TMP/SMZ Septra Co-trimoxazole Bactrim side effects
Page 29 of mail to investigative reporter Brian Deer recounting sometimes serious side effects of the antibiotic often known as Bactrim DS, Septra or co-trimoxazole
SULFATRIM: 10 April
My Urology MD prescribed Sulfatrim to cover a possible prostatic infection since my PSA was elevated. I d asked for tetracycline since it was cheap. He said Sulfatrim was cheap, too. I took it for two days and itchy red blotches showed up on my back, head and face. I tried treating them with antibiotic creams to no avail. By day three I felt like crap. Weak and draggy. After three weeks I made it to the MD to check my PSA and low and behold, it was lower. I quit taking it. After about a week the rash was gone but a couple of boils still were healing which have left scars.
My six months retest of my PSA levels is due and I started taking the Sulfatrim again and I have broken out again& in the same exact spots. Were the boils were, they have presented worse again. I got the same weakness, headaches and fuzzy feeling, also. I stopped immediately and a friend sent home a shot of Celestone. I slept good last night and the itching has just about stopped.
I also noticed the sulphur in the drug made me smell awful, inside and out! In confined places I felt my breath smelled worse and even stepping into the shower I could smell something loud. I had been installing a new sink over the weekend and when my wife would get under the cabinet to help she would remark that something smelled dead under there& me!
Anyway, BOO on Sulfatrim. I won t do that again.
RC.
BACTRIM: 11 April
A couple of weeks ago, my six year old daughter was prescribed Bactrim for an UTI. After eight days of taking the medication she broke out in a red rash that covered her entire body, except the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. The first day the rash appeared she had a fever of 102 degrees. She was diagnosed with erythema multiforme from an allergic reaction to the Bactrim. I was advised to immediately stop the Bactrim and to never allow her to be prescribed again with any sulfa based medication. The rash took three days to start fading away, but it was very itchy and bothersome for seven days. The itch was impossible to relieve with topical ointments or baths, as if she was itching from inside. The antihistaminic that was prescribed to help her with the itching didn t do anything for her either. She couldn t sleep for three nights because of this itching. Only Benadryl would calm her a little and allow her to sleep for two hours, after which she would wake up crying and desperate because of the itching. Today, 12 days later, the rash is completely clear on her skin, but the red spots can still be seen through her skin, although it does not bother her anymore. I never knew of the dangers of sulfa until this happened to my daughter and I started reading online about it. As a mother, I think that any medication that has the potential to harm people in this way should not be prescribed, especially to children.
Brenda, Tampa, FL
SULFAMETHOXAZOLE: 21 April
Hello Brian
I was looking up side effects of sulphur based antibiotics when I came across your website. This may sound strange, but I think that I am still suffering at age 39 from 7 years of sulfamethoxazole prescribed from aged 3 to aged 7 years old (great give an anti-life drug to a growing child&). It was prescribed for prevention of UTI s due to kidney valve malfunction. I was wondering if you have ever had a letter from anyone else who has long term damage as a result of this drug or these types of drug.
Kind regards
Erica D (Mrs)
SEPTRA DS: 22 April
I happened upon your website after my 12 year old son ended up in the hospital from a reaction to Septra DS. He had started taking the antibiotic six days ago to fight a sinus infection and was taking it twice a day. During the course of the week he seemed to become worse. He spent most of the week curled up in bed complaining of joint pain, chest pain and headaches. I attributed it to his allergies and the fact that he already suffers from a mild depression and tends to exaggerate physical discomfort. By the fourth day he had difficulty walking. By the fifth he was agitated depressed and he looked like hell. By the sixth day he was completely covered in hives from head to toe and feeling exhausted. I took him to the hospital still uncertain as to what was going on. While looking up side-effects for Septra DS I came upon your site and was able to piece it all together. He just came home from the hospital where they pumped him full of Benedryl and sent us home with a prescription for Prednisone but the hives look just as bad as they did ten hours ago. I can t tell you how guilty I feel about not recognizing the seriousness of the symptoms sooner. If I had been aware of the potential side effects (the paper I had didn t mention the ones he suffered from) and my doctor more aware that it could add to his already existing depression/anxiety, I would have never allowed him to take it.
Linda F.
BACTRIM: 25 April
I was surfing the web after having a bad reaction to Bactrim. I had a prescription for Cipro for a week for a staph infection and also was told to follow it up with a prescription of Bactrim for my acne. I took all the Cipro and then took a single Bactrim and went to bed. The next day my penis was swollen on the left side, and red. IO returned to my doctor and was advised to take som Clartin and a Benedryl before bed. I was told it would clear up in 24 hours. It did not. I returned to the doctor and pushed for more agressive treatment and she reluctantly prescribed me some Streoid pills. I have been taking them for 2 days and my penis is still red and peeling like a sunburn. I dont know if you ever heard of this particular problem but I thought Id include my story.
