Furagin in pregnancy

Furagin-what is the drug?

Furagin, or really furasidine, is a drug available in pharmacies without a prescription. It is a nitrofuran derivative used mainly to treat symptoms of lower urinary tract infections. It appears, depending on the manufacturer, under various trade names such as, among others. furagin.

Experts point out that furagin, due to its easy availability, can be abused. Besides, in the urine cultures performed, drug susceptibility to furasidine cannot be determined. However, it is often equated with the drug nitrofurantoin (not available in Poland), which is effective in treating urinary tract infections. ^[i]

Use of furagin during pregnancy

Pregnancy time is a period of increased risk of urinary tract problems. This is due to, among other things. From the various types of changes occurring in the body of the mother-to-be. Urinary stasis in the bladder or dilatation of the pyelocalyceal system predisposes to the development of urinary tract infections. Changing urine pH and increasing glucose have similar effects.

Read more:
Urinary tract infection in pregnancy – symptoms and treatment.

Manufacturers of preparations containing furasidine recommend that it should not be used during the first trimester of pregnancy and after the 38th. week. It is believed that safer drugs during pregnancy for the treatment of urinary tract infections are, for example, fosfomycin (except in the first trimester) or amoxicillin with clavulanic acid. Nitrofurantoin can also be used to treat urinary tract infections, but it is not registered in Poland.

Treatment of urinary tract inflammation in pregnancy

Every pregnant woman has a general urine test once a month during pregnancy. It is designed to detect possible asymptomatic bacteriuria, which requires treatment and antibiotic therapy during this period. Besides, the time of pregnancy is a period of higher risk of cystitis. In case of an abnormal result of a general urine test, a urine culture is ordered, which will indicate the bacteria responsible for the infection and its sensitivity to antibiotics, which will facilitate the selection of effective treatment. During pregnancy, however, not all drugs can be used safely. This is why it is so important to implement management by a family doctor or gynecologist, never on your own. Effective antibiotics in pregnancy used to treat urinary tract and bladder infections include. fosfomycin (after the first trimester), amoxicillin and nitrofurantoin (between 12 and 36 weeks of pregnancy). In contrast, furasidine (the popular furagin) is not mentioned in the recommendations.

Treatment of urinary tract inflammation is very important during pregnancy, as ignoring the problem can have serious complications such as acute pyelonephritis, which requires hospitalization and inpatient treatment.

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Recommendations for diagnosis, therapy and prevention of urinary tract infections in adults, edited by: prof. Ph. med. Valeria Hryniewicz, Ph. med. Michal Holecki; National Antibiotics Program