Vancomycin User Reviews & Ratings

• jhill
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2013

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "Diagnosed with C Diff and prescribed Flagyl. Worst week of my life. Terrible side effects including dizziness, insomnia, weepiness, irritable, nightmares, tingling and numbness in feet and legs. I even felt as if my personality changed! My doctor (who I will no longer see) refused to change my medicine to vancomycin, but told me to "tough it out". I painstakingly took 6 days of Flagyl but couldn't take any more. I went to a different doctor and she immediately prescribed Vancomycin. My C Diff symptoms disappeared almost immediately, no side effects but maybe occasional headache. I can't say how happy I am with this medicine. I can take the full course of 10 days with no problems, and C Diff symptoms have not returned yet. Can't believe the difference."

• Anonymous
• October 11, 2011

For Bacterial Infection "I have been battling a C diff infection for a couple months now. I tried a 10 day (500mg x3) course of Flagyl which didn't seem to help much. The Flagyl seemed to increase my nausea while only slightly reducing the waves of stomach pain and didn't seem to improve the diarrhea much at all. A couple days after ending the Flagyl, I was experiencing the worst symptoms of C diff. I immediately went on Vancomycin. I just finished a 14 day course (500mgx4) of Vancomycin yesterday, which seems to have cleared up the symptoms. Vancomycin is extremely expensive (my portion was nearly $2k after insurance picked up the bulk of the cost), but after Flagyl failed, I was glad the Vancomycin seems to have worked with no noticeable side effects."

• rachf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2019

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "vancomycin seemed to kill the Clostridial bacteria infection- and everything else in my gut! Those with IBS-D who are sensitive to antibiotics may want to proceed with caution when choosing this drug to treat C. Diff; my side effects were sore bowels and intractable nausea which did not subside until a full week after I was done with the course."

• mikeman
• June 26, 2011

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "Cured the C-diff infection great, however have to take this for 14 days in liquid form, and when I finished taking it I now have had unbearable heartburn and reflux that will not go away well over a week now, have tried Pepto-Bismal, tums, Nexium 40 mg and everything else over the counter and prescription for heartburn, and the severe heartburn still is not resolving or going away."

• C Hol...
• April 9, 2016

For Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection "This antibiotic was administered every 8 hours for 10 days saved my leg possibly my life yes I had heartburn yes I had a rash and I'd do it all over again because it saved my life I hope this country continues to develop powerful drugs like this one that can save us from diseases/ infections and such that continue to overtake our communities."

• Amf
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2022

For Bacterial Infection "The hospital gave this drug to me when I was asleep when the Hospital didn't know what I had. I woke up because I was having an allergic reaction to it so I called the nurse, twice. Three hours later, nurse comes in and it was too late. The entire bag was given to me and I got "Red Man's Syndrome" My entire body was bloated, and I was unrecognizable. Would not recommend."

• Vanco...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2022

For Bone infection "I was admitted to the hospital for bacterial bone infection.They decided to treat the infection with Vancomycin intravenously.The moment they started, couldn't breathe or talk .I coded and was dead for 7 minutes."

• Deaths...
• May 8, 2017

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "I can't rate the actual medication because I can't afford it. I've been on over 14 weeks of flagyl total and I am on disability and vancomycin is over 50% of my income so I can either die starving and homeless or die a slow painful death of c diff - which is how I currently feel. Right now it's a coin toss"

• Claude...
• December 16, 2021

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "Underwent three 10-day dosages that were spaced too far apart. Second dosage should have been sooner after first and should have been continued for at least 2 weeks, if not longer, Testing should have been done before Vancomycin was discontinued. Still have diarrhea. No closer to a cure. Need another antibiotic but what?"

• Anonymous
• November 19, 2020

For Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection "I was on this drug after a surgery gone bad where I contracted MRSA. I had a Dura rupture (membrane that surrounds the spinal cord and holds in your celebral spinal fluid) after a spinal surgery, lost all my celebral spinal fluid draining into my body cavity and then developed MRSA around all my internal organs as well mixed with the fluid in my spinal cord and around my brain. After repair, I spent 14 months in ICU Infectious Disease isolation on IV Vancomycin, then had a PICC line put in and self infused at home for 8 more weeks. Like chemo, it is very hard on your systems when given IV. They call it the antibiotic of last resort, maybe so but it works and it saved my life. Every Dr, RN, and Tech that eyeballed my chart wasn't giving me even a 5% survival chance and without it I know it would have been 0.0%."

• Alex
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2022

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "I got c diff after i was given Clindamycin for tooth infection. They put me on Flagyl while the doctor was waiting for the lab result (it gave me temporary relief). Once known it was c diff, he prescribed me liquid vancomycin for 14 days( 4 times a day). I finished it. But C diff came back again after a week. This time the doctor put me on vancomycin 125 mg for 21 days (capsules instead of the liquid form). It's been 8 months since I finished the medicine, no c diff. Thank God. The only side effect, my liver enzymes are still slightly elevated. The pill form of vancomycin is expensive, but it was effective for me. I saved a lot by using goodRX. The liquid formula was inconvenient if you take it 4 times a day since it has to be refrigerated. While taking this med, I avoided sugar, and added prebiotic to my diet."

