Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim for Bacterial Skin Infection User Reviews (Page 4)

• Bex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2022

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I've taken Bactrim in the past, usually just have gastrointestinal issues. This time, beginning day 3 of 7, I felt like I was hypoglycemic, nervous, jittery, anxious, and like my heart was racing. Day 6 of 7, my resting heart rate was 142, anxiety so bad I was crying. I called the hospital that prescribed it and the nurses talked to two doctors and never heard of anything like that. I said, 'never mind that it's listed under severe side effects, right?' I stopped taking it then (the doctor said I could keep taking it or stop, it doesn't matter). Twenty-four hours later, I'm back to normal. Resting heart rate is 83. I'll never take Bactrim again."

• DSa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2017

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I had an incredibly bad reaction to Bactrim that led to multiple organ dysfunction/failure. I ended up in ICU for several days with liver and kidney failure that progressed into pulmonary edema/ARDS. I came very close to dying after my kidneys shut down and my lungs filled with fluid. I have now been advised to never take another sulfa-based drug."

• Ado...
• November 13, 2015

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I was diagnosed with a MRSA impetigo skin infection and was prescribed the Bactrim DS as well as Bactroban ointment, therefore, I cannot know which helped the most, but it did work 95%. I still have a pink area, and the original cut that started this all is still slightly visible. This oral med made me feel horrible. Every day, after the third day, I was nauseous about an hour after taking it, and several times had to take Zofran 8 mg, which did help. My stomach was a roller coaster, and the headaches were really bad. I have daily chronic headache, which is daily migraines. But I get C spine nerve ablations, which allows me to be 90% migraine-free for about 1 year. During the 10 days, the migraines came back and with a vengeance. Glad to be done."

• Nic...
• September 1, 2015

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Not sure that the medication did much, as my abscess burst the night I started the antibiotics. All I know is that by the 3rd and 4th day of antibiotics, I was feeling generally unwell, had a headache, and awful nausea."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 3, 2015

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I have been having skin infections on my breasts off and on for 6 years. Ever since I developed mastitis when I was breastfeeding. I've been given Bactrim DS each time and advised to use Neosporin cream, not ointment. I'm not sure if it works all that great. It does take care of the red, rashy-looking inflammation surrounding the 'boil'/'blister', but does not seem to even really touch the actual blister itself. Without medication, it will take 3 - 4 weeks or so to heal, with meds it takes 2 weeks. I think it has a lot to do with the healing of the red rash part... so I continue to take it. The only side effect I have noticed is an almost unquenchable thirst. But no nausea, insomnia, or headaches for me."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2015

"I had to take this for a boil, and it healed the boil and made it go down and kind of get a scab over it, but the side effects are crazy. You have diarrhea, your head hurts all the time, and I'm so tired all the time. I was prescribed the medicine for 7 days to take twice a day. Overall, the medicine did its job but had side effects."

• Rut...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Gahh. I’m on day 4 for a staph infection. Went from waking up ready to face the day head-on, feeling 90% better than I was earlier in the week. But I took my pill, and here I am, back in bed. I can’t help but wonder if the awful side effects are the die-off reaction of the bacteria."

• Mel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 25, 2017

"I was recently exposed to MRSA. (Hazards of my job) A few days later, I woke up to my right eye swollen shut and oozing yellow pus. The whites of my eye were red. I immediately went to Urgent Care. They squeezed out a sample from my eyeball to send to the lab. In the meantime, they expressed concern that it was either MRSA or a really bad case of pink eye. I am being treated for both right now. The medication proved to be a miracle - it's killing the infection in my eye. Swelling went down, minimal pus coming out as of this morning, red is now pink - just over 24 hours after starting the medication. I have had no side effects from the medication."

• Smi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2018

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Eczema on fingers of both hands became infected after several months of me failing to control the eczema on my own. Doc prescribed Bactrim DS twice a day for ten days. Worked very quickly, and my fingers looked 90% healed after two days, but unfortunately, I had to discontinue Bactrim after I had severe anxiety, insomnia, severe tension headaches, hand trembling, neck muscle soreness, and heart palpitations. I made it 4 days before I decided to switch to something else. Had side effects not been as severe, this would have been a 10/10 for me for how quickly it fixed my skin. No diarrhea, nausea, or GI issues for me."

• Dic...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 4, 2021

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I have lymphedema, so I get open sores on my legs. I scratch, and that leads to cellulitis. I've tried many drugs with no luck until they gave me Bactrim. A 10-day supply with instant healing and clears it up until I scratch again. No side effects, and it's a miracle drug!"

• Wd4...
• May 17, 2015

"I was prescribed a 10-day course for cellulitis, and after 5 days, the infection cleared. But I'm so nauseous, gassy, and dizzy I had to stop. I feel so bad I'm borderline suicidal. It's an effective drug for sure, but brutal on the GI tract. I pray this feeling goes away soon..."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "This was my first time taking Bactrim because I’m allergic to penicillin. I had an infection in my big toe due to an ingrown toenail. I give three stars because it did work to clear up the infection. However, on day seven, I began having a severe reaction to the drug. Excruciating pain in my feet, knees, and hips, combined with head-to-toe rash and itching. I took Benadryl and prednisone, and it still took several days to go away. The stuff is horrible. The pain in my joints and lower leg bones was unbearable. Never again."

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 8, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Prescribed Sulfatrim for skin infection. Took 1 pill and began to feel body aches and pains and felt chilled with fever and flu-like. Woke up in the morning drenched in sweat with severe pain in my side radiating to my tailbone. Couldn't sit, couldn't stand, and couldn't lie down. Agonizing pain in my joints. Took another pill as I did not realize it was the drug doing it. Felt like I might die. Went to the doctor in agony. Told to stop taking and given another antibiotic. Was too sick to take the other antibiotic and too afraid. After a few days, the pain subsided but missed a week of work because of it. Cannot imagine what other damage it did. Will never, ever take again. I thought I would die on this drug."

