Bactrim for Urinary Tract Infection User Reviews (Page 3)

• Nor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2019

"This has been so scary. I went to doctors for a routine check-up, it turns out I have a UTI for which they prescribed Bactrim. Three days into the Bactrim, I was not feeling good-lightheaded, sick to my stomach, my head and face were burning up on fire, unbearable headache. Day 4, I ran a fever of 102.9 all day. Days 5 and 6 got worse, I couldn't even stand, couldn't sleep, the pain was unbearable from the tip of my head to the bottom of my feet. Day 7, I made it early in the morning to the doctors to see what was going on. Turns out (as the doc called it), a really drastic allergic reaction to this Bactrim. The doctor said, one more day and I would have ended up in the ICU. Today is day 8, and I'm still sitting here in excruciating pain. I called the doctor back and am waiting for an answer. I'm having trouble using my hands, and it's very painful to walk. So my suggestion is, if you feel ill after taking Bactrim, see your doctor soon."

• Red...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2015

"I am in my second UTI this month. I went to the doctor the first time and was prescribed Macrobid, and my UTI came back in two weeks. Now I'm on Bactrim, and it seems to work really well minus the headaches. I like it a lot better, and I feel like it's actually gone now."

• Mr ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2014

"I ended up with a urinary tract infection due to my diabetes. My PA prescribed Bactrim, and I have not experienced any side effects. The burning and urge to urinate, but even after 2 days, still feel like the bladder was not emptied. It is day 5, and I noticed some discoloration in urine in the morning hours. I take it that is due to some bleeding. It went back to clear yellow tonight. I am carefully completing the course of this medication and hope it works for others like it has for me. I feel great!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 28, 2017

"Worst medicine ever! I got this to get rid of my UTI, and while taking it, I had the worst side effects: itching, rash, headaches. And I am off the medication, finally, it's been a week now, and I am still getting headaches. I don't know what to do. I wish I never took it."

• Mae...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2023

"As someone who's always chronically nauseous (I even get nauseous when taking simple medications like Tylenol), this medicine is amazing compared to the other medications I've taken for a UTI. The first day, I took it with food (oatmeal to be specific) and drank a yogurt (probiotic). Within an hour, I felt like the inside of my body was burning but nothing else out of the ordinary. I was not nauseous, nor did I have a headache or diarrhea like many people have complained about. I say make sure to take it with probiotics and foods heavy in fiber. It saved me! I'm on the second day (third dose) and I feel nothing. UTI is almost cleared up, but make sure to take ALL of your medication so it won't come back worse."

• Lyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 21, 2019

"Started taking Bactrim on a Saturday night for a UTI. I expected to feel better by the morning (I’ve had two other UTIs and I’ve felt better after the first pill). I woke up Sunday morning feeling almost exactly the same. I started to get the worst headaches of my life. Constant throbbing and feeling nauseous. My husband said just keep taking it and let the drugs run their course. Fast forward to Tuesday night, 7 pills in, I’m still feeling awful, still getting headaches. While reading reviews, I was shocked at all the horrible side effects. Like I said, I’ve taken two different antibiotics for two other UTIs and didn’t feel as awful as I did while taking Bactrim. I’m on a different antibiotic now, so we’ll see."

• Too...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2022

"I only took 3 prescribed Bactrim pills for a UTI over a 3-day period. By the 3rd day, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling really bad, no idea why. Chills so bad, shaking the whole water bed. My husband woke up, took my temperature, it was 105.4. I refused to go to the ER but did agree to call the doctor's office, and they wanted to meet me at the office at 6 a.m. They walked me straight through the hallways to the hospital to be admitted. After 3 days, I still didn’t know what was wrong with me but knew I had leukopenia, WBC only 300!! So, I also had a bad respiratory infection, nothing to fight off infections. They called in a hematologist, and he knew in 5 minutes. It was the Bactrim. He said he didn’t understand why they gave me such a strong medication for a UTI, it’s so strong, almost like a form of chemotherapy. But I was one of those ones that had the rare type reaction. Be cautious!"

• Ksp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 11, 2019

"I woke up with a really bad UTI. I called a doctor with WebMD. He prescribed Bactrim for three days. I took a pill, and the first day it got better. By the third day, it stopped working. I went to work, and I started shaking really hard and felt like I was going to faint. I went to the clinic in town, and they tested my urine and said I had a pretty bad bladder infection still. So they are putting me on another antibiotic. The nurse said that they don’t ever prescribe Bactrim because it is so awful, and the side effects are terrible. I was going to give this a chance, but it is bad. I read all the reviews, and I was like, 'Oh, that won’t happen to me.' It did. This is a horrible drug, ask for something else."

