Cipro and Nausea: What Users Say

• Sav...
• January 23, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "Despite all the side effects that are plaguing other users, I believe Cipro is worth a try - it is the most effective antibiotic I have been prescribed for UTI, and I experience little to no side effects. The only time I tried to take Macrobid, I experienced fever, nausea, muscle pain, dizziness, and had to call in sick to work last minute because I'd slept through the whole day prior. So considering alternatives, I trust Cipro for MY use."

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was given ciprofloxacin when I was 18 as a cure for my UTI, that wasn't a bad one. The UTI went away, but I was left with constant nausea, abdominal pains, loss of appetite for multiple days, and chills and fever at night, making it impossible to sleep, so the Cipro had the hideous long-term side effects. Cipro is the worst medication I’ve ever been prescribed and should be taken off the market. This drug is so awful. It has altered my stomach and its sensitivity for life. :( This drug sent me to the ER, and I was fed through an IV for 2-3 days. HORRIBLE!"

• Tou...
• January 23, 2013

For Bladder Infection "I took one dose and within about 3 hours the blood started to clear from the urine, and pain lessened; however, soon I got a bad headache, nausea, and chills. Within about 12 hours from the first (and only) dose, I was in the hospital - vomiting and feeling miserable. I was there for 3 days taking a different antibiotic and fluids by IV. One week later, bad diarrhea, and pain in the knee joint. Must be allergic to Cipro - will remember that for sure!"

• Emp...
• April 30, 2010

For Urinary Tract Infection "I used Cipro for a urinary tract infection. I do not usually get urinary tract infections. The first night I took it, I felt better by the next morning. It took a few hours before I felt better where I didn't have to go to the bathroom every 3 minutes, but it let me sleep and by the next day, that burning sensation had gone away. The only side effect was I felt nauseated and sluggish the first day. After that, it was great to get back to normal."

• Sam...
• August 13, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "Not a fan. Went to urgent care for a particularly painful UTI and was prescribed Cipro and immediately took the first dose. The plus side is it started working almost immediately. 24 hours later and I'm about 90% better already. However, after taking the second pill, I developed some slight nausea and then, several hours later, noticed some muscle pain in my calves and behind my knees, and it has now spread to my shoulders and wrists. After reading that Cipro can cause serious and permanent damage, I quit using it immediately and asked to be switched to a different antibiotic. Not worth it!"

• Yaz...
• June 18, 2018

For Diverticulitis "This works, but the side effects are horrible. Nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, right-side neck and shoulder pain and stiffness, mental fog, and general malaise. This medication has 'black box' warnings I was never told about, what a mess. Quitting after 5 days and hoping for the best. Nasty stuff! If there is an alternative, they should not even prescribe this stuff!"

• Abr...
• May 1, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "I had kidney pain. Back back. Pain that went down to my leg, and I couldn't sleep. Thought it was from maybe overdrinking, so I drank a lot of water, but 7 days later, after eating only vegetables and fruits and taking cranberry juice and antioxidants, I went to the doctor. After my first pill, the pressure was gone, and after the second pill (500 mg), the pain was gone. It works!! No side effects other than slight nausea, but that's nothing compared to one week of pain and sleepless nights."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "I have a bad UTI and was doubled over in severe pain. After the first pill of Cipro (500 mg), the pain has lessened dramatically. I'm shocked it worked so quickly! However, all antibiotics make me nauseous and fatigued, but I'll take that over severe pain."

• Anonymous
• March 5, 2011

For Bladder Infection "I had to stop taking the medicine due to getting yellowing of the skin, fevers, nightmares, severe headaches, dizziness, hot flashes, restlessness, nausea, etc. The medicine was fine until about three days into it, then I began to feel worse, and it was even hard for me to breathe. I may be one of the select few who reacted this way, and I followed everything that I was told to do exactly."

