Warnings
Methenamine Hippurate (Hiprex) Risks, Warnings, and Complications
Methenamine hippurate can cause new or worsening health problems in certain high-risk individuals. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other treatments for recurrent urinary tract infections if you are at an increased risk of complications from this medication. Some of the risks of taking methenamine include:
|
Precautions Before Starting Methenamine Hippurate (Hiprex)
Tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to methenamine, any of the active or inactive ingredients in methenamine formulations, tartrazine (a yellow dye present in certain foods and drugs), aspirin, or any other medications. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.
Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of all your medicines, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, supplements, and herbal remedies. This can help avoid possible drug interactions.
Give your doctor a complete medical history. Methenamine may not be safe for people with certain medical conditions such as severe dehydration, gout, liver disease, or renal insufficiency (severe kidney disease).
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, are planning a pregnancy, or are breast-feeding. The drug passes into human milk and may be safe to take, but there isn’t enough research on whether it can harm an unborn baby.
Precautions During Use of Methenamine Hippurate (Hiprex)
Keep all your medical and laboratory appointments during treatment with methenamine. Your doctor may want to order certain lab tests and urine cultures to assess your response and monitor you for side effects.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while on methenamine.
Tell all your healthcare providers and laboratory personnel you are on methenamine.
Methenamine Hippurate (Hiprex) Drug Interactions
Certain other drugs can affect how methenamine works. Possible interactions between methenamine and other medicines can increase the risk of severe adverse reactions. Your healthcare provider may change the dose of your medicine, switch you to a different medication, and/or monitor you carefully for side effects if there are known interactions between methenamine and your other medications. Methenamine can interact with the following medications:
- Diuretics (water pills)
- Sulfonamides such as sulfamethizole, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim), sulfasalazine, sulfadiazine, and sulfisoxazole
- Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
- Antacids
- Vitamins
Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of all your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your healthcare professional if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription medications.
SOCIAL