Mail to this site on Bactrim - Septra - Septrin - trimethoprim side effects (33)

BACTRIM: 15 December 2008

Your web site gave some peace of mind as I was going thru my ordeal. I was prescribed Bactrim for Rosacea back in September of this year. I started taking the pills and about a week later I was beginning to get sick. It started slowly over a period of days with a fever, back pain, just flu-like symptoms, plus what felt like a severe yeast infection and red, hot skin from head to toe, like sunburn. I went to the doctor and I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia (hind sight being 20/20, I don t believe I ever had walking pneumonia). I was prescribed an antibiotic so I stopped taking the Bactrim because I didn t want to mix drugs even though my doctor said I could take the two together. After I was done with the five day antibiotic for my walking pneumonia , I began to feel better and took a dose of Bactrim. A few hours later, I had a horrible headache, sever back pain, chills, vomiting, and I was shaking uncontrollably, all of the symptoms I had the first time around. I called my doctor, thinking I was having a relapse of walking pneumonia but they dismissed it as a virus that was going around and told me to take Tylenol. By the next day I felt a little better and my rosacea was cleared up from the antibiotic that I took for the supposed walking pneumonia so I didn t continue taking the Bactrim at that point in time but I still had not put two and two together.

Finally, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, for whatever reason, I took my Bactrim. I just wanted to keep my rosacea under control. Within a half hour I had the most extreme headache I ve ever had. Then I became nauseous. I made my way to the bathroom and began getting sick with vomiting and diarrhea. I had excruciating pain in my lower back and was shaking uncontrollably. I had my five year old son run next door to get my mom, who came over and ended up calling the ambulance. I could not move. On the way to the hospital the paramedics were commenting on my heart rate going all over the place. Once at the hospital my blood pressure was extremely low and my heart rate was very high, which was their main concern. My white blood cell count was low, I had a fever of almost 105 and my whole entire body looked like I was sun burned (even my eyeballs). They gave me liter after liter of fluid but nothing was helping. I spoke with three doctors and various nurses. I had my dad bring the bottle of Bactrim so the hospital would know what medications I was on. Nobody ever suspected Bactrim. They actually blamed my birth control pills. As I told my symptoms to doctor after doctor, I started to see a pattern. I told one of the doctors that I have been severely sick three times in two months and each time was when I was on this medication. He just said hmmm and that was it. I was admitted and spent three days in the hospital. I ended up getting 10 liters of fluid in the first 12 hours. When they sent me home Thanksgiving day, they said they had determined from my blood work that I did have a virus but they didn t know what it was. They even tested me for HIV (which came back negative but the thought freaked me out, especially when I started reading on line about people with the virus having more allergies to this type of medication). Upon my release, they instructed me to continue to take my birth control AND my Bactrim. I threw them away when I got home! My dermatologist was flabbergasted when I told her about everything. She could not believe that none of the doctors put it together, as I had classic symptoms. It was a very scary experience. Know your body, trust your instincts and pay attention! Doctors aren t always right!

New York

SULFA TRIMETH: 17 December 2008

Hi. My 5yr. son was prescribed Sulfa Trimeth for a uti. 8 days after he started taking it,he developed a rash on his face,ears,arms and his torso as well. He also got swollen lips as well as a fever. I quickly alerted his doctor to insure that was the cause and not 5th disease. Sure enough-it was just a reaction to the drug.

The doctor said all we can do is wait it out. sigh.

Cindi from Texas

GENERIC BACTRIM: 22 December 2008

Hello Brian! I took some generic Bactrim today, to get rid of an infection, and also, persistent sinus headaches! My doctor ( who I like and trust) must have missed my listed allergy to Septra, since he prescribed this! My local pharmacy ( who I like an trust, too) caught the mistake ,and warned me about possible reactions, but since my last reaction to Septra, happened about 18 years ago, and my T-cells and viral load are much better now (thanks to Atripla!) I decided to give it a try! Not too smart! Flu like symptoms with body aches, are just like they were 18 years ago!! So, I'll just have to call my doctor tomorrow morning ,to try something else!

Bjorn Palenius, San Diego.

