Septra Bactrim Co-trimoxazole TMP/SMZ side effects
Page 27 of mail to investigative reporter Brian Deer recounting sometimes serious side effects of the antibiotic often known as Bactrim DS, Septra or co-trimoxazole
SULFAMETHOXAZOLE: 10 January
Hello my name is Cynthia Prisco, I have an 88 year old father who was in generally good health until about 1 week ago. My dad came down with a bad cold and went to his physician. The physician prescribed sulfamethoxazole after 4 pills he could not breath very well. I told him to not take the pills any longer. I did not see him for about two days after he took these pills, he was jaundiced. Could this be a side effect of the medication.
He is still jaundiced and his liver enzymes are very high. He is scheduled for a liver CT scan with contrast. How long would this medication stay in your system after you stop taking it. I realize my father is 88 years old, but he was in pretty good shape until he took this medication.
Thank you
Cynthia P.
BACTRIM: 13 January
Hi Brian,
My case is not as severe as the other people but I did end up with a kidney stone. I was then put on cipro ecause my doctor found blood in my urine and sent me to the urologist. I was on antibiotics for more than 30 days which caused a yeast infection. I quite taking Bactrim after the 5th day because I had difficulty breathing. My x-ray and ultra sounds for the kidney stone have checked out okay but I still have lower back pain.
Best advice to give people is stay away from the Bacrium and also keep a list of several pharmacists on speed dial & cell phone for any questions about drug symptoms.
Take care,
Mary O.
BACTRIM: 13 January
Dear Brian and Readers
I was a healthy 33 year old mom of 2. I was prescribed a 3 day dose of Bactrim for a suspected UTI (later the urine culture proved no infection). I began taking it on Wednesday. That night I kept being jolted awake by muscle spasms in my sleep. I didn’t think much of it because I blame it on the fact that I started my menstrual cycle that night. After taking the 2 Thursday doses. I was completely fatigued, so much that I could no longer do anything but sit in my chair. Thursday night I was unable to sleep, I had extreme muscle tremors my whole body shook uncontrollably. Friday I wound up in the ER, where they thought I was having a panic attack. Saturday I went to the ER again, where they gave my fluids and sent my home. Then on Christmas morning I went to the ER again and was admitted. They took 20 vials of blood out of me to run several tests, they did XRAY and 2 CT scans and had me consult with 3 specialists so far. The only thing they can find is that my CD4 count is low. I see a blood specialist Tuesday.
My symptoms were: extreme weakness, could not walk unassisted, terrible nausea, diarrhea , a lump in my throat, a white film all over my tongue, burning in my chest, uncontrollable shaking of my entire body for 5 days straight even through the night, crying and depression, unable to think clearly, dizziness, difficulty breathing/tightness in my chest, vaginal yeast infection, dehydration.
I lost 12 pounds in 10 days down to 95 pounds. I haven’t been to work for over 3 weeks. I was unable to drive my car for 2 weeks. Now it has been 3 weeks. I still have the lump in my throat, dizziness and very low energy. When I am tired I still get mild muscle tremors.
Thank you for your website. I really thought I was going crazy until I saw other stories.
Annie, Barre, VT.
