This page is material from a 1990s investigation and campaign in The Sunday Times of London over the risks of an antibiotic with many names, such as Bactrim, Septra, Septrin, Sulfatrim, and co-trimoxazole

Bactrim Septra Co-trimoxazole TMP/SMZ side effects

Page 28 of mail to investigative reporter Brian Deer recounting sometimes serious side effects of the antibiotic often known as Bactrim DS, Septra or co-trimoxazole

BACTRIM: 10 February

Thank you for your informational website. My grandson is in hospital in Maine, seriously ill after taking several days of a combination bactrim and sulfa drug. His liver is affected and he has a 103 temperature. They finally hospitalised him today after several days of illness. Is there any cure you know about, especially natural ingredients to repair the body damage?

Louise W.


SMZ/TMP: 11 February

My 24 year old daughter (has no health ins) went to the North West Arkansas Medical Center ER on January 21, 07. The symptoms appeared to be simular to a kidney stone, however, turned out to be a severe UTI. She was prescribed none other than Septra and given the generic SMZ/TMP. Keep in mind she had a cold during the same time period, that didn’t seem to be causing her too much discomfort at the time. She took the SMZ/TMP and it seemed to help the UTI. However, she began to feel more of what flu-like symptoms resemble. Without health ins and a limited income your options of going to the doctor for every ache and pain is limited, so she just tried to get over it. She hadn’t taken all the SMZ/TMP and figured she needed too. She had taken one late Friday Feb 9 and early Saturday Feb 10, 2007 at work. Mandee called me at 8:30am complaining about more flu like symptoms, that she was cold, nauseas, had a headache, complaining about stiffness in her neck, a slight cough and a sore swollen throat, but, she didn’t want to leave work.

When Mandee returned home after work Saturday Feb 10, her symptoms continued. She went to bed as we debated if we should get her to the ER again. We decided to watch her closely, as I was beside myself as to whether I needed to take her right then and there, (she already received the $873.60 bill in the mail this past week) and if anywhere would take her due to the lack of ins and money. She woke up around 12:30am complaining about being so cold in addition to the stiff neck and sore throat. Again, worried sick debating on what to do, hoping she could at least wait till Monday to see a MD instead of another trip to the ER. Mandee got up, went to work 6am, and returned home by 7:30 am. She couldn’t stay at work as the symptoms continued along with light sensitivity. She crawled into bed, and we decided, if she was not feeling better by around noon time, we would have to do something that day.

This is what really scared me. Oddly enough, one of my co-workers this past week mentioned somewhere locally of an isolated meningitis outbreak; we weren’t sure what meningitis was and looked it up on the web. Then it dawned on me, was Mandee having simular symptoms,(flu like symptoms, cold, nauseas, complaining about stiffness in her neck, headache, a slight cough, and sore swollen throat) or was I just panicking? Reading about the meningitis, I found where it said antibiotics can cause this illness. I became even more beside myself, and as checked on her again; there on the window ledge sat the prescribed SMZ/TMP. I asked her when she last took it and she told me Friday night and Sat. morning. I came back to the computer and googled SMZ/TMP; this lead me to your website. I began reading the emails and the similarities were shocking! I immediately gave Mandee some Benedryl and will try to wait out the doctors visit till Monday the 12th. Hopefully they will rule out the meningitis, and determine if in fact, it is a reaction to the SMZ/TMP.

I also called the Med Ctr. they said to me, “do you not know people can have fatal reactions to Tylenol?” In addition too, the “benefits of this drug far out weigh the side effects.” Obviously the Medical Community is either un-informed about this drug, or, hiding something! How many lives will it take to get this xxxx off the market?

Brian…thank you for all the posting and follow-up on this nasty drug! U are a life-saver!

Andrea H, Decatur, AR.


SMZ/TMP DS: 12 February

hi i am a 27 year old women and have been takin this med for 8 days now. i am experiencing hot flashes. yesterday i threw up and had diarreah. i also have developed lumps in my neck and it is stiff. i also had a fever of 100.4.i also am on my menstraul cycle,it has made me bleed more than normal.

thank you,

Christina M.


