Nitrofurantoin and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• April 11, 2012

Nitrofurantoin for Prevention of Bladder infection "I was 20 weeks pregnant when I had to go to the hospital because I had a bladder infection and kidney stones. The doctor ordered me to take this twice a day for 7 days, and it helped greatly. When I went in two weeks later for a follow-up with my ob/gyn, he said the infection was gone, but just to be safe, he put me on this for the rest of my pregnancy to prevent me from getting another infection since I'm predisposed to getting them. After three weeks of taking this once a day, I had to take myself off of it. I was nauseous all morning and night, tired to the point of lethargy, and just not feeling well at all in general. As soon as I stopped taking it, all the horribleness went away."

• Hei...
• July 18, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I'm on day 2, so I have taken 4 pills and I feel absolutely horrible nausea. I have aches all over like the flu and pains in my stomach, sharp ones. I can barely keep my head up. I am stopping them and going back to the doctor tomorrow. I have never felt so bad, also very explosive diarrhea. I'm thinking of going to the hospital. I feel as if I have been poisoned."

• Mic...
• October 29, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "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!!!"

• Anonymous
• April 3, 2009

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I hated taking this medicine. My doctor gave it to me because I'm 10 weeks pregnant, and it's a safe antibiotic, but it makes me extremely exhausted and have nausea. I didn't even know I had a urinary tract infection until the routine test came up positive, and the medicine made me feel worse."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I have a history of UTIs and kidney infections because my urethra is abnormal. However, with every UTI, I have been prescribed several different antibiotics. None that are accompanied by side effects, but every person is different. With every UTI I have had, I have always experienced headache, nausea, body aches, and fever. All went away with the UTI. When I asked my doctor, he said the antibiotics take between 48 and 72 hours to start taking effect on your body. You may be experiencing some effects of your infection."

• Hip...
• March 1, 2019

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I have taken several antibiotics for UTI for the past years. Bactrim does not work at all for me. I have had no side effects on Macrobid, which I have taken twice. I was never tired, nauseous, had diarrhea, or anything. No flu-like symptoms or headache. I guess it just depends on the individual. I would definitely use it again."

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

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "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."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2021

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I am halfway through my 5-day script, and I have had minimal side effects. My UTI symptoms are improving, so I have less discomfort when I pee. I have noticed a little dizziness at times, or a bit of nausea, but nothing that stays with me."

• Dan...
• December 23, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "In less than 1 day of starting this medication, I could hardly walk. The weakness and tingles in my legs were unbelievable, especially my left leg. My trunk was weak, and I had difficulty sitting up. My resting heart rate was like I was running. Even my breathing was more difficult. I experienced profuse diarrhea and nausea too. Thankfully, I went to my doctor right away and determined it was the medication, and she stopped it immediately. I ended up in physical therapy so I could regain the ability to do simple things like bending over and touching my toes. Before I started the medication, I was in the gym 1-2 hours a day. I paced a 10-minute mile for an average of 3-5 miles, or I would swim 3200 meters (2 miles) in an hour. Then I did a total body group workout. A year later, I am still not back to my baseline. Please report any adverse reactions to the CDC, this effort may help save others from an experience like mine."

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

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was on this medication for 9 grueling days for a UTI. I didn’t take the last day because I thought if I did, it would be my last day living. I had severe-and I mean severe-side effects, including nausea, headaches, muscle and joint pain that were excruciating. I had pain in my spine so bad that I was afraid I had bone cancer. My joint pain would wake me up in the middle of the night. I had a few horrible nightmares and chills every night. It was seriously a feeling of doom. I had no idea a drug prescribed by a doctor could have such horrible side effects. It was so bad that I didn’t even think it was the antibiotic. I ended up going back to my doctor on day 9. I was sent for scans on my stomach, gallbladder, and bowels. I had full blood work done. Guess what? NOTHING was wrong. It was all side effects from this nasty drug. PLEASE take it off the market. It was a very bad experience."

• Tay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2019

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I had a bladder infection for over a month, which in turn made its way to my kidneys. I was given antibiotics when I was in the hospital, I seemed to do okay on those. When I was released, they gave me Macrobid to clear up the remaining infection. The first few days on it were okay (probably because I was sick from the infection, so I didn’t know the difference), but towards the end, I started to experience terrible side effects. Keep in mind, I took this hydrated and after eating every time. Around the 6th night, I had nausea, stomach cramps, headache, and uncontrollable shaking so bad that I could barely get out of bed. BUT don’t let the side effects stop you from taking it. If you do take this medicine, I have found one thing that makes the side effects better: eat a muffin or some bread and drink A LOT of water with it. When I ate a muffin and took Macrobid right after, my side effects weren’t as bad."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "Symptoms: severe abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, achy pain in back, fatigue, chills, sweating, headache, cough. I just finished my last dose of Macrobid, and I believe it cleared up my UTI, but these side effects are not worth it. The abdominal pain I have been having is so bad that it has woken me up from my sleep three nights in a row. I have the chills, and because of the abdominal pain, it is hard to eat. I also have terrible headaches that worsen with certain movements or lights. This pill is awful, and I wish I would've known about these symptoms before starting."

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

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "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!"

• Ste...
• May 22, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I took this twice a day for 5 days. Cleared my infection but made me tired, hot, and had shortness of breath the whole time. Had nausea the first two days, but that went away. Allergic to sulfa and several other drugs, so this was prescribed. While it worked, I don't think I would ask for this again."

