Follow up to the Bactrim Question

[Anonymous]

I am the poster that had the UTI and was prescribed Bactrim DS for 3 days.

Well I have finished my 3-day dose and I am feeling like I have the flu.

Chills, nausea, fatigue, lethargic and lack of appetite.

I felt so bad this morning I called in sick to work and I don't feel any better now.

My UTI feels a bit better, but I cannot be sure if it is 100% cured because I am feeling so sick from the "side effects" of this medicine.

Has anyone else experienced this personally? How long will these side effects last? Meaning...How long until the anti-biotics clear out of my system??!

It's like I traded one evil for another. Help! I am physically miserable right now so please please no mean responses.

[Anonymous]

I had this for an antibiotic for a dental procedure--really felt unwell. I contacted the doctor on a Friday morning (I still had several days to go on the medicine) who agreed it was the antibiotic. He told me to stop taking it and take a probiotic. I went to Whoele Foods and bought ultra flora or some such (has to be refrigerated--wanted the most industrial strength out there. I felt nearly back to normal within 24 hours.

[Anonymous]

Yes, try probiotics. Are you still having burning or discomfort with urination? Did your urine culture show your infection would respond to Bactrim?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, try probiotics. Are you still having burning or discomfort with urination? Did your urine culture show your infection would respond to Bactrim?

I had the culture done on Friday and my Dr. said it takes three days, I forgot to ask if she means business days or actual days. She told me they would call me if I need to come back in.

I am eating Greek yogurt for now because in all honesty, I am just too darn sick to get out of bed and go to the store. (I currently live alone.)

I did some online research and apparently, the majority of reviewers have had horrific experiences w/this drug. They also have experienced my symptoms such as feeling like you have the flu, fever, nausea and a throbbing head.

I am going to call the Dr. tomorrow morning and demand to be seen because I cannot afford to miss another day of work due to these side effects. I have taken anti-biotics before yet never gotten this ill off of them. This has been a brutal couple of days, let me tell you. I am just miserable.

Sure, my infection is probably cleared up, but what's the trade-off here? Not sure I got a good deal on this one....

[Anonymous]

P.S.

A word many people used to describe this anti-biotic online was "Poison." Very common.

Right now as I type this, I am feeling like death. So I cannot dispute their opinion.

We'll see about tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

I took Bactrim once and broke out in a horrible rash. So now I have to say I'm allergic to Sulfa drugs and get a bright red wrist band when I go to the hospital.

Sulfa drugs are a pretty common allergy.

[Anonymous]

Bactrim is horrible. I am allergic to it also. It gave me a bad rash and just made me feel sick all over. I haven't felt right since and sometimes wonder if it's because of my episode with taking this medicine.

[Anonymous]

OP, you will find those scary reviews for nearly every antibiotic - I think most people do fine but they don't bother submitting reviews. My DD had to take bactrim for a UTI and after reading those reviews I was in a panic. She did just fine but did end up developing a rash (non-itchy, thankfully!) so now she can no longer take sulfa drugs.

It very well may be the meds that are causing your illness but you may also have a virus or you may still have a uti (but it sounds like that's less likely). If someone can pick you up some probiotics they'll probably help a bit (plus drink to a of water!!) and I would definitely see your doctor. I'm sorry you're feeling so terrible and am wishing you a speedy recovery!!

[Anonymous]

I'm allergic to Bactrim, though my symptoms are different from what you described. It took about 48 hours for the reaction to clear my system.

[Anonymous]

I'm on it now. I was feeling awful today and couldn't figure out why until I just read this post! Thank you!

I took some Motrin, and that seemed to help with the body aches. The GI issues, though, I'm not so sure if it's the Motrin that made me feel better or just time (last pill I took was early this morning).

[Anonymous]

OP Here:

Whew!

I literally felt like death at this time last evening. I felt like I had the flu and was just miserable.

Anyway, I just went to sleep and what I recall is waking up 2x during the night, drenched in sweat. My clothes + the sheets. I remember then going back to sleep.

However when I woke up for good this morning, I felt back to normal. So I am guessing I had a mild or low-grade type fever which had to "break" in order for me to fully recover. Also, it had to take a certain time limit to get that stuff fully out of my system.

I don't think I was allergic to it because I didn't have any swelling and/or rash or itching.

I think I just had severe side effects.

However in the future, I will ask my M.D. for an alternative to Bactrim. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The last four days have been pure hell. No drug has ever done me wrong like that.

I agree w/everything I read about it online. Poison.

[Anonymous]

I am allergic to Bactrim and it gives me the very symptoms you described. Both times I've taken it, I got seriously ill; the second time was so bad that I had to be rushed to the hospital because I couldn't keep any fluids down and had a high fever that wouldn't break. If I were you, I would definitely avoid it in the future, because I learned firsthand that the second time around can be much worse than the first!

[Anonymous]

I had pretty scary side effects when I took Bactrim and in hindsight I was stupid to keep taking it as long as I did--I waited a week, when I broke out in hives/rash, to stop. Before that, I was getting palpitations, bizarre violent nightmares, insomnia, and brief episodes of dizziness and shortness of breath. Also, vomiting, but none of the usual nausea or cramping beforehand, which nearly led to throwing up on the floor because I didn't have enough warning.

I have yet to hear of anybody who had a good or even neutral experience with this drug, but I figure they must be out there or it would have been pulled.

[Anonymous]

Wow, Just Wow.

I cannot believe this pill is still on the market. Has anyone had a good outcome from it?

Yes, it did help my infection, but in this day and age, we should be able to be healed without having to suffer tenfold.

I only took this drug for two days and I went to the depths of hell and luckily returned, but what journey it was. One I hope never to embark on again. EVER!!!!!!!

I was originally prescribed a five day dosage, but after taking just 4 pills, I concluded I would rather suffer from an infection than live with the horrific side effects of this drug. Yes, that was my mindset at the time, that's how sick I felt from this drug.

I had horrible vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, vaginal/rectal pain, constipation ----> diarrhea, throbbing head-ache, fever, flu symptoms, chills, sweating, constant tired and loss of appetite.

If anyone reading this can say anything positive about BACTRIM, I would love to hear your story.

Because honestly, this drug is murder on your anatomy.

[Anonymous]

PP who asked for positive stories:

My teenage daughter finished a 3-day course of Bactrim last week. It cleared up her UTI and she had no side effects whatsoever.

I did the same 2 or 3 years ago and also had no side effects.

We both took a probiotic (Primadophilus from Whole Foods) while taking the antibiotic, continuing the probiotic for another week or so after finishing the Bactrim.

Any antibiotic can cause side effects, although no one in my family has ever experienced the horrible effects you all have described. My other child developed a full-body rash from amoxicillin, although a rash alone does not indicate an allergy--just an undesirable response--and thus he is not considered allergic to penicillins, thank goodness. And amoxicillin does horrible things to my stomach that probiotics seem unable to prevent.