SULFATRIM: 20 February

My 6 year old son got a staff infection and was prescribed sulfatrim and cephalexin at the same time. We had no problems with it and then he was prescribed sulfatrim a second time and he had a severe allegic reaction after just one dose. Is this something that happens often. I really dont understand why he could take it for a whole ten days one time and then have an allergic raction after just one dose the second time. He vomited several times, he hd a headache, leg pain, swelling of his lips and ears, his whole body was covered in rash, his eyes were extermely red as if he was drunk, he also had fever.

Sincerely,

Stephanie M.


BACTRIM: 21 February

Hello,

I am writing about my cousin Lynette Mae G—–. They had to pull her plug today February 2/21/007. The doctor prescribed her a double dose of bactrim for seven days for a bruised on her breast. We didn’t know that something that is given to cure her would turn for the worse and take her away from the family. At first the doctors thought it was meningitis, but they ruled it out when they checked her, then I found this website and read all the incidents. They sounded similar to what she has experienced.

My family is shocked and grieving and I would like to know If anything is done about the lethal effects of Bactrim here in the U.S. and what could have been done to prevent this to happen to anybody else?

Down below is a letter my mother wrote to her friends.

Thank you,

Sherree M.

Dear Friends,

This is my niece Lynette Mae G—– 15 days older than my Justin.When she was born my sister, brought her and her family to Cape Girardeau Mo. so they can wait out my time to give birth to Justin. She had real thick hair and spiky it was funny cute, but she was so fair ,the color of milk and my sister laughingly calls her “the milkman’s daughter…that’s how far back and how close we all are to this child which is like my own and my kids and her were like brothers and sistere…she is very beautiful not just outside but inside… she always wakes up with a bright smile and chirpy “good morning auntie belen”… she’s a dancer a singer and great student…

She is now on intensive care since Friday night…my sister called me Friday morning that she took her to the clinic for IV infusion because she was very dehydrated,I asked why and she said, a few days ago, ling bumped her breast on the door carrying a book and bruised it so bad, it got inflamed ,infected and she developed a fever.My sister took her to the doctor and she was prescribed Bactrim a double doze for 7 days. Lynette is barely 100lbs and maybe 4 ft.10..tiny..the antibiotics hit her hard and she developed rashes and could not eat..thus my sister took her to the doctors clinic again where they infused her then changed her antibiotics, which I can’t remember the name..She was there for half the day.In the afternoon when my sister picked her up, she called that she’s already picking Lynette up and we talked about other things. Dinner time at almot 7pm , I was having a lovely dinner with Becca , when my sister called that Lynette is in the emergency room, and that they are intubating her..i asked why she said, on the way home..lynette said she felt funny and when my sister looked again she can no longer talk…my sister turned around and rushed to the emergency room…

At 10pm she called that they coded her and I was hysterical already, grabbed all the saints on my walls and pulled out my prayer book and prayed like i’ve never prayed before.They had revived her with epinephrene I think it’s an injection …Luckily she was already intubated so at no time was there no oxygen to her brain.

The doctor was ruling out miningitis but can’t because they cannot do a lumbar tap because her brain still is swelling..As I was flying to San Antonio, on Saturday noon, the encephalogram showed that her brain had flat lined , no activity to the brain..they said this could have been caused by the swelling and we are praying that this swelling would subside miraculously and she’ll wake up…and say Good morning everyone.

Yesterday morning she had another EEG and though my sister thought she saw some wiggling on the gram, compared to the flat line the day before, the doctor said there was no change to the brain and that the slight wiggles could be attributed to artifacts on the machine…but her eyes dilation smaller which could mean the brain swelling is lesser ,thus the 1% improvement..but we’d take that compared to the zero earlier..

