I am prone to uti's. I am 30 years old and have been getting them since I was a child. I have been given cipro countless times for uti's with no adverse reactions. I recently developed another uti and began taking cipro as usual, but by the third day I began to itch all over my body. I stopped the cipro at this point, but the itching has not subsided and it has been three days since I stopped taking it. I also get some burning sensation on my skin and a little tingly at times. It is worse at night and I haven't had a good nights sleep since this started. This is driving me CRAZY and I have found little to nothing to really stop the itching. The most relief I get is when I soak in a bath with baking soda. I feel extremely run down most of the time. I am also having bouts of chills and just being generally cold while others are comfortable. This is unusual for me because I am usually hot when others are cold. I am getting some nagging feelings of depression as well that I am trying to snap out of. I have done some research on cipro and other antibiotics in the same family and have found experiences of others that are very similar to mine. I have also found some incredibly terrible and frightening potential side effects that have been deadly to more than just a few and some have expressed that they wished they were dead rather than experience the ill effects from these drugs. I am trying to not overreact, but I am concerned. If this is from the cipro, will it subside? Or will it only get worse? Should I worry that it is something else causing my symptoms? Anyone with any insight would be greatly appreciated. I am reluctant to see my dr again because I have recently felt less confident in him and really many dr's in general, but I don't want to be missing something potentially serious. Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Dana
Itching all over my body. Could this be a reaction to cipro? Taken cipro many times with no problem?
Question posted by Dana_Bee on 16 Dec 2014
Last updated on 22 November 2020 by kkpinnola
6 Answers
Right now I am itching from head to toe. Cipro ended last night. The itch began Saturday. I took one Diflucan. I cannot take only one of them. Has to be 2, sometimes more. I think the UTI is gone. Also, I had blood work by my cardiologist last week, and he said everything was functioning well and my levels of whatever he had tested were fine. SO NO important medical issues with organs.
Here is the thing. He gave me two "new drugs" to try for my blood pressure. One I was taking a small amount of already, and the other is new. It is NOT one of the regular drugs of the four main categories of blood pressure medicine. I cannot take any of those.
SO... am I itchy because of the Cipro? Yeast infection all over? (Nobody seems to believe me that when yeast hits me; it hits all over, usually.) So I guess I keep taking the cardio new meds and see how this pans out in the next few days. I do have ONE more Diflucan that I can take tonight or tomorrow. I am taking Benadryl during this day.
How much Diflucan have you usually been given for one infection?
I had a urologist give me 6 to take in a week! Really!
Nobody else is like that! I will likely call my doctor's office tomorrow to ask for more Diflucan. Even my eyebrows itch. I have been told to take daily "between 50 to 100 billion (strains?) probiotics." Less is ineffective, said my urogynecologist.
How do you handle things when the itching might be due to something else like another new drug? But probably Cipro? This itching is like I also have yeast all over my body. But inside it.
One more thing about Diflucan. Twenty-three years ago or so, my husband had cancer and had to be on chemo. He itched all over, day and night. This was when Diflucan was a new medicine for yeast infections. I told him to ask his oncologist if he could try it. Doctor said he could. Well, it took a couple of days, but my husband stopped itching. He took it thereafter every time he was on chemo. FYI
Glad I found this site.
I'm learning a lot more reading your remarks. I've been itching like crazy and never thought it might be Cipro effects. I thought it was because of diabetes. I'm just now recovering from an Achilles injury caused by a simple movement in a yoga class because I took Cipro for 5 years for UTI's.
Please let.me know if an yone has answer. I was told I was crazy by dermatologist. You can see something very small. It look like maggots. Md said not. The itching is uncontrollable. Especially head and arms. Eyes feel like they have sand in them. I have been on antibiotics for 3 weeks now. I was just put on Cipro. I am having nausea and terrible headaches. Could Cipro cause headaches and N &V ? I feel like I have we gone from worse to worst. Please help.
I also get frequent UTI’s but have never taken Cipro until 2 weeks ago. The doctor gave it to me to take twice a day for 10 days. I took my last dose on Sunday then woke up Tuesday morning and my entire head itched, then bumps popped up on my arm that looked like mosquito bites but itched... after a while I was determined I had poison ivy. The next day it was worse and itching was horrible but didn’t look like poison ivy. Looked like whelps and purple spots. I had it on my face and my lymph node was swollen and my hands were badly swollen. Couldn’t sleep at all last night and went to the dr today and she said it is very highly extremely rare that people have this type of reaction but gave me a steroid shot and Zyrtec and told me to also take Benadryl. I hope your issue was resolved because now I realize this post was almost 2 years ago!
I just wanted to put this out there, because I am having a hard time finding out what is wrong. I just realized the antibiotic I was given for a UTI in July was cipro and not keflex like I originally thought. (Found the old bottle in my cabinet). Keflex would make sense if I reacted because I am also allergic to other antibiotics of the same family. But this was Cipro now...
What happened with me, about 5 days into the antibiotics course, I noticed I was itching all up and down my arms, but just where the skin was exposed to the light. At first, small pinpoint rash all the way to my fingers. It was hard to see the rash, maybe due to suntan, but I could see the texture of my skin was bumpy. Also, near the crook of my elbow, on the inside, a raised itchy puffy area, and above the crooks of both elbows, a white patch surrounded by red. Also exacerbated a lesion on my inner arm that had been there a while, that I could never quite figure out the cause.
