methenamine

Skip to main navigation

Skip to footer

For Medicare For Providers For Brokers For Employers

Español

For Individuals & Families:

For Individuals & Families

Shop for Plans

Medical

Dental

Other Supplemental

Explore coverage through work

How to Buy Health Insurance

Types of Dental Insurance

Open Enrollment vs. Special Enrollment

See all topics

Shop for Medicare plans

Member Guide

Find a Doctor

Home

Knowledge Center

Wellness Library

methenamine

Pronunciation: meh THEH na meen

Brand: Hiprex

Methenamine Mandelate

slide 1 of 8, Methenamine Mandelate,

mandelate 0.5 g, oval, blue, imprinted with 105

slide 1 of 8

Methenamine Mandelate

slide 2 of 8, Methenamine Mandelate,

mandelate 1 g, oval, pink, imprinted with 106

slide 2 of 8

Methenamine Hippurate

slide 3 of 8, Methenamine Hippurate,

hippurate 1 g, oval, peach, imprinted with cor 139

slide 3 of 8

Hiprex

slide 4 of 8, Hiprex,

hippurate 1 g, oval, yellow, imprinted with MERRELL 277

slide 4 of 8

Mandelamine

slide 5 of 8, Mandelamine,

mandelate 0.5 g, oblong, brown, imprinted with 166

slide 5 of 8

Mandelamine

slide 6 of 8, Mandelamine,

mandelate 1 g, oblong, purple, imprinted with 167

slide 6 of 8

Methenamine Hippurate

slide 7 of 8, Methenamine Hippurate,

hippurate 1 g, oval, peach, imprinted with cor 139

slide 7 of 8

Urex

slide 8 of 8, Urex,

hippurate 1 g, oblong, white, imprinted with UR EX, VP

slide 8 of 8

What is the most important information I should know about methenamine?

Use only as directed. Tell your doctor if you use other medicines or have other medical conditions or allergies.

What is methenamine?

Methenamine is an antibacterial medicine used to treat or prevent bladder infections in adults and children at least 6 years old.

Methenamine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking methenamine?

You should not use methenamine if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

kidney disease;
severe liver disease; or
if you are dehydrated.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if this medicine is safe to use if you've ever had liver problems.

Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant.

Do not breastfeed.

How should I take methenamine?

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor.

Methenamine works best when your urine has a low pH and is acidic. You can measure your pH levels at home using urine test strips purchased from a pharmacy. Your doctor may occasionally test your urine to make sure an infection has cleared.

Learn about the foods to eat or avoid to help keep your urine acidic. Your doctor may also prescribe other medicines. Drink plenty of liquids.

Follow your doctor's diet and medication instructions very closely.

Keep using this medicine even if your symptoms quickly improve. Skipping doses could make your infection resistant to medication. Methenamine will not treat a viral infection (flu or a common cold).

This medicine can affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using methenamine.

Do not use methenamine to treat any condition that has not been checked by your doctor.

Do not share this medicine with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you have.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while taking methenamine?

Avoid taking extra methenamine, or you could have side effects such as bladder irritation, pain, increased urination, and blood in the urine.

What are the possible side effects of methenamine?

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

increased urination;
painful urination;
blood in your urine; or
swelling, shortness of breath.

Common side effects may include:

painful urination;
nausea, vomiting; or
rash, itching.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect methenamine?

Other drugs may affect methenamine, especially a sulfa drug. Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about methenamine.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 5.01. Revision date: 5/29/2021.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

<cipublic-spinner variant="large"><span>Loading…</span></cipublic-spinner>

Page Footer

I want to...

Get an ID card

File a claim

View my claims and EOBs

Check coverage under my plan

See prescription drug list

Find an in-network doctor, dentist, or facility

Find a form

Find 1095-B tax form information

View the Cigna Glossary

Contact Cigna

Audiences

Individuals and Families

Medicare

Employers

Brokers

Providers

Secure Member Sites

myCigna member portal

Health Care Provider portal

Cigna for Employers

Client Resource Portal

Cigna for Brokers

The Cigna Group Information

About The Cigna Group

Company Profile

Careers

Newsroom

Investors

Suppliers

The Cigna Group

Third Party Administrators

International

Evernorth

Privacy

Legal

Product Disclosures

Cigna Company Names

Customer Rights

Accessibility

Non-Discrimination Notice

Language Assistance [PDF]

Report Fraud

Sitemap

Cookie Settings

Disclaimer

Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see a listing of the legal entities that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT); (ii) Life Insurance Company of North America (“LINA”) (Philadelphia, PA); or (iii) New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY (“NYLGICNY”) (New York, NY), formerly known as Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. The Cigna name, logo, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. LINA and NYLGICNY are not affiliates of Cigna.

All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.

Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna website. Cigna may not control the content or links of non-Cigna websites. Details

Shop for Plans

Shop for your own coverage

Plans through your employer

Learn

Looking for Medicare coverage?

Methenamine Mandelate

Methenamine Mandelate

Methenamine Hippurate

Hiprex

Mandelamine

Mandelamine

Methenamine Hippurate

Urex

What is the most important information I should know about methenamine?

What is methenamine?

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking methenamine?

How should I take methenamine?

What happens if I miss a dose?

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while taking methenamine?

What are the possible side effects of methenamine?

What other drugs will affect methenamine?

Where can I get more information?

Page Footer

I want to...

Audiences

Secure Member Sites

The Cigna Group Information

Disclaimer