Macrobid User Reviews & Ratings (Page 5)
Macrobid has an average rating of 4.5 out of 10 from a total of 830 reviews on Drugs.com. 29% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 51% reported a negative experience.
Reviews for Macrobid
- Anonymous
- September 3, 2011
For Urinary Tract Infection "Cleared up my urinary tract infection quickly, but I had a severe reaction to the medication. High fever, profuse sweating, chills, blurred vision, muscle aches, skin sensitivity (it was uncomfortable to touch my skin), rash, tingling and burning in my hands and feet, racing heart, confusion. Most of these symptoms started on Day 2 of the 6 days I took it. I thought all of these symptoms, with the exception of the rash, were from the flu."
- Gir...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- July 31, 2018
For Urinary Tract Infection "Read the reviews and was so scared to even take it! But I took the medication and not a single side effect! Great medication... I’m 5’5 and 135 lbs... very prone to headaches... nothing happened. Don’t let the bad reviews scare you!"
Frequently asked questions
- What is "dual release" nitrofurantoin?
- Is meloxicam a sulfa drug?
- Does Macrobid make birth control pills less effective?
- What antibiotics are used to treat UTI?
- Mrs...
- March 21, 2014
For Bladder Infection "This medication cleared my urinary tract infection symptoms within 24 hours, but left me feeling super sleepy and dizzy! I guess it's a small price to pay for relief. I'm glad I have a few days off work, though, because I would not be able to work like this."
- M V...
- October 6, 2015
For Urinary Tract Infection "I have been suffering on and off with UTIs for about 4 years now (my mother and grandmother are prone to them and I seem to have inherited that, unfortunately), and I mean SUFFERING. My symptoms get to the point of missing work and making trips to the ER. This past infection was the first time that I was put on Macrobid, and I have nothing more to say than that it is a miracle drug. Within 2 hours of taking the first dose, the urgency of needing to urinate had diminished tenfold. On day two now (fourth dose), and all of the pain is gone. I am on many more medications, and the fact that my doctor could find an antibiotic that wouldn't interact with anything I was currently taking (including birth control) was incredible. Will use in the future."
Are you taking this medicine?
Your review helps others make informed decisions.- Ale...
- August 8, 2016
For Bladder Infection "I got a pretty bad bladder infection and got prescribed this medicine. I didn't bother to check reviews, as my infection was so bad that all I wanted to do was be able to pee. I'm on day 3. Symptoms barely better. On top of that, I now have bad pain in my lower back, a swollen stomach that hurts really bad, gas, constipation, and worst of all, I can barely stay awake. I'm exhausted. I have zero energy, and I've been bedridden since the first dose. My joints hurt, my shoulders hurt, I am dizzy and nauseous. And I take the dose with a decent meal to prevent stomach upset, but it doesn't work. The worst part is that I keep having bouts of diarrhea, but nothing comes out. I don't know if the medicine is worse than the disease, but I'm miserable."
- Hap...
- May 24, 2015
For Urinary Tract Infection "Rx paperwork does not say take with food, even though it is very important to do so. My UTI symptoms were gone after taking the first pill. I only have to take it for 3 days, but I am experiencing some side effects. I feel achy and very sleepy. Just have no energy in general. I had diarrhea after the first dose, but not terrible. I just don't want to get out of bed. I still rated this med a 10 because it did take away my UTI symptoms almost immediately. Just remember to eat a full meal before each dose, and it makes all the difference in the side effects. Two pills to go, I can do this."
- HPG...
- October 8, 2015
For Bladder Infection "I've been suffering from UTIs off and on for the last year. During this time, I was prescribed a sulfate antibiotic, which I discovered I was allergic to within hours. I developed hives and blisters all over my face and body. So, Cipro was prescribed every time for the UTIs that subsequently followed. It seemed it took about 5 days for the symptoms to go away, but I never felt fully cured because even though the urgency and burning went away, I was having a hard time holding my urine if I had a close to full or full bladder. Then, I would have about 2 weeks of feeling okay, only to have the UTI start all over again. I was at my wits' end. I was prescribed Macro, I felt relief in 2 hours with absolutely no side effects. I hope this is finally the end!"
