Bactrim DS and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Cel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 2, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "3 days into the course, and I am experiencing: 1. Very bad dizzy spells. 2. Feelings of great weakness. 3. Feelings of great anxiety. 4. Feelings like I am dying. 5. My head & stomach are aching up a storm. 6. I am nauseated & vomiting. 7. Vagina burning, that started on the second day. I HAVE had Bactrim before for UTIs but have NEVER experienced what I am with this darn one. My question is what have they put/added into the drug to make me react in such a horrid nasty way?"

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 7, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "This Bactrim stuff is awful! Taking for a UTI. I am used to taking Cipro, but have stopped due to the nasty side effects of that one. Have been taking the Bactrim for the UTIs instead. Every time I take this stuff, I feel weak and dizzy, my head hurts so bad, and I get antsy and stir crazy. I don't want to eat or sleep, and the nausea can be overwhelming. This stuff makes me feel like I am going to fade away and die. Once the medication wears off, I feel much better, but then it's time to take another dose, and it starts all over again. Ugh! It gets rid of the painful infection, but I just feel so awful while I am on this stuff."

• Bja...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Worst medication ever. My anxiety is through the roof. I am freezing most of the time when I’m not drenched in sweat. Heart rate is racing. Can’t sleep due to the horrible feeling of not waking. It’s like the spins but different. I swear I was seeing the light! I would be listening to my husband tell me to drink the water next to me, but I couldn’t respond or move. It was like I was paralyzed. Very terrifying. If at all costs, please find an alternative antibiotic. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy... pure torture. I am prescribed it for 14 days twice daily, and I’m only on day 3."

• Dai...
• February 24, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I read the reviews, but I really wished I would’ve listened. It seems like it’s helping cure my staph infection, but the side effects aren’t worth it. Maybe the medication was too strong of a dose, but I had to take 800 mg/160 mg 2x a day for 10 days. I’m writing my review as I’m taking this medication, it’s making my heart race, it’s making me dizzy and lightheaded, jittery, messing with my stomach, confused, and headaches are off the wall. I’m drinking plenty of water and eating plenty of food. I’m also breastfeeding, and it seems like it’s making my son sick. He was fine until I started taking it, and now he’s vomiting, very fussy, has low fevers, and is sleeping on and off all day. We’re not around people too much, so it’s highly unlikely he got sick from somewhere else. I stopped taking it after the third day. I had to call an ambulance because I was home alone with my baby and I felt so off, and my heart was racing all day."

• Jak...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 28, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Prescribed Bactrim for sore throat after taking Amoxicillin for 4 days (culture test indicated that Amoxicillin would not work for the bacteria found). At first, side effects included drowsiness, weakness, confusion, overall sluggishness, severe anxiety, rapid heart rate, and insomnia. I am on day 5 of 7 and have regained strength and have less confusion/drowsiness; however, the anxiety, increased heart rate, and insomnia are still present. I have woken up twice in the middle of the night with a rapid heart rate, anxiety, sweats, and an inability to fall back asleep. Hopefully, this will cease to be a problem once I complete the course. This antibiotic is definitely not for me, and I will opt for an alternative should I ever need it again. I gave it a 3 (instead of 1) because I believe it has helped with the infection; however, the side effects are awful for me."

• Anonymous
• September 17, 2010

For Urinary Tract Infection "Took this for 3 days. 2nd day got severe itching on palms and soles of feet. Day three had uncontrollable shakes, heart racing, felt like it was going to come out of my chest, facial numbness, dizzy, very elevated (for me) blood pressure of 145/90, whole body tingling, dizziness, lightheaded, extremely intense nervousness, ringing in my ears."

• Jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2019

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Bactrim just about killed me. The worst medicine ever. It cleared up my skin infection from a bug bite after two days of taking it, but I had to stop it immediately after being hospitalized from severe insomnia, horrible anxiety, body aches, heart palpitations, the list goes on. I would never take this again. Although it did its job, it also has made my life a nightmare. It has been a week since I stopped taking it, and I still feel terrible. Please think twice about taking this."

• Lu1...
• May 30, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I had a UTI, finished an entire prescription of Macrobid. I noticed as soon as I finished the meds, my UTI symptoms came back - so it didn't work for me. I then tried Bactrim. The pain went away after 1.5 days of being on Bactrim, which was a huge relief, but it is now day 4 and I am suffering from nausea, cold sweats, chills, insomnia, and anxiety. It works for your UTI, but the side effects are unbearable after a few days."

