I was Prescribed Trimethoprim for a kidney infection 4 days ago, i have been taking them 2 times a day but i?

Question

feel sick and lightheaded all the time, is this normal to feel like this on these tablets? i still have kidney pain and after 4 days i would have thought they would have started to work. should i stop them, i feel worse taking them than not.

Answer 1

It would be extremely unusual, if it ever happens, to be prescribed trimethoprim alone, so I presume you mean trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.  Which doesn't normally make folks feel sick and lightheaded, but it commonly has GI side effects, and the important thing is that it's making you feel sick and lightheaded.  (Or isn't working, and your kidney infection is making you feel this way as it gets worse).

You shouldn't just stop the drug, but you should let your doctor know you can't tolerate it, that you still have kidney pain, and ask for a different and stronger antibiotic.  There are many other choices available that may have fewer side effects and may be more effective; ciprofloxacin comes to mind as a common one that ought not to be too expensive since it's generic.  If they've done a culture to determine what's causing the infection and what antibiotics it's susceptible to, they can choose a drug that's more certain to work.

Answer 2

Those are side effects of the medicine. It usually takes 2 weeks of this med to clear up an infection. If you are really uncomfortable with the nausea, etc. , there are other drugs that work well. Suggest you call your doctor and discuss how bad the med is making you feel. Here is a link:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugi...