Has anyone ever had to take flagyl (metronidazole) ?

strange_wings · Aug 4, 2008

Another visit to the dentist today and I'm now on my third round of antibiotics (augmentin) and he's added metronidazole.

It has some pretty unnerving side effects listed http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/metronidaz_ad.htm

For those who have taken it, what was your common side effects from it?
I'm wondering if the ones I have are normal or odd since I have some nervous system issues - I'll ask elsewhere too if an average range of people (such as here) had few or no side effects.

essayons89 · Aug 4, 2008

I've taken it before, the only side affect it gave me was diarrhea. Have you talked to your pharmacist about it?

strange_wings · Aug 5, 2008

Originally Posted by Essayons89

Have you talked to your pharmacist about it?

The pharm tech checked me out today, when asked if I had taken the flagyl before I did say "no" but she didn't look like she had any clue.

The problem is I have what is considered a "rare" medical problem (I don't think it's honestly that rare), I'm on one medication that no one at the pharmacy is very familiar with and I always get crazy looks when I refill it.

I don't think it will interact, but I might have strange side effects to the flagyl.

Searches bring up with how it acts on people with chronic Lyme disease - that it's very harsh.

abbycats · Aug 5, 2008

I had to take that before but it wasn't for a dental problem, I thought they gave that for giardia. I don't remember symptoms but I was awfully sick when I had to take it.

kiwideus · Aug 5, 2008

If I recall correctly from my microbiology class last semester, flagyl is for parasites.

Hope you get better soon!

roxsam · Aug 5, 2008

I had to use it once. It was for an infection, ummm, down there.

It did give me weird side effects, but I don't remember what they were!
I currently have a kitten using it for Giardia.

kaete · Aug 5, 2008

I took it once for a bacterial infection, and I had no ill effects. I have Lyme right now; I took it before I was infected with Lyme, however.

cdubbie · Aug 5, 2008

I took it several times. Thankfully, I did so before I ever followed up on any potential side effects - I'd never take meds if I researched this stuff!

It was a 7 day course I believe. The only side effect was a terrible taste in my mouth for the entire time. THat was a typical one.
Nothing took that taste out and I'm sure my breath was icky too.

They tell you not to drink on it. I had finished the course, and 1.5 days later I had a beer. I threw up for hours and hours and could barely stand I felt so awful.

So...if you have an occasional drink, dont until long after you finish the course.

carolpetunia · Aug 5, 2008

I would call the doctor who prescribed it and just reconfirm that he's aware of your other condition and considered it thoroughly in choosing Flagyl for you! Tell him about the symptoms you're having, too. It's entirely possible that he just didn't give the choice enough consideration, with the way doctors are pressured these days to run patients through like cattle.

bob'smom · Aug 5, 2008

I took it for a bacterial feminine infection and it caused a yeast infection down there.

cocoa cream · Aug 5, 2008

I haven't, but my kittens are on it right now! They seems perfectly normal, except that they hate the taste of the stuff and try to spit it out!

I know that's not helpful to you at all, but I just find it interesting that people and cats can take the same types of antibiotics!

greenvillegal · Aug 5, 2008

Oh dang. Flagyl is a bad word to me!

I had to take it in college when I had a pilonidal cyst on my tailbone that abcessed. It was yucky. I got so sick on that stuff that they had to give me a different antibiotic. I'm not sure about your symptoms, definitely talk to your doctor!! Certainly there are alternatives.

sarahp · Aug 5, 2008

This is another grumble I have with the health system these days - pharmacists are supposed so explain the drug side effects, and any interactions, and you should be able to get information out of them - that's what they're there for, they aren't just cashiers!

So many just tel you to read the info on the box, which all have the same side effects anyway...

Good luck, I hope everything sorts itself out soon!

starryeyedtiger · Aug 5, 2008

Flagyl is good stuff!

I've taken it before when i had severe food poisioning/colitis. It helped me feel SOOO much better.

