Flagyl and Headaches: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• July 8, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I felt it was important for anyone prescribed Flagyl and looking at possible side effects. I delayed treatment due to reading comments and becoming horrified at the stories of other people's experiences. For me, NOTHING HAPPENED!! I am the most sensitive person when it comes to medications. I had no side effects on this medication except for a slight headache on Day 1. That could also have been attributed to me coming off of sugar and caffeine as well. NO SIDE EFFECTS. All I did was put coconut oil around the pill, threw it to the back of my throat, and washed it down with juice. Problem solved regarding the awful pill taste. I did not touch alcohol. I cut out caffeine and sugar as to not add to any potential anxiety. There could be many reasons others have side effects, including other prescription drug interactions. Please don't get thrown off by other people's horror stories like I did. Just follow directions, eat properly, stay away from alcohol, and get better."

• Mar...
• August 27, 2019

For Diverticulitis "First diverticulitis (DVT) attack, was in such pain & had been in a very stressful situation. I had CT and diagnosed with DVT and prescribed Flagyl & cipro. Became very ill, nauseated, headache, confused, lost my way back to husband's hospital room. Very frightening & debilitating. Called former GI dr & he took me off 1 of the drugs & I slogged it out & finally got well again but at what cost? I'm one that get frequent flare-ups. Now take 250 mg amoxicillin 3X a day for 10 days which is very inexpensive & have no side effects. Nothing to compare to the horrible, torturous side effects of those other 2 drugs. I sought advice from 3 GI doctors and consulted 3 colorectal surgeons. It is hard to imagine that they still do not really know what causes these DVT flare-ups. It's all best guess & try this or try that. With so many people suffering from DVT I can't find a major study being conducted to identify any specific bacteria that seems to get out of hand causing these repeated infections."

• Net...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Nah-ah. Never again. Worst medication I have ever taken. On my second day of taking this tablet, I was feeling nauseous. My appetite was bad, and my stomach felt sick. Headaches, fatigue, easily irritated. I dreaded taking it when the time came. It made me absolutely miserable. My resting heart rate went up to 105 bpm. Even raising my voice ever so slightly made my heart pound harder. It was very stressful. Steer clear. I felt stupid taking this medicine for side effects that were much worse than the reason I needed them for."

• 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."

• alo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "Went in for my Pap smear and found out I had BV. I was prescribed Flagyl (1 tablet 2x a day). The first day I only took one pill during my lunch break but forgot to take the second that night. The next day I took two pills as prescribed (morning and night). The following morning I noticed dark urine... allegedly that's a 'rare' side effect. I’ve also experienced dry mouth, a metallic aftertaste, headaches, and loss of appetite. Other than that, I do see an improvement already. I’m glad these pills work quickly, just hoping I won’t have to take it ever again after the 7th day."

• 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."

• Sna...
• October 2, 2018

For Bacterial Infection "I went into the hospital on Saturday with extreme stomach pain and constipation. CT scan and blood work showed colitis with a bacterial infection. Prescribed 500 mg Flagyl 3x a day and 500 mg Cipro 2x a day. I've taken Cipro before but had never heard of Flagyl. I made the mistake of reading reviews and became panicked. But most people don't leave reviews when things are good. I'm on day 3, but things are okay. I have to take it with milk. Keeps the nausea and metallic taste to a minimum. I have mild stomach upset (but nothing compared to before) and a headache. It's not pleasant, but I'm almost halfway through. My suggestion is to eat and drink different things. I also found spacing out the Flagyl and Cipro helped with nausea as well. The medicine seems to be working. And the side effects have been bearable so far. Take each review with a grain of salt and remember-every body is different and will respond to things differently."

• met...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2015

For Diverticulitis "Seems effective. Second use with diverticulitis. Both times combined with Cipro. Had some side effects but not sure which medication they came from. Plus the diverticulitis itself causes gas, bloating, diarrhea, headache, nausea so how do you know what was meds and what was the illness? I experienced urine discoloration-slight rusty tone. I can say that the taste of the Flagyl pill is horrible. Also, after starting the meds I became oversensitive to smells and everything I ate or drank, even water, tasted disgusting. (Not so bad as I'm not supposed to be eating foods). I found that if I swallow the Flagyl with a sip of a smoothie (from supermarket) it slips down easy with no sticking and no bad taste."

