Anxiety about medicine

[guineapiglets]

This is a bit of a ridiculous one but I really need any sort of help before I get myself into a panic.
I had a really scary time 5 years ago when I took a tablet for an infection and ended up having a really bad reaction and almost died. This has only happened once but now I am terrified to take any tablet or medicine.

The time has now come when I am really unwell and have an infection - but I am absolutely terrified to start the antibiotics incase I have a bad reaction again. So much so that I believe I panic and almost cause a reaction due to a panic attack.

Please someone help me!

Try to arrange to spend some time with a friend while you take the first tablet and for a couple of hours afterwards. It'll take your mind off it and will also mean that there's someone there to call anybody who's needed if you do have a reaction.

I presume this is a different antibiotic to the one you had last time. What was the nature of the bad reaction before? What drug was that, and what drug are you having this time?

@SirTobyBelch thank you that's a good idea. The one I had a reaction to was amoxicillin, I had a bad seizure after it. Caused by the drug and nothing else as I was tested for epilepsy etc afterwards. This time I have been given MacroBid

I react badly to amoxicillin (though nothing as bad as you) but absolutely fine on Macrobid. I presume you explained to doctor and they deemed it safe - if not phone back and check.

I would take first one when someone else around. They are the mildest antibiotics I've had - I react to lots of meds but not to Macrobid.

Nitrofurantoin ("Macrobid" is a brand name) has a very different structure and mechanism of action from amoxicillin, so if you had a specific reaction to amoxicillin you wouldn't expect to have the same reaction to nitrofurantoin. It does have its own possible side-effects, though, of course.

I'm assuming this is for a lower urinary tract infection. Nitrofurantoin isn't effective against much else.

Yeah it's for a UTI, I'm just so so terrified of having a bad reaction to it.

I've finally taken it half an hour ago and now I feel on the verge of a panic attack. Honestly I know it's pathetic