Metronidazole and Dizziness: What Users Say

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

Metronidazole 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."

• Nel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2020

Metronidazole for Bacterial Infection "I have been ill since the start of June this year. Finally received a diagnosis of BV last Thursday. Very concerned about taking this antibiotic after reading about so many bad experiences. Well, I am happy to report that after taking 4 tablets to date, the only side effects I have experienced are a bit of dizziness after taking the tablet and slight stomach cramps, which resolve after about an hour. Hope this feedback offers some reassurance to someone. Oops, almost forgot - I actually feel that I'm starting to get my life back - feel so much better."

• try...
• August 9, 2016

Metronidazole 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?"

• Fee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

Metronidazole for Dental Abscess "I am not one to write reviews, but this has to be done. I am based in the UK and was given this medication for wisdom tooth pain. I was told to take it three times a day for 5 days. After two days, I was unfortunately a victim of being the 1 in 10,000 to receive rare side effects from the medication. I had external dizziness and blurred vision every 30 seconds. I went to the GP (doctor) and they said I was given a high dosage and it should have been 2 tablets per day. After 9 painful days, the antibiotic was cleared from my body and I am dizzy and blur-free. I wrote this review because of the hours of research. I have seen no one state how long it took for the side effects to disappear without hospital treatment. Hopefully, this helps someone. Overall, the tablet got rid of the pain, but the extreme dizziness as a side effect was not worth it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2020

For Diverticulitis "Taking Metronidazole 500 mg with Ciprofloxacin twice a day for diverticulitis. Day 3 and worse than the disease itself. Dizzy, not sleeping, and heart palpitations. This is bad for a 72-year-old female. Unsure if I will continue."

• RMa...
• April 27, 2021

For Diverticulitis "Nasty diverticulitis off and on for 20 plus years... 2-3 times per year. Flagyl and Augmentin work fine, it takes about a week to get back to normal. However, in the last few years, Flagyl causes significant dizziness after 4 days... really like being very drunk. Plus, it now causes terrible tinnitus. I suspect I have just taken too much over the years (P.S. I am a doctor). I will look around for an alternative."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2018

For Trichomoniasis "I had gotten diagnosed with trichomoniasis and they prescribed me this medication. The instructions were to take 4 pills at once (2000 mg). I thought that was absurd. Naturally paranoid with taking medication in the first place, I looked up the reviews and I did not see positive feedback. A lot of people said they had gotten sick or had heart palpitations, so my anxiety kicked in and it took me four days to finally suck it up and take it. Well, I took it before bed (it said dizziness may occur) and I went right to sleep. Woke up and felt nothing. Long story short, make sure you take it on a full stomach, take it before bed, and you should be fine. Don’t let reviews scare you because chances are those people didn’t follow the instructions. You'll be fine!"

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

Metronidazole 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."

• Num...
• November 19, 2019

Metronidazole 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."

• And...
• February 18, 2020

For Diverticulitis "Diagnosed with diverticulitis and put on Cipro and Flagyl. Today is Day #10, hallelujah! I had diverticulitis flare-ups 4 and 5 years ago. I forgot how sick these drugs make me. I can’t keep food down, nauseous 24 hours a day except when I take Zofran, upper stomach pains, reflux, heartburn, dizziness, listless, and spend most of my day sleeping. This came at the most inopportune time, I just had major knee surgery two weeks before the attack, which has hindered my healing process as I can’t get up to proceed with physical therapy, it’s too nauseating to move around. If I ever get another attack, I will never take these drugs again. There has to be a better way! I want my life back."

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

Metronidazole 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."

• Lal...
• December 23, 2013

Metronidazole 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."

• Kai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2015

Metronidazole for Diverticulitis "I have to say that metronidazole is a horrible antibiotic as far as side effects go, especially when one has to go to work. I experienced a lot of dizziness, migraines, muscle pain even in my heart, jittery, and drowsiness. I'm sure Flagyl is the same. Next time I'm asking not to get this prescribed by my doctor. Better yet, take it off the shelf."

• Anonymous
• November 13, 2015

Metronidazole for Diverticulitis "Day 3 on Flagyl and Cipro. I thought I was having a heart attack. This stuff has horrid side effects. Discomfort in my chest and arm. Foggy-headed feeling, dizziness, unbalanced, headache, very nauseous, metal taste, very blurry eyesight. No energy, at 55 it is not a good thing to feel this way, especially when you are overweight and out of shape. This is only day 3. I don't think I can take this stuff for 7 more days. They say the IV kind is worse though. Supposedly it's helping (I do feel less pain in my abdomen, I think). If I make it through this stuff, I bet I will watch what I eat and make better choices in the future. I called the pharmacy and the doc, and both said to stay on it, Cipro 2X daily and Flagyl 4X daily. Scary stuff."

• Anonymous
• November 13, 2015

Metronidazole for Diverticulitis "Day 3 on Flagyl and Cipro. I thought I was having a heart attack. This stuff has horrid side effects. Discomfort in my chest and arm. Foggy-headed feeling, dizziness, unbalanced, headache, very nauseous, metal taste, very blurry eyesight. No energy, at 55 it is not a good thing to feel this way, especially when you are overweight and out of shape. This is only day 3. I don't think I can take this stuff for 7 more days. They say the IV kind is worse though. Supposedly it's helping (I do feel less pain in my abdomen, I think). If I make it through this stuff, I bet I will watch what I eat and make better choices in the future. I called the pharmacy and the doc, and both said to stay on it, Cipro 2X daily and Flagyl 4X daily. Scary stuff."

