Mail to this site on Bactrim - Septra - trimethoprim - Septrin side effects (34)

BACTRIM: 1 March 2009

Hi Brian, I was looking up symptoms for allergic reactions to Bactrim and stumbled across your site. This site is very interesting and I wished I found it earlier. My daughter had a severe reaction to Bactrim... She had an UTI and the doctor prescribed bactrim. Well, being that I have taken it before didn't think anything of it. She came home from school ill with a fever and I took her to the doctor, they said it was a virus, and to continue with the bactrim. She was unable to take it or more less didn't feel up to taking it because she felt nauseated and she said she would take it when she felt better. Thank God she didn't. I mind you her symptoms were a high fever of 103.4, joint pains, red rashes all over her body, eyes are blood shot. and chest pains.

She didn't feel better from her symptoms so I took her to the ER and they couldn't find anything... They tested her for strep, mono, flu and some other auto immune diseases due to her family history.. Put her on IV and she begin to feel better and they told her also to finish the bactrim. Okay she didn't get around to taking it but wasn't feeling better and so I took her to the doctor in the morning and the doctor said it looks like a bad case of adneovirus. Sent her home and said complete the bactrim and stay hydrated. Okay, so she didn't get around to taking the bactrim and went to school a day later. She was complaining of joint pains when she got home, so my mom massaged her and then this day she decided to listen to the doctors and take the medication but this day almost cost her her life. She begin to have chest pains, excruciating joint pains, high fever, and trouble opening her eyes within in minutes after taking the medication. She was rushed to the hospital and they told her it looks like systematic rheumatoid arthritis.. NOT!! She was later admitted to the children hospital where there are specialists who see cases like this and she saved my daughter's life and told us in two seconds from learning that she was taken bactrim, it was an allergic reaction to Bactrim... Now, I am afraid for her to take anything.

Mrs. Wade

APO-SULFATRIM: 1 March 2009

I try very hard not to take any prescribed medications if I can possibly help it. However after trying for a month to get rid of a bladder infection unsuccessfully - I gave in and got the prescription. On the 3rd day I had an uncomfortable pressure in my chest unlike anything I had ever had and thought it must be indigestion - which I rarely get - maybe the coffee was too strong etc. The pressure went on for a few hours and radiated across to my shoulders so I worried about heart attack symptoms and went to the hospital. My face had gone brilliant red and my blood pressure was way over the top of normal so they put me straight into Trauma and checked me for heart attack. Doctor ordered IV for lowering BP but the nurse noticed that my blood pressure was dropping so refrained from doing it. As it was, my BP gradually went down to normal. All blood tests and EKG for heart attack came back negative but the doctor was really concerned about BP spike and said it was like a severe allergic reaction. She knew I was on the Apo-Sulfatrim and said maybe I should discontinue it as 3 days was enough to get rid of the infection - but my doctor had told me to take it for the full 10 days. However I was fine next day. The pain in my chest went away and I continued with the medication because I wanted to be sure I got rid of the urinary infection. 5 nights later I woke up to go to the bathroom and had absolutely no balance - I was falling from left to right and finally fell back on the bed. Terrible feeling - again, never had anything like that before. Wondered if it was again a BP problem. Was so dizzy I had to keep laying down. Funny thing was, I was away from home for the night and had forgotton my medication so I had missed the evening dose. Also missed the next morning dose. I recoverd from the loss of balance after a few hours and when I returned home that night felt I should at least make sure I finished the last few anti-biotics. I took one that night, one next morning and another that night - only one left. I woke up before daylight feeling horrible and felt a rash over my legs from ankles to thighs. Bright red welts with blisterlike spots all over and swollen. So I had 3 entirely different episodes, never before experienced, whilst on this medication. I got up and decided to research this medication on the internet and Hey Presto - here it was. I generally always go on-line and research anything prescribed and I feel angry at myself that I did not do it at this time, but I am in the middle of moving and I've been very pre-occupied with many issues. I've also had painful and swollen fingures and wrist and started limping because of pain in my top leg joint. I am quite in tune with my body and have always been fussy about what I eat and getting exercise - I can't believe how I tried to excuse all these symptoms - something it seems we all do. Even when the hospital doctor told me she thought I was suffering an acute allergic reaction I tried to put it down to something I had ingested that morning - not the Apo-Sulfatrim. I am apalled but not the least bit surprised that this poison is still doing the rounds. How disgusting! I am wondering if there is any way to get this out of my body. The red itchy blistering skin all over my legs seems to be persistant and I feel very bloated. Is there some typre of detox I can do?? I have printed up your home page about this drug to give to my doctor. Thank you for caring about all the victims created by Big Pharma.

