What Is Uribel Used For?
What is Uribel?
Uribel is a prescription drug used for pain relief, discomfort, frequent or urgent urination, and urinary cramps or spasms due to certain diagnostic procedures or urinary tract infection. This medication belongs to the class of urinary antiseptics, urinary analgesics, or anesthetics. It is a combination drug used to relieve the symptoms of urinary tract infection or irritation. It contains the following substances:
- Methenamine: It is an antibiotic whereas methylene blue injection is an antiseptic. They are both related to a group of drugs called as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors.
- Phenyl salicylate: It is a chemical substance related to aspirin. It is a pain reliever. It causes methenamine to work more effectively by making the urine more acidic.
- Sodium phosphate monobasic: It is a form of phosphorus-sodium biphosphate and is a naturally occurring substance that is very important in every cell of the body.
- Methylene blue: It is an antiseptic that helps prevent bacterial growth in urine.
- Hyoscyamine sulfate: Gives relief from cramps and pain by helping urinary tract muscles to relax. Hyoscyamine is an antispasmodic medication and acts as a pain reliever.
Consult a doctor to properly diagnose and treat a urinary tract infection. Uribel should not be used for the treatment of UTIs. The doctor might suggest an antibiotic if the infection is caused by bacteria.
Since children are more sensitive towards the side effects of medications, children below 6 years old should not take Uribel.
Urinary Tract Infection
UTI or urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection in the urinary tract. In usual cases, when bacteria enter via the urinary tract, they are rapidly removed by the body to avoid infections. But in certain cases, bacteria tend to overcome the natural defense system of the body and causes infection in the urinary tract.
Most UTI cases are due to poor hygiene or failure to thoroughly clean the anus after a bowel movement. Moreover, the bacterium called Escherichia coli or E. coli usually causes UTIs. UTI is the second most common type of infection that occurs in the body. Women are more prone to UTIs for anatomical reasons. UTI in men is not that common compared to women, but it can also be serious if it does occur.
Usage
Uribel is a popular medicine that has been used to treat any discomfort that causes irritation or infection. However, Uribel is not an antibiotic. If a person has a urinary tract infection, then Uribel should not be used for its treatment. This medicine is only to provide relief from pain or discomfort caused by diagnostic conditions. The dosage of Uribel differs from person-to-person and also depends on the age of the individual.
Uribel is a medication that should be orally taken and according to the doctor's instruction. One can also check the label of the medicine for more details on the dosage instructions. Mostly, it is taken four times a day with a glass of water. Once you take the medicine, do not lie down immediately. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids while taking Uribel. You can take this medication with meals to avoid an upset stomach.
The doctor would rule out all possible factors before deciding the dosage of the medicine. Hence, do not increase or decrease the medicine's dose without the doctor's recommendation. Also, the doctor would keep in mind the individual’s medical conditions, overall health, the severity of the condition, and response towards the treatment before providing the dose. Do not stop taking the medicine once you feel better. It should be continued unless otherwise advised by the doctor. If you are on any other medications whether prescribed or non-prescribed, inform your doctor since Uribel can interact with certain drugs.
It is said that antacids can lead to drug interactions with Uribel. Taking both medications together can reduce the effectiveness of Uribel. Hence, if you have to take an antacid, then do so after an hour of taking Uribel. Uribel should be taken on a regular basis at a fixed time, and all the doses for the day should be evenly spaced to achieve an effective recovery. If there are no signs of improvement within a few days of starting the treatment, if the symptoms have become worse, or if there are signs of urinary tract infection, then inform the doctor immediately. Hyoscyamine can slow down of the digestive process, so it may take a longer time for the body to absorb any oral medications. If you are taking ketoconazole, then wait for at least two hours before taking Uribel.
Avoid caffeine when you are on this medication. The reason is that caffeine can increase the side effects caused by this medicine. Eating too much of chocolates and consuming beverages such as tea or coffee that contain caffeine should be avoided.
Uribel should be stored at room temperature and away from light, heat, and moisture. When this medicine is not in use, close the cap tightly so that air does not pass in it. If you miss a dose, take another one as soon as you remember it. But if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose to avoid an overdose.
Uses of Uribel
Uribel is a prescription drug. It provides relief from pain, discomfort, cramps, spasms of the urinary tract due to diagnostic or surgical procedures, or infection. Other medications usually contain just one ingredient, which is an analgesic for providing relief from pain, whereas Uribel contains five substances that work together to provide relief from the symptoms.
- Uribel acts as a pain reliever to treat pain and burning sensations while an individual urinates.
- It is a combination of antiseptic ingredients that offer multiple benefits.
- It acts as an antispasmodic, which help provide relaxation to the smooth muscle tissues of the urinary tract.
