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| peace |
 Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 2:03 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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My symptoms:
While taking macrobid, I was very tired and dizzy. After I finished my prescription, the following symptoms developed over the next month: red face that felt hot; shortness of breath; arms and legs fell asleep easily; tingling in arms, legs and feet; stabbing pains in arms, legs and feet; my heart would race for no reason; my hands and eyelids went numb; the bottom of my feet felt hot, burning sensations; head pressure would build up - I'd have to lay down to relieve it; I couldn't concentrate, felt very 'out of it'; chills and sweats at night; couldn't sleep well; tenderness in one breast; persistant pain in my right side; extremely tired and dizzy.
If you have had a reaction to macrobid (or any nitrofurantoin drug) please post your symptoms on this forum to let people know what this drug can do.
The whole story: (the long version with details)
About a year ago, I got a bladder infection that wouldn't go away despite my best efforts of cranberry pills, liquids and vitamin C. (I get bladder infections a lot). I went to the doctor and he gave me samples of Macrobid to take for 5 days. I started the first pill in the evening. The next day, I was really tired and a bit dizzy. I brushed it off as being a combination of the infection and the antibiotic.
A few days went by and my bladder infection symptoms were gone, but I was still really tired. I called a pharmacist to find out if I should keep taking this drug. She had never heard of Macrobid causing tiredness, and since I was a stay at home Mom and could rest, she advised me to continue finishing the prescription. I finished it, and continued to feel tired and dizzy. A few days later I noticed that my arms and legs were falling asleep very easily. Then my face became hot feeling and became red (flushed).
Knowing that something was wrong, I searched for Macrobid reactions on the internet, and found out that everything that was happening could be caused by Macrobid. I started to become more tired, more dizzy, and now was a bit short of breath. I felt horrible. I had read that Macrobid was a neurotoxin so I called the doctor late that night to find out if there was some sort of antitoxin to stop the effects of the drug.
She had never heard of Macrobid doing any of this, and since I had already stopped taking the drug, advised me to see her the next day. The next day, she told me that she had read more about the drug and that it could cause all of my symptoms. There was nothing she could do to help with the symptoms, so she told me to come back in a week if I wasn't getting any better.
Well, I didn't get any better, in fact, I got worse. My heart would race sometimes for no reason, I couldn't concentrate, my arms and legs tingled, I got stabbing pains in my arms, legs and feet, my eyelids became numb and the skin looked loose, the skin on my hands and feet went numb, I wasn't sleeping well, I got chills and sweats in the night, a pain developed in my right side, tenderness developed in one breast, I was still extremely tired and dizzy, and I developed pressure in my head that would get so bad I'd have to lay down until it went away.
I went back to the doctor, again she didn't have anything to help me, so she referred me to an internal medicine specialist. It took about 10 days before I could get in to see her. By then, I had searched the internet frantically to try to find information on this drug and what I could do to help my body recover. Everything I read confirmed that Macrobid can cause my symptoms. I was scared about what would happen to me.
I was hopeful about the visit to the internal medicine doctor. I hoped she would know about nitrofurantoin and how it effects the body, and that she could offer some advice on how to help prevent it from damaging my body furthur.
My hopes were dashed. Her internist told me that they really don't think that a drug can do this, and that they'll try to look at what else it could be. They set up tests to test me for Lupus and MS. But no help for the real problem. I wanted to get mad at them and demand that they listen to me and help me, but when you feel that bad, it is too hard to muster up any protests.
I got really bad one day; very short of breath, pale, pressure behind my eyes, exhausted, anxious, there was a red spot on my eye where it looked like some blood vessels had burst. I knew I had to try to do something, so I went to a naturopath. It was great to talk to someone who would actually listen and believe me. He had suggestions of what I could do to try to help my body based on what he knew about the drug's effects. I took vitamin supplements (vitamin e, c, selenium, multivitamin with vitamin b)and ate healthy, antioxidant rich foods to try to help my nerves from being damaged furthur. I took undenatured whey powder and kept my protein up to try to increase glutathione in my body (Macrobid depletes glutathione in your cells. Glutathione is made in our cells from 3 amino acids, and is a powerful antioxidant.) I ate walnuts, spinach, watermelon, asparagus because I read it helped increase glutathione in the body. I took reduced glutathione supplements. I was desperate, so whatever I read on the internet and the naturopath told me I would try. I had some problems develop because of some of the things I was taking. I was getting a tightening in my throat after eating some foods or taking some supplements. I had to stop eating asparagus, whey, spinach, and vitamin A for a while because my throat would get tight like someone was choking me. Wheatgrass juice was very bad for tightening my throat and making me feel distressed. I am still unable to eat anything with whey in it because it makes my throat tight and my chest have pains. I exercised when I had the energy (in the mornings). I really think the exercise helped. I cut down on the vitamins because they seemed too hard on my body. I ended up being able to handle taking vitamin c, vitamin e, reduced glutathione supplements, and half of a multivitamin a day. I found it much better on my body to get the nutrients from foods than lots of supplements. I ate lots of fruits and vegetables, made sure to eat enough protein (protein helps replenish glutathione), drank lots of water, etc.
There were some suggestions that the naturopath made that I didn't do because I was scared to. Since we didn't know exactly how my body was damaged, I was afraid they might not be the right thing to do. He suggested infrared sauna (**DON'T TRY AN INFRARED SAUNA or any sauna if you have had a reaction - one person with a bad reaction to Macrobid just tried the infrared sauna and it flared up the symptoms to a point where they were worse than the initial reaction. Other people went into a sauna a few weeks after having a mild reaction to macrobid, and they developed horrible symptoms**), an enema, and some homeopathics. I was too cautious to try them.
It took a long time to get better. The first month was the absolute worst. The symptoms seemed to peak during the third week after I stopped taking Macrobid. I slowly regained some energy in the mornings. Some days I seemed to be as bad as I was in the beginning, which was very frustrating. The pressure in my head started to subside after the first month and a half. For the first 6 months, the symptoms would get much worse whenever I had my period. But month by month I would regain a bit more energy, and the symptoms would slowly subside. It is now a year later and I finally feel like I am at a point where I am as healthy or healthier than I was before I took Macrobid. I honestly don't know whether the things I did helped me to get better or if I would have gotten better over time anyways.
My legs still fall asleep much easier than they used to, and my throat tightens when I eat whey and some other foods, but other than that, everything went away. I hope that there won't be any long term effects, and I am trying to keep my health high (exercise and diet). I drink more water every day, and if I feel the first twinges of a potential bladder infection starting, I take 1 tsp of D-mannose powder in a half a glass of water every 3 hours for a day or two. I will do my best to hopefully never get another bladder infection so I never have to go on antibiotics again.
If you have had a reaction to nitrofurantoin (Macrobid, Macrodantin, or Furadantin), I would like to encourage you to post your experience on this forum. Please also keep in touch and post how your recovery is going. There is a lack of information on the internet of whether the people who did react to this drug recovered completely or not. If you have had a reaction, you probably also know how little help there is while recovering from an adverse reaction to this drug. By sharing experiences, hopefully we can both provide support and gather information that might be of help. |
Last edited by peace on Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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| Kat |
| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:53 pm |
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| I also am having a bad reaction to Macrobid and am having a hard time making my doctors believe me! I stopped the Macrobid after the 4th or 5th pill (10 total) beause it made me feel so nauseous that day. I felt a tad nauseous off and on all wekk, but nothing too bad. Sbout a week after taking the last pill, I took a sauna at my family's cabin and three days later I had my attack. Diarrhea, overwhelming nausea, racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness. The doctor found nothing on blood tests and gave me an antinausea med, which I didn;t take. The next day I ended up in the ER because the nausea was so bad I hadn't eaten anything for three days. The ER doc ran live enzyme tests, WBC tests, all neg. My BP is up, it's usually 120/70 and is now averaging 134/90. MOrnings are the worst, the nausea is debilitating. It subsides a bit as the day goes, but I still have no appetite. I am really terrified, because my doctors cannot find any cause. When will this end? Will these symptoms subside? I'm desperate. Thank you for listening. |
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| peace |
| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 2:06 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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You are definitely not alone. I am so sorry to hear that you've reacted so badly. First of all, having gone through it first hand, it is definitely macrobid causing your symptoms. I didn't have the nausea, but I had everything else that you had, as you read my post above. I had shortness of breath, my heart raced, shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, flushed face, pins and needles along with a whole host of other symptoms. It was horrible to go through, and it was very terrifying. And to make it worse, doctors don't believe that macrobid can cause the symptoms. I've read about and talked to so many people whose doctors tell them that "it can't be macrobid" causing their problems. I've experienced it myself. I went to a specialist who tested me for all kinds of other problems like Lupus and MS. But even on the Procter and Gamble website (the makers of the drug) it lists most of these symptoms as problems that can occur to people who are "hypersensitive" to the drug. Multiple other medical websites also say that nitrofurantoin can cause these symptoms. And the hundreds of women who write in these forums also have the same types of symptoms.