• Sev...
• November 3, 2016

For Diverticulitis "Taking Flagyl and Cipro for diverticulitis, and got all the symptoms as everyone else. Dry mouth, headaches, funny taste in mouth, diarrhea, and generally feel sluggish, tired, and beside myself. Though I was the only one feeling like crap, but the pain is gone, and I too am on a better diet. Seven days left, and I am throwing these empty bottles in the trash!"

• Kyr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 21, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "Bread is the key. I've taken metronidazole 500 mg 2 times a day for 7 days. This is my 9th set of them, seeing that I'm prone to BV. Every time I get them, I get nauseous, sick headaches, stomach pains, weak, and the taste is the worst thing in life. It always hits my tongue or back of my throat. I never finish a bottle, I always leave about 3-4 pills because I can never finish, and the symptoms clear after about 3 days. Well, after my last visit, that is why it always comes back, you have to take the whole dosage. But it was such a hard pill I never could. Well, this time I learned to wrap them in bread. Problem solved!!! I wrap it around the bread and just swallow it. It's like you never took a pill :) No taste, no headaches, no nausea, and I even take it without food sometimes. No symptoms whatsoever! This is a big help in my life because I've dealt with this for a year and a half back to back because I have a very sensitive body! Now, if I ever need to take them, everything is perfectly fine :) I recommend doing that because I believe the taste is what causes the symptoms... at least for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2022

For Bacterial Infection "I have never written a review in my life on an antibiotic. I’m here for three reasons. 1) Warn everybody about the severe side effects this can have and sadly 2) nobody, including my close friends and family, believe it’s true. 3) It might have helped stomach but not sure yet. I took Flagyl for four days. The nausea and diarrhea for me were not bad the first day. Day 2, 3, and 4 turned into the darkest moments of my life. Memory loss, extreme confusion, heart palpitations. Overall just the worst headaches and depression ever. I’m four days off of it and can’t drive safely or do directions. Headaches continue. I want my life and brain back. The doctors and family think it’s “all in my head.” Absolutely devastating to deal with. If they only knew. These are 100% real effects that can happen to you. Find an alternative!! Do not take this without a full explanation from your doctor!!"

• Sic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 27, 2018

For Diverticulitis "I went to my doctor for lower abdominal pain and was told I had diverticulitis. I was prescribed Flagyl and Cipro. It started out with nausea, so I called my doctor because I had terrible nausea, and I was prescribed Zofran. I still have two and a half days left, and it's absolute torture! I have never had side effects like this: debilitating nausea, headaches, chills and sweats, lethargy, metallic taste, diarrhea, and I am having trouble sleeping because of the nausea and my upset stomach. I kind of feel like I have the flu without a fever. I am up right now at 4 a.m., sipping ginger ale, trying to get through the night. The pain in my abdomen has subsided. This medication is very harsh on the body."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2012

For Diverticulitis "Flagyl took away all of my energy for 23 hours each day for the first few days. I could not even watch TV. I had almost constant stomach pain, and additional stomach pain at bowel movements. I did a lot of sleeping every day. I also had a headache. I have been off Flagyl for 11 days now, and I still have some stomach pain."

• Dem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I went to my doctor following finishing a Z-pack and was having painful urination. I thought I had a UTI, however, it turned out to be bacterial vaginitis (BV). The physician at a local urgent care put me on generic metronidazole, 500 mg, two times daily. I am on day 4 and was unable to work due to severe back pain, headache, and nausea. I have taken this medication before, but I don't think I've ever taken it orally for 7 days. At this point, I'm going back in to see my doctor and ask for something else. I can't afford to miss work the rest of the week!"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Will never take this medicine, Flagyl, again. The first day, I started with a headache. Then came the lack of appetite and nausea, which caused me to lose 3 pounds. Next was feeling tingly in my hands and full-out panic, anxiety, and depression. I called my doctor, begging to get off of this medication. Thankfully, I just took my last dose. I will never take this again."