- Anonymous
- January 3, 2016
For Bladder Infection "I had a stubborn UTI that was unresponsive to Cipro and starting to show signs of a kidney infection. This drug was a miracle worker. Within 48 hours, I finally felt relief after a long, horrible wait of dealing with intense bladder pressure. I ate heavy meals with each pill, did not experience nausea or other GI issues. I was, however, tired ALL 7 days of this pill. I slept so much, I mean seriously, this pill knocked me out. So that is frustrating, but will take fatigue any day over GI symptoms, and at the point I started taking this drug, I was willing to try anything to get rid of this infection. I was SO miserable. I just finished my last pill and noticed a dry cough with shortness of breath, so that's why I gave it an 8."
- Sai...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- September 8, 2019
For Bladder Infection "I hated using Macrobid. It gave me ugly stomach cramps and headaches. I’m 26 weeks pregnant, and it was either take this or Bactrim. I was not about to take Bactrim. My UTI is gone, but I had to deal with a week of upper abdominal pain, headaches, and just an overwhelming sense of feeling like absolute garbage. Thankfully, none of it went to my baby girl. That’s the only positive of this medicine, it goes straight to your urinary system."
- Kat...
- April 30, 2017
For Urinary Tract Infection "Had abdominal discomfort, burning sensation, and blood after urination. Urgent care diagnosed me with a UTI. They prescribed this for me, and after taking one pill, my symptoms started to subside. I have only experienced a slight headache, but no other significant side effects. My urine, however, did turn a different kind of yellow, but when looking at the packaging, this is normal and doesn't warrant concern. Great antibiotic."
- Anonymous
- July 11, 2011
For Bladder Infection "It cleared up my urinary tract infection symptoms within 24 hours, however, my doctor prescribed it to me for 2 weeks. Today was the end of the first week, and I've experienced a slight shortness of breath and a bit of weight on my lungs, almost like one feels with bronchitis. I feel as though I must breathe deeply in order to fully expand my lungs, and sometimes it causes me to have a dry cough. I think I'll stop taking it before things get worse."
- Sar...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- January 8, 2019
For Bladder Infection "I strongly dislike the motives of Big Pharma, and I think antibiotics are the devil because they destroy your gut microbiome. When you have a bladder infection that could progress to one's kidneys, you take them with a metaphorical grain of salt. I took the first dose at 7:23 pm. I peed at around 7:50 pm with pain. I had the urge to pee again at 9:29 pm and had no pain at all! I thought I felt tingling around 8:10 pm like I could feel the fight between the infection and the drug. I feel a little foggy in the head. My bowels are definitely loose because I have wet farts, and that is from someone who is always constipated. So, I pity the fool who poops every day and takes this medication. I also experienced vaginal leakage (mucus)."
- miz...
- October 17, 2015
For Bladder Infection "This works fine for me. I'm allergic to most of the antibiotics out there, but not this one, thankfully. I get UTIs frequently because I always have to be cultured, sometimes that waiting period helps the thing really get going. Normally, it's a 10-day course. I do not get headaches or any of the side effects others have had. Everybody's body is different, the only way you'll know how you will react is to take it yourself."
- sou...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- February 9, 2016
For Bladder Infection "I am always prescribed Macrobid for UTIs, and it has always worked for me. It does cause some side effects, but for me, it is usually just fatigue for a few hours after taking it and a bit of diarrhea near the end, once the infection is gone, but I am still finishing up the meds. I know some people get more severe side effects, but I have always been lucky on this drug."
- Kat...
- August 5, 2014
For Bladder Infection "I took Macrobid for two days. By day three I was nauseous, dizzy, and had diarrhea. I felt weak and dizzy and almost passed out. My doctor told me to stop the medication. It turned out that my culture was normal, and I didn't need antibiotics! I am now without the meds, and I feel like I have a virus!"
- Anonymous
- Taken for less than 1 month
- December 25, 2019
For Urinary Tract Infection "This medicine was absolutely horrible for me. I had extreme diarrhea, with nausea and vomiting every time I took it, and I had to take it 2x a day. The abdominal pain it caused, no matter how much food or water I took with it, was the sharpest pain I’ve ever felt, like 7/10 on the pain scale. I lost weight and was severely dehydrated."
- chr...