Macrobid can cause problems that don't show up until days or weeks after finishing the prescription like you had. I continued to get more and more symptoms over the next 3 weeks after I finished my prescription. From what I understand, it is probably because nitrofurantoin (macrobid) is a neurotoxin, and neurotoxins can have a 'coasting effect', which means that they continue to cause damage for a period after exposure. But you are not alone in experiencing worsening after going in a sauna. There is a woman I have been talking to who also had a very severe reaction to macrobid, and she tried an infrared sauna to try to help cleanse the toxins, and after the sauna she became much, much worse. I've read of a few other instances where saunas have caused people who took macrobid to become much worse. That's why I have been trying to warn people through forums not to go in saunas if they had a reaction to macrobid. Your experience is another example of saunas amplifying the damage of macrobid.
I'm not sure if you read all of my very long post (called My personal story), but there wasn't anything that the doctors that I saw could offer to help with my problems. One doctor agreed that nitrofurantoin can cause these symptoms, but as far as she knew there wasn't anything to counteract the drug. I went to a specialist who didn't really believe that macrobid could cause the problems, and from all of the posts I read in forums, I couldn't find anyone who found help from the traditional medical community. That's why I tried to find out how to help my body recover by finding out as much as I could about macrobid. I don't know if the things I did actually helped, or if I would have gotten better on my own, but I did recover after time. For me, it took 6 months to get over the worst of it, and another 6 months after that for complete recovery. But from what I read, most people aren't as bad as I was and recover more quickly. I was terrified that I would be permanently damaged by the drug. But you probably read all of this already in my previous post. In short I tried to give my body the building blocks to recover by eating really well including foods containing antioxidants, vitamin e, selenium, protein, drinking lots of water, and exercising moderately.
Are you still getting worse? Or are you slowly getting better? |
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| Guest |
| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 2:56 pm |
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| Thank you for your reply. My symptoms seem to have hit about a week and a half after I stopped the Macrobid (three days after I took the sauna), and they're still ongoing. At first, I had continuous nausea, lightheadedness, palpitations, unable to eat. After going on an anti-nausea med, the continuous nausea is gone, but I do become nauseous when I try to eat. I have lost 4-5 pounds, which scares me. My BP is still higher than normal. I have to take Ativan, because I am in such a panic state since no doctor has yet been able to diagnose me and I'm not getting better. I have Holter monitor on now, so hopefully that will give some info on my heart. I have an appt with a gastro specialist on Friday because of the not eating, but I don't know that she will be receptive to what I have to say about this drug. I'm feeling pretty scared. DH is good, but I can tell he is scared too. |
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| peace |
| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:43 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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Don't get too discouraged! Most people recover completely but it will take some time. And it is horrible that it gets worse before it gets better. It is scary as hell and hard not to be stressed and panicy (I was both), but I noticed that when I stopped focusing on being scared and worried and tried to calm my nerves and focus on doing all that I could to be positive to my body, I started to get better faster. Easier said than done, I know. It took me over a month to reach that state of mind.
Just so you don't get too discouraged if this happens to you: every test that they ran on me came back negative. It was unbelievable that my body could be in so much distress and pain, but they couldn't find anything wrong with me.
Have you regained any of your energy? At first I could barely get my daughter off to school. I would have to sleep twice during the day. I could barely do anything physical without being out of breath. I was home
schooling my son for grade one, and I couldn't do any schooling with him for 2 months.
On the Procter and Gamble website (the makers of macrobid), it states quite clearly that people can have an "acute pulmonary hypersensitivity reaction" (pulmonary meaning lung/respiratory related). Then in bold letters there is a section on respiratory affects that states that it can cause our symptoms. These are direct quotes from the Procter and Gamble website:
"Accute pulmonary reactions are commonly manifested by fever, chills, cough, chest pain, dyspnea ((which means shortness of breath)), pulmonary infiltration with consolidation of pleural effusion on x-ray, and
eosinophilia."