Don S.
BACTRIM DS: 28 April
Hello Brian, After finding this site I don’t feel like I am all alone. I hate to see that other people have suffered from the same thing as me. I would like to know when this stuff will leave my system. Here is my story. I am a healthy 26 year old male. I do have a high level of anxiety and I take meds for that. I went to the E.R. back in March b/c I was burning while urinating, also some itching inside my urethra it felt like. They did a prostate exam, urninalysis and a cultrure. The urinalysis showed signs of infection. I was given 4 Zithromax pills to take right then and 1 injection of Rocephin and a prescription of BACTRIM DS for Urinary Tract Infection. She said that she was going to go ahead and treat me for different types of infections just to be safe. I have taken Rocephin and Zithromax before and I am fine with them. I started the Bactrim DS the next day I was instructed to take 1 pill every 12 hours for 7 days. Throughout the week my anxiety went through the roof. My feet and hands would go numb, very fatigue and weak, I felt short of breath, fast heart rate, very nervous, some dizziness, loss of appetite. I finished out the week of BACTRIM DS and my UTI was gone. The day after I finished the Bactrim DS I started having pain in my lower back like kidney pain on the left and right sides. I went later that week to a urologist and he said I had prostatitis. My prostate was tender when he did the exam. He prescribed 10 days worth of BACTRIM DS. I started the Bactrim DS the same day. The next day I became very cold and couldn’t get warm. I felt like I was freezing! The numbness and weakness came back. I developed a rash or something that looked like a welp about the size of a quarter on the right side of the tip of my penis. I called the urologist and told him what was going on. He said to just discontinue the Bactrim DS for 24 hours and if I felt better then don’t take anymore of it, but if I wanted to I could try and tough it out and come see him monday. I went ahead and took another pill that night.
It all tarted back. I quit the Bactrim DS and it was almost a week and a half before the urologist could see me. I just kept praying and had the church pray for me. When I finally got to the urologist he did another prostate exam and it wasnot sore at all. So he told me that he didn’t know what happened to the prostatitis but I seemed better and that he knew just 3 pills didn’t get rid of it. I explained to him that I did not have lower back pain that felt like my kidneys throbbing until the day AFTER I had finished the week of Bactrim DS. It is now April 27 2007 about a month since this all began. I am no longer having lower back pain or kidney pain. I do still get very fatigue and my appetite comes and goes. From time to time the numbness and tingling in my hands and feet comes back and my heart starts to race and I feel like my breathing is shallow. The doctor said that I could have had a touch of the flu over the weekend and that was why I had the cold chills and I told him otherwise. I know I didn’t have the flu. All these symptoms were a result of BACTRIM DS. You couldn’t in no way get me to believe otherwise. I feel like I have anemia or something. I just feel so tired and weak. I started taking some multi vitamins today hoping that it will help. I see that you have many people telling their stories but is anyone sharing how long it took to get better or what steps did they take to get there energy back?
W.L. Anderson, SC.
SULFA: 2 May
I was diagnosed with an insect bite on the top of my foot. I believe it as a spider, anyway, to make long story short, i was given bactrim with sulfa, one at the er, and a rx for 20/ take 2 a day.. well not feeling well, i continued all the bactrim, woke up and could not believe what i saw in the mirror. my right eye had swollen, and when i went to another er, they said I had pink eye.. what a joke!!!!!!!! do not take this drug… it has made my eyes swell, itching, and i am sick…. I went to family doctor today.. he of course said i did not have pink eye, took blood, and gave me zyrtec, as well as blood pressure meds!! Please how long is this poisen going to be in my system??? do you have any idea?? my docter is checking my blood, and i go back in a week, but my eye has been swollen since monday, and now it is thursday, and it is all red around my eye, looks like something out of a horror movie.. i cannot believe they still manufactor this drug… it needs to be tested, or something. sincerely
Suzanne G, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
APO-SULFATRIM: 2 May
My 6 years old daughter was diagnosed with Vesicoureteral Reflux 2 years ago. She was prescribed Apo-Sulfatrim to take on a daily basis. She’s been taking it for 2 years and your site has helped me recognize some side effects that she’s been suffering for 2 years that I did not know were related to this drug. She’s been complaining of a sore neck and back on a regular basis. We took her to do all kinds of tests and xrays to determine why…but could not find an answer. She’s also complaining of a sore stomach almost every day, again could not find a cause. At her very young age she already has 7 cavities eventhough we brush her teeth twice a day. When I realized these could all be related to this drug, we stopped giving it to her. It’s only been one week… but so far she has not complained of any of the previous problems.
