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Nitrofurantoin/Macrobid for IC

I’ve been suffering from IC for 5 years now and for some odd reason Nitrofurantoin/Macrobid seems to work well for me, even when my urine culture comes back negative. I take it (100 mg X 2 for 10 days) when my IC flares and within a few days the symptoms are essentially gone. They often come back 3-5 months later, but at least it works temporarily.

My doctors have no idea why this medication works, but it’s been working pretty consistently for the past 3-4 years now. I’ve tried other UTI antibiotics such as Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) and they did absolutely nothing for me. Has anyone else found relief with this medication? Does anyone know why it works?
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Oh yeah macrobid nitro is great better then Valium and hydroxizone and I got rid of it longer.
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Some women do use/need vaginal valium to help with spasms that cause pain.

As noted above, using antibiotics without an infection isn't necessarily a good thing as it can make our body resistant to antibiotics so when we do have an infection, they won't work well.   There are some antibiotics that don't work well for me because I've had to take so many over the years to fight infections - that means they have to use stronger ones now than they might otherwise have to use.

I always recommend trying something more natural, such as the marshmallow tea (I'm in a flare right now, so it's my "go to"...), Prelief, Aloe or other things to to prevent/alleviate a flare.
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Since IC is inflammation of the bladder wall, antibiotics do work for some people, even if infection isn't present.  

One thing that works for many/most with IC (unless you have Hunner's lesions) is marshmallow tea.  I use it quite often to help with inflammation.  Marshmallow tea produces a coating on the bladder wall to help prevent the burning/pain of a flare.  

You might also talk with your doctor about vaginal estrogen, since vaginal dryness can cause symptoms that mimic IC.
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Hi Barb...after an awful flare 6 days ago, I think I'll try the marshmallow tea.  I'm not a tea drinker at all, so if I may ask, where would I purchase it?  

Great info regarding vaginal dryness.  I'm very sure that's part of my problem at my age.  
I haven't been able to find marshmallow tea locally, so I get it from Amazon.  They have several different brands.  You should be aware that it also acts as a mild diuretic when you first begin taking it.
Thank you, Barb, I pretty much assumed I would have to buy it on Amazon.  Because while like I said, *I* am not a tea drinker, my husband is, and I've never seen anything other than the usual kinds of tea one would expect to find at the market.  I have an Amazon list started, and will be ordering soon.  I just added Marshmallow tea to the list!  

Should the OP happen to come back and read, there is an acid reducer called Prelief (Barb told me about this, as well).  From what I read, this OTC med seems to be specific for I.C., and had great reviews.  Cimetidine is also an acid reducer (Tagamet is the brand name), and something I take at least once a day.  I began to pay attention to how I felt after taking it, and it seems to work pretty well also.  Although if I would of been able to find Prelief, I would of bought that simply due to the excellent reviews.    
242912 tn?1660619837
Hey Jenn...I was keeping rx's of both Macrobid (I, too, found it worked best, infection or not) and Pyridium (specific for bladder pain, and is now an otc med) on hand because I 'thought' I was getting frequent UTI's.  However, most of the time when I went to Urgent Care, the urinalysis came back 'negative'.  Sometimes it was 'positive', but rarely.  

As time (years) went on, and the cultures kept coming back negative, I began taking Pyridium ONLY (because taking an antibiotic when you don't have an infection is Not a good idea) until I received the results of the urinalysis.    

Now.  It wasn't until a couple yrs ago when I met Barb (the C.L. of this forum) that I discovered there was actually a name for this chronic bladder pain which, of course, is I.C.  

What works well for me...and best of all, it's natural...is Cranberry Softgels made from cranberry Concentrate.  You can find gel caps with cranberry Powder in them, but I've found the liquid works much, much better.

I realize your post is nearly a year old.  I'm hoping you'll be notified of my reply via email, but if not, I hope this might be helpful for future readers.
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