Nitroxoline tablets: instructions for use, price

Instructions for the use of Nitroxoline reveals all the features of the use of a modern antimicrobial agent intended for the treatment and prevention of urinary tract infections. Nitroxoline is a Russian-made drug produced by the enterprises "Biosynthesis" and "Tatkhimfarmpreparaty". This is a completely budgetary medication, the price of which is quite affordable for any category of patients.

Nitroxoline tablets for cystitis - description of the drug

The basis of Nitroxoline is the active substance of the same name, from the group of 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives. The principle of action of the drug is based on blocking DNA synthesis in a microbial cell by interacting with special enzymes that ensure this process. As a result, microorganisms lose their ability to reproduce and soon die.

The spectrum of the antimicrobial activity of the drug extends to most pathogens of infectious and inflammatory processes. In this list:

• staphylococci, streptococci and enterococci;
• diphtheria and Escherichia coli;
• salmonella, shigella;
• gonococci, Trichomonas;
• proteus, klebsiella;
• mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The drug is highly active not only against bacteria, but also effectively destroys other microorganisms, for example, mold fungi, dermatophytes or fungi of the genus Candida. Such a wide spectrum of therapeutic action allows the use of Nitroxoline in the treatment of various infectious diseases of the genitourinary system.

After oral administration, the active component nitroxoline is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and it accumulates in high concentration in the urine, eliminating the infectious process in the urinary tract. It is excreted from the body by the kidneys unchanged.

Release form

The drug is available in the form of biconvex, yellow-orange film-coated tablets. Each tablet contains 0.05 g of nitroxoline and auxiliary components.

Nitroxoline 50mg tablets are placed in 10 pieces in cell blisters and cardboard boxes. Each pack with the drug contains 5 blisters with tablets.

On the shelves of pharmacies, you can find the drug Nitroxoline UBF. Are there any differences between these forms of medication? In fact, Nitroxoline and Nitroxoline UBF are completely identical, they have the same indications and contraindications. Slight differences may be in the color of the tablets and the appearance of the package. The abbreviation "UBF" in this case means just another manufacturer - the Russian pharmaceutical concern "Uralbiopharm".

Indications

What helps Nitroxoline tablets? The main indications for the use of the drug are infectious and inflammatory lesions of the genitourinary tract caused by pathogens sensitive to nitroxoline. These include the following diseases:

• cystitis;
• urethritis;
• epididymitis;
• pyelonephritis;
• prostatitis.

In urology, the drug will be prescribed for the treatment of an infected prostate adenoma or carcinoma.

As a prophylactic agent, Nitroxoline is used to prevent infectious complications in postoperative period or during certain diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (cystoscopy, resectoscopy, catheterization).

Treatment with Nitroxoline

According to the instructions, the daily dosage of Nitroxoline for adult patients is 0.4 g, divided into 4 doses. That is, a single dose of the drug is 100 mg (2 tablets), they should be taken every 6 hours. If necessary, this dose can be increased by 1.5-2 times. Thus, the maximum allowable amount of antimicrobial agent can be up to 800 mg per day. The tablets should be swallowed whole, without chewing, with a sufficient amount of liquid (at least 100 ml). The effectiveness of the drug does not depend on food intake, so the tablets can be taken with meals.

Nitroxoline for children over five years old is prescribed in a daily dosage of 200-400 mg, divided into 4 doses. For babies under 5 years old, the drug is prescribed 1 tablet (50 mg) up to 4 times a day.

In the treatment of chronic infections of the urinary tract, the antibacterial agent should be taken in courses, with an interval of two weeks between them. In order to prevent infectious complications in the postoperative period, take 50 mg of the drug (1 tablet) twice a day.

How much nitroxoline to take? The standard treatment regimen involves taking the drug for 2-3 weeks until the urine and smear tests are normal. In cases where a chronic infection is characterized by a recurrent nature of the course, the course of treatment is longer and can reach several months.

Instructions for use

In case of manifestations of acute cystitis, the drug is taken according to the standard scheme (2 tablets in 4 doses), observing the six-hour interval between taking the next dose. The duration of the course of treatment is on average 10-14 days. Even after the symptoms of cystitis have disappeared, treatment cannot be interrupted until urine tests, taken three times, confirm the absence of the pathogen.

In the treatment of exacerbations of chronic cystitis, the drug is used in the same dosage. But if the unpleasant symptoms do not disappear, the doctor can increase a single dose of the drug to 3-6 tablets and prolong the course of treatment. If, after its completion, the control analysis of urine does not correspond to the norm, the treatment should be continued after a 2-week break. Reviews on the use of Nitroxoline for cystitis indicate that the drug quickly copes with the disease and a second course of admission is not required in most cases.

Contraindications

Nitroxoline is prohibited for use under the following conditions:

• hypersensitivity to quinolines and other components of the drug;
• severe liver pathologies;
• chronic renal failureaccompanied by urinary retention (anuria) or insufficient urine production (oliguria);
• neuritis;
• cataract.