THANK YOU!
Pascale W, Ontario, Canada
BACTRIM: 10 May
Hello Brian,
I’m an 18 year-old american female and I was prescribed this medcine by my doctor for acne. Just recently I’ve been waking up with breathing problems and right now I have hives. I’ve stopped taking the medication and hope the hives go away soon. I decided to do some research on the drug, and that’s how I came in contact to your website. I didn’t know about all the problems it has caused in the past with blood clots etc., and I’m worried it might affect me the same way. I’ve only been taking the drug for 2 weeks and now I’m kind of worried. Could it do that kind of damage to me in just 2 weeks?
Thanks for your time.
Rose
BACTRIM: 14 May
Hola,
I was prescribed Bactrim last Wednesday for a Staph infection in my abdominal region. I took the first pill that afternoon. When I left church, I felt so nauseous that I had to pull the car over and amaze my two daughters as I puked right in the parking lot.
Since then,
Stomach has hurt everyday; My hunger has been stifled.; I have experienced back pain, as a result of stomach pain, Pepsid AC, NO help.
I have never hated a drug so much. Yesterday, I actually couldn t even bring myself to swallow in the first time, so it got spit out, into the garbage disposal. One pill down.
This all being said, having a Staph infection wasn t that great either and it is doing much better. I am going to quit taking Bactrim now and I hope that the 5 days worth of it I took is enough to kill the infection. I ll just be sure to never take Bactrim again.
Steven, MI.
BACTRIM DS: 20 May
First, thank you so much for keeping the site going.
By folks posting their experiences with Bactrim, finding this web page today was a Godsend to me.
I was diag, with a sinus infection a few days ago and my Doctor prescribed Bactrim DS. I recall my older Brother taking it a few times in the past for upper resp. problems and he never complained of any side effects (lucky for him!) so I thought it would be that simple for me, but I wrong.
Today, after taking pill number 2….I started to feel weird –for lack of a better word– I felt just plain weird!!! I have no energy, unable to focus, tired and very weak and shaking all over, like I was cold. My body has tremors, especially my hands. It started freaking me out.
At first, I thought it was just the sinus infection getting the best of me…..but after talking to a friend and describing how I was feeling, she said “sound like a reaction to a med”….so, I got on the web and searched “bactrim side effects tremors weakness” and I found this site. Thank Goodness!
I have read what others have posted and realize my feeling “weird” and so very weak with tremors / shaking is a side effect from the drug!!!
I dont see how they can allow people to take this, thinking it will HELP when it ends up hindering your illness that you are dealing with, contributing to your problems. I am just thankful that I read the 23+ pages of concerns before taking another Bactrim DS!!!
Cyn A, North Carolina.
SMZ/TMP DS 800: 20 May
hi. my name is jess, i’m 21 years old. i found your webpage when i typed in the drug to finally look up the side effects. i don’t know what took me so long to investigate the side effects… because i have been utterly suffering for four days now. two of which, i thought i was dying, but did not go to the ER because i don’t have health insurance. my history: i have eczema, impetigo, and mrsa. a boil developed underneath my earlobe on may 7th or 8th and got bigger and more painful as the days went on. so i went to the doc on the 13th for the boil. she did not lance it, instead, she prescribed an antibiotic, which was too expensive for me and so i got the generic… SMZ/TMP DS 800 -160 TAB. i was told to take one tablet twice daily for ten days. on my 3rd day and 6th pill, which brings us to may 16th…. i very suddenly felt overwhelmed by fatigue. it hit me out of the blue. then my muscles began to ache and so i went to bed… at 8pm. (i usually go to bed around 5-6am) thinking i was just exhausted and would sleep it off… i was terribly wrong. i awoke the next afternoon (may 17th) at 1:30pm. throughout the night i suffered constant and severe muscle aches and cramps over my entire body. i also had a migraine so bad, that i could not move my eyes or my head in any direction and that lasted for a constant 48 hours. i lost my appetite completely and became very anxious and had four or five panic attacks in just one day. (the attacks nearly caused me to blackout… i began feeling disoriented and faint) i also had severe chills when my temp was normal and when the chills went away… my temp increased until i broke a fever and took tylenol to get it down. for two nights in a row, i would awake drenched in sweat. so after 3 days of suffering to the point i thought i was going to die… it stopped. and then the very next day… i noticed a rash on my neck. and the next day i notice the rash was now covering my neck and chest. and then the next day… the rash was over my entire body and it felt prickly and itchy. the discomfort is so great, that i can not sit still, let alone sleep. and this is when i decided to look up the side effects realizing that all of these sudden “illnesses” i was coming down with could not be simply a coincidence. i have only slept 4 hours in the passed 48 hours. there is simply no way to fall asleep in such distress and discomfort. so now i know… i’m extremely allergic to this drug. and the kicker of it all…. i’ve spent more money combating the drug i’ve been taking, than what the cost of the more expensive brand of medicine was originally prescribed to me. and… in addition to all the above mentioned things i have suffered or am still suffering from due to this drug… i still have the boil. it has only healed about 30%.
