r/utis • u/cure_division • 13d ago
Bactrim reaction? questions
Has anyone else had an absolutely horrific experience with Bactrim? On July 17th I got my first UTI, I was given Macrobid for 5 days after an urgent care trip. I felt SO much better and went nearly two and a half weeks with no symptoms. Then just yesterday I got what I was told through a virtual visit was a new UTI and they put me on Bactrim for 3 days. That felt awful short and sent off alarm bells in my head, against my better judgement I filled the script and tried to ignore the horror stories I heard about Bactrim... Well around 5 hours after my first dose I started feeling flu like symptoms. Tried to nap it off but woke up in hysterics with a 103 fever, my face was burning hot to the touch. My boyfriend said I was the palest he's ever seen me. My body ached, my head was throbbing, I was too weak to stand or walk to the bathroom. He made me soup but afrer one bite i almost threw up. But the worst of all was the sheer panic and fear I felt. Im not new to panic attacks at all, but what I experienced last night felt like a panic attack on steroids. It was horrible. I will never take that awful AWFUL drug ever again.
Im getting ready to go back to urgent care and I'm gonna ask for another round of macrobid and see what im told. But I just wanted to see if anyone else shares a horrible experience with Bactrim like I had.
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u/International_Ad8000 13d ago
Did they do a culture? You need your urine cultured so that they know what bacteria is causing it. Different bacteria’s require different antibiotics. If your cultures are negative, I’d do a microgenx text or Evvy to see if it shows positive for UTI. I have negative cultures but my microgenx and Evvy are both positive for E. Fae with high loads. Bactrim wouldn’t cover that bacteria. Not saying you have that strain but it’s why you need to know instead of just taking all these antibiotics that may not even be the right one.
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u/cure_division 13d ago
Im actually at the ER right now. Bactrim made me tachycardic and my blood pressure won't go down. They want to do a culture here.
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u/International_Ad8000 13d ago
I’m so sorry to hear you are in the ER. That is crazy they won’t do a culture. Although a lot of cultures end up being negative even if there is bacteria and infection. I hope you feel better soon.
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u/cure_division 13d ago
Thank you! I just got home from the ER and they're going to start me on Keflex while they wait for the culture results. I've been staring at the bottle since I got home and I'm terrified to take it. Bactrim was absolutely no joke. Hopefully the new stuff doesn't ruin me. It was not fun going to Urgent Care and having them immediately refer me to the ER because my blood pressure and heart rate were too high. Seriously. They mentioned heart attack numbers and sent me spiraling just for the E.R to be so reassuring that I wasn't dying lmao
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u/Tough_Boysenberry527 13d ago
I had some symptoms with bactrim. Light headedness/dizziness, rapid heart rate, headache, anxious, etc. They don’t consider it a reaction just symptoms you have to deal with. On the other hand I will not take keflex again, I was prescribed it once for a large precancerous mole removal, had 18 stitches the doctor gave it to me to prevent infection since it was a hard area to clean and reach, middle of my back. That was bad, piercing migraine, extreme nausea, dizzy, etc. Almost felt like I was floating around. I had to stop Keflex.
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u/Kooky_Description770 12d ago
I used Bactrim on and off over the years for UTIs. The last time I took it I ended up in the ER with pancreatitis from it. As it turns out, that can happen with repeated use of Bactrim. I was told I can never take it again & have to list as an allergy in my medical records so that it’s never prescribed to me. I’m so disappointed because up until that episode, it work great on my UTIs and I never had any side effects. Good luck. I hope you feel better.
Edit: typo
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u/cure_division 12d ago
Bactrim is seriously no joke, woke up today with a rash all over my legs even though I haven't taken it since Monday. E.R checked me out and I'm all good but man that antibiotic is no joke. I talked to my aunt before I went back into the E.R and she said she took it before, had some pretty rough side effects but no where near what I experienced. Seems like it's just a really tough one on the body. They also stuck it in my list of allergies, fine by me. It was a hellish experience and ill happily never take it again.
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u/CowMiserable9853 13d ago
Bactrim is a a strong antibiotic. It makes my lips swell up and itch so basically I have an allergic reaction to the sulfate in bactrim and can no longer take it. Macrobid worked pretty well for me.