This is a sad long story that I have to share with you all ,because confronted with this, one realizes how Frail life is, and how easily it can be snatched from you at anytime…sometimes, our kid would say mommy. i think i’m sick and we put our hand on their forehead and sometimes just say you are okay, drink some water or say way kaso layo ra na sa tiyan, or here some tylenol…Lesson…let’s not take our kids and our loved ones fro granted…let’s be sensitive to their fears and their owiiees…My sister always had been, in fact that day she went home in the middle of work to be with Lynette,and she kept on repeating what Lynette told her “mommy thank you for coming home for me”….She did what a great mom does, knew her priorities, yet still beat herself up that she hasn’t done enough…For those of us who may not have our priorities straight and for all those who have, let’s hug our babies close to us and treasure every moment, every lil seemingly senseless anecdote of the day which we sometimes just acknowledge with an aha and every smile and every touch…because life is so frail and we don’t know if it;s the last hug or the last smile we ever see.

Thank you everyone, for your prayers and please don’t stop, our Lynette needs all the prayers you can give.

eve



BACTRIM: 3 March

Hi, I am not sure if you are still collecting data on this subject. I googled my medication Sulfameth/Trimethoprim 800 after my skin started turning red. I stopped the medication after I was on it for

seven days. The next day I have red spots all over me. I went back to the doctor and she just told me “oh you are allergic” She told me even though a lot of people are allergic to this medication it is given out everyday in the ER. I was told it could take two days to three weeks for the reaction to go away and there was nothing they could give me. I am so uncomfortable and very unhappy about this outcome. I am a very healthy person and not allergic to anything. I can’t believe that this has happened to so many people and they still hand this drug out without any second thought.

Thanks

Tina B.


SEPTRIN: 7 March

Hi Brian

I didn’t realise the extent of the effect of this medicine. I was prescribed Septrin in February/March 1981 when I was 8 years old for a minor chest infection after having the measles in January of that year.

Within a matter of days of taking the medicine I had bad bruises on my shins and could not walk (I looked like I had been beaten black and blue).

My parents brought me to the Doctor and I was admitted to hospital. I was kept in for a week and told not to walk. After that I was kept off school until June of that year. I took a few months but it was eventually decide that I ay have had a reaction to the medicine.

It was scary at the time for an 8 year old and I’m sure for my parents too.

Regards

Margaret F, Newry , Co Down, Ireland.


SULFAMETHOXAZOLE: 24 March

Dear Brian,

I was prescribed a 7-day course of Septrin for a chest infection in 1986. I very quickly felt very unwell and was confined to bed. Within a day, I developed a very swolen and painful tongue, a severely sore throat and large areas of skin blistered off my penis. I could just about manage to drink with a straw, but could not eat any solid food for about ten days.

Within two days, my doctor visited me in bed and was mystified as to the cause of my condition; he did not realise the Septrin was at fault an just told me to stay in bed and keep on taking the Septrin. Within a day of finishing my Septrin course, all the symptoms subsided. Inexplicably, I did not realise that Septrin was the problem. About a year later I was prescribed Septrin again. I took ONE tablet & immediately felt unwell. I took no more Septrin tablets, but the sore & swolen tongue & blisters on my penis reappeared within hours.

I have subsequently warned all doctors of the serios & possibly fatal consequences if I were to be administered Septrin again. Trimethoprim on its own has no adverse effect on me, so the culprit is SULFAMETHOXAZOLE.

My symptoms are mild compared to those less fortunate, but I thought it worthwhile adding myself to the considerable volume of people clamouring for ACTION to be taken.

Colin S.


BACTRIM: 28 March

Dear Brian Deer,

My wife suffered very similar reactions to the sulfa in bactrim as described by other testimonials I read. For the past 2-1/2 years she continues to suffer from occasional pain in her vaginal area and continuous pain in her legs from hers knees down to her ankles. She describes the pain as if they were pinching her skin with a pair of pliers. She gets very tired if she is on her feet for a period of time and her skin from her waist down is extremely sensitive to touch. She cannot wear any clothing that rubs against her legs or cannot be touched without it causing significant pain. She went to the Mayo clinic in Arizona, but there was never a diagnosis of what she is suffering from. They have stopped her disability because of no diagnosis and to date no one can give a name to describe her condition.

Sam S.


BACTRIM: 30 March

My experience with Bactrim was I got burned from inside out about 80% of my body, I have pictures from in the hospital this was 2 years ago and still recovering, my left eye is only yellow light comes in and right eye very light sensitive and vision fluxuate’s and lots of nerve damage and now having lung problems, So what do I do now can’t find answer’s to my problem.

