Bactrim - Septra - Sulfatrim - SMZ-TMP: mail to this site on side-effects (22)

SMZ/TMP DOUBLE-STR: 24 April 2006

HIya Brian,

In reading your site for side effect of this medicine, SMZ/TMP DOUBLE-STR TAB MPC,I have stopped taking it after the first dose. It seems no sooner had I taken it...at least 30-45 minutes later...I noticed an itching scalp. Being familiar with hives from previous outbreaks I knew what was coming, but I had no idea the itching would be so severe...especially in my hands. I feel like I just stuck my hands in an ant hill, totally insane feeling. I have since taken some benadryl and hope that it will ease the itching.

I was totally reluctant to start taking this medication after reading some of the side effects...and well, after giving credit to my doctor for knowing what is best, I decided to take one and see how I would react. Now here I am with some insance itching going on.

Thanks for putting this site out here....great resource for those wanting to learn more about the "real" effects of this drug.

Willie

APO SULFATRIM: 24 April 2006

Hi Brian

I too want to thank you for your information. My daughter was prescribed apo sultatrim for her acne. After the first pill she started to feel as if she was getting the flu. She then got a fever of 103.9 and chills that made her shake like I have never seen before. She was told to take Tylenol for the fever. She only got worse, after about three days she broke out in a rash that was all over her body. When she went to the doctor her told her she had roseola. Once we had a name for it we thought things where going to get better,but that night she woke me up crying saying she had a head ache but it wasn't like any headache she had ever had before she said it was like her brain wasn't getting any oxygen. I rushed her to ER where she was given fluids for her sever dehydration. They also gave her blood tests and there were so many factors that were bad potassium white blood count for a couple.

This is were as her mother I feel very bad because I did not clue in that it could be the pills. When she complained that she was not getting any circulation to her hands and the they hurt so bad she couldn't move them I went on the internet trying to find something out that might help. That is when I found your site. I am so grateful for all the information that I have found on there.

As soon as I read a few of the letters I went right upstairs and flushed the rest of the pills down the toilet. She is already starting to feel better. I just pray that we have caught things in time and that there will be no permanent damage.

Thank you again for your site.

Lynn D

SMZ/TMP DOUBLE-STR: 26 April 2006

Hi,

My husband has been taking SMZ/TMP DOUBLE-STR TAB MPC for prostatitis about a week now. I found your site when looking up side effects because my husband showed me his tongue this morning- It's black!

He does not seem to have a lot of symptoms that these other folks have - thank God-.

We normally do not use prescriptions - we don't usually trust them. I do not have time to read your entire site, so I am asking if anyone else has had this side effect.

I have another family member who was years ago prescribed a drug that not only turned her tongue black but also grew hair on her tongue! Not same drug, but apparently this is a side effect that should be listed on prescriptions?

I am praying for answers and will also pray for those who've presented you with their side-effects, that they may recover from these awful side effects.

Thank you in advance for your time and input

Tonya

BACTRIM: 26 April 2006

I was given Bactrim for a bacterial infection. I took one pill on Monday night and started experiencing pain within 4 hours. I first began having pain all over, like you do when you have a fever. Over the next hour I began shaking uncontrollably and was freezing as my temperature shot up to 102.8! I felt like I was taking speed because I could not relax - my muscles were very tense. By 2:30 am I was vomiting and all of my joints were aching severely. I developed a horrible headache that lasted a couple days. I laid in bed the next day, unable to get up because I was so weak and just felt extremely bad from the aching joints/muscles and headache. Today I'm still feeling weak and am sweating a lot when I walk across the room.

Tammy B

BACTRIM: 28 April 2006

I would like to know your current information on Bactrim or the generic of this drug. My husband took two antibiotics, one of them being bactrim, at 6:00 p.m. and died at 3:00 a.m. He starting having trouble breathing 2 hours after taking the medication. He was a diabetic but controlled his diabetes with pills. He had it under control.

