Baby Nuthouse: I've got the Phenazopyridine blues

Last week I developed a bladder infection, which became very bothersome by Saturday. When I complained about it to my husband, he came up with an interesting idea.

“Go to the doctor,” he suggested.

Now during the week I have to be hurting pretty bad before I will go to the doctor, because 30 minutes in a waiting room with three kids is likely to be more painful than whatever ailment I am suffering from.

But it was Saturday, so off to the Urgent Care I went, all alone.

I always like going places by myself. I can look people in the eye and have a conversation, without constantly keeping tabs on my children and interjecting orders like “No touch!” “Get over here!” and “Stop running!”

My solo trip to the Urgent Care was no exception, and I enjoyed a little reading and thinking time, followed by pleasant conversations with the nurse and the doctor. As expected, I was diagnosed with a bladder infection. Along with antibiotics the doctor also prescribed another medication to treat the symptoms for the first two days.

This drug, called Phenazopyridine, did help my symptoms. It also has the strange effect of turning your urine a bright orange color. “This is harmless,” the directions assured me. I was also instructed not to wear soft contact lenses while taking the medication, because “permanent staining of the lenses may occur.”

I was curious about this medication with its odd staining characteristics, so I looked it up online. Turns out Phenazopyridine is a probable carcinogen. (To see a list of all known and probable carcinogens you can click here.)

I’ve noticed that living on this planet can be a little challenging sometimes.