Ciprofloxacin and Vomiting: What Users Say

• Tou...
• January 23, 2013

Ciprofloxacin for Bladder Infection "I took one dose and within about 3 hours the blood started to clear from the urine, and pain lessened; however, soon I got a bad headache, nausea, and chills. Within about 12 hours from the first (and only) dose, I was in the hospital - vomiting and feeling miserable. I was there for 3 days taking a different antibiotic and fluids by IV. One week later, bad diarrhea, and pain in the knee joint. Must be allergic to Cipro - will remember that for sure!"

• Ano...
• May 7, 2013

Ciprofloxacin for Bladder Infection "This medicine gave me quick relief from the urinary tract infection, however I am vomiting and have diarrhea. The pharmacist label said to take on an empty stomach but when I called them, they said I can eat, just no dairy. Hopefully with something in my stomach the side effects will decrease."

• Yaz...
• June 18, 2018

Ciprofloxacin for Diverticulitis "This works, but the side effects are horrible. Nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, right-side neck and shoulder pain and stiffness, mental fog, and general malaise. This medication has 'black box' warnings I was never told about, what a mess. Quitting after 5 days and hoping for the best. Nasty stuff! If there is an alternative, they should not even prescribe this stuff!"

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2016

For Diverticulitis "I was on metronidazole (Flagyl) & ciprofloxacin for diverticulitis. Let me start off by saying these two medications together suck, however, they do work. I have never had any problems with medications...ever. (In 40 years) This time though, at times, I thought I was dying! Best described as the worst flu ever. Massive nausea, occasional vomiting, diarrhea, exhaustion, horrible taste in my mouth, nothing tasted good, and my appetite was bad. Day 4 was the peak of feeling awful. I went to every review site trying to gather what worked to curb the symptoms. Everyone is different, so what worked for others didn't necessarily work for me. Here is what did work for me a bit, in case it can help anyone else. 1.) Try to not take them together. Split up the doses by like an hour or so. 2.) Take each dose with a little food (even if you aren't hungry), something bland. Do not use dairy products, this made my nausea worse! 3.) Have mints or candy at all times. Your mouth will feel gross, and things will taste funny. However, I found spearmints also helped soothe the tummy a bit. 4.) Pepto-Bismol. 5.) Try not to take them immediately before bed at night. Give it about an hour or two. I noticed nausea will wake me up throughout the night if I take them too close to going to sleep. Good luck, and remember: your doctor prescribed these for a reason. A reason that could turn into life-threatening unless you get it controlled. The worst thing ever is to start taking an antibiotic and then stopping it mid-cycle, as your body then becomes immune to it and is essentially ineffective."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 28, 2017

Ciprofloxacin for Prostatitis "When my urologist recommended Cipro to combat my prostatitis (500 mg 2x per day for 6 weeks!), I wanted to make sure long-term use was OK. So I went online... and it looked really scary! People totally slamming the drug. But I went for it anyway. Seems to have done the job I needed it to do, and there are ZERO side effects. I mean ZERO. People talk about vomiting - I take the pill with or without food and not even a tiny bit of nausea. No fatigue, no aching or numbness, no appearance of tendon issues... nothing. Maybe it's just me and I know not everybody is the same, but it worked for me. The only reason I gave a 9 and not a 10 is because I still have a couple of days to go before I am done with the 6-week course."

• DlR...
• November 18, 2014

Ciprofloxacin for Bladder Infection "Cipro worked the first day for reducing the urgency, but I must not have eaten enough because I felt like vomiting. The second day, I had diarrhea, and the third day, I have the urgency back, but not as painful."

• can...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2018

For Diverticulitis "This drug is not a joke. I foolishly did not read the patient information before taking these pills. Read the patient information before you take this. This drug should come with a warning, and it should be illegal to dispense it without a huge warning. After 3 days, I had such severe panic attacks I thought I was going to die. Insomnia and the worst panic attacks I have ever felt in my 52 years of living. Then came the nausea, vomiting, retching with an empty stomach, and more abdominal pain, which I already had when I started this. My feet were on fire, and I had shooting pains in my legs and horrible muscle pain. I could not drive, I could not focus, I could not remember anything from one minute to the next. I have been 'floxied,' and from what I read, that is very serious. I feel it will take months for me to repair the damage done to my body after 3 days of this drug. It was not worth the risk, and I completely regret it."

