Nitrofurantoin
Nitrofurantoin 50mg and 100mg tablets, an antibiotic for bladder and other lower urinary tract infections, available in packs from 30 up to 360 tablets.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50mg | 30 tablets | $78.30 | $2.61 |
| 50mg | 60 tablets | $78.00 | $1.30 |
| 50mg | 90 tablets | $132.30 | $1.47 |
| 50mg | 120 tablets | $132.00 | $1.10 |
| 50mg | 180 tablets | $178.20 | $0.99 |
| 50mg | 360 tablets | $176.40 | $0.49 |
| 100mg | 30 tablets | $51.00 | $1.70 |
| 100mg | 60 tablets | $62.40 | $1.04 |
| 100mg | 90 tablets | $70.20 | $0.78 |
| 100mg | 120 tablets | $85.20 | $0.71 |
| 100mg | 180 tablets | $118.80 | $0.66 |
| 100mg | 360 tablets | $223.20 | $0.62 |
- Category
- Antibiotics
- Active ingredient
- Nitrofurantoin
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Capsule, Tablet
- Strengths
- 50/100mg
You will receive a quality generic, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Urinary tract infections
- Therapeutic Class
- Urinary antibiotic
- Pharmacological Class
- Nitrofuran
- Minor Side Effects
- Nausea, Headache, Brown urine
- Moderate Side Effects
- Dizziness, Abdominal pain, Loss of appetite
- Dosage Forms
- Capsule, Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Procter & Gamble
- Onset Time
- 1–2 hours
- Duration
- 6–12 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature away from moisture.
- Drug Interactions
- Magnesium trisilicate
What you will receive
Nitrofurantoin is a generic medicine sold under the name of its active ingredient, Nitrofurantoin.
- The manufacturer depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
- It contains the same active ingredient, at the same strength, as the brand-name versions.
FAQ
Which Nitrofurantoin strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Nitrofurantoin comes as tablets in 50mg and 100mg strengths. You can order packs of 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 or 360 tablets. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How is Nitrofurantoin delivered to Hong Kong?
Nitrofurantoin tablets can go by tracked courier, taking 5 to 9 business days with online tracking. Every parcel is plain and unbranded, with nothing outside about the contents. If a parcel does not arrive within the delivery window or arrives damaged, it is sent again free.
What is another name for nitrofurantoin?
Brand names for nitrofurantoin include Furadantin, Macrobid, Macrodantin and Martifur. Nitrofurantoin tablets are a pure generic nitrofurantoin product and are not any of those brands. Here, nitrofurantoin can also be bought online as generic Macrobid.
Can nitrofurantoin treat a kidney infection?
No. Nitrofurantoin gathers in the urine, and levels inside kidney tissue stay far too low to clear an infection there. A kidney infection tends to bring fever, shivering, back or side pain and nausea, and it needs a different antibiotic that reaches the kidney itself.
How long does nitrofurantoin take to work?
The sting and the constant urge to pass urine often ease within two or three days. Feeling better does not mean the infection has cleared, so carry on with the tablets to the end of the course — a bladder infection is usually treated for a week or more.
Can I take nitrofurantoin long term to stop urine infections coming back?
Yes. When infections keep returning, one tablet in the evening for several months is a recognised way to hold them off, usually at the 50mg strength. That is a different routine from the short course used for an active infection.
Why does nitrofurantoin have to be taken with food?
Food does two things here: it settles the stomach, which cuts the queasiness nitrofurantoin often causes, and it helps the body take the medicine in. A dose on an empty stomach tends to bring on nausea sooner.
About Nitrofurantoin
What the tablets are for
Cystitis, the bladder infection that stings when you pass urine and sends you back to the toilet again and again, is the usual reason for nitrofurantoin. It is an antibiotic: it kills the bacteria behind the infection instead of only easing the symptoms. The kidneys pass it into the urine, where it reaches a concentration high enough to clear the bacteria, while levels in the rest of the body stay low. That makes it a treatment for the bladder and the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body), not for the kidneys. The shop stocks 50mg and 100mg tablets.
How a course is taken
Swallow each tablet with food and space the doses evenly across the day, two or four times in 24 hours. A bladder infection is usually treated for a week or longer. It is tempting to stop once the sting has gone; finishing the course is what stops the infection coming back and the bacteria becoming resistant.
Antacids and indigestion remedies reduce how much nitrofurantoin gets into the body. Leaving about two hours between one of those and your dose keeps the antibiotic working properly. Your urine may look a darker yellow or brown while you are taking it, which is harmless and settles after the course.
Side effects to expect
Stomach trouble is the usual complaint: feeling sick, being sick, heartburn, going off your food, sometimes a headache. Taking the tablets with a meal keeps it manageable. Hair thinning has been reported with longer courses.
Rarely a serious reaction appears, and it needs urgent treatment: an itchy rash or raised hives, puffiness around the face, lips or tongue, wheezing or trouble swallowing, shivering with a high temperature, chest pain, a nagging cough, numbness or a burning feeling in the hands and feet, muscle weakness, or a yellow tinge to the eyes or skin. Diarrhoea that is watery or bloody can start during treatment or as long as two months afterwards.
Nitrofurantoin tablets or Macrobid?
Macrobid is a brand of the same medicine, supplied as 50mg and 100mg capsules; see Macrobid. Both carry nitrofurantoin in the same two strengths, so picking between them is a matter of capsule or tablet and which pack size suits the course. The nitrofurantoin page covers the ingredient across the range.
Sources
- Nitrofurantoin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Urinary Tract Infection Basics | UTI - CDC — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention