| Key to ratings for macrobid: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
| Change sort order by clicking arrow under column heading. | ||||||||
| 4 | uti | fuzzier thinking than usual; malaise or mildly crummy feeling; progressive sleeplessness; unusually strong leg spasms; disturbing chest tightness and activity very early this morning. | the med has helped uti, but the coincidental (?) side effects are unnerving enough to check out drug on internet! Debating on taking remainder of 10 day Rx. | M | 61 | 5 days | 10/30/2008 | 4 | Urinary Tract Infection | fatigue | I have read some serious side effects from this drug, the only side effect i have felt though is fatigue and i would take it again in a minute if it will clear up a UTI! | M | 28 | 7 days | 5/27/2008 | 4 | Chronic Epidydimitis | Non-itchy hives | Helped immediately. Was given a 10 day course 14 days before my epidydemectomy. The pain was gone after the second dose (first day) and returned after the first day I was off the Macrobid | M | 32 | 10 days | 8/31/2008 | 4 | Bladder Infection | Mild stomach ache with ocassional stomach cramps, mild to moderate fatigue. | Was prescribed Nitrofurantoin Mono/Mac, the generic form of Macrobid for an acute bladder infection that developed 3 weeks after being operated on for bladder cancer. Also had to have a stint put in my bladder to protect the site where the cancerous tumor was removed during the same surgery. Pain and nausea from the pressure of the stint in my bladder since the surgery 3 weeks ago has been indescribeable and goes well beyond the threshold level of 10 on a 1 to 10 scale for pain & suffering. Have somehow survived it all so far and the stint will finally be surgically removed 5 days from now IF THE MACROBID CLEARS UP THE BLADDER INFECTION IN TIME! So, I'm really counting on the Microbid to do what it is supposed to do...otherwise, surgery to remove the stint will have to be postponed until the bladder infection clears up. My Macrobid dosage is 100 mg twice a day for 10 days. Was previously prescribed Bactrim which resulted in only minimal improvement in clearing up the infection. Have been on the Macrobid approaching 3 days now with 7 more to go before finishing the 20 capsule prescription. At this point, other than experiencing some mild nausea and ocassional stomach cramps for about an hour or so after each dose, haven't had any severe side-effects or adverse reactions to this drug. | M | 57 | 3 days | 8/26/2009 | 3 | UTI | Tightness in chest. Occasional elevated pulse rate. | The side effects are scary. Other than that it seems to do the job for me. | M | 49 | 5 days | 9/29/2008 | 3 | UTI | Flatulence, headache, dizziness, mild to moderate flu-like symptoms which included: body aches, mild mood change, perceptual changes, mild sore throat, runny nose, headache, etc. Also had some difficulty concentrating. | It did seem to help with the UTI. I felt OK the first 3 days then started feeling like I had the flu. Took for 6 days then stopped as side effects were getting worse. Side effects began to abate about 14 hours after my last pill. | M | 47 | 6 days | 2/19/2009 | 3 | Bladder infections | I only took this medication for 4 out of the 5 prescribed days. My bladder infection cleared up immediately but I experienced extreme fatigue, disorientation and confusion. I could not do simple tasks without making a mistake and needed to sleep off the medication. It worked but I would ask my doctor to prescribe a different medication next time. | M | 21 | 4 days | 11/24/2008 | 2 | UTI | Extreme Nausea & Pounding Migraines | I recommend asking the Doc for something else. I was miserable from day one of taking this. Try lots of fluids and cranberry juice. Avoid the feeling of the "Flu". It's awful. | M | 23 | 5 days | 12/16/2008 | 2 | UTI | blood in stool, stomach pain | Felt better before taking this...waiting to hear what they'll put me on now | M | 2 days | 2/27/2009 | 2 | UTI | Right after I took the first dose, I started feeling nausea, fever, severe headaches, muscle pains, abdominal cramps/pains, lethargy and a skin-crawling sensation. 3 days after taking this medication, pinpoint red spots broke out from my cheeks all the way down to my legs. Most of the systemic side effects subsided within a day of stopping this medication. Definitely DO NOT recommend! | It did cure my UTI after a single dose, but the side effects were too great. | M | 28 | 3 days | 3/14/2009 | 2 | UTI | I took a 7 day supply, and beginning on the 8th day I started breaking out in hives on my head and neck REALLY bad. I woke up with my eyes almost swollen shut, and had to go to the ER to get adrenaline, benadryl, and cortisone. It helped for that day, but I still have spotty itching 3 weeks later. To make it worse, I'm breastfeeding, so taking the other meds affected my milk supply! | I took while I was pregnant, and had a mild reaction which I thought was dietary. I will never take this again. | M | 37 | 7 days | 10/4/2004 | 2 | prostatitis due to resistant staph | General weakness, fatigue, chills, head ache, and back pain. | Were running out of drug options here, as few anti bacterials can penetrate the prostate wall. Macrobid is known to NOT have that quality. My Md suggested we try it anyway because there's not much left to try. The next option is levaquin, which can be much worse in the side effects dept. Unfortunately, I don't think macrobid is doing the job. | M | 5 days | 4/24/2007 | 2 | To treat potential UTI -on catheter | After being in a head-on car accident, I experienced a broken left pelvis that resulted in the use of a catheter for 17-days. Now home and docter started me on generic Macrobid to treat a potential UTI (no symptoms like elev temp or back pain) pending urine culture results. But