The antibiotic is called Macrodantin. This is a brand name for nitrofurantoin, which is also known as Furadantin and Macrobid. It is an entirely synthetic drug, specifically designed to attack unrinary tract infections. Some UTIs however are known to be resistant to it, and therefore it should NOT be prescribed unless there is a known UTI already in progress. One black mark against the doctor already.
The doses can be as little as 5mg or as high as 100mg. The most usual dose is 20mg; the maximum is 100mg in any 12 hours. I looked at the box - I had been prescribed 50mg tablets, but at the rate of 4 tablets a day, averaged 200mg per day, not quite as spread out as 100mg per 12 hours. But as I only managed three a day, that was less of an issue. What was an issue was I had been prescribed an antibiotic I didnt want, at a maximum dose, for an infection that had never been confirmed (and still hasnt, as it happens).
I read up about contra indications and side effects - the research was alarming! Nitrofurantoin can cause heart damage, lung damage (which could be permanent, though rarely fatal - great consolation), liver damage (and ought not to be prescribed to people who already have liver damage and could be fatal), hepatitis; it can cause a whole host of 'ordinary' symptoms too, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, dry skin, exhaustion, excessive fatigue, rapd heart rate, difficulty breathing, chills and fevers, the list seemed endless - and I appeared to have been experiencing most of them! Some of the symptoms might not present themselves until a month (or sometimes more) after the drug is stopped. In general though, the drug has worked its way out of the body within 4-10 days. [Today is the 10th day since I stopped it]. Diarrhoea is made worse if proprietary meds are taken to alleviate it. One site I read even said that if your GP has prescribed this medicine, then they consider that the benefits outweight the risks. As far as I could tell, Dr N didnt think about it at all - she gave it as a 'blanket' prescription.
Having had such a bad experience (had the course of ABs been 7 days instead of three, the outcome might have been different), I decided to check on the painkiller the doctor had prescribed. She had told me it was to be taken with food (I had told her I wasnt eating) and that it could upset my stomach. When we got home, my husband looked at the prescription and noticed it contained not one, but two items. The first was the painkiller, which was Naproxen. The second was for a 'gastro resistant' drug 'to protect the lining of the stomach' (all of which is written on the actual prescription sheet). I had already told her the macrodantin had adversley affected my stomach, yet here she was giving me something else that could do the same or worse. So I thought a little further checking would be no bad thing.
Once again, what I found was alarming: She had prescribed a 14 day course, so not overly long, but the potential for damage in that time had been immense, especially given the state of my health when she decided to prescribe them. First of all, I had just told her I had been experiencing racing heart rate, yet Naproxen can increase the risk of life threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. The risk becomes greater the longer the use.
I had also told her I had IBS. She had made it clear she didnt accept that diagnosis, but she did no tests to ascertain that it wasnt; and the one test she did do, to try to show it was something else, had come back clear. That is not even to mention that I had originally gone to see her because I had a bowel problem. Yet Naproxen can increase the risks of serious side effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation, which can be fatal. These effects can occur at any time and without warning while one is taking Naproxen.
Had I started taking these painkillers, in the weakened state I was in, I doubt I would be writing this - they would have finished me off! I am so glad I didnt need anything more than I was already taking and trusted my instincts not to fiull the prescription.
And by the way, I still havent received the results of the urine test, the x-ray (8 days) or the appointment for the abdominal scan (14 days). I think the 'S' in 'NHS' needs revisiting!
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