Metronidazole and Bad Taste: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Nin...
• April 10, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I wonder why the companies that make this a pill don’t put it in a capsule or a coating on it. It tastes so bitter, and it melts in an instant when I put it in my mouth. Several times I choked on it. All because they didn’t put a coating on this medicine. Do they intend to torture people, or can’t they think about something as simple as this?"

• Mis...
• April 12, 2013

For Diverticulitis "Personally, after reading these stories and not knowing if everyone (besides those who stated) was taking Metronidazole with something else. I have had a few flare-ups, and I cannot take a combination of Cipro/Metronidazole as this causes the weird feelings and extreme lethargy. Metronidazole alone (besides the bad taste when you pop it), no problems. Occasionally slight nausea and bloating, but nothing else. I just don't take the combination anymore, which was horrible. Straight Metronidazole now, 500 mg, 3 times a day, 10 days...done."

• Cur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2016

For Diverticulitis "I took it along with Cipro for diverticulitis. There was not a lot of effect for the first 2 days, but after that, the drugs started to work, and I started feeling better. After a full 7 days, I'm glad to be finished. I had taken Cipro on its own before with minimal side effects. With the combo, I found that there were quite a lot. I was quite listless and almost depressed and tired, plus my joints are very sore. There is a nasty taste in my mouth, and my tongue is sore and very grayish. I was very moody for a few days, but this seems to have stopped. Since the diverticulitis makes me feel really awful, I was grateful for the antibiotics, and they worked. Many people have reported diarrhea, but I did not, pee certainly turned a dark orange."

• SRZ...
• April 22, 2015

For Diverticulitis "I have had a few bouts with diverticulitis close together and was prescribed Cipro and Flagyl, both strong antibiotics. When trying to take both at the same time, I felt very sick and nauseous. I went online to read more about each of these meds. Someone with experience suggested taking them an hour apart, and when taking Flagyl, take it in a spoon of applesauce because it leaves a bitter taste if it touches any part of the inside of your mouth. Put it in the back of the mouth with applesauce and swallow with lots of water. Also, do not take your Cipro with milk or yogurt, it tells you on your med info on the bottle and paper info. The last time, the prescription for Flagyl was doubled from 250 mg to 500 mg, and it made me throw it up."

• Lyn...
• November 1, 2015

For Diverticulitis "39-year-old mom of 4. On my 2nd bout of diverticulitis (1st one 7 years earlier), I was given 10 days of Flagyl & Cipro. I took them together twice a day, and then the 3rd Flagyl by itself at night. I noticed a minimal yucky taste when taking them, but by the time I had finished my water, it was usually gone. I had a metallic taste approximately 3 times total that lasted just minutes. By the last part of day 2, I was feeling better, day 3 there was no more pain. By day 4, there was some discoloration of urine - rusty colored to orange. I never ever felt anxious, nauseous, had diarrhea, or felt tired. Overall, great experience with the combo of meds!"

• TGu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2019

Metronidazole for Bacterial Infection "This antibiotic was the worst possible one I had to take! Anyone saying there are no side effects with this medicine is one of the lucky ones. This drug damages your digestive system, it tastes nasty. You have that taste all day, coming back up. I didn’t sleep well, and it affected the way I was breathing. Outside of that, it gave me a yeast infection on my tongue. I’d never take this drug ever again! This drug causes more harm than good. If you need an antibiotic, find a functional doctor. Natural medicine has been around for years, and it works."

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

Metronidazole 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."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2014

For Trichomoniasis "The taste is unpleasant, though not as unpleasant as trichomoniasis. Upon the first dose (500 mg), I suffered from flu-like side effects. My neck grew stiff, I felt feverish and steadily nauseous. It did not cause me to lose my appetite, despite the nausea. Headaches became common, along with an undying thirst. Having to go to work on this medicine was as difficult as a virus. I had trouble sleeping to the extent that I actually remained awake for over thirty hours before falling asleep. It was around the third day in that I suddenly had thick, white discharge that had a musty odor, however, that only happened that one day. It is a rough pill, but it gets the job done. No pain, no gain, as they say."

• Tra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2016

For Diverticulitis "This medication makes me and my muscles hurt like I've been hit by a truck. And that's after day two! I take three a day for intestinal infection (diverticulitis). Besides the bad tastes and maybe some stomach pains, this is my main concern. Makes almost all my muscles in my body ache badly, especially my feet and arms."

