Cefdinir and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 3)

• iha...
• January 1, 2017

For Sinusitis "First sinus infection at 59 years old. My doctor is on vacation, so a nurse practitioner prescribed cefdinir. Took it for 5 days, stopped because of side effects: cramping, diarrhea. Was given a script of amoxicillin, which knocked out the sinus problem. The cefdinir effects went away a few days after I quit them, but as the warning says, it came back 8 weeks later with a vengeance. Has been 3 months now, my PCP referred me to Gastro, but when I told them I had gone to the ER and had blood work and tests for C-Diff 4 days before she called, I was told they could do a colonoscopy, but if I had an inflamed colon, there was nothing they could do but make it worse. If not inflamed, they could prescribe a couple of meds. Negative for C-Diff, taken 3 bottles of probiotics, lost?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2022

For Bronchitis "Was given it for a suspected respiratory infection after COVID. I started to have diarrhea the first day (6x that day) and continued to the next day. At this point, I had taken four pills (1 every 12 hours), and my doctor instructed me to stop taking it. It’s been a month, and I continue to still have GI issues (diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, loss of appetite). I’m working with a GI to resolve these issues, but in all honesty, I was perfectly healthy (22 years old) prior to taking this antibiotic. I didn’t even feel this bad when I had COVID. I honestly would try to take another antibiotic and to make sure you actually need them. A lot of doctors just give antibiotics out like candy, and that was my case. I had no infection, and it was most likely lingering effects of COVID because all the symptoms had gone away on their own, and now I’m dealing with GI issues I’ve never had until taking this antibiotic."

• Off...
• November 20, 2015

Cefdinir for Bronchitis "I was prescribed 300 mg Omnicef. 1 capsule 2x a day. Very bad experience. I have had extreme diarrhea since the third day of taking this med. It is now 2 weeks after I finished the dose and am still experiencing problems. This med kills every 'good' bacteria in your gut. I've been taking several different kinds of probiotics trying to get myself back to normal. This has been and still is an awful experience. Do not take this unless you like running to the bathroom every 30 minutes for weeks on end. I have not been able to eat much of anything and am still losing too much weight. It is a very dangerous drug. I will NEVER take this again."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2018

For Sinusitis "This medication was prescribed for my 8-year-old son and myself, both having sinusitis. To make a long story short, this particular antibiotic worked/works well for my son w/o any side effects. I wish I could say the same for myself. On about the 3rd to 4th day, I started having diarrhea, slowly to very moderately, meaning I hit the bathroom 3 to 4 times every hour, sometimes more. I should also add that I didn't notice any difference in my sinusitis, so the medicine just gave me really bad diarrhea, so not worth it to me. This antibiotic is a great medication for kids, from my standpoint, not so much for adults, unless you don't mind living in the bathroom."

• Wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2016

For Strep Throat "The Z-packs and erythromycin give me horrible stomach pain, burning, and diarrhea. Cefdinir does not at all. Make sure to take 12 hours apart and don't take alcohol or vitamins, and it will help the medicine work."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2017

For Sinusitis "I was given this antibiotic for the first time just around the day before New Year's Eve 2017, and man, I will never take this again. Like most of the posts I read say, it was fine for about 5 days. Then on the 6th day, I noticed stomach cramping and severe diarrhea. I stopped on day 7 when I started realizing it was the antibiotic. In doing the research, I found that this is one of those broad-spectrum bacteria killers, so it also kills the good bacteria, and I think doctors should be more restrictive on prescribing this. Hopefully, I will be back to normal in a few days, if not, I guess back to the ER I go."

• Jef...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2021

For Middle Ear Infections "Healthy 60-year-old on no medications. Prescribed for inner ear infection. Within 25 minutes of taking this medication, I was profusely vomiting and had severe diarrhea, to the point I was limp on the bathroom floor, with my wife about to dial 911. I had another prescription called in the next day. Major ringing in my ears and mild vertigo for 3 days. I will NEVER take this again, nor recommend it to anyone!!"

