Metronidazole [ Flagyl ]
Metronidazole is an antibiotic effective against anaerobic bacteria and certain parasites. Anaerobic bacteria are single-cell living organisms that thrive in low oxygen environments and can cause disease in the abdomen (bacterial peritonitis) liver (liver abscess), and pelvis ( abscess of the ovaries and the fallopian tubes). Giardia lamblia and ameba are parasites that can cause abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea in infected individuals. Metronidazole selectively blocks some of the cell functions in these microorganisms, resulting in their demise.
Metronidazole is used to treat giardia infections of the small intestines, amebic liver abscess and dysentery (amebic colon infection causing bloody diarrhea), trichomonas vaginal infections, and carriers of trichomonas (both sexual partners) who do not have symptoms of infection. Metronidazole is also used alone or in combination with other antibiotics in treating abscesses in the liver, pelvis, abdomen and brain caused by susceptible anaerobic bacteria.
Metronidazole is also used in treating colon infection caused by a bacteria called C. difficile. Many commonly used antibiotics can alter the normal type of bacteria that inhabit the colon. C. difficile is an anaerobic bacteria that can infect the colon when the normal bacteria types of the colon are altered by common antibiotics. This leads to inflammation of the colon (pseudomembranous colitis) with severe diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking metronidazole, it is especially important that your health care professional knows if you are taking any of the following:
Anticoagulants (blood thinners)—Patients taking anticoagulants with metronidazole may have an increased chance of bleeding
Disulfiram (e.g., Antabuse)—Patients taking disulfiram with metronidazole may have an increase in side effects affecting the central nervous system
Lithium —Patients taking lithium with metronidazole may have an increased chance of experiencing lithium toxicity
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of metronidazole. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Blood disease or a history of blood disease—Metronidazole may make the condition worse
Central nervous system (CNS) disease, including epilepsy—Metronidazole may increase the chance of seizures (convulsions) or other CNS side effects
Heart disease—Metronidazole by injection may make heart disease worse
Liver disease, severe—Patients with severe liver disease may have an increase in side effects
Oral thrush or vaginal yeast infection—Metronidazole may make yeast infections worse.
Common Side Effects:
Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:
Diarrhea
dizziness or lightheadedness
headache
loss of appetite
nausea or vomiting
stomach pain or cramps
Less frequent or rare:
change in taste sensation
dryness of mouth
unpleasant or sharp metallic taste
any vaginal irritation, discharge, or dryness not present before use of this medicine
clumsiness or unsteadiness
mood or other mental changes
skin rash, hives, redness, or itching
sore throat and fever
stomach and back pain (severe)
For injection form
Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling over vein in which the medicine is given
numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in hands or feet
convulsions (seizures)
Metronidazole (flagyl) may cause dark urine in some patients. This is temporary and will go away when you stop taking this medicine.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor. This information is meant only as a guideline - always consult a physician or pharmacist for complete information about prescription medications.
On behalf of learning, and use as teaching tools for those of us who need to
know about our disease, I have tried to supply you with as much information as
I could find on all of the drugs, treatments and disorders associated with
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. I have tried to blend all facts supported by research
and also from personal experiences of other IBD sufferers into one readable webpage, and any and all information presented here is not entirely
from one source. Most information contained within these pages is found in the public domain.
At times you may find information used from another site, and as with all copyrighted materials you may find on these pages, I claim fair use under sections 107 through 118 of the Copyright Act (title 17, U.S. Code). Click here for more info
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