Sulfamethoxazole and antibiotic

Today is 10/28. I am Weezie1 and I posted on 10/26 about my severe drug reactions. They have gotten worse since I wrote my first post. The fever and chills are gone. But now I have been dealing with a rash/hives over all parts of my body. They are worse where close contact to sleeping clothing are - back, chest, neck. The one side of my face that I usually sleep on is purple every morning, along with that same side of my neck. I managed to get myself back to the doctor on 10/26 and am now on a 6 day dosage of steroids for the rash/hives. The steroids have stopped the hives from getting any worse. But it is taking awhile to go away. Any heat, anxiety, frustration brings them out again. I see I will be dealing with this for awhile. I go back to the doctor on 10/29 for a recheck. I lost 2 days from work because of this. My skin felt like it was on fire with hundreds of bee stings. Now I feel like I have a severe case of poison ivy. I have found some relief using Aveeno's oatmeal powder to do a bathtub soaking at night. Then I follow that with Aveeno's rich moisturizing lotion. The doctor may want me on steroids for longer than first prescribed.....not a med you want to be on for too long. All because of an UTI last week that could have been simply treated with a regular antibiotic if my doctor was not able to prescribe this sulfa drug to me on 10/19. Next time I will go with my initial gut feeling and refuse to take a medication when I see its extensive side effect list. I wish I had done so last week. I am suffering much more now than I was last week with my UTI. I filed an online complaint at the FDA's website. They mention it at their phone number that Weezie1 reported in my 10/26 posting here. I, unfortunately, expect to see additional patient complaints here every few days when I check back at this great medications site. And now I see that someone has internal bleeding. What next? A death? My blood pressure and heart rate were both increased for several days due to this drug. I could feel my heart pounding when I was sitting still and laying in bed. Thankfully, my BP is normally on the low side, but all the numbers went up by 10. We have to band together to get this crap off the market and out of the hands of doctors and unsuspecting innocent patients. Our voices will be heard if we speak in large numbers. Keep talking!Good luck to all.

Don't ever take this drug. I was hesitant when I saw the list of side effects. But my UTI was so bad and I didn't want to go back to the doctor for him to prescribe something else. Why he did not give me the same antibiotic that I had last winter with my previous UTI I have no idea. I had a 5 day dose. It went fine. Everything went downhill the evening of my last morning dose which was 10/24/09. Today is 10/26. The chills and aches immediately kicked in big time. I went right to bed with 2 Tylenol. It broke several hours later. Then the sweats began the next morning. Then the chills again last night. They are still here this morning. Because i am so cold I am sleeping in layers of flannel which is accentuating the horrid rash on my chest, neck, and back. The heat seems to be bringing it out. The doctor's office said I could take an OTC allergy pill but that will make me sleepy and I want to keep alert during this crisis. So I am going back to the doctor this afternoon for him to take a look at me. I may give him a piece of my mind for prescribing this crap to people. On my long list of side effects from my pharmacy is the phone number to report side effects to the FDA. It is 1-800-FDA-1088. We suffering patients need to unite against this demon drug so it is eventually pulled off the market. I was given Sulfameth/Trimetrhoprim 800/160 tabs for 5 days, twice daily, for an UTI. My pill bottle also says MFG AMNEAL - Generic for Septra DS tablets. No refills. Who want want to? Good luck to all the suffers of this doomed drug. I had to lose a day from work today and probably will do so tomorrow. And I have to somehow get myself back to the doctor today to hopefully get some relief. And living alone makes it even scarier. Something has to be done about this drug.

Tendons were tight in my legs, fingers aching, and joints were hurting after taking this antibiotic. Besides the fever accompanied by the headache.

My boyfriend was prescribed sulfameth (10 days/ 2x) for these bumps that appeared on his arms and legs and would appear anywhere that he would scratch. Within 5 minutes of taking the first dosage in the evening, his eyesight became blurry. He had a severe headache that night, chills and a high fever that lasted through the night. He took 2 ibuprofen pills but they didn't help. He couldn't get to sleep the entire night. He also became even more itchy than before he took the sulfameth. He couldn't move due to muscle pain and fatigue. His fever was still there by the time i got there at 7 in the morning and he was shaking uncontrollably. His heart rate was up. It looked to me that more bumps appeared on his body and some became a dark purple blotch, like a bruise. His fever broke around noon and stayed away for a couple of hours but it returned. His skin started to peel after his fever returned. At first i noticed it was on his nose and ear but i didn't think much of it since i didn't see it anywhere else. An hour later he texted me and said his whole body started peeling as if he had sun burn. His temperature is still slightly raised after over 24 hours.
I refused to give him the second dosage of sulfameth that morning and proceeded to call the doctor who had prescribed it. All she said was that he needed to come back in. No way in hell was i bringing him back there. She didn't even look at him for literally a minute and prescribed this crap. She said nothing of the side effects. There was no warning. Even though i looked it up before he took it, I didn't think it would be this bad.