Ernest M, Deming, New Mexico.


BACTRIM: 1 April

Dear Brian,

I will keep it short and sweet….after three days of Bactrim I woke up covered in hives. I am now on week two of various anti-allergy medications…and yet the hives still continue.

This is truly a yucky drug,

Donna C, USA.


SEPTRA: 2 April

Dear Brian,

I wish I had paid attention to my symptoms the first time and read your website. I went to the ER on 1/2/07 with what I assumed was a UTI….well, I was correct, I was prescribed Septra to clear up the infection as there was also blood in my urine. on 1/5/07 only three days later I could barely move, I was a shaking, crying, mess complete with the diarrhea and lack of energy.

I went to the urologist for a follow up and got a clean bill of health, he told me to take Urised if the pain of the UTI came back…

Went a few months and started having that sever pain…Had a few Septra/Bactrim left so I took them…MISTAKE….This time it was very severe and what I thought were flu symptoms like what I experienced in January turned out to be some sort of reaction….complete with left side paralysis, foggy mind, chest and back pain, swollen throat, vaginal discharge, paranoia, muscle spasms, SEVERE depression and nervousness and inability to sleep….

I went to the doctor to have this checked out and of course they ran the full battery of tests, Urinalysis, Vaginal tests, blood work and even an ultrasound…What I overheard while sitting in the office was that the NP thought it was a reaction to the Septra/Bactrim…he never came out and said it and I questioned him on what I heard…He said “could be”, but let the tests tell the tale…Well that was on Thursday, I of course stopped taking all medications…sticking with natural remedies…Now on Monday, no results yet on the tests…but I feel better, returned to work today, and of course they are all looking at me like WOW, what happened to you!!!

SEPTRA HAPPENED TO ME!!! I will NEVER put another one of those pills in my system again….

Thanks for your website, I was thinking all sorts of horrible things about what might be wrong…I am still waiting for the tests, but I feel that they will all come back negative!

Chandra L,J, Charlotte, NC.


SULFAMETHOXAZOLE WITH TMP: 5 April

Bactrim/sulfamethoxazole with tmp was prescribed for a staph infection. I wasn’t even sick, just have these red pimple things on the skin under my nose and the antibiotic was prescribed by my dermatologist. Took one pill, yesterday about 1:30 pm, with lot of water as recommended. I felt fine, had a good nights sleep, an not under undue stress, and am a very healthy, energetic person.

About 5 pm, I went back to my office after a meeting. Once I sat down I could barely get up. Horrible, horrible reaction, which continued all night.

So exhausted I could barely dial the phone or take my shoes off. All night I got zero sleep…had restless legs, and entire body was aching, could not get comfortable in any position, felt as though the blood in my veins was replaced with poison. It was like restless legs syndrome, but all over. Achy, tingly, extremely weak. My skin was very hot to the touch although I did not take my temperature. Found it felt slightly better when I sat upright, or stood. But, did not have the energy to do so.

I am imagining this must be what chemo feels like. Totally wiped out. I have not felt this horrible EVER physically. I am not the ‘sensitive to medicine’ type, and am not a hypochondriac in the least. But this was much worse than anything I have ever experienced in my 48 years. I am an athiest who started praying about 4 am. I almost wanted to die. I would not take one of these pills again for a million dollars.

My adverse reactions seem different from those I’ve read about and different from those on the ‘official’ list. I took a sulfa antibiotic (one pill) about 10 years ago, and felt bad (not this bad though) but bad enough that i called the doc and he said stop taking them. But, the feeling was similar….fatigue (I am a very energetic person usually), aching all over.

Diane C, Virginia, USA.


BACTRIM: 8 April

About 3 years ago when I was a sophomore in college (a healthy 19 year old), I was prescribed Bactrim for a recurring throat infection. I had been fighting the infection for a while, so I didn’t even think about it when I started to feel worse – chest pain, general fatigue, sore joints. About 4 days into treatment, I woke up with a nose bleed that refused to stop. I ignored it because I have been prone to nose bleeds all my life – I just figured it was a particularly bad one. Later that evening, I started to notice what appeared to be a rash all over my body. I stopped taking the drug and went to see my doctor the next day. I found out that the “rash” was petechiae and my blood platelet count was only 5,000. Thankfully, I recovered quickly. However, the doctor still doesn’t believe that the drug was the cause of my reaction. Regardless, I tell all my physicians that I am allergic to sulfa drugs.

