Most People Don’t Know The Side Effects of Flagyl – Are You One of Them?

When you’ve been told that you have bacterial vaginosis, the cure is often the prescription medication Metronidazole, or Flagyl.

Flagyl is a synthetic drug created to kill protozoans and bacteria.

However, like other antibiotics, it should only be used when there is truly a need for the drug. That’s because Flagyl has been found to be carcinogenic in mice and rats, causing lung, breast and liver tumors.  It’s also possible that some of the inactive ingredients–cellulose, FD&C Blue No. 2 Lake, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol, hydroxypropyl cellulose, stearic acid and titanium dioxide may be harmful when the drug is used repeatedly. Most of the Flagyl dosage is absorbed between one and two hours after taking it, but if you have liver problems, you won’t absorb as much of the drug.

How Flagyl Works to Fight Bacterial Vaginosis

Flagyl kills many strains of anaerobic bacteria, including Bacteroides fragilis, B. distasonis, B. ovatus, B. thetaiotaomicron, B. vulgatus, Fusobacterium species, Clostridium species, Eubacterium, Peptococcus niger, and Peptostreptococcus. Flagyl also kills Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis.

These micro-organisms cause gynecologic infections, bacterial blood poisoning, bone and joint infections, meningitis, skin infections, abdominal infections, lung infections, and even infections of the heart lining.

The Worst That Can Happen When You Take Flagyl?

The worst possible side effects of Flagyl are convulsions and peripheral neuropathy, which is the feeling of numbness or hot/cold/ants crawling sensations in the arms and legs. Whenever these symptoms appear, it’s important to stop the drug immediately.

If you have a Candida infection and are prescribed Flagyl, the probability of side effects from Flagyl is increased.

Side Effects of Flagyl That Aren’t Often Discussed

Flagyl can also cause low white blood cell counts. For this reason, the drug is not recommended for patients that have had abnormal blood counts in the past. Flagyl can also cause blood thinning which can increase the probability of bleeding, especially if a cut or wound is experienced. For this reason, Flagyl should not be used for those who are on anticoagulants such as coumarin or warfarin.

If you are currently taking the drug lithium, Flagyl may elevate lithium levels to the point of toxicity.

If you drink alcoholic beverages during the treatment period, you may experience abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headaches and flushing. If you are an alcoholic that is currently using disulfiram, it’s possible to have psychotic reactions (Wait two weeks after you discontinue disulfiram to start Flagyl.).

All Drugs Have Side Effects

While taking Flagyl, it’s common to have headaches, nausea and diarrhea. You probably won’t feel like eating, and when you do eat, your stomach may feel upset. Abdominal cramping and constipation is also frequently reported.

Here are some other side effects that have been reported:

• Dizziness
• Feeling as if the room is spinning
• Clumsiness
• Confusion affecting your ability to make decisions
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Hives
• Flushing of the face
• Stuffy nose
• Dry mouth
• Furry tongue
• Incontinence, the inability to hold your urine
• Dryness of the vagina or vulva
• Fever
• Electrocardiogram abnormalities
• Sharp metallic taste in the mouth
• Loss of sex drive
• Pain during sex
• Fleeting joint pains

What the drug companies won’t tell you is that there’s a high recurrence rate of bacterial vaginosis when the drug Flagyl is used. That means that a month or two after treatment, you will have to go through the same treatment once again and experience the same side effects and also take one more chance at developing cancer.

Now, knowing all this, isn’t it time to consider more natural remedies?