Was prescribed this 9 days ago for a sinus infection. Last night (the 9th day) I was getting ready for bed and noticed a rash on my arm. I then noticed that it was on my other arm...and then saw it on my legs, chest, abdomen, back, etc. Basically everywhere except my face (though today it has shown up slightly on my face). After noticing the rash, I took some Benadryl and went to bed. About 30 minutes later I woke up suddenly--I felt a bit woozy and dizzy. Suddenly, my legs started jerking, my body was shaking, teeth chattering etc. My husband called the doc on call, who said that the rash was definitely due to the antibiotic, and that the dizziness/lightheadedness was most likely a reaction to the Benadryl. She said the rash would probably last about 3 days, and that as long as my breathing stayed fine and my lips/tongue didn't start to tingle, I would be OK. It has now been almost 24 hours; the rash is still there and I have had chills off and on throughout the day. The doc called to check on me a few minutes ago, and told me if the rash is not improving by tomorrow (Monday), to come in to the office. She explained that she was a bit concerned that the dizziness might be low blood pressure resulting from the reaction to the sulfamethoxazole, and that it could make a person very sick. She wasn't as concerned since I hadn't experienced the dizziness again since. Scary!

My 8 year old daughter had to take the liquid form of this medication for a UTI..2 tsp/twice a day for 10 days. On the 5th day she had a high fever, so I gave her liquid ibuprofin. Then she started throwing the antibiotic up and she was getting fevers up 105. The ibuprofin would only get her down to 100/101 range. She then started to complain about her neck hurting, so I was thinking meningitis! She was thirsty all the time and said it felt weird to swallow. After 4 days, I finally found 3 websites regarding side affects, including this one. I'm definitely not giving her any more of this antibiotic. Her UTI however seemed to be gone in 3 days.

I have been taking this medicine for a UTI for a few days and today all of the sudden I had an uncontrollable need to pee every few minutes. When I did there was a burning sensation and the immediate need to pee again. So I looked up the medication and saw online that you are supposed to drink a whole glass of water with each pill. I started chugging water and the burning and need to pee went away after and hour or so. Very strange, but maybe it will help someone else.

I began taking sulfameth about 1 week ago. Everything seemed ok until one morning I woke up and my neck was completely stiff! I started getting the hot and cold feeling and a splitting headache with nausea. I took tylenol and it seemed to improve a little. That evening I woke up every ten mins, just unable to get quality sleep. Next morning I woke up (after no sleep again), COVERED in hives. I mean, from my head to my ankles, these huge, red, itchy things all over! My throat, too. You know how it feels right when you swallow?..that's how my throat felt constantly. I was completely freaked out as hubby was at work and I was home alone with my 4 kids. So we hauled booty to the clinic and sure enough, allergic reaction to the antibiotic. I'm actually allergic to penicillin as well, so the doctor I saw said she was really surprised my other doctor would have prescribed a sulfer drug to me as it has a high instance of causing allergic reactions. hhhmmm...thanks.
Anyway she said I could take benadaryl, but better yet, Claritin. She said Claritin won't make you drowsy and will knock it right out (you should take benadryl instead of claritin if you're breastfeeding though). That was yesterday, and besides some weird mottled look on my legs (leftover rash), all seems well.

I had a stye/ staff infection in my right eye. It was swollen and severely hurting me. Well, my doctor put me on sulfameth and a eyedrop antibiotic. I don't mind taking the eye drops, but these pills are making me feel horrible. I am on 1 pill twice daily for 10 days. I asked the doctor and the pharmacist if this stuff causes constipation and they both said no. Well, I haven't been able to use the bathroom well since I started it. My muscles twitch, my eyes are sensitive to the sunlight, I can't go to sleep easily, I've been itching up a storm, and I have headaches. I want to just stop the medication but if I do then I will never get rid of this infection in my eye. I figured I'd stop the meds in the middle of the week. I hate feeling bloated and constipated. Has anyone else had the constipation effect?

Was prescribed this antibiotic at the er for an ear infection. Had been taking for five days with no feeling of relief from the pressure and pain. on the fifth day I noticed I was shaking and shivering but sweating at the same time. My ears and nose became very clogged, my eyes turned bloodshot and felt a lot of pressure. I was very dizzy, had a very dry mouth was drinking lots of water and urinating a lot. Began to have a panic attack because the symptoms I was experiencing, after about five hours of this I started to feel a bit better. I did not relate this to the drug at first but after I took my second dosage that day I began to feel the same symptoms intensify, only my throat began to swell and I had trouble swallowing. I immediately took two benadryl as I realized I was having a serious allergic reaction. Went to the doctor the next day and was prescribed a different antibiotic, so eight days later I am finally feeling better! Will never take this drug again!