after taking only two 100 mg doses with food on the first day, I woke up at 3 AM with lower lip edema & numbness, slightly swollen eyes, and several itchy hives on my arms & legs. Then, since Macrobid is a time-released product, I woke up today with a swollen upper lip, swollen left wrist (watch band was tight), and a couple of more itchy hives on my arms and legs. Now taking OTC generic Benadryl every 4-6 hrs and it seems to reduce the swelling & itching side effects | I'm 50 yo and until now, I never have had an allergic reaction to any prescription drug. Does anyone out there know if Macrobid is a sulfa based drug, or do you have any idea or experience why I had an allergic reaction to it after taking only two 100 mg doses in 1-day ?? | M | 50 | 1 days | 5/11/2007 | 1 | UTI | Shortness of breath! Chest pain. Dizziness. Headaches. Fatigue. | At first it was just headaches and fatigue. But what scared the crap out of me was the shortness of breath. Chest pain. Dizziness. I'm going to the doctor right now to find out why this is happening. I just stopped taking the medication yesterday after I realized that it wasn't worth it for all the side effects it was causing. | M | 29 | 6 days | 4/20/2007 | 1 | suspected UTI | dry throat, tingling sensation in hands, metalic taste in mouth, difficulty breathing, cold sores (lower lip) boke out immediatly, heavy chest with girgling sound when breathing. | I have taken antibiotics twice before in the past, but have not had any side effects. It seems I 'm not the only one who has experienced and continues to experirnce nerve and lung problems. I read the warnings but thought they wouldn't happen to me, obviouly I was wrong!!!!!!!!!! | M | 34 | 3.5 days | 1/15/2007 | 1 | Urinary Tract Infection | I have RSD(Reflex Sympathetic Dystropy -- chronic pain) which happened to be in remission at the time I started Macrobid. After taking five pills, I developed a return of the RSD symptoms full blown. This medication is dangerous and should be removed from the market. If I could rate it a zero, I would do so. | M | 64 | 3.5 days | 5/11/2006 | 1 | UTI | Shortness of breath cheast pain, thought i was going to die. very bad side affects! | Took total of 2 pills. | M | 27 | 2 times | 1/10/2006 | 1 | UTI | M | 64 | 4 days | 3/25/2006 | 1 | UTI | I took it for a UTI, and kept being dizzy and "disconnected". Since I had just started taking Ephexor for anxiety, I thought it was from that. It didn't occur to me until after 5 days that it might be the antibiotic! I figured it out and stopped immediately--and the next day (I took the last one about 7pm the previous day) I was so dizzy I had to stay home from work and just wait for it to run through my system. This is a HORRIBLE drug...the feeling is just terrible, and I've NEVER had a problem with reactions to drugs. I don't know why this drug is even still in the market. I have a friend who's a doctor in Guatemala, and he said they don't even use it there! DO NOT take this antibiotic! I'd rather have the UTI!! | M | 25 | 5 days | 10/5/2007 | 1 | UTI | With in 1 hour of taking first dose i started sneezing over and over. After my sneeze attack died down i drove to work. On the way there my head began to itch really bad. thought it was my new shampoo. The symptoms increased and a rapid rate and within 10 minutes my body broke out in hives. Got to work and washed hair in sink. Noticed welts all over my body and face swollen and deformed. Taken to ER and given 4 different shots. right before being treated my right hand was loosing color and looked blue and i was short of breath. | I have taken this drug sense I was 15 and had my first UTI. this is the first time that I took generic and I can't help but think that it made a difference. The doctors seem to think the drugs are the same. iF thats the case what is it that happened to me. i'm scared to eat or drink any of the same things I did within 48 hours . don't know what to do? | M | 27 | 1 days | 2/28/2006 | 1 | uti | extremely itchy hives all over my body after taking it for a week. Stopped taking it last Thursday and here it is Monday and I still have horrible itchy hives. Was prescribed prednisone last thursday and almost done with pack and still not helping. Also taking benadryl every 4 hours. | This medication sucks. I cant get rid of itch hives after stopping it 4 days ago. I am suffering with itchy hives and have bad indigestion/heartburn from it as well. Not going away and starting to get anxious as to when this reaction will subside. I have almost finished my prednisoe pack and it is still very much here with hives and intense itching. This medication is awful. I am also allergic to sulfa drugs. | M | 41 | 7 days | 2/2/2009 | 1 | uti | At the end of the dosage period, I started getting severe hives on my arms and hands, which then spread to my whole body. Within a day, I experienced severe swelling in my hands, face and throat and went into anaphylactic shock. I went to the ER and received Epidrine - this happened three times before they determined it was a reaction to Macrobid. | I am also allergic to Sulfa drugs and would strongly caution anyone with Sulfa drug allergies to avoid this at all costs. This was one of the most horrible experiences I have encountered. | M | 50 | 5 days | 9/2/2008 | 1 | UTI | Itching all over including palms and feet more than 7 days after I finished the prescription. I'm on day 5 of the itching. | I had an anaphylactic response to sulfa which is why I took Macrobid. | M | 34 | 4/27/2009 | 1 | bladder infection | After only two pills I had a fever,chills, aches,pains and cramps in my legs. It was worse than any flu that I have experienced. I could barely walk and I thought I was going to die. | This drug is poison and should be off the market! The