Really allergic to Flagyl?

[maryinflorida]

After a 2-day sting on Flagyl last week that almost killed me I wonder if many of the horrible symptoms we get when battling Cdiff could be from the antibiotic itself? I had some surgery and my surgeon put me on IV Flaglyl and IV Vanco (the “safest” ones for me) just to comply with the profilactic antibiotic requirement. It was supposed to be just a one-time pre-op thing but I developed a fever so he had to leave me on them. By the second day I was so sick even my husband thought I was dying! Just opening my eyes made me totally nauseous and dizzy, I was not very coherent, had trouble keeping the simplest thought in my head, was to weak to even sit up, and could not get that spirometer to even hit 500 (I think 1000 is the minimum they want). Have anybody here ever demanded to see a doctor at 2am while staying at a hospital? Guess what:There are no doctors available unless there is a Code Blue!!! The head nurse finally agreed to stop the Flagyl IV until I could see a doctor in the morning, and by the time one showed up just a few hours later I was already feeling better. Of course that wasn’t the end of it and there were other complications BUT as soon as they took me off Flagyl the nausea, the extreme fatigue, and the hypersensitivity to light got better and I was able to get out of bed, blow on that thing, eat, and get rid of the fever---in other words, recover from the operation and get out of that hospital before I caught something worse. From now on I’m putting down “Allergic to Flagyl” on my medical records because I think I rather die than take that antibiotic again!

(I think this one has to go under Venting!)

Any other bad reactions to Flagyl out there?

[Allison]

Hi Mary,

Sorry you suffered the wrath of flagyl...you're in good company here. It is not a very benign drug and many folks just can't tolerate it. You got some of the worst effects, and all at once it seems! UGH
Fortunately, all this related stuff should fade away.

The worst for me was the nausea, headaches, and peripheral neuropathy.
On my med info it says, "Metronidizole contraindicated. Adverse reaction: Neuro-toxicity"
I didn't have to suggest that, my doc did it when he saw what kind of shape I was in.

Most of these side effects fall under "adverse reaction" and are not an allergy. If it were a true allergic reaction flagyl would prompt a histamine response and cause all those common symptoms - throat swelling, itching, rash. That is pretty rare.

...and then there's people like my SIL who think flagyl is like a wonder drug. She is prone to BV (bacterial vaginosis) and practically lives on the stuff with no troubles whatsoever.
We're just so darn lucky.

Glad you're on the mend!

[maryinflorida]

Hi Allison,

You are right about this being a strong adverse reaction more than a true allergy, but I think I'm still going to list it under "allergies" so they take it seriously. The reaction I had was almost identical (and just as bad) as when I ended up in the ER and later admitted to the hospital with cdiff. Lucky for me, I had no problems with vanco, except for my insurance barking at paying for a 30-day prescription.

[cindym]

I would much prefer death as to ever experience Flagyl again! It put me in a wheelchair for 2 months and almost killed me! It also made cdiff much worse to the point of p.colitis!

[maryinflorida]

Amen! I thought it was just me!

[texaslady]

I thought it was the C diff that was making me feel so bad, but once I got off the flagyl I felt a lot better, the nausea was gone, my appetite came back and the brain fog got better. The vancomycin didn't seem to give me any problems at all. I think I will tell my doctor , I don't want the flagyl again. I guess we all react differently.

[asusa]

I was on Flagyl twice and both times, it wore me out - all I could do was lie on the sofa and moan. I was too weak to stand up, eat, or even watch tv. This is not me - the energizer bunny of activity.

The first time I completed the days required because my cdiff was so strong [fever, distended abdomen, pain], but the second time my symptoms were not so painful so I called the doctor and said no thanks.

Susanne - 2 years and tired of it.

[diane]

I was reading your post and the horrible memories of flagyl came back like it was yesterday.. It did those things to me... I seriously thought I was dying. Good thing you got to come off of it. I have it on the chart as an allergy!!!!! I never want that stuff again.

[rnee1974]

I think I was allergic to Flagyl.The first time on it the only thing I could show was a rash around my bikini line and the doctor said humidity????No not at all and I knew it,a couple of days later it had spread to both butt cheeks.Second round of flagyl and me telling the doctor that this stuff is bad for me,4 or 5 days into it I was a mess.Every muscle in me was shaking,I felt so ill and it`s so hard to explain but I was lost,confused and couldn`t explain myself.I guess I count myself lucky that I have never had a fever from C-Dificile,and this is probably the reason i`ve been brushed off by most doctors.Finally got referred to a specialist and feel I`m in good hands and am taking Vaco,which is much more tolerable.Still feel horrible but after reading the site,kinda count myself lucky??Lucky is a poor choice of words but I guess it could beworse

[carmene]

I was on Flagyl too a couple months ago and i had all type of symptoms including severe back pain, anxiety, headache, dizzyness, lost of appetite and so on. Flagyl is horrible... here is this website it's all about the flagyl side effects.