To not take prescribed antibiotics (metronidazole)?

[AngeloMysterioso]

Went to the GP on Friday as my post-partum bleeding, which had pretty much stopped, came back with a vengeance. GP took a swab and this morning I got a message saying the swab has shown some anaerobic bacteria, and I’ve been prescribed metronidazole.

I made the mistake of googling it, and I must say the widely reported side effects are not something I’m desperate to experience- particularly in the week before Christmas, when I have a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a newborn to look after and do much I need to do. Especially when, at the moment at least, I feel absolutely fine.

WIBU to not take it- or at least to wait until after Christmas, when I won’t be as busy?

Stop doing that. It's stupid and dangerous to say you're allergic when you're not.

By all means say you've had a bad reaction previously and would prefer the alternative. But sometimes there isn't a suitable alternative, and if you've told them you're allergic to the only treatment you're going to be in trouble.

or Just don't take them you are an adult and can decide on your own. all antibiotics have side effects not everyone suffers from side effects.

Nobody here is going to tell you that you don’t need antibiotics. It’s a week till Christmas. Start the course today and see how you go over the next few days.

I too have lots of side affects with various different antibiotics. As long as you don’t drink any alcohol you’ll be fine I reckon

I’d definitely take them. The alternative is potentially being seriously ill over Christmas, and that sounds like a complete nightmare with a newborn and other small kids.

It's projectile vomiting with even the tiniest amount of alcohol by the way. Metronidazole and alcohol don't mix!

Um… wtf?!
Stay pretty?? What???

The NHS do not prescribe anti biotics for shits and giggles. If you have been advised to take them, then they are needed.

Sepsis can take hold terrifyingly quickly.

I’m currently taking both metronidazole and septrin for a rather horrendous bout of diverticulitis so I’ve got a double whammy of nausea, headaches on top of the diverticulitis symptoms. But I’m just happy that we have the drugs available that can help us so there’s no way I won’t take them

But the infection is there and once it starts replicating it can do at a frightening rate. Take them.

i took them no side effects at all and didn’t make my milk taste bitter (was trying to wean my toddler DS at the time and would have happily had it do so. But actually he decided it made it taste nicer

Ask the GP if there's an alternative you can take if it does give you horrible side effects, and if there isn't ask if they can prescribe anti-sickness meds (if nausea / vomiting is a side effect).

It's the interruption of electrical heart impulses that is why you are advised not to drink, it can and does cause arrhythmia and even death.

If you where lucky enough to projectile vomit it before it absorbed that was your bodies desperate attempt to rid it from your system, had it mixed and absorbed the situation could be a lot worse than vomiting.

What a waste of the doctors time and NHS money. YABU.

Your last paragraph is the only thing you have said that makes any sense…

FFS can’t anyone do anything on their own without consulting social media!

I had IV metronidazole in hospital for a very bad infection and didn’t have any side effects. My breast milk was a slightly odd colour but I was on a cocktail of drugs so that could have been caused by any one of them.

I decided not to take my ABs for an infection, because, like you, I thought the possible side effects sounded worse than the symptoms.
Because I know best, I decided I would 'listen to my body' and just take them if I started to get ill. Well, suffice to say, it was not the best idea I'd ever had. Because while I was symptom free and smugly knowing best, the thing was multiplying at an alarming rate and the meds required to eventually shift it were way worse and more prolonged. The point is, the outward symptoms don't give always give an accurate view of what the thing is up to behind the scenes. You need to act ASAP to stop it in its tracks.

You'd really prefer dying of sepsis, leaving your children behind- over possible mild symptoms over Christmas. Really?

Ok so I contacted the GP and explained my concerns (but did say I was willing to try it if there isn’t a suitable alternative), and she’s prescribed co-amoxiclav instead which I’ve had before with no issues, so all’s well that ends well.

You have the infection. If you don't take the Metronidazole you will get a life threatening spread of the infection. Just because you have no symptoms at the moment is meaningless because it will be multiplying in your body right now. You need to start taking the medication immediately, and no, there is no suitable alternative.

@AngeloMysterioso You would be VERY very unreasonable, foolish and downright idiotic not to take the Antibiotics, which your GP thinks you need right now and not in a weeks time. Yes, it means you cannnot have a single drop of Alcohol while you are on them, but surely that is better than being even more unwell and for far longer if you put off taking them for more than a week.

I do sympathise about the no drinking. I was on a Christmas Package last year and I don't drink a lot normally, but there were a number of 'free' glasses of Bucks Fizz at Breakfast, glasses of champagne on several occasions during the break and a bottle of Prosecco in our room on arrival - and I couldn't touch any of it, because I absolutely needed those antibiotics. Had a flare up of Diverticulitis, one lot of antibiotics helped but didn't clear it entirely. Went back to GP 3 days before Christmas and finished up with another course of that antibiotic PLUS the Metronidazole for a week. Still had spells of stomach cramps that took my breath away, but they worked and it gradually improved over our break.

All Medications carry a risk of side-effects, but not everyone gets them. Most people who get nasty side-effects from metronidazole do so because they have had some alcohol. So start taking them NOW. If you do have very bad side effects, go back to your GP, but please TAKE THEM

Why is everyone so convinced that my main concern was not drinking?! I didn’t even mention alcohol…

Ooh think of all that bacteria rapidly multiplying in your uterus. Think 12 hour wait in A&E. Think if this became sepsis and it ended up being your last Christmas. You are selfish and silly and that is being kind. Take the meds for goodness sake!

I've just seen your update OP. Hopefully all will be well, but Co-Amoxiclav and Metronidazole don't target exactly the same 'bugs'. I posted about being on 2 anti-biotics at the same time, earlier. One was the metronidazole and the other was Co-Amoxiclav. The Metronidazole definitely worked better for me.

Because that's the reason why most people don't want to take it. I've had them thrown at me by patients because they have a wedding, it's Christmas etc. I've never had anyone refuse them because of the reasons you state.

I mean you could have just done that without getting riled at people on the Internet who didn't agree with you.