"Adverse reactions. In clinical trials of Macrobid, the most frequent clinical adverse events that were reported as possibly or probaby drug-related were nausea (8%), headache (6%), and flatulence (1.5%).
"Changes in EKG (e.g. non-specific ST/T wave changes, bundle branch block) have been in association with pulmonary reactions."
"Allergic: Lupus-like syndrome associated with pulmonary reaction to nitrofurantoin has been reported. ... Hypersensitivity reactions represent the most frequent spontaneously-reported adverse events in worldwide
postmarketing experience with nitrofurantoin formulations." (The specialist tested me for lupus because of my symptoms. One of the major symptoms of lupus is extreme exhaustion)
It is clearly written on the website of the actual manufacturer of the drug that these reactions can occur and that hypersensitivity is the most frequently reported adverse effects by people on the market that have used macrobid. I find it hard to believe when doctors don't think that macrobid can be the cause. And because nitrofurantoin is a neurotoxin, and neurotoxins can continue to cause damage for a period after ingestion (coasting effect), you would think that doctors would be able to see that a delayed response can happen.
I would suggest that you print out the information from the procter and gamble website :
-triplew.pgpharma.com/pi/US-Macrobid.pdf
(it is 11 pages long), and highlight the parts that I have written here, and show it to all of the doctors that you see. There are so many women with the same symptoms. I guess it is because it is relatively rare for
reactions to happen and they've maybe never come across it before.
I hope you will see some signs of improvement soon. But give yourself a break and try not to get too stressed.
Let me know how things progress. |
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| peace |
| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:22 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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I thought you or your doctors might be interested in another source about macrobid. Here are some direct quotes from an international organization for chemical safety about nitrofurantoin: (the web address is triplew.inchem.org/documents/pims/pharm/pim377.htm )
"Pulmonary toxicity is attributed to nitrofurantoin
production of superoxide anion free radicals with
subsequent chain reactions and uncontrolled
destructive oxidation (Adam et al., 1990; Kurtis,
1996). Martin (1983) suggested that nitrofurantoin
mediated oxidant injury to the lung may be due to
direct cytotoxicity or indirectly through recruitment
of activated neutrophils.
Nitrofurantoin can cause an acute non-cardiogenic
pulmonary oedema, or subacute interstitial pneumonitis
which may progress to interstitial fibrosis. The acute
reaction is generally considered to be a
hypersensitivity reaction. There is evidence pointing
to an immunological mechanism for injury and an
increase in T-Lymphocytes in broncheo-alveolar lavage
(Witten, 1989).
Peripheral neuropathy is a complication of
nitrofurantoin therapy especially in patients with
pre-existing renal impairment or diabetes mellitus.
Nitrofurantoin triggers a degenerative process in the
nerve cell axon with subsequent impairment of
sensation and motor strength in the distal extent of
the axonal process (Kurtis, 1996).
Acute toxic exposures to
nitrofurantoin have not been reported and
there have been no acute ingestions causing
fatalities. No toxic or lethal levels have
been determined for nitrofurantoin. However
there are a number of adverse effects and
hypersensitivity reactions reported which
have included fatalities (Shah & Wade, 1989).
The duration of exposure before the onset of
symptoms of acute pulmonary toxicity varies
from two or three days to several weeks
(Witten, 1989).
Pulmonary hypersensitivity reactions to nitrofurantoin can be
life threatening and nitrofurantoin should be stopped
immediately on occurance of symptoms.
Acute pulmonary toxicity of nitrofurantoin is
well documented. It is characterized by the onset of
fever, dyspnea and nonproductive cough. Several
relevant laboratory abnormalities have been reported
(Meyer & Meyer, 1994). The clinical course of acute
toxicity is generally that of improvement of the
symptoms and laboratory findings within days of
withdrawing the drug (Witten, 1989).
Pulmonary effects present as acute, or chronic
pulmonary hypersensitivity reactions. Acute reactions
often develop within 8 hours of administration of
nitrofurantoin to patients previously sensitized to
the drug or within 3 weeks in patients on chronic
therapy. These are usually accompanied by eosinophilia
and are manifest by sudden severe dyspnea, chills,
chest pain, fever and cough (Lenci et al., 1993).