Thank you,

SL

BACTRIM DS: 4 May 2006

Brian,

I wanted to add my experiences to your website. In December 05, I was prescribed Bactrim DS for Prostate and UT infection. I was told I may have chronic prostatitis and to take medication for 2 months.

About a week after taking drug, I came down with severe flu-like symptoms. Due to the time of year I Wrote if off as a virus. Also, I stopped taking the Bactrim, because the pain in my groin areas has stopped.

Over the past several months, whenever the pain in ab/groin area would return, along burning in urethra, I would Start taking Bactrim again. I guess I m a slow learner, but the last round finally convinced me that this drug is Very dangerous. I have had many of the symptoms listed on the site each time I took the drug. Dizziness, Nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite heart palpations, pain and burning sensation in arms/bicep area.

I have been off the drug for 2.5 weeks but still have lingering symptoms. The worst is a ringing, humming in My right ear. I asked my doctor about this a routine physical last week and he seemed very unconcerned and Simply said to not take the medication again (wow, what a revelation).

This week I have also developed bi-lateral pain in my sides between the ribs and hip. I am going to see the doctor Tomorrow. It is either and kidney problem or more lasting side effects from the drug. My guess is the latter.

I will update site as I get new info. The worse part is that the only side effect my Dr. warned me about was a rash. Had I been aware of any of the other Potential problems, I would have stopped taking the drug months ago.

My advice is simple. Do Not Take This Drug.

Tony

BACTRIM: 5 May 2006

I WAS PERSCRIBED BACTRIM FOR ACNE, AFTER I DOSE, ONE PILL I BROKE OUT IN A MAJOR RASH ALL OVER MY BODY AND MY LIPS SWELLED HORRIBLY. I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS THE BACTRIM UNTIL I TOOK ANOTHER PILL THE FOLLOWING MONTH.

BACTRIM: 5 May 2006

I took it for a uti after two doses got blood shot eyes, extreme fatigue, and extremely painful joint and muscle pain. Couldn't lift my arms over my head. Red rash and swollen body. When I called the doctor to tell him what happened he asked me if I have arthritis. He didn't want to hear that it could be the antibiotic. Will never take that again. The joint and muscle pain lasts for weeks. Unbelievable.

BACTRIM: 5 May 2006

My 12 yrs old was prescribed Bactrim by her dermotalogy for her severe acne. She took the generic form called Sulfameth/Trimeth for 2 weeks before the first episode showed up. She called me from school and said she's running a fever of 103 and shaking, with a little bit rash. I picked her up and went to the DR. She was diagnosed as normal virus infaction. She ran a low grade fever for the next few days so I put her on Advils and didn't bother to offer her the Sulfameth. She got better over the weekend and back to normal schedule - which means back to her acne treatment (Sulfameth). Three days later, she called me from school again with no fever (yet) but shaking and rash all over her body. When we got to the DR office, she vomited badly and shaked uncontrollably. Again, DR thought that's the virus that never went away. We informed him this antibiotic so he asked her to stop taking it until she feels better. She got better in a few days and back to normal but we didn't put her back on Sulfameth. She's back on it this morning because her acne gets a little bit worse. Here we go again, she called me from school with the same rash. Vomiting, chill and fever came a little bit later. She was so week that she couldn't even walk to the bathroom! She cried while she was taking shower! She's NEVER been so weak before - she's a year-round swimmer and she's quite strong for her age. This time DR confirmed that Sulfameth did the damage!

Please stop this medicine! It's so scary to see her shaking and being so weak for the 1st time!

SULFAMETH/TRIMETHOPRIM: 5 May 2006

Brian,

Hello. I had a severe upper respiratory infection two weeks ago. I am normally very healthy but the doctor prescribed the generic for Bactrim (Sufameth/Trimethoprim). Two days into a ten-day prescription, I felt short of breath and went back to the doctor. A nurse's assistant asked if I had a rash or any other symptoms. At that time, I did not. He encouraged me to continue taking the drug. Five days later, I developed severe chills, muscle aches, and joint pain. Seven days in, I called the doctor back. I was given another nurse who said I probably had a viral infection. Later that day, I vomited. On the eighth day, I called the doctor to tell her I was STOPPING the medicine, period. Today is the ninth day. I stopped the pills yesterday, but I am very fatigued and spacy today. Taking a shower exhausted me. In the shower I noticed reddish purple spots on my lower waist. I NEVER want that drug again. I would much rather let any infection run its course. I hope I haven't experienced any serious long-term damage.