BACTRIM DS: 23 December 2008

Hello, and thank you for such a site. I want to start by saying that typically I do not take antibiotics and I feel doctors prescribe antibiotics too often to patiens who do not need them. Here is my story, I am a 29-year-old woman of 3 children. I run a daycare from my home and I work out for 40 minutes or more everyday. The only medical "condition" I would say I fight with all the time atleast once a month is Urinary Tract Infections (UTI's). Anyway during this holiday season I thought I was getting yet another UTI and I chose to ignor it because I was so busy baking, taking care of children, and preparing for holiday's and my two older children's birthday's (both born December 18, 5 years apart) I pretty much forgot to take care of myself. Anyway on December 31, 2008 my husband Brian rushed me into the ER we thought I may have appendicites I was in that much pain. I couldn't even walk. We found out from a Urine analysis conducted at the ER that I infact had a severe bladder infection and all my pain was because my bladder was contracting and I had the start of a kidney infection. At the ER the intake nurse asked me a the scripts I was allergic to and I was in so much pain I could hardly answer her but, I did mention atleast 3 drugs I remembered at that particular time. Anyway this hospital is the same hospital I have given birth to two of my three children in they should have know about my Sulfa allergy. So right at the ER the docoter gave me a drug for the bladder contractions and some advil. After they got the results back from my test the nurse brought me a antibiotic and told me the doctor wanted me to start it right then. So I took the pill and the doctor wrote me a script for Bacrtim, Ibeprophen, and the bladder contraction pill. I recieved many things about the drugs I was recieveing in the hospital which I didn't read until days later because I was in pain, my mom was visiting, and out of plain stupidity. If I had read it I would have know I was recieving a Sulfa drug. Anyway, the night I recieved the first pill, I couldn't sleep, my stomach hurt so bad I felt I had gas to the extreme, and I noticed when I extended my legs to stretch I has severe cramping. I assumed all the symptoms were due to being so ill that day and in so much pain. The next day I took my bactrim and ate a couple hours later because I was told to take it on an empty stomach by the ER physician he said it worked better that way. That day about three hours later, I noticed the base of my neck on the right side hurt so bad that no matter what postion I tried to put it in I found no comfort. Then I started to notice that I felt like I was starving. Later that evening I took my second dose for the day as perscribed. My tummy felt so upset I went to my room crying because I felt I had lost complete control over my body. That night once I fell asleep I had very vivid weird dreams, I was so sick to my stomach I had to get out of bed and force myself to vomit. The leg cramping was fierce and all and all I thought I was dieing. By the next morning Friday January 2, 2009 I actually thought I was doing better, I took my morning dose of the Bactrim noticed when I urinated it no longer hurt and my bladder was not hurting anymore and neither were my kidneys, finally I though a glimmer of hope. That was until I tried to go out with my family to breakfast. I could barely bring myself to shower let alone get my 3-year-old ready to go. My husband kept asking me if I was ok but, honestly I was'nt sure. I felt outside of my self like I wasn't even there. After breakfast we decided to come home so I could take it easy. By this time I had became really sick to my stomach and my neck was in so much pain I thought me head would explode at any moment. I took an advil which really offered no help to the situation. By that evening I was reluctant taking another Bactrim and even told my husband i'd take back the UTI if I could get rid of all the other problems I was currently suffering from. I did take my next dose of Bactrim per doctors orders. That night I could'nt fall asleep I started having severe thoughts of hopelessness. My neck was in so much pain just putting my head on the pillow almost made me puke from the pain I had a migraine worse than any I had ever experienced in my life. Lets just say I didn't sleep much that night. I woke up the next morning Saturday January 3 ,2009 and took my Bactrim as perscribed by the docotor, I din't feel as bad as the night before but I was dead to the world my husband even asked if I was ok because I was so pale. I took a shower about an hour later with my litttle girl in the shower with me and this is when I noticed something terribly wrong my daughter dropped a shampoo bottle on the ground in the shower and I bent down to pick it up. I had severe back pain shoot from my tail bone to my neck straight up my spine like someone was inside of me trying to tear me apart. I also experienced a dizzy spell I almost fell down I even seen stars. I didn't tell my hubby about it right away because all of us were getting ready to go to lunch that day and I didn't want to ruin their fun and besides I had already been complaing for so many days about my other symtoms I didn't figure he wanted to hear about new ones. So we went to lunch and on the way home my husband knew something was wrong with me I was shifting in my seat because my back hurt so bad I couldn't get comfortable. We got home and I stepped out of the car and experienced shooting pain from my tailbone to the base of my neck. I also noticed as I walked to our door I was out of breath and felt like I couldn't catch my breath. We got me inside and I told my husband I may need to go to the ER yet again because I thought they misdiagnosed me and I was in fact sicker than they realized. But, I am always realuctant to go to the doctor or hospital because our medical bills are so much. So I started a web search on Bactrim and ran accross many websites and this one included. After reading others stories I decided not to continue on the Bactrim. So I did not take my pill for that night. I began drinking tons of water i'm talking 64 oz. atleast a day. The next morning Sunday, January 4, 2009 I din't take my Bactrim at all I drank nemerous amounts of water and began a full body cleanse product I bougth at Rite Aid. I still had terrible back pain and nausea beond belief my neck pain was starting to subside and I had my husband get me a heating pad to help manage the back pain. I din't take any Advil at all because it din't help me before. I have continued with my full body cleanse which is a 14-day thing and my back has gotten alot better but, not completely better my tail bone still feels bruised and I can't sit in the same postion for extended periods of time. It is now Tuesday January 6, 2009 and I am hoping that soon I will be all the way better. Thank you for your time and your website. Sincerely,

