Macrobid and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Jem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2024

For Urinary Tract Infection "Successfully cleared my mild UTI, but not without some uncomfortable side effects. Definitely more gentle on the stomach than other antibiotics, but still experienced diarrhea the entire time. No nausea or vomiting, but definitely had dizziness and general malaise. Spent most of the 7-day course in bed because I was just so weak and off balance. My right arm developed a weakness/numbness that felt like I had laid on it for too long, except it didn’t begin to go away until I stopped treatment. Vivid, intense dreams. Developed some frustrating headaches the last few days of treatment, but nothing severe. Would prefer to take this again over other antibiotics if I had to, but I absolutely hope I don’t have to deal with this medication again."

• Jet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "Went to Dr. as I had blood in my urine, no other symptoms, culture says UTI. Prescription Macrobid. First day I had a massive headache that hurt so bad I cried. 2nd and 3rd day, nausea and diarrhea with increased anxiety. 4th day, dizziness so bad I felt like I was sleeping drunk, sitting to standing was a nightmare and walking was difficult. Felt flu-like the entire time. It has been 2 weeks since I stopped taking it. Had to go to the Dr. again because the dizziness did not go away. Now I have an inner ear problem that needs to be fixed with therapy. Still feeling sick. 2 panic attacks and still an increase in anxiety. Random periods of time feeling like I can’t catch my breath. Will never ever take again. Also, fun side note, still have blood in urine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "This drug was fine at first. By the second pill, it seemed as if my UTI was gone. If you don’t take this drug with TONS of food, it will mess you up. This drug also gave me severe stomach gas and diarrhea every morning. It also increased my appetite so much when I woke up that I had to eat something immediately or I felt sick. I really did not like being on this medicine. It messed up how I felt and just made me super tired and uncomfortable. I hope I never have to take it again."

• San...
• September 10, 2015

For Bladder Infection "I was prescribed this medicine for a bladder infection and would never recommend anyone to take it. Obviously, it depends on your body type, but I usually have a high tolerance. I'm needing to head to the doctor's now because I've been experiencing painful headaches every day, sharp stomach aches, muscle pain, chills (hot to brutally cold: fever-type symptoms), tingling, light-headed, nauseous, eye aches, my urine went from neon green to dark brown, and as gross as it is, I haven't been able to take a proper poo, but every time I pass gas on the toilet, watery diarrhea-like stuff comes out, and I've seen some blood when I wiped. This medicine definitely didn't go well with me and is a painful experience!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "While this did clear up my UTI, I am now on week five of intense gas, bloating, diarrhea, and discomfort. It’s pretty embarrassing as an elementary teacher to be constantly burping and to have small children constantly ask, “What’s that?!?” as my stomach is making godawful sounds with me then having to bolt to the bathroom. I learned the hard way that the sounds are followed by gas which, unfortunately, is also accompanied by diarrhea. Nothing I have tried has worked to decrease these side effects. Like I said, it did its job, but was it worth this? Definitely not. I’d like to be able to fart again without having to worry about if I’m going to shart instead. It’s the little things."

• Zan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "The Macrobid did work for the UTI, but my, oh my, have I been having a bad time. I have been so, so nauseous since my first dose. I have actually vomited from the nausea. Severe diarrhea as well. It doesn't seem to matter what food I take it with. I can barely eat, I have no appetite and feel horrendous. I have also developed serious neck pain and aches in my arms, which can only be attributed to this drug as nothing else in my life has changed. I won't be taking this medication again, if I can help it. This has been the longest week of my life."

• Vic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I took 3 doses of Macrobid and became violently ill, with nausea, diarrhea, the shakes, headache, anxiety, heart palpitations - you name it. I thought I was going to die. It has been awful. I'm on day 4 of trying to flush it out of my system and get my life back. Take anything for a UTI but this - it shouldn't even be on the market."

• Ast...
• September 4, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "Definitely would NOT take this again. I experienced headache, dizziness, stomach pain, diarrhea, muscle pain, tingling in my limbs, I was so weak. I really thought something was wrong, and it just so happened all this started when I took the first pill! I am definitely sticking to my ciprofloxacin! I know everyone's different, good luck to the ones that do take it :/"

• Mea...
• September 1, 2009

For Bladder Infection "It works! I do have the wonderful side effect of diarrhea a few hours following ingestion of it (even with food), but it's a small price to pay. I am allergic to sulfas and penicillins, so there aren't many options. I've taken it before, and it works, so I'm happy with it overall. Good thing I only have to take it for 3 days, though."