Valerie C

SEPTRA: 9 May 2006

Dear Brian,

I am a 49 year old grandmother, and since early childhood, I have suffered from Chronic Pyelonephritis. I have been on daily doses of Septra for almost twelve years now, and rarely have complications. Every time I try to wean myself, (usually after reading something like your article and website), I end up with a full blown kidney infection which frequently requires hospitalization, and weeks to get under control again. I have had multiple surgeries over the years to remove scarring form the persistent infection, and my left kidney, which is the one I have problems with, is in atrophy, now, but still functions. My ratio is at 56, which is misleading, because my right kidney functions well.

I would be dead if it were not for Septra, or at least so immune to other antibiotics which could treat other forms of disease should I ever need them, and I am grateful for such a drug which allows me to live a fairly normal life. With my new insurance, I currently take the generic form produced by TEVA, in the in the 800/160 tablet, which I believe is a double dose.

I grew up with kidney problems, and took Sulfa tablets daily to control the infection, from the time I was three, until about my teens, when I was switched to tricycline. After a few years of that, I was taken off, as it apparently has serious, long term effects. For more than a decade, I was then rotated on various antibiotics including forms/generations of penicillin, Septra, and various permutations of myosin drugs, and floxacins, but Septra is the only one which seems to give me long periods of time without serious flare-ups, and without many side effects.

Occasionally, I develop a rash, and at that those times I am switched to another drug. Otherwise, I am in decent health, and I run 4 miles, every other day, (except when I am having a flare-up).

I think that people who read your website should be informed of the up side of Septra, too, as for many people, it is literally a long term, life saving drug.

Sincerely,

Teresa W

BACTRIM: 11 May 2006

Brian,

I wish that I would have read your article 6 years ago. I was taking bactrim for the first time for a common UTI. I started developing purple marks all over my body which I finally figured out were bruises. You only had to touch me and I would bruise, I looked like an abuse victim. After notifying my doctor I was sent to the hospital for blood work, my blood clot counts were in the low hundreds not hundred thousands. I was told to go home stay in bed or on the couch for a few days, not be around any sharp objects or do any physical activity or I could die because my blood would not clot!

Luckily I survived the ordeal and didn't die of major loss of blood at 18, however my doctor had no idea! I saw her just recently (for another UTI) and she told me she was scared to prescribe that to any of her patients for awhile, but that she does again and I was the only one to ever have a problem. I think I will print your article and send her a copy! How scary!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!

Sincerely,

Tara Summers

TMP/SMZ: 22 May 2006

hello there,

I just took my last five day dose of generic Bactrim and feel awful. All I had was an UTI and now my mouth is covered in blisters, my throat hurts every time I swallow. My vaginal and anal area are awful itchy and I sit here wondering WHY this drug is the first one prescribed for UTI. I called my doctor as soon as my throat started to hurt but she said that stopping meant starting a new one from day one, which I really did not want to do. I took acidophilus everyday to fight the yeast infection that I got just after taking two doses, but that did not seem to do anything. I feel stupid for taking it to the end of the treatment but I hate pills so I suffered through it.

All I can say is: if you feel a serious side effect at the beginning STOP taking this horrible med! I know I will never take it again!!

Thank you for this site!

SEPTRIN: 25 May 2006

After a visit to my dentist with my son who is eight I've been told that all of my son's back teeth are crumbling and that he will be lucky if there still in his mouth by the age of 11.

I’m confused as to what caused this and of course feel devastated for him. His front teeth are mottled also with white flashings on them. The dentist asked me if he was ill as a new born or if i was on any medications whilst pregnant or had a difficult birth, my answer was no to all.

