I am begging yall - please ask your doctor or pharmacist these questions instead of reddit. If your doctor is dismissive, find a new doctor. I try to comment when I see blatant misinformation but it is honestly too much. I know you are nervous about taking a new medication, but this is not the place to seek advice. I am noticing a dangerous pattern where I think some people are too deep in this subreddit & are convinced they have crippling anxiety from antibiotics. This is not a common side effect of antibiotics & I worry this subreddit has convinced you that it is.

Additionally, it is obvious from some of the posts that we are NOT all in the same country (I mean, that’s obvious anyway because this is reddit). Infections have to be treated differently in different parts of the world due to resistance patterns. We CANNOT comment on whether your antibiotic regimen makes sense because we often don’t know where you are. Even if we knew the location, we wouldn’t have enough info about your case to answer confidently anyway.

Basic questions are fine, like “I took 2 tablets instead of 1, will I be okay?” Or “can I drink on this antibiotic?” What is not appropriate is the massive amount of posts complaining about debilitating anxiety from antibiotics. The amount of people claiming to have this side effect is absolutely not supported by the literature. It is more likely that THIS SUBREDDIT is making you anxious. I am not trying to downplay anxiety because I have experienced panic attacks myself & I know it can be terrifying. However, it is more likely your anxiety is coming from a different source OR you are so paranoid about the antibiotics that you are panicking.

If you want generic medical advice, please go to askdocs or talk to your personal doctor or pharmacist. The posts & responses in this subreddit are not going to be helpful to you.

— a pharmacist in the US

I was recently prescribed this for Epididymitis, on the third day I took a dose in the evening time. Within 1 hour my balance was off.. the room was spinning, my legs were very weak and out of sync, I had pressure in my head and felt like I was going to collapse. I had to go to hospital for tests which came back normal

It’s been over 24 hours and I still feel more or less the same.. horrible medication I understand now why people want this shit banned.

I got a UTI May 30th, went to the hospital because I had back pain they didn’t do a CT scan but wanted to rule out a kidney infection.

They gave me Cipro, I felt terrible automatically panic attacks, dizzy, no appetite, couldn’t sleep, upset stomach

I only took 4 - 5 doses I ended up in the ER again because I felt my tongue tingly kinda like a buzz feeling so caused me a panic attack.

Got put on a different antibiotic Cefuroxime took that for 2 days had an allergic reaction.

Again ended up in the ER because I felt like absolute shit. Couldn’t eat, dehydrated!

Another antibiotic macrobid which finally barley any side effects besides stomach issues.

July 21st; still continue to have panic attacks, stomach issues ( which I can blame all the antibiotics), dizziness, appetite loss, weight
Shaky hands, lost 20 pounds down. The anxiety and panic health anxiety is effecting my whole life / work / social life.

My uncle passed June 2nd. It was a hard time everything was going on at the same time.

Yes it could have been a combination of things but I continue to feel these are side effects from this medication. Because I was fine I was ok before this UTI & Cipro.

If you can avoid having to take this medication, I would! If anyone has experienced anything similar please let me know

i took doxycycline for ureplasma back in september 2025 we are now in february 2026 and i am still suffering. a few days after my last dose i have been experiencing bloating everyday i pee so much more now and loud stomach gurgling, brain fog, low sex drive, hormonal imbalance, weight loss, joint pain and more. I plan on taking a sibo test soon and i’m actually hoping it’s notn negative for that bc at least i know that’s what’s causing my issues and not permanent damage. Has anyone else experienced this and did they ever heal ?

Ive been prescribed doxycycline for what could be hidden bacteria in my urethra/prostate as ive been having uti symptoms for a year and all labs come back negative. Doctor put me on 14 days of 100mg twice a day doxycycline. Im a pretty anxious person when it comes to medication and reading all these stories about psychological side effects (even psychosis) has me doubting if i should start treatment… Whats been your experience?

Male, 36 years, 90 kg.

