Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take Nitrofurantoin as follows:
- Take this medication as ordered by your physician. Do not change the dose and f
- requency on this medication without consulting your doctor.
- Take the medication dose for the duration prescribed without fail. The dose and length of treatment depends upon the medical condition, severity of infection, and response to treatment.
- Take the medication dose at the same time, every day, to avoid forgetting the intake of medication. Keeping to the schedule also helps with maintaining a constant level of the antibiotic in the body, which is needed for infection control.
- This medication can induce some nausea and vomiting, when taken on empty stomach. Taking the medication with a glass of water and some food or snack can help avoid these unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
- For individuals with difficulty swallowing whole tablets and capsules, Nitrofurantoin could be prescribed as an oral liquid/suspension. Use a measuring spoon/cup to measure the correct dose being taken, in order to avoid risk for over/under dosing. Also, do not forgot to shake the suspension well before you use it.
- Swallow the Nitrofurantoin tablet or capsule whole. Do not cut or crush the tablet and do not open the capsule before swallowing.
- If you are prescribed Nitrofurantoin as an extended-release tablet or capsule, try to swallow the extended-release tablet or capsule as a whole, with a glass of water. Do not cut or crush the extended-release tablet. Do not open the extended-release capsule. Cutting or crushing the extended-release tablet and opening the extended-release capsule can result in rapid absorption of the drug into the blood stream, thus resulting in toxicity.
- Nitrofurantoin can interact with a lot of medications. If you are being newly started on Nitrofurantoin, discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with Nitrofurantoin. Also, notify your physician regarding any current Nitrofurantoin intake, if you are being started on any new medications and discuss their safety with Nitrofurantoin.
- Nitrofurantoin needs acid medium in the stomach for better absorption. When used concurrently, antacids containing aluminum, magnesium, and bicarbonate, as ingredients, can compromise the acid medium in the stomach and reduce the absorption of Nitrofurantoin. This can compromise the therapeutic effects of the antibiotic. Space Nitrofurantoin out by at least 2 hours from these products to avoid this complication.
- Complete the course of the antibiotic that it was prescribed for. Do not give up on the antibiotic, against your doctor’s recommendation, even if the symptoms of UTI are under control.
- Noncompliance with Nitrofurantoin intake for the complete schedule can result in ineffective infection control, with chance of relapse of infection with increased vigor. This can also contribute towards emergence of drug resistant strains of bacteria, making infection control more difficult.
- Closely follow upon the signs and symptoms of UTI, such as, pain and burning sensation near the urinary passage, low grade fever and chills, and foul smelling urine, and relief obtained with Nitrofurantoin use. Notify your doctor of any unresolved and worsening symptoms of UTI or continuing unpleasant side-effects from Nitrofurantoin use, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
- Your physician could change the dose of Nitrofurantoin, based on the response and side-effects developed. Maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