• can...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2018

For Diverticulitis "This drug is not a joke. I foolishly did not read the patient information before taking these pills. Read the patient information before you take this. This drug should come with a warning, and it should be illegal to dispense it without a huge warning. After 3 days, I had such severe panic attacks I thought I was going to die. Insomnia and the worst panic attacks I have ever felt in my 52 years of living. Then came the nausea, vomiting, retching with an empty stomach, and more abdominal pain, which I already had when I started this. My feet were on fire, and I had shooting pains in my legs and horrible muscle pain. I could not drive, I could not focus, I could not remember anything from one minute to the next. I have been 'floxied,' and from what I read, that is very serious. I feel it will take months for me to repair the damage done to my body after 3 days of this drug. It was not worth the risk, and I completely regret it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2012

Ciprofloxacin for Urinary Tract Infection "Side effects were unbearable for my girlfriend, so she stopped after only 1.5 days. She suffered from headaches, vomiting, achy all over, stomach pains, and a bad taste in her mouth. It seemed to help with the infection, but at the end of the dosage cycle, she was feeling much better. In 45 minutes after taking a pill, it made her feel so sick again."

• Anonymous
• September 30, 2011

Ciprofloxacin for Urinary Tract Infection "I've taken Cipro before for urinary tract infections, but my body reacted badly this time. I had nausea, upset stomach, headaches, and caused vomiting. It did help with relieving urinary tract infection symptoms after 2 days. I finished my entire prescription, and I still have some side effects."

• KKa...
• May 2, 2016

Ciprofloxacin for Urinary Tract Infection "I went to the ER last night because of a pulled back muscle that occurred 2 weeks ago. The pain (lower back) was just unbearable! And when the pain also moved up to my kidney, I thought, 'Okay, something is seriously wrong here.' Turns out I had a pretty bad UTI that I didn't know about (NONE of the usual symptoms, pee flow regular, no spotting, etc.). 1st time ever being prescribed Cipro, 500 mg 2x a day. Took 1st dose immediately after filling my script (10 pm), second one 12 hrs later (10 am). By morning, I had severe dry mouth after taking the 2nd dose, so I started drinking a Gatorade and immediately started vomiting. My kidney hurts more than it did before going to the ER, headache since last night, and I'm only on day 1 :("

• Sic...
• May 29, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "The medication works well for clearing up a UTI. However, it makes me very, very nauseous. I have certain bouts during the day that I feel like I'm going to vomit. Drinking lots of fluids helps with the nausea, but it's pretty miserable. I would prefer the nausea over a UTI, though."

• Twi...
• March 22, 2017

For Kidney Infections "I had a severe kidney infection and got put on Cipro. By the third day, I was vomiting and had horrible diarrhea. By day 5, I was having crazy hallucinations. I felt like I was losing my mind. I got in my truck, got halfway down the road, and realized I had no shoes on. I also got in the shower not realizing my socks were still on. It was the strangest thing. I broke down in my kitchen, starting bawling because I couldn't figure out what was going on with me. I called my friend who is an RN, told her what was going on, and she said to stop taking it immediately. A couple of weeks after, I was fine, but I will never take this ever again. It was the most out-of-control feeling, and I felt like I should have been in a mental facility. Worst drug ever."

• jla...
• July 29, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Please don’t take this medication, ciprofloxacin. After my 2nd dose, I immediately felt side effects without warning. I got dizzy and passed out twice, vomited, and had diarrhea. Felt very fatigued after each dose-not like myself at all. This drug needs to be taken off the market. I cannot imagine what wouldn’t have happened had I continued taking it."

• Chi...
• June 29, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "Cleared up the UTI right away, but I took the third dose on an empty stomach because my doctor said not to take it within 2 hours of dairy, and I'm a regular coffee with cream drinker. Threw up that dose within about 20 minutes. That's pretty common with antibiotics, so it's annoying, but a UTI is worse, and I'll be fine once I've eaten. Some of these scary reviews are pure conjecture, and people seldom write reviews when they're happy. I found this page when Googling whether vomiting with cipro was common and if it would be better not to take on an empty stomach."

• Tif...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2019

For Bladder Infection "I'm usually not one to leave a review on a medication, especially since everyone's body may react differently. However, I needed to share my reaction to this medication, ciprofloxacin. I thought that maybe I had come down with the flu. My body is hurting so badly I can barely move. Every joint hurts (including my fingers), and muscles feel like they are on fire while something is stabbing them. I have had chills but no fever, nausea, and vomiting. My back hurts, and my chest is tight as well. I have almost doubled my water intake, so I don't believe it's lack of fluids. I would advise if you are having these side effects to please stop and contact your doctor. I don't think I have ever felt this bad. But again, not everyone is the same."