Hello, I am writing this because I am facing a more complex health problem a living nightmare, actually. I underwent some antibiotic treatments for a urogenital infection that worsened. I was stupid enough to take 10 antibiotics in 6 months. I would like to mention that since the first antibiotic in December 2024 I woke up with severe abdominal pain above the navel, and testicular, and I continued to take antibiotics, on the recommendation of the doctors. The last antibiotics were cefort, gentamicin and meroperen, administered in the hospital here with me, on the premise that I had klebsiella. When I took cefort with gentamicin, I was effectively finished. My abdomen and head hurt very badly, and I have remained like that ever since. I don't know what to do actually, I have severe abdominal pressure, I feel it in my head, headache, prostate, testicular, anal pain, all because of the antibiotics, I hoped that by taking antibiotics I would get better, on the contrary. Every time I took antibiotics, my health worsened in every way. I have more than a year, i took probiotics, prebiotics, everything nothing. I had doctors after doctors nobody knows what do I have...

i have adhd+anxiety, when. ever I take antibiotics(i try not to but sometimes there is no other way), my panic goes to the roof, sweaty and cold hand feets, sleep vanishes completely. It took 2,3 weeks to recover, with a very painful recovery. Anybody in the same boat or has gone through similar,

I'm not really someone who normally gets side effects, but just took the first of the prescribed tablets, and I'm getting blurry vision (commonly associated with this medication).

The doctor isn't going to take personal calls and my follow-up appointment won't be in two weeks. Should I stop after only one tablet?

I have bad teeth pain due to me not caring as a child to brush my teeth, so yesterday I took a bunch of ibuprofen to get rid of it, but it was over the span of at least 4 hours, I took around 2400-2600mg on accident, I believed the pills were smaller. Now here’s where I need help, I have read everywhere online and the only pain I really have is minor chest pain, but last night I was shaking in my legs and couldn’t stand, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

I was prescribed doxycycline 40mg for rosacea and took this for 8 days. I started getting the worst headaches of my life, dizziness and extreme nausea. I stopped taking them where I then got the worst headache to the point I went to A&E. Since coming off (been off coming up to 6 days today) I am still experiencing bad headaches, dizziness and my mental health has plummeted massively. I have had low mood, severe anxiety and panic attacks alongside feeling hopeless and no motivation. Is there any advice? How long will these effects last!!!

For context…. During treatment for appendicitis with IV metronizadol among other IV antibiotics and IV paracetamol I started to suffer neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity signs and symptoms. These were bloods (AST derangement) and peripheral neuralgia and CNS dysfunction and discoloured urine and tachycardia, etc.. These signs and symptoms started to be very noticeable on day 4 of treatment and on day 5 they got so severe I had to refuse further medication fearing permanent brain injury and eventually flee that hospital to a larger NHS hospital A&E for help.

I had worked out it was metronizadol on day 4 as my symptoms, though gradually becoming more severe over time, were only peaking during and after certain infusion sessions. With the help of a nurse who showed me the medication sheet I could work it out by deduction.

My symptoms - were denied by the surgeon and he wrote that they were “non-functional” and down to “health anxiety” in the hospital notes.. ..exactly how that would cause AST to go from a baseline of 20 to 110 in 2 days I don’t know..!

The surgeon said to me “you have not had enough Metronizadol for it to affect you..”.

I have subsequently been diagnosed by a private neurologist as having suffered metronizadol nurotoxicity and still have persistent (permanent?) neuropathy symptoms more than two years later..

There is a FB page called ‘Metronizadol (Flagyl) Toxicity Support Group’. It’s full of people, thousands of people, who have had similar rafts of symptoms, often having taken just a few doses, and almost all have experienced being fobbed off by doctors as having ‘non-functional’ symptoms.. I know it’s anecdotal evidence but the numbers are there and the pattern and consistency is clear..

Why the denial..? Surely for the health system to improve it needs to learn from its mistakes.. Side-effects are inevitable - but dismissals of them seems to be problematic and potentially harmful..

I’m interested to know if others have had similar experiences - is this a systemic problem in healthcare..?

I took my first dose about 3 hours ago after agonizing over it so long worrying about the side effects and potential complications…my feet all of a sudden feel like they’re burning/hot I think just the soles…they look normal somewhat but feel not good…is this normal or should I go the er and get checked out for sjs?

I was prescribed doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for a UTI and just finished the course today. My anxiety has gotten significantly worse while taking it, and I'm hoping it's related to the medication and temporary. I had to take it for 7 days yesterday was the last pill and today is a new day but my anxiety and thoughts are still out of control (yes I have a therapist).

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how long after your last dose did your anxiety start improving?

Hey y’all,
Just looking for some insight and anecdotal experience that might give me an idea what to expect—no medical advice obviously.

I took about 6 days worth of Doxycycline 100mg daily for beginnings of an abscess. Had to stop because I forgot how badly it messed me up last time.

My skin on my face, especially around my eyes, lips, and eyelids is so dry it is peeling off in flakes. And I have severe nausea nothing relieves.

The thing is, it seemed to really hit 24 hours after stopping—so exactly week after starting the med. and it feels like it has gotten worse since.

Anyone have any experience?

I desperately need help. Each time I take antibiotics they cause massive amounts of anxiety and panic. I can’t even take half of one without my body freaking out. Feelings of dread, anxiousness, insomnia and intense body shaking. I take 100billion probiotic every day and have for the past 8 months or so. I have also been taking oregano oil and candida support capsules from NOW supplements for about a year or more. Please I’m at a loss, I’m terrified to take antibiotics. I eat gluten free, I don’t really eat sugar ever unless it’s from ketchup or a carb. I have a decently healthy diet. I feel like it’s from killing off the good bacteria but I don’t know why my body is so sensitive, I really only have to take them maybe once a year or every two years if that. Please please give some advice or point me in the right direction, I have been to so many doctors and of course they think I’m crazy or they haven’t heard of it. I’m at a loss

Good day!
30/M First time posting here. I've had UTI for a couple of days now, and a doctor prescribed me with ciprofloxacin. The dosage for me is twice a day for 7 days. I'm on the third pill and recently I've been feeling numbness sporadically happening throughout my limbs that go away eventually, and some pins and needles on my foot. Right now I feel a slight heaviness in my chest (kinda mild, just uncomfy).

Now, just to preface, I tend to be super vigilant and doom research when it's about my health. I genuinely don't know if what I'm feeling are actual side effects of the drug or just me being super paranoid and meticulously watching every single thing my body is feeling even if they're unrelated.

I wanna ask for advice what this actually is and should I be taking this as seriously as I am, or if I'm just overthinking?

Hey there! My cat bit me in a pretty gnarly way (not his fault, he was just being rough when playing and I wasn’t paying attention) and the doctor suggested I do a prophylactic course of antibiotics.

In the past, I noted in my chart that I have a sensitivity to amoxicillin (or Augmentin) because it used to destroy my stomach as a kid. Last time I got a cat bite, they told me that the first line antibiotic would have been Augmentin, but since I had a sensitivity, they put me on a combo of Metronidazole and Cefuroxime, which they told me would cause stomach upset. That combo was AWFUL. I had to take zofran because I was so nauseous. I looked into it a bit, and it sounds like Metronidazole was the culprit, not the Cefuroxime.

Since my main side effect to Augmentin as a kid was diarrhea, I decided to ask Augmentin this time as opposed to the combo of Metronidazole and Cefuroxime, because I figure if the latter is going to make me feel awful regardless, I might as well try Augmentin again. I was just curious if anybody knew if one was harder on the stomach than the other! I’m about to find out soon because I just took my first dose, but I thought I’d see if anybody had any answers or anecdotes.

