Metronidazole Lasting Side Effects (Page 7) (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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Shellbell41, what do you mean by "gnome" these symptoms? Not sure what slang that is--metronidazole can cause visible lesions to form on your cerebellum. You can see them with an MRI while taking the drug. That's not due to a yeast overgrowth. Sometimes, yes, candida can cause serious problems, not trying to downplay that. But metronidazole can cause many other problems that aren't related to candida, including acting as a neurotoxin to the brain and central nervous system.

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Hi, Lisa. Metronidazole can act as a neurotoxin on the brain, and most doctors don't know this (how they don't know this, I don't know--it's on the FDA's medication label for this drug). A confused state is one of the side effects, as well as anxiety, depression, etc. The fact that his MRI came up with little is a good sign. Most people do make a full recovery, but there's no way to guarantee this and his age might also play a factor as well. Just because the drug is out of his system doesn't mean the symptoms will quickly go away--this could take some time. Doctors might be able to treat the symptoms but not the underlying cause. He might benefit from a sedative of some sort--when dogs have metronidazole toxicity, they're given Valium (yes, I know--they treat dogs better when they have a bad reaction to this drug than they treat humans). A sedating type of antidepressant might help (I took mirtazapine, which helped me sleep). Just hang in there.

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Hi Anna,

It has been 3 1/2 months since I stopped the metronidazole and I still continue to have the muscle jerking. The dizziness has not gone away, the nausea persists and a general just lousy feeling especially towards the end of the day. The muscle jerking becomes more obvious as it progresses through the day but my symptoms have not disappeared but slightly dissipated. My dr. blew me off originally and didn't believe that I was having the side effects, so there is actually no treatment for it other than fireman which does not help. I have taken multiple doses. I still have problems with memory, lose my balance frequently and I really really hope it gets better as my quality of life has greatly suffered. This medication should not even be on the market. If I were ever prescribed this medication again I would rather die. I don't mean to be dramatic but this has been the worst experience of my life. I sincerely hope that you improve and continue to get better. Best of luck.

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I was prescribed Metronidazole 500 MG two times a day, and I had severe reactions, weakness in my legs, stomach pains, nauseousness, headaches and dizziness. Five days after being off this horrible medicine I am still dizzy. The room spins when I am laying down. This is the worst prescription I have ever taken.

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Amoxicillin will not kill the bacteria that Flagyl does. Amoxicillin is the first line of defense for basic microbes but is not as strong as Flagyl nor does it cover the same spectrum. And while you may think salt is getting rid of thrush it does not permanently get rid of it and you could be getting it systemically . Bottom line is always question if anyone prescribed Flagyl . I would rather have died from the bacteria I got that I had to take the Flagyl for then take Flagyl ever again . it's neurotoxic and should have a black they were warning . Five months later I still have severe muscle jerking and tetany , migraine headaches dizziness memory problems and issues with speaking . This has been far worse than any symptom of my cancer I've ever had. I'm actually contacting an attorney because of the severe side effects and no warnings

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I was also prescribed this medication. It was 500 mg, twice a day for 14 days. I took my last dose on day 11, since I don't believe I could've tolerated it one more day, let alone 3! On day 2 I started experiencing side effects: severe nausea, flatulence, abdominal pain, metallic taste (gum or candy didn't really help btw), dizziness, balance issues, brain fogginess, limb weakness, nervousness/anxiety, trouble sleeping, fatigue, dry mouth, thrush, vision disturbances, and the inability to focus. I know these are a lot of side effects, but I'm glad I found this site and to know I'm not the only one that felt something just doesn't seem right about Metronidazole/Flagyl. I took my last tablet on Monday, Oct 3rd, and today is Tuesday, October 10th, and I still don't feel like myself! I called my pharmacist today and he told me the side effects should have ceased within a day or two after stopping treatment. However, I haven't had an appointment with my Gyno that prescribed it yet, nor have I had a visit with my PCP since being on this medicine. I will be informing him about all of this at my next appt, as well as my PCP. It isn't right for this medicine to be prescribed or manufactured, seeing all of the problems it's caused people. I don't believe I could take this medicine again even if my life depended on it, since it makes you feel like you're dying anyway!