SULFAMETHOXAZOLE/TMP DS: 15 January
That’s how the pill container reads. Just went to the Hospital yesterday 1/12/07 and got it prescribed for me by a Doctor at the hospital for a urinary tract infection. Since I’m catherized because I had renal failure due to an enlarged prostate gland which med it almost impossible for me to urinate. I need to see other doctors to treat those problems. I have also suffered from panic attacs, agoraphobia, depression an PTSD and have been dealing with those problems for a long time,35 years. I take a small amount of anticonvulsive medication and I explained all of that to the attending “doctor”. I have to drink large amounts of liquids for my kidney condition anyway. I took the first dose yesterday and have since taken 2 more doses. Couldn’t understand why I started itching and felt sick to my stomach so I looked up the side effects on the www and found that these were the side effects of the medication and also that it shouldn’t be prescribed for people with kidney problems. Had pains in my kidneys and was very angry. layed in bed obsessing on how to give this “doctor” a dose of his own medicine, very violent thoughts that I would try to stop and had to continually try to distract myself from this thinking pattern all day long. Not the norm for me at all. Also found that side effects can cause anxiety which it did and my antianxiety anticonvulsive medication had very little effect. Thought I was going crazy. Came across your web site and read all experiences and found that it was’nt my imagination, that others had had similar effects. Why a doctor would prescribe such a medication, knowing all these things about my medical history boggles my mind. Thank you for your web site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BACTRIM: 16 January
I was just reading through some of the emails on Bactrim. My experience has left lingering effects. I took the drug for a UTI in November. I was very dizzy with severe nausea at first and continued to take it for one week. Then the effects grew horribly worse. I suffered from severe leg aches and weakness. I could not get out of bed to care for my children. The tingling and numbness in my hands and feet was unbearable. I started to get heart palpatations and I could not eat at all. I only weigh 116 pounds so losing weight can become an issue for me. Two months later I still have effects of this drug. I do feel some improvement day by day but I feel that I am still effected. My heart races for no reason My joints still ache and I struggle with weakness- I My UTI Never went away and I am scared to take any antibiotic
Susan J, NYC.
SULFAMETHOXAZOLE/TMP DS: 17 January
My 92 year old mother was prescribed sulfamethoxzole/tmp ds for a urinary tract infection. After a couple days she started having terrible hand pain. called the dr and he said to get her off it. put her on another med.
She regained the right hand but the left hand remains in pain and has shooting pain to the elbow.
He has prescribed hydrocorodon every 6 hrs. This has been going on for months. She goes into such terrible pain. Is there a way to correct the damage done.
It is being passed off as osteo arthritis but can’t help but think it is the results from the sulfamethoxazole. Just wish there was some way to reverse it for her and get her some relief.
Thank you,
Linda S.
BACTRIM: 21 January
OMG…OTOTOXICITY FROM BACTRIM! I took bactrim in October for a blood staph infection…by day 5/6 after several days of feeling like the flu…I had a severe allergic reaction and was put on prednisone and had my LOW platelets tested. After about day 6 of the prednisone… I awoke with severe vertigo and fell over repeatedly for days. That was on a Monday morning…by Saturday evening I was taken to the emergency room with a severe headache, body muscle/joint pain and was diagnosed with pneumonia…I have had several vertigo spells and now have begun to throw up for 16 days straight…I have undergone all kinds of testing…Neurologist MRI CT Scan, ENT testing, cardiologist and noone can determine what is causing the spells and the vomitting. ENT suspects ototoxicity and I will continue testing with him this week. Along with getting the results from my blood tests for toxicity levels. ALL of which I request to have done based on suggestions from others. Oh, and since the beginning of all this I have limited movement in my right arm and my eyes twitch. Between the dizziness, vomitting, and loss of appetite and being tired all the time…I don’t know which is worse. But I do know…I want help!
Thanks,
Andrea.
SULPHA DRUGS: 21 January
Hello! For the record, I will briefly describe my experience with sulpha drugs. I took prescribe medication for four days for a UTI and woke up on the fifth with a large itchy hive on my bottom. I went to an after hours clinic (Saturday) where doctor recommended that I stop taking medicaton and take antihistimine. I complied. But by late evening was completely covered with hives and my fingernails were blue. I went to emergency where I was given a shot of antihistamie and sent home. By morning I was having trouble breathing and my friend rushed me to hospital. I was going into shock, needles were given to me and I was covered with heated blankets, including my head. I felt I was in a fog and my whole body itched and hurt. There was a team of people working on me. Some time went by and I suddenly got the most severe pain at my brain stem (back of head) and couldn’t stop screaming! I was hospitalized for three days…med students were shown my ‘characteristic rash’…I was told if I ever have this drug again I will probably not survive…
Thanks for the opportunity to tell my story and I commend you for publishing the truth about such potentially lethal drugs.
