Furazolidone+metronidazole
About Furazolidone+metronidazole
Furazolidone+metronidazole is a prescription medicine used to treat infectious diarrhea, dysentery, and certain intestinal infections caused by harmful bacteria or tiny parasites. It works by clearing these germs directly from your digestive tract, helping your bowel movements return to normal.
To get the best results, you must take Furazolidone+metronidazole regularly at evenly spaced times throughout the day and complete the entire course prescribed by your doctor, even if you start feeling better. It is best to take this medicine with food to help reduce stomach upset and protect your digestive lining. While recovering, drinking plenty of clear fluids and eating bland, easy-to-digest foods can help support your gut's healing process.
While taking this medicine, you might experience mild side effects like a dark-colored urine, a metallic taste in your mouth, or mild nausea. These are generally harmless and go away, but you should contact your doctor immediately if you notice more serious signs like a severe skin rash, tingling in your hands or feet, or persistent dizziness.
Before starting Furazolidone+metronidazole, tell your doctor if you have a history of nerve disorders, blood diseases, or severe liver damage. Do not take this medicine if you have a known allergy to any of its active components, or if you have a genetic condition called G6PD deficiency, as it can cause serious blood issues.
Avoid alcohol during treatment with Furazolidone+metronidazole and for some time after your last dose, as advised by your doctor, as it may cause nausea, vomiting, flushing, headache, and a rapid heartbeat. It also interacts with certain blood thinners and cough syrups, so check with your pharmacist before taking other products. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing health conditions in an elderly family member, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting this treatment.
Uses of Furazolidone+metronidazole
• Treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery: Furazolidone+metronidazole targets bacterial infections in the digestive tract and treats diarrhoea.
• Prevention of intestinal infections: Furazolidone+metronidazole inhibits bacterial growth to curb further complications.
• Relief from stomach issues: Furazolidone+metronidazole addresses discomfort linked to gastrointestinal conditions.
• Antimicrobial action: Furazolidone+metronidazole eliminates specific bacteria and protozoa causing infections.
Medicinal Benefits
Furazolidone+metronidazole helps treat bacterial and parasitic infections of the digestive tract, relieving symptoms and supporting a faster recovery. The key benefits are as follows:
- Relieves Diarrhoea and Stomach Discomfort: Helps reduce the frequency of loose stools and relieves abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, and gas caused by intestinal infections.
- Supports Recovery from Intestinal Infections: Helps eliminate the organisms responsible for the infection, allowing the digestive system to heal and symptoms to improve.
- Helps Prevent Dehydration: By controlling diarrhoea, it helps reduce fluid loss and lowers the risk of dehydration, supporting a quicker return to normal daily activities.
Directions for Use
- Take Furazolidone+metronidazole with food to avoid stomach upset or as advised by a doctor.
- Follow your doctor's instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication to ensure safety.
- Swallow the medicine as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, break, or chew it.
Storage
Side Effects of Furazolidone+metronidazole
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Nausea or mild stomach upset
- A metallic taste in the mouth
- Darkened or brownish urine (this is harmless and will stop when you finish the medicine)
- Headache or mild dizziness
Serious Side Effects (Consult your doctor right away):
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as a skin rash, hives, swelling of the face, lips, or throat, or difficulty breathing
- Numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation in your hands or feet
- Severe, persistent headache or stiff neck
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, and severe upper abdominal pain (signs of potential liver damage)
- Sudden changes in your vision or extreme dizziness
Drug Warnings
- Avoid Alcohol: Do not consume alcohol or use products containing alcohol (such as some mouthwashes or cough syrups) while taking Furazolidone+metronidazole and until your doctor advises it is safe to do so, as it may cause severe, unpleasant reactions.
- Check the liquid suspension: If you are using the liquid form, always check that the liquid is uniform after shaking and does not contain any unusual clumps or discolouration before taking it.
- Complete the full course: Never stop taking this medicine early even if your diarrhoea stops; completing the full course ensures all the bacteria and parasites are completely eradicated.
