Bactrim Septra Novo-Trimel DS SMZ-TMP side effects
Page 13 of mail to investigative reporter Brian Deer recounting sometimes serious side effects of the antibiotic often known as Bactrim, Septra, Sulfatrim or TMP/SMX
APO SULFATRIM: 22 January
I took this drug about three weeks ago for a suspected UTI. Five days ago I found large itchy sore welts on my head and many other places on my body. My knees swelled up to almost double the size they normally are, and I could barely walk or bend them. I was prescribed Benadryl and Prednisone because my doctor told me I had an allergic reaction, but four days later my condition worsened, rash all over my body, itchy and uncomfortable. My mouth was inflamed and the rash was now large patches of itchy red bumps instead of welts. I was admitted to the hospital yesterday and they told me that since I was able to breath and all my vitals seems fairly normal, all they could do is change my prescription (to higher benadryl dosage, and add 150mg of Zantac). I am still very uncomfortable and the rash is still in full form. This is a terrible drug, and I am not sure why it is still given out. Prednisone is supposed to be the strongest drug to treat Severe allergic reactions and it didn’t work. I have been told that I should start to feel better in a week – 10days. Someone should sue this company.
Thanks
Kelsey
SEPTRIN: 24 January
hello Brian,
just had a quick search re ‘septrin’ and found your site. i had a bacterial infection, that affected my central nervous system, ‘ Whipple’s disease’ . it appears that i will have to take cotrimoxazole for the rest of my life, i just picked up my prescription today and septrin had been substituted. Hence the search as i had time to do it as it my day off. i have always vented my concern over the use of the drug but to no avail as they have no other alternative due to insufficient track record on condition, have tried to research further but found no more than i was told at hospital. just thought that you could add my name to your list if you think you have any interesting facts that may enlighten me or inform me. thanks for taking the time to read this, my life has been somewhat on the downhill since this affliction, lost reasonable job and wife and family as they could not cope with me, but i still alive and thankful, all the best.
yours sincerely
Daniel Sinclair
SEPTRA: 28 January
A rash all over my body. I look like a burn victim and it burns and itches like hell.
SMZ TMP: 28 January
Brian Deer,
We have recently experienced a tragic effect from the prescribed use of SMZ TMP in our Labrador Retriever. Our vet concurs that his death could have been caused by the antibiotic. We are just trying to find out why our healthy friend is suddenly dead when his only medical issue was hotspots for which he received SMZ TMP and prednisone (sp?).
Thank you!
Jim C, Virgin Islands
BACTRIM: 28 January
When I was in college (around 1983), I had a SEVERE reaction to Bactrim and almost died. It began with a headache and backache, which became extreme, to the point that I couldn’t get out of bed. I ambled to a hospital, where they diagnosed erythemia nerdosum on my legs (blister like hives), told me I had herpes of the eyes (for the blister type rashes around my eyes), and arthritis for the aches in my back, head, and now elbows and joints. They kept giving me the bactrim (I was on it for a UTI). I discharged myself from the college hospital, had my sister drive me home to a local hospital, where the resident in the ER IMMEDIATELY told me I had a severe reaction to the bactrim. I began hallucinating (toxicity in the brain, I was told later). They pushed IV fluids, gave me pain medication, and after 2 days, I was slowly recovering. I had an immune-suppressed reaction for several years afterward (my allergies all came back, I sickened easier).
My daughter was recently prescribed bactrim for acne, and after 4 days, she came home from school complaining of a headache and backache. I am stopping its use immediately.
Debbie G
APO SULFATRIM: 5 February
I am 31 years old and four months ago I was treated for a urinary tract infection, I was prescribed sulfatrim. I have never been on this drug before. Five days into taking the drug I started to have severe heart palpitations, fatigue, and dizziness. I went to the doctors and they said that it wasn’t related to the drug and they ordered blood test. A day later I still did not feel quite right and went to the hospital where I became worse. I all of a sudden became very anxious and was going to pass out. They rushed me in to emergency to make sure that It was not a heart attack, my EKG was abnormal, but my chest scan was fine along with my blood work. The doctor at the hospital told me that it had nothing to do with the sulfa drug and that it’s just a coincidence, that I am just suffering from a panic attack even though I have never had them before in my life. Now to this day I still have irregular heart beats and chest discomfort on a daily basis. I have also suffered a few “panic attacks”. I have been back to the doctors and they are now sending me to a cardiologist in two weeks, not that I am going to hold out much hope. Will I ever get back to a normal feeling or will I have to suffer this heart discomfort for the rest of my life? Any info you can offer would be helpful.
