Antibiotic side-effect? Has this happened to anyone else?

[Zoomie]

Hi everyone,

I've just started taking medication to treat a H. Pylori stomach infection. I'm taking Amoxicillin (2 500mg capsules twice a day), Lansoprazole (1 30mg twice a day) and Clarithromycin (1 500mg twice a day).

I took the Amoxicillin tablets early in the morning and the Lansoprazole and Clarithromycin 30 mins later, just before breakfast. About half an hour after taking the Lansoprazole and Clarithromycin, I began to feel strange, my heart rate was rapid and pounding (116 beats per min). Twenty mins later I threw up & the fast heart rate remained for another 30 mins after that.

So basically I had the fast heart rate for an hour after taking the medications. It settled after that thank goodness, but it was very scary because it started racing out of nowhere!! Just wondering if this is a normal reaction to taking Clarithromycin and Lansoprazole for the first time, does anyone know?? I've never had either before. I suspect it might be the Clarithromycin that caused this rather than the Lansoprazole (based on the medication's side-effects listed in the info leaflet), I'm just dreading the next tablet I have to take in the evening due to its possible effect on my heart rate!! : ( Does anyone know if taking Clarithromycin with food would be better? Has anyone else had trouble with this medication?

I've only taken one dosage so far, maybe my body just needs time to adjust?? I dunno, just need some reassurance I guess : ( It's only a week long treatment, so only 6 more days to go, but I don't want to spend the week in utter misery!!

Thanks very much for anyone who can give some input!!

~Zoomie

[luci2010]

Hi Zoomie,

I also have nasty side-effects from HP eradication therapy, but they don't include heart racing. They are usually fatigue, strong stomach pains, extreme nausea, dizziness, very bad bloating, gases...

Sometimes my heart races a bit afer I vomit, but I think that's common as it takes a bit of muscle effort to bring the contents of your stomach up. I suggest you discuss the heart racing issue with your doctor.

[Zoomie]

Hi Luci,

Thanks for responding. Seems at least some side-effects are standard! Well, I abandoned the antibiotic course after just the single am dosage; the rest of the day I was awfully nauseous and threw up my dinner as well, so decided not to take the second pm dosage. I don’t know I just had a gut feeling telling me NOT to take the medicine.

The following day Saturday I had nausea in the morning and threw up (though my stomach was empty so there wasn’t really anything to throw up!) and a discomfort in the centre of the top of my stomach had appeared, radiating to a dull ache in my back that I DID NOT have prior to taking the meds!! Nausea lingered and the smell of food made me feel sicker. In the evening I threw up my dinner again. My stools, which had been fine, were messed up. I thought it was ok, that my body would just need time to get over that ghastly dose I took the day before

On Sunday I woke up with morning nausea again. Gagged a little but didn’t throw up. Ate very light meals consisting of crackers and soup. Didn’t throw up anymore. Still had the same ache in the centre of my stomach though. Palpitations after eating that could’ve been related to me being unable to eat a filling meal.

Monday, the morning nausea was significantly less, almost not there. However new symptoms of bloating feeling in lower belly/intestines emerged during the course of the day, seems to happen particularly after I ate wheat products. Never had this issue before! Discomfort still present in same area of stomach mentioned above. Thankfully no vomiting, still had some palpitations after eating though (again because my meals were probably light and I was always left hungry afterwards).

Today, felt a very brief spell of nausea when awaking, felt bloated and stomach gurgling. I find I can’t stomach breakfast until after 11am ever since taking those tablets. Same discomfort in stomach though bloating seems to be less as day has worn on (mind you, I haven’t eaten anything chunky, just a very light breakfast of boiled egg and black tea, later chamomile tea, water, banana, almonds and grapes). I had freshly squeezed orange juice ok in the morning too; really feeling I’m low on Vitamin C and Iron (worse my period is due in the next few days….nightmare!).

I guess I find it odd that I had NO symptoms (i.e, NO gurgling, bloating, dull pain in stomach, nausea etc) prior to taking the meds, but 4 days later am still experiencing all this. It’s crazy, feels like the meds somehow set off all the symptoms. I saw my Dr yesterday who said I was RIGHT to discontinue the meds because of my awful reaction; she said I should just give my stomach a few days to recover and see if it settles again.

But I’m worried. This constant dull discomfort in my stomach; could that be an ulcer?? It seems unbelievable, because I had absolutely no trademark ulcer symptoms before like I said. I did vomit violently on that first day I took the meds and the following day (could hear and feel something at the top of my tummy heaving loudly with effort when I threw up) – is there a chance that it’s just a muscle that’s been pulled or something?

I have to wait to see the specialist next month; my dr said having H. Pylori doesn’t mean I definitely have an ulcer, and it seems unlikely the bacteria was the cause of my previous symptoms (mainly just nausea) prior, especially given that all the symptoms seemed to have come about after I took the antibiotics (just 4 pills did this to me!!). I don’t know, I’m annoyed and frustrated; really feel like this is a case of “if it wasn’t broke, don’t fix it”. I was reluctant to take the pills on Friday morning...so regretting it and hating the doc who told me there'd be ''no harm'' in me taking the course!!

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else discontinued the meds due to side-effects (probably not as instantly as I did, I'm really pathetic I know) and if they suffered after effects too? How long should I expect to recover from this (seems like the combo of anti-acid and the antibiotics really wreaked havoc on my stomach that has always been so sensitive anyway!) And to think just one dose did this, what if I’d carried on, what would I have been like after the prescribed 7 days?!

Oh well, really hoping I feel better soon. I’m mostly ok today; just have the annoying discomfort in top of stomach. At least I can keep food down now though I suppose, and the smell of food doesn't make me sick anymore!

Thanks for reading, sorry for the long post, wishing good health to all!

[fabion]

I have had a black spotted rash from it on my ankles and insteps. It was considered an allergic reaction. There are other Antibiotics that I have no sensitivities to, and have the appropriate one for the kind of infection I am having. Talk this over with your Physician, he should be able to accommodate you with something else that will not cause this type of reaction. Sinusitis is also know to be a fungal infection, and can be treated with an anti fungal medicine, if you are not having any success with the antibiotics. Discuss this with your Physician. Get well soon... I hope this is helpful .............