- July 23, 2014
For Urinary Tract Infection "I am 11 wks pregnant, and after my first OB/GYN appointment, they called me with results that I had a urinary tract infection. I was shocked because I didn't have any symptoms other than pressure by my bladder, which I was relating to the pregnancy. I was prescribed 100 mg of Macrobid x 3 days, taking 1 capsule every 12 hrs. The first night I took it a couple of hours after dinner and went to sleep. BIG MISTAKE! I woke up vomiting, ate a bagel right away, and took the second pill. I felt nauseated all day, tired, and had a mild headache. The remaining pills I took directly after a full meal and felt a little better. If it wasn't for the medicine only being for 3 days, I don't think I could've taken it any longer. I just kept telling myself that if I don't finish it, a UTI can be much more serious."
- Ang...
- September 11, 2013
For Urinary Tract Infection "I've never had a reaction to any antibiotics, but this one brought me to the ER. After 24 hours, I began feeling flu-like symptoms, 48 hours later, I had symptoms of bronchitis. After 4 days, I was covered in hives. I had assumed that I picked up a virus from the clinic when I went in for the urinary tract infection, so I didn't correlate all my symptoms to reactions from the Macrobid. When I broke out into hives, I finally realized something was going on. After a visit to the ER and steroids, I'm feeling better. It's been 24 hours off the Macrobid, and I can breathe again, flu symptoms gone, and I have my energy back. That was a rough 6 days in bed."
- Anonymous
- July 21, 2009
For Prevention of Bladder infection "This medicine is a lifesaver for the prevention of bladder and urinary tract infections. I used to get them all the time, and they are so painful. But since I started taking Macrobid as a preventive, I rarely get an infection."
- Ale...
- August 31, 2019
For Bladder Infection "I had taken Macrobid before years ago and remember feeling very sick. I recently had such a bad infection I was desperate. Within the first dose, I was feeling so much better. I am now on dose 3 and have not had any side effects at all!"
- Gig...
- February 26, 2012
For Urinary Tract Infection "I took Macrobid for 7 days, and it alleviated my urinary tract infection (very happy about that). Four days after finishing the Macrobid, I started to itch all over my body, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. There's no rash present, but my skin gets very sensitive and red even before I scratch (super red). Five days after taking the medication, I am experiencing tightness in my esophagus and burning; as if I had a bad case of acid reflux (I have a minor level of acid reflux)."
- Pun...
- January 24, 2017
For Urinary Tract Infection "After reading all of the horrible reviews on this site, I was terrified to take Macrobid. I waited two days, hoping that the symptoms would clear and I wouldn't have to take this 'awful poison.' Everything I read talked about flu-like symptoms and high fevers. Scary stuff. I finally gave in and took my first dose around 9:00 a.m. By around 1:00 p.m., I had a bit of a headache, which was mostly controlled with Advil. Same side effect with the second and third doses. By day three, I was side effect-free and nearly symptom-free too. I would take this again in a heartbeat. Don't let the reviews scare you. Everyone reacts differently, and you can't base what your experience will be off of the bad experiences others had."
- Stu...
- March 31, 2016
For Urinary Tract Infection "Took 2 pills... TWO PILLS!! Spent 3 hours in the ER with rapid heartbeats (over 100), chest tightness, anxiousness, and the shakes. The hospital did an array of tests and told me to stop taking... No sheet. Now the bad news... Another doctor told me it can take up to a week to get the drug out of the system... My advice... Take one and wait a day or so to see how the body responds... In my case, this pill was garbage and dangerous... I have never had a reaction to a medicine like this... Stay away from this antibiotic..."
- beb...
- March 10, 2012
For Urinary Tract Infection "I have had a urinary tract infection since January, and it is now March. First, I was put on a Z-pak with no relief. Then I was put on Cipro. The test came back as if I hadn't taken anything. Now I am on nitrofurantoin, and the symptoms have subsided. I have a headache and am tired, but so what, they will go away when I finish taking this. It worked great for me."
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Are you taking this medicine?
Your review helps others make informed decisions.More about Macrobid (nitrofurantoin)
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For Bladder Infection "65 years old, never had a urinary tract infection before, (now I know what they are!) probably had it for months, related symptoms to nurse friend, she said to call the doctor, sounds like a UTI. Doctor gave Macrobid prescription, 20 hours later after the first couple of capsules, had 99% relief. Continued taking for two weeks and didn't have side effects, as far as I could determine. I won't wait months before calling the physician next time."