Anna, CA,US

BACTRIM: 6 January 2009

Hi Brian

I have a story about bactrim if you are still interested. My 21 year old daughter died in October of 2006 as a result of taking Bactrim. She was prescribed it for acne. It destroyed her liver, she had to have a liver transplant and she never made it out of the hospital. They called it "drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome" caused by Bactrim.

Patricia

BACTRIM DS 800-160: 10 January 2009

I was prescribed Bactrim DS 800-160 for a UTI this week and have had a horrible reaction after day 5 on the drug. I thought I had the flu in addition to the UTI as I was, weak and achy all over. I woke up today covered in a horrible itchy rash. I went to the clinic and they gave me a cortisone shot. They did not want to admit it may have been caused by the Bactrim but I am sure it was.Yhe stuff just built up in my body for 5 days then manifested into this rash. I hope they pull this product off the market and I will give the doctor who prescribed it to me a piece of my mind next week.

APO-SULFATRIM DS 800/160: 25 January 2009

Hi Brian,

My name is Carolyn..I have been taking the above mentioned medication for five days now. I am prone to sinus infections so my physician has put me on this medication for the second time this season.... First time I started taking them, I experienced dizziness and headaches.

I stopped taking the drug after two days...This time, I thought I should finish the dosage as my doctor told me to do so or the drug will not clear up my sinus problem. As I have said...I am on day five...I have been telling my friends and family that I feel like I am dying... Tired to the point of depression, anxiety levels are heightened...I am on clonazipam for anxiety and celexa for depression.

I am feeling almost suicidal...My bones feel like they are being eaten by something...PAIN extreme! The inside of my mouth feels swollen and numb.

I have fibromyalgia but this pain is different...it is almost unbearable! I am unable to sleep through the night...the clonazipam usually helps me but is not working while taking the Sulfatrim. My chest feels heavy, I am shaky, ( almost feels like tremors), my breathing shallow and my brain is foggy. I will call my doctor in the morning or go to the hospital...That's a joke..like they will believe me??? I will not be taking anymore of this drug.

What is with doctors still prescribing this???...is it a 'cheap' drug???? I am on a disability due to the chronic pain and fibromyalgia so a person has to wonder if doctors give the garbage drugs to the less fortunate... This makes me very angry after reading some of the letters from others that have experienced horrible side effects...only to be told that it is not the drug. Pharmaceutical companies should have class action law suits slapped against them for the way they abuse people's health.

I am sick of doctor's...I would use alternative medicine if I could afford it but the government has control over that like they are the Kremlin. Thanks for your site...helps to share. Does not give a person much faith in doctors!

