Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim for Urinary Tract Infection User Reviews (Page 5)

• Jrz...
• July 3, 2015

"I am on the 5th day of my UTI. The pressure and bearing down while urinating is similar to labor pains. I'm out of state and visited an Urgent Care Center. The NP prescribed the generic Bactrim. I went back to the Urgent Care Center after 4 days, and she gave me 3 more days of the SMZ-TMP DS. I told her my symptoms were the same as my initial visit. Promised that the infection would clear with the additional pills, in addition to AZO, an over-the-counter pill to relieve the pressure. It's now day 5, and I feel like I'm on day 1. This medication is doing NOTHING for me. It's Friday, and I'm sure I will be visiting another Dr. on Monday. I just want to feel like myself again."

• Anonymous
• January 24, 2012

"I took Bactrim for 3 days for a urinary tract infection. I found relief only hours after taking the antibiotics but experienced severe nausea that continued to get worse no matter how much water I drank or how much I ate. Needless to say, I will be calling my family doctor to try something else."

• Jan...
• May 10, 2019

"Took Bactrim for a UTI. I had never taken it before. At day 3, I started feeling horrible, short of breath, and intense stomach pain. I had never had a UTI before, so I assumed this might be just a bad UTI. Day 6, I was shaking with chills and could not pee AT ALL. Went to the ER, I had a fever, high eosinophils, and a very elevated creatinine. Turns out I had an acute kidney injury from Bactrim. I was given fluids, and I woke up the next morning covered in the most painful drug rash. That rash lasted two weeks. Not to mention, I was put on prednisone for the rash and because I had interstitial nephritis. The prednisone drove me out of my mind. Awful experience."

• 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."

• Rev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 29, 2018

"It helped my simple UTI almost immediately and completely, but I had side effects that I've never experienced with any other drug. My face was extremely red (like a bright, painful red that felt like a bad sunburn) all over for the entire time, plus a week after I stopped taking it. I felt extremely anxious and jittery, and I didn't get a good night of sleep for a week after I stopped this med. I should add that I had all these side effects when I only took the drug for 3 days! I've never experienced side effects with other antibiotics. I believe this is a sulfa-containing drug, and I guess I must have a sulfa allergy."

• 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."

• Liz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

"Was prescribed Bactrim for UTI when first med did not work. 3rd day in, feeling better until 2nd dose taken. Began to feel nausea, dizzy, fatigue, terrible anxiety, unable to sleep or relax. Felt like I was going crazy. Also had constipation, back and stomach pain as well. Almost went to ER. This med is horrible. Never again!"

• Cut...
• August 21, 2016

"I had 3 UTIs this year so far, first in February, got cephalexin prescribed for 7 days. It returned in June, got prescribed ciprofloxacin for 5 days. It had returned in August. I asked the doctor why this is happening. She said they prescribed me the wrong drug the first time, the first drug was resistant to the bacteria I had. (Really? Why do we pay doctors for?) So I got Bactrim DS prescribed now, I'm on day 3, got it for 5 days. I weigh 100 pounds, so I try to take the pill with Activia and Yakult, that helps with the upset stomach. I felt as side effects, dry mouth (because it dehydrates you), loss of appetite, tiredness, fast heart beating. Hope this works for me, can't be sick anymore because of the doctor’s mistake!"

• 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."

• Chu...
• July 15, 2011

"After my first dose of Septra, my urinary tract infection symptoms disappeared, and my urinary system began functioning normally again. So, as far as being effective against UTIs, Septra seems to do a good job. I've been on it for 9 days, and I have one more day to go. However, there might be some side effects. In my case, they were mildly unpleasant. The first night of Septra, I felt extremely tired, and I fell into a light sleep with the weirdest dreams of my life. They were more like hallucinations than dreams. However, they seemed to pass, and the only other side effects were mainly gastrointestinal, i.e., mild diarrhea, bloating, belching, and a transient sense of mild nausea."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2019

"Can’t sleep for more than 2 to 3 hours at a time, even after taking melatonin. Pretty severe nausea and even worse restlessness. Seems to be working for the UTI, but at the cost of side effects, which are leaving me exhausted and bedridden with no energy."

• 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."

• Rai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2019

"I thought I had a UTI, the doctor put me on the antibiotic Bactrim DS. By the third day, I thought I was having a heart attack, heart palpitations were so bad the doctor called and took me off the meds. Apparently, I did not have a UTI, instead, I had a kidney stone. The problem now is heart palpitations never got better when I stopped the Bactrim, and it's 5 months later. Some days are so bad with palpitations, and I have trouble breathing when it happens, I have jitters when it happens. I hope it goes away soon, it's a horrible feeling. I will never take it again."

• 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."

• SAa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2020

"This is the second time for me that this has been prescribed for a UTI. The side effects are beyond terrible. Every joint in my body ached, major fatigue, rash, eyes very bloodshot. The worst thing, though, was the dry, cracked lips and loss of mucus membranes in the vulvar, vaginal area. I have never heard of this kind of side effect, and neither did the urologist. This has happened both times I was on Bactrim. I stopped taking it and never will again."

• 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."

• Ree...
• October 15, 2015

"I have been suffering with a UTI for at least a month and a half. I have been prescribed nitrofurantoin and Cipro 2 times. With those drugs, I still had the urge to urinate, and immediately when I stopped those two antibiotics, the symptoms came right back. Doctors were getting ready to send me to a urologist until I mentioned Bactrim. After one dose of the antibiotic, I was feeling 80% better. I haven't had any side effects yet, and it's day 2. This drug is God-sent!"

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

"Little did I know, I am horribly allergic to sulfa. After two pills, I began experiencing horrible leg and arm cramps. They were so bad that I was unable to stand for longer than a couple of minutes. These symptoms took about a week to fully disappear, and this was from taking only 2 pills!"

• sea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2019

"I took Bactrim 2x a day for 3 days for a UTI. I did experience some strange side effects, but it knocked the UTI out in 24 hrs. My skin felt warm and itchy, and I was very sun sensitive. I was very edgy with my husband and son and had difficulty falling asleep the last night. Glad I'm done with them, but overall I feel it was worth it to get rid of the UTI."

• 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!"

• Msa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2020

"I was authorized to take Bactrim, 2 pills a day for 5 days, to cure my UTI. This, by far, has been the worst side effects I’ve ever experienced while taking antibiotics. I did eat right before taking the pills, and I got terrible nausea, light-headed spells, and muscle cramps. I drank plenty of water to help dissolve the meds, that was all that seemed to subside, if for a little while."