Gerald D.

BACTRIM: 2 March 2009

Since I am not allergic to sulfur-based antibiotics, my ear, nose and throat specialist prescribed Bactrim for a severe sinus infection, after trying 2 other antibiotics, which did not work. The prescription was for a twice-daily dose for 30 days. I am 48 years old, have only had 1 sinus infection, years ago, which was treated successfully and quickly, so no history of sinus infections. This one was extremely stubborn. Not only did the Bactrim not help/cure my sinus infection, but it leaked into my hair, causing it to become dry and brittle, with a burnt sulfur smell which was foul when wet, and getting worse every day. No one could smell it when my hair was dry, thankfully, but I could. I saw my beautician, hoping she might have some idea what was causing it. A nurse was there getting a hair cut, overheard our conversation, and asked me about my diet, any drugs I might be taking. That s when it clicked. The smell was caused by the long-term use of this sulfur-based drug. The only way to treat the condition of my hair was to cut it off. After spending the last two years letting my hair grow, it s only about 1-1/2 inches long now, but worth it to rid myself of that foul odor. The drug also affected my finger nails. My nails have always been very strong, clear, healthy, and easy to maintain. They are now short, thin and brittle, and break easily. Even though I m not allergic to sulfur, I can say with conviction that I have developed a low tolerance to it due to Bactrim, and will avoid. And, even though my experience is pale compared to many I have read on this site, it is a clear that this drug is sneaky and serious, even to those of us who aren t allergic.

Karen M

DRUG REACTIONS: 8 March 2009

Hi Brian. I don't want to sound too jaded here, but can't help but to send you my first thoughts about this discussion on this Sylfamet-stuff.

First Thought: Is there a single Internet-posting conversation about any drug that doesn't mostly complain about the drug? The way I see it, only a small fraction of the population has bad reactions to common drugs on the market, and yet, these kinds of discussion boards would have you believe that the FDA is literally trying to kill everyone who takes any kind of pill. If 100 people take a drug, and one has a bad reaction, who do you think is going feel the need to share that experience all over the Internet? Hint: not the 99. Though the problems are probably few (on a percentage basis), I don't want to diminish them, and I know that some folks have suffered real-life tragic loss. It's just that when I see recurring thoughts like, "don't ever take this drug", or "how can the FDA allow it?", I feel that the balance might be lost. Balance might be regained by the following question: Is it not true that the majority of customers have benefitted from the drug? My suspicion is that a vast number of lives have been saved from great tragic loss because they took Bactrim.

Second Thought: I've had a swollen face for a couple weeks due to what I figure to be a sinus infection coming off the back-side of a bad cold. After being informed by my older kids in the house that people die from that kind of thing, I gave in, so for the third time in my adult life I saw a doctor. He prescribed to me this sulfa-stuff that everyone is talking about here. I am on day two now, and wife casually suggested Google-searching it. After all, I went to the trouble of seeing a doctor, going to the drug-store, shelling out a bunch of bucks for it, and carefully taking it in a timely manner, so maybe I can spend five minutes to at least learn a bit about it. After reading several postings, it sounds here as though my best chances are taken with the sinus-infection. Sure, it can get into the bones, eyes, and brain, but don't take the sulfa pills! Sorry folks, I'm staying with the stuff my doctor said to take. To be fair though, if they kill me, I'll let you know.