• Jew...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2013

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was put on a dose of 1000 mg a day. Took care of the urinary tract infection like a charm, but the side effects were not pleasant. I had heartburn and nausea after every dose, and antacids can't be taken for 2 hrs. after. I also had headaches and kept smelling burning plastic."

• lan...
• November 25, 2014

For Urinary Tract Infection "Symptoms I had before being put on Cipro were the usual - blood in urine, pressure on bladder, need to pee every 10 seconds even after going, stinging. After being on 500 mg twice, almost all the symptoms were gone, but the side effects were horrible. I had nausea, headache, diarrhea, drowsiness, and some chest pain. The size of the pills is relatively huge too. Not supposed to split them, but I did anyway because it got stuck in my throat and made me throw up my dinner once. I put the split pill into a 00 veggie capsule, which makes it easy to swallow, and I can't taste the bitterness."

• Mea...
• June 16, 2019

For Bladder Infection "I was given Cipro as I was leaving a hospital where I was treated for a bladder infection. I became confused and nauseous after being on it for 1.5 days and stopped taking it. A little over a week later, I could hardly walk and felt like I had electricity running down my legs. That was followed by stabbing pains in hands and feet, prickling sensations all over my body, and patches of burning sensations on my arms, legs, and back. It's now almost a year later, and I have had to deal with this horror 24/7. Only when I developed overactive bladder along with the neuropathy did I learn Cipro can cause all of my symptoms. My urologist told me this based on my medical history and notifications sent by the FDA to him and other physicians."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 28, 2017

For Prostatitis "When my urologist recommended Cipro to combat my prostatitis (500 mg 2x per day for 6 weeks!), I wanted to make sure long-term use was OK. So I went online... and it looked really scary! People totally slamming the drug. But I went for it anyway. Seems to have done the job I needed it to do, and there are ZERO side effects. I mean ZERO. People talk about vomiting - I take the pill with or without food and not even a tiny bit of nausea. No fatigue, no aching or numbness, no appearance of tendon issues... nothing. Maybe it's just me and I know not everybody is the same, but it worked for me. The only reason I gave a 9 and not a 10 is because I still have a couple of days to go before I am done with the 6-week course."

• Spo...
• April 5, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I'm a 25-year-old woman, and I was prescribed Cipro for a UTI. I got 250 mg twice daily for three days. I got this yesterday, and today I've taken three pills in total. I have a horrid fear of vomiting, I become suicidal when I think I'm going to be sick. So I'm very particular and paranoid about my antibiotics. I usually respond well to antibiotics, but not this! I didn't vomit, thank goodness, but three pills in and I'm lightheaded, light sensitive, bloated like no other, abdominal pain, and kind of nauseous, itchy, and muscle pain. Not to mention my anxiety is sky-high! I'm writing this before my current panic attack makes me unable to write. Hope these side effects leave and don't stay! Very paranoid!"

• Anonymous
• August 12, 2011

For Diverticulitis "Last year, when I had my first diverticulitis attack (a bad one), I was put on Cipro and Flagyl. Condition did clear up although I was left with a nasty case of thrush. This time only on Cipro - don't find the one medicine alone very effective. I'm nearing the end of my prescription (10 days of 2 per day) and still having some pain and nausea. Will see my doctor next week."

• Kca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "I found out I had a UTI a week after I had my annual physical examination. I did not get my prescription until a week later, so I would assume I had the UTI for two weeks to a month. Doc prescribed me to take two 500 mg daily. The side effects suck. Night one, I did not sleep. I took a 3-hour nap and was up for 16 hours. Day two's morning dose had me nauseous. I just took my night dose, so hopefully the side effects won't be bad. My UTI symptoms went away within my first dosage (slight pressure, cloudy urine, sensitivity)."

• Anonymous
• October 8, 2010

For Bladder Infection "It's been three days since I've been on this medicine. First-time user also. I never had a bladder infection, but it got a lot better than it was the first day with the burning and pain. I am still experiencing a bit of the burning. I am hoping it works and takes it fully away about the time it's my last dose. At first, this medicine made me nauseous and tired, but I drank more water, and it seemed to help take that away."

