Flagyl and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2018

For Diverticulitis "I am a Flagyl survivor. Today I finish my 48 hours of it getting out of my system following 7 harrowing days of physical assault. Day 3 brought debilitating stomach pain, incapacitating nausea, dizziness/brain fog. The hospital had to confirm for me that the diverticulitis was not worse, it was the medication’s side effects. What??? Is this 2018? I am a healthcare provider, and this has given me insight into people’s distrust of the medical profession. The medicine was first patented in 1963... now in generic form... and never an attempt to refine the med to reduce side effects? Or produce alternatives? I have an intense full-time job, got lucky I was sick over the long weekend (????) and just made it through day 6 and 7 at work with the use of partially effective Zofran (anti-nausea). Find any alternative drug or treatment. I just lost 10 days of my life, first to illness, then to the treatment. I believe quality of life matters. Good luck diverticulitis sufferers! I’m with you in spirit."

• Nel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I have been ill since the start of June this year. Finally received a diagnosis of BV last Thursday. Very concerned about taking this antibiotic after reading about so many bad experiences. Well, I am happy to report that after taking 4 tablets to date, the only side effects I have experienced are a bit of dizziness after taking the tablet and slight stomach cramps, which resolve after about an hour. Hope this feedback offers some reassurance to someone. Oops, almost forgot - I actually feel that I'm starting to get my life back - feel so much better."

• try...
• August 9, 2016

For Diverticulitis "This is my third diverticulitis event in 9 years, and each time I have been treated with Cipro and Flagyl, but I do not remember feeling so awful the first two times, nor do I remember the horrifically bad taste of the metronidazole (Flagyl). I can hardly get it down, and after I do, the horrible taste in my mouth is beyond description. I have resorted to immediately grabbing a lollipop to coat my mouth and pharynx with the sweet sugary taste, which actually does help. On top of that, I am nauseated, dizzy, have a foggy brain, and nothing tastes normal or good, not even water. I am thankful for the improvement in the abdominal pain, as that shows that the horrid stuff is working, but dang, can't they put it in a capsule?"

• Fee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

For Dental Abscess "I am not one to write reviews, but this has to be done. I am based in the UK and was given this medication for wisdom tooth pain. I was told to take it three times a day for 5 days. After two days, I was unfortunately a victim of being the 1 in 10,000 to receive rare side effects from the medication. I had external dizziness and blurred vision every 30 seconds. I went to the GP (doctor) and they said I was given a high dosage and it should have been 2 tablets per day. After 9 painful days, the antibiotic was cleared from my body and I am dizzy and blur-free. I wrote this review because of the hours of research. I have seen no one state how long it took for the side effects to disappear without hospital treatment. Hopefully, this helps someone. Overall, the tablet got rid of the pain, but the extreme dizziness as a side effect was not worth it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2013

For Bacterial Infection "Been on this for a week! Even though it's taking care of my issue, I can't wait to take my last pill. I've been sick to my stomach, loss of appetite, headache, dizzy, blurry vision, disoriented, fatigued, can't sleep well. Just ready for this course to be over."

• Num...
• November 19, 2019

For Diverticulitis "Taking the antibiotic combo metronidazole and Cipro for a flare-up of diverticulitis and now on day 4. My side effects are that I feel so dreadful, very weak, no appetite at all, dizzy, nauseated, night sweats, vaginal discharge, diarrhea, and I have lost 7 lbs already. Forcing small bits of food down as I have to eat something, drinking lots of water, feel nauseated. I am in the UK. This medicine is utterly brutal and toxic, but my pain is nearly gone. Longing for day 7 to end the drama."

• Ugh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I almost think it’s better for people to read this if they also had a bad reaction and don’t want to feel so alone because I have heard of this working really well for some people, as with any drug. It seems to me that if you do have a bad experience with this, it isn’t mild, but extreme, as was the case for me. I don’t do well on many antibiotics, but this one was in a class of its own for me. It took me over three months to feel somewhat normal again. It went from bad hives to feeling like my joints were trying to leave my body, to feeling incredibly dizzy and nauseous, to stomach pain. It sounds dramatic, but I have never felt worse on any antibiotic. What it was prescribed for was so much easier to handle than the side effects of this train wreck. Every inch of my body felt off on this medicine. Even mentally, it gave me anxiety. The only antibiotic that came close to this one as far as feeling horrible is Cipro."