John T. Kartak

BACTRIM: 13 March 2009

Dear Mr. Brian Deer,

I stumbled on your website after trying to figure out why on Earth I feel so terrible in my 4th day of taking Bactrim for a UTI. I have a history of these infections and twice before I have taken Bactrim to clear them up. Each time, as soon as I began the medication I started feeling dizzy, feverish, achy, and often nauseated. As soon as the course was run I began to feel immediately better. I chalked this up to the drugs doing their job and kicking the illness out.

This time there is a new symptom though- when I began the medication this time, I was struck almost immediately (within an hour or so of taking the pill) with a crippling migraine. My eyes were so sensitive to light that my head exploded every time I opened them, and I was forced to down an ibuprofin and huddle in bed until the throbbing stopped. My hands and feet on my left side tingled uncontrollably and I felt horrible stabbing pains in my temples and in my lower back/kidney region. I have never had a migraine like this my entire life. Headaches yes, but the feeling that any sliver of light was a dagger in my eyes right into my brain was almost too much to bear.

After this, for the last two days I have had a persistent headache where if I turn my head at any angle too suddenly it sounds like a deafening rush in my skull followed by an intense pressure and a tingling all through my body. This morning I was also greeted with a flurry of eye-floaters which annoy my vision and make my already nearsightedness that much worse. Of course this is all on top of the usual flu-like aching and grogginess I always get. Bactrim every time, and sick every time- it just can't be a coincidence!

I called my pharmacist and she seemed concerned but puzzled. The flu symptoms were common with antibiotics, but the migraine and vision problems according to her were "not listed anywhere as side effects" and in her opinion I should see my primary doctor about it. I have an appointment but the earliest they had was next Tuesday, which will be the very day I finish my course of Bactrim!

I am as sure as someone can be that these problems all stem from this horrible pill, and though I will continue with the course of treatment unless something worsens (since I have done it twice before and made it through) I feel a little like I am running a gauntlet. People should be far more informed about these drugs and their negative effects, especially the doctors who prescribe them. There are so very many combinations of antibiotics which could cure a simple UTI, so something with such a negative history should really not be the first thing to casually throw at someone as soon as they complain.

Thank you for allowing a forum for those of us affected to vent our frustrations.

Samantha R.

BACTRIM: 17 March 2009

Hi Brian, I want you to know that your internet articles probably saved my life in 2005. I was being treated for a UTI with Bactrim and became extremely ill. I was lethergic, had a total body rash, increased respiration, and often felt like my heart was slowing down. I went back to my Dr. 2 times, and called them numerous times in the span of 3 days. Finally I was so frustrated and sick I did a Google search online and found you! By that afternoon I was BACK in my Dr's office telling THEM what I had found. When I told the Dr who had prescribed the med, (actually a nurse practitioner), she left the room to find the Dr in charge, who immediately said for me to stop taking the bactrim...that I was having an allergic reaction to it. The Dr stated that I needed to make sure that I kept info regarding my allergy with me at all times in case of an accident. In this day of increased cases of MRSA and other Staff infections I have become hyper-vigilant with handwashing, and cleanliness in general. I want to thank you for your dedication to this proble. I wonder how many people have become sick, or died due to this medication. It is truly scary. Again, thank you for what you do.

Sandra Lee, Maine, USA

BACTRIM SULFA: 20 March 2009

In the year 2000, a local Dr prescribed Bactrim Sulfa for a possible Bladder Infection. A few minutes after taking the Bactrim Sulfa, I noticed that my muscles were becoming tight. My wife drove me to the local Hospital only a few block from our home.

In about 10 minutes, I was totally paralized and as red as a boiled lobster. I later peeled like a bad sunburn.

The ER Dr. told my wife that I was having massive strokes on both sides of my brain and that I probably would not make it. I estimated that I had spend 15 to 20 minutes in the local ER. My wife informed me that I was there almost 4 hours. My brain has shut down and I did not know what was happening.

