Hi everyone. I’m currently on the antibiotics called nitrofurantoin for a uti. I got given them today and I’m supposed to take 2 a day 12 hours apart. I got given them at 2pm and i was in so much pain that i just took it right away but now i have to wake up at 2am for the next few days to take the other one. My mum said just wait and take the next one tomorrow morning at like 9am so i can take the second one of the day at 9pm. If i do this will the antibiotics still work? Because it’s longer than 12 hours. I am really unwell and I want them to work.

Or if i took it at 2am tonight and then in the morning at 9am would that be okay. 7 hours apart?

I’m not sure how strict the window is for antibiotics. Why not just take your 2am dose at midnight instead? Then it’s 10 hours apart, and tomorrow you can take your next dose at 11 am or noon?

@jorts22 Okay i will do that, thank you :)

It’s okay to adjust the timing. Missing the exact 12-hour spacing one time won’t stop nitrofurantoin from working. Antibiotics don’t suddenly stop working because the first two doses weren’t perfectly timed. Your mom’s suggestion actually makes sense — taking your next dose tomorrow morning at around 9am, then 9pm, will put you back on a manageable schedule. What’s important is that after you reset the timing, you take the rest of the doses as close to 12 hours apart as possible. So yes, the antibiotics will still work. It’s way better to get onto a schedule you can stick to than to force yourself to wake up at 2am for days. Just make sure you complete the full course.