Nitrofurantoin and Dizziness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2022

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "Started taking Macrobid last week, and after the first dose, I felt off. I ended up leaving work early that day because I had intense nausea, chills, and general lethargy. Later that evening, it had progressed to a fever, balance issues, and it's like I had no legs under me. Took one more dose, and it was the same issues. Decided to discontinue the meds, and the side effects went away almost immediately. But that didn't help the bladder infection. I started to think maybe it was the infection that had caused all of the side effects, despite not having any now. So I took another dose this morning. You guessed it, ALL of the side effects from before. So I contacted my NP who prescribed Cipro instead. My pharmacist says that the adverse reactions are pretty rare, but I can't imagine taking the full course of Macrobid. The nausea was the worst! I honestly felt terrible!"

• Sty...
• April 11, 2015

For Bladder Infection "Every single time my doc prescribes this, I beg for something different! The side effects for me start right after the first dose and continue to get worse. Extremely nauseated, splitting headache, muscles aching, especially in my neck; dizziness, loss of appetite, and just an all-over feeling of being sick! My daughter just came over to help take care of me and just named several other medicines that are very effective for bladder infections without the side effects!"

• leo...
• November 16, 2019

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "Macrobid 3x100 mg/day, 5 days taken for UTI. This did ease bladder discomfort a little, but the side effects were bad. Only took for 5 days and still have stomach pain and bloating 2 weeks later, plus had nausea, brain fog, dizzy. Never again."

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2019

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "I started this 11 hrs ago... Let me tell you, it has made me feel horrible. Dizzy, trouble concentrating, exhausted, my face feels odd, hot/cold, and I'm nauseous. I am terrified to take another dose. Unfortunately, my culture showed this antibiotic to be most effective. But there is no way I can take 5 days of this. I just looked up reviews and saw that I'm not the only one feeling this way. I have only had a bad reaction to Erythromycin (vomiting) many years ago. I don't recall an antibiotic ever making me feel this way before."

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

Nitrofurantoin 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!"

• aus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2019

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "Took 4x 100 mg Macrodantin capsules for three days as set by my doctor. Cleared my UTI within two days, however, experienced chest pains and shortness of breath on day one. Didn’t realize (until reading this forum) it was linked, so continued to take until I ended up in the Emergency Room completely unable to breathe without pain. I’ve been off these tablets for 4 days now, and I still can’t take a full breath, have sharp lung pains, and am so dizzy. Really disappointed in my doctor for not letting me know the risks first."

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

Nitrofurantoin 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."

• RON...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed this back in April. The first day I started getting nausea, rapid heart rate, fast breathing, nausea, and dizziness. No relief from the UTI. Second day I came out in a rash, and the breathing and heart rate were so bad I thought I was passing out. Couldn't eat, so I phoned docs. The nurse told me to take it for another day. A month later and nearly a stone lighter, I still have the same side effects. I will never take it again and just hope it will wear off."

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

Nitrofurantoin 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."

• Tri...
• September 25, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "I've been having issues from urinating a lot to sharp pains for 3 months, and after 3 months of taking different things and going to the ER, they diagnosed me with a UTI and prescribed me “Nitrofurantoin macrocrystals.” I've been on it for 7 days now, and I've experienced terrible headaches, neck pains, dizziness, loss of appetite, and nausea. I've felt the worst I've ever felt, BUT this is the first time I've felt relieved from any UTI symptoms in 3 months, and that's the only thing that matters. Yes, the side effects aren’t the best, but it gets the job done, and for your health, just take the medication. Don't stop it because you feel like garbage, it'll be done shortly, it's only 5-7 days of being on it, and in the end, the results make up for it because now you're completely healthy. Don't be scared of all these reviews, you'll get through it. Don't be worried. The best thing you can do is relax, rest, sleep, and don’t get worked up and worried. You'll be A OK!"