My son was put on 1 mill of Septrin liquid per night as a small infant ( under 9 months old) by his paediatrician as a precaution for urinary infection based on my own medical history of creating kidney stones as a baby myself. At the time i protested as my mother had told me she thought Septrin was to blame for my own mottled teeth colouring. My concerns were dismissed and i started him on the medication. i gave my son Septrin for opprox 5 months until i felt he could communicate with me to let me know if he felt unwell, his paediatrician wasn't too pleased with me for stopping the medication but i had doubts giving antibiotic to such a young child over a long period of time especially knowing he had never suffered a urinary infection anyway and hasn't to this day.

My concern now is not knowing how to do the best for my sons teeth, i find it hard to accept iv just got to wait for them all to crumble away at such a young age.

Lorraine, UK

BACTRIM DS: 27 May 2006

I had a severe UTI and a culture was run, indicating the Bactrim-DS would be the right A_B

I took three doses, 2 the first day and 1 in the AM and discovered my entire torso covered in big red blotches. Prednisone to get rid of the reaction to Sulfa and another A_B to take care of the Staph Infection. I think that it is working. New A_B is Doxycyl HYC.

Will see the Urologist, as this is the second such UTI since September. Age 88

Lou S

BACTRIM: 27 May 2006

I have been taking Bactrim DS for a week now. I have never in my life had a reaction to any drug until now. I developed vaginal itching and abnormal bleeding, fatigue, a terrible headache, stiffness and pain in my neck, I'm lightheaded and today a rash broke out all over my body. I found your site because I wasn't getting an immediate response from the after hours on-call doctor and am really upset that I was given the drug at all. I had asked for Keflex as I had had great results and no side-effects for this same problem in the past. I was told Bactrim was the recommended treatment and that Keflex was not first line treatment and not very effective for my ailment.

I persisted that I really had done fine on it before but had an Rx in hand for Bactrim DS when I left. I developed the vaginal itching and bleeding about 4 days into it and initially thought that it might be related but decided it must be a yeast infection.

When the doctor called me a little while ago I told him I was upset I had been given the drug and that I had seen this site and was concerned that the drug was still prescribed at all and he defended the drug like it was his child or something. Also when my daughter was 2(17 years ago) she was given a sulfa drug and broke out in hives immediately. Thank you for this site!

Alice R

SEPTRA: 28 May 2006

Brian,

I recently found your website and wanted to share my own awful experience with the drug, Septra. A few days ago I was prescribed the drug for a UTI. I have had a history of UTI's for years, but this was the first time a doctor recommended this particular drug for it. (I also should mention the doctor I saw was not my regular doctor).

Several hours after my first dose, I felt anxious for no reason. But since I already have anxiety, I didn't think much of it. So later I took my second dose that evening. I could feel my anxiety increasing, and had no idea what could have triggered it at the time. There was nothing around to upset me, and I rarely got anxious for no reason.

Then that night, the anxiety grew to an unbearable peak. I kept getting strange urges and visuals, like cutting my tattoo off my leg with a knife, ripping out my naval piercing, crushing my dog's ribcage by accident. I would NEVER attempt or even want to imagine such horrid images! I would get panic attacks where my heart would race and the room would feel like it was spinning. I developed other new symptoms too. The room felt like it was tilting and I could barely keep my balance. I felt extremely nauseous. My skin felt burning hot, like someone had poured hot lava through my veins.

I think that night I only got about 2 hours of sleep, and the remainder of the night I just wanted to die. I refused to take any more doses the next day and called my doctor's office, demanding to be put on a different prescription. They switched me to the same prescription I took last time I had a UTI. I was still shaky and not quite feeling myself the day after, but gradually I began to feel much better.

I have never experienced such a horrible experience from any drug until now. Even though it has passed, I will never forget how it made me feel. I hope that others can be warned about this drug.