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Safetyfirst, the pharmacist has no idea what he's talking about. And don't expect your doctor to do any better--they are in denial when it comes to the dangers of drugs because that's what they use to treat people.

Metronidazole can cause lesions on the brain. They are mainly on the cerebellum, but can also be on the basal ganglia and midbrain. The cerebellum helps coordinate voluntary movement, and helps with cognition and emotions. The midbrain helps with hearing, motor control, vision, YOUR SLEEP CYCLE, and temperature regulation. And the basal ganglia controls voluntary movement, motivation/reward, eye movement, and plays a part in cognition and emotion. Two diseases of the basal ganglia are Parkinson's and Huntington's, just to show its importance.

Metronidazole typically affects the cerebellum the most, but these other areas can be affected as well. Basically, it probably damaged something. Some people recover really fast--within a week. Others, the effects linger.

Plug metronidazole toxicity into your search engine and read about it. Print it out, give it to your doctors. They still might not believe you, but it gives you an extra leg to stand on. I hope you feel better.

And yes, report this stuff to the FDA. It's important for informational purposes...but don't expect the government to do anything. They know about this already--there's another branch of antibiotics that's even worse called "fluoroquinolones"--Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox. Their recover rates are much worse than metronidazole, but they are still on the market. Just to say.

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Hi safetyfirst, why it was prescribed in the first place? I'd be afraid to stop it because I had amoebas that were in my gut for too many months and FLAGYL was prescribed for 14 days 3x/day 500 MG. I got similar symptoms like the dry mouth, dizziness, inbalance & at one point my legs gave up on me & I thought I'd pass out & my husband held me. But I continued till I was done with my 14 days. I hated the bad equilibrium & blurred vision. I can say that all my symptoms are gone except now reading this blog my vision has changed because when I read or on my phone's display my eyes get totally blurred and jumpy all over. Each day it gets better. It shall pass for everyone here, in time. It has to. We need to be more vigilant as to why we are on these meds to start with. I hope I never get a bacteria again. Be well. God bless all of you and don't forget your Affirmations, they work for me now and in my past.

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Thanks.. I'm not a drinker at all so alcolhol can't be involved in the way I feel. I'm managing to do more these days.. made and canned pasta sauce and pear butter today... managed to force some friends to take the rest of the pears because I can't handle anything else..but I did get something done...I'm just hoping that I can find my old self inside this body soon..

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read up on the side effects and check against what symptoms you are having.. call your doctor and tell him or her about these symptoms.. NOW..

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Erin
They can give you flagyl just one time, and then they give you 2000 mg one time. So Marie took it as she should.

Marie It can be flagyl. But dont panic. It dosent mean that you are going to be worse. Or that it dosent go away. Give it time and see. I hope that it goes away for you.

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I had a stool sample done and no blood. I'm going to ask for something else if it's prescribed again. Stool got slowlylighter and the overall grogginess slowlt lifted. The second time I took it the effects seemed to last longer but it was winter and I was less active.

