Macrobid for Urinary Tract Infection User Reviews (Page 4)

• moo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2015

"I have recurring UTIs every couple of months, and I have taken every antibiotic. Cipro and Keflex did not work for me, and Bactrim I had horrible side effects. Macrobid is the only one to cure my UTIs every time! Of course, it depends on which bacteria is causing yours."

• Cay...
• December 19, 2016

"Macrobid cleared up my UTI in only 4 days. I was afraid to use it based on the comments on this site, but keep in mind, most people who take time out to comment are those with negative experiences. Usually, people with great experiences, like myself, don't take time out to talk about how well a medication works-they use it and go on with their daily lives. It's been over a year now and no recurrence of UTI. I had zero side effects."

• Mlm...
• August 31, 2017

"Prescribed this after recurrent UTI. I am very prone to them, and if you are too, try to listen to your body and know your triggers. I know it sucks to not be able to drink soda or having to jump up after sex to pee, but it's well worth it in the long run. Macrobid, like sulfa and cipro, makes me feel uneasy, but there's no getting around that, I would rather feel a little uneasy than peeing what feels like fire and sitting on the toilet for hours, crying, thinking how unfair it is to be born with a short urethra. I'm shocked how many people would rather have a UTI than the uneasiness of an antibiotic. Not for me. Obviously, my symptoms of painful urinating make it so worth just a little tummy ache to feel better. Take with food. Take all reviews with a grain of salt."

• Mic...
• October 29, 2016

"Ok, gotta make a long story short. My doctor gave me Bactrim for a UTI, and usually it works, but this time it didn't. I was miserable, so I went to urgent care. They prescribed me Macrobid 100 mg 2× daily. I read all the awful reviews, and since my stomach is very sensitive and easily nauseated, I immediately was discouraged. I asked the pharmacist, and she told me she had taken it, and as long as you follow the instructions on the bottle that say take with food or milk, I would be fine, and she didn't have any symptoms. So I have been eating a good meal before I take it, and it's been 3 days now, and I woke up on the 3rd day, and it's like it's gone, and I could tell after the 1st day I was getting better. I was in pain for 6 days, and this med was a blessing!!!"

• Rob...
• January 3, 2017

"I had a UTI, and my Dr. prescribed Macrobid. I'm allergic to most antibiotics and usually experience all the side effects possible, so I read the reviews here and was so scared to take it that I waited a week to see if my symptoms would somehow go away on their own (they didn't). I finally said a prayer and started the Macrobid. The only side effect I had at all was a pretty good headache on days 1 and 2, which was relieved with Advil. I wish I had started sooner! Just remember that usually, the only people coming to these sites are people who have had bad reactions. My pharmacist said that she's been prescribing it for 35 years and never heard of anyone having really bad reactions to it."

• Asd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 29, 2020

"I didn't appreciate the fact that you need to eat a proper meal or a sandwich when taking them. I had half a banana with the first dose, and throughout the day, I thought I felt so sick. Sick 5 times, chills, sweats, stiffness, dizziness, tiredness, and many other things. I called the surgery as I thought I might be allergic to them, but they told me I hadn't eaten enough. Relief!!!"

• Mir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2016

"After reading the reviews for this antibiotic, I was terrified to even take it. I went to urgent care in Orlando because I had gotten a UTI during my vacation in Disney World, so it wasn't even my own doctor prescribing me the medication. I was prescribed 100 mg to take 2 times a day for 7 days. The majority of people claimed to have horrible side effects, but I did not have any, besides small stomach cramps a couple hours after taking the pill. Do not let the reviews scare you. Everyone is different! My only complaint is that it worked so slowly. It took 6 days for all of my symptoms to completely clear up. Now I have to wait and see if the infection comes back."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 7, 2017

"Worst medicine ever!!! Went to the ER & was diagnosed with a UTI, so this med was prescribed! I've been in bed now 2 days straight! The headaches & body aches are just ridiculous! Not to mention I don't have an appetite, but I've been throwing up off & on! This medicine made me worse than I was in the beginning! This is my first & last time taking this, that's for sure!"

