Can you die from an overdose of nitrofurantoin?

Question

could 11 capsules of nitrofurantoin kill someone?

Answer 1

Nitrofurantoin:

Adverse effects

Nitrofurantoin can cause nausea and vomiting, fever, rash, hypersensitivity pneumonitis. When given for long periods of time, nitrofurantoin can cause progressive pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. All these side effects are much more common in the elderly.

Patients should be informed that nitrofurantoin colours urine a dark orange-brown; this is completely harmless.

Neonates (babies up to the age of one month) have immature enzyme systems in their red blood cells (glutathione instability) and nitrofurantoin must therefore not be used because it can cause haemolytic anaemia. For the same reason, nitrofurantoin should not be given to pregnant women after 38 weeks of pregnancy, or who are about to give birth.

Nitrofurantoin is contraindicated in patients with decreased renal function (CrCl < 60ml/min) due to systemic accumulation and subtherapeutic levels reached in the urinary tract.

[edit] Precautions

Nitrofurantoin must be taken with food and can cause bleeding in the stomach, vomiting and other gastrointestinal disruptions if these warnings are not adhered to. Nitrofurantoin is contraindicated in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency because of risk of extravascular hemolysis resulting in anemia.