doctors and nurses at offices give prescriptions not warning people that these drugs have life threatening side effects. | M | 63 | 1 days | 8/23/2009 | 1 | UTI | Vomiting,chills,pressure headache,fullness in chest and pain in right side, belching, lethargy, no appetite | Day 1: 3 hours after the pill i had chills and was vomiting. I slept all night. After the second pill I had a pressure headache, also behind my nose. I felt weak, exhausted, zero appetite, nausea. Day 3 I began to have uncomfortable chest fullness with belching and intermittant pain on the right side and thought I was having heart trouble so I called my doctor and she switched me to Cipro. I only took 4 pills and I had 10 to go, i shouldn't have to feel that bad after just 4 pills. I fully expect nausea and such with a drug but i felt horrible. I hope the cipro works ok, so far after 1 pill no effects. I'm allergic to ceclor and have a strong family history of deathly allergy to sulfa so I am limited in my treatment. I don't think I could have survived 5 more days, I definately couldn't go to work | M | 33 | 3 days | 3/1/2008 | 1 | UTI Possible Prostatitis | After taking the medication for a week I experienced rectal bleeding. Colonoscopy determined I had a unspecific colitis. Stopped the medication, the colitis cleared up. Several months later, another UTI, doctor gave me the same medication again, same results. I'll never take it again | M | 67 | 7 days | 10/15/2007 | 1 | UTI | nausea, chills, fever, intense headache, achy, bloody stools (3rd day - diarhrea), lethargic, drowsiness AND restlessness. | Prescribed for UTI (1st one in 25 yrs). UTI better almost immediately BUT I felt miserable. Went to Dr. on 4th day - not my usual doctor but their urgent care fill-in. He said exactly what others said! "It isn't the Macrobid, must be the flu that is going around but just in case you can off it - 90% effective in clearing up UTIs after 3 days". The day I stopped taking it I felt better wi thin 6 hrs and 48 hrs later am back at work after taking 3 days sick time. The urgent care dr was going to have me do a colonoscopy but I had one four months ago and was totally normal so he decided that wasn't the cause of bloody stool. I am not a drug rep and have never had such a reaction before to a med. Will not take this med again. | M | 54 | 3 days | 10/29/2007 | 1 | UTI | Trouble breathing, eventually developed a rash body aches | took Macrobid at 7:00pm. At 2:00am woke up and could not breathe. Felt like I had Pneumonia or something. Went to the ER and they did chest xray. My heart rate was high and would not go down so they did a cat scan of my chest. They sent me home treating me for Bronchitits and told me to continue the Macrobid. I ended up feeling bad for 2 more days. I ended up missing 2 doses and felt better. Started taking again and again woke up with not being able to breathe. This time I developed a rash and knew right away what was wrong. Thinking back, I remember being treated for a UTI (with a past GYNE) and after taking it, woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I had food poisoning. I could not lift my head off the pillow. I only took one dose that time and told the Dr. that I did not want to take it anymore. That time the Dr. said I must have the flu or something. I am almost certain that this was Macrobid. Scary Scary. It has been a week since I have taken it and I s | M | 42 | 3 days | 1/14/2008 | 5 | Recurring Kidney Infection - Lupus | headache, nausea, constant urination/loose bowels, dizziness, extreme sleeping | Med works wonderfully for infections, use it on a regular basis. If taken with buttermilk and bread, mostly eliminates stomach problems. Maalox also helps. The Herxheimer Reaction is indeed the reason for most physical discomfort, second poster about this symptom was too limited in her definition, as it also applies to antibiotics. Regardless of the "side effects", this medication is prolonging my limited kidney function, as well as my life. The side effects are temporary; permanent damage to your kidneys or bladder is not. If not experiencing true allergic symptoms, is worth it to ride out side effects if possible. | F | 42 | 9 times | 4/21/2007 | 5 | UTI | None | Most of the people complaining about this medication are probably allergic to it. If you experience an allergic reaction, I recommend taking Benedryl and then discontinuing the antibiotics. I am allergic all Sulfas and Ciprofloxacin. Macrobid is the only one that has been effective for me recently. Just because other people have had problems with it does not mean you should discount this drug. If you continue to experience UTI symptoms after taking Macrobid, ask your doctor for an antibiotic with broader tissue distribution because chances are that the bacteria is still present and was never completely eliminated. | F | 22 | 7 days | 12/5/2007 | 5 | UTI | No side effects | I am allergic to sulfa, so was prescribed Macrobid. I read all the terrible ratings on this site, so I was forewarned. Then I did my part - taking it with full meals and water twice a day, and it did its part, making me better. | F | 76 | 7 days | 12/18/2007 | 5 | UTIs - frequent | I have had frequent UTIs for years, and started taking Macrobid when I discovered I am allergic to Sulfa meds. I have taken Macrobid many, many times; and have learned that you must take it with a meal to avoid stomach upset, which also increases the effectiveness. I am now on prophylactic Macrobid, to prevent any more UTIs, and it has been wonderful! I am surprised and sorry to see so many bad experiences with this drug, as it has really saved me from a lot of agony! | F | 46 | 30 times | 11/19/2007 | 5 | uti | slight nausea first hour after taking it other wise none | worked great for me