• Por...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2024

"These negative reviews are over the top. All medications come with minor side effects. After reading the comments, I was almost scared to death to take ANYTHING. I’m currently on Bactrim for a bladder infection. I’ve taken 2 today so far with and without food. No sickness yet, no stomach problems, no rash, or anything like that. The only thing I’ve noticed is that my body has a cool/hot tingling sensation for about an hour after taking it, then it goes away. Nothing big. The pill is also a bit large, but you can break it in half to make it easier for you to take. This is my true and honest experience. Do not let negative comments mislead you."

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

"I took the first dose of Bactrim and developed a headache, which I treated with ibuprofen. I took pill #2 at bedtime. I woke during the night with an excruciating headache from my face to the back of my head. I made my way to the bathroom and took a couple more ibuprofen but had extreme nausea. The left side of my neck began to hurt and spread down to my upper back and shoulder. The pain was so severe I couldn’t stand to touch my neck or head. My temperature was 99.2 after taking ibuprofen. The pain began to let up the next day after stopping the Bactrim, but my abdomen became bloated and painful. Now, two weeks later, I’m still suffering with bloating, gas pain, rumbling, and discomfort. I texted my doctor and asked her to write in my chart that I will never take Bactrim again."

• Anonymous
• December 16, 2015

"I was prescribed Bactrim for a very painful UTI that I could not flush out naturally with water and cranberry. My UTI pain subsided after about 5 hours of the first dose of Bactrim, which is great. However, the side effects are not so pleasant. I have had chills, mild diarrhea, vivid nightmares/dreams, and extreme migraines. I am on day 3 of a 7-day prescription, but I am contemplating stopping after day 4 or 5 if the side effects continue. The side effects are still not as bad as the UTI pain!"

• mae...
• October 30, 2019

"I broke out with a rash just after day 10 of Bactrim, it was sudden and scared the heck out of me! I had a million red spots covered from head to toe (neck, stomach, back, and legs were the worst). I went into the clinic and they told me to stop taking it right away. So apparently, I am one of those 3% with a sulfa allergy. The funny thing is the nurse told me she also has an allergy to it. I then told a coworker about it, and she also had an allergy. With my follow-up appointment, I asked about the small percentage of patients affected-she told me it is rising and is much higher than it used to be (related it to the kind of rise we're seeing in gluten allergies). No reason! So if you get a rash, stop taking it! Day 1 rash recovery-slightly better, fewer red spots on ankles and feet. Day 2-much improved, fewer on shoulders/neck, and lower legs were cleared. Day 3-thighs are starting to clear as well as back/stomach. My temperature never went up during this process."

• Gue...
• April 22, 2012

"I took Bactrim once for a urinary tract infection. I can't remember exactly how many days I was instructed to take the pill, but I know it was over a week. Everything was fine up until the 9th day, then my entire body broke out in hives."

• Anonymous
• May 5, 2011

"I get frequent urinary tract infections and was prescribed Bactrim by a doctor at an urgent care center because Macrobid made me pretty nauseous and really tired. It seemed to clear up the infection well but made me extremely sick. I vomited constantly while on Bactrim. I ended up missing four days of school before deciding I couldn't keep taking it and called urgent care for a new prescription. The doctor I talked to when I called said I should never have been prescribed Bactrim because people who don't tolerate Macrobid well usually have even worse side effects while on Bactrim. Since then, I have been prescribed Keflex when I get a UTI and have had no side effects at all."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2016

"I have a chronic UTI that has spread to my kidneys and, 2 times, septic. 1-3 UTIs per month for the last 4 years. Bactrim never worked... I am told it is used frequently for gram-negative bacteria. Finally, a university hospital lab found it was gram-negative E. coli ESBL. Bactrim is not usually effective on ESBL."

• 1Am...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 24, 2016

"Back in 2011, after having an IUD and having several back-to-back UTIs, I had to see a specialist. This specialist prescribed Bactrim. Well, on the third day of taking this medicine, I woke up, tried to get out of bed, and fell to the floor. I realized I couldn't walk, couldn't see straight, and I felt very weak. I ended up having to go to the emergency room, only to find out that this medicine was taking the blood and bone marrow out of my body. I had to have two blood transfusions after this medicine."

