Health & Wellness

11 Foods to Avoid while Taking Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin)

Are you looking for what foods to avoid while taking nitrofurantoin? When prescribed a medication like nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin), it is essential to understand how various factors, including diet, can influence its effectiveness.

It’s essential to be aware of any food interactions when taking a drug like nitrofurantoin, also known as Macrodantin. Nitrofurantoin is used primarily to treat UTIs or urinary tract infections.

It can help ensure the medication’s maximum effectiveness and reduce potential side effects if you know what foods to limit or avoid while taking nitrofurantoin.

This article will explore the Foods to avoid while taking nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin).

In This Article

  1. Foods to Avoid while Taking Nitrofurantoin

Foods to Avoid while Taking Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin)

Here we have listed what foods not to eat with nitrofurantoin:

Foods to Avoid while Taking Nitrofurantoin

1. Dairy Products

Nitrofurantoin foods to avoid are dairy products. This is because the calcium in these foods can reduce stomach acidity, which decreases the absorption of nitrofurantoin and may make it less effective.

To ensure optimal effectiveness, take your medication at least two hours before or after consuming dairy products.

2. Citrus fruits

What can you not take with nitrofurantoin is Citrus fruits because they contain compounds known as furanocoumarins that can interfere with the enzymes responsible for breaking down certain medications in the body, including nitrofurantoin.

This can lead to higher levels of this medication in our bloodstream, increasing side effects or altering its effectiveness.

3. High-fat foods

If you are taking nitrofurantoin, it’s important to avoid high-fat foods as they can interfere with the absorption of the medication. Low-fat or low-protein meals are better for absorbing nitrofurantoin more efficiently.

4. Alcohol

It’s essential to be aware that both nitrofurantoin and alcohol can have a sedative effect on the central nervous system. When taken together, these effects intensify, leading to increased drowsiness, dizziness and impaired coordination.

This could affect your ability to do tasks that require alertness, like driving or operating machinery, so it’s best avoided if possible! Additionally, alcohol can decrease the effectiveness of nitrofurantoin in treating infections – so please take extra care when using this medication!

5. Caffeine Consumption

Caffeine can harm the effectiveness of nitrofurantoin, which is commonly used to treat urinary tract infections. Caffeine has diuretic properties, meaning it increases urine production. When this happens, it reduces the concentration of nitrofurantoin in the urine and affects its ability to kill bacteria.

Caffeine can also interfere with absorption by altering how quickly nitrofurantoin is absorbed in your GI tract. So if you’re taking this medication for an infection or other condition, limit your intake of caffeinated beverages!

6. Spicy foods

If you’re taking nitrofurantoin, it’s best to avoid spicy foods. Capsaicin is the compound responsible for giving spicy food its heat and can further irritate your stomach lining and intensify any symptoms.

It can also increase stomach acid production, which could lead to heartburn or indigestion – not something we want while taking medication!

7. High-Sodium foods

It’s best to avoid or limit high-sodium foods while taking nitrofurantoin for two essential reasons. First, consuming too much sodium can cause body fluid retention, which the medication can exacerbate.

Second, high sodium intake is linked with higher blood pressure levels and maintaining healthy blood pressure is essential when taking medications such as nitrofurantoin.

8. Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame may interact with the drug and affect its metabolism in the liver. That’s why it is recommended that people taking nitrofurantoin should avoid consuming foods containing these sweeteners.

So if you or anyone else is taking this medication, check food labels and avoid any products containing artificial sweeteners!

9. Soy products

It is generally recommended to avoid or minimize the consumption of soy products while taking nitrofurantoin due to the presence of compounds called isoflavones.

These plant-derived compounds are found in soy and have estrogen-like effects that may interfere with the metabolism and absorption of nitrofurantoin, reducing its effectiveness.

10. Licorice

A compound in licorice called glycyrrhizin can inhibit an enzyme responsible for breaking down nitrofurantoin in our liver, leading to increased levels of this medication.

This could cause side effects or even toxicity if left unchecked. It may also increase your risk of developing QT prolongation – an irregular heart rhythm.

11. Fermented Foods

We all know that fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi are often an essential part of a healthy diet, but when taking nitrofurantoin, it is best to limit or avoid them.

This is because these live bacteria and yeast cultures present in fermented foods could interact with the antibiotic and reduce its efficacy or alter its metabolism in the body.

Q. Can nitrofurantoin be taken on empty stomach?

Ans- It is best advised that it should be taken with food. Taking nitrofurantoin with food can help reduce the risk of certain gastrointestinal side effects, like stomach upset or nausea.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s essential to be mindful of certain foods when taking nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin). Certain foods can interact with the medication and affect its absorption or effectiveness.

It’s best to check with your doctor if you have any questions about what food is safe while taking this medication. Thanks for reading!

Be sure to read

  1. Foods to Avoid while Taking Xifaxan

References

  1. Nitrofurantoin: Preferred Empiric Therapy for Community
  2. The influence of food on nitrofurantoin bioavailability
  3. Scientific Opinion on nitrofurans and their metabolites in food

Dr Maria

MD. Board Certified physician. Fellowship In Family Medicine UK. 8 years of medical experience in Lifestyle-related health disorders. Graduated from AIIMS – All India Institute Of Medical Science, INDIA

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