• Dav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 7, 2018

For Traveler's Diarrhea "I had traveler's diarrhea or some kind of gastrointestinal infection. And was prescribed antibiotics, Buscopan, and Dioralyte, which just made me worse. The first day after taking Cipro, I still felt bad, vomiting, really bad diarrhea. But after the second/third day, I feel almost back to normal again, my stomach pain was so bad I did not sleep barely two hours in two days and only drank water and ate dried food like toast, rice, and banana. Now I’m eating normally, regaining energy, and feeling good again. Works differently for everybody, worked a miracle for me."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2019

For Diverticulitis "Took this for two days, and the nausea started. Then all at once, BAM, uncontrollable vomiting followed by uncontrollable diarrhea. To the point where I was home alone and had to call 911, as I was going in and out of consciousness. Paramedics arrived, and I couldn't stop the vomiting and pooping. All the way to the hospital. While in the ER, the diarrhea was so bad and uncontrollable to the point that the floor was pooled with this mess. I was sent home with a diaper and a different medication I refused to take. Got better a week later with nothing, but now, 8 months later, the diverticulitis is back."

• Aur...
• July 5, 2016

Ciprofloxacin for Urinary Tract Infection "I went to the doctor with a UTI. I got prescribed the generic for Cipro 500 mg. The first pill, I felt fine, the second pill, I started to feel a tingling sensation on my forearm and pain in my wrists. The third pill, my arms hurt from the shoulders to the palms of my hands, my arms had gotten swollen, and I couldn't even stand my watch. I couldn't sleep at night due to the pain in my arms, which I thought was not normal. The next morning, before my next pill, I decided to read the side effects of this medication, and it said that in some cases, it could cause swelling, vomiting, nausea, and arm pain. At that moment, I stopped taking the medication and went back to my doctor and complained. I made them write this medication under my allergies so this doesn't happen again."

• Bet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2016

For Kidney Infections "I am taking this medicine for a bladder infection, which I have quite often. It wasn't prescribed to me by my doctor, who usually prescribes (Pinamox), which by the way gives me zero side effects. Straight away after I took the first dose, which was 500 mg, I was feeling very dizzy and nauseous. I thought I could put up with that feeling, but I'm now on day 2. I could barely get out of bed from nausea in the morning but managed to get myself together, but felt all day like I was about to collapse with severe joint pains and a headache, which got even worse. I went to bed, but when I did, it felt like I was literally drunk and kept vomiting all night. I won't take the next dose or ever take this medicine again, as it feels like taking poison."

• Cur...
• November 14, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "I have over a dozen UTIs in two years, which is an extremely high amount. My body just happens to be prone to UTIs. I have realized that the medication does its job, but it's important we don't overuse the antibiotic because the infection will find a defense against the antibiotic. Make sure to realize this medicine should be taken with a decent meal and plenty of water throughout the day. Also, this medicine should not make you vomit, but I have experienced that when I took or take the pain medicine specifically for UTIs, it caused me to projectile vomit. Please be aware not to judge an antibiotic on just that, as there are multiple factors. I recently have been prescribed this medicine again. It has already helped. Just watch the dosage."

• Cur...
• November 14, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "I have over a dozen UTIs in two years, which is an extremely high amount. My body just happens to be prone to UTIs. I have realized that the medication does its job, but it's important we don't overuse the antibiotic because the infection will find a defense against the antibiotic. Make sure to realize this medicine should be taken with a decent meal and plenty of water throughout the day. Also, this medicine should not make you vomit, but I have experienced that when I took or take the pain medicine specifically for UTIs, it caused me to projectile vomit. Please be aware not to judge an antibiotic on just that, as there are multiple factors. I recently have been prescribed this medicine again. It has already helped. Just watch the dosage."

• Sor...
• December 31, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "In 2011, a doctor prescribed this medication for my 82-year-old mother for a severe UTI, given in lieu of hospitalization. Within an hour of the first dose, she became very ill, nauseated, and vomiting. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where her heart stopped. During the next two days on life support, her systems began to fail. She died the morning of the second day. Doctors would not attribute her sudden illness and death to the medication, but there is no other explanation. We discovered later that this drug is not recommended for older people. I can only say that a healthy woman died after taking one dose. Her cause of death was listed as heart failure and renal failure, but no cause for either. Ask for an alternative treatment."

• ril...
• December 7, 2015

For Kidney Infections "I had to go to the ER because it was so bad. They gave me cipro, and I feel way worse than when I went to the emergency. I've been taking it for two days now, and the pain on my right side feels like it's on fire. I can't stand up for longer than a few minutes, and I've been throwing up every couple of hours. Antibiotics are supposed to make you better, not worse."

• Ann...
• January 29, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "After reading the good and bad reviews, I thought I would give it a go. Never again! I was okay for about 2 days. On the third day, I couldn't stop vomiting, I felt like I couldn't breathe properly, and was dizzy. Just thinking about these tablets one year on, and I feel nauseous!"