Flagyl and Nausea: What Users Say

• Mar...
• August 27, 2019

For Diverticulitis "First diverticulitis (DVT) attack, was in such pain & had been in a very stressful situation. I had CT and diagnosed with DVT and prescribed Flagyl & cipro. Became very ill, nauseated, headache, confused, lost my way back to husband's hospital room. Very frightening & debilitating. Called former GI dr & he took me off 1 of the drugs & I slogged it out & finally got well again but at what cost? I'm one that get frequent flare-ups. Now take 250 mg amoxicillin 3X a day for 10 days which is very inexpensive & have no side effects. Nothing to compare to the horrible, torturous side effects of those other 2 drugs. I sought advice from 3 GI doctors and consulted 3 colorectal surgeons. It is hard to imagine that they still do not really know what causes these DVT flare-ups. It's all best guess & try this or try that. With so many people suffering from DVT I can't find a major study being conducted to identify any specific bacteria that seems to get out of hand causing these repeated infections."

• dog...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2021

For Bacterial Infection "If I could give this medication 0 stars, I would. My gyno prescribed me this for bacterial vaginosis. My side effects were horrible... increased anxiety/panic attacks, nausea, horrible taste in my mouth, and I had the most vivid nightmares. I would wake up trembling/shaking out of my sleep, and it took me a few days to realize that it was the Flagyl that was making me feel this way. I will never take this medication again unless I absolutely have no choice. I’m glad I’m not the only one that had a terrible experience on this drug."

• Jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2018

For Diverticulitis "I am a Flagyl survivor. Today I finish my 48 hours of it getting out of my system following 7 harrowing days of physical assault. Day 3 brought debilitating stomach pain, incapacitating nausea, dizziness/brain fog. The hospital had to confirm for me that the diverticulitis was not worse, it was the medication’s side effects. What??? Is this 2018? I am a healthcare provider, and this has given me insight into people’s distrust of the medical profession. The medicine was first patented in 1963... now in generic form... and never an attempt to refine the med to reduce side effects? Or produce alternatives? I have an intense full-time job, got lucky I was sick over the long weekend (????) and just made it through day 6 and 7 at work with the use of partially effective Zofran (anti-nausea). Find any alternative drug or treatment. I just lost 10 days of my life, first to illness, then to the treatment. I believe quality of life matters. Good luck diverticulitis sufferers! I’m with you in spirit."

• try...
• August 9, 2016

For Diverticulitis "This is my third diverticulitis event in 9 years, and each time I have been treated with Cipro and Flagyl, but I do not remember feeling so awful the first two times, nor do I remember the horrifically bad taste of the metronidazole (Flagyl). I can hardly get it down, and after I do, the horrible taste in my mouth is beyond description. I have resorted to immediately grabbing a lollipop to coat my mouth and pharynx with the sweet sugary taste, which actually does help. On top of that, I am nauseated, dizzy, have a foggy brain, and nothing tastes normal or good, not even water. I am thankful for the improvement in the abdominal pain, as that shows that the horrid stuff is working, but dang, can't they put it in a capsule?"

• Cal...
• September 20, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "Flagyl was a miracle drug for my SIBO/IBS. The first time I used it 20 years ago I was unexplainably sick/nauseated and losing weight for months, and after a colonoscopy and gallbladder scan, the docs didn’t know what was wrong. One happened to put me on Flagyl, and the next day I was better! I had no problem with this drug at all. I have just recently had the same flare-up for the past 6 weeks, and my doc put me on Flagyl. Within 4 hours, I was feeling better. I am 7 days into a 10-day run, and I haven’t felt this good in years. I am 66, have motility issues, and this drug worked wonders for SIBO/IBS."

• Net...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Nah-ah. Never again. Worst medication I have ever taken. On my second day of taking this tablet, I was feeling nauseous. My appetite was bad, and my stomach felt sick. Headaches, fatigue, easily irritated. I dreaded taking it when the time came. It made me absolutely miserable. My resting heart rate went up to 105 bpm. Even raising my voice ever so slightly made my heart pound harder. It was very stressful. Steer clear. I felt stupid taking this medicine for side effects that were much worse than the reason I needed them for."