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Someone on a Floxed site that I am a member of posted this and it says a lot....
2017 DON"T LET ME DOWN
As my baseline lowers and I weaken, I get rather quiet. I'm still in here somewhere but interacting is extremely difficult at times. I have fewer words, I get more easily lost and/or confused. So I don't get to post or even check in too often. Hell, I hardly even look at my phone or answer when family calls. I wish I could be more active or engaged, but these are the cards I've been dealt.
My condition changes not only day-to-day, but this is truly a minute-by-minute fight for me most times. So that makes it difficult to give updates since by the time I find the words I want to use, my condition has changed. That's been incredibly frustrating for over 8 years now. Not being able to use my words when I want, respond to easy conversation. or being "locked in" as they say, is one of the most de-humanizing experiences I have ever had or can imagine. On top of that is piles and piles of shame.
I fight this monster with everything I am. I fight the pain, I fight a nightmarish list of symptoms that covers nearly every single system and bit of tissue in my body. I fight shame from being unable to be self-sufficient and for having to rely on others to care for me.Feelings of hopelessness from being unable to find or ask for help. Feelings of worthlessness for not being able to do many of the things I used to... I am a proud man who refuses to fail and refuses to give up. And as much as I want to say I've overcome the shame and feeling of being a burden to my family, I have not. And it's starting to eat me alive.
To combat this I focus almost exclusively on what's right in my world. I recognize and am grateful for small wins and I try to pay more attention to the times where I impose my will on this monster - perhaps that means I made it to the washroom. Or on a better day perhaps I spent 2 hours outside the house with my family. Or like a few nights ago, I was able to fight this enough to read a few poems to my boy at bedtime. That's not always possible, so when I am able to it really lifts my spirits. Still though, no matter how hard I fight the shame it still bleeds through.
So, I am looking to make a deal with 2017. Instead of my finding reasons to feel beaten or even cry - which never helps anyone - I promise to continue to do my part here. I will keep fighting and keep making myself believe that I am loved and am worth whatever extra effort my disabilities may cause those around me. I can't ask anything of 2017 if I'm not willing to do my part all over again.
I'm rambling and feel lost again, I've been writing this in fragments over the last 2 hours or so. I'm hoping this makes at least some sense.
Perhaps my only real point here is that you MUST do your part too. You've already spent too much time on your knees begging, crying... flailing your arms in the air out of desperation. I may not be winning the physical fight, or even the mental fight against all-consuming shame. But I am still fighting. And so are you.
2017: I will do my part. I will live with purpose and I will inspire. Will you do yours?
If you've actually read my tangential ramblings, thank you. Much love for you all and I wish you all strength to face 2017 with a better attitude and a renewed sense of worth.
Your Brother in Fight,
/M

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Hi, Kathy. A CT scan won't show anything--if your doctors had read the FDA label correctly (or at all), they would have seen that, if you are having any neurological abnormalities, they can only be seen with an MRI. Can you describe your symptoms in more detail? Feeling like crap can be translated to a lot of different things. Please give specifics.

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Danielle, while I agree with Mike that restoring your gut bacteria is an important part of this, Flagyl is a neurotoxin. It directly affects the brain--you can see it on an MRI (while you're ingesting the drug). It's called metronidazole-induced central nervous system toxicity, and it causes white matter lesions on the brain.

The most common side effects listed for this are ataxia (difficulty walking or moving your arms), dysarthria (difficulty speaking) and dizziness. But there's also an "altered mental state" and as best as I can tell, that's usually anxiety and depression, and just not feeling like yourself. And that brain fog...I know exactly what you mean. It's so awful.

Your brain got hurt. For the majority of people, it will get better. It may just take some time. I've talked to people who get better within a few days or weeks--others, it's a few months. There are a few who take longer--I'm in that group. So don't give up hope. Just try your best, know what the problem is, and as BJH suggested, see a neurologist if possible. Physical therapy greatly helped my neck issues and an antidepressant helped with my anxiety/sleep (I took mirtazapine).

I hope this helps.

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Cipro damages the mitochondrial DNA. This type of DNA is found in certain places more than others, including the heart, lungs, joints, and brain. I don't know all the specifics but if the MtDNA in the central nervous system get messed up, then it can cause brain damage, and you get all the CNS side effects like depression, anxiety, head pressure, brain fog, etc, plus any number of weird symptoms. It's more likely for someone to suffer from full-blown psychosis with Cipro than metronidazole but metronidazole can cause a confused, disorienting state of mind that can lead to psychosis.