On day 12 of a 14 day treatment of Septra DS the backs of my thighs began to itch. I thought I might have gotten a heat rash from the vinyl padded chairs at my work. Just to be safe I stopped the meds because I have a history of antibiotic allergies. That was on a Friday. By Monday afternoon I had to leave work early to rush to my doc who said I probably had a rash from the bronchitis I was treated for (something called viral exanthem). I didn't buy it but trusted the doc. Two days later I was in agony. I itched EVERYWHERE! Relentless horrible itching. I took 2 full strength benadryls every 3 hours to no avail. Tried calamine lotion,etc. Nothing worked. The doc finally gave me 40 mg of prednisone for 5 days. But it's day 3 of the steroid and I started itching horribly again last night.
I know it's the sulfa because I now remember some slight itching the last time I took it. So beware... itching on sulfa is a red flag... your skin is telling you something!

About 2 months ago, I was prescribed Sulfameth/Trimethoprim 800/160 tabs for an inflamed, swollen nose which extended to puffiness and an apparent fluid sac under my left eye -- the actual cause for this infection has not been determined.

The doctor prescribed a 14-day supply (1 tablet, twice daily), and said I could stop taking it after 10 days if I wanted, or finish out the supply if I so desired. After about 5 days, the swelling had pretty much subsided, particularly under the eye, but I continued taking the medication through the 13th day. During the first 12 days, I did not notice any adverse reactions.

However, on the 13th day, just after getting out of the shower, I noticed red welts on my chest and back, purple splotches on the underside of my upper arms, and generalized redness across the rest of my body and limbs. I did not immediately associate these symptoms with the antibiotic, because the first 12 days had not caused me any problems.

However, a friend theorized that it might be an allergic reaction to the antibiotic, and suggested I stop taking it to see if the symptoms subsided. Since I had only two tablets left, I decided to heed the suggestion, and the redness did go away after about 2 days. I resolved to tell the doctor about this reaction on my next visit, but have not been back there yet.

Earlier this week, I experienced the beginnings of similar tenderness and swelling on the left side of my nose, and still do not know what might be the cause for this. I decided on Wednesday morning to take one of the remaining two tablets of Sulfameth/Trimethoprim, and within an hour or two began to itch a lot -- primarily on the back but also on the arms. I thought that taking a shower might relieve the symptoms, and it did somewhat.

Around dinner time, I took the second (my last one) remaining tablet, and about an hour later went out to join some friends. I had a slight headache and took an Ibuprofin tablet just before going out. Within the second hour, I began to feel chills (even though I was wearing ample layers of clothing), and the headache had not diminished -- so I took another Ibuprofin. The symptoms seemed indicative of a low-grade fever.

After excusing myself and going home, I laid down to watch TV, and the chills got so bad that I was obliged to curl up under a blanket, even after turning up the central heat. The headache got so intense, I had to hold an icepack against my temples and forehead for some relief. Later, when I took my temperature, the fever had progressed to 102 degrees; still later, it had climbed to 104. This worried me, since I have read that brain damage can occur at 105 degrees.

During this time, I decided to switch (from Ibuprofin) to taking three aspirins, to see if that might be more effective in reducing the fever, but it persisted at 104 degrees for all of the night and into the next morning. I made a point of drinking lots of fluids (water & juice) and tried sleeping, but woke up about every two hours.

On Thursday, about mid-day, the fever finally began to subside -- though I noticed a fatigue and soreness in my calf muscles, most pronounced if I stood in one position for more than a minute or so. The only relief was to move about, or to sit down.

By evening, my temperature was back to normal and I felt well enough to visit with some friends again. However, several hours after returning home, I felt dehydrated and had another headache; my temperature was back at 102 degrees. I drank more fluids, took aspirins, and had another night of fitful sleep.

By Friday afternoon, my temperature had reduced to about 100 degrees, and my calf muscles still displayed the same symptoms of soreness, as though I had over-exercised them. It's a very uncomfortable feeling.

Lesson learned: I will be asking my doctor to note in my file that I am allergic to sulfa-based meds, and hope that normalcy returns over the next few days. I have also gained a deeper appreciation for the manner in which the human body fights off foreign substances! ;-)

I was prescribed this medication for an ear infection. For the first five days, I had severe headaches, dry mouth, and trouble sleeping. On the sixth day, I developed a fever of 101 and had chills bad enough to cause my teeth to chatter. I was also extremely tired and my whole body ached. I though I was coming down with the flu. I went to bed that night, but continued to suffer from chills and was unable to rest comfortably. I awoke at 4am on the seventh day and noticed I had hives all over my face and neck. By 9am, I had red blotches on my chest, stomach, back, and arms. I called the doctor and was told it was probably an allergic reaction and I should come in for a check-up. After seeing the doctor, he said this medication often has a "delayed allergic reaction" that usually shows up around 7 days after beginning the dosage. He told me stop taking the meds and that the rash would probably get worse before it gets better. That's true. It is now day 8 (late) and I have red blotches everywhere on my body and they itch a lot. I will make sure I remember to never take this medicine again. It didn't help with the ear infection either, but nothing has so far. This was the 4th different antibiotic tried.

