Macrobid and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 4)

• C S...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "I'm on my 4th pill of Macrobid. Ok, the reviews here will scare the crap out of you, but let me give you a few tips. I made sure my doctor prescribed me Zofran, so when I took the first pill (be sure to take it with food), I took a Zofran. I did feel nauseous for about 30 minutes and felt a little woozy, but it didn't last long. I took the 2nd pill with food and got a headache, but nothing horrible, and I had no other side effects. By the time I took the third pill, I had no side effects, but I still took the pill with food and Zofran. Don't let the reviews scare you. I feel so much better after 4 pills as far as my infection, and the more the pills get in your system, the less severe the side effects should be. Zofran and food, and you'll be good to go."

• Anonymous
• October 9, 2009

For Bladder Infection "This drug makes me very drowsy, headache, backache, severe nausea even when taken with food. The pain after urination is still there after 4 days on the drug. The only positive thing so far is that I have not gotten a yeast infection, which was common with other urinary tract infection drugs."

• 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!"

• nor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I get UTIs pretty frequently, so as soon as I felt the symptoms coming on, I went to an urgent care. The first day of Macrobid, I got a headache. The second day, I had a severe headache, body aches, weakness, and malaise. However, I thought it was just my illness because I have never had an experience like this with medication before. Day 3, I am in hell and sicker than a dog. Severe headache, nausea, lightheaded, weak, fatigued. I called in for Bactrim. DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION. I get that not everyone has this reaction, but the risk is not worth it to me."

• nor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I get UTIs pretty frequently, so as soon as I felt the symptoms coming on, I went to an urgent care. The first day of Macrobid, I got a headache. The second day, I had a severe headache, body aches, weakness, and malaise. However, I thought it was just my illness because I have never had an experience like this with medication before. Day 3, I am in hell and sicker than a dog. Severe headache, nausea, lightheaded, weak, fatigued. I called in for Bactrim. DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION. I get that not everyone has this reaction, but the risk is not worth it to me."

• 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."

• Mol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I took this medication, Macrobid, for 5 days, 2 times a day without issues and retested 5 days later to find it cured my UTI. 2 weeks later, I had another UTI and again was given Macrobid. This time, I started having stomach acid discomfort, which escalated to nausea, body aches, and headache. I would take it with food, but 3 hours later, I’d feel sick and have to eat again. Day 4, I had swelling in my feet, so I wore compression socks, and I have drank plenty of water throughout my treatment. It basically has felt like I’ve had the flu, and the next day after my last dose, I am waiting for improvement. Everyone is different, but this med has made me extremely sick. My dr told me to stop at day 5 rather than 7 and we will test in 3 days."

• Ani...
• October 20, 2016

For Bladder Infection "The first time I used this medication, it was great. Just now, I was prescribed Macrobid again. It took care of the bladder infection symptoms in two days. Next day, fever was 104, headache, fever high only one day, nausea, fatigue, high pulse (100), stomach pain, neck pain, muscle pain, lack of appetite. Stopped taking this med after 8 days and will never take it again."

• pen...
• May 11, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "Took this drug for 3 days. The infection got better after 2 doses. However, I slowly developed headaches and a little chills on the 2nd day of treatment. Thought I might be getting a bit of flu, so I ignored the symptoms and continued my medication. As soon as I took the last dose, my symptoms got worse. I was so weak I could hardly walk. My eyes got blurry and generally nauseous and drowsy. As I type this, I still have all these symptoms with a raised heartbeat, occasional numbness of my hands and feet. All I want is to sleep but too scared to sleep just in case it got worse. Nonetheless, the medicine does the job as it cleared my infection after two days of taking it, but it gave me a bad experience, so I'm not taking this drug again."

• Tex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "Went to Urgent Care for UTI, and they prescribed me Macrobid. I had experienced severe headache, nausea, leg cramps, itching, and blood pressure is really elevated. My UTI is minimally better after having taken it for three days. Stopping it today. If I could give it less than a 1 rating, I definitely would."

• 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 :/"

• Oki...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2024

For Urinary Tract Infection "Given Macrobid (100 mg, twice daily (every 12 hrs)) for UTI (I had urinary urgency and frequency for a few days, started getting nausea and lower back pain). 1st dose: 30 mins in got a headache, heat/tingling at the top of head, moved forward and turned into pressure in forehead and temples—felt similar to a fever, but no temperature (was only 97°F). Felt lethargic, started getting a sharp pain above the pubic bone/in my bladder, and a bit of ache in back; the lower abdominal/back pain was manageable with heating pad, but headache remained for almost 2 hrs. Felt good when it was gone though; relief from urgency, more energy, thinking clearly. But an hour before the next dose I felt sick, back pain came back, felt emotional. 2nd dose: same headache again, felt fevered but wasn’t, was cold; slept through it, awoke with random body aches, knee and chest sore, felt ill. Talked to the doctor, new urinalysis said no UTI, so it works, but was advised to stop because of side effects. Take at your own risk."

• lee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I went in to the doc for a UTI and was prescribed Cipro. However, after 4 days of taking that and experiencing side effects like severe headaches and fatigue, my lab results indicated I needed to take Macrobid instead. YAY! Another antibiotic to try. If that wasn't frustrating enough, it's only day TWO of Macrobid, and I'm suffering. I've been having some of the worst headaches of my life and terrible nausea. I've lost a lot of my appetite and at times feel like I need to vomit. I've also been overly emotional, weepy, and sad. I'm so upset I have to take this for several more days, especially during the holidays. But if it gets rid of this UTI, I guess it's worth it? I don't know... I'm going to drink as much water as I can and maybe take some ginger for the nausea to see if that helps."