almost no side effects little nauseous after taking it for an hour but well worth the risk compared to uti cleared up my infection quickly i would take it again | F | 41 | 10 days | 3/19/2008 | 5 | UTI | None at all | Am very sensitive to antibiotics but had none with this. | F | 33 | 7 days | 3/20/2008 | 5 | UTI | None. It worked like a gem. And of all people, I can say I do not have much faith in certain meds, but Macrobid rocked. It got rid of my UTI pains within an hour or two of taking the first dose. I would take it again... in a heartbeat! | GOOD STUFF! Don't let other people's comments scare you from using this prescription. Plain and simple - it works! | F | 26 | 7 days | 3/26/2008 | 5 | Chronic UTI | If I don't take it will food I get terrbile stomach aches, so I make sure to take if AFTER a full meal. Also, my urine turns a bright neon yellow color. | I have to take one pill every time I have sex or I will get a UTI every time. As long as I take this pill with food, then I feel fine. This pill prevents me from getting an infection all together. I would definitely recommend it! | F | 21 | 2 years | 12/22/2008 | 5 | UTI | Possible muscle/joint pain, but not sure if it was related since I was still recovering from a bad reaction to cipro beforehand. Occasional stomach pain. | I have taken macrobid before, and it is probably the best choice for me since I have bad reactions to all other antibiotics now. The painful stomach cramps can be annoying, but I found that I got these less often if I took the medicine with both a full meal and a glass of milk. I think the milk helps to coat your stomach. I also took acidophilus tablets at the same time, but was instructed by the pharmacist to take it as far away from the macrobid as possible. So I took macrobid, 4 hours later took the acidophilus, then another 4 hours later took the macrobid again. I think I still developed a mild yeast infection, but it probably would have been worse without the acidophilus. I also believe it helped to reduce the stomach pain. | F | 23 | 7 days | 12/16/2008 | 5 | Extreme nausea | Totally cleared up my UTI | F | 24 | 5 days | 11/8/2008 | 5 | UTI prevention | no side effects | This has been a wonder drug for me, Have been taking macrobid daily for 2 years and have not had a UTI since. | F | 38 | 2 days | 8/20/2009 | 5 | UTI | loss of appetite, tiredness | Was taking this before I found out I needed something else so I was then given Cipro. That was a horrendous story of itself. Macrobid was awesome and the loss of appetite wasn't a bad thing. No other side effects at all other than being tired. Everyone is different so don't take these reviews too personal. | F | 27 | 7 days | 8/22/2009 | 5 | UTI | i never had any problems with this drug.I am allergic to sulfa drugs so they prescribed macrobid 100 mg. i was told to take one pill every 12 hours for 3 days and to take it with food. it cleared my infection up just fine and never had any side effects. | F | 23 | 3 days | 7/29/2009 | 5 | UTi | None | After reading patient reviews, I was loathe to try Macrobid as I've had violent reactions to other antibiotics (Avelox, Bactrim, Cipro). This is day 5 of 6 and I have felt no adverse effects so far. Crossing fingers. | F | 59 | 5 days | 7/28/2009 | 5 | recurring bladder infections | none | I have been on MACROBID 100mg daily for prevention of UTI'S for almost two years. It worries me being on the antibiodic for so long but it has kept the infections away, I have had no side effects at all. | F | 52 | 600 days | 6/20/2009 | 5 | UTI | none - my pharmacist advised me to make sure I take it with a full meal. Eat half my meal, take the pill and then finish eating. Taking before the meal or right after doesn't offer the same buffering as taking it midway through the meal. Also to make sure to drink loads of water ! | Will take again if needed Macrobid 100mg 2x's a day | F | 46 | 7 days | 7/3/2009 | 5 | UTI | Made my pee green | Got rid of my UTI and I didn't have any noticeable side effects or problems with it... looking at this page I guess I was very lucky. | F | 21 | 5 days | 5/29/2009 | 5 | UTI | None | I was TERRIFIED to take this medication after reading the reviews here and avoided using it for a few days hoping my UTI would go away. I had to take Ativan before my first pill. However, it turned out that I had no side effects. I think it's important to remember that when somebody has a neutral, or good, or only mildly bad, experience with a medication, they often give little thought to the drug and thus don't think to review the medication online. | F | 27 | 5 days | 9/12/2008 | 5 | UTI | None | This drug is awesome! I didn't experience any side effects & it seemed to clear up my infection with a day. I can't believe so many people on here experienced so many horrible side effects. I highly recommend this drug for a UTI. | F | 35 | 7 days | 9/14/2008 | 5 | UTI | Took this medication twice- mixed symptoms. | The first time I took Macrobid, no problems.. cured my UTI and felt better by the end of the 1st day of using it. 2nd time I took the Macrobid, hands flared up... swollen to no end! I went in to urgent care and after explaining to them that I wasn't on any other meds.. the only thing I did all day was go tanning at a salon, the doctor chuckled and told me that I cannot tan while on this medication and should stay out of the sun as much as possible. After prednisone to reduce my swelling and benedryl to follow, he told me to continue and finish my prescription. I did and another success of clearing my UTI. I am now on another round of Macrobid (by request), after having 2 recurring bladder infections where the doctor prescribed cipro, which never completely cleared up my 2 UTIs which began in Jan of 09. I think that everyone will