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Nitrofurantoin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of nitrofurantoin include urinary tract infection, fatigue, and nausea, based on 27,088 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.3% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Nitrofurantoin side effects

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

1
Urinary Tract Infection8.4%2,283
2
Fatigue7.2%1,941
3
Nausea6.7%1,816
4
Headache6.4%1,744
5
Pain5.3%1,440
6
Dyspnoea5.1%1,382
7
Diarrhoea5.0%1,342
8
Drug Hypersensitivity4.6%1,253
9
Rash4.4%1,196
10
Drug Ineffective4.3%1,177
11
Dizziness4.3%1,170
12
Off Label Use4.2%1,140
13
Malaise4.2%1,137
14
Pyrexia4.1%1,109
15
Vomiting4.1%1,107

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

Report severity

75.4%Serious20,434 reports
34.5%Hospitalizations9,346 reports
6.4%Fatal1,739 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Nitrofurantoin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside nitrofurantoin. 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
Ciprofloxacin4.4%1,204
2
Omeprazole3.9%1,044
3
Acetaminophen3.2%860
4
Esomeprazole3.1%844
5
Prednisone2.6%703
6
Lansoprazole2.5%674
7
Trimethoprim2.5%665
8
Lenalidomide2.5%664
9
Pantoprazole-sodium2.3%619
10
Amoxicillin2.2%591
11
Dalfampridine2.1%566
12
Sodium-oxybate2.0%543
13
Adalimumab2.0%530
14
Gabapentin1.9%526
15
Sertraline-hydrochloride1.8%497

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen21.2%5,753
2
Levothyroxine-sodium13.6%3,687
3
Aspirin13.2%3,579
4
Omeprazole13.2%3,572
5
Ergocalciferol13.1%3,546
6
Albuterol10.9%2,958
7
Gabapentin10.7%2,902
8
Atorvastatin-calcium10.6%2,881
9
Furosemide9.7%2,628
10
Amlodipine8.8%2,387
11
Prednisone8.2%2,225
12
Fluticasone8.0%2,174
13
Ibuprofen7.9%2,148
14
Metformin7.7%2,088
15
Ondansetron7.7%2,077

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 nitrofurantoin side effects

80.0% of nitrofurantoin adverse event reports involve female patients and 13.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 51%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female80.0%
Male13.3%
Unknown6.8%

Age group

< 20.9%
2–110.7%
12–170.8%
18–6450.8%
65+46.9%

What is nitrofurantoin used for

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

Abdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Wall HaematomaAbdominal Wall InfectionAcneAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAnkylosing SpondylitisAnti-infective TherapyAntibiotic Associated ColitisAntibiotic LevelAntibiotic Level TherapeuticAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAntifungal Prophylaxis

Showing 15 of 414 indications

Nitrofurantoin brand names and reporting trend

Nitrofurantoin is sold under brand names including Macrobid, Macrodantin, Ivadantin.

Brand names

Macrobid19,642
Macrodantin22
Ivadantin5

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking nitrofurantoin with another medication?

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