Generic Name: Macrobid for Urinary Tract Infection (nitrofurantoin)
Macrobid for Urinary Tract Infection Reviews
"Let me guess... you have a UTI and you're researching the med the doctor prescribed. You're slowly starting to panic because all the reviews are telling you not to take this poison. I was in the same spot. All I can say is: Take the med. I took each pill with food. First dose after McDonald's because I was a nervous Nelly and if I was going to take this awful pill, it was going to be with a treat. Second dose was after I ate a McFlurry I had saved. I also took it various times with a bagel, spaghetti, and Taco Bell. Before you judge me, it's the weekend so I did, in fact, have McDonald's and Taco Bell. After the first pill, I had a headache. I had some gas-type discomfort and a little bit of bloating, but that's really it. Within 4 hours or so, I was feeling relief and no longer breathing fire out of my urethra. I promise it's worth it to take away a hideous UTI. Don't be scared by these reviews, please! You will be okay. And take it with a McFlurry."
"Came on to share my experience after seeing all of the bad reviews. I have not experienced any side effects from Macrobid, and haven't always eaten with a large meal. Very well tolerated and provided relief from painful UTI after only a few doses. I tend to react to antibiotics but no issues with this one."
"I was feeling lousy from my UTI and I was prescribed Macrobid, and I had zero side effects!! I'm hypersensitive to any pill I put in my body, so I was nervous at first. But I woke up the next morning, and the UTI pains and nausea were gone! I felt and am feeling so much better!! I feel back to normal, if not better! Thank God!"
"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."
"Let me just say, I was terrified to begin this antibiotic Macrobid because of all of the reviews. But let me say I am so glad I did. Ladies, PLEASE do not let these reviews scare you away. First, it is incredibly important to take the antibiotic to get rid of the infection before it gets serious. Second, all of these side effects will not affect most people - people who have bad experiences are so much more likely to leave a review. If something works fine, people just get on with their lives. I know everyone’s body takes meds differently, but this is literally the top-line, MOST COMMONLY prescribed medication for UTIs. Thousands of women get prescribed this every day and have no effects. I have not had ANY side effects, and I’m feeling so so much better already. Don’t let these scare you and help your body heal!!!! Just make sure you eat your yogurt and probiotics to keep away the yeast infections!!"
"I am a woman in her 40s. I can’t speak for all women, but for me, my UTIs have been getting worse with age. The pain and burning are almost unbearable. I don’t remember my 20s being this bad. That being said, I was always put on Cipro with the worst side effects that after day 3, I usually quit them altogether. I recently had a UTI and was put on Macrobid twice a day for 5 days. I am a small woman, only 113 pounds. The first day, I took a pill in the morning and at night, I only had half the capsule. I had absolutely no side effects, and the antibiotic worked within hours. Relief was amazing. This is the third day for me, and I plan on doing the same thing. I’m not telling you to do what I did, I’m just telling you that, for me, it worked. Also, please grab D-mannose. It is a supplement that keeps UTIs away for good. I got lazy and quit buying it, and boom, have sex, and get a UTI. I wish you all great health!"
"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."
"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!"
"My daughter-in-law took this medication at the beginning of January and got sick, so sick she was admitted to the hospital. They took all kinds of tests, sent her home not able to figure out what was causing her symptoms. Within a week she was turning yellow with jaundice and so much sicker, my son took her back to the hospital. By that night, she was airlifted to a hospital three hours away. Her liver completely shut down, and she was lucky to have received a new liver within the week, a total transplant. So at 35 with a one-year-old, she still can’t even pick up yet. She has suffered greatly. Her transplant doctors told her they believed it was this drug. Check it out, way down the list of things that can go wrong would be “Liver tissue death”. Now this drug may help some, but I would not use it!"
"I’m leaving this review for people (like myself) who google EVERYTHING before they try something. I have A LOT of anxiety so reading these reviews made me very nervous about starting this med. I was given cipro 3 days ago for a UTI/kidney infection and spent the whole night throwing up, and pain etc. went back to the doctor and she prescribed Macrobid. It’s been 2 days that I have been taking it and so far, so good. Yes, you have to eat with it or I get mild nausea. I find myself more tired but that’s ok with me...I need sleep! I have been drinking a lot more water (I’m a huge water drinker to begin with) this med makes me thirsty. I’m glad I tried it and didn’t let the reviews get the best of me! I don’t know how it’s working for the UTI because I didn’t have any symptoms other than back pain. It was the urine results that warranted the medication. Everyone reacts differently to medications. So please take these reviews with a grain of salt. Good luck to everyone out there!!"
"I’m just finishing up seven days of Macrobid and the negative reviews worried me. This is only the second UTI I’ve ever had, and I don’t take antibiotics often. So, with that said, I like to do research, but I’m here to tell you I didn’t even have ONE bad reaction. The UTI was gone by the next day. I was actually able to have some UTI relief after just one dose of Macrobid. Think of all the thousands of people taking Macrobid daily that don’t come on here and state their positive reactions. Forums like this are equivalent to Yelp; most people will just pop on to complain about their bad reaction, but there are way more good than bad, so don’t let them scare you away. If you don’t feel good after your first dose, just don’t take the next one before talking to your doctor. UTIs can be dangerous, so it’s important that you have adequate medication pumping through you."
"I went to the doctor for a complaint of a UTI. The doctor prescribed Macrobid for 5 days, twice a day. It definitely worked for the UTI within 2 days, but I had severe side effects: sharp abdominal pains, urine turned dark orange, no appetite, headaches, terrible nausea, left shoulder pain, back pain, tired, almost felt like my head was in the clouds. When I finished the medication, I felt worse. I felt like I wanted to cry. I felt confused, still no appetite, I didn’t feel like myself at all. Stomach cramping pains still with a distended abdomen. I literally almost felt like a walking zombie. I’m still getting abdominal cramps and a swollen abdomen. I need to see my doctor. I’m never taking this medication again."