have their own experiences with Macrobid obviously, but there are a lot of precautions that you MUST take while taking this medication for it to be a success. Swelling WILL most likely occur if you spend enough time in the sun while on this medication, or warmer temperatures. You have to follow the instructions, don't drink coffee if you can avoid it... I drink a cup in the morn as opposed to my usual 4-5 cups throughout the day while I'm on macrobid, and PLENTY of water following (Water is key to flushing this out of your system.. keep a water bottle by your side while getting rid of a UTI.) So far I am doing fine with this medication on my 3rd round | F | 38 | 3 days | 3/20/2009 | 5 | urinary tract infection | F | 38 | 5 days | 8/5/2005 | 5 | UTI | Mild tummy ache if taken on an empty stomach. I take it after sex to prevent recurring UTI. Never had a problem. | I don't believe that the symptoms listed here by other visitors are by and large caused by macrobid. You have to know more about people's health in general and how well they take care of themselves before you can take their word for it. www.bfl.com | F | 34 | 10 times | 10/11/2005 | 5 | UTI | I have Interstitial Cystitis and have very resistant chronic infections so was given 30 day course of Macrobid. Already felt sick when I started Macrobid so hard to judge side effects. 4 days after starting Macrobid diagnosed with pneumonia (chronic problem -- have some immune problems not understood yet) and had to take Avelox for this. Felt extremely nauseous but can't blame Macrobid for this. Stopped taking it for a few days (didn't tell doctor) because I just couldn't tolerate two drugs at once. Went back to Macrobid later and finished course of medicine. It made me nauseous and feel like I had the flu, but it worked well. It knocked out the bladder infection completely. | F | 61 | 30 days | 2/17/2006 | 5 | To Prevent Chronic UTI's | None | At about the age of 19 I started getting UTI's. About 3 years ago I finally went to a uroligist who prescribed me Macrobid. I have since been taking a Macrobid every time I have sex. Since I have been on the Macrobid, I have only had to go to the doctor one time for a UTI. This drug has helped me so much! | F | 33 | 3 years | 10/21/2006 | 5 | UTI | none | absolutely no side-effects. the UTI pain is subsiding and my energy is back. thank goodness for this medication. i take a few other medications daily (yaz & concerta), and i notice the side-effects of those more than with this antibiotic. | F | 24 | 7 days | 9/16/2006 | 5 | UTI | None at all | F | 35 | 4 days | 2/7/2006 | 5 | UTI | None at all | F | 35 | 4 days | 2/7/2006 | 5 | UTI | Macrobid, for me, was very effective and safe. Unlike others like Bactrim and Cipro with major side effects, Macrobid was fine for me. | I recommend taking Macrobid for a UTI. | F | 25 | 4 days | 10/18/2006 | 5 | UTI | I experienced no side effects from the medication, however I was actively miscarrying at the time and could have missed some or thought it was related to the pregnancy-loss. | Cleared it up rather quickly with no side effects. | F | 20 | 3 days | 1/22/2006 | 5 | UTI | No problems at all. | I read these comments before I started taking this medication, and was kind of reluctant to start. Thankfully, I experienced nothing like the effects posted here, and it resolved the UTI. | F | 53 | 7 days | 12/5/2005 | 5 | UTI/kidney pain | ZERO - None at all from the Macrobid. There's a big difference between a true side effect and a coincidence. Possibly some of the side effects listed by other people were related to their infection, not the medication. And I am a Certified Pharmacy Technician, too. | Works like a dream. No more kidney pain after only one day on Macrobid. | F | 35 | 7 days | 3/1/2006 | 5 | UTI | depressed, extremely tired, irratable, watery eyes, upset stomach so make sure to eat. | it sucks, but ultimately works -i get chronic UTI's and I havent had one in almost a year because I take 1 cran-max pill a day (Offered by life extention foundation) they make the best and most homeopathic vitamens -i had just stopped taking it bcuz i really thought i would never get one again.) | F | 26 | 3 days | 3/15/2006 | 5 | UTI | Immediately after taking a dose, I experienced a minor amount of lightheadedness/dizziness, sometimes accompanied with a light headache. Within an hour though, this would clear completely. I made sure to take it with food and milk and experienced no unpleasant stomach symptoms. | This is a very strong medicine that can have serious consequences, however, for the amount of prescriptions filled each year for Macrobid, those who experience serious side effects are considered rare. Also, remember that MOST people who come to report about their experiences with drugs on the internet are doing so because of a negative experience they have had. Those who take the drug with no effects don't typically research it online and make claims against it. Macrobid for me was a good experience with only minor discomfort and it knocked my infection out in only 6 pills! | F | 34 | 3 days | 3/4/2006 | 5 | Bladder Infection/UTI | Just mild stomach upset .. take with food & water to prevent. | I have been on this probably 3 times before. I seem to get about 3-4 UTI's a year. I didn't realize you could just take one before/after sex? Either way, it does work very, very fast. I'd say in less than 24 hours you will notice a huge decrease in pain. | F | 22 | 7 days | 1/12/2007 | 5 | UTI - Recurrent | None at all. | I take it for recurrent UTI's. I have to start taking it for 1 month (30 days) to help heal my bladder from all the damage that was done by all the frequent UTI's I had. And then anytime I have sex, I need to take it once after sex and the following day. | F | 37 | 30 