• Bum...
• July 18, 2019

For Bladder Infection "I was prescribed this for a bladder infection, 100 mg twice daily. The first couple of days was okay. Then on day 3, I felt like I was on a different planet! I felt dizzy, disorientated, nauseous, my face felt puffy, my mouth felt tingly, I felt like I was on a rough boat crossing, and felt unbelievably tired. My chest feels tight, and my mouth is so dry! I’m glad I’ve read other people have had these symptoms. I am not taking any more and will go back to my doctor."

• Are...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2014

For Bladder Infection "This is the second time I am taking nitrofurantoin within a 2-month period. I waited 6 days for the infection to improve on its own, but it didn't. The side effects are fast! Dizziness, slight headache, and nausea (salivating all the time), stomachache, reflux after eating, and sleepiness. However, the symptoms of discomfort while urinating also improved really fast. My only advice would be to drink lots of water with lime juice (that helped me control the salivating-nauseous situation) and eat a lot of fresh yogurt to keep bowel flora under control."

• Anonymous
• August 5, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "Honestly, I was pretty scared taking this medicine after reading these reviews, but I took it and did not have one problem whatsoever, also, it cleared my UTI right up! Started off taking Bactrim and had the WORST side effects: headache, dizziness, my body tingled, super sick, so they switched me to Macrobid for 5 days and had no problems. I ate with a healthy meal every time I took it and drank lots of water throughout the day. Everyone is different, so I guess I found the one that works best for me!"

• Kei...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2024

For Urinary Tract Infection "So me being super paranoid after being prescribed new antibiotics searched for reviews, and I must say a lot of these reviews absolutely terrified me! I have emetophobia, so the thought of it making me violently ill made me panic so much. I have a UTI and was prescribed 3 days' worth of this to take twice a day. I bit the bullet and took one whilst eating lunch and a big glass of water, then again 6 hours later with a big dinner and another glass of water. So far, no headaches, dizziness, nausea, or actually being poorly. I'm not sure when side effects are supposed to kick in, etc., but so far, so good for me! Please take it, as an untreated UTI is lethal!"

• Ann...
• September 30, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "After attending a walk-in clinic today for a UTI, I was prescribed this drug and was told to take it twice a day for three days. A few hours after the first tablet, I had loose bowels. Then nausea began. I accepted that this was a stated side effect. Hours later, and still very queasy, I took the second dose just before bed. Roughly 2 hours after taking the pill, I woke up feeling shaky, dizzy, and very sweaty. Within minutes, I vomited excessively, and the vomit was very thick and heavy. After vomiting, I went extremely dizzy, close to passing out. I am not going to continue with this medication as the side effects are excessive. Further, when I was prescribed this medication, I was not informed of such side effects. I was asked who I live with - I explained that it is just myself and my 2-year-old. Knowing this, I believe that it was ill-advised to prescribe such medication as the side effects could easily have impacted my ability to ensure my child was safe."

• Cle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2019

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "Horrible side effects! Oh my goodness. Just 2 days on this and I had to give it up. I had to hold onto the walls when walking, I was so dizzy. I also felt like I was going to pass out and vomit at the same time, and felt hot like I had a fever. Never again. The doctor then put me on cephalexin (Keflex brand), and no side effects except a little tiredness. P.S. D-mannose is amazing at preventing UTIs. Better than antibiotics. I had just stopped taking it."

• Mis...
• June 21, 2019

Nitrofurantoin 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."

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I would take nitrofurantoin only as an absolute last resort. Maybe most people can take nitrofurantoin for a week with no problems, but you need to inform yourself of possible side effects. I took it for three days with UTI symptoms improving, but then had bad dizziness and headache, as well as nausea and no appetite. But the worst was scary shortness of breath. Doc thought it was “lung inflammation” due to the drug. She changed nitrofurantoin to another med, but two weeks later I am still having these side effects. She said all antibiotics are “pesticides” for killing germs, i.e., bacteria, that can get into places in the body where they don’t belong. This makes sense, but in the future I think I will ask for a different kind of “pesticide.”"