thank you very much for your website. i have been so scared for the passed few days. i didn’t know what was happening to me. i thought either i was dying or that i was crazy. this drug should be taken off the market immediately.
Jess F.
SEPTRA: 30 May
Mr. Deer,
Firstly, thank you for your web site, I was starting to feel like a hypochondriac. I too was medicated with Septra for a UTI. I’ve been off the medication for about two weeks now and am still suffering from the symptoms of taking this drug, fatigue, headaches, foot and leg cramps, increased heart rate. The worst of it are the foot cramps that I’m having daily. I have so much pain in the arches of my feet that it’s often painful to walk.Â
Angela.
SEPTRA: 3 June
Jan. 25th 2000 I received treatment for a cough, and was given Septra. 8 days later I developed a rash, headache, and eye aches and was taken off the Septra.
February 3rd i8 went to my primary physician (Kaiser) with no light perception in the right eye, poorly reactive pupils, optic swelling and 102.3 temperature. I was sent home and told to see an opthalmologist that afternoon.
I saw the ophthalmologist and was sent home again to await a call about scheduling a MRI for the following morning.
By 7:30 PM I had lost all vision in both eyes, and was taken to ER by my parents. I was diagnosed with post severe optic neuritis, and allergic encephalitis secondary to a reaction to Septra. I was administered high doses of steroids at about 1:00 AM.
I recovered partial vision within 4 days and my central acuity has increased. I have permanent field loss, and a resultant visual field of less than 5 degres.
Aaron A, San Diego, CA.
BACTRIM: 5 June
My name is Lisa Hargus. My 13 year old son went to the Dr. with sudden onset of fever of 103.5 and severe pain in his lower abdomen and one of his testicles was more than double the size of the other. The DR ran all kinds of tests and said that he had something called “swelling of the twins” anyway he prescribed bactrim. Now 4 days later my little boy is covered his entire body with red welpy rash. His eyes are bloodshot he is so fatigued he can hardly sit up to eat he is so tired. It is a very scary thing to see your active 13 year old sleeping on his summer break and in so much irritating pain. The DR has not called me back at this point to tell me to stop taking the Bactrim.
Lisa H.
BACTRIM: 11 June
Dear Brian,
My doctor prescribed bactrim for a uti….I never knew that I was allergic to sulfa drugs! But BOY did I find out fast! After taking that one pill–my hands starting hurting and itching like crazy-my stomach got so upset-I couldn’t have my supper that I prepared……my heart was pounding and racing –and then I got so dizzy- and just about passed out -seeing pink stars-
I quickly laid down on my bed-and broke out in a sweat. What a awful episode to experience-I didn’t know what was happening to me–I thought I was having a heart attack—after a bit I gathered myself to go to the ER- all this gave me high anxiety to boot…they asked me if I was doing cocaine!?!…I felt so ill–my face was flushed and I needed to drink lots of water…
I was admitted–my blood pressure soared-they were running all kinds of tests–EKG-blood work-(my white blood count was a lil’ high-at least the good news is -I DIDN’T have a heart attack-no diabetes-just a bad reaction from Bactrim-they gave me benadryl – a iv of levaquin –and I was released the next day cause I begged to go home…I didn’t want to stay-and don’t want to go back!…
Yeah–I’m allergic to septra-bactrim-anything with sulfa in it — come to find out–If you’re allergic and take it–you feel like you’ll be knocking at the gate!
When I took that Bactrim anti-biotic a week ago-I felt like you’re gonna die…(LOL)..worse feeling then the flue..you’re innards are all upset…racing heart -flushed face-dizzy–passing out almost–back pain–itchy hands–abdominal pain – thirsting– my head and tongue and legs hurt-sore throat-can’t sleep-nerves in legs twitching and pulsating -etc…..
….A water pill I take has sulfa/septra in it!!(just found that out)!—I quit taking that–no wonder I always felt so bad-
I feel like I’ve been poisoned a lil’ bit everyday!! Who knows what kind of damage my body has taken!?