• Moa...
• October 19, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I’m 56 years old and have never had a problem with antibiotics. Prescribed Macrobid 2x a day for 10 days as I had my third UTI in five months. UTI symptoms quickly vanished, BUT by day 5 I couldn’t think, had zero appetite, headaches, and a sore throat - assumed virus. Day 8, my face and neck began to swell, sudden SEVERE back pain, fever, teeth chattering, vomiting - saw the doctor, test showed kidney function off/dehydration, though I constantly had fluids. 3 days off - still sore throat, tired, but my head is clear and energy/appetite returning. Another kidney function test next week. PS this is NOT only for people with allergic reactions - never again!"

• BLR...
• October 17, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "Attended emergency for statin use-related UTI. Started medication the same day and the next morning vomited. I took the next prescribed dose and 2 hours later could not take a deep breath, had a very tight, heavy chest, and I thought I was having a heart attack. By the time for my next dose, I had a headache, muscle pain which kept moving, felt sweaty and feverish. The next dose created more of the same, with increased labored breathing. I had never felt so weak or nauseated. Sleep was intermittent and weird dreams. I did not continue, called my GP and stopped immediately. I am a 60-year-old woman and this is the most horrible drug I have ever been prescribed."

• Sas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I've had UTIs before that have been treated with Cipro with no side effects. This last infection was pretty bad, and the physician I saw prescribed Macrodantin, which I had never used. The first dose gave me a severe headache, and then the second dose put me almost under. The leg cramps were so severe my husband wanted to take me to the emergency room. They were so painful and came so often until I was scared. I had to call in sick from work because they kept coming, and I threw up and was very fatigued. I drank tonic water and orange juice, which helped the cramps, so I'm calling my physician for Cipro first thing in the morning, and I'll list this medication as an allergy from now on. The side effects were horrible and outweighed the benefits."

• alw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 25, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "I took Macrobid 100 mg twice a day for 7 days. I had no symptoms at all, except day 1 I had an upset tummy. But I can't for sure say that was caused by this antibiotic. I'm very sensitive to a lot of medications, and I was really surprised Macrobid didn't give me any problems. I think a lot of people don't realize how crazy a UTI can actually get. You can get some pretty awful symptoms/side effects just from the UTI itself. Blurred vision, headaches, and nausea are all side effects of a UTI, not just the antibiotic. I caught my UTI in time and had no symptoms from this antibiotic. There is a reason older people in their 70s and up go mental when they have a UTI. It's a serious condition."

• Ctm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 1, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "I started this medicine for my UTI. I always ate a meal with this pill. I really did not experience any sickness. I was on it for 7 days. I have trouble with anxiety, but it was not too bad. However, it seemed like this medicine made me more anxious at times. Then, on my last few days, I felt a little weird at times. Then, on my last day taking the medicine, I woke up with a scratchy throat. Then, by evening, I had a fever and bad chills. I didn't take the last pill because I felt so bad. My head kind of hurts too. I don't know if it's this medicine for sure or if I'm catching a virus."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2018

For Bladder Infection "Omg... I have been so sick since I started this medicine. I have been lying in bed for two days straight with a headache, fever, chills, sweats, throwing up, can't eat anything. I am a mother of two, and I literally don't know what I'm going to do if this doesn't go away... their dad goes back to work tomorrow. Ughh pray for me! Just ask your doc for something else because this is garbage."

• Am1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 23, 2015

For Bladder Infection "Prescribed Macrobid 100 mg for bladder infection. Took the first dose at 5 pm after a full meal (on the advice of my doctor who warned slight stomach irritation). Around 2 am, I woke up vomiting yellow bile, which lasted for several hours. I was shaking and sweating and couldn't even keep water down. I'm on my fourth dose and symptoms are subsiding. I feel like I'm going to vomit, have a headache, and am extremely dizzy. Please be careful when taking this, it's like a flu in pill form!"

• Mic...
• August 28, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "This is the third time I have tried Macrobid and the worst. High fever, chills, sweating, nausea, and terrible headache. I spent the whole day and night in bed. This is the very last time I will take this. My doctor did not think this terrible pill would cause a fever in spite of me telling him it did twice before. I told him I am off this pill and am now waiting for the culture. I will not ever be taking this again."

• 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."

• Ali...
• July 8, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "I am currently on day 2 of Macrobid, 2x daily for 5 days. The pharmacist was sure to emphasize taking Macrobid with food to prevent nausea. So far, I have no nausea but have developed a terrible headache. I must say that the pain of the UTI was gone within two hours of taking my first dose, which is worth it to me. So I'll be sticking this one out and hope the headache doesn't worsen."

• Pat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "Felt great day 1, bladder symptoms resolving. After day 2, had similar adverse reactions as others - horrendous diarrhea, cramps, sweats, nausea, short of breath, headache, clammy skin, anxiety, and racing heart. I took this once before about 20 years ago, and it was fine. This time it was awful. Pushed myself through 5.5 days but had to stop. I hope these side effects go away soon, this is wretched. I need to get back to my life. Have not gotten out of bed for 2 days."