• Anonymous
• June 21, 2010

Cefdinir for Middle Ear Infections "This is the only antibiotic I will request for both of my children when they have ear infections. It is a one dose-a-day medicine that begins working very quickly and clears the infection. Diarrhea is a side effect, but can be controlled with diet and limiting dairy."

• Jen...
• July 9, 2017

For Sinusitis "Had sinusitis for 2 months. I was hesitant to take cefdinir after reading all the bad reviews on here, but I finally gave in, and it cleared it up in a matter of days with no side effects. Seems the most common side effects reported here are headache and diarrhea. I think many people aren't aware that cefdinir should be taken with food, and that whenever you take any sort of antibiotic, you should follow up with a probiotic a couple of hours after each pill to rebalance your gut bacteria. These two steps are probably what kept me from experiencing those side effects."

• Sky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 16, 2016

For Sinusitis "After four days on cefdinir, I developed bad diarrhea that had me going 30+ times to the bathroom. Went to the doctor to find out I had developed a severe case of C. diff. I was very weak, lost 10 pounds in a week, and as pale as can be. Metronidazole was the first medicine we tried, three times a day for 10 days. It seemed to work until five days after the prescription was finished. So then I went back to the doctor and got vancomycin, which finally cured it. Overall, I had to miss almost a month of school and took a while to feel normal again. I was told once you get C. diff, you are more prone to getting it again. Always take a probiotic when prescribed an antibiotic to replenish the lost bacteria!"

• moo...
• May 1, 2015

For Bronchitis "I am on day 3 of cefdinir for bronchitis. I can tell my coughing is much better, but now I have horrible diarrhea, to the point I have accidents when I cough. My stomach makes horrible sounds as well. My Dr. did not tell me anything at all about the side effects, so I was not prepared to take with yogurt or probiotics. And I had a horrible reaction in the past to Metformin, so she should know that I already have these issues. Time for different med and Dr."

• Nat...
• February 27, 2017

For Middle Ear Infections "I was given this drug for an ear infection, taken 2 times a day for 10 days. After the first day, I had diarrhea and nausea. I stopped taking this on day 4, the symptoms were too much, and my ears felt no improvement."

• Hea...
• April 5, 2017

For Bronchitis "I was given this drug for bronchitis. I've had the worst diarrhea, dizziness, and nausea. I need to be near a toilet at all times for fear of destroying my pants. (Sorry for the TMI.) I'm starting to get better, so rather than feel like I have an intestinal virus, I'm just stopping the drug and riding out the rest of the bronchitis. That should tell you how awful I feel while taking this."

• Anonymous
• June 16, 2017

For Middle Ear Infections "I was prescribed cefdinir for strep, and after two doses, had a severe headache, nausea, diarrhea, and after 24 hours, broke out in very painful hives on my neck and chest - now I'm taking Benadryl and a topical - Clobetasol Propionate for the rash and a different antibiotic for the strep. After reading all the side effects people get from this drug, I do not recommend it."

• Kos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2017

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I had to take this for some infected blisters on my foot. (Foot was swollen, purple, and oozing liquids, by the way, fun.) It worked with no bad aftertaste or side effects. Took about a week. Odd that I'm seeing everyone getting all this diarrhea from it, I didn't have a single issue, and I get diarrhea from everything. Worked differently for me, I guess."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2016

For Bronchitis "Prescribes this for a 3-week cough suspected of walking pneumonia or bronchitis, and the cough is calming, but 3 days into this, the diarrhea is horrible. Feels like I am prepping for a colonoscopy. Stomach is constantly gurgling and roiling. Defecating while coughing at times. I am calling the doctor to ask for something else because I can't leave the house with this diarrhea. Need to get on a plane in 6 days. There must be something with less diarrhea side effect."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2018

For Pneumonia "In the ER, I was given cefdinir for pneumonia, 300 mg, 2x daily. It seemed to help my pneumonia after 2 days, but I stopped taking it due to the severe cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. I haven't taken this medicine in 4 days and still have major symptoms. I looked online, and it says side effects can last up to 3 weeks. Needless to say, I won't be taking this medicine ever again."