Marilyn D, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
SMZ/TMP: 23 January
Dear Mr. Deer,
I enjoy good writing but have never been a regular reader of the Sunday Times; your website reveals how much I have missed. The occasion for my visit, unfortunately, was my wife’s experience of the synthetic drug SMZ-TMP. I am British, she is Korean and we live in Seoul, but last summer travelled to the UK via Germany, where she was prescribed ‘Kepinol Forte’ to treat a U.T infection. This drug I now know to have been the SMZ-TMP combination (although ‘forte’ should have meant something to me). Neither of us can read German, and although we ought to have had someone read the label for us, the English-speaking doctor gave no advice regarding side-effects. We had both taken antibiotics dozens of times. My wife began the medication and during the following days a burning rash appeared over much of her body; she was also affected by nausea and vomiting. Curiously enough, we assumed at first that all this was owing to the stress of travel, and the July heat. By the time – nearly two weeks later – that we sought help in a Surrey hospital A&E department, my wife had made up her mind that the medication (she had long completed the course) was responsible, but the idea was dismissed by a series of (baffled) British doctors who examined the rash. Of course, dermatology is a complex area. Nevertheless, on our return from Europe, Korean doctors confirmed immediately that the antibiotic had indeed caused the problem. Today – six months later – the rash and itching persists, whenever my wife is tired, and she is afraid that the scarring it has caused may be permanent. We have now found a lotion that gives temporary relief, but she should have been aware – or made aware, I think – that the drug might effect her in this way, and stopped taking it immediately the rash appeared. Had that been the case, treatment for the rash itself would have been far more effective. Exactly what it has done to her body, I still do not quite understand. Meanwhile we hope that much of the unknown harm might be offset by traditional Korean medicine.
Perhaps some small good can come of this experience by adding our story to the very many posted on your site – the overwhelming number of which I can at least bring to the attention of the German Doctor, when I finally send him the vituperation that I have been preparing. There is probably nothing else to be done, but I will first read through all your postings carefully, in search of further ideas.
If I could possibly be of some other help, I hope you will contact me.
Many thanks for reading this, and for your invaluable work.
Yours sincerely
John F, Seoul, Korea.
SULFA: 24 January
Hello Brian,
My daughter who is 8, went to the doctor on jan 3, 07 for a bladder infection and was given sulfa 15ml a day.
After 7 days on the drug she started getting side effects of an allergic reaction. She had severe rash from head to toe, swelling on face,ears and throat. She couldn’t move her hands they were swollen and numb as well as cold. Her feet where also swollen, cold and she couldn’t walk the pain was so unbearable.Then the scary part came when she started having heart paplations and breathing diffculities as well as a fever of 103. I took her to the doctor they told me yes it was an allergic reaction and take her home and give her benadryl every 4 hours. These side effects lasted for7 days. Now its been 15 days since she has had bactrium in her system and ive had to pick her up twice from school, once for rapid heart rate and now today for swelling and rash on her face. I’m now worried that these side effects will be along term problem. I am also wondering how long does this side effects last?
I want people to know how scary these drug is, i really thought at one point when i had to feed my daughter and carry her to the bathroom that i could of lost her. I also asked her doctor about the side effects of sulpha products she told me that 4/10 children may develop an allergic reation but nothing severe. I want parents to know that DONT GIVE YOUR CHILD THESE DRUG, no matter what a doctor says. I have tooken pictures of her side effects to show her new doctor how serious her reaction was. I thank GOD she is a fighter, but now i pray she doesn’t have long lasting side effects.
THANK YOU fro your website, you help many pepole learn about this awful drug that should be banned worldwide.
Crystal G, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
SULFAMETH/TRIMETH: 27 January
My daughter has been taking Sulfameth/Trimeth for three days to treat UTI. Within one day of taking the medication, she developed an itchy rash on her hands and feet. We are discontinuing use! Thanks for the website .
Ramona B.