I have taken trimethoprim for two doses and those havent been as close as they should have been over two days and not the full dose at that as I took 200mg last night and felt so horrible, with a very dry mouth, high high anxiety couldnt sleep and didnt feel well at all.. depite drinking lots and lots as advised when taking it
..I just was starting to feel better during today as if it was wearing out of my system and I still have the urinary infection so tonight I took half a dose (ie 100mg) and here I am sitting up into the night scouring the Internet for side effects or drug interactions that may not be on the leaflet with the meds, but maybe what I am having, as I feel exactly the same as last night, high high anxiety, cant sleep and dry mouth (very). I dont think I want to continue this medication and will call my Dr tomorrow for another antibiotic to clear the UTI.
Was quite releived when I came across this site with people mentioning high anxiety and very dry mouth and feeling plain awful!

I was prescribed sulfameth for a sinus infection. I took 15 pills. 2 each day. My symptoms got progressively worse. It started with constipation, weight gain, fatigue (I attributed this to the sinus infection), nausea, irritability. I was having trouble getting to sleep. I constantly had to get up to go to the bathroom. Once I would get to sleep I would wake up every few hours. Around day 5 or 6 I started getting a horrendous headache and my neck ached. The pain was intense! My legs ached as well. I started running a fever around 100 degrees. I would be sweating one moment and cold the next. I thought I was getting a bug that was going around minus the sore throat everyone else had. I was glad that I was already on an antibiotic. Today I woke up and have a rash from my shoulders to my feet! I still have the same fever. I called my nurse practitioner and she said to discontinue the medication, take Benadryl for the symptoms and increase my water to flush it out of my system. It's clearly an allergic reaction to the meds. I am throwing the last few doses out.

I was prescribed sulfameth for a sinus infection. I took 15 pills. 2 each day. My symptoms got progressively worse. It started with constipation, weight gain, fatigue (I attributed this to the sinus infection), nausea, irritability. I was having trouble getting to sleep. I constantly had to get up to go to the bathroom. Once I would get to sleep I would wake up every few hours. Around day 5 or 6 I started getting a horrendous headache and my neck ached. The pain was intense! My legs ached as well. I started running a fever around 100 degrees. I would be sweating one moment and cold the next. I thought I was getting a bug that was going around minus the sore throat everyone else had. I was glad that I was already on an antibiotic. Today I woke up and have a rash from my shoulders to my feet! I still have the same fever. I called my nurse practitioner and she said to discontinue the medication, take Benadryl for the symptoms and increase my water to flush it out of my system. It's clearly an allergic reaction to the meds. I am throwing the last few doses out. This medication is poison.

I was using it for acne. I'd been on it about two weeks when I started having sudden high fever and extreme lethary. (Like if I didn't lay down, I'd fall down). I'd hit the bed for several hours, and wake up feeling improved. Then I'd go through the same thing later that night; fever back up and horrific fatigue. I kept thinking I was coming down with something and even remarked that I was glad I was "already on an antibiotic." Then realized my fevers were shortly after my dose. Nurse said "no, that wouldn't do it. I took one more dose to "see" and in addition to the fever going up, that time my lips swelled and itched. Spoke with the Dr. and he said NEVER to use a sulfa med again, as the next reaction could be quite dangerous.

My Six year old daughter is on this med and she has had no side affects that I can tell. She is having a more trouble focusing on school (I home school) and seems tired, but I am not sure that that is the meds. Someone on this comment page said there is sulfer in it. Is that true, if so is that why people are having reactions if the are allergic to sulfer? anyway I really cam online to see if I had to refrigerate this antibiotic, I keep forgetting to give her the second dose so I was going to try and keep it where I could see it. Thank you for your help.

I too have had severe itching of the hands and feet a few days after havig started this antibiotic. I have been on it once before and I had no side effects, however this time I do. I am refusing this medication from now on!

Am taking Sulfameth/Trimethoprim for some kind of bug(tests for parasites was negative), I picked up in Costa Rica, possible Salmanila (sp) or ecoli. Had this bug for six months and want to get rid of it. Have severe neck pain (like a bad pulled muscle or wiplash) that started one day after starting the antibiotic. Taking Ibprophin for the pain and inflamation. Will finish the ten days of medication and live with the pain in exchange for killing whatever I picked up on vacation.