Thanks
Rebbecca, Surrey, BC, Canada
BACTRIM: 6 February
Hi
I was taking generic Bactrim 800 mg 2 x a day for 3 days, 8 hrs apart. I had brown rashes insomnia, red inner thighs and back pain. I weigh 150 at 5’2″ with shoes on. I also had skin burn rashes on my chest over my heart after a seemingly”hypertension” episode yesterday. My jugular pulse slipped. and my vena cava changed position. I was in tachcardyia beat anxiety when I went to ER. I wonder if this would have affect. In my test I had only 3% over the normal range blood count for the marker for it and was urinating continually.
Kept drinking water 8-10 my spots were black on my face and brown on my chest I still have aftertaste. I stopped Wednesday? It think, because I have memory loss. I blacked out form the day before.
I was concerned from the get go. I have less feeling on my left side. I also have an aftertaste.
Why isn’t this banned???
THANK YOU
Clare, USA
BACTRIM: 7 Febuary
I JUST READ ONE OF THE LETTERS RE: BACTRIM AND I FIND MYSELF BACK IN 1985 WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS TWO YEARS OLD…OFTEN ON ANTIBIOTICS FOR CHRONIC EAR INFECTIONS WE WERE PRESCRIBED BACTRIM AND AMOXICILLIN…AFTER THE FIRST DOSE MY DAUGHTER BROKE OUT IN A RASH ALL OVER HER ARMS AND LEGS…AS WELL AS HIVES AND BRUISING DX: AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO BACTRIM (SULFUR) AND/OR PENECILLIN… PRESCRIPTION… DECADRON AND VYSTEROL …FIRST DOSE CLEARED THE HIVES ETC BUT,PRODUCED EXTREME MOOD SWINGS (CRYING,SCREAMING AND A LITTLE TWO YEAR OUT OF CONTROL… ALLEDGED ANOTHER ALLERGIC REACTION?) I TOOK MY BABY TO THE ER…DX ALLERGIC REACTION TO THE NARCOTICS….ONCE SHE WAS TAKEN OFF ALL MEDS SHE WAS FINE…EARS INCLUDED…IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG TO REALIZE THAT THE MORE INVOLVED WE BECAME WITH ANTIBIOTICS THE MORE ISSUES AROSE AND MORE ANTIBIOTICS AND DRUGS INDEED WERE PRESCRIBED …. AS A THEN NEW MOM…I LEARNED THAT SOMETIMES WHEN WE DID NOTHING EXCEPT KEEP THE BABY COMFORTABLE, THE BODY WOULD PROVIDE THE HEALING……
THESE DRUGS ARE WONDERFUL AND CERTAINLY HAVE THEIR PLACE IN TREATING DISEASES HOWEVER, OVER PRESCRIBED AND THEREFORE NOT ALWAYS EFFECTIVE
…. STILL A MOM …..
BACTRIM: 8 February
I was recently given this drug for a sinus infection within hours I had the muscle tightening, I could not move out of bed for days. I received 104 temp for days, when I spoke to my Doctor he told me it was a viral I picked up then finally realized when I broke out in hives that I had a severe reaction to this drug. I am still suffering with lower back pain with this drug. Only took 4 doses. I cant believe they sell this drug and doctors actually prescribe this drug to any human. Its very destructive. FDA should really pull this antibiotic from the market
Ginette
BACTRIM: 9 February
Mr. Deer:
My youngest son was recently prescribed Sulfatrim Pediatric suspension for an upper respiratory infection. I was quite shocked at some of the information I read on your website.
I do have an interesting experience. In February 1996, my middle son, at the age of 18 months was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome (a condition affecting the filtering unites of the kidneys, not actually a kidney disease, per se). His recent medical history (6-8 weeks prior to diagnosis) included a course of Bactrim which had been prescribed for an ear infection after a course of another antibiotic did not clear it up. At 15 months he had received his varicella vaccine (which was relatively new at that time – my middle son is now 10). Plus, we have a strong family history of allergies. The doctor who admitted him into the hospital for the NS, told us our son was the third or fourth patient he had seen who had developed NS recently after taking Bactrim. Now, of course, my son is considered to be allergic to sulfa drugs.
