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Bactrim User Reviews & Ratings

Bactrim has an average rating of 4.8 out of 10 from a total of 514 reviews on Drugs.com. 42% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 42% reported a negative experience.

Reviews for Bactrim

  • Itll...
  • August 17, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I prayed long and hard, I want to pay it forward so someone else didn’t experience the anxiety that came with looking at these reviews. Know that you’re taking this because you have an infection, and that in itself can make you feel miserable. A lot of these side effects mentioned are parallel with symptoms of a significant infection. So there’s that. Take AFTER you eat. Not a “bite of banana. Eat a good meal- Take with a full bottle of water- I took mine with benedryl due to the fact my skin gets itchy ( not a rash) I also took a GOOD probiotic to counter any gut microbiome disruption. Eat bananas- simple foods- not greasy meals. Avoid extra sun exposure or anything that will zap you. Yes, it can make your stomach a little off, but it was tolerable and I was on it twice a day for 5 days 800mg. I was scared- and I will add have FAITH. Let it go. You’re taking it to heal- it’s not always a happy walk in the park process. Every single person reacts different Hope this helps someone."

8 / 10
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  • Sadie
  • April 21, 2021

For Urinary Tract Infection "Let me tell you, I was so nervous to start Bactrim after reading these reviews. I thought for sure I was going to have terrible side effects. Turns out, I’m completely fine. The most I’ve had is some nausea/lack of appetite but I get that with almost all antibiotics. Make sure you eat a meal ahead of taking each pill and drink lots of water. As long as you’re not allergic to sulfa drugs, I can almost guarantee that you’re going to be ok :). Remember, temporary side effects are better than a kidney infection!!"

9 / 10
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  • Leia
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 8, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I have an intense phobia of taking meds due to a life threatening experience with another antibiotic, so I've been tuned into any possible side effect forming within my body after reading all the warnings for this med. I was diagnosed with a severe UTI that was starting to effect my kidneys, so my doc said it was imperative I take medication and prescribed Bactrim DS for 7 days, twice a day. I have had 2 full doses, and 24 hours about 70% of my UTI symptoms have disappeared and I have had virtually no negative side effects. Within 48 hours almost completely gone. I do have some very mild itching with no rash or redness that comes and goes. And heartburn (potentially from a combo of taking the med plus cranberry juice that already gives me heartburn sometimes). That's it! Energy is fine, no weird pains, no tummy specific issues, etc. I am only on day 2, so if anything scary happens, I will update that info. So far, I have had a good experience with Bactrim!"

10 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Mel
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • December 18, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I just wanted to share my experience for people like me that are anxious about trying new drugs and see all these bad reviews. Only people who had a bad experience/are allergic tend to write reviews. Probably 90% of people who took Bactrim had no side effects. On that note, I was prescribed this for a moderate bacterial infection. It was probably 50% healed overnight after starting antibiotics, with only VERY minor side effects. It made me pretty tired and gave me a teeny bit of heartburn but that’s it. Don’t worry, major side effects are rare. :)"

8 / 10
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  • Maria
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • November 8, 2019

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I started getting boils about a couple of years ago. And they are the worse! Took me along time to figure out what I could do to get some relief and make them go away. My dr prescribes me Bactrim and it starts to relieve the pressure and they start going down within 24 hours. I also like to put this boil salve on them with a bandaid, to keep it on there and without a mess. And the two work great! I see a lot of bad reviews. Well I have had bad anxiety/panic attacks for over 10 years now and Bactrim does not make it any worse. I don't have any side effects from this antibiotic. It works great for me. Some people may read reviews that are bad and they may think themselves into a panic attack. If you're allergic to it, that's another thing. Can't do anything for that. I'm just happy I have found an antibiotic that gets rid of these severe painful boils!"

10 / 10
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Are you taking this medicine?

  • Cano
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 8, 2021

For Urinary Tract Infection "Gave me severe anxiety, I felt like I was psychotic. Panic attack where I could barely even talk, eyes were bugging out. I am not a mentally ill person in any way and I have never felt this way before in my life the way this pill made me feel. I almost didn’t know it was the drug until I checked this website and read that everyone and their mothers have experienced severe anxiety caused by this pill. Doctor told me it doesn’t cause anxiety to continue taking it today so it looks like I won’t be listening to them after reading a web page full of people with complaints of severe anxiety and panic. I also definitely felt like I was losing myself/my mind without knowing why as someone has mentioned on here before. It’s tricky because physically I have not had issues with this pill I was not sick from it so I thought everything was going well, but it really messed with my brain. Do not take this."

1 / 10
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  • Niki
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 4, 2021

For Bacterial Infection "Noo!!! Do not take this medicine. I was at the hospital a week ago for a severe UTI they prescribed me Bactrim. They wanted me to take it twice daily for 10 days. I made it to day 6 and tonight I feel so bad. My legs are tingling my tongue feels tingly and my mouth is super dry. I’m having bad stomach cramps and my ears hurt. This is all from this medicine. I’ve been having severe headaches, nausea and my anxiety is so bad. Please be very aware with taking this medicine."

