AZO Urinary Pain Relief Review
If you’ve ever had a UTI or urinary tract infection, you know that it is horrible. The pain and the discomfort are something I can go through a whole lifetime without experiencing. Unfortunately, UTI is one of the most common types of infection women can have. So is there something that we can take to help relieve the pain, at least until we get in to see doctors? Yes! AZO Urinary Pain Relief is the product just for this. In this article, we are going to review this product. We’re also going to go over AZO Urinary Pain Relief’s ingredients, directions, and side effects.
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This is what is on the back of the product:
Active ingredient: phenazopyridine 99.5mg
Indication: Relief from urinary pain, burning, urgency, and frequency associated with urinary tract infections.
Direction: Take 2 tablets three times daily with or after meals for up to two days.
Information on phenazopyridine, the ingredient
How does it work?
The mechanism of how this medication work is not yet well-understood, but it is thought to have a local numbing and analgesic action on the wall of the urinary tract.
How should it be taken?
Because the medication can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, it is recommended that the medication be taken with a meal or right after a meal to reduce the chance of those happening. This medication should only be taken for 2 days at the maximum.
Side effects:
According to the U.S. FDA’s info sheet, this medication can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. They also warn about allergic reactions if you have never had this medication before, but I think that can happen with any medication.
Contraindication:
Contraindications are a condition that the use of certain medications should be avoided using concurrently due to a high risk of reactions or bad health outcomes.
According to the U.S. FDA’s info sheet, this medication is contraindicated in patients with kidney problems or liver problems. There is a big question mark on the use of phenazopyridine in pregnancy, so it is recommended that any suspected UTI during pregnancy should be consulted with a doctor first before taking any medication.
Fun fact:
This is a little bit nerdy. The chemical group at the center of this medication’s structure is N=N. This is known as the Azo group, and it has a reddish-brown tint. This is why urine and feces can have a reddish-orange discoloration after taking this medication. This will stain clothing, so be careful!
Weird FDA Warning (?)
According to the U.S. FDA’s info sheet, this medication in animals has some evidence that it may be a carcinogen, but in another study, this medication in humans reported no significant excess of any cancer among patients who were followed for a minimum of 3 years after taking the medication. So, just FYI, I suppose.
My Review of AZO Urinary Pain Relief.
Tablet size
The tablet was small and easy to swallow. I had no problem taking it.
Effectiveness
This is what doctors recommended to help with pain, and I think it is a lifesaver. For me, it worked within 30 minutes after I took the medication. I could hardly feel the pain after I took it. I totally recommend having this on hand for when your UTI creeps up on you. It’s mentioned before, but I want to point out again that it does change your urine color and will stain clothing! I never had the need to take all three doses per day as the direction suggested. Usually, I only need to take one or two doses, and I am just fine. I did notice that I have to take this with food, so I feel very nauseated.
Caution
I do want to point out that this is only to help relieve the pain. It is not a UTI cure. I recommend still going in and seeing a doctor in case your UTI needs to be treated with an antibiotic. This is important because if UTI is not treated properly, it might exacerbate a more severe type of infection like pyelonephritis. You want to take care of yourselves, ladies!
Conclusion
I think this is one of the medications that I would absolutely have on hand for when my UTI creeps up on me. Remember that this is not a cure but just something to help with the pain while you wait to get in to see a doctor. It worked wonderfully for me in relieving the pain for me. Obviously, I cannot guarantee that it will work for everyone, but I think the pain relief is worth a trial run.
Have you had any experience with AZO? Leave a comment below. Feel free to leave a question as well or reach out to me at kory@pharmchase.com. Thank you!
Reference:
1. Acella Pharmaceuticals LLC. Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride tablet. 2015. In: DailyMed [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). Available from: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=da0a825f-329d-ae56-b834-eeaf65ff596c&type=display
2. Lexicomp, Lexi-Drugs. Waltham, MA: UpToDate Inc.; January 14, 2023. https://online.lexi.com. Accessed January 25, 2023
