Can't walk after Trimethoprim

Dear maz68,

I had a bad experience with Trimethoprim too. I am an health woman aged 30, with no allergies. After just 2 days of treatment with Trimethoprim the muscles of my legs became stiff and I was unable to walk for several days. My doctor was very surprised of my reaction and said it had never happened before.I was very scared and I suspended immediatly the treatment. The producers do not declare that you can have these sort of problems, but as I can see here, it happens. I asked to the doctor to report my case to his colleagues.Then, I did a bit of research on my own, finding that Trimethoprim is not suggested if you are planning to conceive. It is better to wait at least 3 months after the end of treatment before to start to conceive. It Here there is the scientific paper where I took the informations. 

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ogi/2013/364526/

Best regards,

Lisa

Your story rang a bell. I had a very bad throat when i was 27and was prescribed Septrin. Overnight i thought i had broken my arm and wrist. Doc then gave me antihistamine as presumed i was allergic to the Septrin. The pain didnt ho but just moved in area and intensity, often mirroring both sides of my body, coming and peaking from 1-5 days. I saw rheumatology doctors for many years. The pain and suffering continued even when pregnant which they said i wouldnt have that pain. Ive taken many remedies for the past 36 years and am now 63. I have had one long period of remission when i was in my early forties but i still get pain anywhere. I call it martini arthritis. Since 2000 i have taken regular methotrexate which is the only driug which i could rely on but realise it will shorten my lifespan. I am taking sulfa salazine as well which i have previously taken in earlier years, coming off it when it was necessary. It has affected my enjoyment of life but in the main i have managed not to give in to staying in bed. If you can make the initial effort to move and recognise your own pattern of pain, then with some tablets it is manageable. I hope this is useful to anyone who reads it. These days whilst on my current medication i wake up with initial feeling of having just had an extreme session at the gym and these are the best days i can hope for. I wish you well.

He tested positive for a UTI - Usual symptoms but blood in urine and pain or urination.

After initial 2 tablets the UTI improved.

He then back really ill. Severe back pain, dreadful muscular pain, pounding head, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, loss of appetite,vomitting and unable to sleep

I sent him back to the GP and thankfully he was taken off this medication.

Thankfully within 2 days and a change in medication he is on the road to recovery.

I thankfully came across this forum and the posts re this dreadful medication.

His health was declining rapidly whilst on this medication.

It really should be banned.

I'd like to share similar experience with you.  I was prescribed Ttimryhoptim 6 tablets  (3day course)for UTI this week end.

I have experienced fever, loss of apetite, fatigue and the pains under the right abdo and right shoulder blade go on each time the painkiller pills go off. 

I have another 2 Trim... pills to swallow tonight and tomorrow morning and I notice my right foot has gone numb ! What good if I call 111 for side effects.

I don't know whether the GP was right to give me this vicious medicine, he only tested the urine sample and immediately said antibiotics for UTI.

I

I realised that this thread is quite old now but thought I would add my experience, which is similar to all of yours. I was prescribed this drug for a UTI and had side effects from the first tablet. Initially these included nausea, terrible headache, stomach ache, itching all over, painful hands and flu-like aches, particularly in my back. I stopped taking them after the fourth one. The nausea, headache and stomach ache stopped but two days later I developed a horrible rash all over my body which is insandely itchy, particularly on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet.  My joints are agony, particularly on the right side, with the worst being my fingers, wrists, right knee (cannot bend) and right ankle (can't put any pressure on it). My thumbs and first two fingers on both hands keep going numb, and I have no grip at all.  And the whites of my eyes are bright red - I look like something out of The Walking Dead (and am walking like it too).I am seeing the doctor tomorrow who said that my symptoms were 'not normal'.  Reading online, I'd say that's exactly what they are for this drug.

I had a pretty much identical reaction to a drug I was prescribed for a UTI almost 30 years.  That drug was septrin, which I believe is not used in the UK much if at all now because of the problems with it. One of the ingredients in septrin is trimethoprim, so I should never have been given it in the first place.  It says on my medical records that I am alllergic.  I've learnt from this, always google any medication to see what you are getting.  This is the fourth time I have been given this drug despite it being on the front of my medical file and highlighted (after the third time it was given to me).

For UK readers, you can report side effects to drugs to the MHRA on this site https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/  I would really urge you all to do so.

Hi all, I was prescribed trimethoprim for a UTI and not only did it not take away the uti, which then spread to my kidneys, by the 4th day of taking it I felt a pain in my left knee. GP said it wasn't related and I took another days course. 2 days later I was in agony with my left knee unable to walk and was couch bound for a week. 4 weeks down the line I'm still in crutches, off my work and both knees impacted. Very painful to walk so cant leave the house. One GP did think it was an allergic reaction but another telling me I have gout which I am very dubious about. Looking at gout it doesn't fit in with my lifestyle apart from fish consumption and being overweight. Gout medication now finished and still I am no better. I am worried I will be in crutches for a long time?

Did you know that UTIs are often caused by impingement of sacral nerve roots?   If you are having difficulty walking due to calf weakness, read about the tests for S1 on Dr Corenman's web site and do them. I would be interested to know how you get on.

I have also found some antibiotics such as Nitrofurantoin and Ciprofloxacin.  I think it may be true of several more antibiotics.   Research in other countries has suggested these antibiotics can cause neuropathy which I think is inflamed nerves and it could explain a thing or two.

I have raised this with my GP and consultants who appear not to recognise this might be possible.

There is a yellow card process to flag these type  of incidents with NICE which your GP should tell you about.