Bactrim Septra Sulfatrim Cotrim TMP/SMX side effects reports
Page 6 of mail to investigative reporter Brian Deer recounting sometimes serious side effects of the antibiotic often known as Septra, Bactrim, Sulfatrim or TMP/SMX
BACTRIM: 5 December
My experience with Bactrim has rendered me extremely worried about the ease that doctor’s and other health care professionals prescribe medications. I have never been allergic to any med and when I took Bactrim for a sinus infection, the day after my first dose I began to get large, red, itchy welts on my arms. I was not aware that I needed to contact my doctor for this and I continued to take the med. Several days past, and the rash began to appear all over my body, and it also seemed to swell and itch. The itching and swelling of my hands was so extremely bad that I cried from the misery. I ended up going to the ER after a week on the drug and was diagnosed with urticaria and an allergy to sulfa drugs.
Laura L.
SULFATRIM: 14 December
Hi, my daughter was prescribed sulfatrim a week ago for a UTI. She is almost three years old. She didn’t have any of the side effects that i have read about so far, but i notice that about an hour or two after she takes her medicine she goes into a violent rage.
She throws herself about and screams. It is horrible because she was NEVER like this before. I feel as though she has completely changed.
I know she is in her terrible two’s, but her fits were never like the ones she has now.
Tiffany.
BACTRIM: 16 December
I was 19 when I was given bactrim for a prolonged UTI, I remember feeling terribly allergic to it, I was unaware that it was the medicine at first. I developed a continuous itch all over my body, and then these little purple dots that covered every part of me. I finished the medicine unsure if it was bactrim that had caused it, since i sometimes do have allergies. about 6 months later I was given one bactrim pill when seeing my urologist, and immediately my body developed little purle spots everywhere. The best antibiotic I for me has been levaquin, better than cipro for me.
Joyce.
TRIMETH/SULFA: 31 December
Hi, Your website appeared after I used an online search engine to search for Trimeth sulfa side affects. A couple months ago I had an almost fatal mental breakdown accompanied by several physical side affects including abdominal pain,chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, and aching muscles and joints.
The medication was prescribed to me after my doctor discovered that I had an enlarged prostate. After taking Trimeth-Sulfa for about a week, i began to feel extremely intense emotional ups and downs, intense panic attacks, and severe depression including feelings of suicide. It was an absolute roller coaster ride. At the time I sought medical care for my anxiety and depression and was prescribed alphrazolam and Lexapro. When I was first prescribed Trimeth sulfa, i was not told the name of the drug by my doctor, only that it was “a general sulfur antibiotic.” I was in college at the time and had to leave because I was so out of my mind. Any information you could give me on the side affects of this drug would be greatly appreciated.
Nik O, Middleton CT.
BACTRIM: 2 January
thank you for posting your bactrim side effects website.
it gave me the information to recognize that i was having an adverse reaction and stop taking bactrim before further damage.
9 days bactrim provided effective relief from bacterial infection, no adverse effects at all until day 10, then:
slight nausea, total lack of appitite flushed hot red cheeks and ears heartburn (acid stomach upset) headache insomnia fatigue drymouth all adverse symptoms stopped entirely within 12 hours of ceasing bactrim two days later resumed bactrim one pill then within 3 hours tingling hands, face and scalp.
BACTRIM: 6 January
Until I found this website, I didn’t realize that I too was/am having an allergic reaction to this medication. After being prescribed this sulfa drug 1 tab twice a day for a bladder infection, within 30 minutes I began itching all over. Of course I thought that this reaction was part of the healing process, fighting off the bad germs or something. My sides and back have developed small dark brown spots that are slightly raised. I am a medium browned skinned black woman and my face and skin has a weird grayish tint to it now and still I itch. Normally, I have excellent health, a CBC was done, so I was good to go for the bactrim prescription. Now I feel fatigued, lack of appetite, my eyes are glazed, somewhat depressed, thoughts of suicide crossed my mind for the first time, while at work. Maybe these symptoms will diminish as time goes on. I was shocked to read about so many tragedies and needless horrors in reactions to this drug. I continued to take thise medication until today after finding your website. I pray these side effects will go away, in time. My thinking is that my reactions are not so severe that they won’t be reversed, in time.
Thank you a thousand times for your website. It has been a Godsend. From now on, I will ALWAYS do the homework on any medication whenever possible.