"Had a UTI that Keflex could not treat. I could tell it was getting worse. Got Macrobid, a few hours after the first pill I felt better. I did take it with food and lots of water. The only symptom I experienced was headaches. Took all the 7 days worth of meds and it wasn't bad at all. I was super scared to take it because of the reviews but I was like... you know what, everyone's body is different and I didn't want the UTI to get worse. So if you got this medication, please take it with food and drink a ton of water."
"After reading all the horror stories, I was dreading taking this, but I’m hoping my experience will help others out! I was diagnosed with a UTI. My OBGYN prescribed Bactrim, in which I had a horrible reaction and found out I had an allergy to, so she switched it to Macrobid. I was afraid to take it since everyone on here seems to complain, however, I read a successful post where one girl said she took it with a muffin, so that’s what I did. I ate a HEAVY meal, then waited about 30-45 minutes. I took a jumbo muffin and ate half of it, then took the pill, and then ate the remaining half of the muffin. No nausea, no diarrhea, no dizziness, nothing! Now keep in mind that all of our bodies are different, and so are our tolerances, but this is not as bad as it seems if you drink plenty of water and eat lots of food prior to taking it, including bread items! Best of luck!"
"Please do not take the bad reviews seriously. Talk to your doctor, not the internet. I have extreme anxiety. The thought of taking an antibiotic scares me to no end. But the knowledge of understanding that a UTI will get worse without treatment was enough for me to just take it. I have had no side effects from Macrobid. A little anxiety, but that is just my nature, not from the pill itself. Please don’t be afraid to take this medicine. It has helped me so much. Take it from someone who cannot stand antibiotics."
"Macrobid was the worst antibiotic I've ever taken. I have never had a UTI, and when I saw my doctor, she prescribed Macrobid 2x daily for 7 days. I have taken plenty of antibiotics in my lifetime and have never had any significant side effects. Within 4 hours of taking Macrobid, I had terrible diarrhea for about 2 hours. After that, I was nauseous to the point of vomiting (and I never vomit). No medication has ever made me this sick before. I had chills, weakness, diarrhea, and vomiting all within the first 12 hours. However, I know you're not supposed to stop taking medications, so I took my second dose, and the symptoms proceeded to the point of not sleeping at all overnight. I stopped taking it the next day, and my symptoms resolved completely. I went back to my doctor and got a different antibiotic that I had no problems with."
"Started Macrobid 5 days ago. I’ve taken Cipro before and it’s always worked well. My doc was on vacation, so I went to another clinic. She told me that they stay away from prescribing Cipro, so she suggested Macrobid and said it was well tolerated. First, I want to let you know that it did not work for me. I’m on day 5 & the burning right now is just as it was when my UTI started. When I started taking it, I felt nauseous, dizzy, balance issues, weak arms, depressed and weepy. This is out of character for me. I’ve hardly worked due to feeling incredibly weak and tired. I'm self employed and 4.5 of my days have been completely wiped out by this drug. I also have cramping in my feet and today I had bizarre facial flushing, hot ears and high blood pressure for 5 hours. I’ve always had normal blood pressure so this was scary. DO NOT TAKE THIS!"
"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."
"Was so traumatized to take this med based on other reviews. I'm 120 and 5'4 and get sick and nauseous from even one tylenol regular strength. I got Pedialyte to prepare... Took the pill and waited. And NOTHING happened except my UTI going away. Do yourself a favor and don't read the Internet. Trust your doctor!"
"For everyone posting bad reviews, did any of you take it after eating a complete meal? I made the mistake of taking one before after eating a light snack, and I got the fever, chills, etc., like everyone else, but if I take it after eating a good-sized meal, then I'm fine. DON'T TAKE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH! These antibiotics do work great! Don't let the bad reviews stop you from taking them, just do what I said and eat real food, and if you still have side effects, then call your doctor. But from my experience, as long as I eat, no problems with them."
"I am on my fourth day of taking Macrobid for a UTI. The burning sensation when I pee has gone. The foul smell in my urine has gone, it now smells like urine again. My urine is clear again. It was very cloudy and slightly brown in color. The two aspects of the infection that remain are the weakness of the flow and the frequency of origination, which is about every half hour. I have not had any side effects, so I feel that this has been a success so far. I have seven days' worth to take, and I will keep going."
"I took the antibiotic for 5 days for a UTI. On the first day, it did cause a bit of nausea and dizziness, but nothing too drastic. For the rest of the days, I had no side effects at all. I always took it with a meal to prevent nausea or an upset stomach."
"Had a UTI and my doctor prescribed Macrobid twice a day for 5 days. I’ve had zero side effects, and my UTI went away. I’m an overly anxious person, so online reviews worry me, but all of these reviews seem to be from those who have had obvious allergic reactions to Macrobid, and these are likely pretty rare or they had another illness that coincided with their UTI."
"First time I took Macrobid for UTI, after a few days I developed flu-like symptoms, fever, aches and pains, heart racing, bronchial congestion. After the infection came back, I took it again and only one dose brought back all the side effects and more. I went online to see if I was alone and I am one of many with this reaction and worse. Thank God for the Internet."
"I’m 20 and get a lot of UTIs. I’ve taken just about every antibiotic there is. This is one of the milder ones. The bad-smelling pee and burning went away after my second dose. I’m on my 4th day. I take this for 5 days. Gives me bad insomnia, but yet I’m super sleepy. Not the best feeling in the world, but it’s worth it to clear the infection. UTIs can become dangerous if left untreated."
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- Urinary Tract Infection
- Prevention of Bladder infection
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