Bitter taste symptoms and conditions

I saw an elderly ENT who prescribed Biaxin XL 1000mg/once per day for a severe sinus infection of the ethmoid, maxillay and frontal sinuses. I was not getting any better, in fact I was getting worse. I decided to go for a second opinion and learned that Biaxin is not as wide spectrum of an antibiotic as Augmentin is for sinus infections. The key strains of bacteria are not being obliterated from the Biaxin. MDs who prescribe Biaxin are not staying on top of current literature as Biaxin was commonly prescribed in the 1980s and 1990s.

My incredible side effects to Biaxin XL (including not wiping out the bacteria) include: lingering bad bitter taste, night sweats, insomnia, extreme stomach cramping, constant stomach churning (which kept me up at night), terrible diarrhea, nausea. The only plus side is that was more mentally alert.

If your doctor prescribes Biaxin for sinusitis, leave that doctor immediately and seek help from another practitioner who is more current on medications of choice for treatment.

I called my Dr. because I was having problems with my sinuses and she put me on Levaquin 750mg., ever since I started taking it I have felt worse than I did before. I have had 3 panic attacks within 4 hours of one another. My throat feels like it has a cotton ball wedge in it. My chest feels very heavy, my stomach feels terrible, and I ache all over, I have a terrible bitter taste in my mouth. I didn't feel this bad until I started taking it. Believe me I will never take another Levaquin.

This is an update from my first posting earlier this year. I still have localized pain in my neck and shoulder area sometimes extending down my arms to my fingertips. I am 58 years old and stopped taking Lipitor 5 months ago. I am always in discomfort but the very severe pain comes in waves at least 3-4 times a month and lasts for about 1-2 days. I have noticed an improvement since stopping Lipitor but my cholesterol count is on its way up so I am trying to control that. Not an easy task but at least I am not totally debilitated as I was in January and February. I am totally off all meds and vitamins as of this writing. I am trying to cleanse myself and start over with diet and exercise. Hang tough ... this is definitely the battle of your life!!! KooKoo

Augmentin caused severe retching, vomiting, not being able to swallow the Augmentin, feeling it was stuck half way down my throat, and then after five days vomiting up the Augmentin plus food taken with it. Have finished course 3 days ago but still feeling nauseous, with a bitter taste in my mouth.

Recently, I had an experience very similar to pocoloco's experience with Lactaid. The main difference is that pocoloco experience seems to have wained within hours, mine were much more severe and lasted for days.

On a Monday, I took some Lactaid before eating a salad, that had perhaps 2 tablespoons of Ranch dressing. The next morning I awoke with very painful stomach pains. Like pocoloco, I feel I have a high threshold for pain, but throughout the day, I was unable to concentrate on my work because the pain was so severe. I went to my doctor the following day as I had not made a connection between my pains and Lactaid. The doctor had bloodwork done and a sonogram performed. She thought that my pain may have been the result od some gallbladder trouble or a viral infection. She prescribed a strong antibiotic, pain medicine and ulcer medicine to attack it from multiple angles as I am a healthy 32 yr old.

Over the next several days, I was feeling better, but still in discomfort. On that Friday, I took a Lactaid pill with a bowl of cereal for dinner around 7-8 pm. By 11 pm I was vomiting violently and had extreme abdominal pain. Again, because I had feeling better, I thought that perhaps I had a bad reaction to the combination of antibiotics and pain medicine. I vomited over a period of 4 hours, and like pocoloco, was expelling yellow/green liquid (bile?) near the end of the experience (3-4 am).

Between Saturday and Tuesday, I was still in discomfort, but was 90% better by Tuesday. I decided on Mexican food for dinner. I took a Lactaid pill and had some Queso with chips for an appetizer. By 11 pm, I was vomiting more violently than the first time and had a strong bitter taste associated. I finished vomiting around 5 am this time and the following day was still nauseated and in very strong discomfort from stomach pains. This was all it took to finally connect the dots and realize that the effects were the result of Lactaid, not a viral infection or stomach flu.

I would say my experience was very similar to pocoloco's, except that my stomach pains lasted over several days and my vomiting was over 4-5 hours as opposed to his 1-2 hour experiences.

I was just prescribed the Imitrex nasal spray. I took it for the first time today. The first thing that happened was my nose felt like it was on fire then i had a horrible bitter taste in my mouth and the back of my throat. About 10mins after i took it i throw up and my stomach started to hurt. Plus the bitter taste was still there and nothing but time made it go away. My headache went away true enough but I would rather suffer a migraine then go through that again. And my headache came back not too long afterwards.

my boyfriend takes, and after sex i experence burning, also bitter taste ,numbness of the lips

Taking 500mg of Levaquin once a day for five days. I am on my third day and will not take the remaining two doses'. I have horrible indegestioin and a sour/bitter taste in my mouth. I am taking the rx as a percaution after surgery and felt great till taking the Levaquin. Going to the doctor tomorrow to discuss.

I got the metalic bitter taste in my mouth from Clarithromycin. I'm taking it for pneumonia.
No diarrea yet though!
Boy do I feel better after just 4 doses. But that metalic taste sucks.

