Macrobid and Fatigue: What Users Say

• TMa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS DRUG. I feel like my feet are plugged into an electrical socket - the worst pain I've ever felt. Side effects mentioned tingling, but I feel like I'm being electrocuted - it's THAT PAINFUL. My vision is blurred. I spent days sweating, with fever and chills. I thought I had coronavirus and a UTI. The first pill delivered the most intense headache on earth - I needed a pain pill to counteract it. Dizziness and fatigue hit me where I slept all day after the second pill. It wasn't until day 3 that I realized it was Macrobid making me so sick, as I was fine before. When my feet began feeling like they were literally set ablaze from the inside out, I stopped taking this stuff immediately. I stopped yesterday and still have an excruciating burning pain in my feet and a tingling sensation in my hands. If this still has me in this level of pain on Monday, I'm calling a lawyer. I've never experienced ANY side effects from medicine, and with this one, I've experienced them all. This is poison! Do not take it."

• Ray...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I've been reading the reviews and freaking out. I've had MANY bladder infections in my 18 years on this planet (sucks). But I've always been prescribed Bactrim. But that was always by my pediatrician, so I'm in between doctors right now. I went to an online doctor through my insurance company, and they prescribed me Macrobid. I honestly broke down into tears after reading everyone's bad reviews. But I took my first pill today about 2 hours ago, and the only side effect I've felt is feeling kind of heavy and fatigued. I ate dinner before taking it and have been drinking water consistently since taking it. I feel pretty good! Sorry to everyone who's had a bad experience, I hope y'all get better and that I don't have any of them."

• Sad...
• February 25, 2021

For Urinary Tract Infection "NEVER TAKE THIS DRUG!! After taking my second dose, I developed VIOLENT vomiting, diarrhea, severe body aches, extremely high heart rate, low oxygen levels, and shortness of breath. Fever, chills, an inability to move with severe fatigue. It’s now 42 hours after my last dose and I am better. We are in a pandemic and having all these symptoms sure did scare me. I do NOT EVER recommend this drug to ANYONE! Horrible! I’m obviously not the only one. I wish I had read the reviews before I took this Med!"

• Use...
• May 23, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "Took Macrobid (Nitrofurantoin) twice for a UTI. The first time, I experienced a slight fever, chest pains, and difficulty breathing. I switched medication after speaking with my doctor, but I did not know that it also went by the name Macrobid as the generic brand. I had taken Macrobid before and was fine, so assumed that this was a one-off instance of bad side effects. Now taking it for a second time, and am experiencing very bad side effects of nausea, splitting headaches, slight fever, fatigue. No other UTI medicine I’ve taken before has caused similar reactions. Would not recommend taking something so risky when there are plenty of other just as effective alternatives."

• No ...
• June 6, 2016

For Bladder Infection "Prescribed for a UTI. Long story short, I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. Severe body aches, joint pain, back pain, chest pain, fever up to 101.7, major chills, headache, feeling anxious, feeling depressed, crying, feeling irritable, fatigue, weakness, night sweats, tight jaw. This medication is dangerous, and I'm glad I stumbled across this site because I thought I was going crazy. I have one more day of this horrible medication, and I'll stick it out because I don't want to have to take any more antibiotics. 100mg twice a day for seven days."

• MN2...
• July 21, 2014

For Urinary Tract Infection "It worked really well to clear up my urinary tract infection, and within a day I had no symptoms; however, I was so tired while I was taking this! I also would get a feeling of nausea quite often and occasionally would make me vomit. I took it on a full stomach, but still got the feelings of nausea and fatigue."

• Jac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2012

For Bladder Infection "Macrobid (100 mg, 1 capsule twice daily for 5 days). I have had a recurring bladder infection since June, and it is now August 15. The doctor had told me that I am having recurring bladder infections so I shouldn't have sex during treatment, another reason being that I have a new partner. My urethra is getting all stressed out, and all I need to do is give it a rest and let the antibiotics do their work, and later wait at least a week after finishing the antibiotics to have sex. This way I give it enough time for the urethra to strengthen. Anyhow, I am on my third day of this medication, and I noticed it affects my nervous system - I get a lot of panic/anxiety attacks, fatigue, and weakness."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "Very good experience with some minor side effects... minor and worth having rather than being in the hospital with a kidney infection! I read some of the reviews on here. I have health anxiety and a bit of hypochondria, and I am afraid to take medications. I was hesitant to take this one as well after reading the reviews. The only side effects I felt were some mild diarrhea, headache, some muscle aches, fatigue, mild pelvic and side pain, and chills (which could have been from the UTI rather than a side effect of the medication). Please take the bad reviews with a grain of salt. Everyone responds differently to medications, and my experience was good with this. Don't take UTIs lightly, as they can lead to more serious problems."