days | 1/16/2007 | 5 | UTI | slight diarrhea but the Bactrim I had been taking beforehand had caused constipation so I'm not complaining | I was first prescribed Bactrim for a mild UTI. Six days into the prescription I was climbing the walls, the infection had gotten so bad. The urgent care doctor said that he'd seen a number of patients with infections that were immune to Bactrim even if the patient themselves rarely took anti-biotics. Two days into my generic macrobid prescription and I feel human again. Wish I'd gotten this the first time I saw a doctor. I will be asking for it next time. | F | 35 | 2 days | 7/20/2006 | 5 | UTI | none | Have had only positive reactions to the drug. First antibotic which didn't make me feel like I had an imaging problem and lack of focus. Have reoccuring UTIs and this is the first antibiotic which didn't cause side effects or make me feel disfunctional. Has been my antibiotic of choice for years. | F | 35 | 7 days | 6/10/2006 | 5 | UTI | No side effects at all. | Very effective. | F | 52 | 7 days | 2/2/2007 | 5 | UTI | none.....unless taken without food or milk....causing upset stomach | Works great with me....always clears up any infection. | F | 23 | 3 days | 7/28/2006 | 5 | uti | ate with some food and got a little stomach upset. better to eat more heavily. | had many recurrent uti's. need a variety to use because the e. coli was resistant to several other antibiotics | F | 56 | 7 days | 9/18/2004 | 5 | urinary tract infection | none | F | 65 | 12/14/2004 | 5 | UTI | used to treat and then prevent a UTI | F | 22 | 90 days | 3/21/2004 | 5 | UTI | Nausea, which can be prevented by following instructions and taking the pill with food. | Worked like a charm on my UTI after about an hour or so. | F | 47 | 7 days | 4/25/2007 | 5 | UTI | I had a temperature of 101.5 F the first day, but that could have been the UTI. Otherwise, no side effects. | I was reluctant to take Macrobid because I have had reactions to drugs in the past. But I had no problems at all this time. The medication cleared up the symptoms within 24 hours. | F | 55 | 7 days | 9/24/2007 | 5 | UTI | a pleasantly mild sleepiness | F | 40 | 7 days | 4/11/2005 | 5 | Bladder infections | None | Have been taking Macrobid or generic for years with no side effects. Took for bladder infections and also preventatively occasionally before or after sex when I thought it might cause a bladder infection. Last couple bladder infections were really bad and decided to start taking Macrobid every time I had sex to stop the infections. Have been taking Macrobid pretty much every day for a couple months with no issues. Have a check-up scheduled with my doctor soon and will discuss health issues with her. Everything I am reading here has me really worried that I may be doing something to my body that I am unaware of! | F | 45 | 5 years | 4/4/2007 | 5 | UTI | Sleepy and tired, but that could have been from recent surgery. | I had a laproscopic hysterectomy on Sept. 23rd. Then, on Oct 6, I was diagnosed with a UTI. I was given macrobid and after reading this forum, I ALMOST didn't start it because, frankly, this scared me. I wanted to let everyone know that not everyone has the bad reaction described by so many on here. I was tired and sleepy, and felt like my brain was in a fog, but otherwise, there were none of the horrible side effects described by so many here. | F | 44 | 7 days | 10/14/2009 | 5 | Continuous UTI's | NONE - Scared to death of what others had posted, but I have no issues whatsoever. | Feel soo much better after taking this medicine, I have more energy, sleep well and instant results. | F | 37 | 10 days | 11/3/2009 | 4 | UTI | numbness and tingling in my legs (keeping them elevated really helped), excruciating headaches that felt like a bad flu, eyes hurt if I strained them for any reason, lungs hurt when I took a deep breath, nausea | It really is the only thing that clears up my never ending UTIs, this is the first time that it affected me this badly, the side effects started within an hour of taking the drug and lasted for about 20 hours. As bad as my side effects sound it was much better than the side effects of a UTI. | F | 21 | 3 days | 11/9/2009 | 4 | UTI at 31 weeks preg | extreme headache that felt like sinuses, stiff sore neck and throat, felt like I had no energy, bad stomach cramps and backache, numbness in my right hand. | This med helped my UTI but I had to switch to keflex after 3 days because the side effects were horrible. I would not recommend this medicine if there were other options. | F | 25 | 3 days | 10/29/2009 | 4 | UTI | I am a bit lethargic and my head feels stuffy | I got my Rx of Macrobid this morning, took one pill, suddenly my pain is gone. I have suffered from chronic UTIs for so many years. My doctor said they were a side effect of Endometriosis, I even had surgery for the condition, but this particular symptom kept occurring. Of all of the antibiotics I have taken, this seems to be my miracle pill. Everyone is different though, if your body seems to be rejecting the medication just stop taking it and go do the doctor. | F | 26 | 1 days | 10/29/2009 | 4 | UTI | Mostly fatigue and brain fog. I also have the headache, but I suspect it'ss because my doctor told me not to drink caffeine while on this, so I was in caffeine withdrawal. I ignored her yesterday and had a cup of green tea -- and got the palpitations. So today I made a very weak cup of green tea, teabag in for only about 15 seconds, added an herbal bag for some flavor. That worked: Headache gone, no palpitations, and some of the fog is even lifting. Still pretty fatigued though; dragging butt through the workday. | Seems to be working. 