Urinary Antiseptic/Antispasmodic/Anti-inflammatory, Oral tablet
Food
· Severity: Moderate
· Notes for Consumers: You may need to follow some dietary instructions while taking this drug to help control bacteria in the urine. This drug requires an acidic urine to be most effective. Certain foods, like milk and most fruits or fruit juices, might interfere with the best action of this drug in preventing urine infections. Ask your prescriber if you should avoid or limit any of these foods in the diet during your treatment. Orange juice and other fruit juices are not helpful at making the urine more acidic.
· Notes for Professionals: Methenamine should theoretically not be administered concurrently with food or beverages that may alter urinary pH, such as milk products and most fruits. These agents may cause the urine to become alkaline and reduce the effectiveness of methenamine by inhibiting its conversion to formaldehyde. Orange juice is not a reliable urinary acidifier and should not be used to ensure urine acidification; citric acid may actually raise urine pH if taken in large amounts.
Urinary Antiseptic/Antispasmodic/Anti-inflammatory, Oral tablet
Alcohol
· Severity: Major
· Notes for Consumers: Do not drink alcohol while taking this medication. Drinking alcohol while taking this medication increases the risk of stomach bleeding. Contact your care team right away if you experience bloody or black, tar-like stools, vomiting blood or brown material that looks like coffee grounds.
· Notes for Professionals: Concomitant ingestion of alcohol with salicylates, especially aspirin, ASA, increases the risk of developing gastric irritation and GI mucosal bleeding. Alcohol and salicylates are mucosal irritants and aspirin decreases platelet aggregation. Routine ingestion of alcohol and aspirin can cause significant GI bleeding, which may or may not be overt. Even occasional concomitant use of salicylates and alcohol should be avoided. Chronic ingestion of alcohol is often associated with hypoprothrombinemia and this condition increases the risk of salicylate-induced bleeding. Patients should be warned regarding the potential for increased risk of GI bleeding if alcohol-containing beverages are taken concurrently with salicylates.
Urinary Antiseptic/Antispasmodic/Anti-inflammatory, Oral tablet
Caffeine-containing Foods/Beverages
· Severity: Major
· Notes for Consumers: Limit excessive Caffeine intake (examples: coffee, teas, colas, chocolate and some herbal supplements) while taking Sympathomimetics and avoid medicines containing additional Caffeine whenever possible. Examples of Sympathomimetics include stimulants or weight loss drugs like Amphetamine, Adderall, Dexedrine, Fastin, and Tenuate. Sympathomimetics also include some cough and cold products containing Pseudoephedrine (example Sudafed), Phenylephrine, or Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and also herbal weight loss products containing ephedra or Ma huang. Taking a high amount of Caffeine with the listed drugs can increase the risk of nausea, nervousness, palpitations, problems with sleep, rapid heartbeat, or other side effects.
· Notes for Professionals: Sodium phosphates should be used with caution in patients using concomitant medications that lower the seizure threshold like psychostimulants.