• sis...
• September 15, 2018

For Diverticulitis "I went to the ER with acute diverticulitis and was prescribed Metronidazole along with Cipro and pain pills. I was administered a couple of pain shots and thought I could go home and take these meds and get better. Three days later, I was back in the ER and let them admit me this time. The terrible headaches, horrific taste in my mouth, nausea, and vomiting were about more than I could bear. I have had sleeve surgery, and so my stomach is small, but this gave me such bad heartburn and indigestion, I could not imagine a medicine making a person this sick. I also had diarrhea with every bathroom trip and very dark urine. I couldn't even stand the taste of water, or the food I ate tasted horrible, along with a lack of appetite, lethargy, and lightheadedness. I finished my prescription of ten days, but I hope I never have to take this horrible drug again. One good thing about it is my diverticulitis pain is gone, and I pray it will never return."

• Avi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "Was prescribed Flagyl for diverticulitis. All I can say is that I had to stop this medication after 6 days. My side effects included: numbness and tingling of my hands, dark urine, high anxiety, headaches, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, and difficulty sleeping. My dosage was 2x250 mg tabs three times a day. I am in my 60s, and without a doubt, this is the medication that has given me the most side effects."

• Anonymous
• March 22, 2011

For Diverticulitis "I was told not to drink alcohol with Flagyl, of course, but I also found I cannot use Purell (ethanol-based) or isopropyl rubbing alcohol with it. These led to terrible stomach pain and headache. One pharmacist told me this couldn't happen, not enough alcohol would get in, but another said yes, it happens, and some people even have a reaction to alcohol in the slight fumes you get while pumping gasoline that includes alcohol. When I avoid Purell and isopropyl, I don't get those severe stomach pains."

• ang...
• February 25, 2016

For Diverticulitis "I was prescribed this medicine for my diverticulitis, and every time I took this pill, I was experiencing bad cramping. So, I went to the emergency room, and the doctor there told me to stop that medication because it causes constipation. So, I'm just taking the other medicine, and thus far no cramping, just a bit of a headache, but that's better than getting abdominal pains."

• 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."

• Tay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Was given instructions to take this Flagyl twice a day for 7 days, every 12 hours for BV (bacterial vaginitis). First day I had a slight headache, second day of taking it symptoms of BV were gone! No smell, discharge, but I had a backache which wasn’t too bad. Still taking it to finish up treatment. But I give it 9/10 because the medicine tastes horrible! Take with food or thick liquids to avoid the taste."

• Pop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2015

For Trichomoniasis "Was put on Flagyl 500 mg twice a day for one week. Tomorrow morning is my last pill. Had no clue about this antibiotic. 1st pill was taken on an empty stomach, and I put the pill on the front of my tongue... big mistake! Was very aware after that what I had to do... place pill as far back as you can and drink water, fruit punch as fast as you can, on a full stomach! I constantly feel like I'm carsick, off and on headaches, some anxiety, and just an overall disconnected feeling. But... I have to admit it really works!"

• Kc1...
• October 26, 2016

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "I am currently finishing up a 14-day round of 3x a day 500 mg Flagyl for C. diff. C. diff, alone, is a beast to wrangle. Think food poisoning but 10x worse-and the smell, oh that's another thing entirely. I never leave reviews on medications, but with the side effects vs. the benefits that I've experienced, I wanted others to know. Benefits: Finally stopped having uncontrollable diarrhea and gas pain. The side effects didn't kick in until about day 7. So far, I've experienced light sensitivity, numbness and tingling on my left flank, insomnia, and an overall feeling of unrest that is very similar to a panic attack. I've also had a runny nose and headaches. The medicine does work, but I cannot wait to be finished!!"

• Cd4...
• June 13, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "Was prescribed Flagyl for BV but was never entirely sure I even had it as no tests were conducted. Took the pills and am so happy tomorrow is my last day! Literally the worst side effects ever, day one wasn't so bad, just had a metallic taste in my mouth, but every other day I've experienced headaches, nausea, and extreme fatigue to where I'm sleeping all day. The medication is so much worse than the slight issues I even had."