At first the itchy spots were only where my skin was exposed, chest, shins and lower arms. Feet and head were spared. In retrospect, it seemed to come and go with the same frequency with which I had antibiotics for UTI's beginning about 2 years bad, so, once every few (3-6) months. I though maybe this is a fungal infection, like tinea or ringworm, possibly opportunistic due to the antibiotics killing protective bacteria on my skin. The OTC anti-fungal was somewhat effective, but the lesions were still present after 6 weeks of treating, so I went to my primary care Dr. They said it's ringworm and prescribed Nystatin and a steroid cream. After 4 weeks, this also didn't really work, and the rash seemed to spread, even when it was healing where I put the cream... I went back in, and they gave me a steroid shot and referral to a dermatologist. The streroid shot helped for about 4 days. some of the really persistent lesions went away, but I then began itching all over my back, more on my shoulders, thighs and other places where previously no problem. The derm said it is nummular eczema and said I will always have it and prescribed more steroid cream... :/
I have lost a lot of faith in doctors. I don't believe they understand the consequences of the antibiotics and also the steroids they constantly prescribe. Currently seeking out probiotic remedies to see if that helps.
I wanted to share this as I felt so lost. There is no information out there.
Doctors go by what's written in text books, but I go by what I see as cause and effect... took antibiotics, got rash that has lasted months after the antibiotic treatment. This was July, it is now October.
You could have a yeast infection, call and speak to the nurse about it tell her your concerned, did you take something for yeast ? it can cause a lot of things to the body, anytime you take antibiotis it takes the good bacterial out of you gut, you should take a probiotic to put it back if not then you can have a over growth of yeast, ,fluconazole 150 mg in one pill is all you need for that, it can be horrible I been there, had all the effects you are having, I learned to take a probiotic and eat yogurt this helps your digestive tract, hope this help you some. If its a reaction to it the nurse may want you to come back in for a recheck. or find another doctor if you are not satisfied with him, but get seen by someone, good luck.
Thanks, SHEsevEN4. I actually have been taking a regular daily probiotic for awhile now because of being on so many antibiotics. Since about September or so, I have been so sick. Just one thing after another. 5 or 6 urinary tract infections. Then infectious mono (which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy). I got myself a really good probiotic and a supplement for urinary health and I had finally started to feel better... I would even say I was feeling really good again and I had not been able to say I felt really good in so long. Then I woke up with another stupid uti last Thursday. You know I do wonder if it might still be an overgrowth of yeast because I have noticed some slight white splotchiness on my tongue. Maybe thrush?? It is very very faint though. I did end up going to urgent care and was prescribed a strong antihistamine, but I honestly don't notice it helping very much. The dr said it would make me very sleepy, so to take it at night.
My itching is at its worst at night and been keeping me awake, so I was happy to get something that was also sedating but I still itch and itch all night and have trouble sleeping. Last night I ended up having to take absolutely every peice of clothing off before I could fall asleep because everything touching my skin made me itch like crazy! I don't know what is going on! I had the dr draw blood and check my liver and kidneys, etc to insure it isn't something more serious causing the itching and all my blood work looked really good. That is definitely a relief, but I'm still itching:(. I decided its high time I see a urologist because of how often I get uti's and I have an appt this coming Tuesday. If the itching hasn't stopped by then, maybe this dr will be knowledgeable enough about the side effects of cipro (since it's is prescribed so often for uti's) and have some solution for me. Anywho, sorry for the lengthy response. Thank you for your comment. I am going to take a look at my probiotic and do some research and make sure I am taking the best one to meet my needs. Thanks again for your response.
I'm glad you got that appointment, for the mouth Oral Ntstatin is used to wash out your mouth not swoller. I have had it to, thought I would never get it under control, don't give up until you are confortable again, I got my probiotic from a health food store, Ultimate Flora it has 50 billion strains, has helped me a lot, keep me posted, hope you get help with this soon.
I would see a dr if I were you. This class of meds can really mess you up. Its worth getting checked. And did you try taking an antihistamine for the itch?
Yes, I have been taking Benadryl at night and Zyrtec during the day. Also have been using hydrocortisone cream, but really soaking in a bath with baking soda has given me the most relief. However it only lasts while I am in the bath. :( I need to see a urologist for sure because this is my sixth uti since September. I am just so reluctant to see my reg dr because I feel that he doesn't take me seriously and has argued with a diagnoses of mono I was given while in the hospital, saying he thought I got a false positive. I think it may have been a pride thing because he didn't make the diagnoses. I have since then tried out another dr, but both of these dr's have prescribed me cipro with out giving it a second thought and I am angered that they are not more careful considering what this class of antibiotics can do to you. I know I should get checked out, but I just don't know who I can trust. It's so frustrating.
I have the same symptoms. I had some bloodwork done by my dr. Kidney problems.
Related topics
cipro, urinary tract infection, bladder infection, pruritus, kidney infections, reaction
Further information
- Cipro uses and safety info
- Cipro prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Cipro (detailed)
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