Phenazopyridine

Summary

Phenazopyridine is an analgesic drug that relieves pain associated with urinary tract infections. It does not directly treat the infection itself - so it is usually combined with other antibiotics. A harmless side effect of phenazopyridine is red-orange urine discoloration.

Key Points

• Phenazopyridine
  • Mechanism
    • Analgesic
      • Contains an azo dye that, when excreted in the urine, provides a local anesthetic effect on the lining of the urinary tract
      • Should only be taken for 2 days
  • Clinical Use
    • Urinary tract infections
      • Relieves urinary pain, burning, frequency, and urgency associated with a bladder infection
      • Phenazopyridine provides pain relief, but does not treat the infection. The patient will need to additionally take a full course of antibiotics.
    • Other urinary tract pain
      • Surgery
      • Endoscopic procedures
  • Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
    • Red-orange urine discoloration
      • Expected, harmless side effect
      • Other body fluids (tears, saliva, sweat) may also turn a red-orange color
    • Hemolytic anemia
    • Renal dysfunction
    • Hepatic dysfunction