- Watch out for dizziness: This medicine may make you feel dizzy or lightheaded. Avoid driving, operating machinery, or performing tasks that require mental alertness until you know how this medicine affects you.
- Monitor for nerve symptoms: Stop taking the medicine and consult your doctor immediately if you experience persistent numbness, tingling, or weakness in your limbs.
Drug Interactions
Inform your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines, as they may interact.
- Blood thinners (like warfarin): Furazolidone+metronidazole can increase the effect of blood thinners, which raises your risk of bleeding.
- Seizure medications (like phenytoin or phenobarbital): These can speed up how your body processes this medicine, making it less effective, or Furazolidone+metronidazole may increase seizure medication levels in your blood.
- Lithium: This combination can raise lithium levels in your body, increasing the risk of lithium toxicity.
- Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)-Interacting Medicines: Avoid taking this medicine with other MAO inhibitors or medicines that increase serotonin levels, such as certain antidepressants, unless advised by your doctor. Combining these medicines may increase the risk of serious side effects, including dangerously high blood pressure or serotonin syndrome.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeDrinking alcohol while taking this Furazolidone+metronidazole may lead to an unpleasant reaction with symptoms like stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, flushing, headache or redness of the face.
Pregnancy
unsafeFurazolidone+metronidazole should not be taken if you are pregnant or planning to have a baby. If you become pregnant while taking Furazolidone+metronidazole, stop taking the medication, and contact your doctor immediately. Metronidazole should not be given in the first trimester of the pregnancy as it may cause harm to the fetus.
Breast Feeding
cautionTake Furazolidone+metronidazole only when prescribed, Furazolidone+metronidazole contains ‘metronidazole’ which is known to pass on in a limited quantity via breast milk to the child. Consult your doctor for further advice.
Driving
cautionDo not drive while using Furazolidone+metronidazole as Furazolidone+metronidazole may cause blurred vision or dizziness that may affect the ability to drive or using machines.
Liver
cautionFurazolidone+metronidazole to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of liver diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Kidney
cautionFurazolidone+metronidazole to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Children
cautionFurazolidone+metronidazole can be given to the children for typhoid fever, diarrhea, a stomach infection, amoebiasis, abdominal infection, diarrhea and intestinal infection only when prescribed by a child specialist.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids like clean water, oral rehydration solutions (ORS), clear broths, or coconut water to replace lost minerals and prevent dehydration.
- Eat a bland diet: Stick to easy-to-digest foods such as bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast until your stomach settles.
- Avoid trigger foods: Stay away from dairy products, highly spicy foods, greasy items, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners, as these can irritate your gut and worsen diarrhoea.
- Avoid certain aged and fermented foods: Foods such as aged cheeses, cured meats, fermented soy products, and red wine may increase your blood pressure while taking this medicine.
- Practice strict hygiene: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before preparing or eating food to prevent spreading the infection to others.
Special Advise
- You should consult a doctor if you have symptoms associated with dehydration, like dry mouth, excessive thirst, wrinkled skin, little or no urination, dizziness and lightheadedness.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Bacterial Infection: A bacterial infection is a condition in which harmful bacteria enter, multiply and infect our body. It can target any body part and multiply very quickly. When you get infected with bacteria, you can experience generalised symptoms, like fevers, chills and fatigue. Anyone can become infected with a bacterial infection. People with weak immune systems or those taking immunosuppressive medicine are more prone to bacterial infection.
Diarrhoea: It is an increase in bowel movement leading to increased and loose motions.
Dysentery: It is an inflammation of the intestine, particularly the colon, caused by the bacteria Shigella.
FAQs
Furazolidone+metronidazole is used to treat bacterial infections, dysentery and diarrhoea.
Furazolidone+metronidazole contains furazolidone and metronidazole. Flurazolidone works by interfering with protein synthesis, a mechanism which is important for the survival of bacteria. Metronidazole kills parasites and anaerobic bacteria that are responsible for causing infections. It works by damaging their DNA. Collectively, they help in treating the disease effectively.
