Generic Macrobid

Macrobid is an antibiotic primarily used to treat urinary tract infections. It is generically prescribed as nitrofurantoin. There have been serious reactions to Macrobid, although rare, which include complications of the liver, nerves, eyes, blood, lungs, and intestines. Patients should be told to contact the physician immediately upon the development of symptoms which include chest pain, shortness, of breath, extreme fatigue, yellowing of the eyes or skin, respiratory problems, weakness, stomach pain, numbness, tingling, fever, chills, visual changes, eye pain, or diarrhea after starting drug therapy with Macrobid, or they can simply seek emergency medical care.

Patients with kidney disease, vitamin B deficiency, any debilitating diseases, diabetes, anemia, glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency may not be able to take Macrobid or may require special care or dosing requirements while undergoing drug therapy with Macrobid, depending on the condition and the severity of the condition. Patients and physicians are strongly encouraged to be thorough in their discussion of medical history, as Macrobid can make these conditions worse in some cases.

Macrobid receive a category B pregnancy risk from the American Food and Drug Administration, which means that it is unlikely that this medication will cause harm or birth defects to a developing fetus. Macrobid does however, pass through the mother’s breast milk and may affect a nursing baby. Macrobid is not approved for children under 1 year of age. Physicians should discuss the benefit and risk ratio when prescribing this medication to women who are pregnant or nursing. It is not recommended that nursing women receive this medication.

There can be side effects when starting a new medication, and there may be serious side effects associated with some medications like Macrobid. Macrobid may cause, in some patients, an allergic reaction, stomach pain, fever, chills, and shortness of breath, chest pain, diarrhea, visual changes, weakness, or jaundice. Allergic reactions typically affect a patient after the first dose through the fifth dose and may present with symptoms such as facial swelling, swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, hives, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms require emergency medical treatment.

Less serious side effects are much more common and are not life threatening. In most cases, less serious side effects require no medical treatment at all, but should still be reported to the prescribing physician. Less serious side effects include symptoms like dizziness, headaches, brown or even reddish urine, nausea, and drowsiness. Macrobid is likely to throw off the test results of urine tests that measure any type of urine sugar.

Patients should only take the amount of Macrobid which has been prescribed for them, regardless of the circumstances, without physician approval. Patients who have missed a dose of Macrobid should not double up on their medication, but should take the dose as soon as possible. If it is too close to the time for the next scheduled dose, the missed dose should simply be skipped and dosing should continue at the next dose. Overdosing on Macrobid may lead to serious health complications, and patients are likely to exhibit nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

There are other medications that are likely to interact with Macrobid and should not be prescribed together. Some medications will lose their effectiveness when prescribed with Macrobid, or make Macrobid less effective. Medication with known interactions or interference with Macrobid include medication which contain magnesium including antacids, magnesium salicylate, choline-magnesium salicylate, and any other medication that contains magnesium as well as additional antibiotics.

Macrobid should be taken for as long as it has been prescribed, otherwise the infection may return and be more aggressive than it was the first time which will make it more difficult to treat. Patients should never adjust their dosage or the prescription length without consulting with their prescribing physician.