Bactrim: I have personal experience with the antibiotic Bactrim. I developed a prostate infection several years ago that required that I seek out professional medical help. The doctor I visited diagnosing me with a prostate infection, prescribed Bactrim to remedy the problem. The doctor gave me no cause to be concerned about this drug or any side effects. I began taking this drug that day. Later that evening I was on a flight from Portland, Oregon to Tampa, Florida. During that flight, I had a severe reaction to the Bactrim that caused my feet to swell to twice their normal size, my eyes were beet red and in severe pain. I had a fever of about 104 degrees, and I was becoming delirious. Fortunately, my wife is a health care professional and was with me on this flight. When we got to Tampa, she went to the drug store and obtained Benadryl to counteract the allergic reaction and made me drink gallons of water to flush the drug out of my system. Lucky for me, my kidneys did not shutdown over this reaction. I did some research on this drug when I returned home to find out that severe reactions to Bactrim are common yet the FDA allows this drug to be prescribed all over the country. If you think this story sounds scary, wait until you see what some of the other common drugs are capable of...

Cipro(Ciprofloxacin): Common antibiotic, broad spectrum. Some of the side effects listed as occuring in 1% of patients or less are as follows:

CARDIOVASCULAR: cardiovascular collapse, cardiopulmonary arrest, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, tachycardia, palpitation, cerebral thrombosis, syncope, cardiac murmur, hypertension, hypotension, angina pectoris

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: convulsive seizures, paranoia, toxic psychosis, depression, dysphasia, phobia, depersonalization, manic reaction, unresponsiveness, ataxia, confusion, hallucinations, dizziness, lightheadedness, paresthesia, anxiety, tremor, insomnia, nightmares, weakness, drowsiness, irritability, malaise, lethargy.

GASTROINTESTINAL: ileus, jaundice, gastrointestinal bleeding, C. difficile associated diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis, pancreatitis, hepatic necrosis, intestinal perforation, dyspepsia, epigastric or abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, oral ulceration, oral candidiasis, mouth dryness, anorexia, dysphagia, flatulence

Cephalexin: Antibiotic used for a variety of micro-organism infections. Common side effects are as follows:

Gastrointestinal: Symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis may appear either during or after antibiotic treatment. Nausea and vomiting have been reported rarely. The most frequent side effect has been diarrhea. It was very rarely severe enough to warrant cessation of therapy. Dyspepsia, gastritis, and abdominal pain have also occurred. As with some penicillins and some other cephalosporins, transient hepatitis and cholestatic jaundice have been reported rarely.

Hypersensitivity: Allergic reactions in the form of rash, urticaria, angioedema, and, rarely, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or toxic epidermal necrolysis have been observed. These reactions usually subsided upon discontinuation of the drug. In some of these reactions, supportive therapy may be necessary. Anaphylaxis has also been reported.

Other reactions have included genital and anal pruritus, genital moniliasis, vaginitis and vaginal discharge, dizziness, fatigue, headache, agitation, confusion, hallucinations, arthralgia, arthritis, and joint disorder. Reversible interstitial nephritis has been reported rarely. Eosinophilia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and slight elevations in AST and ALT have been reported.


Ampicillin: Multi-organism antibiotic with the following side effects:

Gastrointestinal: glositis, stamatitis, nausea, vomiting, enterocolitis, pseudomembranous colitis, and diarrhea. These reactions are usually associated with oral dosage forms of the drugs.

Hypersensitivity Reactions: An erythematous, mildly pruritic, maculopapular skin rash has been reported fairly frequently. The rash, which usually does not develop within the first week of therapy, may cover the entire body including the soles, palms, and oral mucosa. The eruption usually disappears in three to seven days.

Other hypersensitivity reactions that have been reported are: skin rash, pruritus, urticaria, erythema multiforme, and an occasional case of exfoliative dermatitis. Anaphylaxis is the most serious reaction experienced and has usually been associated with the parenteral dosage form of the drug.

Note: Urticaria, other skin rashes, and serum sickness-like reactions may be controlled by antihistamines, and if necessary, systemic corticosteroids. Whenever such reactions occur, ampicillin should be discontinued unless, in the opinion of the physician, the condition being treated is life-threatening, and amenable only to ampicillin therapy. Serious anaphylactoid reactions require emergency measures (see WARNINGS).

Liver: Moderate elevation in serum glutamic oxalaacetic transaminase (SGOT) has been noted, but the significance of this finding is unknown.

Hemic and Lymphatic Systems: Anemia, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopenic purpura, eosinophilia, leukapenia, and agranulacytosis have been reported during therapy with penicillins. These reactions are usually reversible on discontinuation of therapy and are believed to be hypersensitivity phenomena.

Other: Other adverse reactions that have been reported with the use at ampicillin are laryngeal stride and high fever. An occasional patient may complain of sore mouth or tongue as with any oral penicillin preparation.

I have presented only a few of the commonly prescribed antibiotics here to raise your level of awareness concerning potentially serious drug side effects. Often doctors do not have the time to research all of the drug side effects. Don't let that stop you from doing it! I know I won't make that mistake again. I have included a link to the RxList website. This site is very informative about drug usage, dosages, side effects, and general information. Educate yourselves with the facts!!