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More FAQ

  • Hilgy
  • September 16, 2014

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Contacted MRSA and received Bactrim for 14 days and cleared. Three years later contacted cellulitus from a wound not taken care of by me. Bactrim took care of it. Dangerous conditions cured with Bactrim."

10 / 10
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  • Lirpa
  • October 30, 2013

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Can't live without having this in by medicine cabinet. At the onset of a suspected boil I take this and problem solved! I have been taking this for many years. Before Bactrim I had boil after boil, scars, and embarrassment. Miracle drug for boils, who cares about minor side effects!!!"

10 / 10
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  • Girl...
  • February 6, 2017

For Bacterial Skin Infection "First and foremost I want to let you all know, reading things on the internet, WILL NOT help, nor really be a good indicator of your personal reaction to any drug. There are many negative reviews here for Bactrim, and I'm on day 3 of a 10 day dose for a staph infection (cellulitis) on, of all places the right side of my face/right ear (its wonderful!). Here's my experience: Side Effects: Fatigue, headaches (though not consistent). I have a weaker stomach, and its doing just fine with my probiotic (get one with 30billion strands) and drinking lots of water/eating while taking it. The infection is clearing up. Day 3 was when I really noticed. Don't be anxious when taking this, its definitely a mind over matter thing sometimes too."

8 / 10
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  • Wow
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 9, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was on this drug for only 2 days until I had the worst stomach pains ever like it knocked the wind out of me. I had severe diarrhea with mucus and blood that lasted for weeks after discontinued use. It has been a month and I still have nausea with severe abdominal pains, headaches, anxiety, light sensitivity, white bumps on my gums. I’m scared that my organs are damaged which I am currently being tested for. I have never had any of these symptoms before and was perfectly healthy! I am young too. This drug RUINED my life. I would rate this drug in the negatives if I could. Should not be allowed to be prescribed!"

1 / 10
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  • kdezzle
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 13, 2019

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Posting my experience to hopefully put some minds at ease as reading these reviews really scared me! I am very sensitive to antibiotics and have had adverse reactions to the past three I have taken. I was prescribed Bactrim for a nasty spider bite to help it & prevent further infection. On day two I already experience immense relief from the pain and the bite started to shrink. I now am on day five and have had no side effects at all except some fatigue and minor nausea at night. Definitely bearable. Be sure to take a probiotic and remember everyone’s body is different! I am happy I finally found an antibiotic that agrees with me."

8 / 10
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  • Julu
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 26, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "After a week of experiencing painful, and uncomfortably annoying UTI symptoms, I went to the doctor, and was prescribed Bactrim for 7 days. I have no insurance, but I was able to get 14 pills for $7.00 with Good RX. 30 minutes after taking the first pill, the feeling of urgency left. When I went to the restroom, there was almost no pain. I am on my third day, and I am feeling close to normal. The urgency is gone, and the pain while urinating is gone. The only side effects I can say I am experiencing is a slight lost in appetite and a little neck pain and joint pain in my hands. But on a scale of 1 to 10, I would say that those symptoms are at a 3. I see that many of the reviews on this medicine are scary. But just know that everyone's body is different, even to the point of pain tolerance. So what might be okay for one person, might not be so for another. Either way, the benefit of being relieved of my UTI symptoms far outweigh the other risks of side effects."

8 / 10
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  • Crazy
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 26, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I had a staph infection and I am also on paxil for depression. I used bactrim for eight days and became very sick. My depression was very severe with this drug. Cold sweats, very weak, mouth issues, nerve pain in legs, headache insomnia and what makes it worse is that you are on a roller coaster. "

2 / 10
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  • UseYo...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 19, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "Was given Bactrim for my UTI. Read online reviews and was terrified of taking it, especially since I had a severe allergic reaction to Cipro years ago. Literally nothing happened. Some mild stomach issues, a small headache here and there and tons of anxiety (my own doing) but it went pretty well. Symptoms of UTI went away in a day or less. Don't read reviews...you don't know other people's bodies and what conditions they have that contribute to their side effects."

9 / 10
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  • Col
  • August 18, 2018

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I’m on a Day 4 of very high dose (2 tabls twice a day) and it’s about the same as when I took it years ago (so far). On second day felt queasy, tongue and lips a little irritable, gut uncomfortable, generally crummy. By end of third day better on all fronts and expect/hope to be ok (using for a MRSA boil; redness going away rapidly!). I (almost) eliminated refined sugar, drink lots of water, not too much sun. Why so many bad reviews? I guess people who do ok (vast majority) don’t visit the site or leave comments. Hope this helps."