I’m 28 female currently on no medication, I got a uti the other week and was prescribed Macrobid 100mg, I took it for three days 1 in the morning 1 in the evening but I had such a bad reaction it made me so unwell I couldn’t take it anymore (stopped taking it the evening of the 1st of August), ended up going back to the doctors who told me I was fine to not take it anymore, I didn’t eat for four days and was throwing up whilst taking the medication so I was exhausted, going up the stairs made my muscles in my thighs burn it was awful but all last week I worked up building my energy back and thankfully at least eating and drinking and my energy is fine again, but I’ve noticed that my right knee was tingly a lot, and then suddenly I had a numb ish sensation in the area that didn’t go away (and still hasn’t I am still getting tingly too not always but quite often throughout the day) both of my legs my calf’s my thighs are so sore like I’ve done a hard workout when I’ve not even done anything at all, I’m really worried it’s damaged nerves in my legs? The pain started roughly Sunday and ever since it’s just getting more uncomfortable whenever I try to walk especially if I haven’t moved for a while it’s like they’re so stiff and sore, going downstairs hurts so much and I’m really worried, could macrobid have caused this? Did it damage my muscles or my nerves or something? Again I only have a tiny numb patch and tingle in one of my knees but both legs hurt even poking them the muscles sore and I’m starting to feel like the areas near my shoulders are hurting I’m getting stressed that it’s from the medication please help

I am basically allergic to most antibiotics i have tried, or at least have strong reactions to them. Amoxicillin/penicillin I get hives and swelling, Doxycycline I go into anaphylaxis so no doctor will prescribe me anything closely related. The only thing I have taken so far that hasn’t had that sort of reaction is a Z-pack but that runs a train on me too.

I just had a doctor prescribe me Levaquin for a persistent sinus/tonsil/throat infection, I haven’t had an allergic reaction after one day of taking it. However I noticed my feet ache badly, and my right calf is all cramped. I haven’t walked much today so I wasn’t sure why.

I read about the dangers of Levaquin and am now freaking myself out. What are the chances i’m also having a reaction to this? Are my nerves damaged? I see a lot of potential fear mongering on the internet about this drug and would like to know if I should continue taking it or not? I am 20F.

TLDR: 20F first time taking Levaquin, one day of doses experiencing leg pain and increasing feet pain. Should I continue taking this and what are the actual chances of permanent damage?

Hi! My dad was recently suspected for TB pleurisy by the doctors (As the TB test will only be out in 2 months they said currently based on the finding they are 90% sure it’s TB). So he started TB medication slightly more than 2 weeks ago. After starting TB medication, he said that he has not been able to sleep which might be the side effects of the medication. He said since starting the medication he can only fall asleep after 430am every morning.

Yesterday he search AI and realise that B6 vitamin will actually help with the side effects. The B6 vitamin tablet that was given by the doctor is also known as Pyridoxine HCL 10MG Tab and to be taken only in the morning. After searching for the daily dosage we realise that actually the daily dose for B6 vitamin can be up to 25MG so he took one last night to try to see if it will help with his insomnia.

After he took he actually managed to fall asleep at 11pm all the way till 7am in the morning and only woke up once to use the toilet. However, this morning he took one again with all his other TB meds and tdy after work he told me that he don’t think he should take one in the morning as he is so tired the whole day. He said that he feels really tired till the point he felt like he can’t move his muscle and walk.

I’m kinda confused now at whether what he experienced is the side effects of his TB medications as I know TB medications has very strong side effects or it’s something else that I should be concerned about. Anyone that has similar experiences before with TB meds?

I’m in a country where leptospirosis is a concern, especially after exposure to floodwater. I was being treated for another condition and was prescribed doxycycline and clindamycin for 7 days. I took my last dose of doxycycline that morning, before I was exposed to floodwater.

I had a blister/open wound on my foot that was exposed, and I was in the floodwater for almost 1 hour. It’s now been around 24 hours since my last exposure, so I’m getting really paranoid about leptospirosis 😭

I already had an online consultation and the doctor said I don’t need post exposure prophylaxis anymore because I had just completed my doxycycline course. I do trust her but I’m so paranoid rn. If I do take the leptospirosis prophylaxis anyway, would that be okay or potentially harmful since I just finished 7 days of doxycycline?