It’s been almost a week -: feeing somewhat better then before–but running a low grade temperature-my lower back still hurts and throbs –sore throat-my stomach still bothers me–I feel so wiped out–prolly have kidney -stomach- and heart damage by now! I gotta get more blood/lab tests and stuff done—just want the poison out of my system…the whole episode has stressed me out!
thnx for listening–Bright Blessings to all…..
Michelle B.
BACTRIM: 12 June
Hi Brian,
I’m writing to you to let you know that I had an adverse reaction to Bactrim. Had I not vomitted it from my system (rather painfully to the point of dry-heaving), I probably would have passed out in a bad way (coma).
I’m now on Cipro, and it’s comparably unlike Bactrim. I’m doing much better on Cipro.
I will NEVER take Bactrim again.
Hope your website is getting more hits like mine!
Margaret L.
BACTRIM: 13 June
I know you get several emails regarding the effects of Bactrim, but I feel the need to add to the lengthy list of devastating complaints regarding this reckless drug.
I am a 21 year old law student in perfect health, besides an occasional bout of dermatitis. Three months ago I took a mere four days worth of Bactrim for a staph infection on my neck. On the morning of the fifth day, I was at work and I noticed my arms were bright red and splotchy. Within minutes of discovering this, I began to feel lightheaded, started getting chills, and started sweating. I could no longer stand and had to leave work. By the evening I was running a fever of 102, and became paranoid. I honestly thought I was dying… My throat was sore and swollen but I was sobbing and begging my fiance to call my parents so I could tell them goodbye. My neck was severely stiff, the rash had covered my entire body, and it was so hard for me to breathe. I swear, I will never forget this night. I was frightened and my fiance had no idea what to do. He said he wanted to take me to the emergency room, but the way I looked made him too scared to even try to move me. An ibuprofen broke my fever and I was able to calm down and at least sleep.
My fiance called my doctor the next morning, and he advised me to stop taking bactrim to see what would happen. After a day and half of more misery, my body slowly returned to almost normal. My doctor gave me a steroid cream for my staph in lieu of the bactrim. My staph was gone within a week.
Ever since this night, my memory is foggier, and I often lose my balance when walking. My sore throat has never gone away.
I understand that drugs come with side effects. I do not understand why a frequently prescribed drug with such erratic and varied complications can still be on the market. What would someone living alone do if this drug were to cause a possibly deadly complication? And why isn’t everyone aware that these effects are such a real possibility?
Thank you for your time and all that you do.
HM in Dayton, Ohio.
BACTRIM: 13 June
Hi Brian,
I too seem to have been a victim of this unpredictable drug. In May I went to Mexico for a weeks vacation and had been given Bactrim just in case I came down with travelers sickness which can be prevalent when visiting certain countries. I did indeed eat something that made me feel like I needed to start on a course of this med and took one within 2 hours after I had felt ill. Within the first hour I became extremely chilled in my legs and arms and felt like my legs were going to shake off of my body. I became extremely anxious and felt like my heart was going to pound right out of my chest. My limbs continued to feel shaky and weak but at the same time I felt like I had to get up and keep moving because I felt so unsettled. I could not sleep at all that night and felt spaced out for the next day , but continued to take this med every 12 hours for the next two days, thinking that the food poisoning was the culperate. Finally I put 2 and 2 together and realized that the Bactrim was the problem and stopped taking it. By this time I suffered from hives and an excruciating headache but seemed to be o.k. otherwise. The thing that I noticed like many others was the full sick feeling in my stomache and I did not want to eat, I had to force myself.
Flash to 10 days later when I thought I had a yeast infection and was given another antibiotic and went through the same experience all over again along with many more symptoms. This time not only did I have the anxiety and nervousness, I also felt completely fuzzy headed , my eyes killed me, stomach pains, tingling like I ve never had before and I seemed to be bothered by everything I came in contact with like I was having allergic reactions for a week.
It s been 1 month since I took the bactrim and I believe it put my whole body out of whack to the point where I felt like my immune system and nuerology had been affected. Of course after numerous tests and blood samples the docs could find nothing wrong, they all came back negative. I am still feeling somewhat fatigued since taking the med and hope that I have not suffered any long term damage like some people.
Thank you for making this site available to so many scared, unsure people that just don t know why they re feeling the way they are after taking this monstrocity of an antibiotic.
Paula M, Clawson, MI.
RELATED:
Bactrim-Septra: a secret epidemic
Chronology of a newspaper campaign
<<< Go to the first page of mail <<<
>>> Go to the next page of mail >>>
SYMPTOM SEARCHER: This site has hundreds of visitors’ experiences. Enter Bactrim and your keywords in the SEARCH BOX on any page