Symptoms while on Antibiotics

[Anthrop42]

I've been on amoxicillin for about 5 weeks. It was working great for a while, then suddenly last night I started getting weird bladder cramping. Very painful, comes every 10-15 minutes - its like I'm having bladder contractions. Maybe I'll give birth to a big bacteria & be cured! ;-) wouldn't that be nice.

Was just wondering if this has happened to anyone else.

Aline

[lan]

Aline - I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. It is amazing that you are able to keep your sense of humor through all of this - you made me smile. I have considered doing broth testing and trying long term antibiotics since my bladder problems started very suddenly with UTI type symptoms - but I am currently just trying Elavil. So I am sorry that I can not answer your questions, but I hope that you are feeling better soon. Sending healing energy...linda

[Eccles]

Hi Aline, I've been wondering about this too. My urologist has put me on a 3 month course of Nitrofurantoin antibiotics & the bladder pain is unbearable, especially at night. I just can't think why antibiotics should cause such pain.

Forgot to say I'm also having horrible nightmares on the antibiotics - are you?

[sunshine_77us]

antibotics

I've been taking Levaquin 500 mg for the last few days for a bladder infection. Has anyone had problems with that? I have not slept the last 3 nights. I'm at work and really tired but even I lay down I'm wide awake. I just hope it doesn't make me flare.

[PlainJane]

Sunshine,

I had really bad insomnia with Ofloxacin and that's in the same drug group as Levaquin. I normally have insomnia every night but with the Ofloxacin it was just horrible but it did get better with time.

Erica

[Anthrop42]

Linda,
Thanks for the words of support. :-) My "IC" started after recurrent UTIs kept getting worse, so I felt that I must have a bacteria that wasn't diagnosed or treated properly in the first place. So a broth culture & antibiotics seemed logical to me. Good luck with the Elavil & hope you let us know what happens.

Aline

[Anthrop42]

Eccles,

What dosage of nitro are you on?

In January my urologist put me on 6 months of nitrofurantoin, 50mg per day. I tried it for about 3 weeks, & my pain & burning actually got worse. According to Dr. Fugazotto's research, he found that too low a dose of nitro can make enterococcus grow! I stopped taking the nitro & eventually had a broth culture done at United Medical in Feb. While I was waiting for results, I got what seemed like a full-blown, raging UTI on top of my regular symptoms & all I had on hand was the nitro. So out of desperation I took 100mg 4 times a day & it cleared up the major symptoms in about 3 or 4 days. So it was good at a higher dose at least for some temporary relief.

Aline

[Anthrop42]

I've never had sleep problems related to antiobiotics, including nitrofurantoin. I've never taken Levaquin or Oxofloxacin though. I do have really bizarre dreams if I use estriol cream & have bad nightmares if I use the herb Valerian (which is supposed to promote relaxation & sleep). I have to check herbal ingredients carefully because seems they're putting Valerian in lots of blends now.

Cheers,
Aline

[mela414]

I can't take Levaquin anymore. It makes me really dizzy and weird. I had such a bad reation on it the last time I used it and didn't know it was the Levaquin. I couldn't sleep. It keep me up all night and I felt so out of sorts. I too had nightmares and a racing heart. After a few days of being on it I was totally debilitated. Not thinking it was the antibiotic I wound up in the ER. I was just so sick.
Nitrofurantoin has caused me to have more bladder flare just form the med itself but.....it's the only one that really clears any infection for me so sometimes I tough it out.

[CST]

I've had periodic UTI's and usually they prescribe Macrodantin. I hate the stuff and usually take the bare minimum to start feeling better. I know that's not the "proper" way to take antibiotics but otherwise it just makes things worse. High urinary frequency, headache, and it also seems to trigger off an early period every time I take it. One poster had bladder cramps which is interesting. I'm wondering if the antibiotic isn't triggering some type of prostaglandins to be released, kind of like menstrual cramps? I've felt kind of the same thing, don't know whether it's from the uterus being stimulated in some way by the antibiotic and referring the spasms to the bladder or what. My breasts also get very very sore while on antibiotics. Like super bad PMS type symptoms. Which of course makes the whole IC thing worse, (the period), and I feel horrible. My period is often messed up the next month too, with bleeding irregularities. I guess taking the antibiotic knocks out the UTI but geez what a thing to go through. I DREAD taking antibiotics of any kind, they all make me feel like the macrodantin does - like crap. So there are times when I've probably had a UTI and toughed it out til it went away rather than go thru this. Not saying that's a good idea either, just that it's such a pain and problem to take these irritative drugs to knock out infection. They truly do irritate the bladder lining in some chemical way which the docs either don't understand or don't know about. I've never actually discussed this with a doctor, kind of feel what's the point.
Some people say they came down with IC after a long siege of antibiotic therapy, so these chemicals are very powerful and do affect the bladder in ways we aren't really being told.