The Dr then told me that I had massive strokes and that he was sending me to Riverside Hospital in Columbus 100 miles away. I told the Dr that he was totally wrong and that my reaction was due to the Bactrim Sulfa. He insisted there were massive strokes. I called him a "Quack" and that he was totally wrong. I asked the Dr if I had these massive strokes; then how was it that I could speak loud and clear. He said there are always exceptions.

At Riverside cardiac intensive care, I told them of the local ER's wrong thinking and that it really was a reaction to Bactrim Sulfa. They had never heard of this kind of reaction.

After three days at Riverside and many, many tests the Dr informed me that I did not even have a small stroke and no heart attack. Then the Dr said that it had to be the Bactrim Sulfa pill.

One of the lasting effects was that I could not move my arms. After a while I was able to walk, but I could only eat by placing my mouth near my plate to put the food in. It was 18 months before the nerves regrew and I could raise my arms straight up.

A Neurologist finally said that the Bactrim Sulfa had swelled all the nerves in my body and where the nerves go thru the Superscapula notch on top of my shoulders, they had swelled to the extent that were pinched off and that resulted in the lack of movement in my arms.

Bactrim Sulfa was banned in England in 1985, 15 years before it was given to me.

Hilary Youngpeter. 85 years of age, Excuse the poor spelling. Dyslexia makes the spelling problem.

SEPTRA: 31 March 2009

Brian,

Another who is relieved to have found this website. I am a healthy 33 year old female who was prescribed Septra for an infection in my toe. A few days in to the regimen, I noticed that my legs were cramping up, aching, and I had trouble bearing weight. I did not associate this with the drug. Shortly thereafter, I began to have flu-like symptoms, body aches and malaise, general confusion and difficulty functioning normally. I thought that perhaps I was coming down with something. The very next morning, I felt as though I was going to die. I couldn't stand up, I couldn't see straight, nothing made sense. And then, out of nowhere, my entire body, scalp to toe, become covered with a lacework of hives. I was on fire. Burning, itching, suffering beyond anything that I had ever experienced before. In tears, I dragged myself into the doctor's office where they simply said, "Oh, you must have a sulfa allergy, its pretty common". I am almost free of the rash now, a few days later and on a high dose of steroids. All other functioning is normal again, except that I have a fluid-filled chest that isn't clearing up. Yet, I'm afraid to go back into the doctor because goodness knows what they'll prescribe! This is criminal.

Nicola (Illinois, USA)

SULPHA DRUGS: 5 April 2009

Hi Brian,

I came across this site looking for hidden sulpha in the environment. When I was 16, in 1987, I was prescribed a sulpha based antibiotic for a UTI. I wish I could remember the exact name but can not. After taking my first dose, I woke up in the middle of the night wanting to take my skin off! My face was swollen and red. My mother took me back to the doctor and he threw the pills in the garbage and told me to never take another one or I could die. Then he gave me some sleeping pills and sent me home. On my 21st birthday I drank a lot of wine and champagne and broke out in terrible hives. I went to the doctor and was told I was allergic to sulphites. I thought that the two were related but have found conflicting information. I can not eat any dried fruits treated with sulphur and am so scared of accidently being exposed since my hives will lasts for weeks.

After taking the pills I also suffered from leg pain, mostly around the knees. I can only describe it as a headache in my leg. I just thought that either I had arthritis or growing pains. I still have the leg pain and it can keep me up at night. I'm forced to walk around or take pain medication to go back to sleep. I have to get an aisle seat on a plane so I can get up and walk. I still suffer from hives occasionly and Erytema Nodosum (red patches on my shins that come and go).

I just can't believe you are still getting emails. Why are people still being prescribed this medication without being told about these awful side effects? Is anyone pursuing a class action lawsuit. Something to get it off the market!?