Sincerely,

Carolyn Sprinks

SMZ/TMP: 26 January 2009

Dear Brian:

Firstly, let me thank you and your newspaper for the website. I found it by searching for side effects to the SMZ/TMP. Now, at least I know what the heck happened to me this last month. Secondly, I have to say before relaying my story, that I couldn't have been more stupid in taking this medicine as it wasn't even prescribed to me, and I already know I'm allergic to Sulfa drugs, which I found out years ago by doing the same stupid thing. Never share prescriptions!!! That being said, I'm writing this, because this drug with such dangerous side effects, though it may be beneficial to some, should have warnings on the label, not just the sheet that comes with it, that it is a sulfonamide and may cause serious adverse reactions to anyone allergic to such compounds. It should also say, "if you do not know whether or not you may be allergic to this drug, do not take it!" In my opinion, if that cannot be put on the label, then it should be pulled from the marketplace. Here's my story.

Part I:

About 13 years ago, I had a horrible sinus infection. We had no insurance, and little money in the bank. We were at a friends house for dinner on a Friday night and she had just gotten over an ear infection, so she gave me the remainder of her prescription. It was Becton, she told me it was an antibiotic and it worked well for her. So I took ONE, when I got home that night and went to bed. That night I shook like a leaf as my fever kept increasing (up to 103) and I started vomiting, I ached everywhere. Kept trying to drink water to hydrate and it just kept coming back up, finally, dry heaving. My head hurt so bad right behind my eyes and I broke out in an itchy rash all over my torso and thighs. The next the morning I told my husband, I must have contracted the measles, I took another "antibiotic" and was laid up in bed all day again. I couldn't eat soup or anything and water was still hard to keep down. Fever was up and down, with Ibuprophen, but never dropped below 99 degrees. I could hardly move my neck, it was so stiff and hurt so bad to do so, I was beginning to think I had meningitis. My husband took me to the emergency clinic, this was a Sunday morning. I told the doctor there I thought maybe I had the measles. Fortunately for me, the Doctor knew better when I told her I had taken TWO Bactrin pills and said I was allergic to the Sulfa medication. This is the first I ever knew about that, because I'd never taken one before. She gave me a cortisone shot and some prednisone pills to take home and told me to put cortisone ointment on the rash to help the itch and I can't remember now, but it seems like she gave me another antibiotic. I started feeling better that day, and as far as I can remember I had no further complications. Heck, I'm not even allergic to penicillin, so who knew? Point is, had I gone to the doctor and been prescribed this medication, the results would have been the same, because I had NO IDEA I was allergic to this medication, how are you supposed to know? Get a Sulfa scratch test????? Anyway, I now knew I was allergic to Sulfa meds and make sure I tell all my doctors.