• Dox...
• October 30, 2019

Metronidazole for Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I'm on day three out of ten days of taking a three-tier medication schedule for H. pylori, metronidazole, erythromycin, and omeprazole. My doc suggested that I take one of the antibiotics, eat something, wait an hour, then take the second one. So far, I’ve had no bad side effects, only a bad taste in my mouth."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2014

For Bacterial Vaginosis "I am currently taking this antibiotic, I am on day five. I honestly can't wait until it is over. I am an athlete in college, and I can say that ever since taking this, it has affected my performance. I also wish I would have started this earlier because it has me extremely tired and fatigued, and this is FINALS week. I get constant headaches, an awful taste left in my mouth all day, and I don't really have much of an appetite either. I've also been having horrible abdominal pain that sometimes isn't tolerable. I really do hate the side effects, but I will go through this if it will make me better. The discharge as well as the foul smell has gone away, which is what motivates me to keep taking this. I have only two more days to go. Wish me luck!!"

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2019

For Bacterial Vaginosis "Reading these reviews made my anxiety so high, it took me a few days before I decided I would just try half a pill first. Took Pepto and then the pill. I was fine, I ended up taking the full dosage: 1 pill twice a day, 500 mg. I was fine. I ended up forgetting to take Pepto first one day and was fine, so I quit taking that. I did always take it either with milk or Sprite, I never had trouble swallowing it. A couple of times I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth, so I'd eat something sweet, and it would go away. The only side effects I had were a horrible taste in my mouth (didn't last the whole time), maybe some mood swings (could just be PMS), and hot flashes (tolerable). I just finished taking my last pill tonight. Like others have said, everyone is different, and most won't come on here and post a positive review, but I wanted to hopefully ease someone's anxiety. Just take it, you'll more than likely not have any horrible side effects."

• Anonymous
• November 2, 2015

For Dental Abscess "2 times a day, 500 milligrams for 10 days. Worked great, taste was kind of horrible. I recommend to drink with juice. Slight headaches, nothing abnormal, though. Slight insomnia first day, but after that, I noticed my infected abscess on my jawline was fading away. In 3 days, all pain was gone, still finished my course because you never can be too safe."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "This has to be the worst medication I’ve ever taken. It doesn’t matter what time I take it or with food, it makes me extremely nauseous. I have the worst taste in my mouth. I hate it and will never take it again."

• Anonymous
• February 9, 2013

For Diverticulitis "I was diagnosed with diverticulitis in the ER. I was given 2 antibiotics. I remember one of them leaving such a horrible taste in my mouth that I literally scraped the back of my tongue with a paper towel. From the prescription, I learned the names Ciprofloxacin and Metronidazole, take every 12 hrs for 10 days. By the 3rd dose, I had the strongest headache ever and diarrhea! The pharmacist told me that the headache was a result of the diarrhea because my body was being drained. Said I should increase my water intake. Today I'm at dose 5, and I must say the pain has subsided greatly, now at '3'. I did increase my water intake, and although the diarrhea is still here, the headache too has subsided, now at a '2'."

• sge...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2013

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Metronidazole causes me to have headaches, a bloated stomach with cramps (sometimes severe), and a heavy feeling. Prescribed for H. pylori treatment for 10 days along with clarithromycin. It also causes a lack of appetite. When taking this medicine, it will taste bad and leave a bad taste in your mouth and throat for a few hours. I find drinking a hot beverage like cocoa or low-acid coffee after taking it has helped relieve the bad taste but doesn't get rid of it completely. For manufacturers: manufacturers should really consider making this as a hard caplet. Maybe even adding a flavor enhancer. In its current form, it almost immediately starts dissolving before being swallowed with a disgusting salty taste."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2019

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Doctor prescribed 400 mg metronidazole to be taken thrice daily and 500 mg clarithromycin twice daily. Esomeprazole twice daily. This was for 14 days to get rid of Helicobacter pylori. This absolutely wrecked my body. The first day had terrible stomach cramps and constant severe hunger pains. Did not sleep at all from the pain. After two days, the cramps went away but were replaced with intense nausea, weakness, a really dry mouth, and a constant disgusting taste in my mouth. Could not eat anything after the fifth day. Had to stop taking the drugs on the sixth day and my doctor agreed that this was too much to handle. Could only handle fluids the day after stopping the regimen. Was set out to finish my 14-day course as I would love to get rid of this bug once and for all, but my body couldn't take it anymore. Now hoping five days of intense antibiotics were enough to eradicate H. pylori. Will have to wait a month before retesting. Maybe a lower dose fewer times a day could have helped? But possibly not as effective."