We also prescribed it a lot to our patients when i worked as a vet tech- i've seen it work wonders in not only me, but also animals

I love the stuff!!! It is awesome when it comes to helping with stomach pains, vomiting, and diarrhea. You should also be able to take some immodium with it also if you need to- but check with your doctor first.

brandi · Aug 5, 2008

I had all of these...nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramping as well as constipation. Diarrhea was my first sign it was severe then came vomiting and then cramping and last was constipation

It was terrible

KittenKrazy · Aug 5, 2008

At one point, many years ago, both my husband and one of my cats was on it.......don't remember any side effects on either, lol!

mzjazz2u · Aug 5, 2008

I've taken Flagyl several times and never had any problems with it. The only side effects I had was the metallic taste in the mouth. The side effects you were looking at were for professionals and they are mostly in the rare category. It's not always a good idea to read the information for professionals as it makes our minds run wild! I've been guilty of it myself.

strange_wings · Aug 5, 2008

No diarrhea yet. It made me nauseous - a kind of warm crampy feeling where my stomach is... though I have problems with nausea almost all the time now, so that would be the response to any antibiotic.

What was weird is that I swear I had a low fever last night, my hands felt partially numb, and I felt that "disconnected" feeling - all are gone right now, but I haven't taken any antibiotics today. It seemed to have slightly raised my blood pressure too, 99/70 - that's a high diastolic for me, especially without my midodrine.

I feel sorry for all the kitties that have to take the stuff.

It does taste horrible - bitter, and causes that same bitter taste in your mouth for hours.

And it wasn't a doctor who prescribed it, it was my dentist. I did express concerns over it - I always ask about medications. I knew it was yucky, just didn't expect to be on a 4x a day 500mg dose. He's worried about my jaw getting infected, so honestly I can't blame him for trying a tough regimen against it.

Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

The side effects you were looking at were for professionals and they are mostly in the rare category. It's not always a good idea to read the information for professionals as it makes our minds run wild! I've been guilty of it myself.

As I said earlier, I have a rare medical condition. If it could interact with a medication I'm already on I need to know that. That is can potentially raise my blood pressure might be bad as I already take another medication to do that.

mzjazz2u · Aug 5, 2008

Originally Posted by strange_wings

No diarrhea yet. It made me nauseous - a kind of warm crampy feeling where my stomach is... though I have problems with nausea almost all the time now, so that would be the response to any antibiotic.

What was weird is that I swear I had a low fever last night, my hands felt partially numb, and I felt that "disconnected" feeling - all are gone right now, but I haven't taken any antibiotics today. It seemed to have slightly raised my blood pressure too, 99/70 - that's a high diastolic for me, especially without my midodrine.

I feel sorry for all the kitties that have to take the stuff.

It does taste horrible - bitter, and causes that same bitter taste in your mouth for hours.

And it wasn't a doctor who prescribed it, it was my dentist. I did express concerns over it - I always ask about medications. I knew it was yucky, just didn't expect to be on a 4x a day 500mg dose. He's worried about my jaw getting infected, so honestly I can't blame him for trying a tough regimen against it.

As I said earlier, I have a rare medical condition. If it could interact with a medication I'm already on I need to know that. That is can potentially raise my blood pressure might be bad as I already take another medication to do that.

Don't get upset because I said that. I also said i was guilty of doing it sometimes. In reality, your doctor should be going over all the interactions with you before he/she gives you something. They should be able to tell you a lot more then an old website! A dentist is also a doctor. And he should be made aware of any conditions you have. Even dentists have to know about interactions and the medicines they prescribe.

strange_wings · Aug 5, 2008

The dentist knows. I have a sensitivity to epinephrine, for example, that had him calling my cardiologist. I'm not sure what all the cardiologist told him, but there's a lot of information/warnings on my chart. The problem is that those with various dysautonomias are prone to having weird reactions and sensitivities - sort of like how people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome do. No one knows why other then the vague "body is out of whack" explanation.
If the hand numbness comes back later I'll call both the dentist and my cardiologist tomorrow - very likely I'll stump them both.

But I see now that it's not a common side effect.

Has anyone ever had to take flagyl (metronidazole) ?

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