• Cla...
• October 27, 2015

Metronidazole 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."

• kb7...
• February 7, 2015

For Diverticulitis "I was put on metronidazole 500 mg and Cipro 500 mg twice daily for diverticulitis. I noticed the pain eased up after 2 days. I'm on day 5 and I feel horrid. Diarrhea, headache, tired, dizzy, nauseous, foggy-headed, anxiety, depression, and body pain. I don't know if I can do this for 5 more days!"

• sim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2017

Metronidazole for Bacterial Infection "I'm on day 6 of a 7-day treatment, and I'm throwing in the towel. I've never had such terrible side effects: severe dizziness, insomnia, dehydration, irritated bladder, racing heart, anxiety, and a constant bad taste in my mouth. I barely had any BV symptoms to begin with, so the meds have felt like unnecessary torture. Never again."

• Anonymous
• April 17, 2012

Metronidazole for Diverticulitis "This med was prescribed along with Cipro for diverticulitis. The side effects were strong. I felt dizzy, my balance was off when walking, drowsiness, general fuzzy-headed feeling. When my pain subsided after 3 days, I stopped taking it but continued the Cipro. I was taking 500mg 3 times a day of the Flagyl. Doc wants me to continue taking at least 1 per day, but can't drive or function so not going to continue."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2020

For Diverticulitis "This is my second flare-up with diverticulitis since March of 2020. My own fault due to my bad choice in foods. This combination of Flagyl and Cipro makes my stomach ache, urine is dark and foul-smelling, my stomach pulses, headache is mild, joints hurt, nausea, dizzy the first 3 days. It is very stressful on your body. My diverticulitis is better, but the side effects of the treatments take a toll on your body. I find too, if I stick to taking a good probiotic with slippery elm and drink daily a full glass with a teaspoon of psyllium husk mixed in, I do not have any issues. But if I backside and slack off performing this daily regimen, then I flare up. Pizza, especially pepperoni, is a BIG NO-NO."

• Try...
• December 17, 2014

For Bacterial Vaginosis "Okay, so before I took this, I read all the reviews on here. I was frightened. So I began a 7-day process, 2 pills a day. The odor went away the 2nd day. I guess it started smelling normal. I was very pleased it didn't have that fishy smell anymore. However, I still discharged, and on the last day, I discharged so much! The doctor and nurse said it's just cleaning everything out. Overall, I was pleased. The effects I did have were dizziness, headaches, abdominal pain, and somewhat nauseous. What was weird was that one day my mouth tasted like what it smelled like. It smelled and tasted in my mouth like a little bit of bleach. Oh, and the pills aren't that bad tasting when you get used to it."

• Ano...
• November 21, 2016

For Diverticulitis "Had pain in my lower left quadrant. Thought maybe had a partial blockage. On the third day, went to the ER, got blood work done, got an X-ray, found nothing, blood work came back with elevated white blood cell count. Doc orders a CT scan, turns out I have acute diverticulitis (I'm 30). The drugs (Cipro and Flagyl) work, pain subsided, and I can imagine they're fighting the infection as I write this, but man, the side effects are pretty terrible. Nausea, dizziness, upset stomach, metallic taste in mouth, and feeling crappy overall from the side effects. I'm on day 3, like most reviews on here, it seems like the make-or-break moment. The pills are progressively harder to ingest because I dread the side effects. BUT I gotta let the meds run their course."

• Mar...
• February 18, 2020

For Diverticulitis "Taking Flagyl with Cipro for diverticulitis, feel weak and tired, a bit dizzy and loss of appetite, but the pain is pretty much gone. Taking these monster pills with applesauce, and it really helps! Also taking a good probiotic. Day 4 of 7."

• mtl...
• May 14, 2011

Metronidazole for Diverticulitis "I have been taking this for almost a week for a diverticulitis flare up and if this ever happens again I will ask if there is something else I can take. I agree, I think this has made me sicker than I originally was. General listlessness, very dizzy, weird hunger pangs, and foods don't taste good or the same as they did. Headaches! Looking forward to the last dose. A nurse friend suggested eating Activia yogurt while taking this to help with stomach problems."

• Oce...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 13, 2014

For Bacterial Infection "I feel horrible. I have one more day left (I was prescribed metronidazole intravaginally for five days) and amen to that. Although it has worked wonders and gotten rid of an infection I've had for years and could never completely eradicate, these side effects are horrible. I've been dizzy, have had terrible headaches, eye pain, aches all over my body, absolutely no appetite (I'm repulsed by any food!), when I force myself to eat, I get sick immediately after, gnawing stomach pains, pressure-like back pains, pain in my actual ovaries, grogginess, constantly tired but sleeping is beyond difficult (I somehow managed four hours last night), when I do sleep, it's not refreshing at all, and exercising is practically impossible."