Cefdinir and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Sim...
• March 26, 2016

For Sinusitis "300 mg. Took medicine once a day for ten days. First day went smoothly, second day and onward, terrible headache in the center of my forehead and on the right side of my head. No other side effects. Around the fourth day, I called the pharmacist, and they advised that I take it at night before bed before the headache sets in. Best decision."

• Mel...
• September 25, 2015

For Sinusitis "I noticed after the second day of taking cefdinir 300 mg, I started to experience bad headaches. My sore throat feels better, but my head aches every day. So, now that I know what is making my head hurt so bad, I am discontinuing the use of this medication. I had no issues with amoxicillin, I will ask if he can change my meds over."

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2020

For Strep Throat "I have an episode of strep throat with severe pain on one side. Am allergic to penicillin, so the doctor initially prescribed Azithromycin, which didn't knock out the strep infection. Was then prescribed Cefdinir. I was hopeful at first, after 3 days, I felt slightly improved. Then, after 5 days, I began experiencing unbearable headaches on the right side of my neck and severe neck pain. Unsure if this was a medication reaction or just the strep throat coming back. After 6 days, the doctor switched me to clindamycin. Fingers crossed this next antibiotic brings me some relief. Didn't clear the infection."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 7, 2019

For Strep Throat "Awful, awful experience with this drug cefdinir for strep throat. I had been sick for two weeks, and my husband had tested positive for strep, so I decided to go to the doctor, and he said might as well treat for strep. He prescribed cefdinir 300 mg. I waited until the next day to start. Forty-five minutes after taking the first dose, I suddenly had a migraine (which I do sometimes get), but my stomach also started hurting. Both became so intense I decided I needed to lay down. I had chills and hot flashes, and my vision started blurring, and it felt as if I were on a boat. After an hour of taking the dosage, I threw up and felt slightly better. I then slept 5-6 hours and still woke up with a bit of a headache and stomach ache. I felt worse after taking this drug than I did suffering through two weeks of being sick."

• 191...
• June 15, 2016

Cefdinir for Pneumonia "Let's talk about my sickness first. I was dipping myself into a freezing water pool for approximately 5 minutes a day. The next morning, I felt the weather was so much colder, so I knew it was a fever. I'm a very healthy person, I make sure that my body is clean. I drink a lot of water and cleaning drinks, so my stomach is always clean. The doctor prescribed me Fevadol and Omnicef. The Omnicef experience was horrible. Very bad diarrhea every 15 minutes or so, even if there was nothing in my body. I couldn't sleep for more than 24 hours with complete alertness and no feeling of exhaustion. Eating it without food will make it worse. I used it for 2 days only. The dosage was 300 mg twice a day. I got dizziness, back pain, headache, and diarrhea."

• Tra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2017

For Sinusitis "My ENT prescribed cefdinir (for 21 days) along with azelastine nasal spray and methylprednisolone (12 days) for a severe sinus infection that was not relieved by taking Amox-Clav. On day 7, I got a fever. The fever was off/on for 4 days. When that subsided, the diarrhea hit. It was pale, white, and fleshy stools with stomach cramps every couple of hours. After 5 days, I saw my family doctor who did blood tests. Coming back normal, she decided my symptoms were side effects of the cefdinir. I had one day of feeling decent, and then the headache and fever came back. So far, I have missed three days of work and a weekend. Diarrhea has subsided a little. Stools are now really soft/liquidy but normal color. I'm on day 15 of 21."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2019

For Strep Throat "After one day of having an incredibly sore throat, I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with strep throat. Since I’m allergic to penicillin, I was prescribed cefdinir. Got rid of strep in a matter of a few days, but a side effect was painful diarrhea. Before taking this medication, this was not a symptom at all. Slowly, I stopped taking the medication because the strep had vanished completely, and the diarrhea was getting worse every day. Now that I am completely off the antibiotic, the diarrhea is worse than ever. I’m extremely nauseous, I feel like I have a fever, and my head is killing me. As for my throat, I feel like the strep could possibly be coming back, but no definitive pain yet. Worth it at first, but the side effects, and mostly the afterwards side effects, are worse than the original throat pain."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• February 19, 2016

For Sinusitis "I am a 47-year-old female who has asthma. I was only breathing 200 on my peak flow meter when I should have a peak flow of 400. I had bronchitis from catching a cold. My doctor prescribed this to me, and I got a horrible headache and felt nauseous after the first pill, so I stopped taking them. I started reading about food combining, changed my diet, and shortly after, became healthier."

• rse...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2017

For Sinusitis "I went to a clinic to get treated for my bronchitis and sinuses! I usually get the Z-pack, but this nurse practitioner decided to put me on this antibiotic instead! I am highly allergic to amoxicillin since birth, so I can’t use that. I was warned by the pharmacist that this medication has side effects and a 2% chance of having an allergic reaction, so I purchased some Benadryl just in case. The nurse practitioner who prescribed me this med told me it was 2x a day for 10 days every 12 hours and to eat something with it, such as yogurt or a probiotic. I don’t have any side effects like everyone else from the reviews I read! I don’t have any headaches! I shall see how it works!"