9 / 10
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  • LizzyC
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 12, 2017

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I broke out in blisters on face, scalp, and chest. These were oozing a clear sticky fluid that literally melted the skin it oozed over. Tried everything over the counter and homeopathic but this flesh eating infection would not clear. Finally went to urgent care and was prescribed Bactrim for an assumed MRSA skin infection. Within The first 24 hours I had noticeable improvement. Sores weren't burning red and swollen, by 3rd day some scabs are already falling off with healthy pink skin underneath, no ooze, no new blisters. Day 5 you would hardly know I had a skin problem. All clear. Only side effect I had was loss of appetite. Didn't want to eat, nothing sounded good. Lost 4 pounds. Not everyone reacts bad to Bactrim."

8 / 10
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  • Kd0520
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 27, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I took Bactrim for 4 days. On the 4th day, I started having leg pain. The day after I quit the meds, I had all over body aches, a low grade temp off and on and just a feeling of being ick. The next day, my aches went away but held on to the low grade temp, headache and weakness for two more days. During the course of the medication, I also had a pounding heart and no appetite. It did clear the infection though. I think I had a bad reaction and only wanted to report these so that others might know if they have the same thing happening to them. It took about 5 days from my last pill that I feel better."

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  • Krist...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 9, 2023

For Urinary Tract Infection "I had a burning bad UTI and was started on Bactrim. After reading the reviews, I was terrified! Being someone who already suffers from anxiety, the reviews had me incredibly anxious!! I get so anxious about taking medicine, and I should know better than to read reviews. I ended up taking the full course, and I was fine, and it fixed my UTI. I experienced unnecessary anxiety because I got myself so anxious reading the reviews and worrying over it!! I also had a little bit of issues with swallowing them because they are so big, but I ended up cutting them in half with a pill cutter and taking the two halves instead, and that solved that issue. All in all, I wish I wouldn't have read all of the bad reviews and made myself so anxious. I understand everyone is different, so medicine works and affects each of us differently. However, I thought I would come back and leave this review to possibly ease the mind of someone like myself who needs the Bactrim but feels so scared because of the reviews."

9 / 10
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  • Lauren
  • January 8, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed Bactrim for a UTI. Felt fine the first day. By day 2, I experienced horrible symptoms or side effects. I was having severe anxiety, nausea, increased heart rate, and shaking in my body. Called my doctor and she said to continue taking it but after reading all of these reviews I’ve decided to stop taking the antibiotics. So scary to see so many other women going through the same thing!"

1 / 10
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  • irair...
  • June 3, 2016

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Day 3 on BACTRIM due to MRSA. Abscess was lanced and drained 5 days ago. Swelling/Pain of the abscess has finally begun remission. I did suffer from the reported migraine headache all day yesterday and it was quite debilitating, but no such headache today and I'm finally back at work. Also suffered from some seriously painful abdominal cramps that produced very loose/watery stool. Not much of an appetite today and feeling a little shaky so make sure you eat even if you don't want to. This drug is definitely very effective for treatment of MRSA. If the migraines were constant as others described I wouldn't not be back at work today. All my best wishes to everyone reading this."

10 / 10
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  • Amy
  • August 23, 2014

For Acne "I love this. It is the ONLY thing that has ever cleared up my acne (face and body) completely. I've tried Proactiv, Retin-A, salicyclic acid products, benzoyl peroxide products, the sun, avoiding the sun, only skin-healthy foods, enough sleep, etc., etc. and nothing works long term consistently. Life is just miserable when you have to show a pimply face- you are perceived as ugly and not clean. I'll take the risks of too much antibiotic use over being treated poorly for my appearance."

10 / 10
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  • Jae
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • December 23, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "honestly not terrible. I was prescribed Bactrim 2 doses/day for 7 days after they prescribed keflex (which didn’t work). A little nausea after the first couple doses, some indigestion, some lower back pain. As long as you drink lots of water with the pill and throughout the day the side effects are pretty mild. I had ginger chews and pepto for stomach issues that worked well. Eat a big meal before you take the pill too. kombucha, yogurt, and probiotics during and after the course will help your stomach heal. I would much prefer this over a kidney infection. If you’re having major side effects from day one, perhaps try something different. Everyone reacts differently!"

7 / 10
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  • LaCole
  • October 7, 2014

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I took Bactrim for a while now for bacteria of the hair follicles and it has helped a lot plus using dial soap. But every time I get boils it heals them. I don't have any side effects to the medicine. Every time I get this infection I have to take Bactrim because I can't take penicillin."

10 / 10
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  • The...
  • April 12, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "Took bactrim for 10 days...felt ok...a week after completing the bactrim I felt like I had the flu. Major insomnia and feeling the sweats and increased heart rate. Would never take it again...hoping to feel normal again!...drinking a ton of water....but will never take it again..."

9 / 10
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55 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.