• Eri...
• September 12, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Just finished taking a week’s worth of Flagyl, twice a day. It’s brutal, but your body will adjust. It helped me to sip ginger tea when nauseous and to eat a small meal and drink a full glass of water when I take it. As a nurse, I just want to remind people that even if this drug is wrecking your body, always consult your doctor before stopping treatment. If you only take 4/5 days and are prescribed 7, the bacteria left in your body will have time to develop an immunity to meds, and your infection will rebuild and turn into a superinfection and the antibiotics won’t work next time. There is a reason antibiotics are given over prescribed amounts of time, and stopping them before completion is going to bring on something much worse than side effects. Trust me, I wanted to die taking this medication - many sleepless nights and bad side effects - but an antibiotic-resistant infection is much worse than one week of side effects. If you absolutely have to, call your doctor first. Good luck!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2013

For Bacterial Infection "Been on this for a week! Even though it's taking care of my issue, I can't wait to take my last pill. I've been sick to my stomach, loss of appetite, headache, dizzy, blurry vision, disoriented, fatigued, can't sleep well. Just ready for this course to be over."

• ash...
• July 24, 2013

For Bacterial Infection "I really don't understand all the negative reviews for this medicine. I've been on it for three solid days now and have had absolutely no issues. I'm taking 500 mg, one pill twice a day. I've been taking it after lunch and dinner and haven't had any issues with diarrhea, nausea, or dizziness. As for people complaining about the taste of the pill, how are you even able to know what it tastes like? It should be in your mouth for less than a second, just swallow it down with a glass of water or some orange juice."

• Num...
• November 19, 2019

For Diverticulitis "Taking the antibiotic combo metronidazole and Cipro for a flare-up of diverticulitis and now on day 4. My side effects are that I feel so dreadful, very weak, no appetite at all, dizzy, nauseated, night sweats, vaginal discharge, diarrhea, and I have lost 7 lbs already. Forcing small bits of food down as I have to eat something, drinking lots of water, feel nauseated. I am in the UK. This medicine is utterly brutal and toxic, but my pain is nearly gone. Longing for day 7 to end the drama."

• MsA...
• January 25, 2014

For Diverticulitis "Took Flagyl and Cipro together - felt worse than I did before - all the side effects everyone is mentioning. However, the alternative - raging infection - not really an option. Taking my diet seriously moving forward."

• Ugh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I almost think it’s better for people to read this if they also had a bad reaction and don’t want to feel so alone because I have heard of this working really well for some people, as with any drug. It seems to me that if you do have a bad experience with this, it isn’t mild, but extreme, as was the case for me. I don’t do well on many antibiotics, but this one was in a class of its own for me. It took me over three months to feel somewhat normal again. It went from bad hives to feeling like my joints were trying to leave my body, to feeling incredibly dizzy and nauseous, to stomach pain. It sounds dramatic, but I have never felt worse on any antibiotic. What it was prescribed for was so much easier to handle than the side effects of this train wreck. Every inch of my body felt off on this medicine. Even mentally, it gave me anxiety. The only antibiotic that came close to this one as far as feeling horrible is Cipro."

• Ame...
• September 23, 2015

For Diverticulitis "I'm a 36-year-old active female diagnosed with diverticulitis. I took the combo of meds and am on day 7 now. I work out 6 days a week and have had to modify my workouts and weight lifting because I feel absolutely drained, weak, and muscles ache. (This, of course, was advised against by both doctor and pharmacist but alas, I am a knucklehead.) I have the metallic taste as well in addition to nausea with the meds. However, I would prefer these side effects to the pain associated with diverticulitis."

• Ame...
• September 23, 2015

For Diverticulitis "I'm a 36-year-old active female diagnosed with diverticulitis. I took the combo of meds and am on day 7 now. I work out 6 days a week and have had to modify my workouts and weight lifting because I feel absolutely drained, weak, and muscles ache. (This, of course, was advised against by both doctor and pharmacist but alas, I am a knucklehead.) I have the metallic taste as well in addition to nausea with the meds. However, I would prefer these side effects to the pain associated with diverticulitis."

• Lal...
• December 23, 2013

For Diverticulitis "It seems I've had experiences that a lot of these other people do with feeling worse than I did before on these medications with the Cipro and Flagyl. I'm nauseous, I'm dizzy, I have a foggy brain, I can't eat, the taste is horrible, and I feel like I can't function. I've been on this for the second time in a year, and it's doing the same thing, same side effects. I don't like feeling this way at all. I can't drive or go to work. I've been on it for 4 days out of 10, and it's Christmas! My pain has subsided, though."

• Qwe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 12, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I've never had any medication make me as sick as Flagyl has. The nausea is so bad, it has been waking me up at night. I'm calling my doctor today to get a different medication. I'm halfway through, but I can't handle another day of this. Absolutely never again."

• com...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2019

For Dental Abscess "At first, I felt a bit nauseous and had a whole body feeling like I had the flu when I started the meds. My dose was 500 mg four times daily. I ate an Activia yogurt daily and took Ranitidine to help with nausea. I would find that slowly sipping a caffeinated soda would also help with the nausea and give more energy. I had a severe infection, and it cleared it up."

