This medicine is best taken with food or after eating a meal or a snack to lessen stomach upset.

Do not use any leftover medicine for future urinary tract problems without first checking with your doctor. An infection may require additional medicine.

Dosing

The dose of phenazopyridine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of phenazopyridine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For relieving pain, burning, and discomfort in the urinary tract:
    • Adults and teenagers 200 milligrams (mg) three times a day.
    • Children The dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The usual dose is 4 mg per kilogram (kg) (about 1.8 mg per pound) of body weight three times a day.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For phenazopyridine, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to phenazopyridine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy Phenazopyridine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, phenazopyridine has not been shown to cause birth defects in animal studies.

Breast-feeding It is not known whether phenazopyridine passes into the breast milk. However, phenazopyridine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children Although there is no specific information comparing use of phenazopyridine in children with use in other age groups, it is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

Older adults Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of phenazopyridine in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency or
• Hepatitis or
• Kidney disease The chance of side effects may be increased.