Indications
Methenamine Hippurate is used to prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Doctors give it as maintenance therapy after acute infections have been treated successfully with antibiotics at the start. It is also used as long-term therapy to prevent recurrent cystitis. It can help suppress urinary infection in patients with indwelling catheters, and it reduces how often the catheter becomes blocked. Another use is to give protection against infection entering the urinary tract during instrumental procedures. It is also indicated for asymptomatic bacteriuria.
⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.
Pharmacology
Methenamine is a heterocyclic organic compound with a cage-like structure, similar to adamantane. It is used in salt form to treat urinary tract infection. Methenamine hippurate is one example, and it is the hippuric acid salt of methenamine.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Teratogenic effects. Pregnancy category C. Methenamine was given by mouth to pregnant dogs at doses equal to the human dose, and this has been reported to cause a slight increase in stillbirths and a slight impairment of weight gain and survival in the live-born offspring. In a teratogenicity study called A4, pregnant rabbits were given methenamine at doses of about 3 times the human dose, and there was no sign of harm to the fetus. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. So Methenamine should be used in pregnancy only if the possible benefit justifies the possible risk to the fetus.
Methenamine passes into human milk. Because nursing infants could have serious adverse reactions, a decision should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop the medicine, taking into account how important the medicine is to the mother.
⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Dosage Reference
⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.