Bactrim and neck pain

I had taken Bactrim in the past without a problem. My daughter, however, has a history of rashes associated with Sulfa drug use. I didn't say anything to the doctor that gave it to me for a sinus infection. With in 5 days of taking it, I came down first with some pain in my neck. We were on vacation and sleeping in a new bed, so I dismissed it. By the end of the week, I had a fever going up to 103. The following day, my neck pain was so bad, that I had ice on my lymph nodes. The day after that I had broken out in a rash so bad that it looked like I had a terrible sunburn. My skin was even hot to the touch. By this time, I had realized it was from the medicine, and stopped taking it. The rash isn't as red, but it did spread out to my arms, legs, and torso. I called my doctor when I got home, and he just said to take an over the counter antihistamine, but I was not referred anywhere else. After doing research on the internet and carefully reviewing the warnings from CVS (where I picked up the medicine) I believe that I have Stephens-Johnson Syndrome caused by Bactrim. This is actually listed on the warnings, but not what the symptoms are of this illness. It has been more than a week, and I still have the rash, although not as bad as it was last week.

I got a positive culture back for bacterial vaginosis which is quite common, and was prescribed bactrim DS (was given septra ds which is the same thing). that are only 160 mg tabs for 10 days 2 times a day. I was fine for about 3 days, on the 4th day I had decreased energy, pain in my left calf, and I was very irritable and felt nauseated and dizzy after taking the pill, I also felt cramping in my lower back and sides. On the 5th day, I had the same symptoms, on the 6th day I started to have stiffness in my neck, and I was nauseated and came close to vomiting. On what would be the 7th day my neck was stiff but wasn't worrying me too much not enough to make me think something was wrong, and I went to the doctor to find out if I was pregnant or not and sure enough I am! So I asked her then, could I be having an allergic reaction to the bactrim? My nurse said no, its probably related to my pregnancy. Now, I've been pregnant before and NEVER have I experienced neck pain at 4 weeks pregnant.. And most people will say "irritability, nausea, pregnancy related!" This is irregular. because when I don't take it, I am perfectly fine. after I got home the pain got progressively worse as the night went on. So I didn't take the evening dose. I went into the doctor on what would be the 8th day with so much neck pain I could hardly drive myself there, they told me nothing was wrong and told them I am positive that I am having a reaction to the bactrim. they said its probably just a cold. That if i were to have a reaction it would have been only in the first few days. They told me to continue use with the bactrim and relieve the pain with Tylenol, cold/hot compresses yadda yadda. Mind YOU as they are saying I can not move my neck even to look at the doctor to my right. I had to ask him to move in front of me, so I could see him! I know my body. While having it out of my system for the short time, i took Tylenol and felt amazing, i could turn my head, was making enchiladas! but since I took the morning dose, by the evening I was in agony. The pain is predominantly on the left side on the back of my neck, from the nape and base of my skull spreading down to my shoulders and back. It has also spread to behind my ears and on the left side of my skull. the Right side is not nearly as painful, I'm wondering if it might have something to do with being left handed. And I know I shouldn't have continued using that antibiotic, but I did. Doctors orders aren't always good orders. NOW I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN... I took it again this morning, thinking "my doctor would only prescribe this if he thought the risk of the side effects is worth the cure." And its gotten much worse. nothing has helped. I can only take Tylenol every 4-6 hours, and it only lasts about one hour if even that. I am exhausted, and the pain when i woke up made me nauseated, trust me I KNOW what morning sickness feels like. I was dizzy and nauseated from the sheer pain, and I have been so restless from the pain. I'm done using it, and I will tell my doctor that I refuse to use antibiotics in the future as well. I'm really upset, I know my body. I know what I am feeling, and it literally feels like there is an attack on my neck from the bactrim, and its spreading.

Dr. prescribed Bactrim generic for Lyme.
Wow, did this stuff make me sick. I have taken it once or twice before for UTI's, without any bad effects. this time, the third day, started having terrible neck pain, unrelenting no matter how I tried to lay or use the pillow, it ached. spent half the night awake. went off the deep end emotionally -- irritable, agitated, then nausea started, dry heaves. I have a small bumpy rash also. The worst of it is the flu-like symptoms. chills and shakes. The last time I take this med.

Hi Gang,
I have a problem of my own with bactrim, but I want to start this post by saying I am an emergency room physician assistant and I prescribe bactrim all the time due to a number of reasons - one, it does, according to state guidelines, cover MRSA (people misunderstand that MRSA is a PENICILLIN resistant staph - but USUALLY responds to bactrim, levaquin, or cipro (ciprofloxacin). And two, traditionally bactrim is the cheapest and I personally try my best to keep my patients costs down (I have 6 kids and even I cannot afford the $800 a month cost just for insurance so we put money in a health savings account and pay cash for everything - though we rarely go for just "colds" like so many do). But I developed a UTI which tend to be real bad in men as we do not get them as much as women do - this is due to the urinary tract and anatomy differences. Almost ALWAYS a UTI is from E. COLI 80-90% of the time - don't let that scare you as it is a normal digestive enzyme - but outside of the digestive tract or if exposed to an outside source like bad meat - it cause infection), why that matters is some antibiotics, like zithromax, do not cover that bacteria.

Well, to the point. I started on it for my UTI, normal dose, 2 times a day. I noticed I was having some weird dizziness and even slurred speech - no rash. I noted in this blog that people worry SO MUCH about the rash, but the rash is usually not any big deal. We see it, but unfortunately what we see scares us more than what may be going on silently inside of us!

So I have these symptoms and now I have a lump under my jaw that I can hardly open my mouth and still slurred speech. The Mrs thinks I am taking something else or who knows what, but I almost felt like a stroke. No headache, some nausea at times, but no rash. The jaw pain and I guess a left side neck pain are pretty intense today. I am stopping the bactrim and I promise I will be a bit more sensitive to others who I prescribe it to! I was looking for side effects and came across this blog.

Jamie B. PA-C******

I started taking generic Bactrim about 3 weeks ago for an ear infection. The first two weeks I had no problems, the third week I woke up one morning with one side of my neck sore. I thought I just slept on it wrong and didn't think it could be associated with Bactrim then over the next two days my neck became more stiff and sore it even hurt to touch. I could not move my neck at all without experiencing pain. Also I would get servere headaches when I moved my eyes to look up or to the sides. The sharp headaches would only last about a minute or so after moving my eyes. My arms and legs started to feel achy like when I have a fever. The third day after the first sign of neck pain I broke out in hives on my arms and hands. I stopped taking the Bactrim (because I found this site and similar ones) and two days later most of my hives were gone and my neck pain was noticeably less. Four days off of Bactrim and my neck is almost completely better and my hives gone. I will never take a sulfa drug again

I started taking Bactrim for a UTI on a Monday night. Tuesday morning I work up with a intense headache I took the second pill that morning, by mid morning I started having pains in my left hand wrist, than having severe pain in my left leg making it very hard for me to walk, leading to fever and pain all over my body i.e., neck pain, lower back pain, joint pain I just hurt from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I went back to the doctor that day (Tuesday) and was told I might have the flu after taking two flu test and both coming back negative I was given something for the pain and told to come back the next day if I did not fell any relief never the less I did not feel any better the next day in fact I was worse, I had a fever of 103.3 and climbing after returning to the same doctor for a third day and the doctor not having any answers for the way I was felling I, was advised to be taken to the ER on Wed and later admitted to the hospital and released with out being told what was causing me such sickness. It was not until the following week that I was told by my regular doctor that I was having an allergic reaction the Bactrim, it has been 9 days later and I still have swelling in my hands and feet and pain in my neck and legs. When will this end