Bactrim and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Bac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2020

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Prescribe Bactrim 2 days for 10 days for a stye. On the 7th day, I had my allergic reaction. All-over body rash, fever, chills, severe leg pain, chemical burns/ulcers in all soft tissue areas (nose, eyes, mouth, and 'down below'...), abdominal pain, diarrhea, zero appetite, headache, nausea, elevated kidney function test. Bactrim is known and has a long history of hurting more than helping. Stay away!!"

• Anonymous
• February 17, 2012

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I stepped on a rusty nail and had a lot of pain, and my foot started to swell. I started taking Bactrim, and the pain went away within the first two pills, which was 24 hours. The only problem is that I can't function with the nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and headache. I think it's because of a sensitive stomach."

• Anonymous
• June 8, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "My experience was horrible! Prescribed 2 pills a day for 3 days. After the last pill, I started feeling strange and had severe headaches from the time I started taking it until a week later. I didn't think much of it until I went home from work and didn't leave the couch. I had no appetite, constipated, sweating and chills. I wanted to puke, my eyes hurt so bad. Couldn't shake whatever was going on and drank as much water as possible. My body was sore, I slept almost an entire weekend away. I can't tell if my UTI is completely gone or not because I'm still constipated and it hurts! I've never had an antibiotic like this, and I never want it again! All my doc told me was to keep pushing fluids and eat yogurt. Good luck, people."

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

For Urinary Tract Infection "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."

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

For Urinary Tract Infection "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."

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

For Urinary Tract Infection "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."

• Anonymous
• August 29, 2020

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Took Bactrim for folliculitis. First 7 days I only had vomiting and nausea, but on Day 8 I started getting fevers, intense shaking, throbbing headache, sweating, vomiting, insomnia, depression. I never felt this sick ever. It took me a while to realize it was the antibiotic. Once I stopped taking it, I broke out in a rash. Ended up having a sulfa allergy. Please be cautious when taking this. There was one point where I just wanted to call 911, I was in so much agony... It did help clear up much of the infection."

• Pic...
• August 8, 2011

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I have been prescribed Bactrim for a skin infection in the form of 2 boils, 1 on my arm and 1 on my leg. I have been prescribed Bactrim 800/160 2x per day for 10 days. I started feeling horrible after the first dose. Extreme dizziness, stomach issues, headache by day 3, feeling dehydrated with weakness and joint pain and jaw pain, loss of appetite, insomnia. I am on day 5 and the dizziness is really bad, I had to miss work. I only took half a dose this morning and am considering stopping. Thinking I may be allergic to the sulfonamide as my grandmother is allergic, and this is the first time I have ever taken this. Glad to see others have had a good experience."

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

For Urinary Tract Infection "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."

• Rx ...
• November 21, 2016

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Side effects: Extreme exhaustion, extreme irritability, inability to concentrate, nausea, itching and skin peeling at the site of finger infection, vaginal spotting, body aches, severe headaches. Rx was for 2 times a day for 10 days for severe infection on the end of the finger with red streaks. Completed medicine because infection was healing, but side effects were substantial!"

• Anonymous
• September 14, 2011

For Urinary Tract Infection "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."

• Cli...
• January 13, 2018

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Had a very hot and painful boil right on my belt line from shaving my pubic area. Went to the doc, and he looked at it and said the abscess was way too deep to lance it, put me on Bactroban ointment and a high dose of Bactrim. After 2 days, the infection started to clear up. As far as Bactrim side effects, not as bad as when I take penicillin, mainly a really bad headache, extreme thirst, frequent urination. Take probiotics at lunch to help with diarrhea."

• ano...
• July 31, 2014

For Urinary Tract Infection "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."

• Meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 1, 2025

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I have a huge infected cyst on my back that was recently drained. Started on a course of Bactrim for 7 days, BID. The first two days were okay, besides some increased anxiety and shakiness. At the end of the second night, I started having a tingling sensation in my throat. Not like an allergic reaction, but like a sore throat. I am hoarse, and it hurts to swallow. The outside of my neck has been itching, but nothing visible. Today, the morning of the fourth day, I could not will myself to take my morning dose. I feel like I'm taking chemo at this point. Very run down and lethargic. No GI symptoms. Mostly headache and this tingling in my throat and sides of my tongue. Not sure if I'm going to continue because the cyst has drained and the fluid is pretty clear at this point. The medicine did work, but I do not like the side effects."

• Dra...
• March 31, 2018

For Prostatitis "Bad side effects to the extent that I had to stop after 2 days. Flu-like symptoms, bad headache, pain in muscles and joints, low fever, no energy, could not eat, nausea - you name it, I had it. Too bad as I think it was starting to knock down my bacterial prostatitis. The flu-like symptoms were so convincing that I stopped for a few days, felt better, then started again just to make certain I didn't have the flu."