5 more doses to go (out of 14). Let's hope so. But thank heaven, I'm not having most of the nightmare others are describing here. | F | 56 | 5 days | 9/29/2009 | 4 | UTI | None | I've been taking 4 capsules a day (100MG ea.) for the last 14 days and I have had none of the symptoms described on this site. I am taking Nitrofurantoin Mono, which is a generic version. I have two more days and hope I have none of the after effects described here! I am so sorry to hear of all the horrible problems others have had. | F | 49 | 14 days | 9/30/2009 | 4 | UTI / Kidney Infection | Lethargy, joint ache, depression from feeling lethargic, muscle weakness. I'm not sure if this is a side effect of Macorbid, but I now have canker sores that appeared after starting Macrobid that I cannot seem to remedy. | I had no idea that Macrobid had the side effect of exhaustion. I am fit, eat well, and exercise regularly, but while on Macrobid I had NO energy. I have 2 boys under the age of 3 and feel tired majority of the time, but while taking Macrobid I was depleted of all energy. While taking Macrobid I felt my immune system was compromised, I now have canker sores, cold sores, and still feel tired after completing the drug 3-days ago. Hopefully, my energy will return soon. | F | 35 | 7 days | 10/3/2009 | 4 | uti | I had a constant slight headache, that occasionally got bad. some nausea but not too severe. fatigue | i started taking this for a uti, about a day after I noticed that i had a dry throat. I figured it was just a side effect and shrugged it off. As time progressed I was feeling a lot better, but still had a sore throat with some congestion. About a day before my last dose I got a terrible fever of about 102 with fatigue and diziness. I thought it was a side effect, I called the doctor and they said that this medicine shouldn't give me the fever. I then decided to go to the doctor, they said that a bacterial infection formed in my throat and that's what was causing the fever and sore throat. I'm now using amoxicillin for the uti and the the bactirea in my throat. don't be afraid to call a doctor. Not everything is a side effect of the medicine, this website kinda scared me, but now i discovered that the UTI macrobid was doing it's job. | F | 19 | 5 days | 9/17/2009 | 4 | suspected bladder infection; no UTI | fatigue, mild upset stomach | Told to take for 6 days; after 6 days, still had bladder symptom, pain on urination. Told to take for another 14 days, and took only for another 7 days; symptoms disappeared. I took it with two cartons of acidophilis yogurt daily; I took a liquid probiotic as well. I NEVER took it on an empty stomach. Be careful with it. | F | 55 | 13 days | 7/26/2009 | 4 | Preventative after UT Stent | Nausea/Vomiting, Drowsiness, Sour Stomach, Chills, Muscle Aches | The first 5 days on this drug were the worst. I really wanted to quit it before completing the dosage. Between the nausea and vomiting when I was awake and the drowsiness that set in after I felt miserable and spent all of my time in bed. Eating heavily, milk and pepto bismol did not help any of the stomach symptoms. I felt dehydrated quite often during this medication while sleeping; it was not uncommon that I would wake up just to drink something. Chills and Muscle Aches showed up on day 3 and subsided by day 6. I'm still on the medication and other than immediate nausea have passed through the rest of the symptoms. | F | 26 | 3 weeks | 6/20/2007 | 4 | UTI | chills, fever, muscle aches, increased urination, dehydration headache, extremely tired, itching. | Just wanted to say to all you people with this reaction. Do not stop taking the medication. It is an indication that the drug is working! This reaction is called The Herxheimer Reaction. Please Google it and read. It's when you take an antibiotic (the RIGHT antibiotic) and it kills off too many organisms at one time for your body to handle. The many dead bacteria releases toxins into your body and your body is trying to get rid of the toxins. And until it does, you will feel that way. It was only one day for me, and the next day I felt totally normal. If you have an extremely bad infection, it could be longer to get rid of all the toxins. I've also read that the breathing issues some people are having is also part of the Herxheimer reaction. You have to realize, that this would not happen if you were taking a medication that WASN'T killing the very organisms that you are trying to get rid of. The increased urination is also your body trying to rid yourself of the toxins. You | F | 52 | 7 days | 4/12/2007 | 4 | UTI | Fatigue and shortness of breath | As a chronic sufferer of UTIs I can safely say that Macrobid was helpful. I believe my fatigue stems from the condition itself. I have always needed intense rest when suffering from a UTI. | F | 27 | 4 days | 6/5/2007 | 4 | Bladder infection | Took first dose at night, had trouble sleeping because of frequent urination, alternate drowsiness/heart racing, night sweats, nausea. Also dizzy, but not that bad. I'm on my second day taking the Macrobid and feel just fine. UTI pain went away within an hour of taking first dose. | Eat heavily before taking even if you have no appetite to reduce stomach upset. | F | 24 | 2 days | 5/3/2007 | 4 | UTI | Took nitrofurtantoin macro (generic) after reacting badly to Cipro (severe muscle pain & mental fogginess), so I was feeling bad to begin with. I usually get sick from all antibiotics and have to be taken off them, but this is my 2nd time taking nitrofurantoin -- I had no trouble with it last time, and this time it has given me lighter side effects than most other drugs. First couple of days, I just felt like I had low-grade fever and was starting to come down with a cold, but that passed after a couple of days. After each pill, I had some dizziness, tiredness, and was depressed & felt