Carla S.



SULFAMETH-TRIMETH: 8 April

Hi all,

This is my second time writing on this site. I posted last year when i found out that my now 2-year-old son had a side effect to Bactrim. We now know that he has suffered neurologically. He has went through extensive testing and it has been concluded that the Bactrim has caused him some permanent damage. Both to his brain and eyes. He is well enough. He seems perfectly normal to those who do not really know him, however, we know what he really goes through on a daily basis. He has permanent vision loss and pain in the eyes and his eyes are very sensitive to light. he gets sick like every two weeks ( mind you, i have 5 kids, they almost never do) and he still has absence and petite-Mal seizures. He was put on this drug for urinary reflux at 4 moths old and i will NEVER forget the first time i gave it to him…if only i had followed my instinct!!! He lie there for like an hour just staring off like he wasn’t even there. I insisted to my husband something was wrong he kept telling me he was fine and thought it to be cute. I hate myself for not listening to my instinct. I thank Brian for having this site and call him my sons hero…because i can’t imagine where we would be today if I had not found this site. My main objective is to now inform people of the NEUROLOGICAL side effects of this drug, not just the physical. Your vertigo and balance issues may be from this drug effecting your BRAIN. PLEASE, have an EEG if you feel it may be. It couldn’t hurt. As soon as we pulled my son off this drug he stopped collapsing. His vertigo seems fine now, but the seizures are still off and on. The best of luck to u all. Please feel free to contact me if you would like at rachellecastiglione@yahoo.com And thank you Brian!!!

Rachelle C.


BACTRIM: 9 April

Unlike most of these horrifying incidents, mine is a little different….but still horrifying!! I will remain anonymous simply because I have a courtcase pending. After reading all of these stories I will fight for each and everyone of you.

I found out I was allergic to sulfa drugs around age 16. I had the burning, itching and hives and found out very early but still have never forgotten this mild incident. I am 37 now and on Oct. 24th, 2006, I went to the doctor for a sore-throat and a rash on my torso and my eyes were more sensitive than usual to the light. It originally started a couple of days prior with a feeling of “malaise”. My PA diagnosed me with strep and scarlet fever. He simply had me lift my shirt up to see the rash and then open my mouth and looked at my throat from a distance. Keep in mind, since I was 16, if a doctor asked me if I was allergic to any meds I would respond just like I know my own name. I was really tired and my eyes were really sensitive to the flourescent lights, etc. basicly, I was getting very agitated and could only focus on my symptoms. When he asked what meds I am allergic to—- for the first time ever I am a complete blank!!! I couldn’t beleive it. Usually I would beat my brain in trying to think of the answer but for the first time I can ever remember I just thought, “hey, he’ll figure it out himself, he’s holding my folder in his lap and I’ve only been here at least a dozen times in the past six years”. ISN’T THAT HIS JOB!!!! It’s not like I said “no” I said “yes, but I just can’t think of the name right now”. So while I am sitting on the table with my head completely down because of the light I am thinking he looked in the folder to see what I am allergic to…well think again. He went ahead and wrote out my prescriptions, one for pain, the other an antibiotic, and also a shot of penicillin for right then. Right when he got to the door to leave I blurted out “sulfa”. (This must of been a God-thing because I never even thought about it after he asked me earlier). He immediately stopped, turned around, and walked back to his stool. I said in somewhat a humorous voice “you were gonna give me something with sulfa in it, weren’t you?” He undeniably answered “yes”. He said “I sure am glad we caught that” and I agreed. It really hadn’t dawned on me ” hey, why would you even right out a prescription until you find out what the heck it is I’m allergic to?” or “maybe you could try opening the file in your lap”—– I was just thankful the mistake was corrected. (We’re all human, we all make mistakes). So he scribbles out the Bactrim on the lab invoice and corrects it with Keflex and all is well, or so I thought. The nurse comes in and gives me my shot and then walks with my folder and scripts in hand to their in-house pharmacist which is all of 20ft from the room we came out of. My scripts are filled, she walks me up to the receptionist, I pay the bill and anxiously leave just so I can get home and lie down. I cannot remember a time that I have not read the label and follow up material on the meds I have been given, but my eyes had never been so sensitive to the light before and besides that….we caught the mistake.

