Nitrofurantoin 50mg Capsules

Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.

If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.

This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

The name of your medicine is Nitrofurantoin 50mg or 100mg capsules, Hard. It will be referred to as Nitrofurantoin capsules for ease hereafter.

1. What Nitrofurantoin Capsules are and what they are used for
2. What you need to know before you take Nitrofurantoin Capsules
3. How to take Nitrofurantoin Capsules
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Nitrofurantoin Capsules
6. Contents of the pack and other information

• if you are allergic to nitrofurantoin, other nitrofurans or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in Section 6)
• if you have a disease of the kidneys which is severely affecting the way they work (ask your doctor if you are not sure)
• if you are in the final stages of pregnancy (labour or delivery) as there is a risk that it might affect the baby
• if you suffer from a blood disorder called porphyria
• if you are deficient in an enzyme called G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase)
• if your child under three months of age
• if you are breast feeding a baby with suspected or known deficiency in an enzyme called G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase).

Tell your doctor if you are not sure about any of the above.

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Nitrofurantoin Capsules:

• if you have diabetes
• if you are suffering from any illness causing severe weakness
• if you have anaemia (a decrease in red blood cells causing pale skin, weakness and breathlessness); or a lack of vitamin B or abnormal levels of salts in your blood (your doctor will be able to advise you)
• if you have a history of allergic reactions.
• if you have any problems with your kidneys
• if you have disease of the lungs
  This medicine can also cause lung disease in patients with no previous medical history affecting their lungs. Lung disease can occur in patients on short-term or long-term treatment. Talk to your doctor if you experience trouble breathing, shortness of breath, a lingering cough, coughing up blood or mucus, or pain or discomfort when breathing. These may be symptoms of side effects affecting the lungs.

The above conditions may increase the chance of developing a side effect which results in damage to the nerves, causes altered sense of feeling, pins and needles.

• if you lack an enzyme (body chemical) called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which causes your red blood cells to be more easily damaged (this is more common in black people and people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or Asian origin. Your doctor will know)
• if you have any disease of the lungs, liver or nervous system. If you need to take Nitrofurantoin Capsules for a number of months, your doctor may want to regularly check how your lungs and liver are working.
• as this medicine may interfere with urine tests for glucose, causing the test to give a “false positive” result. That is, the test may say that glucose is present in the urine even if it is not.
  This medicine may also cause your urine to turn yellow or brown.
• If you experience fatigue, yellowing of the skin or eyes, itching, skin rashes, joint pain, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dark urine, and pale or gray-colored stools. It may be symptoms of liver disorder.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

If they are taken with Nitrofurantoin Capsules their effect or the effect of Nitrofurantoin Capsules may be changed.

In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• Antacids for indigestion (e.g. magnesium trisilicate)
• Medicines for gout (e.g. probenecid or sulfinpyrazone)
• Medicines which slow the passage of food through the stomach (e.g. atropine, hyoscine)
• Medicines for raised pressure in the eye (glaucoma), such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (e.g. acetazolamide)
• Medicines which make the urine less acidic (e.g. potassium citrate mixture)
• Medicines for infections, known as quinolones
• Typhoid vaccine, which is given for the prevention of typhoid.

If you are in doubt about any of these medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Nitrofurantoin Capsules may interfere with the results of some tests for glucose in the urine.

Nitrofurantoin Capsules should always be taken with food or milk. Taking this medicine with food or milk makes it work more effectively. This will help to avoid stomach upset and also to help the absorption.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

As far as it is known Nitrofurantoin Capsules may be used in pregnancy.

However, it should not be used during labour or delivery because there is a possibility that use at this stage may affect the baby. If you want to breast feed, please consult your doctor first.

Nitrofurantoin Capsules may cause dizziness and drowsiness. You should not drive or operate machinery if you are affected this way until such symptoms go away.

If you have been told by your doctor that you are intolerant to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dosage, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.

Your doctor will watch carefully for any effects on the liver, lungs, blood or nervous system. Nitrofurantoin Capsules may interfere with the results of some tests for glucose in the urine.

Nitrofurantoin Capsules should always be taken with food or milk. Taking this medicine with food or milk makes it work more effectively.

Consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. Always take any leftover capsules with you, as well as the container and label, so that the medical staff knows what you have taken.

Do not worry. If you remember later on that day, take that day’s dose as usual. If you miss a whole day’s dose take the normal dose on the next day. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten capsule. If you are not sure ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Your doctor will tell you how long to take the treatment. Do not stop earlier than you are told, even if you feel better.

Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people

• Loss of consciousness (collapse)
• Damage to bone marrow causing deficiency of the red blood cells (Anaemia)

Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data

• Feeling sick (nausea) and headache
• Loose stools
• Loss of appetite, stomachache, and being sick (vomiting)
• Dizziness, drowsiness
• Blood cells have been affected in some patients. This may result in bruising, delayed clotting of the blood, sore throat, fever, anaemia, and a susceptibility to colds or persistent cold
• A variety of skin rashes or reactions have occurred in some patients. These may appear as flaking skin, a red rash or fever accompanied by rapid heart rate and severe rash with blistering. Other reactions may include inflammation of salivary glands (causing facial pains), inflammation of the pancreas (causing severe abdominal pain) and joint pains
• Short-term hair loss
• Urinary infection by germs which are not sensitive to Nitrofurantoin Capsules.
• Inflammation of small blood vessel walls, causing skin lesions
• Liver inflammation due to turn of immune system against liver cells
• Inflammation of kidney tissue surrounding tubules, causing renal impairment

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

By reporting side-effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine

The active substance is Nitrofurantoin. Nitrofurantoin Capsules are available in two strengths, containing either 50mg or 100mg nitrofurantoin.

The other ingredients are talc, maize starch, lactose monohydrate. The capsule shell contains gelatin, sodium lauryl sulphate, quinoline yellow (E104) and titanium dioxide (E171). The printing ink contains shellac and black iron oxide (E172).

Nitrofurantoin 50mg capsule is a no. 3 size hard gelatin capsule with an opaque yellow cap and white opaque body. The capsules are printed in edible black ink and bears the monogram “Eaton 008”.

Nitrofurantoin 100mg capsule is a no. 2 size hard gelatin capsule with an opaque yellow cap and yellow opaque body. The capsules are printed in edible black ink and bears the monogram “Eaton 009”.

The capsules are available in blister packs of 30.