D F, Atlanta, GA
TRIMETHOPRIM/SULFAMETHOXAZOLE: 6 January
Dear Brian,
I am sitting here all numb after reading all these emails. My son was given this prescription of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole last week in Mexico for his acne…and for some unknown reason..he did not begin taking this right away…I had to do the research first. And somehow found your site…Thank God for your research and your website…otherwise, he would have started this regimen of taking these pills once a day..and they gave him boxes of this stuff to last for months…under different names..Ectaprim F, Bactrim F and Septrin F. He is only 17 years old and has suffered with acne since he was 12..however, it is not that severe any longer..with good hygiene it is getting better.
You can’t imagine my gratitude to you for your information. Seems like you may have saved my son from much suffering.
Grateful to you,
Ninfa S.
BACTRIM: 11 January
I, too, was taking the generic of Bactrim for a 14 day course. I stopped after 7 days because of the horrific taste in my mouth and smell in my nose. It was like I had just smoked a cigarette and it was with me 24 hours a day. I don’t smoke, no one in my family smokes. I quit smoking 14 years ago, but this brought it all right back.
I originally went to your site to see if anyone else listed this as a side effect and was quite surprised to find they hadn’t. And was then almost embarrassed to write about this since my problems are miniscule in comparison.
Good luck to all that take this drug. I know I won’t ever again. I am now on Spectracef. I think I will Google it and see if there’s something I should know…
Tami S.
SEPTRA/BACTRIM: 13 January
I am frightened. No one believes me! This medication has made me very sick. It starts with a severe headache. Then uncontrollable shakes from 103 fever. Then the vomiting. After that the pains in my legs and feet. I can’t sleep, can’t eat, and now I am severely dehydrated. I am also dizzy all day. My doctor says I have the flu. I know it’s the Septra/Bactrim because I rarely get sick and it started about 40 minutes after taking the drug. This is not the first time that I’ve had this reaction, but at first I believed the doctor and after getting well tried again. The same thing happened.
Can you believe they said it was just a reacurrance of the flu?
So now this is the tird time, of which I din’t even bother to go to the doctor. I am not going to take any more! Three times out of three times is no coincidence!! Now I am worried about the long term effects. My feet and legs hurt real bad! Is there anything I can do or take to relieve the pain?
D.M.J, Central Islip, NY
BACTRIM: 14 January
Dear Brian
I browsed through your impressive homepage on Bactrim etc.
Very relevant to me since my baby boy died in 2001 (less than 3 months old) after being treated with Bactrim, which was supposed to cure an alleged PCP (pneumocystis carinii) infection.
Our baby died after less than a week on Bactrim – according to the doctors he was HIV positive and died from PCP.
However, we later discovered that our baby lacked an important enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (according to test result), which means that he could not tolerate treatment with Bactrim or any other sulphonamide. One doctor (independent of the treatment of our baby) stated that “treating a baby suffering from lack of glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase with Bactrim could be fatal.” Another doctor (also independent) stated that “the baby should never have been treated with Bactrim” – “at least 2 good alternatives exist.”
The question now is: Did hereally die from PCP? Or could the side effects from Bactrim be compared to those of PCP?
Who could help me to investigate?
Yours
Jens K, Denmark
SEPTRIN: 14 January
dear brian,
I can’t believe how lucky I was to get unto your site. I just got my deadly experience with APOSULPHATRIM, I heard a slight cold with itchy throat and went to my doctor here in Grenada, he did all the vital examination and said I had an upper respiratory track infection so he prescribed septrin and Benadrily allergy to help with the itchy throat and cold.
I was to be on the septrin for 7 days twice a day
can you believe it I started taking my medication and the first day I got worse my heart started palpating fast, dryness of the mouth I will just sleep for endless hours without consciousness of my surrounding so I said to my sister look I will go off the benadrlly thinking it was the cause of my knock out. but I continued with the septrin thinking to my self antibiotic regimen must be adhere to for it to work.
I had to stay away from work because I was too weak to go my head gets light , feel faint , all my joint aching, the pressure point on my head throbbing as if attacked and beaten to a pulp, I could not even lift my 3 year old son.the night of the 3rd day I had to scribble out a kind of note for my sister in case of any eventuality during the night and told her to call in the morning to be sure I respond before she leaves her house for work.
it was such a traumatic experience for me and I have been searching the net all day to find out about this drug, before I finally ran into your website and after reading all the gory details given by other patients I think my experience is worth sharing .right now my memory is lapsing I am still very weak, my chest hurts, my body sore all over and I don’t know long I still have to be home before going back to work.
