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?

I recently took metronidazole. I made sure I took it on a full stomach with a full pint of water. Taking a LOT of water with it is essential. I had no side effects.

Obviously do not drink on it under any circumstances. You also can't drink for 2 days after the course ends. I made that mistake once and projectile vomited everywhere. Not a mistake you make twice!

Google Peurperal Fever and ask yourself why so many women stopped dying from it

Not really. Every post delivery obstetric infection is treated with it, I prescribe it about 8x a day when I do a labour ward shift so it can't make the milk taste that funny least 50% of my patients are breastfeeding...and if it comes between mum potentially dying of sepsis and baby being a bit less happy with breast milk taste then it's not really up for debate...but it's never an issue I've prescribed it for 4-8 ladies a day for at least 2-3days a week for 6 years, no issue

It's not an antibiotic. You have been prescribed it for a reason. Follow the course of treatment according to the instructions. Do NOT eat or drink any alcohol at all.

It wasn’t the best time I’ve ever had (I couldn’t even have a sniff of Christmas pudding or Baileys without vomiting) but it was either Metronidazole for an infection due to a tiny piece of retained placenta (found on my 6 week check a week before Christmas) or being admitted & scuppering Christmas with our new daughter.

I was also already back at work too (panto season) and cancelling a fantastically paying gig for a hospital stay wasn’t an option!

Take the meds. I felt genuinely the worst I’ve ever felt before they found the infection source, and was told in no uncertain terms that an infection like that could’ve been fatal & I would risk sepsis without the antibiotics.

In my case it was 20odd years ago so I’m not sure or the current guidelines, but my daughter was fine breastfeeding on the metronidazole. DH was off work so I could do panto; he’d bring her to me to feed between shows. I wasn’t drinking anyway (because I was breastfeeding) but even a small amount of alcohol in a mince pie or pud was enough to make me vomit.

Felt about a million times better after a few days; I don’t think, in the maelstrom of new baby and work, I’d realised how ill I was.

I took this earlier this year due to postpartum issues and had zero side effects. Just get on with it. You're unlike to suffer any side effects and if you do, they're far more preferable than sepsis or being hospitalised and put on a drip. I was given the tablets after spending three days on a drip as the infection I had was came on extremely rapidly and it was too late for oral antibiotics. If I had the choice, I definitely would have taken the tablets.

Do you fancy sepsis instead?

I posted that it wasn't an antibiotic, but it does work as a powerful antibiotic. It's not in the same group as penicillin.
Lots of people won't get side effects, but some will - I had a rash and other symptoms. If you drink any alcohol you will be very ill.

If you have been prescribed it take it.

I had such a violent muscle spasm reaction to Erythromycin it tore and herniated my diaphragm and burned permanent ulcers my stomach, took less than an hour to do the damage which is now life long and I was rushed to A&E where I had to be sedated.

I'm not technically 'allergic' but they put notes on that under no condition should I take any 'mycin' specified medication due to severe reaction.

People seem oddly obsessed on here with 'if its not an allergy just take them but don't drink'. That's not how medicine works, you can die or suffer damage from any reaction it doesn't have to be an 'allergic' reactions.

I also have antibiotic immunity to certain antibiotics too as I have chronic kidney issues so was prescribe continuous antibiotics for years. I'm not allergic to them in any way (took them regularly for about 10 years with no problems until they stopped working) but they simply don't work anymore and actual makes the chronic kidney issues worse. I wont die from the drug itself but I'm MORE likely to become septic on the wrong antibiotic.