nitrofurantoin

[terri201]

Hi I have been given nitrofurantoin 100mg to take for urine track infection. Normally I am given trimethoprim 3 day course and works fine until my last infection back in March I become resistant to the trimethoprim.

Now taking the nitrofurantoin I'm having side effects of feeling so sick and weak with no energy and infection still feels like there at moment and now my unrin has turned illiumious yellow and I have been on these tablets 3 days now. I'm really struggling to stay on these tablets. Any advice would be great.

Thanks

[Chrissy1953]

I have just been diagnosed with the same and taking nitrofurantoin 100mg too. Can't help with the side effects other than it states the this medication may colour your urine and is harmless. It has mine. Hope you feel better soon

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

terri,not only does the urine turn bright yellow but a friend tells me that my skin is looking yellow each time I take it as well! Will now ask for a liver function test to make sure that it isn't being affected by the Nitrofurantoin. However, as the medication is making you feel sick, then you should ask for it to be changed as there is bound to be another UTI treatment that will also treat whatever bacteria is involved - amoxicillin, for instance, if you're ok with penicillin. Meanwhile, a little bit of ginger may help with the nausea, as will sipping some fizzy sports drinks. Hope you're soon back to normal.

[SnazzyD]

Hello, it is quite common in the U.K. at least, for urinary infection bugs to be resistant to Trimethoprim. Some people do feel wretched on Nitro'. Call up your doc as there are other antibiotics as has been said. Have you had your urine cultured so you know what the bug is and what it is sensitive to?

Make sure you are taking plenty of fluids too.

[Gosingen]

I can't advice re you symptoms, and would ask you doctor's advice, but I do know that the colour of your urine can be affected and it's nothing to be concerned about ( it will be in the leaflet it you still have it). I'm actually on it at the moment myself. Hope you get better soon.

[Bethy]

Yes this antibiotic does turn your urine yellow. Sadly doctors are running out of effective drugs for UTIs.

[Jackoh]

Hi there were some posts recently re this antibiotic and how folk had felt unwell whilst on it. I have recently just finished a course of this antibiotic for 10 days and have never felt so wretched. I did initially feel sick but this got better.I then felt really unwell and very, very tired. It did however clear the infection and previously it was found that I was resistant to Trimethoprim. I had had Trimethoprim for 5 days previously but when the results of my culture came back it was realised that I had to switch to Nitrofurantoin. I had though bought some urine dip sticks on line and knew that the infection was not clearing and went back to the doctors , just as the results came in. I've also bought a good supply of d- mannose powder and use this every evening as a precautionary measure to hopefully prevent another UTI. I don't know if it really will help, time will tell, but at least I feel that I am being proactive in testing my urine at regular intervals myself at home and taking the d- mannose powder. Did they take a sample and send it away for a culture test? If you feel really really unwell, like others I'd say ring the doctors but you want to make sure you do not switch to the wrong antibiotic as this will only lengthen matters( as I found out) and the only way they can tell which ones to prescribe is by your culture test, to see which one you are not resistant to.

[Greensleeves]

I'm usually okay on this antibiotic although it does give me a headache . It's known for making your urine darker .

I'd ask the GP to change it , perhaps to Cephalexin .

It's the best one for me personally . They're hardly able to ever get enough bacteria to culture in the lab , so a broad spectrum works within a couple of days .

Hope you feel better soon .

Drink lots of water and yes ginger tea does help with nausea . x

[jinasc]

If you are having frequently recurring uti's................I would be asking for a referral to a Consultant Urologist. You need to get down to the underlying problem. A close friend, whom I really nagged for year,. Finally she did what I asked, I think it was because she wanted to stop me nagging, I asked her later and she admitted it was. The result is no UTI now for nearly 6 months and that was someone who was on anti-biotics of some sort every 7-8 weeks.

There is one other place I would head for first, but I don't want you to fall off your chair.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It wasn't YOU who became resistant to the trimeth, it was the bugs!

Have they done urine cultures to find which antibiotic works for "your" bacteria? If they haven't - they should. And if you are having recurrent UTIs - ask to be referred to urology and don't take no for an answer.

[Doralouise77]

I have recurrent UTIs and am waiting on a urology referral.....Nitrofurantoin makes me very ill, nausea and abdominal pain, but Keflex or Amoxicillin usually work for me.....good luck

[terri201]

Thanks for advice. I mentioned my urine becoming bright yellow as leaflet and what read online said turns urine dark.

Uti's are reoccurring but not too often. Last one I had was march so I had been awhile between last too. No sample was sent away because I saw an out of hours nurse practitioner as this infection come on very quick as morning felt fine by teatime I had pain going to toilet and pain in my kidney area. I know when dip stick I had keytones and proteins but no blood. I hoped to catch early.

Today feeling little better. Still feeling sick and tired.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to terri201]

It doesn't really matter how often - more than a few is not acceptable without investigation. And when you have renal pain - definitely time to be investigated. My daughter has just ignored a UTI and eventually developed flank pain and a kidney stone - and an ultrasound shows something called hydronephrosis. When it happens and isn't identified it can lead to lasting kidney damage. Which no-one wants.