Metronidazole comes with a risk of side effects, like all medicines you might take. They’re more common when you first start taking it. It’s rare, but if you experience any of the following side effects stop taking Metronidazole and get medical attention right away – they could be a sign of a severe allergic reaction:
- Skin rash
- Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing
Most of the serious side effects that have been reported with Metronidazole use are very rare, affecting up to 1 in 10,000 people. These could include:
- Unexpected infections, sore throat, mouth ulcers, bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or tiredness. This can be caused by a problem with your numbers and types of blood cells.
- Fever, stiff neck, headache, vertigo, hallucinations. These could be signs of a brain disease called encephalopathy).
- Poor co-ordination, muscle control, shakiness, uncontrolled eye movement, speech disorders, and walking abnormalities. These could be signs of Cerebellar syndrome.
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes. This could be caused by a liver problem called jaundice.
- Severe pain in your stomach that could spread to your back. This could be a sign of pancreatitis.
- Red, scaly widespread rash with bumps under the skin and blisters, fever. These could be signs of a severe skin reaction called acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis.
This isn’t a complete list of all of the possible side effects associated with Metronidazole. If you’re looking for more information, take a look at the patient package insert, or speak to your physician.
