I am 16 weeks pregnant and was told today at urgent care that i have a UTI and kidney infection, so they prescribed macrodantin. The doctor assured me that its safe for a pregnant woman to take. The pharmacist said that its not something they normally prescribe for pregnant woman because they haventdone many studies on it. Im scared to take it, i called the OB and he said its OK to take, he was so rude and not even caring about my concerns which made me also feel unsafe about it. Has anyone taken macrodantin while pregnant and had problems or not had any problems? anyone heard anything about it? thanks so much =]

It appears to be okay for pregnant women not at term. In general, drug studies are not pregnant women. Studies are conducted using animals and anecdotal reporting by women who took it while pregnant.

If your UTI has spread to your kidneys, you really need to take this medication before it spreads to your blood.

Some of the common UTI drugs are tetragenic, and so, are not given.

Pharmacists are required to take a certain number of continuing education courses to keep their licenses. The number varies by state. In general, it is doctors who loose contact with drugs which are not in their speciality. I am certain your OB is very knowledgeable about the safety profile of drugs in pregnant and nursing women. However, if he/she was asked about medications in the geriatric population, the doctor will probably have problems answering it.

Macrodantin is the same drug as Macrobid, only in a different dose. I have an ongoing kidney problem and have to take an antibiotic daily. I was on Macrodantin for several weeks. It's a category B drug and perfectly fine. I wouldn't suggest taking Amoxicillen as it can lead to bacterial resistance...meaning it can create a "super bug" that doesn't respond to antibiotics. Definitely start the antibiotics ASAP as infection can lead to contractions. Make sure you take all of it, exactly as prescribed too. UTI's are not something to mess around with during pregnancy.

Your doctor would know more about that medication that a pharmacist - they get updates on what medications are considered safe daily where as a pharmacist only gets an update when they look into new studies being done. Once a pharmacist leaves school they are not required to keep up to date on current studies.

Angie if both docs say it is ok then take it but also ask the docs if you can take another antibiotic.

Well studies in animals have shown it is safe, but there aren't any well controlled-studies in pregnant women. However there are very, very rarely studies done on pregnant women.



On the other hand I would insist on one of the older antibiotics like amoxicillin. I don't have a drug plan so generally that is what I am prescribed, one time I had a UTI and the doc had samples of some new antibiotic specifically for UTIs (macrobid?) and it took longer to work, and I don't think it cleared the infection completely.



Older drugs have a much bigger record of safety.



http://www.safefetus.com/DrugDetail.asp?...

Generic Name Nitrofurantoin

Trade Name Macrodantin

Manufacturer

Risk Category

B





* Controlled studies done on animals in reproduction do not indicate risk to the fetus.

* No adequate and well-controlled studies done on pregnant women.



FDA Pregnancy Risk Categories





Place (not click) your mouse cursor over the bold words in the text below to receive description

Indication







* Urinary germicide.



Fetal Risk







* Not teratogenic in animals.

* No adequate human data, no fetal adverse effects have been reported but if used near term it may cause hemolysis in newborn.

I think if your doctors will say that is OK then it will be OK. and if he say's not then it will be harmful.

I'm sure that he knows the potential risks of this medication during pregnancy. If you still don't feel comfortable taking the medication, you could always speak to another Doctor to get a second opinion. I've never heard of any birth defects associated with this type of antibiotic.

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It is safe if you don't take any medical drugs during your pregnancy because it's too risky and will be harmful for your unborn child.

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Well, if you find that your OB is rude and wont entertain your concerns, change your OB. Macrodantin may have the following side effects:
Gas; headache; loss of appetite; mild diarrhea; nausea.

Severe side effects:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); bloody or watery stools; bluish skin or nails; blurred vision or other vision changes (eg, vision loss); butterfly-shaped rash on the nose and cheeks; confusion; eye pain; joint or muscle pain; mood or mental changes (eg, depression); persistent feeling of being unwell; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; severe or persistent diarrhea; severe or persistent headache; severe stomach pain or cramps; symptoms of liver problems (eg, yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, pale stools, severe or persistent nausea or loss of appetite, stomach pain); symptoms of lung problems (eg, fever, chills, chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual or persistent cough); tingling, numbness, or burning of the hands or feet; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual tiredness or weakness.

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