Clarithromycin and Heart Palpitations: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2021

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Taking this medicine was the worst experience ever, however, I completed my 2 weeks to rid my infection. Now I’m at day 15 since I took my last pill, and I’m still dealing with side effects. I’m still having heart palpitations (only one episode a day), increased heart rate, and 3 days ago, I developed a rash on my face. I’m now able to sleep all night, and I’m no longer awakened by my heart pounding out of my chest. I wish I would’ve read these reviews prior to this treatment. I have an appointment next week to find out if it worked. Good luck to all of those who are taking this drug now!"

• Fia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2021

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I feel so much better having read the posts both good and bad. I had a nasty bout of campylobacter, and when the stool sample was analyzed, up popped H. pylori. So, 500 mg clarithromycin 2 a day, along with 500 mg of amoxicillin and 20 mg of omeprazole. Within hours of the first tablet, I started to feel off. My heart was bouncy all over the place, it seems to settle during the day when I'm busy, so I’m distracted unless it goes completely Tom and Jerry. But night is awful, I can’t sleep for all the skipped beats, anxiety obviously making the whole thing worse, fear of death and a bitter grapefruit taste again worse at night. I’m on a 7-day course and have 5 doses left. And I cannot wait until it’s finished. I’m terrified, but thank goodness I’m not alone, and that has calmed me more than I can express. Good luck, guys, it’s just a moment in time. Stay strong and dig in. xxx PS I’ve given an average rating as I don’t know if I’m cured, but I’ve found this deeply horrid."

• Fli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2020

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I'm on 1 Clar (500 mg) - 2 Amox (500 mg) - 1 Omeprazole (40 mg) for 14 days and 2x per day. Before, I had stomach cramps, acid reflux, chest pains, and shortness of breath for 4 mos. So, my GI doctor examined me with a UB Test (urea), and it was confirmed I had an H. Pylori infection. The first 3 days of the treatment were horrible, having a bitter taste, bloating, belching, and some slight diarrhea, tinnitus in my ears, sore throat, loss of appetite, and the chest pain and shortness of breath are still there. The 4th to 11th day side effects are now different as I am having nausea, headaches, bitter taste, palpitations, increased heart rate, stomach cramps, insomnia, and hallucinations. Still, the chest pain and shortness of breath are still there. I'm on my 12th day taking the meds, and side effects are not the same as before, but still some sore throat, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Hopefully, the infection (H. pylori) would go away, worried about my kidneys. Hoping for a positive outcome with the triple therapy."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2020

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Horrible drug, I was prescribed Clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day with Flagyl 400 mg twice a day and rabeprazole (Aciphex) 20 mg twice a day every twelve hours. My 1st dosage, I started having a racing heart rate. I checked my heart rate, it was 118 bpm per minute. I went to bed and calmed down, and that started reducing. Every day, different side effects, this medicine is too strong. I only managed to take it for four days as I couldn’t bear to tough it out anymore. Feels like my body has left me, lost a few kg in just four days... dizziness, heart palpitations, muscle weakness, feeling like I am going to collapse every second is too hard to handle, plus feeling like my heart is going to stop. Never again will I try this. God bless peeps."

• blj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2015

For Sinusitis "I have been on this med for 5 days for a sinus infection. I am so close to calling it quits. I have been having bad anxiety, heart palpitations, clammy sweats, and feel shaky and weak on it. It makes food taste like crap and leaves a nasty battery acid taste in your mouth. I start to feel better in the couple of hours coming up to my next dose (every 12 hours), and then BAM within an hour after taking the dose, it all hits. It is definitely helping my sinus infection, but this drug is hell. A pharmacist told me that this is in the top two antibiotics that are reported to have the worst side effects. Boooo. I also took a Zopiclone so I could sleep and woke up with a nasty reaction! Felt so high and dizzy, drugged out of my mind...terrifying."

• Anonymous
• November 24, 2009

For Sinusitis "I have been on clarithromycin for about 4 days now. It gives me a terrible taste in my mouth. I'm constantly thirsty, which leads to frequent bathroom breaks, and the second night I was up most of the night, sleeping very lightly and having anxiety. I haven't slept well at all in the 4 days that I have taken it, and I notice it's causing my heart to palpitate. I have a terrible sinus infection and do want to stop the medicine, but I feel like a zombie, and I'm looking quite pale."

• F77...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2015

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "Worked well as an antibiotic, however, the side effects were very distressing. Nausea, heart palpitations, severe anxiety, and feelings of impending doom. Unsteadiness. The worse side effects were the awful feelings of fear, which were out of proportion. I felt as if I was about to faint because of the anxiety. I felt very upset and tearful about half an hour after taking them, and the mental symptoms just escalated for a few hours. I will report these side effects to the GP, and hopefully, there is an alternative if I ever need antibiotics again for a severe chest infection."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2020

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Two 500 mg pills a day prescribed for groin pains. Started out with nausea, metallic taste, and stomach pains. Day 2, I had palpitations. The fifth pill took the side effects to another level. I went to bed with a song playing in my head that wouldn’t stop. It was hard to sleep. Eventually, I slept. Then the first nightmare came. Then came intrusive and dark thoughts. I couldn’t reason myself out of it. I woke my wife up and told her that I’d gone mad and could no longer trust myself. Then more sleep, more nightmares. The next day, I thought that I might have died in the night and was now in some kind of afterlife. By the evening, my mental state had improved a great deal now. I have never suffered from any kind of mental illness before, by the way. I quit on the advice of a pharmacist."