[jen74]

Hi CST.
I totally agree. I hate taking anti-B's. They can cause a whole lot of damage. I have severe motility issues in my stomach and whole digestive tract and it all started after being on two rounds of antibiotics( amoxicillin and augmentin). That was five years ago and I am still messed up.
I am prone to getting UTI's so this scares me. I took a couple macrodantin pills a couple weeks ago and it stopped me up so bad. My bowels just would not work. It is scary what these drugs can do to you. And no, the doctors will not tell you this, actually, I have had a couple doctors tell me this, they were my gastroenterologist and my neurologist. They said that antibitoics can cause damage to your GI tract since they kill alot of beneficial bacteria that we need and also they can effect the whole body, nerves etc..
For all of you who are thinking about taking long term antibitoics, I would think twice. It is NOT a safe thing to do. I realize that sometimes people have no choice but to be on antibitoics and if that is the case, then there really is no choice, but then I would be sure to take probiotics daily as well to hopefull keep your GI tract healthy as can be while on antibiotics.
Jen

[CST]

Hi Jen,
Yeah, macrodantin (also known as Nitrofurantoin), can have side effects for sure. I'm allergic to sulfa drugs so that's what they usually give me instead.
For me, macro taken more than a few days also causes diarrhea. Like a colitis type reaction, so obviously it's rough on the digestive tract. I agree totally about staying away if possible from long term antibiotic therapy. Taking a "preventive" antibiotic pill every day is not a good idea, in my opinion. Unless the kidneys are threatened by chronic bacterial attack, I think it's safer to even have a mild UTI all the darn time than chronic treatment with these strong chemicals. I don't know what this stuff is made of, but it sure feels chemical to me, not like in the old days of pencillin type drugs. These new types of antibiotics just feel so systemic to me, like they are doing things to my body that go beyond targeting bacteria. I'll look into the probiotic alternatives. I'm not advocating that people totally avoid antibiotics, but just be aware that they are much stronger than you think. To my knowledge, I've never had any problems from not taking the full course of them either. I know, I know, that's a no no. But the alternative is horrible worsening of my IC, and generally making me feel horrible all over. I've done okay with knocking out the UTI symptoms and stopping the meds as soon as I feel better. Not saying that would work for everybody, but I've had to survive somehow. If they come up with something better, hey, I'll take the full course. Until then, I'm wary of it!

[jen74]

Hi CST.
Yes, it is scary what these meds can do to a person. I am also becoming allergic to alot of the anti-B's. I use to be able to take pennicillin, and all of a sudden this year I became allergic. I also became allergic to erythromycin as well. And now miralax , and that is not even an anti-B.
I have been able to take cipro, but it upsets my bladder as well as my gut. But who knows, I may end up becoming allergic to that even, I pray not, because I have no clue what I will take if I get an infection since I seem to be getting allergic reactions to everything.
Anyhow, I do see where your coming from.
Jen

[mela414]

I tried a new antibiotic last night. I've been having horrific reactions to many of them that I fear taking anything. I took a 250 mg of Amoxicilliln and sprinkled out half the contents because I was so afraid of reacting terribly. Sure enough, it made my gut sick, head and flu like symptoms and dizziness! It's now about 14 hours later and I am still feeling weird, weak and sick. I don't even want to go down the list of things that I am feeling. I think I have become so sensitive to chemicals that they affect me more than what is considered normal. In any event I just can't tolerate them!
I will have to reserve them for a really bad acute infection and find something that won't put me in a coma but....just keep me in bed for the short course!
So much for trying a prophlyactic protocol. I seem to get UTI's a lot after intercourse.....even with all the precautions! What can I do besides staying celibate?????

[helpsamantha]

Yeah,

I had my first antibiotic experience 6 mo ago with a uspected UTI (my first) Took Bactrim which made me HORRIBLY sick all over and finally started to close up my throat. After I stopped, I learned about antibiotic allergies!


Now for UTI's I can take macrobid (nitrofuradantin) and it seems to help as much as anything. I once tried it in the maintenence dose but had bad symptoms and white cells a week after starting and had to go on a full course of cipro which did not work. Then a full and very expensive course of levaquin which finaly started to make me feel better. Levaquin is a bad dude. It made me stay awake at night if I took it then. I had to take it in mornings only. It also made me a bit dizzy. THe higher dose of macrobid is what helped most and had no side effects on me. I know everybody is different.

I chew up pills of any kind so I always eat with them. I eat huge meals with antibiotics of any kind which makes me gain weight and I hate that.

I am trying to just ride it out if it isn't too bad. WHo can tell if any of this is a real UTI anyway? I live a long way from any lab where they look under a microscope. All my local doctor does is use those test strips to see white cells. I understand IC may make white cells come around anyhow so this is no test of a UTI for my body right now.