• Das...
• September 5, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was given the pill 2 times per day at 500 mg. I am in my early 30s and feeling still overall blah on the 4th day of the meds. Feeling numb on my feet and nausea after taking the pill. I am on no other medications. Normally I rarely remember my dreams, but the last two nights I have had horrible nightmares."

• Kei...
• August 16, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed this medication for twice a day for 10 days, and on day 5, I had a tremor in my right hand, and right after, my right arm and leg went numb. It was horrifying to experience, especially because I am currently under getting a diagnosis if there is something wrong with my heart. So I didn't know if it was the pills or my heart until I started doing more research on the pill, and tremors were a serious side effect. Yes, I feel my UTI has gone away, but I would NOT take it again, and I am still currently taking them, but I'm going to talk with my doctor because I no longer want to use these drugs. Besides the tremor and numbness, I also became very tired, had headaches, muscle pains, and nausea. Truly terrible to feel this way. I do not recommend."

• Anonymous
• September 30, 2011

For Urinary Tract Infection "I've taken Cipro before for urinary tract infections, but my body reacted badly this time. I had nausea, upset stomach, headaches, and caused vomiting. It did help with relieving urinary tract infection symptoms after 2 days. I finished my entire prescription, and I still have some side effects."

• Nin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "Dr. prescribed 500 mg twice a day for 5 days. The UTI was horrible, but I’ve never experienced such horrible side effects from an antibiotic. Nausea was debilitating, I was fighting to keep from vomiting. Couldn’t drive because it had my head swirling. Headaches too! I stuck with it because the UTI scared me, but after just taking the last dose, I’m still certain my UTI is lingering. Maybe I’m imagining this, but my thinking and moods seem to have been dark. I regret taking this drug."

• Aur...
• July 5, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "I went to the doctor with a UTI. I got prescribed the generic for Cipro 500 mg. The first pill, I felt fine, the second pill, I started to feel a tingling sensation on my forearm and pain in my wrists. The third pill, my arms hurt from the shoulders to the palms of my hands, my arms had gotten swollen, and I couldn't even stand my watch. I couldn't sleep at night due to the pain in my arms, which I thought was not normal. The next morning, before my next pill, I decided to read the side effects of this medication, and it said that in some cases, it could cause swelling, vomiting, nausea, and arm pain. At that moment, I stopped taking the medication and went back to my doctor and complained. I made them write this medication under my allergies so this doesn't happen again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2014

For Urinary Tract Infection "On the 7th and last day for taking Cipro, I developed a rash with no itching on most of my body. After 2 weeks, I still have some rash and also nausea. My doctor said Cipro had nothing to do with either. It did clear up my UTI infection, but should I not take Cipro ever again? Thanks."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 25, 2017

For Prostatitis "30-day prescription up to 60. After the first week of mild nausea and mild diarrhea, I developed a weird tightness in my right hip, severe tennis elbow, and weird pain/headache behind my left eye for 2-3 days, bloating, some nights unable to sleep due to insomnia and tremors/weird body vibrations. Mornings were hell due to my coffee drinking and the foggy brain. Do not drink coffee while taking this! 3 weeks after stopping, I still have some prostatitis symptoms but have greatly improved. However, the side effects from the med of muscle tightness, brain fog, foot pain, hip pain, back tightness, lack of appetite, and fatigue still remain but seem to be subsiding a bit. I wish the docs would explain the meds they prescribe, but I don't think they really know!"

• Pen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2019

For Salmonella Gastroenteritis "22 yr old female, got prescribed Cipro for stomach flu symptoms without testing what the cause actually was. Had pretty bad side effects - nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, chills, couldn't sleep at night. Ended up going to the ER because I got dehydrated and couldn't stop throwing up :( Wouldn't recommend unless you get tested and it's the only alternative."