• Vic...
• July 8, 2016

For Bladder Infection "After reading a lot of bad reviews, I was hesitant to use Macrobid as a treatment for a pretty severe bladder infection. However, I didn't experience many of the side effects that I read about. Although it did make me rather fatigued, I made sure to drink lots of water and took my pills with a nice healthy meal! I also took my 100 mg pills twice a day at the exact same time to get my body on a routine. Almost 3 days off of it and feeling back to 100%! I would have no problem using this antibiotic again!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2023

For Urinary Tract Infection "100 mg, 2x per day, 5 days - although it treated the UTI, the side effects might have been more debilitating than the UTI itself. My side effects were chills, sweats, body aches, non-stop headache, extreme fatigue (could barely get out of bed for 3 days), nausea/dry heaves, loss of appetite (the only time I ate was to take the med so my stomach would be able to handle the meds), head/ears HOT to touch, ringing in the ears, itchy hands and feet. There were just too many side effects to make this antibiotic worth recommending when there are other drugs that can do the same thing. This med just did not agree with me, and I will never take it again or recommend it to others."

• Can...
• October 13, 2013

For Urinary Tract Infection "My urinary tract infection symptoms were not nearly as painful as the side effects of this medicine. It cleared up the UTI in a day, but by the second day, it was nausea, extreme fatigue, no appetite, joint and muscle pain, stomach pain, complete weakness, chills, and fever. The pharmacist said it was probably the UTI. Now it's day 5, and I'm in agony. Stopping Macrobid and calling the doctor in the morning."

• Ale...
• August 8, 2016

For Bladder Infection "I got a pretty bad bladder infection and got prescribed this medicine. I didn't bother to check reviews, as my infection was so bad that all I wanted to do was be able to pee. I'm on day 3. Symptoms barely better. On top of that, I now have bad pain in my lower back, a swollen stomach that hurts really bad, gas, constipation, and worst of all, I can barely stay awake. I'm exhausted. I have zero energy, and I've been bedridden since the first dose. My joints hurt, my shoulders hurt, I am dizzy and nauseous. And I take the dose with a decent meal to prevent stomach upset, but it doesn't work. The worst part is that I keep having bouts of diarrhea, but nothing comes out. I don't know if the medicine is worse than the disease, but I'm miserable."

• Anonymous
• January 3, 2016

For Bladder Infection "I had a stubborn UTI that was unresponsive to Cipro and starting to show signs of a kidney infection. This drug was a miracle worker. Within 48 hours, I finally felt relief after a long, horrible wait of dealing with intense bladder pressure. I ate heavy meals with each pill, did not experience nausea or other GI issues. I was, however, tired ALL 7 days of this pill. I slept so much, I mean seriously, this pill knocked me out. So that is frustrating, but will take fatigue any day over GI symptoms, and at the point I started taking this drug, I was willing to try anything to get rid of this infection. I was SO miserable. I just finished my last pill and noticed a dry cough with shortness of breath, so that's why I gave it an 8."

• sou...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2016

For Bladder Infection "I am always prescribed Macrobid for UTIs, and it has always worked for me. It does cause some side effects, but for me, it is usually just fatigue for a few hours after taking it and a bit of diarrhea near the end, once the infection is gone, but I am still finishing up the meds. I know some people get more severe side effects, but I have always been lucky on this drug."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2011

For Urinary Tract Infection "I had a severe reaction to this medication. Chills, very high fever, bright redness on both legs from ankles to knees, and red blotches on upper legs. Also, red blotches and hives on both arms. Fatigue."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2023

For Urinary Tract Infection "I had a feeling I would react to this medication, but I wanted to be a good patient. After one pill, I feel severe restlessness, headache, disorientation, fatigue, dizziness. I would never take this again."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2016

For Bladder Infection "Symptoms: severe abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, achy pain in back, fatigue, chills, sweating, headache, cough. I just finished my last dose of Macrobid, and I believe it cleared up my UTI, but these side effects are not worth it. The abdominal pain I have been having is so bad that it has woken me up from my sleep three nights in a row. I have the chills, and because of the abdominal pain, it is hard to eat. I also have terrible headaches that worsen with certain movements or lights. This pill is awful, and I wish I would've known about these symptoms before starting."