Part II

Just before this past Christmas, my husband had a cold, you know, the usual sinus drainage, sneezing, coughing, he felt pretty crappy and it stayed with him for over a week and even took a day off work, which he doesn't do often, I started taking my Zinc pills, in hopes that if I did get it, it would not be as severe as what he'd come down with. I contracted it Christmas Eve morning, I teased him about giving it to me for a Christmas present. I woke up sneezing and snotting that morning, but wasn't feeling too badly otherwise. Kept taking my Zinc pills and an over the counter cold med, Sudafed, hoping for the best, as I was to make the Christmas dinner for us and friends. Wasn't feeling too badly Christmas day and dinner went well. Not long after dinner, I started feeling worse nose running profusely, etc. I went to bed early and my husband and I were supposed to go to town the next day and do some after Christmas shopping and exchange gifts. Friday, I woke up with my nose running and the usual cold symptoms. The kids and grandkids were supposed to drive up (80 miles) on Sunday and have a Christmas with us, so I was anxious to get over this stuff. Sooooo, here's where I got STUPID again. My mother-in-law lives with us and she had been prescribed an "low dose antibiotic, called SMZ/TMP, for chronic UTI's. She'd been taking this everyday, by the way, for 3 months already, with no problems what so ever. (Now, mind you, I knew I was allergic to Sulfa and Bactrin, no where on this label did it say it was a Sulfa drug!) Soooo, I took ONE around 10:30, thinking I'd just nip this whole thing in the bud, as I am prone to major sinus and respiratory infections. Wrong, wrong, wrong thing to do! We went to town, we had lunch around noon, and I just wasn't hungry (not like me at all). I ate a little soup. By 1:00, I was aching all over, felt kinda sick to my stomach and knew I was getting a fever, I took three Ibuprophen, we exchanged a couple of gifts and I was in no mood or condition to go shopping, so we just came home. By the time we got home, I was starting to shiver. I sat on the couch with a blanket on me and tried to watch some TV. I shook more and more and finally told my husband, this must not be what you had, this feels more like the flu, I was aching everywhere. Most particularly in my joints, especially in my thumbs where I already have arthritis and in my neck and shoulders. I went to bed and my fever was up to 102 already and I began vomiting. Then the weird pains started, pain in my neck, horrible pain. Pain in my sides and back, like someone was sticking a hot iron on my kidneys and spine area. My eyes were blood shot looking, like I'd been on a binger or something and were watering like crazy. Kept a cold cloth on my head and neck to try to help keep the fever down. Continued vomiting, trying to drink water and feeling nauseous. I finally put a bag by the side of the bed, as it hurt to just get out of bed. This went on all night. Did not sleep until around 5:00 in the morning. My husband said, well you must have something different than I had. I said I've never felt this crappy and I didn't realize "the flu" could end up in your back and neck??? (I guess I should note here, I seldom ever, ever get "the flu", with all the aches and pains, etc. I usually just present with sinus or bronchial infections when I get something. I don't think I've had "the flu" in over 20 years, with the vomiting and stuff. ) He kept making sure I was trying to rehydrate and I was and at some point, I finally could keep water down. Turning over in bed was really difficult because of the pain that would radiate from my sides. The fever didn't break until Saturday afternoon, it finally dropped down to 98.9 ( when I'm feeling good my normal temperature runs 97.6) . I got out of bed to go downstairs and I could barely put on my bath robe. I'd just gotten a new one for Christmas and it's really heavy, just putting it on hurt my spine, it felt like it was compressing it, and just trying to get my arms in the sleeves hurt my sides really bad. Going downstairs was a bear, every time I put my foot down my lower back was killing me. What the heck is this stuff, I'd never had anything like this before. I still wasn't hungry, but I ate a tiny bit of soup. My husband called the kids and said we'd have to put our Christmas together off. I told him I was sure I'd be better tomorrow, but he insisted. (Glad he did !) Sunday I was much better, but still had this nagging pain in my back and couldn't get up and down from a chair very well, my abdomen hurt all across my waist, I couldn't bend at the waist without a lot of pain. I literally felt swollen up inside of me. But, I was "on the mend"! So, for about 4 or 5 days my back hurt, but it seemed a little better each day. Still wondering what the heck this was, I just sloughed it off as some sort of flu virus. It NEVER occurred to me that this could be a reaction to that one little pill I took. I never presented with rash, or trouble breathing, which is really the only way I thought an allergic reaction would present itself. Wrong again.

Part III

Thursday, January 22, I had made appointments for myself and my mother in law to go to the beauty college that day. I got up and got the wood stove started and just had bad stomach pains that morning. I had been diagnosed last year with too much of a certain bacteria in my gut, so I thought maybe this was the same thing starting again. Sooooooo, yep, some people never learn, I took one of my mother-in-law's SMZ/TMP pills, again hoping to just nip this in the bud. That was around 7:30 . I made us a light breakfast around 8:30 and proceeded to do my morning chores. I was burping a bit, unusual for me. I suddenly started feeling nauseated. I took two aspirin, because of the pain in my gut. About 10:30, I went upstairs to get cleaned up and after I got out of the bath and gotten dressed I suddenly needed to vomit. I kept my breakfast down, but the aspirin came up. I started shaking like a leaf, so I took my temp and it was only 98.3, so I didn't think it was being caused by fever. I went out to take care of the chickens, and once inside the coop, I suddenly felt like vomiting again. I held it back. When I got back to the house, I told my mother in law, whom I'd already gotten ready to go, that I needed to go lay down for a while, because I really felt crappy and that I might just have to cancel our appointment. I took three Ibuprophen and took my temp again, it was now 99 point something. I began to ache all over. Particularly in my joints. What the heck, I couldn't have "the flu" again, jeeze, I'd just had it less than a month ago???? After about 45 minutes, I realized I wasn't going anywhere. Nausea kept increasing, right along with the pain. I was shaking all over, so I got back into my PJ's and went downstairs and apologized to my mother-in-law for not being able to take her to get her hair done and called my husband and told him that I was sick and going to bed, and that he'd need to bring something home for dinner. The fever kept climbing and I kept shaking and the aches and pains increased. It got up to 102 something. I felt awful, everywhere. My neck started getting really stiff and painful and my head started really pounding right behind my eyes.. Felt almost as bad as a migraine. But, sort of like an "ice-cream headache" that would come and go. I did not sleep, I vomited again, just a little water. Never did vomit up my breakfast. My back and sides began to really hurt. I felt swollen inside again. My face looked like I was sunburned and my eyes were all red. I could keep water down this time. I kept feeling like I need to get up and urinate about every hour. I never did sleep, though I lay in bed all day. I just couldn't stop thinking how weird it was that I'd be coming down with same "flu" I'd just had. What on earth was this stuff? A small itchy rash developed on the tops of my feet. Suddenly, it dawned on me. Was I having a reaction to mom's meds? Could SMZ/TMP be a Sulfa medication? IS THAT WHAT THE S STANDS FOR???? I drug myself down to the computer and googled SMZ/TMP. Well, at least now I was pretty sure what was causing this,though I still didn't know one medication could do all this. I went right back to bed, didn't have the strength or want to do any more research. My head was killing me at this point. When my husband got home, I told him my suspicions and he thought we should go to ER and I just said, well if it's just an allergic reaction, I'll probably be fine. It went away last time, so I'll work through it this time. What a dumb-ass I felt like.