• Sta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 21, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "Macrobid was the worst medicine I had for a UTI. I only took one dose before bed to start with. I felt dizziness, sweating, heart racing, and weakness. I don’t think I will be taking any more. I will be contacting my doctor for something else. I would not recommend. I had a UTI before and had a different medicine that did not give barely any side effects except diarrhea and a little nausea if you didn’t eat."

• mac...
• March 31, 2016

For Bladder Infection "I was prescribed Macrobid for a bladder infection. After I took the 2nd pill, I got severe shortness of breath, chest pain, high fever, and diarrhea. Although not as bad as the first day, the symptoms continued into the second day of taking them. On the 3rd day, out of the blue, my vision was blurred/impeded by what I can only describe as bursts of light/sunbursts for about 20 minutes, followed by severe headache and fatigue. Very scary! My bladder feels a bit better, so I decided to stop the medication after only 3 days. Will ask the doctor for something else with less side effects if it continues."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "This has been the worst experience of my life with any antibiotic. I took my first pill about 8:30 p.m. last night. Two hours later, I started having chills. All throughout the night, I had the sweats and the chills, and my stomach felt a little messed up. I got up to get ready for work this morning and started having severe diarrhea. Had to call out because I couldn’t get off the toilet. It’s now almost 1 p.m., and I feel awful. Still having diarrhea, slight headache, my body feels so weak and like I was hit by a truck. I wish I never took this pill, I feel like I poisoned myself."

• ls1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2024

For Urinary Tract Infection "Unfortunately, I had a negative experience with Macrobid. First of all, taking it with food definitely helped alleviate the side effects slightly. BUT I already have a sensitive stomach due to chronic gastritis, and any time my stomach was empty, the nausea came on strong (regardless of how long ago my last dose was). I also experienced headaches and diarrhea. I felt no relief from my symptoms. If you do not already have other issues with your gut, I think you'll probably be fine taking this medication as long as you take it with food."

• Mis...
• June 21, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was given the Macrobid medication for a UTI. I took the first dose with food before bed and woke up feeling okay. I took the second dose that morning and headed into work. On my way into work, driving, I began to get dizzy, I thought I wouldn’t make it in. I arrived, then I immediately left work-went home with a headache, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, and body aches. I took another dose before bed to try and power through, then woke up the following morning unable to move, again with flu-like symptoms. My doctor told me to stop taking the medicine. And I will NEVER take it again. I am currently a day and a half off the antibiotic and still experiencing nausea, diarrhea, aches, and exhaustion. It is getting much better as time goes on, but I feel as if I wasted time on a medicine that made me even more sick when I should be UTI-free by now. My stomach is still so sensitive from this, so I cannot even go back on another antibiotic yet. Still have a UTI, missed three days of work, and feeling awful."

• cud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "The only side effect I had from this medication was diarrhea, and frankly, I will take that over having to urinate every 10 mins! It took 3 days to get relief, and I may ask for another round just to make sure it's gone since I am going on vacation soon. I realize I had a really bad infection, and maybe that's why it didn't work right away. I did not get a yeast infection yet, which shocks me because I am diabetic and get everything like that."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I have recurring bladder infections/UTIs. I’ve always had anxiety disorder, and now I am wondering if it is due to taking this as a preventative dose since I was a teen. I had a horrible UTI, which I hadn’t had for ages. The doctor prescribed me this, I have been on it for 4 days, and I am so sick. Nausea, diarrhea, major anxiety, leg cramps, my muscles in my leg are so stiff I can't take it, also major shortness of breath. I will NEVER take this medication AGAIN! Worst medication I have EVER taken in my entire life!"

• Ugh...
• September 3, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I had apparently taken this antibiotic when I was younger, and haven’t taken it in years. This was the first time I needed it for a UTI, and I am experiencing unbearable stomach and abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, and dizziness like no other. Only on the 1st dose on day 2, and I ran back to urgent care to stop the out-of-control side effects. I’m allergic to most antibiotics, so I’ll be curious in what they give me. All I can say is thank goodness for the internet because I’ve wondered for years if I was the only one experiencing these side effects, and I am not the only one out there."