• che...
• March 19, 2015

For Sinusitis "I noticed they made my sinus unblock pretty quick, but I had to go to the doctor and change them to amoxicillin. With clarithromycin, I had heart palpitations, sweats, and horrific nightmares along with a tension headache. Was horrible. I thought I was gonna pass out."

• SML...
• June 6, 2017

For Sinusitis "2 pills a day for 7 days. Wow. I am finally done taking this medication for an ear infection that was caused by a sinus infection. I had almost all the side effects listed, sadly. Heart palpitations, headache, nausea, hunger pains, acid reflux, insomnia, diarrhea, and metallic taste in my mouth all night long! Unreal. It's my last day, and although I feel better, I now feel like I am recovering from all the side effects of this drug! My advice is to take it with a lot of food and probiotics! You will need to find a way to counteract all the side effects! I'm not sure it's even worth taking, to be honest. Heart palpitations alone made me feel like I had a heart attack waiting to happen."

• vic...
• October 20, 2015

For Bronchitis "Every dose of this medicine has caused worse side effects. Extreme nausea, diarrhea, awful taste in my mouth, palpitations, fatigue, dizziness, shakes - the list goes on. Day 4, I couldn't move 2 steps without wanting to vomit, yet I had to literally sprint to the bathroom for my bowels. I actually had to call into work because I felt so ill. Ended up calling my doctor to get switched to a different antibiotic. Never, never, never again."

• fal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2015

For Bronchitis "I have SLE and was prescribed Clarithromycin for a respiratory/lung infection. I had previously taken a course of antibiotics, but it didn't work and was thus prescribed Clarithromycin. The first two days, I didn't feel better, I was nauseated, still coughing like crazy, and vomiting/hacking out phlegm every 5 minutes. On the third day, my coughing subsided moderately, and I didn't seem to be producing much phlegm. But a metallic taste crept into my mouth, and I was getting increasingly nauseous every time I took the medicine, to the extent that I vomited my food and perhaps the medication twice. It also gave me nightmares, hallucinations, and palpitations when I took it at night. Now it's day 5 and I'm considering stopping it altogether."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2020

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "I've taken this drug for a few years for chest infections. I'm asthmatic. When I take it for the first 2 days, no side effects. On the 3rd day, omg! Awful taste in my mouth, then very weak and worrying labored breathing! I woke up in the night, thought my heart was stopping! I'm advising my GP I'm never taking it again! I've read also that this drug can cause heart palps, as the info suggests! No thanks, awful toxic drug. Be careful!"

• Pae...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2019

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "I was prescribed Clarithromycin for a chest infection, and after only two days, I started to feel very unwell with stomach cramps, diarrhea, mild mental disturbance, and most frighteningly, raised blood pressure and a very fast heartbeat with palpitations. I phoned for advice and was told to attend the city hospital's emergency department (I live in the UK incidentally). By the time I got there and was seen, it was a while since my last dose, and my symptoms were easing a little. The doctor seemed a little skeptical that they were caused by the clarithromycin, but he was kind and prescribed me an alternative that worked well. I will never take this drug again, and to make sure I don't forget the name, I keep the box!"

• Joa...
• January 20, 2016

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "Been given clarithromycin 500 mg for a chest infection. Been on meds 2 days. The aftertaste at the back of your mouth is extremely vile. I can taste it a few hours after taking it. It's that vile, the taste wakes me up. I try to swish it away with water, but it's still there. The last tablet I took was 10 hours ago, the taste in my mouth is still dreadful. Not sure whether this medication is helping, as I am still coughing like a trooper. I was less anxious when I read on this thread that it wasn't me going crazy, and others suffered from heart palpitations, shortness of breath, tight chest, and anxiety (I can't break thoughts). It's a dreadful feeling, have to finish the course but will never be taking this med again - 5 more days to go :-/"

• Mel...
• February 4, 2017

For Strep Throat "Worked great for a severe bronchitis infection that I thought would kill me. Only downside is this medication leaches potassium from your stores like 90,000 mg each time you take, so that's a lot. If you start experiencing leg cramps or heart palpitations, this is why. Doctors should be giving you a course of potassium supplements each time along with these, but surprisingly never do. I nearly took a heart attack because I was so low on potassium. This medication blocks off the potassium ion channel to the heart in the process of killing your infection, so grand if your potassium is good, but very dangerous if it's not. Again, it should be getting replaced when this is prescribed, because if you take it a few times, your potassium will be gone from your body."