Friday, I was just as sick, except the nausea had stopped. I got up to get Mom's pills arranged for her and then went right back to bed. But, when my husband made breakfast for my Mom and the smell was nauseating me. Very weird, I'm a food junky! Food sounded and smelled awful!! My head hurt, my ears hurt, my eyes hurt, my back and particularly my right side was aching badly. The fever had not broken, I hadn't broken a sweat yet, though it would lower and raise again based on my taking either Tylenol or Ibuprophen. My husband was getting antsy and said that we should go to the ER. I told him that if I wasn't better by tomorrow I'd go. But right now, I just want to rest. I tried to sit on the couch and watch some TV, just to see if getting out of a horizontal position would help with the pain. That lasted about a half and hour and the pain was so bad I went back to bed. I hadn't slept much all night long (if at all) and just wished I could go to sleep. Tylenol and Ibuprophen both helped, but when worn off the pain was right back just as strong. I was able to keep water down this time. I finally slept a little and I came down and the fever had broken a bit. I even ate some chicken noodle soup that afternoon, which made me burp a lot, weird. . I watched a little TV, which seemed to make my eyes hurt more. I went back to bed and lay down a few more hours. I got up that evening and watched some more TV with the family and then my head started hurting even worse. I went back to bed and by the time I'd gotten up stairs, my head was pounding, this time worse than a migraine and I began to vomit again. This time it was more violent and I had dry heaves. Which made my head and eyes hurt worse. (Maybe I shouldn't have eaten?) I went back to bed. The light was doing really weird things to my eyes, when I closed them, it was like there was a light flashing in front of me, and when I opened them there was a flickering smokiness in the room. Around 9:00, I had the violent dry heaves again. I felt like shit! Everything was aching all over again, fever back up to 102 something. My husband said "I'm taking you to the ER". I said no, wait til morning, we'll go if I'm not better. It was another horrible night. My head hurt so bad. I had a cold cloth on my forehead and then my neck started hurting so badly I put it on the back of my neck and when I did, I could feel prickly things on my neck. It felt really weird. My sides at this point hurt so badly, I could hardly turn over in bed. I could only do so, by trying not to bend at the waist and sorta flip my whole body over at one time. I figured at this point, we were going to the ER in the morning. Well, somewhere around 5:00 am, I actually went to sleep.

Saturday, I woke up at 8:15 and was clammy and sweaty and my fever was down to 99. I still hurt badly on my sides and back, which I'm guessing is kidneys. I still feel swollen inside, but the headache seems to have gone. Thank God. I went down and got mom's pills together, and I even felt a little hungry. So I ate a breakfast bar thingy. So far so good. The nausea was still there, but I never vomited and the pain seemed to be pretty controllable with either Ibuprophen or Tylenol. (I alternated, because I know Tylenol isn't good for your liver, and Ibuprophen isn't good for your kidneys, though that is what I usually take, and I figured I had no idea what this internal pain was; kidney?, liver? intestines? who knows. I got on line and googled "SMZ/TMP" side effects. Holy shit. I was having almost all of the rare, but possible side affects. I had no idea, this pill could damage your liver, your kidneys, your brain, for cryin' out loud, it can CAUSE meningitis! What the heck is this pill doing on the market I thought? I also was beating up on myself for being so stupid as to not look it up in the first place!!! The fever stayed low and the back and side pains stayed. But I definitely felt better. I even made dinner that night and ate some. Now I've developed a ringing slight ringing in the ears, but who cares, the headache and eye pain is gone.