• nan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2022

For Bronchitis "65-year-old female here. I was given a ten-day dose of (300 mg 2x per day) cefdinir for acute bacterial bronchitis. Pros: On day 4, my symptoms started to improve remarkably. Cons: On day 7, I started to experience horrible side effects: vomiting, headache, fever, and the worst diarrhea I've ever had. I was convinced I had C. diff. I stopped the medication, and the side effects resolved in 3 days. Takeaway: This antibiotic worked for me! My advice to others considering this med is to buckle up and prepare for the side effects. Also, take a good probiotic in between doses and avoid dairy."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 23, 2015

For Sinusitis "I have been taking this medicine for seven days now for bronchitis and an ear infection. I felt better after two days, then everything hit me again. Now I have been having persistent diarrhea, gargling stomach, and itching."

• Jes...
• March 31, 2017

For Sinusitis "Unlike most of the reviews on here, I did fine on the medication. I was on doxycycline for a week and then amox-clav (amoxicillin with clavulanic acid) for a few days, and none of it helped. Cefdinir hasn't worked as fast as I'd hoped, but it does seem to be working. I'm on day 6 and haven't had any side effects. I can't sleep that well the last few nights, but I'm not sure if that is from the meds or not. No nausea or diarrhea. I have been taking it at 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. every day and making sure I don't eat dairy 2 hours before or after taking the pill. I also drink a lot of water and eat yogurt to get probiotics back."

• Kim...
• February 8, 2016

For Middle Ear Infections "My daughter will be one this week. She was put on cefdinir for an ear infection that didn't clear after amoxicillin treatment. Today (third day) she broke out in hives on her back, chest, and neck. She also has nasty reddish diarrhea that is giving her an awful diaper rash. The doctor told me to stop the medicine, give her Benadryl, and bring her for an appointment tomorrow morning. She is clearly allergic."

• bec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 20, 2018

For Bronchitis "Was given an Rx for this for 5 days. By dose 2, I had diarrhea that looked like coffee grounds and severe pinching-like pain in my stomach along with nausea and lack of appetite, sweating. At that point, I called my doctor's office back, who advised me to quit taking the drug and go get a probiotic because it had wreaked havoc on my stomach's enzymes and killed all the good bacteria, and to stay on a bland diet for several days. Another case of the treatment being worse than the original bronchitis. Will NEVER take again."

• TGa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 1, 2018

"This was for a UTI, which it shouldn't be prescribed for. I honestly wish I could go back in time and never take this drug. Stopped taking it after six days because of severe pain and diarrhea, went to the hospital, and I'm C. diff positive now and on another antibiotic for that. An awful drug that should not be on the market."

• Rap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2015

For Middle Ear Infections "Along with my middle ear infection, my throat was sore, as were the glands in my neck below the infected ear. After seven days on Cefdinir, there had been no change, NONE! My doctor put me on a different antibiotic, and within the first twelve hours, the sore throat and swollen glands were gone...the ear still has fluid in it. Cefdinir also caused me to have terribly loose stools. In fact, I quickly learned to take my evening dose by 7:00 PM if I wanted to not have to get up repeatedly to use the bathroom."

• Cmd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 10, 2013

For Skin and Structure Infection "The doctor gave me this for an abscess. Around the third day, I had bad diarrhea and horrible cramping. After a day of that, I was sent to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a c. diff infection. It's been 6 months now, and I still have side effects. I have to watch what I eat, and I still get cramps and constantly run to the bathroom frequently. Now, if I need to take an antibiotic, I have to go to the gastroenterologist to make sure it is safe."