Less common adverse events (occurring in less than 1% of those taking the drug) include:
Gastrointestinal: diarrhea, dyspepsia, abdominal pain, constipation, emesis
Neurologic: dizziness, drowsiness, amblyopia
Respiratory: acute pulmonary hypersensitivity reaction
Allergic: pruritus, urticaria
Dermatologic: hair loss
Miscellaneous: fever, chills, malaisePatients should be informed that nitrofurantoin colors urine brown; this is completely harmless.Some of the more serious but rare side effects of nitrofurantoin have been a cause of concern. These include pulmonary reactions, hepatotoxicity, and neuropathy. Lung toxicity
The pulmonary toxicity caused by nitrofurantoin can be categorized into acute, subacute, and chronic pulmonary reactions. The acute and subacute reactions are thought to be due to a hypersensitivity reaction and often resolve when the drug is discontinued. Acute reactions have been estimated to occur in about one in 5000 women who take the drug. These reactions usually develop 3–8 days after the first dose of nitrofurantoin, but may occur from a few hours to a few weeks after starting the drug. Symptoms include fever, dyspnea, chills, cough, pleuritic chest pain, headache, back pain, and epigastric pain. Chest radiograph will often show unilateral or bilateral infiltrates similar to pulmonary edema. Treatment includes discontinuation of the nitrofurantoin, which should result in symptom improvement within 24 hours.Chronic pulmonary reactions caused by nitrofurantoin include diffuse interstitial pneumonitis, pulmonary fibrosis, or both. This uncommon reaction may occur 1 month to 6 years after starting the drug and is usually related to its total lifetime dose. This reaction manifests with progressive shortness of breath.
Nitrofurantoin is an antibacterial medication used to treat urinary tract infections, but it is not as effective for kidney infections. It is taken by mouth.Common side effects include nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and headaches. Rarely numbness, lung problems, or liver problems may occur. It should not be used in people with kidney problems. While it appears to be generally safe during pregnancy it should not be used near delivery. While it usually works by slowing bacterial growth, it may result in bacterial death at the high concentrations found in urine.Nitrofurantoin was first sold in 1953. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. In 2019, it was the 192nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2 million prescriptions. Medical uses
Current uses include the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) and prophylaxis against UTIs in people prone to recurrent UTIs.Increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance to other commonly used agents, such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and fluoroquinolones, has led to increased interest in using nitrofurantoin. The efficacy of nitrofurantoin in treating UTIs combined with a low rate of bacterial resistance to this agent makes it one of the first-line agents for treating uncomplicated UTIs as recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.Nitrofurantoin is not recommended for the treatment of pyelonephritis, prostatitis, and intra-abdominal abscess, because of extremely poor tissue penetration and low blood levels.