Sunday, I'm much better yet. Pain is less. Nauseated if don't take the pain pills, hurts mainly in my right side and across my waist. When I stand up quickly I get light headed, but I can't stand up quickly anyway, because it hurts. Not much appetite, but I ate a good breakfast, hash and eggs and toast, and I ate lunch and dinner, so that symptom seems to be gone. It's raining out and I got on line to do some more investigation on this pill and low and behold I came across Brian Deer's website. There are over 500 emails posted there and I can't believe how many people had almost the same reaction to a medication their doctors actually prescribed to them. And the poor folks kept taking it, because it was prescribed! I never in my life knew an allergic reaction to a medication could cause this sort of problems. At this point, I am absolutely sure this pill caused all of this, and hopefully there is nothing permanently damaged. Should I call my doctor tomorrow and make an appointment, just to be safe? Maybe he'll want to run some liver and kidney tests? My husband agrees I should.

And so, it is Monday, and I have an appointment in 45 minutes. Sides and back and midriff hurt enough this morning that I wasn't hungry at all. No fever at all today, 97.9. Ears still ringing. Tried not to take any pain medication, so I would present without it when I go in, but by noon I had to take some Tylenol. Finally ate a breakfast bar at 1:00, I think it's the pain that makes you not hungry with this crap. Anyway, that's my story so far, I sure hope there isn't any more to tell. I can't believe I was so dumb, and I can't believe there's a pill out there that can make someone soooo sick, with just one pill. I will NEVER, EVER take anyone else's pain medication!!! Good luck and God bless to all of the rest of you who were stricken by the side effects of this prescribed pill and didn't know you were allergic.

Cassie Murdock-Staton

BACTRIM DS: 20 February 2009

After 2 days of Bactrim DS treatment for cystitis, my legs became very itchy and I started to become bloated. I had stomach cramps and urges to have a bowel movement, but never did. I took 4 full days of Bactrim DS (1 pill, 2 times a day). I had a weight gain of 4 pounds, probably caused by edema and also constipation (finally relieved by 4 tabs of senna over 3 days, b/f having a BM). After the 3rd day of taking it, my legs were entirely red with hives and extremely itchy. I had 1st thought it was due to the dry weather. By the 4th day, I was covered in a red rash from chest, arms, torso and legs. I discontinued the medication at that time. On day 5, having stopped the medication the night before, my rash still persisted although Benadryl was taken every 4-5 hours. I also wound up having scattered welts on my back and legs that resembled mosquito bites. I was less itchy that evening. On day 6, 2 days after I stopped taking the medication, I woke up with large welts on my buttocks and back of legs. They are extremely itchy. Also, my scalp is now itchy. As of yesterday, I ve had stomach distention and am frequently passing gas. Cortisone cream is not working. I called by dr. for a prescription of prednisone as this is just too uncomfortable.

In all, what I have is an allergic reaction. I also am allergic to penicillin and amoxicillin.

Jennifer N

BACTRIM DS: 23 February 2009

Dear Brian,

I am a thirteen year old teen who was perscribed Bactrin Double-Strength for bronchitis. Can that be one of it's uses, because most of the stories here have to do with kidneys some way or another. Either way, I was perscribed the Bactrin and told to take it twice a day for ten days. On the first dose I was getting bad hedaches very frequently but still wasn't suspicious of the antibiotic. On the eighth day aih started getting very tiny, slightly raised red dots on my skin. In the early morning it was my ankles but it spread to my entire body by the time the day was out. It still hadn't appeared on the pads of my feet or the palms of my hands. The next morning I woke up very itchy mainly on my ankles. The the dots from the rash doubled and got bigger and more itchy but still raised about the same amount from my skin. I went for A second opinion and he prescribed an ofer the counter histamine blocker. I would like to know if my doctor made A mistake and accedentally prescribed it to me wrongly.

Sincerely,

Red & Itchy (ow)