Chronic pulmonary reactions usually develop after one
month of therapy. Symptoms of acute and subacute
reactions to nitrofurantoin usually resolve within 1
week to several months after discontinuation of the
drug (D'Arcy, 1985; Witten, 1989; AHFS, 1995). " |
Last edited by peace on Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:48 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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| Kat |
| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 7:48 pm |
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| I am feeling a little bit better in that I have a bit more energy and am no longer winded after walking into another room. I still have not received the results of the Holter Monitor test, but they said no news is good news. While my constant nausea is gone, I still get nauseous when I try to eat and I'm losing weight. Ativan helps alot with the panic attacks and Zofran helps a little when I try to eat. I have another appointment with my GI doctor this week. She also disbelieved that Macrobid was the cause of this, but I'll bring this info with me. Thank you again for helping me, and I hope you are well. |
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| cmcbrine |
| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:55 pm |
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| I just experienced a severe reaction to Macrobid last week. I'll note that I am allergic to penicillan and erythromycin also, so am keenly aware of watching for a reaction whenever I take any type of pill now. Anyway, I started taking Macrobid last Wednesday for a suspected UTI. I took one pill with lunch and large glass of milk and then another that evening with milk again. I woke up Thursday AM feeling completely exhausted and disoriented. Drove the kids to school and returned home. On the way home, I was thinking that there was no way that I could go to work that day because I felt so awful. Getting out of the car and into the house, I realized that I was also very weak and dizzy. I told my husband that I was not taking any more the pills because I think they were making me feel terrible. Within minutes, I started having trouble catching my breath. We determined that I needed to go to the ER. While trying to get dressed, the breathing was becoming more problematic and a rash started to develop on my arms and was traveling upward. My husband ended up calling 911. The fire department arrived first and gave me oxygen. Then the EMTs came and noticed that the rash was spreading, I was very itchy and hives started to appear. They took me out right away. In the ambulance, I started with the chills and the feeling that I was going to vomit. I was freezing! The EMT gave me a shot of benadryl and reassured me that I was going to be OK. I was so scared - honestly - I thought I was going to die. In the ER, they wrapped me up in some nice warm blankets and gave me another shot. I was so out of it, I didn't even ask what it was. Eventually, the meds started to help with some of the symptoms. My face and chest were bright, bright red. My BP was elevated and I had a temp. Too boot, the urine culture that I had given at the DR the day before was not growing, meaning I didn't even have a UTI to start with! I was sent home several hours later with instructions to never take Macrobid again and to continue with the benadryl for a couple of days. I still have the headache and this is 5 days later. While I am not completely exhausted, I do not feel 100%. The more I read about this drug, the more I wish I had read before I even started taking it! |
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| peace |
| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:55 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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Very scary! It seems to happen differently for so many people. While I felt extremely tired and dizzy while on my prescription, my other symptoms didn't start showing up until a few days after I finished my prescription, and continued to slowly get worse over the course of a few weeks. You had most of the same symptoms as I had, yet because they happened slowly, the doctors had a hard time believing that it was from macrobid. There's no mistaking your reaction being from nitrofurantoin. Are you allergic to sulfa drugs as well? I would advise staying far away from sulfa drugs since everyone I have talked to and read about who has has a reaction to nitrofurantoin has also been allergic to sulfa drugs. Sulfa drugs have similar reaction symptoms too.
Go easy on yourself though, it can take some time to recover. |
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| cmcbrine |
| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 7:54 pm |
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| Thanks for the response! Misery loves company, as we all know, but it honestly makes me feel better knowing that I am not the only one out there. Although, I would never wish any of what we have been through on anybody! Day 7 and I still have this headache. I am not the sort of person who gets headaches, and I had one last week, so I am assuming it's carry-over. My eyes still feel heavy too, but I have some of my energy back. I've started exercising again hoping that that will help. I don't think that I have ever taken a sulfa drug. Going forward, I am researching any drug prescribed to me before I start taking them. From what I have read on message boards, I cannot understand why this drug is still being prescribed. Seems to me that more people than not experience some disturbing side effects! I plan on spreading the word too and will tell anyone and everyone I know to never, ever take this drug. Thanks again! |
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| peace |
| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:47 pm |
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Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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Make sure not to go too hard with the exercise. Start out slowly and increase steadily. 2 months after I had taken macrobid (I was still suffering the effects from it) I had a karate test and I practiced hard for a few days, and then went on a long hike the day after my test, and I paid for it dearly. I got really run down, I got sores on my tongue, my glands swelled up and stayed extremely swollen for over a month. I'm not saying not to exercise, because I honestly think that the moderate exercise I did played a huge part in me getting better, but just try not to overexert yourself all at once. Your body usually tells you when you are over doing it. Because I had my test, I pushed myself way too hard.