• ABC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2022

For Sinusitis "I have had a sinus infection and chronic sinusitis for over two months. I took a course of Amoxicillin in the beginning and improved so much, but when I ran out of Amoxicillin, the infection came right back. My doctor now has prescribed Cefdinir. I'm on day 10 and feel much worse. My asthma has worsened so that I'm having to take more Albuterol than usual. I have horrible headaches every day. My right sinus is clogged worse than in the beginning. I have insomnia and feel anxious. I'm not sure if the diarrhea is from Cefdinir or my IBS, but I've had to take Lomotil several days this past week. The worst side effect so far has been my lightheadedness. My blood pressure is ordinarily 120/80, but it has gone up to 170/100 for the first time in my entire life, and I am 67 years old! My ears had fluid build-up at my doctor's office ten days ago, but feel much stuffier now. My cough is worse, but that could just be the asthma. I hope I start to improve once I'm off this Cefdinir."

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 7, 2020

For Pneumonia "Nothing. 12 days in and 7 on this medication and getting worse. Other symptoms reduced, such as the headache, so I think it helped with that and sinusitis that was related, but would never recommend for pneumonia. Switching to Amoxicillin as the next step."

• Ban...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 14, 2019

For Tonsillitis/Pharyngitis "Side effect still lasting after 10 days off med. Itchy rash, swollen neck, chest, face, tongue, headache, fatigue, on and off diarrhea. Increased urination. Feel terrible for weeks. Took 2 a day for 10 days. Don't recommend this at all."

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2023

"I had a raging UTI, but I can’t have Augmentin, so was put on this instead. Besides the red bowel movements (wasn’t prepared for that one) and a weird buzzing feeling in my legs, it’s doing its job. Maybe a minor headache and stomach upset? Could have just been the infection, though. Took about 48 hours to feel mostly back to normal."

• cam...
• October 15, 2017

For Sinusitis "Was prescribed this for suspected strep throat. I had a fever, so the doctor went ahead and prescribed this to me. First day, I had loose stools and nausea. This continued until the fifth day, I had severe muscle pain and a severe headache. It was a struggle to just walk to the bathroom. Right now, I have watery diarrhea and stomach cramps. Earlier today, I had a fever and severe body chills. Over-the-counter pain meds have not made a dent. Last night, I was tossing and turning in pain and got very little sleep. Cure worse than the cause! I've tolerated many other antibiotics very well in the past, and I will never allow my doctor to prescribe this to me again."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2023

For Sinusitis "I have only been taking this drug for my allergies for about 4 days, and so far, it has really helped me. No more itchy eyes, runny nose, really bad headaches, and phlegm. All of those symptoms were severe and life-alerting. I even had a big lump in my right nostril, and it is gone now. So I give it a huge thumbs up."

• Foo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2022

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Prescribed cefdinir 300 mg (BID x 7 days) to prevent infection (I have artificial hips) after foot surgery. I've only had three doses so far. I've had a bad headache for about 18 hours, intense stomach pain, overall weakness and exhaustion, plus a little nausea. Taking with food doesn't seem to make a difference. I do not feel my symptoms are severe enough to discontinue use... yet. I will continue monitoring the stomach pain and weakness, as they are not pleasant."

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 12, 2021

Cefdinir for Sinusitis "This medicine made me feel worse than the original symptoms. I usually have a high tolerance for meds, don’t usually get dizzy or feel nauseous ever. But this medicine made me feel as if I was suffering from being hungover. I would drive 8 hours later after taking the meds and would feel like I could black out whenever. I would randomly feel nauseous. The headaches were a constant theme. Now that I’ve read the comments, I can attribute some of the diarrhea I had to it. I went back to the doctor and was prescribed Doxycycline, so I’m on day 4 and I feel better but still suffer from a cough."

• San...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2024

For Pneumonia "Started with a cold, but better in 3 days. A couple of days later, bad sneezing/coughing spells, body aches, and lack of energy!!! I still hung tough, thinking it had to eventually go away…until I got to the point that I was so sick I couldn’t get out of bed! A friend helped me go to the hospital and I was diagnosed with pneumonia and prescribed five days of cefdinir, 300 mg, twice daily. After the first day, I could feel a difference and was able to get a few things done. I felt even better on day two; HOWEVER, I was up all night with diarrhea! On day three and four, I was back to feeling really crummy. Today is day five and I feel absolutely horrible, with diarrhea, stomachache, headache, exhaustion, whole body aching, and difficulty remembering how to do simple things, like opening our car door!!! Hope it killed the illness, but it is day five and glad I no longer need to take this medication!!!"

• Dav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2023

"I took 300 mg twice a day for 10 days as a prophylactic after gum surgery. I quit after 7 days. I had a very negative experience, especially when I did not even have a condition calling for an antibiotic. Loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, gastric upset, headache, swollen throat, nightmares, and sleeplessness. A visit to the ER was a complete disaster. The gastric issues persist even after stopping use. Zithromax works well without any of these side effects."

• med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2014

For Sinusitis "I started taking cefdinir for a bad sore throat and sinus infection. It helped clear everything. No side effects until now. Headaches, light diarrhea, heartburn."

• Anonymous
• June 12, 2019

For Middle Ear Infections "Terrible stomach cramps. Then starting bleeding like I was on my period. Haven't had one for 5 years. Headaches and joint pain and still can't hear."

• Sta...
• December 10, 2015

For Sinusitis "Day 6 on cefdinir 300 mg. Severe headaches since day one. Taking Tylenol to help headache. Feeling better. Blowing my nose a lot, so sickness is coming out. Some dizziness. Some diarrhea. Fatigued."