Rachel

SEPTRA: 29 May 2006

Brian,

I am a 39 year old Pediatric Nurse. I started taking Septra on Friday (today is Monday) and I took my last dose of Septra ever on Sun morning!!! Within 3 hrs of taking this med I started having severe muscle pain in my buttocks and the back of my legs. Aleve and Tylenol helped but the pain never went away completely. Later that night I had a headache, my eyes were bloodshot & tender and I also developed a fever. I could not get myself off the couch nor out of bed all day Saturday. I couldn't believe how terrible I felt! I was also very "grumpy", faint and felt as if I was in a "fog". On Sunday my hands and calves hurt and my face was a little swollen. Today is Monday and I noticed last night and this morning that my belly looks rather swollen. My elbows hurt & I almost look pregnant!!! My stool is also a very dark green. I have never had a reaction to any drug and I cant believe that I was so clueless about Septra! After all, our Drs prescribe this medication to children everyday!!! I thought there was something else wrong with me that maybe I didn't just have a UTI. I took it without even thinking twice about it! But after the way I felt this weekend I started to research the drug and found this site. I cant believe how many emails there are on this site and so many suffered many of the same symptoms I did. We need to report all these side affects to our Drs and make them report them to the drug companies that produce them and the FDA!!! It is the only way people are going to see how dangerous this drug really is... I am guessing from many of your emails that these reactions go unreported because the Drs are not making the connections. How can we change this? How can we all report this to the FDA? Other websites I looked at reported all the same info. I think are there many more people who have suffered these side affects and many more people are going to suffer more if we don't do something about this drug.

I hope I haven't suffered any long term damage from this! All over one simple UTI!!! I will never take Septra again and I will warn everyone I know to opt for another form of treatment. I say its time that we all get together and go after these people? Aren't there any lawyers out there who want to take on a "Class-Action Lawsuit"? This is usually the only way to stop these companies... Or what about just contacting 20/20 or Fox News??? They are always looking for new stories.

Really, something must be done. This drug is a lot more dangerous then people think... I truley was scared to go to sleep in fear that I might not wake up the next morning - I felt that bad... It was aweful.

Also, I would LOVE to hear from people who had my symptoms and how they feel now & what, if any, long term damage they suffered???

Thanks,

Nurse Mar

BACTRIM: 31 May 2006

I was admitted with severe pneumonia two weeks ago and hospitalized. It was determined that I was suffering from a PCP infection in my lungs, one lung had to be drained. I've been on Bactrim now going on my third week and I've noticed no side-effects whatsoever. Having read all the horror stories, I was scared to take it, but I'm more scared of not breathing with PCP. I haven't experienced one unpleasant symptom I can attribute to Bactrim other than very hard and solid bowel movements which I assume are caused by die-off of beneficial bacteria in my lower intestines. On the other hand, my gums are bright pink and my skin has gotten oily, when it normally is very dry, which I don't mind either. Maybe I'm just a lucky one in my experience thus far.

BACTRIM: 1 June 2006

I had just happened to be surfing the web and came upon your website. I am a nurse and am very knowledgeable with medications. I believe that all of you have had very bad experiences, from what I read, with bactrim and I'm very sorry for that. But your physician should have told you the risks of bactrim and what to look for in an allergic reaction. Most people who are truly allergic to bactrim are allergic to sulfur which is a component in bactrim. If you are allergic you will experience facial swelling, difficulty breathing and other life threatening symptoms. I am currently talking Bactrim for acne and I have taken several medications to try and get rid of acne. Bactrim, so far, has been the easiest to take. All the other antibiotics have caused GI distress and not really helped my problem. So although I believe most of you have general concerns about this medication it is up to you to be an active participant in your healthcare. Research all medications before you start to take them. And trust me, ever single medication out there can cause these symptoms not just Bactrim.