• Kik...
• August 16, 2020

For Bladder Infection "I read so many reviews before taking Macrobid because that’s just what I do before any medication. I was terrified to take this med after reading, so I clinched after every pill. I was given 100 mg to be taken twice daily for 7 days, but on the 4th day, I felt beating on my kidneys, almost like someone had a drum set in there. Since I know that 4 days of treatment is what some people are actually prescribed, I instantly stopped taking them. The worst side effect I had was headaches and fatigue, and the kidney thing."

• ECa...
• February 23, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "This drug is going on my 'Do Not Prescribe' list. After a day and a half on it, the fatigue was so bad I could barely function. No one claimed to know anything about this side effect, but when I looked it up, I kept seeing it happening to users again and again. It helped my UTI, but I couldn't get off the couch. I phoned my doctor and was switched to Cipro. After skipping my evening dose of Macrobid and taking Cipro instead, I felt almost normal the next day. Be very, very cautious about using this drug."

• LPa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2016

For Bladder Infection "I cannot overstate how much I despise this medication. It may be effective in getting rid of bladder infections, but I never got that far. I used this medication twice (I gave it a second go, thinking my previous experience might've been an anomaly). Wrong. Within 2 days, each time, I had severe flu-like symptoms. They included: chills, mild fever, muscle aches all over, sharp pains in my stomach, severe nausea, vomiting, pounding headache, and extreme fatigue. I was told to take with a meal and drink lots of water. I felt like I was drinking 2 gallons a day...until I couldn't drink or eat anything without throwing it up. I stopped taking it the second time, after 3 pills, and it took 2 full days (and lots of Tylenol) for my symptoms to subside."

• Kib...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "So, Macrobid can certainly have some uncomfortable side effects. Most of these are preventable/treatable with headache pills, taking it with lots of food, and probiotics. If you are allergic, that is not the fault of the medicine, nor is it yours. That's just the way the cards were dealt. Macrobid, or nitrofurantoin, is very good for UTI treatment, and the methods it uses make it unlikely for bacteria to build resistance to it. Macrobid should be the first option before general antibiotics for this reason. Macrobid works very well and is usually taken twice daily (breakfast, dinner). For me, I had fatigue and headaches, but they left after two days. After that, I felt fine for the remaining 8 days. And it worked!"

• Jem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2024

For Urinary Tract Infection "Successfully cleared my mild UTI, but not without some uncomfortable side effects. Definitely more gentle on the stomach than other antibiotics, but still experienced diarrhea the entire time. No nausea or vomiting, but definitely had dizziness and general malaise. Spent most of the 7-day course in bed because I was just so weak and off balance. My right arm developed a weakness/numbness that felt like I had laid on it for too long, except it didn’t begin to go away until I stopped treatment. Vivid, intense dreams. Developed some frustrating headaches the last few days of treatment, but nothing severe. Would prefer to take this again over other antibiotics if I had to, but I absolutely hope I don’t have to deal with this medication again."

• lul...
• February 26, 2016

For Urinary Tract Infection "I got a UTI maybe a couple of days after my cycle ended and was trying to do home remedies, but my boss told me it's better to get antibiotics so I don't end up in the ER. I am on my third day of Macrobid, and the only thing it really does is make me feel better, aside from using my energy to help me get better. So I really only feel fatigue, but I drink lots of water or things with Vitamin C to help as well, and I take the capsule with bread. Other than the fatigue, it's dealing with my UTI, so I can't complain."

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 21, 2018

For Urinary Tract Infection "If you have a job, kids, or any sort of life, don’t take Macrobid. Wipes you out completely with sickness, extreme fatigue, and flu-like symptoms!! I lasted three days and just couldn’t take any more!"

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I began to take Macrobid (Nitrofurantoin mono) 100 mg caplets on last Thursday for a UTI. Within 24 hours, I had severe muscle aching, headache, and fatigue. Within 2 days, I had even more severe body aches, joint pain, extreme fatigue and sleepiness, dizziness and difficulty walking, as well as a fever of 101-102 degrees. I went into a walk-in clinic, but symptoms progressed, and by Sunday, I was in the ER thinking I was in septic shock. I assumed my infection had spread, I had no idea it could be a reaction to the antibiotic. After a barrage of tests, including a CT scan, the only possibility is that this poison was wrecking my health. This medication caused me a huge amount of problems. I stopped taking it yesterday and still have a headache, dizziness, muscle aches, and low fever. I can only hope the damage caused by Macrobid is not permanent."