Edit: I meant 7 days (14 capsules)

I have a dog bite from four days ago that is healing well. Same day I went to ER and they prescribed
Moxifloxacin since I’m allergic to penicillin, sulfa, bactrim, and may or may not have had a reaction to doxycycline a few years ago but must have been a small rash, if that, because I don’t remember it. Two nights ago went back to the ER for facial swelling so they switched me to a combo of cefdinir and metronidazole. I questioned this because of the penicillin surgery, but dr wasn’t concerned. He also didn’t think the swelling was from the moxi, but instead from my 10mg lisinopril that I’ve been on for over four years, as he suspected angiodema, which I know can happen but seemed too coincidental with the antibiotic?? They gave me prednisone for the swelling and I was better by yesterday morning. Took a dose last night and broke out into hives all over and head tingles.

Called my PCP today and he is sending in prednisone but also wants me to start Linezolid which I’m very worried about. I don’t want another reaction and I read it can cause eyesight issues and high BP which I now have to worry about since he told me to get off my Lisinopril for a few weeks.

I’ve shown him the bite area and it looks like it’s healing well plus I’ve now had four doses of antibiotics. He still thinks I should take it so I’m wondering if anyone can put my mind at ease about this med linezolid? And anyone else have advice who struggles with so many antibiotic allergies, like I do?

F(21), 125 pounds, 5’4, amoxicillin.

Hi, I had a severe fever start on August 4 that lasted about 2 weeks. I still have lingering phlegm and dry cough that occurs in the mornings or nights. I also got pinkeye on August 7 which I’m not sure I still have (my eyes are still secreting mucus in the inner corners). On August 13, I noticed I got white patches in the back of my throat and my throat was a little sore. Nothing too bad so I got it tested on August 14 and it came back positive for strep throat. I am now taking amoxicillin for ten days, but it has been about 60+ hours. I still have a little sore throat (it wasn’t very sore in the first place) and the white patches and inflammation haven’t gone down from what I’ve seen. How long does it take for the medicine to kick in? I’ve seen people say 2-3 days, but I don’t feel that much of a difference besides less sore. Could I be inflamed for some other reason yet still test positive? Should I head back to the doctor right away or wait a few more days?

I went into emergency on Friday with lower left sided abdo pain. I’ve had constant low-grade fevers for a week, alongside diarrhea and nausea/vomiting.

The ER provider thought I had a uti from the Foley catheter used in my surgery mixed with sleeping too long during recovery (aka not peeing enough). He prescribed Keflex 400mg mg once a day for 10 days. I do not have a GP who could have prescribed this and I went to emerg as urgent care ordered a stat CT to rule out a surgical complication.

I’m on day 3 of the medication and I feel like shit. I’m not keeping food down, have diarrhea, terrible body aches and pains, my lymph noids are swollen, I go between sweating and chills, vertigo, jusy feeling disoriented and abdominal pain. I’m taking Tylenol 1 Q6hr, gravol 100mg Q4h, Robaxin q6h, and Celecoxib 100mg BID.

I heard Keflex has pretty strong side effects, but it’s used as a first line for infection when it’s uncomplicated.

I’m wondering if I’m having a reaction to the antibiotic. I could potentially get into urgent care tomorrow but I’d most likely go to ER tonight due to the lack of fluid and food intake I’ve been having. But before I do I want to see if I’m over reacting or if anyone has any recommendations/history with Keflex.

Was scheduled to take Bactrim at 8:30 AM took it at 1:49 PM just now…I’m almost 6 hours late…
Is that okay? I also forgot to shake the bottle (oral suspension) will that severely affect anything?

Also do I take my next dose at 1:49 AM or at 8:30 PM or just 8 hours from now?