Hello there :)
8 months ago I took 6 days of 400mg 3 times a day of metronidazole and 500mg 4 times a day of erythromycin. These were prescribed after a hysteroscopy for a vaginal infection. On day 3 of taking, I had a burning hot stinging red blotchy rash on my forehead and chest and really scared looking eyes with enlarged pupils. I was told it was due to the fact that I had been working in the garden and erythromycin has adverse reactions to strong sunlight. That same day, well night, I woke shivering and shaking violently with a burning pain in my chest. I should have gone to the A&E dept in hindsight but after drinking lots of water I decided I would go back to bed for 5 minutes and unfortunately I fell asleep. The next day I woke with no rash or symptoms (apart from feeling nauseous) and as I still was struggling to sit down due to the suspected vaginal infection I decided to persist with these antibiotics. So the wed, thurs, frid I took them feeling hideous and having diarrhoea, feeling sick and shaky and saying over and over I felt they were poisoning me. After 4 days of stopping I had severe diarrhoea still and developed c.difficile and felt like a nerve blew at the bottom of my back. Then several nights later I woke with the most hideous pain in the top of my head and was screaming to my partner. I then developed a constant feeling like I was falling backwards and spent the next month with acid reflux and feeling so poisoned. Two weeks later my legs gave way and I have since struggled to walk. My entire muscularskeletal system feels weak, I can't lift anything at all, I jerk all the time and am always dizzy with blurred vision and constant headpain in the same place as it started. I have had MRIs, CT scans, nerve conduction tests and an Evoked potential test but nothing has shown up and every doctor places my symptoms down to anxiety. To humour them I have taken Prozac for the last 3 months and had CBT but am very angry and yes now depressed that I am always dismissed. I have a wonderful partner, 2 children, family, home, lots of friends and before taking this wretched concoction of drugs I would walk 12 miles a day with my friend, now I struggle to walk from room to room and have not been out (apart from to attend hospital/neurologist visits) in 8 mos. I am sure, after researching myself, that the metronidazole has caused brain toxicity, but I literally get laughed at when I propose this theory and the mental health nurse is called in! Please please can anyone give me some answers as to what may have happened. My local 2 A&E s dismiss me every time I go saying I feel like with the severe head pain and disabilities I must've been brain damaged. I realise this all sounds like I'm a crank, but before this in 40 years I had never been ill apart from having my wisdom teeth removed and suffering from an insect bite that caused cellulitus. I am getting to my wits end. Somebody please help.
Bestest Regards,
Melanie