The forgotten role of methenamine to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection: urgency for reuse 100 years after discovery

    In conclusion, UTI is a globally distributed disease with emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria; thus, new drug discovery or activation of previously used drugs is an urgent issue. Methenamine has been suggested as a beneficial agent for the UTI prevention as it works as a urinary antiseptic by safely producing formaldehyde to prevent bacterial growth while avoiding bacterial resistance. Methenamine can be utilized as an effective prophylactic agent in patients suffering from UTIs and help with the treatment of chronic recurrent UITs. This forgotten and overlooked antiseptic drug will become more important as bacteria continue to become resistant to antibiotics.