• Cea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2019

"I experienced every single side effect in this blog. After day five, I drove myself to the emergency room. My organs almost shut down. I’m at home, can’t work, and now have to see a lung specialist this week. It’s been weeks, and I still feel like I’m dying. I wish the people that had no problems would list their age. And great - I’m glad it worked for you if you had no problems, but don’t ever, EVER tell anyone not to be afraid to take it. Be afraid, be very afraid. This med is no joke. I’m 49, and this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m still so sick I can barely get up or breathe, and my last dose was almost 4 weeks ago."

• App...
• April 27, 2016

"Took Macrobid for five days. It caused constant nervousness/jitteriness, and I could not sleep. Two days after the Macrobid regime was done, my UTI started up again. So much pain and suffering for nothing. What upsets me the most is that I had told the nurse at the clinic that Cipro works for me, and she prescribed Macrobid instead! Some people are worse than useless."

• Tig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 1, 2019

"I read these reviews and was terrified to take this. I have anxiety; so even if I didn’t have the physical side effects, I was pretty sure I would have psychosomatic ones after reading all the negative experiences. I’m also scared of antibiotic resistance and hate taking them to begin with. I procrastinated for a week because I didn’t want it to make me feel terrible. Also, my UTI wasn’t bad; I didn’t have many symptoms. But I knew it wasn’t going away, so down the hatch the Macrobid went. Well, I didn’t feel terrible. Absolutely no side effects. I know everybody is different, but if you have an Rx for this, don’t be afraid to try it because chances are you’ll be fine. It’ll do its job (which it is)."

• pal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2019

"Macrobid was the worst experience I have ever had with any drug. Breathing problems developed on day 2 of a 3-day course, coughing, palpitations followed by chills and fever. Unable to do anything for three days and thought I had a very bad dose of flu, which is all you need when you have cystitis, but no, it was just the side effects from this antibiotic. Never again!"

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2023

"I had a feeling I would react to this medication, but I wanted to be a good patient. After one pill, I feel severe restlessness, headache, disorientation, fatigue, dizziness. I would never take this again."

• Dh1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2023

"Okay, I had to come back and give my review. It's been over a month, and I keep forgetting. But you're reading this because, like me, you're afraid to take this drug and have read too many reviews that have convinced you not to take it. Well, look. I'm writing the review, so I survived it. I read enough positive reviews to feel like I needed to take this medicine and help my annoying UTI. I had zero side effects, it worked quickly and relieved my symptoms fast. I'm thankful I took it, and I hope you do too! I've read about Urosepsis, and it sounds awful. Take the damn pill! Thanks to the reviewer that mentioned getting a McFlurry."

• ele...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2019

"I have taken several antibiotics for UTI, and Macrobid is the only one where I felt the need to write a review and also search for one, as I was praying the EXTREME side effects I have been experiencing were not uncommon. I took Macrobid for three days, and each day the symptoms got worse. I have been completely nauseous ever since I started taking it, and my heart rate has been scary high. Yesterday, my heart rate got so high my whole body was shaking, and I got blurred vision as I was driving and had to pull over on the side of the road and have someone come pick me up because I was too unwell to drive. The vaginal irritation got worse on day 2, and I’m still waiting for that to subside. I would so much rather have a UTI than feel like I am literally about to die. This has been one of the scariest weeks of my life, as I thought something was seriously wrong with me until I read some of these reviews. If your doctor wants to prescribe you this medicine, you may want to ask for an alternative."

• Roc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2019

"Macrobid has been great. I was worried when I read the reviews, but as I took it, I didn’t feel anything different! The only side effect was my tiredness, and my GERD was worse. The key is to do what’s called an antibiotic sandwich... Eat a full meal, take the pill, then a light snack afterward. Also, do not drink caffeine, as it will cause terrible anxiety... you have to take it every 12 hours, so I did 7 am and 7 pm. Taking too close to bed is what made my GERD bad, as it stirs up your stomach acid, and you are laying down on it. My symptoms were cleared up on day 3, but I still have to take it for 4 more days. I was also allergic to Bactrim, so this was the alternate... take the pills."