I think an allergy test should be taken if at all this drug is to be prescribed and patients warned of impending danger of taking the medication, rather than just giving it without a run down of what to expect.
regards
Stella, Grenada
BACTRIM: 17 January
Dear Mr. Brian Deer
Last week I Took my son to the Dr for pain in his left side pain urinating..the pain is not there all the time, The Dr, prescribed an antibiotic on Fri.(yesterday) he called it in to the Phamacy. I picked it up today..It was 160 milligrams sulfatrim a generic name for Bactrim. to take 2 times a day. He has never been prescribed this antibiotic…so I started researching on the internet and found your site. I always check out any meds perscribed to me or my son who is now 11. Thank you for this informative site. If this may help others let everyone know to PLEASE RESEARCH ANY DRUG BEFORE TAKING IT. I of course will not give this to my son and let the DR. know he needs to do other tests and maybe an0other antibiotic…thank you again…
Barbara, Naples FL
SEPTRIN: 18 January
I was prescribed Septrin twice by my GP probably some 20 years ago for bronchitis which was exacerbating the chronic asthma.
The first time I used it was very successful and the bronchitis cleared very quickly. The next time I developed large itchy sores on various parts of my body; mainly soft skin areas. Most alarmingly on my genitals!. Rapid return visit to GP!
The explanation was that I had “developed a sensitivity to Septrin”. This was marked on my notes. A change to another antibiotic and the bronchitis cleared up so did the sores.
Having just seen your articles on the internet I guess that I got off lightly. But like some of the comments I have just read, I do seem to have a great facility to catch anything going. I have always put it down to the many years of anti-biotics combatting bronchitis and other chest infections having weakened my immune system. Maybe this was the lasting effect of the Septrin.
What is worrying is that the medical profession can continue to use drugs and other preparations when there is a doubt about the side effects. My wife suffers from disabilities caused thus.
The more that is done to expose these medical foul-ups the better.
Regards
Philip F, UK
BACTRIM: 18 January
After using for 7 days my son started experiencing dizziness and hallucinations with the ability to not concentrate and think.
He discontinued use that mourning and did not take any the rest of the day, but the damage was done. In the middle of some routine work on an automoble that day he suffered a seizure that hospitalized him for 2 days. Noother results could be found using mri and cat scans. the only conclusion was the allergic effect of bactrim. I will forward any other information as it comes to me.
He is now going to have further investigation and test at th Ohio State University.
Tim A, Columbus, Ohio
BACTRIM: 20 January
MY EXPERIENCE STARTED IN OCT 2003 MY DOCTOR PRESCRIBE BACTRIM TO ME AND I WAS PREGNANT WITHIN TWO DAYS LATER I STARTED ITHCHING BURNING HIVES WERE ALL OVER MY BODY MY TONGUE,LIPS EYES WERE SWOLLEN AND NUMB I HAD TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM I WAS GIVEN AN BENADRYL SHOT. DAYS LATER I HAD TO RETURN TO THE DOCTOR WHO PRECRIBE THE BACTRIM THEN HE PRECRIBE ME AN STERIOD COUPLE DAYS LATER I HAD TO RETURN BACK TO THE DOCTOR I HAD SODUIM RETENTION AND WATER AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE THE DOCTOR REFERRED ME TO AN OB-GYN MY BLOOD PRESSURE REMAINED TO STAY UP I HAD RAPID WEIGHT GAIN IN THE MATTER OF DAYS.
AT FOUR MONTHS PREGNANT I TOOK THE DOWN -SYNDOME TEST IT CAME BACK POSITIVE SO I WAS SEND FOR UTRA SOUNDS.I WAS IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL FOR MY BLOOD PRESSURE DURING MY PREGNANCC ON JANUARY 6 I WAS RUSH IN THE AMBULANCE I HAD SHORTNESS OF BREATH MY BLOOD PRESSURE WAS 265 0VER 140 IHAD TO DELIVER MY BABY MY BABY DIED ON JANUARY 15 2004 HER PLATELETS WERE TO LOW SHE KEPT LOSING BLOOD I HATE I EVER TOOK BACTRIM AND TOSE STERIOD WHY WHERE THEY GIVEN TO ME WHEN I WAS PREGNANT AND SEARCHING YOUR WB SITE LOOK WHAT THIS DONE TO GROW UPS AND ME OH GOD WHAT ABOUT MY BABY! I HAVE OTHER KID WITH NO PROBLEMS WITH PREGNANCY NO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.STOP PRESCRIBING THIS DRUG BABIES ARE SUFFERING MY BABY DIED PLEASE RESPOND BACK TO ME HOW CAN I GET LEGAL ADVICE AND WERE .
Ayesha, Charlotte, NC
RELATED:
Bactrim-Septra: a secret epidemic
Chronology of a newspaper campaign
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