• Ixi...
• February 13, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I woke up a week or more ago and found myself having to pee frequently. I thought, 'Oh, that's weird.' Then it began to smell funky, and I decided to go get a urinalysis done. It came back negative, but the doctor gave me some Bactrim anyway. Halfway through my treatment with Bactrim, I had an allergic reaction and called it in. They gave me Macrobid instead, and gosh, is it expensive. I took it for a few days for a total of 5 days on antibiotics, and my symptoms were gone, but something new was happening. I always felt fatigued and nauseated, especially when I woke up, and when I tried to eat, I felt like my appetite had left me completely. My stools had turned to diarrhea, and my stomach always felt uneasy. The doc took me off them."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "After taking 2 doses, I got so sick. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and extreme fatigue, and the worst brain fog in my life. I had to stop, but my doctor then said the next best thing is Cipro. Oh my goodness! Cipro is the worst. Ruptured tendons? I think no! So, it was a fight to get her to prescribe Bactrim! Sad to say doctors listen to the drug salespeople rather than reading this review space!"

• Izz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 3, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "Used Macrobid for my UTI twice a day for a week, and my side effects were after my first dose. I had mild heart palpitations for approximately one minute. The second night using it (third dose), I had an onset of diarrhea immediately after, but it did not last the rest of the night. I had occasional ambient queasiness but did not feel 'ill' from this. No side effects were what I’d consider severe; I’d call them mild, and none that lasted the duration of the treatment. This is not a perfect medication, but so many of the other reviews sound so scary. Please don’t be afraid to try this medication. If you do experience bad side effects, please don’t stop the course without consulting your doctor. This leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Do not flush pills down the toilet; please dispose of them properly or turn them into a pharmacy. Otherwise, they will get into water and also lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria."

• Cee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed Macrobid for a very painful UTI. I had taken it once before for the same reason but couldn’t remember how it made me feel. I was prescribed it twice a day for 7 days. This time it took a few days to begin working, and I was thankful to have also been given an analgesic to help with the pain since this didn’t resolve that. It made me feel incredibly bloated, tired, dizzy, and gave me awful stomach cramping and diarrhea. Somehow, all of this was still better than the UTI, though, and I am now 2 days after finishing the round of medication and feeling better. Overall, it seems to have its side effects, but if you’re able to tolerate them, it should be beneficial for infections."

• Sab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed this for a UTI because I have a high sulfa allergy. I took one pill and was fine with no problems, took it with food as prescribed and went to bed about 5 hours later. Woke up in the morning with my body aching so bad I felt like I had the flu. I was really spaced out, depressed, had diarrhea. It cleared up the symptoms for the UTI very fast, but I have to go to get a different prescription. I’ve had body aches all day and feeling so lethargic. I don’t recommend."

• Reb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2019

For Bladder Infection "I have been on Macrobid many times before, and each time I use it, the side effects get worse: weakness, lightheaded, faint, diarrhea, nausea... the list goes on. It feels like I have a fever. Please try to not use this medication. I am going to my doctor tomorrow to see if they can give me something else. This medication is not very effective."

• Nan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2022

For Urinary Tract Infection "I’m 62, postmenopausal, and have suffered with recurrent UTIs for over 16 months. After getting recent in-depth DNA testing from MicrogenDX, which showed E. coli, E. faecalis, and Klebsiella, the only 2 antibiotics that treated all 3 bacteria were Macrobid and Fosfomycin. My PCP decided to try Macrobid and prescribed 3 weeks of it at 2 per day. After only 4 capsules, I was far sicker than I’d been with the UTI. Drug sensitivity runs in my family on the women’s side, but occasionally there are drugs we can tolerate. This wasn’t one of them. I felt as if I’d been poisoned - severe nausea, chills, diarrhea, weakness to the point of being unable to walk, racing heart, and what can only be described as not even being aware of my surroundings. As soon as I discontinued the Macrobid, the side effects began to slowly dissipate. Now all I have left to try is Fosfomycin, and I’m hoping against hope that I’ll be able to tolerate it."

• Rac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 5, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "I experience recurrent UTIs. I have been prescribed a combination of antibiotics over the years, including Macrobid, Cipro, Bactrim, etc. The doctor rotates them. Never had severe reactions to any of them, aside from waves of nausea here and there and headaches. Was just prescribed Macrobid this last time and had the worst reaction ever. Thought I was crazy until I read the other reviews. Anxiety, heart racing, nausea, diarrhea. I stopped taking it immediately. I have never felt this way before. They changed me to Cipro, but I have so much anxiety from that last script I’m terrified to start the next. Anyway, my point is we can take an antibiotic for years and be fine, and then our bodies can change and have a reaction. Don’t immediately assume you will have a bad reaction, but be very aware of how you are feeling and stop if you experience any severe symptoms."