Infections of the vaginal region occur when there is an imbalance of bacterial strands. Such an infectious condition is labelled as bacterial vaginosis. Drugs such as tinidazole are commonly used for treating vaginal infections, especially bacterial vaginosis. Tinidazole belongs to a family of meds known as antibiotics. But, can you use this antibiotic med while you are pregnant? It is a vital thing to get more details on this prior to starting your medication plan.

The typical signs of bacterial vaginosis resemble with a few other conditions. These characteristic signs of this infectious condition include itchiness, burning sensation while urinating, sensing a foul smell soon after having sex, discharge of a green colored liquid from the vaginal tract. This condition (and its signs) is not to be confused with yeast or fungal infections; such infections may often lead to discharge of a thick, white-colored liquid from your vaginal tract. It is time to see your doctor if meds you took for yeast infections did not yield positive results. In this light, antibiotic meds such as tinidazole are commonly prescribed.

What is tinidazole and what are its uses?

Tinidazole is used for treating various types of infections showing up in the vaginal region. It is also administered for stopping infections caused by parasites (conditions such as amebiasis, etc.). The key function of this antibiotic drug is to stop the progression of bacterial strands. This med however has limitations in treating viral or fungal infections. So, the active ingredients may not provide relief from flu, common cold or other infections caused by viruses. Tinidazole must be taken as per instructions of a qualified medical practitioner; intake of this antibiotic when there is no infection may lead to internal resistance being built up. Once resistance builds up, this antibiotic drug loses its ability to arrest bacterial growth i.e., treating infections caused by bacteria.

The typical dosage plan of this antibiotic med is once (a single dose) per day. You can take it either before or after a meal. However, if you are witnessing abdominal discomforts such as nausea or vomiting, it is safe to take it along with a meal. No two people living with vaginal infections are prescribed with the same dosage plan; your plan depends on your age, severity of infections as well as presence of other disorders, if any. In case of younger adults, dosage plan of tinidazole is often based on their body weight.

Can pregnant women take this antibiotic drug?

It is recommended to tell your treating physician about your current medical condition. So, those who are pregnant must share details about their pregnancy. In general, this drug is never administered during times of pregnancy. It is not clear as to how this drug impacts fetal health. As evidences are relatively scarce, doctors do not prescribe this med to women who are already pregnant.

Women who are planning to become pregnant are advised to use suitable / non-hormonal birth control measures. It is a safe practice to talk to your caregiver about the type of contraceptive that suits you best. It is important to remember that your doctor weighs the risks of side effects and advantages of using contraceptives prior to prescribing to you. In such circumstances, needful prescription is provided only when the benefits of a contraceptive outweigh the inherent risks, if any.

On a related note, the key ingredients of this drug may enter into breastmilk. Owing to such risks, it is not advised to take this drug while you are nursing an infant. Babies who took such milk (containing traces of key chemicals of tinidazole) may develop feeding problems, sleeping troubles and respiratory conditions such as gasping or panting for breath.

Side effects of tinidazole

Tinidazole is known to trigger a few undesired side effects and unintended reactions. Most commonly experienced side effects are indigestion, discharge of watery stools, abdominal conditions such as vomiting or nausea. In some instances, users have noticed an altered sense of taste (shows up as bitter or sour taste in your mouth), and in a few cases, discoloration of urine has been observed. Most of these discomforts may go away once your system gets used to the key chemicals of tinidazole. But, if one or more of these side effects persist for long, seek clinical support as soon as you possibly can.

In some remote instances, tinidazole may cause a few serious side effects like internal bleeding, risks of bruising, symptoms of infections such as increase in body temperature, soreness of throat, etc. In equally one-off cases, severely adverse reactions like epileptic seizures, convulsions or fits may show up; some users have also reported numbness of limbs, loss of coordination or passing out. Upon sensing such severe side effects, call your treating physician on an emergency basis. Those who live in the US are advised to call 911; residents of Canada are advised to establish quick contact with Health Canada.

It becomes important to tell your treating doctor of prior ailments and disorders such as hepatic dysfunction, drop in the count of blood cells such as red and white cells as well as renal problems. Those who are already under dialysis must update their doctor about their renal health condition. If you have drinking habit and drink alcohol regularly, your physician must be kept informed of such habits. Those who drink alcoholic drinks while taking tinidazole may develop acute reactions like cramping of muscles, spells of severe headache as well as acute spells of vomiting or nausea. Tinidazole is also likely to make you feel dizzy. Hence, it is unsafe to work on heavy machinery or drive vehicles. In general, it is a safe practice to keep away from activities needing a high level of mental focus or concentration.

Last but not least, if you are taking shots of vaccines with live bacteria (for example – vaccines for typhoid), tinidazole may disrupt the normal functioning of such vaccines. It is highly recommended to tell your doctor about the intake of tinidazole, prior to taking shots of such vaccines.

In sum, tinidazole is administered for treatment of infections such as bacterial vaginosis, amebiasis and such other conditions. It helps halt the growth of bacteria. This antibiotic is not recommended to women who are pregnant. Also, those who are planning to get pregnant must use suitable birth control measures. Above all, it is a safe practice to speak with your doctor and /or pharmacist prior to starting the treatment of bacterial vaginosis or other such infectious conditions.