• Anonymous
• June 2, 2011

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I was prescribed Bactrim 2x a day for 30 days for a Staph infection. However, after taking it for about 7 days, I developed a rash. The rash did not itch but started at my shoulders and went down to my legs. I've now begun taking Benadryl to counteract symptoms. So far, it hasn't helped, the rash is still there. As far as the Staph infection, it looks a lot better."

• Cry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I had an inflamed bug bite on my leg and was prescribed Bactrim. I ate and took the first and only dose that night at around 8 pm. Around 3ish in the morning, my head was throbbing, I was insanely warm with a 102-degree fever, meanwhile having chills at the same time. What bothered me the most is my hands swelled, were red, and I had intense itching. I'm still experiencing these symptoms, so I don't know when they will stop."

• Sad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "It's 1 in the morning, and I am still having breathing problems after being rushed to the hospital due to an allergy to Bactrim. They gave me an EpiPen, it's been 2 hours, and I am still having trouble breathing. I'm very young and healthy, and something like this never happened to me before. I'm very scared and worried that taking this medicine has given me even worse problems. Has anyone else had this experience?"

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2020

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Was prescribed to take 2 pills a day for 5 days to clear a boil that hadn’t popped yet. Worst decision to take. After 1 pill, I had stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and some jitters. I took the 2nd pill after consulting a family friend that is a doctor in another state, and the jitters got worse, my heart rate went up, and I woke up in the middle of the night having a panic attack. Consulted my family friend again (since couldn’t reach my doctor), and he agreed to stop the medicine since the side effects were worse than the potential benefit. Threw out the bottle and will be chatting with my doctor and maybe get a second opinion soon."

• Tin...
• October 11, 2015

"Worst medicine ever. I'm not allergic to anything, by the way. I was prescribed for a UTI and had to stop after 5 days. Migraines, eyeballs throbbed, chest was in excruciating pain, neck pain, upper and lower back pain, stomach and ovary pain, and leg pain, especially in the knees. On top of that, nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, the immediate and random need to throw up, and worst of all, a red rash all over my body. To top that off, loss of sex drive. I have never had an allergic reaction to a medicine before. I will never take this again. BEWARE!!!!"

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

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "So I had taken Bactrim before for a UTI, and it was great, it cleared it up, and I didn’t have any side effects. This time I'm on it for an abscess, and it's a whole different story. About 3 or 4 days in, I couldn’t keep any food down and had EXTREME nausea and vomiting. Another 2 days go by, and I can’t even keep down water or pills. I sleep maybe 3 or 4 hours a night and have a terrible headache for like a week. I go to the doctor yesterday, and she tells me I have to keep taking them. I’m still dying."

• Apr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "My husband was prescribed Bactrim in late April 2009 for what the doctor thought was MRSA. Results came back negative and was told to continue taking it. Four to seven days into his antibiotic and his gums bled after brushing his teeth... then his hands turned purple from pushing the lawn mower and under his arms he had petechiae. He was bleeding internally and he had a platelet count of 1,000 (he was very close to death and we didn't know it). The Bactrim had caused the low platelet count, which means the blood can't clot. He had to have two transfusions and then caught meningitis as well. Bactrim is a very strong antibiotic; use with caution."

• Sta...
• September 13, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I was diagnosed with cellulitis in my elbow. The doctor gave me a shot of Bactrim in my bum and sent me home with a prescription for Bactrim 2 times a day. I took it for 4 days, and I developed severe anxiety, chills, overheating, ringing in my ears, and a full-body rash. I was told to stop taking it, and then they gave me prednisone, which made me depressed and full of rage. This medication is awful."

• lem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 8, 2018

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Worst part of this was the size of the pill. Had to buy a pill cutter. Otherwise, it did make me a little moody and anxious, but I did not have any other major symptoms. Took for 7 days for staph infection on skin."

• Dis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2020

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "I got a skin infection from a spider bite, so prescribed Bactrim. Relatively mild side effects except for sometimes feeling stoned. After my last dose (after 10 days), I experienced the worst side effects, I felt high, nauseous, exhausted, depressed, overly worried, my urination speed decreased, my urine was unusually dark despite drinking tons of water, I had chest pains, a cough (note, I also have asthma), a severe headache that lasted over one day, and I felt sick in general. Never taking this again, at this point, it's unbearable, and there's nothing more I can do right now other than wait it out."

• LHO...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 14, 2019

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Today is my fourth day on Septra DS, 6 more to go. The first 2 days were the worst. My symptoms included nausea, headaches, lightheadedness/dizziness, and kind of shortness of breath. I was about ready to call my doctor or pharmacist to ask if I should stop the medication, but decided to give it a chance since I really need to get rid of my skin infection. Today, I have not felt those symptoms, so far. Hopefully, it was my body reacting to the new medication. I find Septra DS to be a powerful/strong antibiotic, I’ve never had symptoms like this with any other. After my complete course, I will re-post to inform if it worked on my MRSA."

• dud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2016

Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim "Bactrim DS cleared up my infected finger, just like most antibiotics do. The difference is in the side effects. The nausea and diarrhea are worse on this one. But the biggest problem was that my depression, which I had under control with medication, became worse than ever overnight. I don't know whether it interfered with my antidepressant (bupropion XL) or just aggravated the symptoms so much that it was uncontrollable. Either way, I spent a week alternating between despair and rage on a hair trigger. I would not try this again."