WHAT ARE THE ASTRONOMICAL ODDS!!!!

Well I can hardly wait to get home and get some of these antibiotics in me so I can start feeling better. I have 5 horses, 6 dogs, and five acres that I take care of myself and no family in the immediate area so being sick is really not an option for me. I know the routine also–“take every last one of them even if you start to feel better” and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I have ten days worth of antibiotics to be taken twice daily. So I go home turn off all of the lights and take my first pill. Next day I am starting to have some new symptoms, muscles aching a whole lot worse, I can’t move my eyes with out it hurting with every single little movement, and my neck is getting a little stiff. I think well this is just my second dose so maybe not enough time for improvement yet. By the third and fourth dose every thing is now amplified. So I call the office, leave a message that I think I’m getting worse. Please call me so I’ll know what the doctor wants me to do. (There rule is to at least give them 24hrs to call back.) So I did, and right about the time the 24hrs is up it is now Friday and the ofc is now closed. Also I called my best friend in town and asked her to stay with me Thursday night which I have never done because I know how busy her schedule is just like everyone elses, but she knew I wouldn’t ask if it wasnt serious. By Saturday I am so weak I cannot get up to feed my animals, and I have no one to depend on and the people I can depend on really aren’t familiar enough with my animals to be out around them. So I call my friend and boss John whom I do books for and other odds and ends and he is in Texas at the time in the panhandle which is 4hrs away. I could barely get to the phone and he was my last and only hope because I didn’t think I could even dial again. Thank God he answered. I told him not to go home,,He HAD TO come straight to my house. By the time he gets here I’m in bad shape. But I’m thinking if I can just hold on til Monday and surely I can’t get any worse than this. At this time I am splitting my pills into and cannot even eat a cracker. I just know I have to keep taking these to get better. I am in the most excruciating pain I have ever,ever felt in my life!!!!! My neck was stiff like rigormortous, I cannot move my eyes not one centimeter with out yelling out in pain, my joints are aching like nothing I have ever felt, especially my hips and I am too weak to go about 10ft to the bathroom. John is now literally carrying me. I kept thinking I was sleeping like every four hours but in the end I found out differently from John. I had refused to call an ambulance for the simple fact NO ONE BUT NO ONE was going to touch me the pain was the most horrific pain I have ever indured. I lay now on an automan and chair—head in the automan and legs in the chair, face up towards the ceiling,eyes closed but still had to focus on a certain point with them shut because I couldn’t bare to move them, neck so stiff you would think is was a real board, and so weak I cannot talk. The last thing I remember was asking God to either let me wake up and have a tremendous change or to please take me…..and I knew He knew one or the other had to be done.

When I awoke–Praise God–I could actually move a little and slowly but surely progressed very little but to me It was a true miracle. And what may have been baby-steps to some were milestones for me. I was taking halves of the pills still but I was putting so much time between them I guess it was allowing my body to fight some. But what I failed to know is I had actually been comatose for 36thrs.

That’s really why I bounced back. The low doses and a day and 1/2 with none. I didn’t put it together that the idiots had still failed to correct their mistake. I don’t know how the original prescription got to the pharmacist and don’t really care now….Come on how many people had that mistake in their hand DR,NURSE, AND PHARMACIST, there is no excuse for this almost fatal error. Needless to say I took 17 1/2 pills till the Good Lord picked me straight up out of my chair and belted to the kitchen on top of the frig, grabbed the medicine bottle, held it to where I could finally read it and you guessed it …. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (Bactrim).

I’m not going down without a fight, God kept me here for a reason and this just might be it!!!

Lori B.

RELATED:

Bactrim-Septra: a secret epidemic

Chronology of a newspaper campaign

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