Over the years I have done quite a bit of research on nephrotic syndrome as well as sulfa drugs. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to prove conclusively what caused my son’s NS, but I was a very staunch opponent of Bactrim and sulfa drugs following his diagnosis, but our pediatrician has, over the years, tried to ease my apprehension. The information on your website was very interesting and I wished I would have found it sooner.
Sincerely,
Gloria V, Alvin TX
SEPTRA: 12 February
yes i have taken bactrim last year for 7 days and now this year again,,,eveytime i have been on it i look very sick and feel very very ill,,my eyes look like iam drunk and i have severe headaches,,do you no if any of these reactions can be from septra,,,the headaches alone are the worst i have ever had,,i have stopped taking the drug due to these effects i cant control…
Robert L
TRIMETH/SULFA DS: 19 February
Dear Brian,
I was given Trimeth/ Sulfa DS for a tonsil infection. After a day and a half my hands were red and itching. I also had a rash on my arms. I discontinued using it and notified my doctor. But now I am experiencing itching all over my hands, feet and legs. I have tried Benadryl and Cortizone cream. Is there anything that I can use to make it stop? It feels like little pins poking me all over! This is starting to drive me crazy. How long will this last?
Sincerely,
Kellie R
SMZ/TMP: 19 February
Fortunately, I just found the site on the web about side effects of smz/tmp. I was started on the drug Wednesday for a sinus infection. My symptoms felt like a head cold but by Thursday night I felt like I had the flu. Friday I couldn’t go to work, I couldn’t get out of bed due to exhaustion and weakness, this has continued until today. I will not be resuming the med tomorrow and will be calling my doctor on Monday. I feel worse now than before I was put on the medication. Thanks for your informative sight!
Debbie
SMZ/TMP: 20 February
I have read many of your messages on the Bactrim/SMZ/TMP site, with interest, since I am on SMZ/TMP for chest congestion/sinus infection. It has been effective for me on this round, with no side effects, so far and was effective last November for the same things. The first question my doctor asked was whether or not I had ever taken Sulfa drugs (yes) and had I had any reaction at all to them (no). Sulfa is a very old drug, stemming from before WWII and widely used in the war to sterilize battle field wounds during surgery. There are fairly simple sensitivity tests for it and anyone who is in doubt about any drug in the Sulfa family or any other drug should be tested.
Most, if not all, of the letters reflect a problem with an old, very reliable, drug and most of those letters evidence a varying degree of alergic reaction. Robert L., posting on 12 Feb, is skating on very thin ice. His system has already told him twice and he better listen to his body and leave the stuff alone.
Tom H.
BACTRIM PEDIATRIC SUSPENSION: 21 February
Dear Brian:
My middle child, a son who just turned 3, was recently prescribed Bactrim suspension (generic) for treatment of yet another ear infection caused by pretty constant sinusitus. We had never taken this drug before and made it through the first round (10 days) without incident. We returned to the doctor for a re-check of his ears, as normal. His ears looked clear, and because of my son’s history, our pediatrician decided to prescribe one more round of bactrim just to completely knock out anything else that might be left in his sinuses. Sounded good to me. So after being off the drug for only 4 or 5 days, we started another round on a Tuesday.
A day or two into this second round of Bactrim, my son started scratching his bottom (backside) saying that it was itching. I just assumed it was dry skin, but he kept itching. A couple days later, he started scratching his lower back and his head. A fine red rash appeared on his legs, arms, and a little on his back. Again, I chalked it off to really dry skin and the dryness of having the heat on in the house these days. On Friday night, after being put to bed at his normal 8:00 bedtime, he kept getting out of bed every 15 or 20 minutes until 2:30a.m. Again, we still had not made any connection with the itching, but it was a long night. All day Saturday he was scratching and I started to wonder if he was having a skin reaction to a new mattress cover on his bed. Anyway- it wasn’t until after I’d given him his Saturday evening dose of Bactrim that it clicked in my head that maybe he was reacting to the medicine. By this point, he was scratching so bad and crying and he couldn’t sleep because of the severe discomfort. I felt so bad because I couldn’t provide him any relief. I gave him Benadryl, bathed him with oatmeal bath, smeared benadryl cream all over him. Nothing really helped and we had another long night Saturday night. But I did not give him any more bactrim, and by Sunday night, he was still scratching a bit, but not as much, and he slept through the night without discomfort. This morning (Monday), he awoke at his normal 7:30 and the first words he said were, “I not itch anymore!”. I don’t know why it took me 5 days to figure out the connection, I guess because the symptoms were not terribly severe until days 4 and 5, but after finding your site today and reading all this info about Bactrim, I’m not sure I would give it to any of my kids again.