David C

SEPTRA DS: 2 June 2006

Hey Brian. I am a teenager that came across your site as a result of having weird side effects from the antibiotic Septra DS. My dermatologist perscribed it to me a couple weeks ago. The third or fourth night I started taking it, I started getting this weird tingling feeling in my body. I went to bed thinking it was nothing. However, it only got worse. I kept waking up from horrible nightmares and feeling worse, but instantly falling back to sleep. This went on the whole night until I finally woke up and couldn't move or speak, but the worst part was that I didn't know where I was for a couple minutes. It was like I was paralyzed and I was very confused and frightened. My body felt like it was numb all over and I was unusually hot. Somehow I finally got out of bed and was shaking, but once I started walking around I felt a little better, although I had a headache afterwards. When I tried to do my homework instead of going back to sleep, I couldn't hold my pencil. I've been taking this antibiotic in smaller quantities for a couple weeks now, and the only side effect I've had since then is the tingly feeling in my body. Do you think I should keep taking it? I have an appointment soon with my dermatologist, but after reading all the emails on your site that you got I'm not so sure about this medicine. Thanks for your time.

JT

BACTRIM: 8 June 2006

Hi Brian,

I found your articles most interesting since I spend the past few weeks thinking I was going crazy. I live in Michigan, USA and began a Urinary Tract Infection around ten days ago. My doctor prescribed SMZ/TMP for three days. I began my first dose on Thursday evening. On Saturday morning, I woke to pain in my middle finger of my left hand, just in the knuckle....then it moved, during the day, into the center of my hand...only the middle finger to the center of the hand. On Sunday morning, I awoke to the same pain only on this particular morning, it had also affected my left middle finger and also moved down into my center of my hand. I also had noticed tiny water blisters on my left fingers and thumb, not a lot of them but enough to bother me with persistant itching. By Sunday night, my feet, both of them were so swollen I thought they were going to burst. Being very much afraid, as I am a heart patient, I laid off the water and had no salt for two days...thinking that the salt was making me retain water??

As the days went by, all symptoms left me.....I had finished my SMZ/TMP and things were looking better until four days ago. I had reoccuring UTI symptoms, spasms whenever I urinated so I again called my doctor. She had me come in to her office where they tested my urine. It came out clean with no blood or anything and she thought it odd but suggested that perhaps a tiny, tiny bit of bacteria was still inside my urinary tract. So...she again prescribed another three day regimen of SMZ/TMP. I again took the first dose that evening. The next morning, I didn't notice anything too particular and then took the next dose. By evening, the pain had returned first to my middle fingers again and traveled into the center of my hands again. By the time I went to bed, I had a low grade fever, the most horrible thing being that I looked in the mirror as I washed my face to prepare for bed and what I saw of my eyes absolutely terrified me. My eyes were blood-red....veins.....I could not believe what I was seeing. The next morning after a very uneasy sleep, I woke to feel a bit better, no more chills but decided to stop the meds as it was sinking in that I was having a drug reaction.

Today I called the pharmacy to speak with the pharmacist and told him of my problems and he said that he had never heard of that sort of a reaction. Hmm....very, very mysterious....

I read some of your letter posts and didn't see any symptoms like mine....it's odd, isn't it? That this happened then and when I realized that it was happening again, it was like a light coming on. Voila! It's the medication!!! Tonight, my veins in my eyes have calmed down somewhat and tomorrow I am calling my doctor to tell her exactly what had happened. I wished I had realized that it was from the drug the first time!!!

Thanks for reading this...and for your informative site...

