the side effects detailed below stop taking Nitrofurantoin Tablets and consult your doctor immediately:

• problems with your lungs. This can
happen quickly, within one week after
the start of treatment, or very slowly,
especially in the elderly and can lead to
fever, shivering, coughing and
shortness of breath associated with
pneumonia and/or tissue damage
• jaundice (inflammation of the liver
causing yellowing of the skin or whites
of the eyes)
• the nerves outside of the spinal cord
may be affected causing changes to
the sense of feeling and the use of
muscles. In addition headache,
extreme changes of mood or mental
state, confusion, weakness, blurred
vision may occur. These effects may be
severe and in some instances
permanent
• raised pressure in the skull (causing
severe headaches)
• severe reduction in blood cells which
can cause weakness, bruising or make
infections more likely
• blue or purple coloration of the skin due
to low oxygen levels. A condition known
as cyanosis
• symptoms of fever, flu, abdominal pain,
diarrhoea, blood in your stool and
weakness. These could be signs of a
condition known as cutaneous
vasculitis
• symptoms of jaundice, fatigue,
abdominal pain, joint pain and swelling.
These could be signs of a condition
known as autoimmune hepatitis
Please note that while taking Nitrofurantoin
Tablets your urine may become coloured
dark yellow or brown. This is quite normal
and not a reason to stop taking the medicine.

Other side effects include:

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
• loss of consciousness (collapse).
Not known (frequency cannot be
estimated from the available data)
• feeling sick (nausea) and headache
• loose stools
• loss of appetite, stomach ache and
being sick (vomiting)
• diarrhoea
• dizziness, drowsiness
• sensation that you or your environment
are moving or spinning (vertigo)
• unusual eye movements (nystagmus)
• blood cells have been affected in some
patients. This may result in bruising,
delayed clotting of the blood, sore
throat, fever, anaemia and a
susceptibility to colds or persistent cold
• a variety of skin rashes or reactions
have occurred in some patients. These
may appear as flaking skin, a red rash
or fever accompanied by rapid heart
rate and severe rash with blistering.
Other reactions may include
inflammation of salivary glands
(causing facial pains), inflammation of
the pancreas gland (causing severe
abdominal pain) and joint pains
• short-term hair loss
• urinary infection by germs which are
not sensitive to Nitrofurantoin Tablets
• inflammation of small blood vessel
walls, causing skin lesions
• liver inflammation due to turn of
immune system against liver cells
• inflammation of kidney tissue
surrounding tubules, causing renal
impairment

Reporting of side effects:
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme, website www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effectsyou can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Other medicines and Nitrofurantoin Tablets:

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines including medicines obtained without a prescription. If they are taken with Nitrofurantoin Tablets their effect or the effect of Nitrofurantoin Tablets may be changed.
In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist ifyou are taking any of the following medicines:
• Antacids for indigestion (e.g.magnesium trisilicate)
• Medicines for gout (e.g. probenecid or sulfinpyrazone)
• Medicines which slow the passage of food through the stomach (e.g.atropine, hyoscine)
• Medicines for raised pressure in the eye (glaucoma) such as carbonicanhydrase inhibitors (e.g.acetazolamide)
• Medicines which make the urine less acidic (e.g. potassium citrate mixture)
• Medicines for infections, known as quinolones
• Typhoid vaccine, which is given for the prevention of typhoid.

If you are in doubt about any of these medicines ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Nitrofurantoin may interfere with the results of some tests for glucose in the urine. 

Nitrofurantoin Tablets with food and drink:

Nitrofurantoin tablets should always be taken with food or milk. This will help to avoid stomach upset and also help the absorption to make the medicine work more effectively.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. As far as is known Nitrofurantoin Tablets may be used in pregnancy. However, it should not be used during labour or delivery because there is a possibility that use at
this stage may affect the baby. If you want to breastfeed, please consult your doctor first.

Driving and using machines:
Nitrofurantoin Tablets may cause dizziness and drowsiness. You should not drive or operate machinery if you are affected this way until such symptoms go away.

This medicine contains lactose (sugars). If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

How to store Nitrofurantoin Capsules

Do not store above 25˚C.
Do not open the container until you are ready to begin taking the course of treatment.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the bottle/label after ‘Exp (MM/YY)’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. 

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Adults:
The normal dosage depends on the type of infection you have and instructions should be written on the label provided by the pharmacist. Consult your pharmacist or doctor if these instructions are not clear.

Dosage: ONE tablet FOUR times a day for 3 days.

Use in Children and Infants over three months of age:

Children below 3 months of age should not take Nitrofurantoin Tablets.

Medical Checks
Your doctor will watch carefully for any effects on the liver, lungs, blood or nervous system. Nitrofurantoin Tablets may interfere with the results of some tests for glucose in the urine. 

Directions:

Tablets should be swallowed whole. The score line is not intended for breaking the tablet.
Nitrofurantoin tablets should always be taken with food or milk. Taking this medicine with food or milk
makes it work more effectively.

If you take more Nitrofurantoin Tablets than you should
Consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. Always take any leftover capsules with you, as well as the container and label, so that the medical staff know what you have taken. You may experience symptoms of stomach ache, nausea and vomiting.

If you forget to take Nitrofurantoin Tablets
Do not worry. If you remember later on that day, take that day’s dose as usual. If you miss a whole day’s dose take the normal dose on the next day. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

If you stop taking Nitrofurantoin Tablets
Your doctor will tell you how long to take the treatment. Do not stop earlier than you are told, even if you feel better. If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Do not take Nitrofurantoin Tablets if:

you are allergic to Nitrofurantoin, other medicines containing nitrofurantoin or any of the other ingredients
you have a disease of the kidneys which is severely affecting the way they work (ask your doctor if you are not sure)
you are in the final stages of pregnancy (labour or delivery) as there is a risk that it might affect the baby
you have porphyria (blood disorder)
you are a patient with G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency
your child is under three months of age
you are breastfeeding a baby with suspected or known deficiency in an enzyme called G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase).
Tell your doctor if you are not sure about any of the above.

Warnings and precautions:
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Nitrofurantoin tablets if:

you have diabetes
you are suffering from any illness causing severe weakness
you have anaemia (a decrease in red blood cells causing pale skin, weakness and breathlessness) or a lack of vitamin B or abnormal levels of salts in your blood (your doctor will be able to advise you)
you have a history of allergic reactions
if you have any problems with your kidneys.

The above conditions may increase the chance of developing a side effect which results in damage to the nerves, causing altered senses of feeling like pins and needles.

you lack an enzyme (body chemical) called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase which causes your red blood cells to be more easily damaged (This is more common in black people and people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or Asian origin. Your doctor will know.)
you have any disease of the lungs, liver or nervous system. If you need to take Nitrofurantoin Capsules for a number of months, your doctor may want to regularly check how your lungs and liver are working
you have false positive results on testing your urine for glucose
your urine is dark yellow or brown coloured.
Talk to your doctor if you experience fatigue, yellowing of the skin or eyes, itching skin rashes, joint pain, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dark urine and pale or grey coloured stools. It may be symptoms of liver disorder.

What Nitrofurantoin Tablets contain:

The active substance (which makes the medicine work) is Nitrofurantoin. Each tablet contains either 50mg or 100mg of nitrofurantoin.

The other ingredients are:
lactose, maize starch, pregelatinised maize,starch, sodium starch glycollate and magnesium stearate.

What Nitrofurantoin Tablets look like and contents of the pack:
Nitrofurantoin Tablets are flat, round bevelled, yellow scored tablets.