• No...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 5, 2013

For Bacterial Vaginosis "Bacterial vaginitis is not uncommon, taking a daily probiotic with a high number of live bacteria (the beneficial bacteria in yogurt) greatly reduces the risks of getting bacterial vaginitis again. My boyfriend and I are very active, usually daily, and, like clockwork, I was having to treat bacterial vaginitis every 5 weeks for nearly a year. Each time I was prescribed metronidazole 500 mg twice daily for 7 days, each time, by day 2, the odor is gone. The medication is great, the taste is terrible, so I suggest putting the pill into the back of the throat onto a mouthful of already chewed, ready-to-swallow food without allowing the pill to touch any part of the mouth. It helps! Douching isn't recommended, rinse out in a bath."

• Sic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2014

For Bacterial Vaginosis "Had an odor for about a year before being diagnosed after the discharge got heavy. The smell penetrated everything I wore and ranged from fishy to sickly sweet and metallic. I've been taking the pills twice daily for six days, and I'm fairly certain my symptoms are gone! Awful taste that stays with you all day, though."

• ecl...
• October 7, 2013

For Bacterial Vaginosis "Bacterial vaginitis was single-handedly the worst health experience I have ever had. I don't know what it is, but boom, you have vaginal odor, and you just can't even look in the mirror. My doctor prescribed me metronidazole twice a day for seven days. The nurse warned me that it tasted awful, but I didn't care, just wanted to feel better. Within 24 hours of my first dose, my odor and discharge were gone. All the reviews are right, it tastes awful, but if you can drop the pill in the back of your throat and not let it touch your tongue, then drink a lot of water, you won't even taste it. Eat before you take it. Time your doses with meals and flush your fluids, and you should be able to avoid the metallic taste like I did. The medication works!"

• dra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2015

Metronidazole for Clostridioides difficile Infection "Took 500 mg 3 times per day for 14 days to treat a C. diff infection. Within the 1st week, the side effects kicked in. Horrible taste in my mouth 24/7, then followed by constant nausea and loss of appetite. I was so nauseous by the end that I couldn't get off the couch. Took it with meals, and I haven't had an alcoholic drink in 3 years. Chewed gum all the time to deal with the taste. Horrible side effects, but very effective. Was feeling normal again within a few days of starting it."

• Ton...
• August 9, 2014

For Bacterial Vaginosis "I think it works. Yes, it does clear up the bacterial vaginitis. However, I have terrible back pain, joint pains, headache, awful taste in mouth. Been 5 days on metronidazole for the first time, and these side effects mostly have me in bed. I am 18 and anemic. I like the fact that I smell better already. Hate that each day of taking this medicine feels like the first day of my period, except that I am not having my period. Good thing it's only a few days, 2 to go."

• Man...
• September 25, 2016

For Bacterial Vaginosis "Today is my third day with Flagyl for BV. I do have a weird taste in my mouth when I brush my teeth and eat. To prevent yeast infection, I eat yogurt and take a probiotic powder packet that's fizzy and you mix into water like an Emergen-C packet. I also wear long dresses and nightgowns around the house without undies to help with airflow, which heals and prevents yeast infections. It's my health, and going commando, taking Flagyl, and drinking water to dilute the concentrated urine all have been helpful in stopping side effects."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2019

For Bacterial Vaginosis "After being diagnosed with BV, I was almost scared to start taking metronidazole after reading all of the horrible reviews! But I can honestly say that I had NO side effects. Besides the bad taste after taking the pill, that lasts for maybe 10 seconds, but I can live with that."

• Cho...
• May 16, 2015

For Trichomoniasis "This medicine works wonders as far as its effectiveness. However, the side effects are horrible! Not only do I have a disgustingly horrible taste in my mouth that nothing seems to get rid of, but I'm so nauseous that every time I have to take another one, I automatically throw up just from the thought. The directions say to eat before or take with food, but I can't keep anything down, not to mention I'm extremely thirsty, but when I try to drink anything (including water), it's disgusting. Everything tastes like this pill. I feel like I have a fever, although I've checked many times, and I don't, and I'm having horrible headaches. However, all of my symptoms are gone, thank God. Lesson learned, currently abstinent for a long time!"