Char M, Michigan, USA

SEPTRA DS: 19 June 2006

dear brian,

i was doing some research on this medication and stumbled onto your site with all the posts/comments.......while i have absolutely no experience with this medication, i would like to share some other info that might help some folks on this sight that sound desperate for alternatives to prevent/tx urinary tract infections. i have a long hx of UTIs and a five year old daughter who began suffering chronic UTIs@ only 21 months of age, two years ago she had to have kidney ultrasound to check for kidney reflux which can both cause UTIs or be caused by chronic UTIs and is Very Serious, she also had to be sedated, cathed, and had a "voiding urethra cysto gram" sp? all a very unpleasant process especially for a child that by that point was terrified of DRs and freaking out, by age four the UTIs had become so chronic, they were occuring every 8-10 weeks and she was going to have to have all this testing repeated if she got one more UTI...........my mom found and we started her on a product by Melaleuca called "CranBarrier" it's basically a concentrated chewable, there are other similar products, but we've found this to be the most effective, after starting it she was able to fend off a beginning UTI for the first time, and she has now been UTI free for about 14 months!!!!!!! it's been amazing for us, she takes one a day (half the serving size listed) for preventative measures and if she begins to have any symtoms i.e. urinary frequency, "accidents" or "leaks" or pain with urination we up her to two to three tabs a day! for a child who was suffering from these awful infections every few months this has been huge, as well as decreasing unpleasant dr visits and the risk of antibiotic resistance from frequent doses and from one dr recommending prophylactic(sp?) use of antibiotics (taking them every day to prevent UTIs......not a good idea in my opinion) anyhow i'll wrap this up by saying i hope this info can be shared with and possibly help someone out there....plz feel free to email me with any questions, just make sure you're subject line refers to this so i'll open the email from an address i likely won't recognize :O)

Denise

BACTRIM: 21 June 2006

I started taking Bactrim ( smp/tmp combo) 400 mg. 2x per day for acne. I have been on it one year. My dermatologist did blood work after 6 months to test my liver function and it was fine. 6 months later, my AST and ALT enzymes were elevated slightly. The AST was 40 and the ALT was 59. The bloodwork was repeated 3 weeks later ( still taking the meds) and the levels were now 94 and 145. I was told to stop the bactrim immediately. I have called my general doctor for mor bloodwork. They now have me scared I have

hep!!! I am fearful this bactrim, taken for so long ( no idea it was harmful!!)...has damaged my liver!!!! Just wanted to let you know what happened to ME... hopefully, being off the bactrim will restore my liver

Function.

Judy J

CO-TRIMOXAZOLE: 21 June 2006

Dear Brian

I was diagnosed with Active TB in Feburary this year. Due to the fact that I was already HIV positive with a low CD4 count my doctor recommended that I start taking Co-Trimoxazole to prevent PCP from occuring.

I took the drug for around 14 with no side effects when I suddenly began to feel extremly unwell. My temperature soared overnight and I felt desperately unwell. I would describe the illness as several times worse than Flu. It left me with severe headaches that would stay with me 24 hours a day and severe nausea along with severe depression to the point that I was going downhill fast. I suddenly did not want to eat and could not even summon the energy to get up off the floor on most days. I used to crawl to the toilet because all of ym strength was taken. It was a true knightmare.

My HIV specialist and TB specialist seemed to be convinced that my illness was TB related but I was always sure it was the Co-Trimoxazole to blame. They switched me onto Dapsone and I also reacted badly to this drug but nothing in the same league as Septrin. I becamse slightly nauseous and developed a rash over my chest and back. I was only on Dapsone for 6 days and my doctor took me off of that.

At this stage my CD4 had dropped to 32 and my doctor was desperate to get me protected from PCP. He wanted to put me on Atovaquone but it reacted with my TB drugs. My doctors decided that my experience of Septrin could not be blamed completely on my ill-health when TB also gave many of the same side effects. I was of a different opinion but was re-assured by my doctors that I didnt have many options left to try and that it should be OK to try Co-Trimoxazole againa and mointor it closely.

I took the drug again at 6pm in the evening and by 9pm I was admitted to casualty. In the 1st hour alone I had developed a rash and severe high temperature. I was shaking and my head felt like it was about to explode. I couldn't believe how quickly I was reacting to the drug.

My doctor still does not seem entirely convinced that the Co-Trimoxazole was to blame but I am in no doubt. It was the single most harrowing experience of my life. At it's worst point my symptoms made me want to die, I was in so much pain.

I only took 1 tablets of Co-Trimoxazole but it took nealry 10 days for it to clear my system and for me to begin to return to normal. Even after 3 months I still don't feel the same person that I was before.