• per...
• April 21, 2016

For Bronchitis "Have a chest infection that will not go away, so was prescribed these, as my first antibiotic had not cleared it up. Day 1 and I think I am dying! Palpitations, shaking, tired, dry mouth after only one 500 mg dose. I am now in panic mode and have rung the surgery to see what I do next. Hope this feeling goes away."

• Dil...
• November 19, 2017

For Sinusitis "I had a cold for a couple of weeks leading to infection with sinusitis, severe pain, blocked nose, foggy hearing, and thick greenish phlegm combined with a horrible cough that sounds like smokers with bronchitis. Initially, the GP prescribed a short course of amoxicillin for 3 days, then a further one week with no improvement. I was put on clarithromycin as a last course, and I have been on it for 3 days. I researched the side effects, which are worrying! I experienced, so far, a bitter, horrible taste in my mouth that disturbs sleep, palpitations, confusion, and fatigue. It's important to take a strong probiotic with live yogurt and drink a lot daily. So far, I can see a slight improvement, and I intend to persevere and finish the course as stopping is not advisable."

• Jac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2018

For Pneumonia "This medication was prescribed to treat my pneumonia. I felt the side effects from day one. Weird metallic and bitter taste in my mouth, dry mouth and lips even after drinking fluids, anxiety, fear, palpitations, weakness, very strong headaches, hallucinations, nightmares, sweating, fast heart rates. On the other hand, I can breathe again and the terrible back and chest pain are gone. If there is a future need for me to have antibiotics, I would really avoid this one. Side effects are way too much to take when you already feel poor and weary."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2016

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "Wow, these have to be the worst ones out there, and I do have a low tolerance for antibiotics. But my god, day 1 was fine, and I thought, okay, these seem fine. Day 2, woke up in the morning with a horrible, nasty metal taste in my mouth. Gagged when I brushed my teeth. By 11 am, I was feeling really ill. I was shaking, I was panicky, my eyes were blurry, had palpitations. By 12, I was back down at the doctor's, I was even worse than I started. Will not take these again, ever."

• Ne1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2018

For Pneumonia "The side effects from Clarithromycin were dreadful: shakes, palpitations, and anxiety. I didn't sleep for six nights; each time I was just dropping off to sleep, my heart suddenly leapt and shook me awake. It was my third course of antibiotics after amoxicillin and Cefalexin didn't work. I had three different courses of antibiotics, four ECGs, blood tests including a D-dimer blood test as they thought I had a pulmonary embolism, three X-rays, steroid tablets, tablets for my heart, sleeping tablets, fluids as I was dehydrated, and antihistamine tablets. The Clarithromycin did get rid of the infection, but I absolutely hated the side effects. Originally diagnosed with bronchitis, which apparently turned into pneumonia. Best wishes from London."

• Mon...
• December 27, 2014

For Bronchitis "A & E diagnosed with bronchitis, tonsillitis, and sinusitis, had low oxygen and high heart rate, so given these tablets as they cover all three infections, very strong tablets. First tablet I took on a practically empty stomach, big mistake, started feeling sick, then started panicking, which made my breathing bad. My husband was about to take me back to A&E, but I managed to calm down and have some soup. The second tablet I took with food and was getting heart palpitations for 30 minutes. Went to bed, woke up, took another tablet, and feeling a bit better already, temperature gone, sore throat gone, just sinus pain still and cough with phlegm. Slight stomach pain, but I get stomach pain all the time, so unsure if related. Funny taste sometimes in my mouth. Fast acting."

• Peg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2018

For Sinusitis "Am I the only one that has had no bad side effects? I did have palpitations on the first night, but all gone. I'm on them for two weeks with severe sinusitis! Have to say I'm on day 4 and feeling much better. I would take these again!"

• Anonymous
• September 5, 2017

For Sinusitis "I am taking this medicine, and today is day #5 and had insomnia (never had before). I have a bitter taste and only once had heart palpitations. I am worried about the liver effect, hope no damage or bad effects. Regarding sinus infection, I had that a few years ago, and for 6 months was suffering really badly, being on antibiotics three times and no effect. There was a blockage of 90% on the right side of the sinus. My doctor scheduled me for surgery (in two months' time). Went on a beach vacation. My last hope was to experiment with ocean water. Jumping in ocean water 25-50 times/day and nasal rinsing with ocean water 50-80 times/day for 7 days was a miracle for me. Before the surgery consultation, I had a CT done that showed everything cleared up, no surgery needed."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2017

For Sinusitis "In the past six years, I have had three sinus infections. This drug cleared it up in a short time with no side effects. I suffer from IBS, so my GI doctor recommends this antibiotic as it is more gentle on the GI tract. He also told me to take one Florastor probiotic capsule each day and to eat yogurt with active cultures. I have had bad results with Augmentin – it gave me raging diarrhea. Levaquin has some really serious side effects and affected my Achilles tendon. I don't notice a vile taste – my tongue burns, and mine are vanilla flavored. If the size bothers you, tell your doctor to order the 250mg size and take two. I had palpitations and anxiety, though, and a rapid heartbeat for a while, but it could have been from Bentyl. Not sure."