SMZ: 27 January
I am 34yr. old mom of 4 little kids. i took the smz for prevention of a bladder infection. 8 days after taking it I got 103 fever,massive headache. Nasal pain.Whole body is red and beginning blisters. My blood work shows white blood cells dropped crittically to 1.3 and red cells and platelets fell after the white. I had injections in hospital for almost a week to increase cells. My vision is now shot. Within days of this allergy, I became allergic to a whole list of medicines. I was sent home today and I am having a hard time breathing yet. I am afraid my brain is damaged. I was sitting up and felt like I was hit with a baseball bat and passed out suddenly. Bacctrim, my god, its taking my will of fighting for my life. I have so much pain.
Amy, Wisconsin.
BACTRIM: 1 February
I write on behalf of my daughter Melannie age 13. She may have a seisure discorder because she had one November 24 at 9:00am while getting ready to go out and he hospital has been dragging test to find out why.
However in regard to Bactirm -she was given 1 pill in ER for an ear infection and wanted me to fill the script in the morning. Well 6 hours later we were back at the hospital, I found her on the floor of the bedroom she could hardly talk – said she was tired very tired and became un consious I ordered an ambulance they took blood work, EEG and CT Scan said they found nothing — I have no idea why a healthy active child had a seisure but when one is brought on by one pill sh she cant stay awake is off balance can hardly walk – I beleive a reaction to this pill
Mary B.
SMZ/TMP: 1 February
Hi Brian,
I am now just completing my last pill of the ten day regimen my doctor put me on for relief of a sinus infection and other cold (bacterial) symptoms. The nurse- physician s assistant was careful to question me about sulfa allergies, in general. I never had any (sulpha drug) allergies before.
My ill effects from this medication began after three days. While the infection seemed to get better it never was completely gone. However, I have headaches, feel constantly warm/cold maybe a temperature at one point during the day, loose or no stool, and feel constantly tired. I am worried that these effects will linger after stopping the antibiotic. My sleep cycle is bad going to bed at 9PM and awaking about every two hours.
I was diagnosed with a not so severe form of diabetes, one that s seeming controlled by Actos (15mg). I am also on Lipitor, and L Thyroxine.
I was never allergic to sulpha drugs, but apparently this combo did the trick from everything I read on your site. It seems to me that this drug is used to treat specific bacterial infections and is very potent to adverse reactions in patients, especially those with sulfanomide sensitivity.
Henry.
SULFAM + TRIM: 2 February
Brian,
I just started taking Sulfam+Trim 800/160 generic Septra DS since yesterday. Apparently I have an acute UTI, so my doctor started to prescribe me Macrobid–but I had had a semi-bad experience with that antibiotic as a young girl (basically, a Canadian doctor wrote me out a Rx for an average 250lb MALE and at the time I was a very small, ASIAN, girl….I ended up with just acidy, cramping stomach aches), so I thought better of it and asked for something else.
She has me taking it 1 tablet BID, for 7 days. I took one around 3pm yesterday and another around 10pm. I went to bed around 1:30am and first started to notice my breathing. I felt like I was breathing slower than usual, but still deep and relaxed. Yet I didn’t feel like I was getting enough air. So I concentrated on my breathing until I finally fell asleep, but the whole time my stomach was feeling a little off (admittedly I didn’t eat a full dinner, more like 2 small muffins and water). I couldn’t sleep very well, so I got up and ate a trail mix bar to see if I just needed some food on my stomach. That didn’t help much at all. So I was experiencing a lot of insomnia and shakiness until about 6am, I felt naseous and went to the bathroom to vomit…but nothing happened, rather my heart started to beat really fast and hard, I felt panicked, shaking all over, and had slightly uncomfortable lower abdominal cramps. So I’ve been awake since then (it’s now 8:15am) and I keep getting short but frequent bouts of nausea where I almost vomit but don’t.
I work at a pharmacy, so I’m going to call one of the pharmacists and see what they have to say…and I sure hope they say STOP TAKING IT! Even though many antibiotics are hard on the GI system and create nausea and such forth, I just don’t think I can handle feeling like this.
BACTRIM: 3 February
Wow, talk about strange. I’m not sure how I got to this site in my search for adhesions, but glad I did. Just about 20 years ago I was given Bactrim for about the 3rd time in my life at heavy doses for a UTI. A few hours later I felt stinging in my genitals and rectum and other areas. I freaked out and went to the doctor who said I was having an allergic reaction to the medication. She said from being on so much of it in the past, I had become highly allergic to sulfa the main ingredient of the medication. About 5 years later, I got put on another UTI med and the same thing happened. Turns out this med also was mainly sulfa. I’m allergic to sulfa in medications of that form. Best to you all. Thank you for helping me with reactions to those meds.
Teri W.
CO-TRIMOXAZOLE: 5 February
Dear Mr. Brian Deer,
After my Doctor in the UK, put me on Co-Trimoxazole, I started experiencing sever kidney pain. As I have a history of kidney stones and have the beginnings of kidney failure, I didn’t connect the two in the beginning. I went for kidney x-rays to see if I had another stone and it was clear. The pain went away on it’s own and no more was though of it till I just started back on Co-Trimoxazole again. Within 3 days the pain was back. The two have to be connected.
Sincerely,
Tim J.
NOVO TRIMEL DS: 6 February
My name is Johanne chouinard, I am from Québec Canada. I took that medecine and I had to be hospitalized, for a strong reaction, after my skin was very dry and for 3 month I look like I had a sunburn. but what concern me the most is that my grandson made a similar allergy, he is only 18 months old, with the same product, and it is not a family matter because when I start talking about this medicine, I found out that a lot of people was incomodate by it. I talk to the media, I even send them a copy of “the pill that kill”. I wish they will do something about it.
Yours Truly
Johanne C, Quebec, Canada.
BACTRIM: 7 February
Hi Brian,
My husband underwent a round of chemotherapy to treat SLL (small lymphocytic lymphoma). He was given Allopurinol AND Bactrim. BOTH can cause skin allergies. He had no complaints when he was taking the Allopurinol alone. But, right after (I mean hours) taking Bactrim, he complained of his skalp being itchy. Soon it was his skin, mainly arms & torso, but there was no visible rash. We thought it was dry skin due to severe cold weather & increased use of heaters – typical winter skin here in NE. He was also VERY confused. His father died of Alzheimer’s so this was awful. He was scared to death that he was developing Alzheimer’s. We had read the warings but they DO NOT stress anything. They make it sound like this occurs in a few patients. I am amazed that when we complained to medical staff that they acted like this was new information. Within a few more days, he was bright pink/red. Within a few more days, there were visible bumps. He did not sleep well AT ALL when he was taking this drug. Maybe a few hours and then wide awake. I made several calls to his cancer center & they did not recommend stopping this drug. Wanting to do everything “right” in order to put his SLL into remission, he continued with both. Within several more days, it was making him insane. One day, he decided he was not going to take it any more. That same day I called his cancer center & actually got the head nurse to speak to his doctor who in turn said that he could stop taking the drugs – he no longer needed them. Thanks for letting us know. He better not “need” them in the future because I know he will not take any. It has been 6 days without any meds. The “rash” is better but not gone. We were looking forward to his SLL going into remission. This chronic disease made us appreciate life so much more. We were looking forward to enjoying life more than ever – riding cycle, traveling, working (he loves his job) & mission work in the Gulf coast. Now, we feel that this is going to last longer than the effects of Chemo!! His chemo treatments last 5 days & the effects of them are gone within 2-3 days. By the sounds of many here, we are grateful that this is all he has experienced. A friend who also went through Chemo said that he wished he’d not take some of the medicines to counteract “other things”…it made him miserable & sick. Now we know what he was talking about. Today, I called to ask the folks at the cancer center if they will prescribe something for his reaction or should we go to a dermatologist….they don’t know….. They have you over a barrel. We need his SLL put into remission so we have to keep going back. The alternative to not going for that is not good either. I am irrate that the medical profession seems so clueless about this drug & its affects. Obviously, it is a common problem.
Diane F, PA.
RELATED:
Bactrim-Septra: a secret epidemic
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