The most striking side-effect has been a VERY bitter taste in my mouth day and night (worst at night). It is exactly like bile (I know from morning sickness days!). I had a headache for the first 3 days on Biaxin, esp bad at night. I experienced hand tremors for the first few days as well for which I have no other explanation. I have had considerable intestinal gas and discomfort and on the 7th day of treatment acute stomach pain for a couple hours. But there has NOT been excessive diarrhea nor any obvious yeast infections. This was my greatest dread.
I am glad to say good-bye to this drug after 7 days of treatment. It did seem to take care of the low-grade fever associated with bronchitis. And my coughing is reduced though not gone yet. My throat/voice box area feel swollen at present. Not sure if this is the drug or the coughing.
Having said all that, I would cosider using Biaxin again, if only to avoid yeast infections!

It's 2:47 AM and I can't sleep, have been taking this horrible drug for 4 days for a sinus infection. I have constant drainage in the back of my throat and a bitter taste in my mouth. Insomnia and when I finally sleep, nightmares and crazy dreams. The prescription just went in the trash can, I would rather have a sinus infection than to deal with this. I couldn't understand why I felt this way until I found your website. Thanks so much, never will I take this again.

my wife aged 45 yrs took montelukast 10 mg at night 2nd day she felt numbness of hands and feet and bitter taste 4th day she developed blurring of vision, haeadache, pain during chewing meals, slurred speech and vertigo then after 5th & 6th day she devoloped vomitting. she has taken only 3 tabs and today is the 5th day to stop the drug but still she is feeling nausea vomitting diplopia Double vision vertigo headache. What should I do now.

my wife aged 45 yrs took montelukast 10 mg at night 2nd day she felt numbness of hands and feet and bitter taste 4th day she developed blurring of vision, haeadache, pain during chewing meals, vertigo then after 5th & 6th day she devoloped vomitting. she has taken only 3 tabs and today is the 5th day to stop the drug but still she is feeling nausea vomitting diplopia Double vision vertigo headache. What should I do now.

I am being treated for H.Pylori. I am taking 2 Biaxin 500mg ea. along with 2 Prevacid, and 4 Trimox. The treatment is called triple therapy PrevPac a 14 daily treatment pak. Biaxin is DISGUSTING! The after taste is HORRIBLE! After day one, I was ready to give up on my treatment. It is worse than anything I've tasted in my life! NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING helped me take away the taste. I can't sleep at night due to the lingering, bitter taste in my mouth, and during the day, I indulge on food to wash it down. That sh*t taste is indestroyable. I am even thinking to taking all the other pills in the treatment and just skipping this crap! I am only on day 2 of this and still 12 more days to go. Biaxin is beyond nasty. I'd rather not treat my H. Pylori for that matter!

I am almost finished with a 10 day course of Lecaquin. Since the first day I have experienced nausea, a bitter taste in my mouth, insomnia, and some agitation and anxiety. This morning, after my 7th dose yesterday evening, I found myself wide awake at 4:45 with my arms and legs aching as if I had the flu. The doctors at my Family Physician won't see the problems as side effects, they attribute them to my already present hypothyroidism. Never, ever again will I or anyone in my family take this drug, unless there are absolutely no other options.

I was prescribed 500mgs. levaquin x five days. On the 3rd day I developed cotton mouth, bitter taste on my lips and no matter what I eat it tastes bland at best, bitter usually. I also have a very annoying dry cough that drives me and my husband crazy especially during the nighttime. I also have been experiencing insomnia which has left me the knowledge that night time TV sucks. However, when I do fall asleep its like I'm at the movies. My dreams are vivid and long lasting. They are not fragmented as dreams should be as a result of the cyclic nature of human sleep patterns. When I dream it is literally like I'm watching a movie. I have noticed that even though I get minimal hours of sleep, whenever I wake up I feel like I am fully rested. I usually require 7-8 hours to feel this rested. Interesting how this happened. I wonder if a sleep lab might take a look at this phenomena. I have also developed pain in my rt. knee with an accompanying clicking sound which was never there before. I also have blurring of my vision which made me feel like I need a new prescription for my glasses. This seemed strange since I had a new presription only 4months ago.
So let's tally; systems involved
sensory (taste, vision), respiratory, musculoskeletal and CNS. Gee I got all of this just because I had a UTI. On the more serious side, I was never warned of potential side efffects either by my physician nor my pharmacist. This I feel is a great disservice to the public. If anyone had the bitter taste thing how long did it last? Please comment on other side effects with advice for recovery. As patients taking this drug, we should know what the half-life is, how long it takes to metabolize and how long to detox after discontinuing. Let's hope we will be ourselves again soon, Deb

I am a 34 year old male who has been given biaxin 500mg 2x daily for whooping cough. I do feel better with the cough, but I feel like my insides are coming out of the other end of me! And just a terrible bitter taste in my mouth, like right before you throw up. I am also on singulair which has similar symptoms of jitters and mood swings, along with dizziness etc. This is really strong stuff, I am very fatigued.

Bitter taste in my mouth