• Lal...
• December 23, 2013

For Diverticulitis "It seems I've had experiences that a lot of these other people do with feeling worse than I did before on these medications with the Cipro and Flagyl. I'm nauseous, I'm dizzy, I have a foggy brain, I can't eat, the taste is horrible, and I feel like I can't function. I've been on this for the second time in a year, and it's doing the same thing, same side effects. I don't like feeling this way at all. I can't drive or go to work. I've been on it for 4 days out of 10, and it's Christmas! My pain has subsided, though."

• Kai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2015

For Diverticulitis "I have to say that metronidazole is a horrible antibiotic as far as side effects go, especially when one has to go to work. I experienced a lot of dizziness, migraines, muscle pain even in my heart, jittery, and drowsiness. I'm sure Flagyl is the same. Next time I'm asking not to get this prescribed by my doctor. Better yet, take it off the shelf."

• Anonymous
• November 13, 2015

For Diverticulitis "Day 3 on Flagyl and Cipro. I thought I was having a heart attack. This stuff has horrid side effects. Discomfort in my chest and arm. Foggy-headed feeling, dizziness, unbalanced, headache, very nauseous, metal taste, very blurry eyesight. No energy, at 55 it is not a good thing to feel this way, especially when you are overweight and out of shape. This is only day 3. I don't think I can take this stuff for 7 more days. They say the IV kind is worse though. Supposedly it's helping (I do feel less pain in my abdomen, I think). If I make it through this stuff, I bet I will watch what I eat and make better choices in the future. I called the pharmacy and the doc, and both said to stay on it, Cipro 2X daily and Flagyl 4X daily. Scary stuff."

• Anonymous
• November 13, 2015

For Diverticulitis "Day 3 on Flagyl and Cipro. I thought I was having a heart attack. This stuff has horrid side effects. Discomfort in my chest and arm. Foggy-headed feeling, dizziness, unbalanced, headache, very nauseous, metal taste, very blurry eyesight. No energy, at 55 it is not a good thing to feel this way, especially when you are overweight and out of shape. This is only day 3. I don't think I can take this stuff for 7 more days. They say the IV kind is worse though. Supposedly it's helping (I do feel less pain in my abdomen, I think). If I make it through this stuff, I bet I will watch what I eat and make better choices in the future. I called the pharmacy and the doc, and both said to stay on it, Cipro 2X daily and Flagyl 4X daily. Scary stuff."

• Cla...
• October 27, 2015

For Diverticulitis "I cringe when I think about having to take Cipro and Flagyl. I'm nauseous, dizzy, light-headed, achy, and foggy-headed. Can't function and sleep all the time. I miss a week's worth of work because I feel so bad."

• sim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "I'm on day 6 of a 7-day treatment, and I'm throwing in the towel. I've never had such terrible side effects: severe dizziness, insomnia, dehydration, irritated bladder, racing heart, anxiety, and a constant bad taste in my mouth. I barely had any BV symptoms to begin with, so the meds have felt like unnecessary torture. Never again."

• Anonymous
• April 17, 2012

For Diverticulitis "This med was prescribed along with Cipro for diverticulitis. The side effects were strong. I felt dizzy, my balance was off when walking, drowsiness, general fuzzy-headed feeling. When my pain subsided after 3 days, I stopped taking it but continued the Cipro. I was taking 500mg 3 times a day of the Flagyl. Doc wants me to continue taking at least 1 per day, but can't drive or function so not going to continue."

• mtl...
• May 14, 2011

For Diverticulitis "I have been taking this for almost a week for a diverticulitis flare up and if this ever happens again I will ask if there is something else I can take. I agree, I think this has made me sicker than I originally was. General listlessness, very dizzy, weird hunger pangs, and foods don't taste good or the same as they did. Headaches! Looking forward to the last dose. A nurse friend suggested eating Activia yogurt while taking this to help with stomach problems."

• Suf...
• October 9, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "I was prescribed to take this twice a day for 7 days for bacterial vaginosis. I will never allow a doctor to prescribe me this ever again! The taste comes from nightmares for starters, and good LORD, the side effects are NOT worth it! Constant nausea, dizziness, everything tastes like fecal matter, fevers, restlessness, overall weak and uncomfortable. This cannot be good for you. I didn't even have any side effects with the BV itself, it's this medication that has been making me feel like death!"