• Njc...
• June 30, 2014

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "Took this med after the pharmacist said to take it with a small snack, I agree with those who say a full meal. I also woke up this morning and threw up, not sure what that was. Now I am sleepy and missed a day of work. Antibiotics have not had this effect on me, just hope it gets better. I am also nauseated but trying not to think about it, or I may be visiting the throne."

• Han...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 21, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was showing symptoms of a UTI and went to an urgent care where I was prescribed a 5-day supply of nitrofurantoin. Within 24 hours, in which I had taken two doses, I was experiencing a feeling of being “off.” By day 3, I began experiencing further side effects. I was experiencing fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headaches, and loss of appetite. On day 4, the dizziness and nausea had increased, and there was a complete loss of appetite. I was unable to make any sudden movements without becoming extremely dizzy, nauseous, and disoriented. The only time I felt okay was when I was lying down and remaining still. I decided to stop taking the medication, which was only missing the remaining 2 doses. This medication did clear up the UTI, but I do not recommend it due to its side effects."

• She...
• February 24, 2017

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "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."

• LBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Urinary Tract Infection "I am 6 weeks pregnant and ended up with my first UTI. I was prescribed Macrobid because I am very allergic to sulfa antibiotics, which landed me in a hospital a few years back. Upon reading the reviews, I was so incredibly terrified to take this medication, but I had no choice. I'll consider myself lucky, but so far I have found that Macrobid is actually quite tolerable. I've been a bit more tired and achy than usual and had some mild nausea, but nothing too severe. I have found that taking it with a full meal is critical, and drinking TONS of fluid (water/Gatorade) helps with side effects. But for me, this is really a reminder to take reviews with a grain of salt - you really have no idea how your body will react until you try it yourself."

• Tan...
• August 24, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I used to get bladder infections all the time, but this time was by far the worst I've ever experienced. I managed to get myself into a walk-in, and they prescribed me Macrobid. The first pill I took, along with cranberry juice, made me feel 80% better. By the third day taking Macrobid, I felt 100% better. Definitely take it with a meal, though, I took it with something small because I was in a rush, and I felt very weak and nauseous."

• Wan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2014

For Urinary Tract Infection "Taking 100 mg 2x daily for urinary tract infection. On day 5 of 7 with limited side effects. I have a severe allergy to many medications, but thankfully no severe reaction to this one. I noticed the nausea is alleviated if you drink a full 8 oz glass of water with each dose and continue drinking water throughout the day. I work long hours, so not sure if the drowsiness is caused by the medication or not. Some vaginal itching and discomfort, but so far no vaginal infection. Doctor recommended I eat yogurt daily while on this medication, and I am following doctor's orders! I have felt some dizziness, but it isn't constant."

• Jai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2019

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "Macrobid definitely works. I had a terrible bladder infection that I noticed began to clear up within a few days of taking this antibiotic. In my personal experience, though, I had terrible side effects: nausea, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and hot and cold sweats. Although the week felt so hard to get through, please don’t be scared to try the medication. If you’re worried about side effects, make sure you are staying very hydrated and taking it with food. I would recommend having some Gravol ready as well, just in case. Good luck."

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2024

For Urinary Tract Infection "It's not nice saying don’t take this med as you had terrible reviews. It’s also not right saying amazing medication. Don’t listen to bad reviews, we’re all on here for reassurance, but we’re all different and tolerate medication differently. Me personally, I don’t like it, it makes me nauseous, blurred vision, and the worst side effect for me is the shocking anxiety I think it causes. But it works for a UTI really well, and that’s what we want really. So just remember we’re all different, and it’s quite reassuring to read some reviews so we realize others have the same symptoms."

• LPa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "I cannot overstate how much I despise this medication. It may be effective in getting rid of bladder infections, but I never got that far. I used this medication twice (I gave it a second go, thinking my previous experience might've been an anomaly). Wrong. Within 2 days, each time, I had severe flu-like symptoms. They included: chills, mild fever, muscle aches all over, sharp pains in my stomach, severe nausea, vomiting, pounding headache, and extreme fatigue. I was told to take with a meal and drink lots of water. I felt like I was drinking 2 gallons a day...until I couldn't drink or eat anything without throwing it up. I stopped taking it the second time, after 3 pills, and it took 2 full days (and lots of Tylenol) for my symptoms to subside."

• NA1...
• April 4, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "Don't be scared reading the reviews! I made the mistake of looking at this website's user reviews on nitrofurantoin and was so terrified of taking the pill, I had to call my PCP at night to calm myself down. It's really IMPORTANT to note that you have to take this drug AFTER eating a substantial meal. I was prescribed to take it 2 times a day, but whatever your dosage is - just remember to take it with food. There was only one day when I had the antibiotic after only eating a few pieces of fruit, and I suffered from mild nausea. But aside from that, I didn't have any other side effects - so DON'T BE SCARED! Just try it out with food in your system. Good luck!"

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2016

Nitrofurantoin for Bladder Infection "Lower back pain gone after 1st day of this medicine. Nausea is horrible - taking Phenergan to offset nausea. I'm lethargic and resting. This stuff must be strong - but I'd take bed rest and nausea over a knife in my back anyway! I'm on 2X daily with food for 5 days. I'm on day 3."