• Gil...
• August 25, 2019

For Kidney Infections "(18 yr/o female) I was prescribed this medication after winding up at the emergency room with extreme pain in my right side. After further investigation, it turned out to be a kidney cyst that had become severely infected and was getting bled into. I was more than willing to start the medication. I had currently been at Mayo Clinic getting tests done for severe stomach nausea and pain. Yet on the third day of this antibiotic, I was miserable. I figured it was my previous stomach issues, yet it got worse and worse. I spent day 3 by the toilet, thinking I was going to be sick with a low fever. After that, I lost my appetite completely and had this awful twisting spasm start in my upper gut. This spiraled into severe depression, anxiety, and not being able to sleep at night. It has kicked my cyst (hopefully), but I am on day 7 after being prescribed for 14 days, and I don't know how much more I can take. Good luck to anyone who can brave this medicine."

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

For Urinary Tract Infection "Was prescribed Bactrim for UTI when first med did not work. 3rd day in, feeling better until 2nd dose taken. Began to feel nausea, dizzy, fatigue, terrible anxiety, unable to sleep or relax. Felt like I was going crazy. Also had constipation, back and stomach pain as well. Almost went to ER. This med is horrible. Never again!"

• Mr ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2017

For Bacterial Skin Infection "I'm on my fourth 800/160 pill of Bactrim, treating MRSA infection, which has also caused my lymph nodes behind my knee and groin to swell and hurt. I initially took doxycycline for about 4 days, with worsening infection. Bactrim worked day 1. The infection started to clear, and lymph swelling and pain are going away. Unfortunately, I had severe anxiety, including shaking, tightness in my chest, very dizzy, and feelings of doom. It's possible this was brought on by me overreacting to a slight side effect, but this is a very strong antibiotic. It works, but you might have to suffer through it. Not fun."

• Hhh...
• November 15, 2018

For Bacterial Infection "I’ve been taking this and am randomly getting anxiety and a jittery feeling. I also keep having weird dreams since I’ve been on it. I had an ear/near my tooth infection. I’m allergic to amoxicillin, so I was prescribed Bactrim. I’m on the 8th day, and I feel insomnia and anxiety. My feet are also really cold. It fluctuates, but I’ll be quitting tomorrow since I don’t feel like myself."

• Hhh...
• November 15, 2018

For Bacterial Infection "I’ve been taking this and am randomly getting anxiety and a jittery feeling. I also keep having weird dreams since I’ve been on it. I had an ear/near my tooth infection. I’m allergic to amoxicillin, so I was prescribed Bactrim. I’m on the 8th day, and I feel insomnia and anxiety. My feet are also really cold. It fluctuates, but I’ll be quitting tomorrow since I don’t feel like myself."

• jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "Was on the Bactrim antibiotic for 1 week to clear up epididymitis. It took around 4-5 days to notice any difference, and I didn't really experience any sort of side effects other than anxiety, which is something I already struggle with anyway, but it seemed to amplify it, and at times I felt confused and kind of dizzy. Make sure to drink lots of water, and also, I would recommend taking it with food to avoid any stomach problems. Overall, the pain from epididymitis is gone, and that is all I care about, I think the side effects are worth it, and remember they are only temporary."

• Mag...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2020

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed this drug for a bladder infection. Took it Thursday night. I was fine all day Friday. I have an Apple Watch, so I did notice my heart rate was higher, but I was busy at work, so I didn’t really pay attention until day 3. I felt better as far as the bladder infection. But I had the worst headache and anxiety, and my pulse was 134, normally like 84. I was very anxious, called my doctor, and was told to stop taking it. I stopped, and today, the next day, my pulse is back to normal, and the headache is gone. It helped clear up my infection... I mean, besides the heart racing, it did its job."

• Red...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 24, 2019

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was on Bactrim for 7 days for a UTI infection. It cleared it up and didn't seem to have many problems until the last one I took. I broke out in hives, itching everywhere, and I thought I was going to die. I still feel horrible from taking it, with a loss of appetite and anxiety. I will never take this again, as I am now allergic to it. It is now 7 days since I took it and I still feel awful."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was scared to death to take this medication. I got the Bactrim on a Friday night and didn't have the courage to take it until Sunday night. The horror stories I read about it almost gave me a panic attack just thinking about the what-ifs. Luckily, I haven't had any side effects other than my lips burned a bit after the first dose, and I was jittery. I am sure to eat a full meal before taking the dose."