Metronidazole causes brain lesions. They are mainly on the cerebellum, which causes the difficulty walking (ataxia), difficulty speaking (dysarthria), dizziness, weakness, involuntary eye movement and possibly seizures.

But they can be a number of different places, including the midbrain, the basal ganglia, and even the brain stem. Anna probably has some type of damage to her brain stem (if I were to guess) which is why her autonomic system is not functioning correctly. It affects the automatic functions like breathing, blood pressure, digestion...when I was really sick, my heart was skipping beats, racing, and my blood pressure was strangely low. I had a hard time eating, not just because I had no appetite but because I'd take two bites of something and feel full. I was also constipated, which is not a problem I've ever had (I had IBS-D before this). And my breathing is still messed up to this day--never had a respiratory issue before, and now it feels like something similar to asthma (although it's much better than it was). But the problem doesn't seem to be with my lungs.

I also believe that metronidazole affects the GABA in the brain. That's the calming neurotransmitter and metronidazole can have an impact on it. If the GABA is compromised then the CNS gets overstimulated and you end up feeling like you're having a panic attack for days/weeks/months. It's one reason why dogs with metronidazole toxicity are given Valium--Valium helps to calm down the brain when the GABA is compromised.

Is it possible that metronidazole also affects our DNA? I wouldn't rule it out, but as of right now, it appears the the drug causes brain lesions and also damage to nerves (although I know less about the nerve damage the the CNS damage).

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The neurology appointment went fine! Ordered a whole bunch of testing and gave me a sample of a medication that is supposed to help calm down the GABA receptor. Going to see an oto-neurologist as well. I will try to discuss ototoxicity with her. As far as toxicity goes is there anything to take/use to lessen the toxicity. I know a long time ago in this thread someone mentioned activated charcoal. I worry about doing that because of that side effects because I was on in metronidazole for a GI infection and my bowel movements haven't been the same since either. Sorry if that is too much information. I just need help since I am in the early stages of being off the medication its been exactly 3 weeks and 4 1/2 weeks since symptoms started. Also now I am starting to have eye pain it feels like the muscle/nerve or whatever it is behind my eyes are being strained and it is painful for my eyes (well mostly one) to be open. Anyone else having/had that issue?

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If all else fails, you might want to try an antidepressant. I consider this a last resort (more drugs, blah), but people have tried this, including me, with some success. The one I took was mirtazapine, half of the lowest dose. It's the one I recommend to people because it has a sedating quality that could help you sleep (I assume you're not sleeping so great right now).

Don't worry about your doctor--almost all doctors react the same exact way yours reacted. It's like they can't believe a drug could harm their patient, even though it happens all the time. They are rarely helpful when it comes to this.

I hope you feel better.

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Erin, thank you very much for your reply! I also read a ton at floxie hope and I'm also leaning towards thinking this is related to metronidazole more than Cipro. I do have some pains that are sort of weird, but don't seem to fit the ones I see described on that page. I like the suggestion of heat on my neck area...I usually sit with a heating pad nearby.

I take all kinds of supplements too. Magnesium of a couple different types and two probiotics, along with vit D, B complex and B12 (although bloodwork said B12 was in normal range), folic acid, l-glutamine, turmeric, ginger, fish oil, and enzymes. My chiro gave me something called serenegen that is helping he anxiety.....it is herbs. It has helped me to see that others struggle with this too. In fact my husband just called me and a co-worker's wife just had a colonoscopy and was prescribed the same cocktail for diverticulitis. I shared this forum with her just now.

I used to take Protonix for reflux but I stopped it in this whole saga after reading its side effects. My ears feel plugged and I'm not sure if that's from stopping the Protonix or another side effect of the antibiotics. Thank you again for taking the time to respond to me. It really helps to have someone to talk to!

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Brain fog, head pressure, soreness at the base of skull...all typical for this. It's horrible but typical.

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