Try to eat really well too, to give your body the nutrients to repair itself. Lots of protein, and lots of foods with antioxidants in them, and nuts for vitamin e and selenium. |
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| Jo Uk |
| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:27 am |
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I have been taking Macrodantin for a whole 2 days and I feel like I am Dying! I am Shattered but I cant sleep properly my skin on my arms an legs itche s my face feels hot I feel dizzy and I keep getting shooting tingling pains down my arms and legs.
The info I have read posted on this site has absolutely terrified me but I so grateful I am going to see my GP to get taken off these awful tablets this afternoon .
Thanks |
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| peace |
| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:27 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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I'm so sorry to hear that you have reacted to macrodantin. I know exactly how it feels and it is horrible to go through. Yes, definitely don't take another pill, and never take macrodantin or any nitrofurantoin containing product again.
Hopefully you have a reasonable doctor who will agree that macrodantin is causing your problems. It seems unimaginable, but many doctors don't believe that nitrofurantoin (macrodantin) can cause these symptoms. Hopefully you won't have a problem at the doctors, because it is definitely the drug that is causing your symptoms. I had all of the same symptoms. It is called a "hypersensitivity" reaction.
You've probably already read from the other posts, but you should stay away from sulfa drugs because everyone who had a reaction to macrobid was also allergic to sulfa. The symptoms for a sulfa drug reaction are almost identical to that of macrodantin. Also stay away from saunas or overheating yourself because it can make the symptoms much worse.
There is another forum with many more posts that you can read: -triplew.rxlist.com/rxboard/macrobid.pl
Let me know how it goes and how you are feeling.
PS have you heard of d-mannose? |
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| linda |
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 2:32 am |
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Finally Im starting to understand what`s happening to me! 2 weeks after a furadantin cure, I got this horrible unilateral paresthesia on my right side, from the toes to the mid thorax. It was incredible painful,warm, and both hyper sensitive and senseless. Couldn`t sit or lay down cause it hurted so much. It started under my foot and "crawled" up the leg during few days. It is now 3 months ago, and I still have these symptoms, just a bit milder.
The case is that I`ve experienced allmost the same symptoms in May/June, but on the left side (not as serious as last time). A couple of weeks before I got antibiotics for UTI. It wasn`t furadantin, it was trimetroprim or selexid (European brands).
could these symptoms be caused by antibiotics?
Linda |
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| peace |
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:38 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 33
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I can't say for sure if it was the antibiotics that caused your problems, but it sounds like it to me. Both furadantin (nitrofurantoin) and trimethoprim can have reactions that are neurological in nature. The fact that they both happened within a few weeks of taking these types of antibiotics would be enough proof, I think, for you to make sure that you never take these antibiotics ever again. For me and many other women, a lot of the symptoms show up after the prescription has been finished. My symptoms progressively got worse over a few weeks after I stopped finished my prescription. It's a difficult situation to be in because so many doctors don't believe that these drugs can cause problems like this. But as you've been reading, it does happen. They don't know why some people are hypersensitive to the drugs, but it happens. You should probably avoid Cipro too because Cipro is one of the leading drugs that can cause nerve problems.
You've probably read all of this already in the above posts, but there was a study that showed that exercise helped people with nerve problems induced by drugs to recover better. I really think it helped me. I started very slowly (10 minutes on an exercise bike a day), and slowly increased. I had tingling, numbness, burning and painful stabbing sensations in my legs, arms, hands and feet. It does take time to recover though, it took me over a year to feel mostly better from all my symptoms, so hang in there, eat well, drink lots and exercise to help your body recover.
As far as future bladder infections, D-mannose has helped me so much (most of my infections are e-coli). I take it as soon as I start feeling the first twinges of a possible infection (1 tsp of d-mannose powder in a glass of water every 3 hours for 1-3 days) and so far it has helped every time.
What did your doctors say about the problems you have? Did they say that it could be the drugs? |
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