SULFAMETHOXAZOLE: 07 April 2009

Hi...wow...thanks for posting this site. There are a number of medical sites that have the "possible but rare side effects" listed - but nothing else that gives actual accounts of what can and does happen. My husband and I travelled to Mexico for our honeymoon and on our last night there I had terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea - this lasted about 5 days before I finally went to see my doctor about it. She immediately gave me a prescription for SulfaMetha something. There were a number of names on the label including Sulfatrim, Septra and Bactrim. I had to take 2 pills twice a day for 7 days. After 5 days I still had stomach cramps, but no diarrhea in a couple of days. With my first semi solid bowel movement in almost 2 weeks I had blood around my stool so I went to the ER because the drug info says to see a doc immediately. He said it was probably just irritation in my lower intestine. He said to take the last few doses. So I did. The night after I had taken my

last dose I noticed some red dots on my upper legs but they weren't itchy or anything - I just thought it might have been from something else. However, when I woke up the next morning I was covered from head to toe in raised, red, itchy hives. So I went to my doctor again, who didn't ask to look at my hives - she simply prescribed some antihistamine and cortizone cream to rub on the hives. I also felt like there was sand behind my eyelids so she told me to get some natural tears. Not once during all of this did she ask me to get a stool sample. I finished taking the medication and now I am on a 5 day cycle of no bowel movements and then a day of diarrhea. Finally I had to submit a stool sample - but still have no news of what could be wrong with me. I did find out at 26 that I have my first allergy though! I am starting to get some joint pain this week (I've been finished the medication for about a week now) I am unsure if it is related, but a lot of people have mentioned joint pain. I've had it a little while, but it is getting worse this week.

This is a terrible drug and I think doctors shouldn't be so quick to give it!

COTRIMOXAZOLE DS: 15 April 2009

I am 69 years old and had a slight bladder infection (which I believe came from Premarin which I stopped after the 1st day) Anyway, the Dr. Rx'd Co-Timoxazole DS, which I have researched now and found your site. I experienced while taking it, abdominal pain,cramping pains, aching in lower pelvic region and burning and inflamed-feeling intestines, esp. lower intestines. I also had very loose stools, so I thought that perhaps there was something else wrong, because it certainly didn't feel like a bladder thing. I didn't at first connect it to the medicine. I have taken it 5 days now and am discontinuing immeditely - also going to make an appt to see my Dr. today.

I feel slight nausea, loss of appetite, tire, weak, fall asleep in the afternoon because I feel exhausted, but waken in the night because of the burning in my lymph nodes.

I have found that the lymph nodes in upper legs, groin and the glands under my chin are swollen and irritated. My neck and back ache, and my skin is all itchy and feels sore, although there is no rash (yet) My eyes are sore and stingy. I have difficulty focusing and have "floaters" in my eyes. I have a headache, break out in sweats and generally feel weak and tired. I want to lie down all the time. I am hopeful I can find some way to get this out of my system asap.

D.MCaren

SMZ-TMP: 15 April 2009

Mr. Deer,

I am a 35 yr old woman. I was prescribed SMZ-TMP 800mg, 1 tab 2x a day for a UTI on March 24th 2009. I stopped taking it on March 28th because I notices my son (18months old who I am still nursing) had a small rash on his jaw line and face. I was also getting small red bumps on my face that were painful and full of clear fluid. I didn't realize that the back pain, muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, headaches, dizziness,and fatique that I was experiencing since I began the meds were part of the reaction also. I thought I was getting a bug. 5 days after stopping the medicine I got red bruise-like spots all over my legs that were sore and hurt to the touch. I went to the doctor and he said it was definately a reaction to the Bactrim-DS. I went back to the Dr April 10th 2009 because I had been experiencing severe joint pain. Since it had been a couple of weeks since I stopped the drug, he tested me for lyme (we have had a tick problem in our area), arthritis(bloodtest), lupus, and a couple of other things. Everything came back negative. Now what? I still have joint pain in my ankles, knees, hips, elbows, wrists, and hands(have had some swelling in the hands mostly in the mornings) and I have constant fatique. Where do I go from here? I am also concerned about my 18 month old because I had been nursing him while taking that horribly medication. He seems more upset lately and angry. In the last 3 days he doesn't want the TV on at all. He usually loves to watch his favorite show and dance to the music. I hope he is just getting tired of that show and just wants to do other things. He is still very active.

