Hip-Rex Description

The generic alternative is not manufactured by the company that makes the brand product.

If you are making frequent trips to the bathroom to urinate but nothing or very little comes out and it burns or is painful when you urinate, you may have an infection. Your doctor can perform a urine test to check for white and red blood cells or bacteria. The medical lab may follow up with a urine culture that can take time to grow while you are started on an effective antibacterial drug, as most urinary tract infections (UTI) are caused by bacteria.

Hip-Rex may then be prescribed to prevent or control returning UTIs. Many times a UTI is caused when the bacteria that live in and on your body find its way in through your urethra. Inflammation of your bladder is called cystitis, and the reason for the inflammation is usually bacteria.

The active ingredient in Hip-Rex called Methenamine Hippurate reaches your bladder and the acidic environment turns it into a derivative of formaldehyde (Methenamine). This causes essential proteins needed by the bacteria to lose their original structure and become unable to function. Depending on the acidity of the urine, Hip-Rex will kill the bacteria outright or make the bacteria unable to reproduce and your immune system will step in to help rid your bladder of the bacteria.

Women are much more prone to urinary tract infections due to the short distance between their anus and urethra, making it easy for bacteria to enter and cause infection.

Conditions Treated by Hip-Rex

Hip-Rex may be prescribed as a short-term drug to clear up a urinary tract infection or can be recommended as a long-term preventative medication for recurrent cystitis (inflammation of the bladder).

Risk factors for bladder infections include tampon insertion, placing or changing a catheter into your bladder, using a diaphragm for contraception, not emptying your bladder completely, or you have other bladder or kidney problems. People with diabetes may also be more prone to UTIs due to their poor circulation which decreases your white blood cells’ ability to travel and fight off an infection.

Before You Take Hip-Rex

Ask your doctor if there are any risks involved with taking Hip-Rex while you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breast feeding. To determine if Hip-Rex is right for your situation, tell your doctor about other medical conditions or allergies you have and list any OTC or Rx drugs you take, including herbal remedies and dietary or vitamin supplements. Your doctor may ask you to keep your urine acidic during the treatment period so ask about what you should or shouldn’t drink or eat to maintain a higher acid level.

Warnings for Hip-Rex

It’s important to keep all doctor and lab appointments so your progress can be monitored while taking Hip-Rex. Do not share Hip-Rex with anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you. If you find that there is little to no improvement in your symptoms, revisit your doctor.

Possible Side Effects of Hip-Rex

• Nausea or vomiting
• Headache
• Skin rash

Drugs Similar to Hip-Rex

• Macrobid
• Septra
• Levaquin