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Methenamine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of methenamine include urinary tract infection, fatigue, and diarrhoea, based on 3,663 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Methenamine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for methenamine.

1
Urinary Tract Infection10.4%381
2
Fatigue6.5%238
3
Diarrhoea6.1%223
4
Nausea5.8%214
5
Dyspnoea4.8%177
6
Fall4.7%173
7
Drug Ineffective4.6%170
8
Headache4.3%159
9
Off Label Use4.2%154
10
Pyrexia4.2%153
11
Hypotension4.1%150
12
Dizziness4.0%148
13
Asthenia4.0%146
14
Vomiting3.8%138
15
Pain3.3%121

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that methenamine caused these reactions.

Report severity

68.5%Serious2,509 reports
33.6%Hospitalizations1,229 reports
8.8%Fatal322 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Methenamine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside methenamine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Dalfampridine4.4%162
2
Lenalidomide3.1%115
3
Dimethyl2.6%96
4
Sodium-oxybate2.3%86
5
Interferon2.2%80
6
Pimavanserin2.2%79
7
Acetaminophen2.1%77
8
Ocrelizumab1.9%68
9
Adalimumab1.7%64
10
Vancomycin1.5%56
11
Dupilumab1.5%56
12
Natalizumab1.5%54
13
Apixaban1.4%50
14
Pregabalin1.2%44
15
Carbidopa1.1%41

Taken alongside

1
Ergocalciferol23.1%845
2
Acetaminophen17.8%652
3
Levothyroxine-sodium16.8%617
4
Aspirin15.5%566
5
Omeprazole15.5%566
6
Ascorbic-acid14.9%544
7
Gabapentin13.3%489
8
Atorvastatin-calcium13.1%480
9
Furosemide11.2%411
10
Baclofen10.9%399
11
Metoprolol10.2%372
12
Albuterol9.7%355
13
Calcium8.6%315
14
Amlodipine8.6%314
15
Pantoprazole-sodium8.3%305

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports methenamine side effects

70.2% of methenamine adverse event reports involve female patients and 23.2% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 58%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female70.2%
Male23.2%
Unknown6.6%

Age group

< 20.5%
2–110.3%
12–171.7%
18–6439.4%
65+58.1%

What is methenamine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking methenamine when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal Cavity DrainageAbdominal DistensionAccidental ExposureAcute Kidney InjuryAgitationAlcoholismAnaemiaAnaesthesiaAnalgesic TherapyAneurysmal Bone CystAnti-glomerular Basement Membrane Antibody PositiveAntibiotic ProphylaxisAnticoagulant TherapyAnxietyAnxiety Disorder

Showing 15 of 245 indications

Methenamine brand names and reporting trend

Methenamine is sold under the brand name Hiprex.

Brand names

Hiprex2,306

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking methenamine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.