Bottom line: our side effects were a fine rash covering arms, legs back, and SEVERE itching over the entire body, including the scalp.
Thanks for your information-
Lisa, nr Dallas, TX
SEPTRA: 22 February
Thank you. My 93 year old mother is suffering chills and shaking which I first observed today but my husband saw last night. Since Septra is the new factor in her life I decided to look up side effects. Chills are one. We will discontinue immediately and hope it is not too late. Her shaking was noticed after her third dose.
Lyn P
BACTRIM D: 23 February
Hello
My name is Nova and I suffer from frequent urinary tract infections…
I’ve always been prescribed Bactrim, but this particular incidence isn’t good! I started the Bactrim D yesterday night, with no side effects. But tonight, no later than 10 minutes after taking the Bactrim D, I suddenly became SEVERELY nauseous, chills, disorientation, began shaking and twitching.. feeling really awful. I have been coming real close to vomiting, but I am still feeling awful.
Could this be a typical Bactrim case? Or perhaps I’m just sick from severe family problems .. who knows, maybe I have the flu. I just felt it was sort of strange how I was fine tonight up until I took the Bactrim for the 2nd night in a row.
Nova
SULFATRIM: 26 February
I am a generally healthy 45 year old woman: slim, non-smoker, no chronic health problems and don’t usually take medications. I don’t think I’ve ever had a drug reaction. I recently had what appears to have been a reaction to the antibiotic I was on. I was recently prescribed Sulfatrim for a kidney infection and experienced severe headaches on two separate days within four or five days of starting it. I wasn’t overly alarmed because I can get migraines from time to time. After taking Sulfatrim for six days I was woken at 2:00a.m. with severe heartburn (I never get heartburn) followed by severe diarrhea and vomiting. I was very frightened and drove to the hospital. I was given an EKG. My heart seemed to be good although my blood pressure was notedly elevated. When the attending physician asked if I was on any medication I told him I was on Sulfatrim for a kidney infection. He concluded that I’d had a reaction to it. For the next 24 hours it was all I could do to try to get ease from the symptoms and sleep. I have never felt so sick or so frightened in my life. Now, having finally decided to look online for more information and reading some of the stories of other people’s experiences with this drug I realize I was actually fortunate. It appears it could’ve been much worse. I will be asking my pharmacist and hospital if they have a means of tracking reactions to specific drugs. I want mine to be noted, somewhere. Perhaps the “good” that this drug supposedly does is vastly outweighed by the chances of harm.
Mary, Nova Scotia, Canada
TRIMETH/SULFA DS: 10 March
Dear Brian,
I recently took a prescription for Trimeth/Sulfa DS tablets that the doctor gave me to treat a urinary tract infection on 3/8/05. I was told to take the medication for 5 days total with 2 tablets a day to treat the infection. When I took the first tablet I noticed that I started to feel dizzy with nausea and I had very uncomfortable abdominal pains. At first I thought that it was from the infection so I continued to take the second pill that night before I went to bed. That night I could not sleep well because I felt nauseous and in discomfort, but it was nothing compared to the next morning. In the morning I was in so much pain and it was shooting throughout my abdomen and sides. It felt like my appendix was about to burst. It lasted throughout the day and I finally had to go to the emergency room because the pain was unbearable. I called my doctor and she said to stop the medication right away and that she would prescribe me something else. I am now afraid to take anything else because of this terrible experience. I feel a little bit better now but my stomach is sore and I am still weak. I am very grateful for your website and I will definitely educate myself and research any prescription that is given to me in the future. It was scary too see that so many other people also had very serious side effects and it is just too bad that doctors continue to give patients this drug.
Thank you,
Kristal, 23 years old
RELATED:
Bactrim-Septra: a secret epidemic
Chronology of a newspaper campaign
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