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

"Overall, this antibiotic Macrobid was good. It cleared up my infection in 3 days out of a 10-day treatment. I always ate a lot with it and took a probiotic and yogurt right after taking it, and didn’t feel sick at all. It gave me a slight stomach ache, but I could function, and it was comfortable, until tonight, where I am in bed with sharp abdominal pains and a stomach ache. But it may be my fault because I took it later than I usually do. Otherwise, it is good. Don’t be afraid to try it. I get sick on all medications, and I get UTIs all the time, and by far, Macrobid is the best."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2013

"This is the first and last time I ever take this drug! After 24 hours of it in my system, I started having flu-like symptoms. I could feel my sinuses draining down my throat, I began to have a horrible cough. Granted, at first, I seemed to be getting better, but by the night of day four, my eyes are all itchy and watery, my nose is constantly running, constantly coughing. Now on day five, I took my last pill. Still feeling like crap, still all the same symptoms from day four. Hoping this goes away soon before I return to the ER once more."

• Jon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2019

"I had a UTI last year and was aware that this meant I might get more in the future. I started with another three weeks ago, and then the pain went to my kidneys. After one dose of Macrobid, the symptoms began to go within six hours. By the third dose, my energy levels went up again, and the pain I had urinating has gone. I will take the remaining five days' dosage, and I am amazed at how quickly this new treatment has knocked some very debilitating symptoms on the head!"

• Liz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2016

"The most important thing about having a UTI is making sure a urine culture is done. Many don't realize that there are antibiotics that simply just won't work because the bacteria they have are resistant to the antibiotic prescribed. Just because the antibiotic didn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for others. I've been prescribed Cipro and Bactrim for UTIs in the past, but after the ABT course, my UTI kept coming back with a vengeance. Macrobid was the only antibiotic that was able to clear my bladder/UTI infection. I've seen that sometimes it can make you feel worse before you feel better. The urine culture and sensitivity test is key for those suffering from recurrent infections."

• Oga...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2016

"I wish I would have read these reviews before I started taking this medication! I feel so sick! I started to wonder if I have something really serious like cancer. I am so weak. One minute I am drenched in sweat, and then I have chills so bad no amount of blankets will warm me. I can't get out of bed, and I must go to work tomorrow. I am a teacher, and I have parent/teacher conferences! I constantly have a fever of 101 or higher! Why would they prescribe this medication to anyone? Too many people have the same terrible side effects!"

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2024

"This was the first and last time. I took the first dose, and 3 hours later, I was in full despair, vomiting nonstop every hour. Gut-wrenching vomiting, mind you. Full body sweats, chills, couldn’t stand. I had to have my mom come stay the night with me because it made me that sick. I have never experienced such awful side effects. Never again."

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2013

"This antibiotic is a godsend! I am allergic to penicillins and sulfas. At first, I tried Cipro, it didn't work. I had kidney stones for 8 months, I finally got my second lithotripsy in June for an 8x9mm stone, and then my kidney got infected. This is my fourth day on Macrobid, and I have had no serious side effects except 1 bout of diarrhea on day 1, which was welcomed compared to the nausea and pain from the infection. Macrobid actually got rid of my nausea!"

• car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 29, 2019

"Took the first 2 Macrobid pills, started running a fever of 101, headache, vomiting, could barely function, felt sicker than I ever have. Worried that the infection had gone to my kidneys. Never been to the ER in my life, but decided to go because I was scared. Tests all came back normal. Sent me home and said to finish my course of Macrobid. Felt better when I got home (about 12 hours since the last pill), was finally able to eat, took the next dose of Macrobid. Shortly thereafter, I was violently ill again. The next day, after close to 24 hours since the last pill, I started feeling better, was able to eat. That’s when it dawned on me: drug side effect. I found sites like this where people had the same experience. The next day, the hospital called to check on me. I told them what I discovered; they said they had never heard of Macrobid causing this reaction. Bottom line, I got sick after taking it and got well after not taking it. My symptoms match the manufacturer’s list of side effects. What else am I supposed to think?"

• She...
• February 24, 2017

"I've taken Macrobid for 15 years for recurrent UTIs. I get UTIs about 4-6 times a year (ugh), so I've taken it a ton of times. Macrobid gets rid of my infections every single time without fail. The only side effect I have ever noticed, which is pretty annoying, is nausea for about 2 hours after taking each pill. Once in a blue moon I puke, but not usually. Eating and drinking with the pill lessens the nausea but doesn't totally prevent it. So, it does its job really well and eliminates my infections, but I do cringe when I have to take it because it sucks to endure the nausea."