• Anonymous
• August 11, 2013

For Diverticulitis "I have been taking Flagyl and Cipro for Diverticulitis, and it seems to be helping. After my stay in the hospital where the doctor put me on a food rest for several days, including IV antibiotics, he prescribed these two meds. There are some issues I have had taking them, such as low energy level, limited concentration when getting tired, but most of all nausea. I recommend if you are going to be taking either or both of these meds, always take with plenty of food (meal time, not just a snack), don't plan on doing too much (you won't have the energy), and ask your doctor for an as-needed prescription of a nausea medicine just in case you need it. I have needed something for nausea at least once daily since on the medicine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2012

For Dental Abscess "This was the first time I received Metronidazole for a tooth infection, usually they prescribe Keflex (cephalexin) or Amoxicillin. I would say that the Metronidazole worked quicker at easing the pain and it wasn't a capsule so I had an easier time swallowing it. However, I have been suffering serious nausea followed by diarrhea since I began taking it. Then last night, without thinking about the interaction, I had a few drinks and spent the night vomiting and very ill with nausea, dry heaves, etc. DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL WITH THIS MEDICINE and always read your labels and accompanying info. I usually do, but I've never had any kind of reaction to an antibiotic so I got lazy, I suppose, because it was clearly stated on the bottle."

• Vet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2019

For Diverticulitis "Used Flagyl in combo with Cipro after 4 days of IV antibiotics for a bad diverticulitis flare-up. No major side effects, provided that I used probiotics and yogurt religiously during the week-long course. I would take a probiotic about 1-2 hours before dosage, then eat yogurt, then another probiotic 1-2 hours after each dose. I was on a soft diet anyhow. Very little nausea, but quite manageable with ginger and peppermint tea and some rest. Also, drinking lots of water helped as well keep things moving and somewhat normal."

• Cla...
• October 27, 2015

For Diverticulitis "I cringe when I think about having to take Cipro and Flagyl. I'm nauseous, dizzy, light-headed, achy, and foggy-headed. Can't function and sleep all the time. I miss a week's worth of work because I feel so bad."

• Sna...
• October 2, 2018

For Bacterial Infection "I went into the hospital on Saturday with extreme stomach pain and constipation. CT scan and blood work showed colitis with a bacterial infection. Prescribed 500 mg Flagyl 3x a day and 500 mg Cipro 2x a day. I've taken Cipro before but had never heard of Flagyl. I made the mistake of reading reviews and became panicked. But most people don't leave reviews when things are good. I'm on day 3, but things are okay. I have to take it with milk. Keeps the nausea and metallic taste to a minimum. I have mild stomach upset (but nothing compared to before) and a headache. It's not pleasant, but I'm almost halfway through. My suggestion is to eat and drink different things. I also found spacing out the Flagyl and Cipro helped with nausea as well. The medicine seems to be working. And the side effects have been bearable so far. Take each review with a grain of salt and remember-every body is different and will respond to things differently."

• amm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 9, 2014

For Diverticulitis "Had my first flare with diverticulitis 4 months ago, ended up in the emergency room. Prescribed Bactrim and Flagyl and four days bed rest. Pain subsided after 2 days on the meds, but felt pretty crummy for the next week, and had to deal with loss of taste and bad taste in my mouth. Didn't attribute feeling so yucky with the meds. Had a second milder diverticulitis flare up four days ago. Went to the doc 2 days ago and I'm back on Bactrim and Flagyl. Came back to work today and I am SO NAUSEOUS! The bad taste in my mouth has returned, and I really don't feel well at all. I really DO NOT want to end up where I was last Jan when I went to the emergency room - so I'm still taking the Flagyl. Doc gave me Zofran for the nausea, it helps some."

• met...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2015

For Diverticulitis "Seems effective. Second use with diverticulitis. Both times combined with Cipro. Had some side effects but not sure which medication they came from. Plus the diverticulitis itself causes gas, bloating, diarrhea, headache, nausea so how do you know what was meds and what was the illness? I experienced urine discoloration-slight rusty tone. I can say that the taste of the Flagyl pill is horrible. Also, after starting the meds I became oversensitive to smells and everything I ate or drank, even water, tasted disgusting. (Not so bad as I'm not supposed to be eating foods). I found that if I swallow the Flagyl with a sip of a smoothie (from supermarket) it slips down easy with no sticking and no bad taste."

• Deb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2020

For Diverticulitis "Having nausea every day about 3 hours after taking Flagyl, also started feeling cramps in both calves on day 3. Only have 1 1/2 days left! Will be taking probiotics and eating yogurt, as was suggested by someone in this comment stream!"