With extreme caution and under the close supervision of a physician, the dosage of the medication is selected for mild to moderate renal failure. In this case, it is necessary to correctly determine the dose of the antibacterial agent, since with slow excretion by the kidneys, the drug can accumulate in the blood and cause symptoms of poisoning.

In the instructions for the medicine there is a direct prohibition on the use of Nitroxoline for pregnancy. This is due to the lack of clinical studies, the results of which would confirm the safety of the drug for the mother and unborn child.

However, in medical practice, the antimicrobial agent is still used for this category of patients (excluding the 1st trimester and the last 10 weeks of pregnancy). For several decades of using the drug, not a single case of its negative effects on the fetus, there were no intrauterine malformations or the threat of miscarriage while taking medication.

However, during pregnancy, Nitroxoline is prescribed only when absolutely necessary and under medical supervision. During breastfeeding, it is recommended to transfer the baby to artificial mixtures while the woman is taking the drug.

Adverse Reactions

Like any antibacterial agent, Nitroxoline can cause unwanted reactions from various organs and systems. Most often, there are negative manifestations from the digestive tract - nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite or impaired liver function.

Reactions from the nervous system occur much less frequently. Patients may complain of impaired coordination of movements, loss of balance, headaches, or a feeling of numbness and sensory disturbances in the limbs (paresthesias). With prolonged use of the drug, symptoms of polyneuropathy, myelopathy or optic neuritis may appear.

Sometimes, while taking Nitroxoline, cardiac arrhythmias occur (tachycardia) or there is a change in the color of urine, which acquires a saffron hue.

The immune system can react with allergic reactions such as itchy skin or rashes. At the same time, the development of dangerous complications (anaphylactic shock or Quincke's edema) was not observed.

Compared to other antibacterial agents, Nitroxoline is less toxic and much less likely to cause severe adverse reactions. The high level of safety allows this agent to be used in pediatrics, in children from 3 months of age.

Additional recommendations

With the simultaneous use of Nitroxoline with tetracycline antibiotics, Levorin or Nystatin, the dose the latter should be reduced by half, since this combination enhances the therapeutic effect of using drugs.

It is not recommended to prescribe Nitroxoline simultaneously with nitrofuran derivatives (Furagin, Furazolidone, Furacilin), since this combination enhances the negative effect on the central nervous system. Reception together with antacids (Almagel, Maalox) reduces the absorption of Nitroxoline and reduces the effectiveness of the drug.

The use of alcohol during treatment with an antibacterial agent does not give a pronounced negative reaction, therefore, life-threatening complications do not arise. However, alcohol creates an increased burden on the liver, which increases the hepatotoxic effect on the organ.

Analogs

Nitroxoline has several structural analogs containing the same active ingredient. These include drugs such as:

Nitroxoline Akos,

• 5 NOC,
• 5 Nitrox,
• Noxibol,
• Niuron,
• Noxin,
• Uritrol.

If necessary, the attending physician can replace Nitroxoline with any of the above means.

Price

Nitroxoline is popular among patients not only for its safety, but also for its quite affordable price. The price of an antibacterial agent is quite budgetary - a package of tablets (50 pcs) in a pharmacy network costs from 70 to 150 rubles.

Feedback on application

Reviews of doctors and patients about Nitroxoline confirm its effectiveness against urinary tract infections. There are especially many positive opinions about the use of the drug in the treatment of cystitis. Taking pills helps to quickly eliminate unpleasant symptoms of the disease and achieve complete recovery in a short time.

Review number 1

I was prescribed nitroxoline for the treatment of pyelonephritis. Small yellow tablets had to be taken 4 times a day, 2 pieces at once. It was a little embarrassing that 8 tablets had to be taken per day, but the doctor said that this was a standard dose and the drug had a low degree of toxicity.

The course of treatment took 2 weeks, one package was not enough, I had to buy more. But Nitroxylin is very inexpensive, so treatment with this remedy will not break through the family budget. The drug helped, all unpleasant symptoms disappeared by the end of the first week of therapy.

Guzel, St. Petersburg

Review number 2

My cystitis has turned into a chronic form, with frequent exacerbations that occur against the background of a cold or a seasonal decrease in immunity. In the course of treatment, she took various drugs, including strong antibiotics. Several times the medication has caused serious adverse reactions.

Therefore, when the doctor prescribed Nitroxoline, the first thing I asked about the side effects. It turned out that this drug does not have as many of them as other antibacterial agents, and the drug is much easier to tolerate. It is prescribed even for children and pregnant women (according to indications).

To prevent relapse of the disease, the doctor recommended taking the drug according to a certain scheme, for 2 months. She tolerated the treatment well, there were no side effects, and the result is very good. For the second year now I have been taking this medicine in courses and have long forgotten about exacerbations of cystitis.

Margarita, Moscow