Yes, Furazolidone+metronidazole is known to cause dry mouth. If you feel excessively thirsty, do frequent mouth rinses and increase fluid intake.
Yes, Furazolidone+metronidazole may lead to a temporary metallic taste. This metallic taste can be reduced by chewing mints, sugar-free gum and brushing teeth after the food.
No, do not stop taking Furazolidone+metronidazole and complete the full course of treatment even if you feel well. Your symptoms may recur before the infection is completely treated.
Yes, Furazolidone+metronidazole may cause nausea and vomiting in some patients. You are recommended to take Furazolidone+metronidazole with meals to avoid this. If you still vomit or feel nauseous, please consult your doctor.
No, you are recommended not to take Furazolidone+metronidazole with other antibiotics. Furazolidone+metronidazole is an antibiotic medicine that is used to treat parasitic and amoebic infections. When taken along with other antibiotics, Furazolidone+metronidazole may lose its efficiency, or it might result in unwanted side effects.
Drinking alcohol while taking Furazolidone+metronidazole may lead to an unpleasant reaction with symptoms like stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, flushing, and headache. So, it is important to avoid alcohol consumption during the treatment with Furazolidone+metronidazole.
Store Furazolidone+metronidazole in a cool and dry place away from sunlight. Keep it out of the reach of children. Regularly check the expiration date. When you need to dispose of the medicine, place it in a plastic bag and throw it away in the household trash. Remember, never flush the medicine down the toilet or sink.
The common side effects of Furazolidone+metronidazole which may occur in some individuals are nausea, dryness in the mouth, headache, metallic taste, and dark yellow to brown discoloration of urine. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if these side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
No. Avoid drinking alcohol or using products that contain alcohol while taking Furazolidone+metronidazole and until your doctor tells you it is safe to do so. Combining alcohol with this medicine may cause unpleasant reactions such as nausea, vomiting, flushing, headache, and a rapid heartbeat. If you are unsure whether a product contains alcohol, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
It is common for your urine to turn dark yellow, brown, or rust-colored while taking this medicine. This is a harmless side effect of the way your body processes the active ingredients and will go away once you finish the treatment. Talk to your doctor if you experience pain while urinating or if the dark colour persists after stopping the medicine.
No, you must finish the entire course of Furazolidone+metronidazole prescribed by your doctor, even if your symptoms improve and you feel completely better. Stopping the medicine too early can allow the remaining bacteria or parasites to multiply, causing your infection to return. Talk to your doctor if you feel unable to finish your prescription.
This medicine is generally not recommended during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, unless your doctor decides the benefits clearly outweigh the potential risks. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor to discuss safer alternatives.
If you vomit within 30 minutes of taking your dose, you may need to take another dose, but you should always consult your healthcare provider first. If vomiting is a persistent problem, talk to your doctor or pharmacist for advice on how to manage it.
No, Furazolidone+metronidazole is only effective against infections caused by specific bacteria and parasites. It does not work against viral infections like the common cold, flu, or viral stomach bugs. Using anti-infective medications when they are not needed can make future bacterial infections harder to treat. Talk to your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis.
Yes, experiencing a temporary metallic or bitter taste in your mouth is a well-known, mild side effect of this medicine. It is completely harmless and will go away shortly after you complete your treatment course. You can manage this by rinsing your mouth or sucking on sugar-free hard candy. Talk to your doctor if this side effect becomes intolerable.
You should avoid foods that are very high in tyramine, such as aged cheeses, smoked or cured meats, soy sauce, and red wine, as they can interact with this medicine and raise your blood pressure. Additionally, stay away from greasy, spicy, and dairy-rich foods, which can worsen diarrhoea and irritate your gut. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list of dietary recommendations.
Yes, children can take Furazolidone+metronidazole only if it has been prescribed by a doctor. The dose is based on the child's age, weight, and the type of infection being treated. Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice, and always follow your doctor's instructions carefully.