• MJa...
• July 6, 2021

For Urinary Tract Infection "Oh wow. Worst experience ever. I went to the walk-in and was prescribed this for a “mild UTI.” I did a urine sample, my only issues were lower pelvic cramps and pressure when I would urinate (ended up not even being a UTI). I took one pill the first day and felt fine. Took the next dose in the morning, and then it all hit me. Extreme dizziness, tiredness, the most intense headache, horrible lower abdomen cramps, and a general feeling of “out of it.” By day three, the cramps got so much worse, thought I had bowel cancer or appendicitis! Went back to the clinic, and all of the touch tests didn’t indicate anything. I finally realized it was the Nitro, so I stopped taking them, and the cramps eased slightly. No more headache and dizziness after 24 hours. I still have some mild abdominal cramps and now lower back pain. My doctor said it can take up to two weeks for this medicine to work its way out of your system. Will never take this again."

• Suz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "If you hadn’t got anxiety and depression before taking this drug, you will have afterwards. It also causes dizziness, balance problems, aching muscles and bones, nausea, hearing problems, eyes hurting, feeling totally disorientated, awful. But nothing else seems to work, and I still feel like this 2 weeks after the tablets have stopped. I am still feeling awful."

• Suz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "If you hadn’t got anxiety and depression before taking this drug, you will have afterwards. It also causes dizziness, balance problems, aching muscles and bones, nausea, hearing problems, eyes hurting, feeling totally disorientated, awful. But nothing else seems to work, and I still feel like this 2 weeks after the tablets have stopped. I am still feeling awful."

• Lal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 28, 2019

For Bladder Infection "I have been prescribed this twice. The first time, I felt so unwell - chest pains, anxiety, nauseous, really dizzy, lethargic, unable to keep my eyes open, no appetite. I stopped taking it as I felt so unwell. I then got another infection and had these left over. Being a weekend, I just took them - I was fine other than chest pain and anxiety symptoms. I’ve just been prescribed them again, and after 3 pills, I’m not taking any more. Chest pain (aching and stabbing pains), feeling like I can’t breathe properly, dizzy, spaced out, nauseous, fatigued, bloated, and just ‘not with it’. Last night, I couldn’t even talk as I didn’t have the energy. I asked my husband to bring me to bed and hold me while I fell asleep as I was worried I was going to die and I needed him to call an ambulance. This antibiotic is just so awful, never again will I accept a script for this!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2025

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "I didn't read any reviews before taking this, so I was a little surprised, but my main issue is dizziness. I take it with a meal, and the bigger, hardier the meal seems to lessen the side effects. But I would say about ten minutes after, I always get dizzy for about an hour. And then it wears off, and the rest of the day I'm alright. Maybe some nausea. And then at night, it seems to make me very anxious. I don't like to eat at night, but I've been eating cereal just to have some food with it, and I get crazy anxiety from it. I think the key seems to be food, though! But it's at least getting rid of the UTI."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2020

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "This is my second time taking this. I used it in February after having been on Doxycycline for 10 days. After a check, I still had an infection. A culture suggested Macrodantin. I don’t have any side effects. I don’t have to eat. I feel better after 3 pills. I get really dizzy when I have a UTI. I had to be hospitalized before. Given 3 days of IV antibiotics. The germs now are real. But, it’s all the practice of medicine."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 1, 2020

For Bladder Infection "I'm on day two of taking 4 x 50 mg for 3 days. I already can’t wait for it to be over. Had full dose yesterday and went to bed fine. However, woke in the night with extreme stomach pain, went to the toilet and had dizziness and sweating. Feel sick to my stomach. Slight diarrhea also. However, my bladder symptoms have definitely improved, so I’m going to try to push through it, take the tablets, and stay in bed as much as I can today."