Severe nausea and no appetite 6 weeks, terrified

[Eevie]

I started Clarithromycin antibiotics on April 10th-16th. They were prescribed for tonsillitis and they made me feel much worse than I did prior to starting. I didn’t have the symptoms prior to taking the pills.

They made me incredibly unwell with severe nausea, lack of appetite, stomach pain and diarrhoea. I was in bed the whole time feeling weak. I rang the surgery to ask to stop them but was told by general enquiries to continue unless I had a rash.

I’d hoped I’d feel better after finishing the course however the severe nausea, lack of appetite and feeling generally unwell has continued. I’m struggling to eat tiny amounts and the thought of food makes me feel sick. I’m losing weight and it’s terrifying me.

It’s been six weeks since I started the medication and five weeks since I finished it yet I’m still incredibly unwell. Still in bed. I’m exhausted and I want to cry I just want to feel better.

I’m hoping someone else has had a similar experience and can advise what is causing me to be so unwell after taking antibiotics. I wish I could go back in time and not take them.


I have severe agoraphobia and can’t leave my house so the drs have arranged bloods at home, stool tests and a paramedic to come out to check me this week which im so thankful for but it’s made me anxious as it seems they’re worried.

My anxiety is so bad I’m so scared and I’m exhausted from being unwell for so long

[Sparkling_Fairy]

So I didn't have this after taking antibiotics, but I had something similar after taking Sertraline (anti anxiety medication). It made me feel so horrible, that I couldn't leave my bed for a week. And I felt extremely nauseous and couldn't eat. I could only drink complans and fortisips and lost a lot of weight!
After stopping the medication, the nausea continued for another 5 weeks or or so because I was so anxious about how I felt, and I hyperfocused on the nausea and the worry about needing to eat.
I think that's what's going on with you too. I think the antibiotics made you feel nauseous, which then made you feel anxious about the nausea. And now it's all you can focus on, so you keep feeling it. All I can say is, it will eventually pass even though you think it won't. As anxiety always does, it will move on to another symptom and you'll be able to eat again. Try not to worry about it too much and see if you can find some high calorie liquids like complan, fortisip, ensures. And something small like banana's, nakd bars. That's what I lived off for those few weeks and helped me get through it.

[ckelley116]

Antibiotics can really wreak havoc with your gut biome. In my experience digestive issues aren't at all uncommon after a round of them.

You might try taking some probiotics to try and get everything back in balance, and I'm sure your doctor will have some recommendations too. Hope you feel better soon!

[Eevie]

Antibiotics can really wreak havoc with your gut biome. In my experience digestive issues aren't at all uncommon after a round of them.

You might try taking some probiotics to try and get everything back in balance, and I'm sure your doctor will have some recommendations too. Hope you feel better soon!


Thank you so much for your reply, I do hope it’s just that I’m struggling to get out of bed. I started taking probiotics a few days ago (I was eating Greek yoghurt when I could eat while on the antibiotics too)

[Eevie]

So I didn't have this after taking antibiotics, but I had something similar after taking Sertraline (anti anxiety medication). It made me feel so horrible, that I couldn't leave my bed for a week. And I felt extremely nauseous and couldn't eat. I could only drink complans and fortisips and lost a lot of weight!
After stopping the medication, the nausea continued for another 5 weeks or or so because I was so anxious about how I felt, and I hyperfocused on the nausea and the worry about needing to eat.
I think that's what's going on with you too. I think the antibiotics made you feel nauseous, which then made you feel anxious about the nausea. And now it's all you can focus on, so you keep feeling it. All I can say is, it will eventually pass even though you think it won't. As anxiety always does, it will move on to another symptom and you'll be able to eat again. Try not to worry about it too much and see if you can find some high calorie liquids like complan, fortisip, ensures. And something small like banana's, nakd bars. That's what I lived off for those few weeks and helped me get through it.

Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate it. I’m in such a bad place I feel like I’m never going to get better or I’m dying which is obviously making my anxiety sky rocket and won’t be helping my symptoms!

I keep trying to take comfort in the fact that I wasn’t ill prior to the antibiotics so like you said it’s either my anxiety and hyper fixation or potentially the antibiotics have messed up my healthy bacteria or caused something.

I had a terrifying episode about 3 weeks ago too which hasn’t helped my anxiety, my heart rate went to 195 and beating very hard which landed me in an ambulance to a&e despite me dealing with severe anxiety for over 25 years, I’ve never been to A&E as my agoraphobia has always been too bad. I have been put on propranolol as a result but as an agoraphobic with severe health anxiety it was horrific as I
hadn’t left the house in some time.

It feels like one thing after another at the moment, and my anxiety is in complete Meltdown.

I really hope it is just anxiety and it will pass One part of me thinks I’m dying from either heart related issues or the antibiotics have caused something, the other part of me is trying to rationalise and hoping it’s just an anxiety.

[JooBug]

I started Clarithromycin antibiotics on April 10th-16th. They were prescribed for tonsillitis and they made me feel much worse than I did prior to starting. I didn’t have the symptoms prior to taking the pills.

They made me incredibly unwell with severe nausea, lack of appetite, stomach pain and diarrhoea. I was in bed the whole time feeling weak. I rang the surgery to ask to stop them but was told by general enquiries to continue unless I had a rash.

I’d hoped I’d feel better after finishing the course however the severe nausea, lack of appetite and feeling generally unwell has continued. I’m struggling to eat tiny amounts and the thought of food makes me feel sick. I’m losing weight and it’s terrifying me.

It’s been six weeks since I started the medication and five weeks since I finished it yet I’m still incredibly unwell. Still in bed. I’m exhausted and I want to cry I just want to feel better.

I’m hoping someone else has had a similar experience and can advise what is causing me to be so unwell after taking antibiotics. I wish I could go back in time and not take them.


I have severe agoraphobia and can’t leave my house so the drs have arranged bloods at home, stool tests and a paramedic to come out to check me this week which im so thankful for but it’s made me anxious as it seems they’re worried.

My anxiety is so bad I’m so scared and I’m exhausted from being unwell for so long

The mycin antibiotics are especially harsh on the stomach. The timing of all this suggests they are the cause. Good to get some tests. Doesn't mean they are especially worried - just diligent.

[Eevie]

The mycin antibiotics are especially harsh on the stomach. The timing of all this suggests they are the cause. Good to get some tests. Doesn't mean they are especially worried - just diligent.

Thank you so much for your reply, I did see that these antibiotics were particularly strong. I really do wish I’d never taken them! I’m glad to be getting some tests to see if anything is going on but like you said the fact this all started when I started the antibiotics definitely suggests it’s down to them.