• Smi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2018

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Eczema on fingers of both hands became infected after several months of me failing to control the eczema on my own. Doc prescribed Bactrim DS twice a day for ten days. Worked very quickly, and my fingers looked 90% healed after two days, but unfortunately, I had to discontinue Bactrim after I had severe anxiety, insomnia, severe tension headaches, hand trembling, neck muscle soreness, and heart palpitations. I made it 4 days before I decided to switch to something else. Had side effects not been as severe, this would have been a 10/10 for me for how quickly it fixed my skin. No diarrhea, nausea, or GI issues for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2022

For Prostatitis "I took Bactrim DS 960 mg for suspected acute prostatitis. I was told to take it for 28 days (56 pills). Within two days, and increasing each day, I experienced extreme anxiety, depression, unending panic, insomnia (I didn’t sleep for three days), chills, hot flashes, mild fever, genital pain, out-of-body experience, and other severe negative symptoms. Eventually, I connected the symptoms to Bactrim, stopped the pill, and saw immediate improvement after 24 hours—not full, but much better. Later I was fine. This drug was a terrible experience; I would never take it again for any reason."

• e6a...
• November 29, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "Only took the medication for 5 days, had read about it online after being prescribed it and got really worried at all the awful side effects. I experienced nausea and headaches and slight itchiness while on it and was glad to finally get off of it. It is my 3rd day off of it and the itching has gotten worse and all over now. I only have a few tiny reddish bumps, though, and I am experiencing anxiety on and off randomly and just feel weird and have also caught a cold (sore throat/cough). Will never take this medication ever again and I severely advise against it."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "The first day, I experienced some nausea. Now? I have a sore in my mouth that popped up out of nowhere, and one side of my bottom lip is swollen. I'm so sick that I can't eat anything and have zero appetite. I keep getting the shakes and chills that weren't there before starting it. I suffer from anxiety, and anxiety is a common side effect of this medication - so now my anxiety is through the roof, and it's also caused severe insomnia. I'm constipated, have terrible muscle spasms and cramps in my legs. I've never had an issue with a sulfa drug before, but after this, I will definitely not take one ever again. It's not worth the side effects/allergic reaction."

• Lea...
• October 30, 2015

For Urinary Tract Infection "So, I wanted to review this drug because I've been on five antibiotic treatments within the last month and a half for the craziest UTI I've ever experienced in my life. Landed in the ER for fevers and pain, and the worst was the mental confusion. Anyways, during this time, I've been on IV antibiotics, Z-Pak, as well as Keflex, which gave me horrible anxiety and extreme photosensitivity. When I tried Levaquin, it sent me to the ER. Then finally Bactrim DS was prescribed. After taking it the first night, I did have some trouble sleeping, but after two doses of the medication, I did adjust. I have been taking probiotics with these meds. It's helped overall. Side effects I noted: vivid dreams, fatigue, and constipation were the main three."

• Tel...
• January 29, 2015

For Sinusitis "I took this for four and a half days. I experienced complete appetite loss, nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, and anxiety. I had blood work done before I took the Bactrim, and when I got my results back, it turned out I didn't have a bacterial infection at all. All that for nothing. I still haven't completely recovered my appetite, and it has been almost a week since my last dose."

• Ale...
• February 15, 2018

For Bacterial Skin Infection "Absolutely the worst medication I've ever been on, and I've been on a lot. If an alternative is offered, take the alternative. Intense thirst, super awful anxiety (borderline paranoia), stomachaches and heartburn out the wazoo, night sweats, rash, dizziness, joint pain, loss of appetite were my symptoms (amongst others). Doc switched me to clindamycin. Not a single side effect! Symptoms gradually got better after dropping Bactrim."

• Nub...
• December 14, 2017

For Urinary Tract Infection "Horrible! I will tell you it does work for a UTI. My UTI is almost gone, but the side effects are terrible. I was doing fine with the medication the first day, and now today is my second day. Currently, I am at work, jittery, having chills, I had two panic attacks, and today I just started having migraines. I am only on this for three days. I have two more pills left. Tried to make it, but I don't think I can handle this while working. Not so much dizziness for me, just making me really tired. I will be staying on Cephalexin."