• Uns...
• June 22, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "Was prescribed this almost 2 years ago for a skin infection but quit taking it after 3 days because of severe anxiety, indigestion, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and who knows what else. At the time, I was dealing with panic attacks, so when my current doctor prescribed it last week, I decided, since I was feeling better, to give it one last effort. Days 1-2 were good. Skin was clearing, and other than being tired, I had no side effects. By day 3, I got a headache that was relentless, I was shaky, couldn't sleep at night but couldn't stay awake during the day, diarrhea started, and I quit the medicine at my doctor's advice. It's been over 48 hours since my last dose, and I still feel like crap. My neck hurts, and I'm still feeling incredibly anxious."

• Tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2022

For Urinary Tract Infection "Went to the emergency room after feeling like I needed to urinate constantly and having extreme tenderness in the lower abdomen. No pain with urination. Was started on Bactrim on Monday evening. 1 pill 2x daily. As of Wednesday morning, my discomfort alleviated significantly. I've had very few side effects, headache seemed to be the most prevalent and was fixed with 800 mg ibuprofen. I would definitely recommend taking it after eating and drinking large amounts of water. I'm not disappointed in this medicine at all."

• Anonymous
• July 9, 2011

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I am taking Bactrim for a minor staph infection on my leg. It is going away quickly. I am just experiencing fatigue and headaches. The headaches are probably due to dehydration because I am a runner too. I felt better after I drank more water with the medicine. Also, I am experiencing a slight decrease in appetite."

• Cas...
• August 9, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed Bactrim for a UTI, and after one dose, I immediately developed a splitting headache, followed later by weakness, body aches, chills, fever, slight nausea, cough, and sore throat. I feel as if I have the flu. I suppose the medication did do what it was supposed to do because the UTI feels as if it's almost completely gone (I'm sure it isn't, but at least it doesn't hurt). I will say I don't think the side effects are worth it. I'm in a lot of pain and discomfort, and I think I'll be going to the emergency room just to be on the safe side."

• Sba...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 18, 2019

For Kidney Infections "Horrible medication. Vomiting, skin rash, headache, joint pain. Can barely get off toilet, knees hurt so bad. Sore throat. I was okay until I took 1 pill. I'm worse from taking it. Should be classified as poison, not medication."

• Dan...
• September 15, 2019

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I had an ingrown toenail, so my podiatrist removed it and put me on cephalexin for a week. After taking all of them, my toe was still infected. She put me on Bactrim to be taken twice a day for 10 days. Twenty-four hours after my first dose, my mood completely changed. I was depressed and miserable. Day 2, I was spinning, it was impossible to function for daily tasks, and I had no appetite. Day 3, I had a full-blown panic attack, then extreme anxiety, and following that, several heart palpitations. Day 6, I had a rash across my midsection. I stopped taking them that day and called my podiatrist, as my toe still wasn't getting better. She advised I stop and see her later on that day. She wound up removing another piece of nail that had been left behind. When I told her all of the symptoms, she said that I'm allergic. As a person who suffers from food allergies, this terrified me. After a week, the nausea, headache, and spinning started to lighten up, but it took around two months to get back to my normal routine. And to think... these symptoms are NORMAL for this medication."

• Jol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2021

For Urinary Tract Infection "I had the worst experience with Bactrim. The first day, I had a 101.8 fever, chills, uncontrollable shaking, anxiety, rash, and fast heartbeat. The next day, I was extremely achy, nauseous, and could not eat anything the whole day. I stopped taking it after the second day, and my symptoms are getting better after a day, but I still feel cruddy and have a bad headache."

• Are...
• March 8, 2017

For Kidney Infections "I had a UTI that went into a kidney infection. They put me on Bactrim. Didn't notice any side effects until a few days later. I started feeling depressed out of nowhere, and it got worse from there. I ended up in the hospital with the worst headache of my life. I was shaking and throwing up. I didn't even think it had anything to do with the Bactrim. The depression got so bad I ended up at the psychiatric hospital. I had no idea why I was feeling like this, it was by far the worst feeling in the world. When I came home and went to see my therapist and told her what was going on, she immediately asked me what medicine they put me on, and when I told her, she said to look up the side effects to that, and sure enough, everything was listed."

• Hal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 14, 2021

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed this medication for a UTI. After 1 pill, I woke up feeling nauseous, nonstop vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, headaches, insomnia, dizziness, weakness, loss of appetite, fever, chills. I am currently on day 3 and will not be taking this anymore. I have zero improvements, which is to be expected after only 3 days. I was told to take 2 pills daily for 10 days. I can’t take the extreme side effects, and I don’t see why a doctor would prescribe this, with this many horrible side effects. I thought I had a stomach bug or food poisoning until I decided to look up the side effects and realized it’s the medicine. My kind was 800/160MG TB. I don’t recommend."

• MTa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed Bactrim for a bladder infection/UTI. Took only 1 pill and felt jittery and lightheaded about 30 minutes after taking. Then began to feel slightly itchy and by the nighttime my skin felt like it was burning, along with a splitting headache, shooting pain in my neck, and insomnia, unable to sleep, complete brain fog and anxiety. Just from one dose, I didn't take any more and 5 days later still having a splitting headache and random pains throughout my body. I would not recommend and ask the doctor for an alternative to Bactrim."