• Marla...
• April 2, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "As a last resort I was placed on Vancomycin every 12 hrs for 7 wks to treat a post surgical MRSA staph infection. Thankfully with the help of a home health agency, I was able to administer it at home. Initially I didn't notice many side effects except feeling wore out. After 1 or 2 wks tho my chest felt very tight & taking breaths was painful. My Nurse recommended Zantac for heartburn. Honestly tho, a muscle relaxer worked better & took away those symptoms. Then a few wks into treatment I started getting bad dizzy spells. For that my nurse recommended regular V8 juice to increase my sodium. That worked great! Overall the side effects of the actual medicine wasn't too bad compared to the benefits. By wk 6/7 the staph wounds mostly cleared up."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 1, 2015

For Bone infection "My father was taking this dug two times a day every twelve hours. Started off good then developed a rash. Then got terribly sick. Went to the hospital and went into total organ failure. Would not recommend this drug."

• Teeth...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2019

For Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection "I had an abscessed toothe Dr put me on a strong antibiotic took last pill the day it was pulled. I was hospitalized 10 days later told the MRSA was in my bloodstream going to all my major organs & quarantined. A main IV picline had to be inserted & they gave me IV vancomycin round the clock with an oral antibiotic called rifampin. I was told by Center for Disease Control it may be weeks. I was sent home on the 7th day but required IV vancomycin 2 times a day for another 7 days. If the vancomycin hadn't worked I probably would've died of sepsis."

• jeff
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 22, 2023

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "First time I've ever rated a drug. Had no side effects at all, and it cured my infection and irritable bowel in 4 days so I give it a 10. Thank you to whoever figured out it would work against this bacteria"

• Fatma...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2015

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "I have given this to my mother, 2 courses (2x15days) after a C.Diff infection. Beside it so expensive (C$540) it made the diarrhea symptoms goes away for the duration of course then comes back again! So disappointed, Dr. Now indicated that third course maybe in the way."

• Dee...
• September 10, 2016

For Bone infection "I was admitted to hospital with cellulitis/osteomyelitis. I am a diabetic and a heart patient. My dosage was decreased several times due to loss of kidney function and landed at 500 mg IV therapy after two weeks of daily treatment. After 4 1/2 weeks, my levels were toxic and my kidney function was at the lowest ever 21. At that point, treatment was discontinued. However, I lost my sense of taste and have been unable to taste salt completely. It has been 3 weeks now with the loss of taste. I talked With two other IV antibiotic patients on Vancomycin and they reported a loss of taste sensation as well. I have not read about this side effect on any of the web sites. Why is this side effect not included?"

• Sharo...
• June 2, 2016

"Vancomycin did not cure me or help my condition. I went four or 5 rounds (the days ran into each other) paid $600.00 every 10 days to get another round of pills. Could not sleep. Frequently went 2 days without sleep. Cried, cried, cried, lots of depression. Ended up getting a stool transplant (something that I wasn't told was an option until this drug didn't work and we had thousands of dollars wrapped up in taking it. Stool transplant worked, no problem, I got my life back."

• BarbM...
• September 1, 2009

For Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection "This medicine given IV at 5X the recommended adult dose, along with the skill of the best surgeon in Cleveland, SAVED MY LIFE FROM MRSA - which at 9 am looked like a spider bite on my leg and by 1 pm had developed into an orange-sized deadly cyst. I was in isolation for 6 days, coma for one, and AM GRATEFUL FOR MY LIFE! Thank you to the scientists who developed this miracle!! [And don't ignore rapidly enlarging cyst-like growths!]"

• 08spo...
• December 12, 2016

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "Second time around for this drug in the last 5 months was diagnosed with clostridial infection after hospital stay in June now after this dose I expect to have fecal implant surgery to clear up all issues"

• Spinn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2023

For Clostridioides difficile Infection "I had a nasty reaction to this medication. I experienced strong pain down the left side of my body, bad sores along my gums and the roof of my mouth, dry skin that was peeling, nausea, and diarrhea. My potassium level was also significantly low. My doctor did not believe that these side effects were related to the medication and left me on it for two more days. I have stopped taking it now and within 24 hours the side effects subsided and my lab numbers improved."

• cellu...
• September 20, 2008

For Bacterial Infection "My doctors have used vancomycin successfully in two episodes of cellulitus. I was hospitalized both times one year apart and the first time many drugs were not helping the staph origin infection. I tested negative for MRSA, but the infection was ravenous. I did develop intense flushing when infusing over the 2 hour period. The last episode lasted 6 days the first episode lasted 11 days. I highly recommend involvement of a wound doctor and compression socks to heal."

• Sammy
• October 17, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I've just started taking this yesterday for C Diff . I hope it works , I am taking the liquid . I was getting it intravenous in the hospital for a couple of days, and they sent me home with the liquid . All I know right now is that it taste like burnt tires . (NASTY)"

• Sunfl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2021

For Bacterial Infection "I received IV vancomycin during 2 separate inpatient hospital stays, first for a MRSA abscess, and once for severe post op infection. The second time I had it, I developed uncontrollable diarrhea, but I was also on Zosyn and Invanz. I consider it a necessary drug because it saved my life. Benefits outweigh the risks."

• Tibble
• May 22, 2011

For Pneumonia "I was diagnosed with MRSA Pneumonia and the hospital tried 5 different types of IV antibiotics on me before they tried the vancomycin. After 2 weeks in hospital I was sent home with IVs administered twice a day for 14 days. It's been 3 weeks since I stopped the IVs and I'm still experiencing dizziness and nausea but my lungs are clear of the pneumonia. I also have pain in my legs at times. I am experiencing Stage 4 kidney failure but the creatinine levels are decreasing. Nonetheless, I am glad the vancomycin worked. "