• Toa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 29, 2017

"Severe UTI, lasting a month with one course of antibiotics that did nothing. Was in so much pain, never knew your bladder could pulse! People who have never had it can't understand that a car journey is your worst nightmare! Now on day five of sulfatrim and symptoms were clear by two days. All I notice is my guts are a mess, slight sickness and a wave of tiredness after taking the tablet. Compared to the misery of a UTI, small side effects are bearable!"

• All...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2023

"I was on a high dose of Bactrim for 3 days for a UTI, and it worked amazing! You probably looked this medicine up and are terrified from the reviews, but… if you take it with a heavy meal and drink lots of water and take 2 probiotics a day, you’ll be fine. I had no side effects from this medication."

• Sof...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 21, 2022

"I've had Bactrim three years ago for a UTI too, never had any side effects. I've tried it this week again for the same reason because I didn't want to try Macrobid as I had a bad experience, but not even close to what this stuff did to me. As soon as I took the drug, my vagina started to itch so bad. I thought it was a yeast infection or something, then my vagina got so swollen I couldn't explain. I took only two doses and stopped. The next day I was in horrible pain, went to three doctors to finally get a gynecologist to check me. He was horrified and said I had a wound in my vulva, gave me some stuff that is finally giving me relief. I also got my tongue so sore I can barely eat, and the doctors don't care. My scalp is so sensitive I was about to call an ambulance when I got out of the shower. My head felt on fire. I'm beyond traumatized after this experience and praying to God I don't have any other problems with this drug. Could this be a fixed drug eruption?"

• KCa...
• December 12, 2019

"Took one dose of Bactrim for my UTI. Within 20 minutes, I felt really itchy. About an hour later, my chest became really tight, so I went to urgent care. I felt so sick, I couldn’t walk. I fell down on the sidewalk, throwing up on my way into the building. It caused severe vomiting and diarrhea. My heart rate was 120, and I had a fever. I ended up having to get an IV and finally felt okay enough after many hours at the hospital. I will absolutely never take this medication again."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 3, 2015

"Was prescribed Bactrim by a walk-in clinic. Should've known better. After 2 days, I experienced some awful side effects - chills, fevers, night sweats, insomnia, diarrhea, and migraines - for three days. I thought I was going to die. After I finished my prescription, I got this terrible head-to-toe rash that itches like crazy. My UTI is gone, but it was not worth the rash and three days of near death. Does anyone know what I can do for this rash?"

• myu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2016

"Never again, first 10 days Macrobid. Still had infection. Put me on Bactrim. I was so sick after day 5. I missed 7 days of work, I think 10 days was too much. Had loose poop, nausea every day, dizzy, lost 7 lbs in 7 days, and the worst was the dry eyes and mouth. I felt like poo. I thought I would end up in the hospital. It even made me depressed! Never again!"

• Anonymous
• September 14, 2011

"I'm taking Bactrim twice a day for ten days. I was taking a five-day course of Cipro and had a migraine headache, which wouldn't go away. Cipro didn't even help me, I still had white blood cells and blood in my urine, which makes for a bad urinary tract infection. The PA gave me Bactrim. I still have a slight headache, but the UTI was so bad, I can deal with these side effects. The pressure in my bladder area has subsided, and five more days to go. I can handle Bactrim."

• Jes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2018

"I mean a lot of people on here are saying it didn’t work, that’s probably because you have a different strain of bacteria from your UTI. It’s a guess-and-checking game until your urine culture comes back. Yep, every two months I get a freaking UTI. I have one now:)) and am on Bactrim. I think it’s my second time. The first time worked, now I think I have a different strain. If you don’t eat yogurt before you take it, prepare for extreme nausea and feeling like you’re on a horrible drug. Literally makes my eyes dilate. I feel high and nauseous. Taking a drug this strong, especially for a first guess diagnosis of strains, is so idiotic. Refuse if your doctor prescribes it as a first guess. Don’t put your body through that unnecessarily. Seriously."

• ano...
• July 31, 2014

"Seemed to clear up my infection, but started feeling nauseous the next day. Steadily got worse each day. On the fourth day, developed a severe headache, but slept it off. Doctor instructed me to stop taking it. Experienced severely high blood pressure. Also made my abdominal muscles feel weak."