Bad reaction to Antibiotic- Please help!

Hello to all!  I am 2.5 years post-Klonopin and was making great gains in healing.  I was working again, dating again, was able to tolerate supplements again.  The only residual issues were occasional waves of the benzo depression that usually came with the obsessive thoughts and anxiety.  These waves were becoming less and less frequent.

 

7 weeks ago i took Marcrobid for a UTI.  I knew not to take a fluroquinolone and so thought i would be fine with the Macrobid.  However, the third day on it, all hell broke loss.  It seems that i have had a severe CNS reaction that is even worse than my acute benzo withdrawal.  I am having insomnia, pounding heart, terrible anxiety, depression, tremors/ shaking, weakness, lack of coordination, and brain fog.  These symptoms have not lessened at all and have even gotten worse over time.  This has been terrible!  I am not able to work, socialize, or do anything but try to pass the days without losing it or going back on a benzo.

 

I am wondering if anyone else has had this reaction from an antibiotic and if they can tell me how long it took for the symptoms to subside.  I realize it is different for everyone but it would be so helpful to talk to someone else who had this experience.  Also, what helped people the most with the anxiety that is safe to take?  Thank you!!! 

I'm very sorry to hear about your setback from an antibiotic.  I have heard talk of others having setbacks from antibiotics.  It might be wise to post your experience and your question on the Protracted Board, where I have heard of this before, to find these people.

Hi HG,

 

I just wanted to let you know that this happens sometimes, and that I believe you will completely recover from this also I have used Macrobid a couple times during withdrawal and had no ill reactions from it, so you are probably correct in that we all respond differently!

 

My benzo withdrawal included plenty of anxiety, panic, & fear, so I completely understand where you're coming from. Ugh. As icky as it feels, I always tried to remember something another buddy told me regarding fear/panic/anxiety: you don't have to listen to everything your brain tells you. "Walking the walk" of a "normal" daily life, despite the fear I was feeling, really helped me move on through it. I also utilized both higher doses of vitamin C (everyone is different, but for me it was 500mg 3-4x per day), magnesium glycinate (500-1,200mg per day in divided doses, depending on the severity of symptoms), and my doctor prescribed 10mg propranolol "as needed" to help with the "physical" aspects of anxiety (such as elevated heart rate, tremors, nausea, etc) - and it was very helpful to me. Chamomile tea was also quite helpful to me, to settle my nerves at night for bed, or to settle my system if I got "situationally stimulated" (like from a fight with my spouse, etc). I've read of other buddies using Benadryl or getting prescribed hydroxizyne (an antihistamine) to help anxiety.

 

Of course, only you and your doctor can decide what is best for you, dear. Those are just some things I've read and/or used myself, to help. Either way, I believe you will heal Hope you feel better soon!

 

Mrs.

I was exactly the same as you, then

Used antifungal. 8 months of total hell... I was 2.5 years also. It's so wrong.

OMG i literally just posted this on another thread and i don't know what to do, what are you going to do? Are you going to finish the course? I don't think i can hack another four days like this.

 

"OMG so i'm on day three of my anti biotic course (augmentin) and it has literally sent me back into acute. I mean i feel like i'm living in a hurricane of symptoms right now. Don't know what to do. I am so revved up that i have literally only had a couple of hours sleep in total for the last two nights, and my body just feels like it can't take any more of this revved up nervous energy. I also feel a horrible mix of mental anxiety and depression when i've never really felt depressed through this entire process, yeah i haven't been over the moon about it all but this really feels like a dark cloud hanging over me. Do i stop the augmentin straight away? It's a seven day course and i'm three days in, so should i just tough it out? I haven't felt any improvement in my throat/ear infection yet either. Having to deal with the aggravated withdrawal symptoms caused by having a virus the last three weeks already had me at my limit but this has taken this nightmare to a whole other level. I'm at breaking point whatever that means.

 

I was also prescribed a steroid nasal spray called Fluticasone Furoate, i'm going to stop taking that this morning, and see how i do on the antibiotic on its own if i have another night like last night i'm just going to have to tell my doc that i can hack it

 

If i search both the nasal spray and the antibiotic on here, i can find a lot of other buddies that have had an allergic reaction like this to these drugs, but i'm pretty sure you could search out the name of every anti biotic no here and you'll find someone that's struggled, so i'm really at a loss at what to do. My doc says this infection needs to be treated, as its been three weeks and if it was going to heal itself it would have done so by now."

Stuckindoors, I would discontinue the antibiotic immediately!  I have done a great deal of research on antibiotics since having the and have discovered that they can cause a severe nervous system reaction in some people that can take several months to heal- even people that never took a benzo.  Google search antibiotics and anxiety and you will read a plethora of other people's comments that detail the same symptoms that you are experiencing.  I also have experienced the terrible anxiety, depression, and insomnia after taking the antibiotic that has persisted for the past 8 weeks.  It has been terrible, in ways worse than the benzo withdrawal. 

 

I recommend you look into alternative/ natural forms of antibiotics such as colloidal silver, garlic, GSE, ect.  These things really do work and may save you from further damage to your nervous system.  Let me know if you would like any more info or support! 

Wow this article re clavulanic acid being tested as an anti-depressant is pretty conclusive, Augmentin = amoxicillin and clavulanic acid

 

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2011/11/11/another-antidepressant-bites-the-dust/#.VlCZ1oR6_8v

 

I don't want to be taking anything as psycho active as that for a bloody ear infection!

 

I just called my doctor who said he wasn't aware of this research and he is going to prescribe amoxicillin on its own without the clavulanic acid for me now