Kim

BACTRIM: 17 April 2009

In 1997 my 51 year old husband was prescribed Sulfamethoxazole/TMP DS. He had taken two pills a day for 23 days when he suddenly felt like he had the flu; his face was a dark red color and he had a bad cough. His doctor took him off the sulfa med and said he had bronchitis; two days later his temp went up to 104.5. He was given a lung x-ray and told he had pnuemonia. Three days later he could hardly breathe so we rushed him to the emergency room; the next day he was put in intensive care on a ventilator. Lung biopsies showed no residue in his lungs, but his lungs were bleeding. He was fighting for his life. The sulfa med turned toxic and he was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress. Thank goodness he did survive; his was on a ventilator for 7 weeks and in the hospital for 3 months. He left the hospital in a wheel chair with chronic pulmonary fibrosis.

We contacted the pharmacuetical company that supplied this medicine and sent them documentation detailing my husband's condition and blood test results the day he was admitted to the hospital. They wrote back a few weeks later and stated that his reaction was rare, but there had been similar reactions reported, and also deaths. No one should ever take Bactrim or it's generic.

Jan B, Niles, MI.

BACTRIM: 20 April 2009

Dear Brian,

Thank you so much for this website. I am home from work today because had a severe allergic reaction to this drug. Here's how it happened for me: A week and 2 days ago, I went to my doctors office to get an antibiotic for a sinus infection that wasn't clearing up. (MInd you, I am normally anti antibiotics, because I have read of the damage you can do to your system by taking them too often in your life. I generally prefer a natural course of treatement. But this sinus infection was really taxing me. I was continually sneezing, blowing my nose, pressure in the head, but worst of all the fatigue and bone-tiredness I felt. So I thought, ok, if I'm feeling this bad, I'm ready to try anything, even an anti-biotic.) The nurse practioner originally said she was going to give me amoxycillin, but when I got to the pharmacy, I noticed the prescription was for Bactrim instead. I asked the pharmicist if he knew why she might have prescribed this drug instead, and he said he had no idea, so I filled the prescription and went home.

It was a 10 day course and I took my first pill on a Saturday evening. By the middle of the week, I was feeling depressed and down; I remarked to a friend that I wondered if it was from the Bactrim. I was very frustrated that none of my sinus infection symptoms were lessoning, and I felt even more tired and lethargic than before. All I wanted to do was sleep. By the following Friday, I felt fine in the morning, but I had to leave work by 12:30 because my stomach hurt so bad and I just didn't feel good at all. This progressed into one of the worst weekends I've ever experienced. Friday and Saturday I had extreme flu symptoms: incredible chills; I was either freezing cold or burning up, the muscle pain was all over my body, nausea, and I had excruciating headaches. I could hardly move; the simplest tasks like moving from room to room in my apartment were extremely taxing. By Saturday nite, I was so sick that I was considering going to the emergency room. My face and entire body felt like they were on fire, and I rubbed my head all night long becuse of a severe headache. I called the doctor on call at 2 in the moring, and he suggested taking a Tylenol and seeing how I felt in the morning. Sunday morning, when I did finally crawl out of bed to use the bathroom, I noticed the rash. My face was bright red and as I looked over my entire body, to my horror, it was all over. Everything was bright red interspersed with patches of my normal white skin, so that I looked like a burn victim. Thats when I knew I needed medical attention and a friend took me to an urgent care facility. I was so sick I could barely move. When the doctor saw me, he immediately said I'd had a reaction to the Bactrim and he has put me on a 15 day course of Prednisone.

That was yesterday. I sit here today feeling better, but still looking like a monster. The rash has started to itch. I feel I'm slowly gaining my strength back. I have to go back to work by Wednesday and I dread going to work or anywhere in public looking like this. I am so angry that the Nurse Practitioner prescribed this awful drug to me, especially when she first mentioned she would put my on amoxycillin (which I've taken before and had no ill effects). But I am even more angry as I've read through all these stories and reports of all the dear people who have suffered because of this drug, and yet, it is still somehow on the market. I can only hope and pray that, for myself, the effects of this won't be long term in any way. Especially going in the sun. I can't imagine what life would be like if I couldn't enjoy being in the sun.

Sharon S.

SULFA ALLERGY & DIURETICS: 9 May 2009

Good morning,

I happened across your website about Septra today. I should've known better than to ever take it because it made my mother absolutely crazy, but I had been sick once with a sinus infection x 2 weeks, so I did........

Luckily for me (and my late mother), we weren't able to take the nasty stuff long enough to get as seriously ill as most of you got. I am so, so sorry. I felt like I was literally going to jump out of my skin and I would've been quite happy to bite someone.

Later on our beloved Chocolate Lab turned out to be allergic to Bactrim too. I had the random thought - Oh goodness, I forgot to tell the vet that Pete's granny and I are both allergic to this stuff! -- and then I realized, of course, that a dog was not my biological child........ Oh well.

Please warn everyone with sulfa allergies that almost all the popular diuretics on the market (Lasix (furosemide), hydrochlorothiazide, which is found in many combination drugs, almost all diuretics with which I am familiar except spironolactone.

They say that most people don't react to the small amount of sulfa in the diuretics but I did, and my mother did as well. I tried every one of them, I think, before we ended up with sulfa-less spironolactone.

I didn't have time to study your entire website because I'm allegedly working but wanted to add this information. If you're allergic to sulfa, beware of diuretics (also called water pills, fluid pills, etc.)

Thanks!

Marcia Hatman, Clarksville, Arkansas

BACTRIM DS & SJS: 11 May 2009

Brian

As I write this, I have become sick at my stomach reading page after page of horror stories of people whose lives have been changed, and in many cases ruined, as a result of bactrim DS. In my son's case, in the Spring of ' 07, then 15 years old, went on a seemingly routine visit to our GP for a case of teenage acne.

On 3-12-07 Bactrim DS was prescribed. By 3-16-07 he broke out into blisters on his hands and elbows. We called the doctor and it was discontinued, and by 3-21-07 he was diagnosed with Steven Johnson's Syndrome (SJS). Several weeks of testing followed to confirm everything that we prayed that was happening was not happening...but two years later my son still suffers from SJS, and the drug companies still operate above reproach.

We start this week with a new group of doctors at UAB (University of Alabama in Birmingham) in hopes to find a way to stop the damage SJS is doing to my now 17 year old son. He is an honors student, and wants to go into nursing in hopes to help others that have fallen prey to the big drug companies.

He has outbreaks, that we can see, 3-4-times a year, probably others we never see. All we are treating with at the present time is prednisone, and good medical care for open weeping sores. I pray that this finds someone that can help us cope and learn of a solution or someone we can offer a solution to that finds themselves in a similar predicament.

God, please save our children.

Regards,

Doug Brom

BACTRIM: 18 May 2009

I am a 47 year old woman who has been taking Bactrim for a UTI. After 6 doses in pill form, I am incredibly weak, have terrible aches in my upper legs and hands and am having chills. I feel horrible! I was just searching side effects when I found you site. I will not take another one~ Now....how long will these symptoms last and is there anything that relieives them?

LouCinda Jarratt, Simpsonville, SC

BACTRIM: 19 May 2009

Brian,

I wish I had of found this site before I took Bactrim. I was perscbibed bactrim for a severe ear throat/sinus infection. 12 hours after the first dose I felt something was wrong. I had itching, chest pains (like my heart was being torn and stretched) and I developed insomnia. 24 hours later after the 2nd dose, those effects were 10x as bad. By the fourth does 48 hours later I felt like I was going insane. I could not think straight and I was halucinating and had acute hysteria and confusion. I thought I had contracted meningitis due to the fact I had 3 other meningitis symptoms besides the diseases symptoms of irratibility/confusion. I totally freakout out and could not talk or think straight. It was a nightmare. Dont ever take this drug people.