Prescription medication · Nitrofuran Antibiotic
nitrofurantoin
Also sold as Macrobid, Macrodantin. This medicine treats urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 15,757
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 4
- InteractionsFew interactions
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) is a prescription Nitrofuran Antibiotic, reported less often than most tracked drugs (15,757 FDA reports), with 4 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) is a prescription Nitrofuran Antibiotic. This medicine treats urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic medicine. It is used to treat infections of the urinary tract.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$3.87/unit
Generic Available
Yes (21 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Common side effects
Nausea, Headache, Vomiting
Key warnings
This medicine can cause serious side effects.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from nitrofurantoin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic that stops bacteria from growing. It damages the bacteria's DNA, which kills the bacteria. This helps to clear up the infection in your urinary tract.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 15,757 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for nitrofurantoin, by number of reports
- Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary Tract Infection
1,301 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
1,240 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
1,187 reports
- Headache
Headache
1,103 reports
- Pain
Pain
964 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
950 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
880 reports
- Rash
Rash
852 reports
- Malaise
Malaise
851 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
810 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for nitrofurantoin each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where nitrofurantoin sits
nitrofurantoin has more FDA adverse-event reports than 49% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is nitrofurantoin; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 15,757 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
15,757
Reports Mentioning Death
1,000
6.3% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
5,435
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | URINARY TRACT INFECTION | 1,301 |
| 2 | FATIGUE | 1,240 |
| 3 | NAUSEA | 1,187 |
| 4 | HEADACHE | 1,103 |
| 5 | PAIN | 964 |
| 6 | DYSPNOEA | 950 |
| 7 | DIARRHOEA | 880 |
| 8 | RASH | 852 |
| 9 | MALAISE | 851 |
| 10 | VOMITING | 810 |
| 11 | PYREXIA | 796 |
| 12 | DIZZINESS | 788 |
| 15 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 588 |
| 16 | FALL | 585 |
| 17 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 577 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
This medicine can cause serious side effects. Rarely, it can cause deadly allergic reactions, lung problems, liver problems, and nerve damage. Tell your doctor right away if you have trouble breathing, yellowing of the skin, numbness, or tingling.
Known Drug Interactions
7.4 Concomitant Use with Drugs that Induce Methemoglobinemia Concomitant use of ACZONE Gel, 7.5% with drugs that induce methemoglobinemia such as sulfonamides, acetaminophen, acetanilide, aniline dyes, benzocaine, chloroquine, dapsone, naphthalene, nitrates and nitrites, nitrofurantoin, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, pamaquine, para‐aminosalicylic acid, phenacetin, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primaquine, and quinine may increase the risk for developing methemoglobinemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] .
Mechanism: These medications both have the potential to change how your blood carries oxygen. Using them at the same time makes it more likely you will develop a blood problem called methemoglobinemia.
Drugs That May Cause Methemoglobinemia When Used with LIDODERM Patients who are administered local anesthetics are at increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia when concurrently exposed to the following drugs, which could include other local anesthetics: Examples of Drugs Associated with Methemoglobinemia : Class Examples Nitrates/Nitrites nitric oxide, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitrous oxide Local anesthetics articaine, benzocaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, procaine, ropivacaine, tetracaine Antineoplastic agents cyclophosphamide, flutamide, hydroxyurea,...
Mechanism: Both drugs can cause a blood problem that makes it hard for your body to get enough oxygen. Using them together increases the risk of this serious condition.
7.2 Uricosuric Drugs Uricosuric drugs, such as probenecid and sulfinpyrazone, can inhibit renal tubular secretion of nitrofurantoin.
Mechanism: Probenecid stops the kidneys from moving nitrofurantoin into the urine, which can make the antibiotic less effective for treating a bladder infection.
Examples of Drugs Associated with Methemoglobinemia: Class Examples Nitrates/Nitrites nitric oxide, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitrous oxide Local anesthetics articaine, benzocaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, procaine, ropivacaine, tetracaine Antineoplastic agents cyclophosphamide, flutamide, hydroxyurea, isofamide, rasburicase Antibiotics dapsone, nitrofurantoin, para-aminosalicylic acid, sulfonamides Antimalarials chloroquine, primaquine Anticonvulsants phenobarbital, phenytoin, sodium valproate Other drugs acetaminophen, metoclopramide, quinine, sulfasalazine...
Mechanism: These medications can both contribute to a blood disorder that prevents oxygen from reaching your body's tissues properly. This is a rare but serious side effect mentioned in the drug safety information.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take this medicine if I am allergic to other antibiotics?
Can I drive while taking this medicine?
How long should I take this medicine?
What should I do if I get diarrhea while taking this medicine?
Can this medicine affect my liver?
Can this medicine affect my nerves?
Can I take antacids with this medicine?
What if my symptoms don't improve?
Can this medicine change my urine color?
Is it okay to drink alcohol while taking this medication?
What are the common side effects of nitrofurantoin?
Does nitrofurantoin interact with other medications?
What drug class is nitrofurantoin?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for nitrofurantoin?
Has nitrofurantoin been recalled?
Active Recalls
Failed Dissolution Specifications
AvKARE
Related Medications in Nitrofuran Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near nitrofurantoin - same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
Amikacin is an antibiotic medicine.
Compare with nitrofurantoin →
amoxicillin
Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
Compare with nitrofurantoin →
amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Compare with nitrofurantoin →
ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
Compare with nitrofurantoin →
azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
Compare with nitrofurantoin →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for nitrofurantoin: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 15,757.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 6.35%.
- meloxicam Δ 0.00 pts · 55,835 reports · Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) 6.34%death share
- indapamide Δ 0.00 pts · 17,199 reports · Thiazide-Like Diuretic 6.34%death share
- icosapent ethyl Δ 0.02 pts · 7,801 reports · Omega-3 Fatty Acid (EPA) 6.37%death share
- latanoprost Δ 0.04 pts · 48,513 reports · Prostaglandin Analog (Ophthalmic) 6.38%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
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FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for nitrofurantoin
The FDA label for nitrofurantoin (sold under brand names such as Macrobid, Macrodantin) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Nitrofuran Antibiotic class. This medicine treats urinary tract infections (UTIs). Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Headache, Vomiting.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 15,757 voluntary reports. The database also lists 4 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $3.87.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: March 29, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages