Metronidazole Lasting Side Effects (Page 3) (Top voted first)

I have been taking this medication for 7 days and off of it since a week and still have severe side effects, abdominal cramps, severe headaches, dizziness, unsteadiness... How long is it expected to last? It was prescribed with Ciprofloxacin to me and I take Entrophen on a regular basis...

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Flagyl is awful, I have been taking it for 3 days....it has been a nightmare! I thought I was going insane. Needless to say I'm stopping this drug now. I have been having the worst panic attacks and my whole body feel like a brick. I eat extremely healthy and practice yoga regularly and had my anxiety under control. That all changed the day after my first dose of flagyl.
This drug is poison. Please tell every one you know never to take it. I am a sensitive person when it comes to drugs, but I've never experienced the feelings that flagyl induced in me. My mouth tingles, I'm having the worst panic attacks ever (I'm no stranger to panic attacks), my urine is brown, I even felt suicidal last night.
Sick sick sick! The pharmaceutical companies Oughta be sued for selling this vial substance.

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Hi! Just wondering how you are going now? I took a ten day course of Augmentin as well and on the 7th day experienced an absolutely horrific panic attack! I called an ambulance. So embarrassing in hindsight. I didn't think it could be the meds for a second and so took the rest. Then I started getting panic attacks every day like 5 times a day. And not like anything I have ever experienced. Violent shaking, vomiting, fever, chills and heartbeat through the roof!!! I almost ran into traffic because I couldn't bear it! It has now been a month and the panic is only slightly better. I now suffer from intense waves of depression as well. My life has literally been put on hold. Not sure how long I can cope like this :( has it gotten any better for you?? At least we know we are not alone. That helps a little. I think we'll pull through. I hope you are doing okay. Please reply and if you want to chat I can give you my e-mail xx

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I was taking metronidazole at 500mg 3xs a day for 7 days. I had fever, dizziness, metal taste in my mouth, headaches, eye burning pain, muscles pain and weakness. I've been off it for a day now and I still feel the side effects :( how long do they last afterctreatment?

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The best advice I can give you. Is don't google. Even though google probably helped you get to this page. Be patient it will go away. Try to go on walks keep healthy and stay positive and your dr will probably not believe you but we have had similar side effects. I am still dealing with mine 8 weeks on. But there are days when they dissappear.

Just think positive.

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Hi Chris, this medication is very powerful in its side effects. I still remember when I took it in November 2014 the terrrible thoughts of despair, horrible nightmares and metallic taste...but thank God I got better little by little...
The side effect that ligered the most (at least for me) was the lower back pain. It was really bad. But even that went away too. So there IS hope!!!... Prayers for all of you taking this antibiotic. I wouldn't wish this medicine on my worst enemy.

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It took me about two months to get over the awful side effects. Some people take less time; some more. Get some magnesium supplements and take one pill daily before bedtime. That helps you get over it faster and helps decrease the symptoms.

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It has been 3 months since I have taken this awful antibiotic, and I mostly want to reach out to those people who are just experiencing the brutal side effects that will most likely send you through the worst panic/anxiety of your life so far. I remember the first day I wasn't feeling well and I started googling, I came across this thread. As much as I am grateful for everyone sharing their experiences and tips it also sent me into sheer panic mode reading all the awful things that could possible happen to me.

I had diarrhea that last for weeks and weeks after taking this, a brutal taste in my mouth, pounding headache with shooting pains, fatigue and weakness all over my body, tingling and numb sensations all over my body that come and go, eye pain and the WORST anxiety of my life. I cried for basically for first month after taking this medication because I thought it had ruined me forever and I could barely get up and function. That just simply cannot be true, I am stronger than this. The side effect symptoms and the anxiety led my mind to believe I could possibly have things like MS, and brain damage. I basically turned into an OCD Hypochondriac.

I have been to the doctor more times in the last few months that combined so far in my entire life. I am a healthy 29 year old woman. They gave me medication for anxiety and tried me on antidepressants. I tried both for a short time, but I stopped because I don't want to put anymore medication in my body at this point. I have had tons of bloodwork done, not showing anything wrong with me.

This is how I have helped myself slowly but surely start recovering:
1) STOP GOOGLING every little thing. This is hard, I still want to do it. But I know the second I read something terrible I am back on a downward spiral of anxiety.

2) Find ways to relax your body and mind. I have read a few books on anxiety that have helped me. The Power of Now is an audio file you can download and listen to from your phone. And Catastrophe Living is a great book on gaining control of the mind and body when dealing with illness and other stresses in life. I also take baths with epson salts and essential oils like lavender, and go for nice relaxing walks.

3) Eat healthy and give your body what it needs to heal. I started a vitamin regimen shortly after stopping Flagyl. I now take a probiotic, omega 3 supplement, a good multi-vitamin, and a magnesium supplement daily. I also make a smoothie every morning packed with super foods like turmeric, ginger, chia seeds, coconut oil, coconut milk and fruit.

4) Acupuncture. This was huge for me. Not only did it help me relax and panic less but it made my body feel more balanced again. I was experiencing some tingling sensations, they stopped after 2 treatments. I am going to make this a regular monthly routine for quite some time to continue helping my body heal and prevent any nerve damage from progressing. This is a proven alternative therapy for Peripheral Neuropathy. I also just recently started taking Alpha Lipoic Acid, which is also an alternative supplement treatment for PN.

I am not 100% yet, but holy crap am I A LOT better! So for those who are in the thick of it right now, please do not despair - slowly but surely your body will start healing, especially if you help it! I still have moments of anxiety/panic when I think about this stupid drug, and I also still have some mild PN symptoms that come and go - but I am SO MUCH BETTER than 3 months ago. I imagine a year from now I will be able to look back and say if anything this experience made me take my health more seriously.

Positive healing vibes to everyone out there.
D

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Has anyone returned to "normal" after taking Flagyl/Metronidazole? I have improved tremendously since my first post on this site, but still experiencing few symptoms occasionally.

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Hi Lisa
Im sorry about your father. I took flagyl (metrodinazole) , about 9 1/2 months ago, for six days. And i was a mess to, i still struggle. I was very confused to, my boyfriend told me that i talked very strange, like i had been drinking or something. And my short term memory was really bad. My father told me something, 10 minutes later i couldnt remember anything. He told me all this. I also was shaking bad, like i had parkinsons and much more. I still have bad dizziness and off balance, and head pain and eye problems and so on. Also fatigue. But i just wanted to tell you that i also was very confused and talking strange and didnt remember anything. But im better on thoose things. Just wanted to tell you that, so you have some hope. but it can take time for your father to get better.

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Erin, since I posted that question I read the entire thread and now believe it's either the Flagyl or the Cipro....or both....that are causing my symptoms. I was prescribed both for diverticulitis, and took them in Feb. I don't think I had any noticeable symptoms while I was on them except for feeling sick. Since then, and having a CT scan and blood work 5 weeks after (that all came back fine and scan shows no diverticulitis), I have had severe anxiety. I mentioned it to my doctor when he sent me for the tests, but he didn't seem to pay much heed. When the tests came back fine I thought I'd feel relief and stop worrying, but if anything I've been more anxious and feel "gloom and doom" although there's no obvious thing to be fretting about. Also I feel sort of apathetic...hard to describe, but just no enthusiasm for things. I thought this went with the diverticulitis until someone mentioned to me that it could be from the drugs. I've also had a weakness in my left arm that seems to have gone away, and numbness on my face and lower lip, that also comes and goes. Last week I started having a dull headache at the base of my skull, that feels like it's connected to muscles in my back, and tingling in my scalp at the same place the dull ache is.

I am so worried that all this anxiety will cause the diverticulitis to flare up and they will want me to go back on antibiotics, but I refuse to take either of those again! And I'm so tired of not being myself. I have had only a couple of days where I felt normal again, and my hoe is that, if I can actually feel normal, perhaps I'm not forever lost and will regain myself eventually. Thank you for sharing and being concerned. I've never experienced anything like this before.

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A couple of things: first, the base of the skull pain. I spoke to a PT about this for myself, and heat therapy (aka, a heating pad) did help calm that down some. Lay down with it behind your neck for twenty minutes (no longer) once or twice a day, and see if that doesn't help soothe it a little. If it lingers, you might want to consider physical therapy for your neck; it can help.

For the anxiety...it's a symptom of this toxicity, but if it's still sticking around, it might need treatment. Some people have tried magnesium (the calming mineral) to help. Probiotics, to get your gut back on track--happy gut, happy brain. Also, guided meditation audio and video; I liked sleep hypnosis. You can find these on YT or other places online. They didn't hypnotize me but right now, it sounds like the voice in your head is temporarily out of order. It happens to everyone dealing with the anxiety. But just know--this is not you and that's not your fault. Just because it's like this today doesn't mean it'll be like this forever. Having "good days" and then "bad days" is normal for this.

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Not quite what I said. If you're still taking the drug, then it can continue to cause damage. If you've stopped, then the damage should have stopped, although you might experience good days and bad days. One day you feel a little better, the next day worse--it seems to be the normal cycle with this. The damage is healing but how well it will heal is hard to say. Most people do recover, though.

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Lyka, omg I'm so so sorry. Reading your post feels like I'm reading about me. Did these symptoms just begin for you? Because I promise you not everyday will be like that. Some days are worse than others. Some days you will cry and then others you will be on top of the world. But it's been with me since October 2016. The other day I got so irritable and out of control I fought with my bf, punched him, honking my horn at 1am, crying till 2 until I punched a wall and had to go to ER because I thought my knuckle was broken. And I think: "WHO WAS THAT?" He didn't even do anything wrong but thank god he knows what I'm going through. My parents know. Everyone at my job understands as I have left early many times. I let my friends know too. Memories feel like dreams. Some days feel like dreamy, hazy, woozy dreams. Sometimes it feels like I'm looking through a telescope that's looking through my eyes because I feel so distant from reality. But do not lose grip. My blood work, mri came back normal. I'm going to see a neurologist in a month. I'm also seeing a homeopathic doctor. And I take several supplements each day. I play kickball, workout and eat well. You must get good sleep and don't drink too much. Don't smoke cigarettes. Some days you want to indulge but just don't stretch yourself too thin or it will flare up. Meditate and practice self affirmations. I've read up on a lot of studies and am considering contacting those doctors individually. These symptoms are not known by the mainstream medical practices. I feel so motivated at times to do what I can to bring it to light. Lyka, find activities you love and get your joy from those things. I promise you it will calm down. If you need to stay in bed a couple days do it. Bu then you get up and go for a walk and practice positive talk. You will be okay. Stay strong. You are in there. You have a soul, you have interests, you will find yourself. I promise you.

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No, please. If you're recovered completely, then hearing your story offers great encouragement for those still going through this process.

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Erin, Thank you.. I could have just gone away but I thought maybe my experience might help others. We are all in this together in my opinion..

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They gave this to you and you already suffer from depression? *eye roll*

The medical community needs to understand that you don't give people with a history (or family history) of depression and/or anxiety a drug like this. A history of these issues clearly shows a sensitive central nervous system that is easily affected by drugs that can harm it.

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this new level of problems. The psychiatric issues do have the best chance of a full recovery, but don't be discouraged if the problem lingers for a bit. Some people get better very quickly--others take more time. Try to be patient with yourself. *hugs*

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Thank you, TeeLee. It's good to know the forum is helping. And thanks for the tip about juicing. I've gotten into fruit smoothies myself (vanilla nutritional drink + kefir + frozen fruit)--ninja bullets are awesome. :)

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Randolf, as for the stomach pulsating issue...acid inhibitors actually have a lot of side effects. And metronidazole will clean out your digestive tract of all your good gut flora (much more than most antibiotics). I'd suggest seeing your doctor but in the meantime, maybe try replenishing your gut by drinking kefir. It's a drinkable yogurt and has lots of good probiotics--you can find it at the grocery store under the dairy or yogurt aisles. It did wonders for my gut but you have to drink it every day (about 5 oz should do it) for about a month before you see any results. Good luck.

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Okay, everyone, so I think I might have--theoretically--figured out what's happening to us. If I'm right, then metronidazole toxicity might actually be treatable (possibly even curable for some people).

The theory is that metronidazole toxicity is caused by thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is vitamin B1, and a deficiency in this one little vitamin causes:

cerebellar dysfunction: ataxia, especially in the legs; difficulty speaking, disruption in cognition/attention, mood disturbances, blurry vision, tremors

autonomic dysfunction (dysautonomia): disturbances in involuntary functions, such as: heart rate, blood pressure, sleep regulation, fight-or-flight response (emotional instability), swallowing, salivation, digestion, temperature regulation, muscle weakness, respiration, equilibrium.

Polyneuropathy: burning, tingling and/or numbness in the extremities, usually starting with the hands and feet. Optic neuropathy, causing loss of visual acuity and impaired vision. Sometimes tinnitus due to cranial nerve damage (neuropathy is harder to treat, just to let you know)

It turns out, metronidazole and thiamine are antagonists--metronidazole prevents the absorption of thiamine into the body and can plummet the victim into severe deficiency. There is some speculation that the body can even mistake metronidazole as thiamine, causing both damage and deficiency.

In medical literature, metronidazole is constantly being compared to another type of brain dysfunction called Wernicke's encephalopathy. The symptoms are almost identical and the lesions caused by Wernicke's are strikingly similar to that of metronidazole toxicity and found in the place--the back of the brain. Wernicke's is directly caused by...thiamine deficiency.

It also explains why many of us (myself included) keep having flare up's--our thiamine is in a fragile state and it does't take much stress (physical or mental) to plummet us back into severe deficiency. After the stress abates, we rest and recover enough thiamine to calm symptoms, until the next stressor that will, again, burn up our thiamine reserve and the symptoms return (the body doesn't store much thiamine, so it's easy to become deficient, especially if you're already skating on the edge).

There are instructions on what to do about this, what to take (you need magnesium as well). But remember, I'm just a patient, trying to take medical research and put it into practice. I'm trying this out myself right now. I am feeling better, but still have a long way to go. You will have to decide what is best for you.

I wish you all the best of luck!

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Re: Dennis (# 1307)

Hi Dennis, Thank you for your response. It is good that you have been taking Thiamine and Magnesium supplements but it is sad that it has not helped you. I hope as you continue taking them, you may feel some improvements. I just started thiamine and magnesium and hope that it will lift some of my symptoms. I agree with you that the doctors so quick to give us antibiotics without even considering our preexisting condition. In my situation, i received a dose that was too high for me as I qualify for a children’s dose due to my weight. But of course, doctor wanted to load me with 2 strong antibiotics without any considerations. I lasted 11 days on these antibiotics and thought I was going to die. On the day I stopped metronidazole, I called the doctor office and told them about my symptoms and after that I was completely dropped. Dennis, after this experience, I don’t trust any doctors any more and research every drug that they prescribe to me or my husband and even my dog. I also going to get a MedAlert card and will carry with me. Dennis, I really hope you get better over time. Hang in there!!! I also feel a lot of anger and frustration as I feel that my life has been destroyed. The things I enjoyed doing are hard and even impossible to do nowadays. I want my health back!!!! I get very angry or hopeless from time to time but I have to keep faith and hope that one day I will get my life back. I am not done!!! Please, let’s keep faith and God will help us!!!!

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