Uribel is not for the treatment of urinary tract infections, it only helps provide relief from the symptoms that lead to such medical condition. Below are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection:
- Pain in the groin, lower abdomen, bladder, penis, or pelvis
- Pain tends to worsen during urination or sexual intercourse
- Discomfort in the bladder region such as bladder spasms
- Cloudy urine
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Urine leakage
- A sense of incomplete bladder emptying
Uribel contains five different ingredients, which possess antiseptic, antispasmodic, and pain-relieving properties. Antiseptic agents help avoid the growth of harmful bacteria in the urinary tract. Antispasmodics help soothe and relax the tissues of urinary tract muscles and pain relievers reduce discomfort such as burning sensations when urinating and provide relief from the pain in the genital area. Other medications just contain one analgesic ingredient that acts as a pain reliever, so Uribel is at an advantage when it comes to this aspect.
Precautions
Before starting with this treatment, let the doctor know if you have the following conditions:
- If you are allergic to any medicine or food
- If you are allergic to belladonna
- If you are allergic to Uribel, aspirin, or NSAIDs
- If you are breastfeeding
- A medical history of liver or kidney problems
- Urinary blockage issues
- Having a difficulty while urinating
- Narrow-angle type glaucoma
- Stomach or intestine problems
- Blood-clotting issues
- Heart-related disorders
- High blood pressure
- Stomach ulcers
- A history of stroke
- Frequent headaches
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary heart disease
Limit the consumption of alcohol and smoking while you are on Uribel treatment since this drug can lead to dizziness. Do not carry out any activity that requires mental alertness after taking this medicine.
The salicylate in this product is related to aspirin. For this reason, children and teenagers who have chicken pox, flu, or recently had a live virus vaccine should not be given aspirin or aspirin-related medications without consulting the doctor. A serious illness called Reye’s syndrome may occur.
Certain medications are known to interact with Uribel. They include:
- Apraclonidine
- Atomoxetine
- Bupropion
- Buspirone
- Carbamazepine
- Dextromethorphan
- Methotrexate
- Maprotiline
- Cyclobenzaprine
- Mifepristone
- Pramlintide
- Potassium capsules or tablets
- Tetrabenazine
- Drugs for Parkinson’s disease such as entacapone, tolcapone, levodopa
- Narcotic drugs such as methadone, fentanyl, tapentadol and meperidine
- High blood pressure drugs such as methyldopa and guanethidine
- Sympathomimetics such as ephedrine and amphetamine
- Sulfonamide antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole
- Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline/nortriptyline
- Products such as antacids, potassium/sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, and acetazolamide, which decrease the amount of acid in the urine.
If medicines such as clopidogrel and blood thinners such as warfarin and dabigatran are taken along with Uribel, then it can increase the risk of bleeding.
Side Effects
The common side effects of Uribel are nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dryness of the mouth, blurry vision, constipation, and dizziness. These symptoms are usually mild and would go away once the body gets used to the medicine. However, if the symptoms persist for a longer duration or tend to get severe, it is better to inform the doctor.
To get relief from mouth dryness, you can take any sugarless candy or ice chips. Drink lots of fluid mainly consisting of water. With the intake of this medicine, you would notice changes in the color of your urine and stool--they can turn to blue green, which is quite normal and nothing to worry about. Such color change is harmless, and once the medication is stopped, your urine and stool will return back to its normal color. It has been observed that most of the people who have taken this medicine have not shown any severe side effects.
Some of the side effects associated with this medication are:
- Less sweat
- Difficulty in urinating
- Pain in the eye
- Hot flashes
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Nausea and vomiting, which may become severe
- Symptoms of liver problems such as abdominal pain, nausea, and yellowing of the skin and eyes
- Symptoms of kidney problems such as a change in the amount of urine passed, a change in the color of vomit, pain while urinating, dark-colored urine, and black or tarry stools.
Serotonin levels in the body may also increase due to the intake of Uribel. Although this is rare, if it happens, then it needs to be taken seriously. It can rarely lead to a serotonin syndrome or serotonin toxicity. The risk would increase if along with Uribel, you are also taking other medications that can lead to an increase in the level of serotonin.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, seek medical help right away:
- Twitching of the muscles
- Diarrhea
- Severe case of nausea or vomiting
- Unexplained fever
- Lack of coordination
- Irregular or fast heartbeat
- Hallucinations
Overdose
A drug overdose can cause serious symptoms such as fever, severe dizziness, seizures, slow or shallow breathing, fast or pounding heartbeat, and unusual excitement.
When this medicine is no longer needed or it has expired, discard it properly. Keep it away from children.
Pregnancy and Lactation
Hyoscyamine is the generic name of Uribel. It should be given to pregnant women only if needed. No well-controlled or animal studies have been done in pregnant women. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant. Hyoscyamine has been detected in human breast milk. There are chances of adverse reactions in nursing infants. For this reason, nursing mothers should avoid it. The FDA has categorized medications on the basis of their safety in pregnancy into A, B, C, D and X risk categories. Hyoscyamine is in the category C.