I only help that my story can help others in making an informed decision before they choose this medication.

Graham, Manchester, UK

SEPTRA: 26 June 2006

In Dec. 2005, I starting taking Septra for a kidney infection, about 5 days later, my body started tinggling & hurting really bad, went to the hospital,I had told them i was taking the septra, they said No it would not cause this, they said you are not getting enough blood to your fingertips, Go home and take some asprin. so i did, that did not help, 2:00 in the morning i went to another hospital 40 miles away. they would not fixture it out. they thought i had been poision, they also said NO not the septra. gave me pain meds., sent me home. 2 days later, back to the hospital, getting worse. Once again, gave me pain meds, and sent me home, Oh the last two trips to the hospital, they said i needed to go to see an neurology. at this time i was really bad, I coudlnt sleep ot eat for 7 days, Was off work for 3 weeks. Finally got in to the neurology, After lots of test he said i have neuropathy. will propably have it the rest of my life. All the doctors & Pharmacys told me NO WAY Septra would not do this to you. Now in June 06. I have a sinsus infection. the doctor gave me septra. i took 1 dose, an hour later, i started getting all the tinggling and really feeling uncomfortable

so i went to the pharmacy, he said no way would septra do this to you, go get some benadrill, so i did, but forgot to ask him how long it would take to get that 1 pill out of my system. so i went back to him, and he said he was just looking on the pharmacys website at septra and side effects and found that one of the side effects was Neuritis he was very shock. But none of the doctors or pharmays knew anything about this side effect. It is only listed on the pharmacys website. Now because of this, I have to live with Neuropathy the rest of my life, very uncomforable & painfull. No cure. Maybe if the hospitals had known about this side effect at the begining they may have been able to help me.

Jean

BACTRIM: 28 June 2006

Hi Brian,

I am writing to give a follow up and WARNING to those who have suffered PREVIOUS severe reactions to Bactrim.

I first wrote you on April 6, 2006 about my extreme reaction to taking 1-Bactrim Tablet. Within an hour of taking it I had severe hives (feeling of knives coming out of my skin), fever of 103, beet red eyes that pulsed and felt like they would pop-out, extreme pain in my muscles, (like I had been beaten all over), extreme weakness (needing help to walk to the bathroom), loss of feeling in my fingers, pain in my wrist, and later partial loss of vision in both eyes.

Now several months later I found that the WORST was yet to come. At the time, an ER Doctor warned me that for me, the next "Severe Reaction" to sulpha could be Fatal.

I am now finding that if I eat, drink or wear anything that has sulpha in it that I have reactions from mild to moderate. This includes cream in my coffee, pastries, frozen dinners, Chinese foods, eggs, soda, some body lotions...you name it. Unless I stick to a diet of WHOLE/NATURAL Foods I will very often have a reaction. After eating or drinking I know within 15 minutes if I will have a reaction. My face, ears, eye lids and around my lips immediately break out in bumps and are itchy. My fingers, particularly on my right hand become very sore and if I am having a moderate reaction I lose feeling in my fingers and in my cheeks.

I have also found that most reactions are small, but if I drink coffee w/cream with a donut that the reaction is much worse. So, while there are maybe small amounts of sulpha in these items together they can be very Dangerous.

I very nearly had to return to the ER after eating Chinese Food with a soda for lunch. But, within 15 minutes I knew I needed bendryl and LOTS of WATER.

So, even after healing from the immediate effects of Bactrim, I don't think we get to go back to living the way we did before and have to be constantly on guard for what we eat, drink, and forever VIGILANT about what medications our doctors prescribe.

(Now the for comic relief....after my severe Bactrim reaction...my doctors (nurse practitioner) needed to change my prescription, for another health issue, and I carefully read the Walgreens warnings on the new prescription and guess what it said...DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG IF YOU HAVE HAD A SEVERE REACTION TO BACTRIM... Fortunately, I did not take the drug BEFORE reading the label. Can you believe it!

Brenda R