emotionally unsettled right after taking capsule, but it would subside if I didn't think about it. I slept a little more than usual, was more tired after work, and it was a little harder to wake up in the morning, but once I got going, I could function during the day. Nausea didn't start until a few days in -- it was bad for first hour or so after each pill, but would get better, especially i | Remember to drink extra water with the pill and during the day. This stuff works by passing through your urinary track, so you have to help it along. Also take it with food. And I found milk helpful. I haven't been retested yet, so I don't know if I'm "cured", but I feel better than I did a week ago. I am going to look into the cranberry stuff next, as I'm not a fan of antibiotics unless really necessary (I thought the severity of my UTI made this round necessary). | F | 53 | 7 days | 2/13/2007 | 4 | UTI | I've had a horrible headache since the second day taking this med. Has worked great for the infection but this is a killer headache. | F | 50 | 7 days | 10/28/2008 | 4 | UTI | Just wanted to say to another poster, the Herxheimer Reaction does indeed happen with antibiotics as well as Colloidal Silver. It was first recognized in patients being treated for syphilis, and then Lyme's disease. When it happened to me, I felt like total HELL. I could not function, and certainly could not go to work. Slept for 18 hours straight! Chills, body aches, etc. Felt like I had the flu. But, felt absolutely fine a day later! You shouldn't stop taking the medication if this happens. It's doing it's job! | F | 50 | 7 days | 4/22/2007 | 4 | UTI | Feeling like I had the flu (cold, not stomach - I took the pill with food, never had a stomach issue). Felt TIRED and slow, headache, chills. Also experienced difficulty falling asleep (it made me jittery). Finally, I've experienced a strange, metallic taste in my mouth for a couple of hours after taking the pill. | Dosage = 100 mg 2X daily. At this point, I only have one dose left. I'm 36 weeks pregnant so it was my only option for a UTI pretty much. It got rid of the UTI successfully. | F | 31 | 5 days | 1/31/2007 | 4 | utI | Feeling like I had the flu, stomach ache, tiredness...but unable to fall asleep, metallic taste in my mouth, headache, mild depression | I get UTI's about three times a year, especially when sexually active. First dose of macrobid, I didn't feel the need to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. It worked, but it sure took some time getting adjusted to the medicine. | F | 28 | 7 days | 1/2/2007 | 4 | UTI | Very sleepy, drugged feeling. Seems like it has really worked for the UTI though. Also feel very emotional, and depressed, like it is messing with my anti-depressant or something. I want to feel normal again! I will keep taking it for another day or two, but then i am quitting. I think my uti is gone now. | F | 38 | 3 days | 1/18/2007 | 4 | UTI | Soooooo thirsty, tired, low energy, deep sleeps, a little depressed | Seems to be working, can't wait until I'm done though | F | 26 | 7 days | 9/22/2006 | 4 | UTI | I suffered a sinus-like headache first day, but not again. a few days I felt foggy and dizzy, then a bout of being alert. My legs bruised easily... | besides that, by day 4, I had no side-effects. I'm sorry about all these people who went through alot with it, but it does work for alot. I had a bad reaction to Bactrim which interfered with my seizure meds, no seizures, but I had electrial shocks. Macrobid is the only anti-biotic I found that NOWHERE states anything about seizures, so I recommend this drug to Epileptics. | F | 24 | 5 days | 6/12/2006 | 4 | E coli UTI | Just a goofy lightheadedness-the first pill had me "goofy/foggy" to the point driving was out of the question, went away as I kept taking it-about day 4 was able to drive but still sleepy. I put it in pudding when I took it, had no appetite but no stomach upset and had nausea already from UTI. Constipation. | My infection got so bad my legs were hurting as well as my back and abd. The Macobid had the back pain down to a dull roar in a couple days BUT DID NOT CURE MY INFECTION-UTI!!!! Was told that if you have a UTI that has set up camp like mine had following a female exam that MACROBID is not stong enuf or the right drug but is SOP for the DOCs to pass out thanks to the drug reps-kick backs. More of a prevenative than a cure. But I did get some relief of symptoms. Im now on Bactim and hoping for the best! :) Have been on Bactim years ago and it cured me right up-be sure to ASK if MACROBID is right for your infection before doing a 7 day course like I did for NOTHING. | F | 42 | 7 days | 3/20/2006 | 4 | UTI | Severe headache that didn't go away even after taking Imitrex | I didn't experience any nausea but the headache was horrible. It started on my right side, traveled around the forehead and eventually sat in the back of my head until I was done with the meds. | F | 47 | 7 days | 9/20/2006 | 4 | Urinary tract infection | Bad Headaces! | I NEVER have any side effects when I take any medication but with this I would go to bed with a headace and wake up with one they are horrible! | F | 20 | 3 days | 4/11/2006 | 4 | UTI | Flu like symptoms; headache, sleepy, dizzy, chills. VERY tired. VERY irritable. | Medicine worked nearly overnight even though this was one of the worst infections I encountered. Pain eliminated, no cloudiness, odor,etc... Took off from work today(3rd day into the medicine and I never take off) to sleep and slept 15 hours! After reading the reactions others have had I'm reducing my dosage in half and next time will ask for a different drug. Took care of the problem, but created more. | F | 46 | 3 days | 3/7/2007 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