• Tra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2014

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Most horrible side effects: bitter taste in mouth even hours after administration, balance problems, confusion, surroundings seem unreal, like walking in a dream (not a good one), concentration problems, general malaise, not able to eat anything but oatmeal and mashed potatoes. Extreme weight loss. Had to stop after 11 doses. Stomach worse than before. I have to add that I also had Amoxicillin and Protonix at the same time, maybe the combination was at fault for this extreme reaction."

• Eva...
• July 28, 2009

For Bacterial Infection "I had a vaginal infection and was prescribed Flagyl to cure it. I hated the immediate awful taste in my mouth, and it dissolved immediately upon hitting my tongue. I only experienced the awful taste and some slight stomach upset as side effects. The infection began to clear up after 3 days of a 7-day prescription. I recommend it, and drink something fruity with it. Also, DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL AT ALL while on this medication OR FOR 3 DAYS AFTER YOU STOP TAKING IT. You WILL have severe vomiting, heaving, and dizziness."

• kel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "I took a week's worth of pills of this for a second BV flare-up (tried Tindamax the first time, and the BV came back), and I am confident enough now to write a positive review. All side effects (discharge, foul odor, stabbing pain) subsided by either the third or fourth day. So far, so yeast infection, but I am being very proactive and taking probiotics daily and eating lots of yogurt. Side effects were very minimal and manageable, just a bit of fatigue, dizziness, and light sensitivity. Nothing horrible. PRO TIP: Wrap the pills in bread before you swallow them. No metallic aftertaste at all if you do this!"

• Naa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I have taken Flagyl multiple times for BV. I hate it each time. I tried clindamycin, but it wasn’t as effective. I took the pills with chocolate milk for the first few days, then orange juice. Then I finally saw where to wrap a fruit roll-up around the pill. I wish I would’ve known about that a long time ago. It helped a lot. My side effects were: dizzy, drowsy, stomach ache, heartburn, kind of blurry vision, headaches, back pain, frequent urination, dark urine, not much diarrhea, nausea. Finally, I didn’t have a metallic taste, but the aftertaste was awful. After taking the medication, it did give me a yeast infection, which was expected. Really, please try the fruit roll-up method, it helped a lot even with my last tablet."

• ash...
• July 24, 2013

For Bacterial Infection "I really don't understand all the negative reviews for this medicine. I've been on it for three solid days now and have had absolutely no issues. I'm taking 500 mg, one pill twice a day. I've been taking it after lunch and dinner and haven't had any issues with diarrhea, nausea, or dizziness. As for people complaining about the taste of the pill, how are you even able to know what it tastes like? It should be in your mouth for less than a second, just swallow it down with a glass of water or some orange juice."

• Anonymous
• July 31, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Flagyl also ruined my life. I was healthy and now I have panic attacks and muscle weakness. Only took 2 days' worth, but three weeks later still feeling like someone else. Dizziness and nausea. Be careful with this."

• Eve...
• December 2, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "I was diagnosed with SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) in July of this year. Had my first round of antibiotics in August (21 days). I'm now on my 2nd round of antibiotics, this time I’m on 500 mg of Flagyl and 875 mg of Augmentin. I’m about 2 weeks in or 14 days in, and I feel horrible. Back pain, pain in both my feet and hands. Dizziness, very fatigued. All I want to do is sleep. I had changes in my urine and stools. Went to the ER because I thought I was literally going to die. I suffer from anxiety, so this medication just makes it worse. I have a racing heart rate, and all my labs and CT of my organs came back normal, thank God. Funny how meds can fix one thing but cause all sorts of other things."

• Ret...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 10, 2022

For Giardiasis "It was such a relief to get a diagnosis of giardiasis instead of something worse that I was happy to accept a 10-day treatment of 500 mg/3x day Flagyl. As a retired RN, I knew it could be bad, and it was! Dizziness, metallic taste in my mouth, stomach pain that differed from the one Giardia was giving me, headaches, nausea, sleep disruption, random itchy spots, foul-tasting heartburn - full range of side effects. HOWEVER, I am still so grateful to have something to get rid of my parasites after suffering with them for 3 months that I just dug in and took the 10-day treatment with gratitude. It's been rough, and now at the end of the treatment, I am focusing forward on healing my GI system and getting back to normal."

• kar...
• June 17, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "This wasn't right for me. Only was on it for 5 doses, so I don't know if it helped. I puked up the fifth dose, then got dizzy and almost passed out on the ride to the ER. It settled down after a couple of hours. Had no alcohol for the past 10 days. This likely wouldn't happen to most people. But it's got gnarly side effects if it doesn't agree with you."