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I have taken Bactrim a few times in the past without issue, the last time being over 2 years ago. A few days ago, however, I took one pill in the evening for a UTI and the next morning woke up with what felt like a really chapped top lip in the middle, which also looked a little swollen. Surprisingly, I didn't think much of it and continued with the Bactrim twice that day. Well, the morning after I woke up with a significantly swollen, red upper lip from middle to the right side and what looked like tiny little dark purple blisters (like tiny dots but fluid filled) on the right side. I stopped taking the Bactrim and took Benadryl all day and it almost completely resolved by the next day. But now where the blisters had almost gone (there was just some lingering redness), it looks like little white sores are starting to form. :( Naturally, I googled and read that lip sores can be a sign of Steven-Johnson syndrome which can be caused by Bactrim and now I'm really scared. I mentioned it to my doctor, and she confirmed it was a reaction to the Bactrim and thought I just didn't take the Benadryl long enough, so I started it again. But that appt was before I read about SJS. I've discontinued Bactrim and she's prescribed Macrobid instead, but now I'm scared to take anything, but also scared not to treat this UTI. Any help/insight would be appreciated.

Has this happened to anyone else? Please let me know I'm not in this boat alone. I've felt fear all morning and I've been taking 500mg of Cipro every 12 hours for 3 days.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone has some experience with this and can shed some light. I have an extreme fear of throwing up and will do just about anything to avoid it. Several days ago I was diagnosed with a UTI and prescribed Microbid (an antibiotic) to help with this. I have been unable to take it because a common side effect is nausea. Of course I have been obsessing online reading every review possible about this antibiotic and there is a handful of people who vomit on this medication. I know I need to take my prescription so that the infection doesn't spread to my kidneys but I just can't come to terms with the nausea which will in turn send my anxiety into overdrive. Your experiences and encouragement are GREATLY appreciated.

Now I know it doesn't matter what causes panic or anxiety. Once it happens once, it then becomes caused by the fear of it happening again. I spent countless hours googling, not believing doctors that it was "just" anxiety. I had to stop myself and accept the facts. But I am a curious sole and I often wonder what makes one person so sensitive to something, while the same thing doesn't bother another person. I also think if there was one particular cause to make us so sensitive, a forum like this could compile data from hundreds of sufferers. So humour me guys on your theories. Please remember, whatever caused your first attack will not necessarily cure you of having another if you avoid that thing! Once you've had one, it is the fear of another which keeps it going. So please don't drive yourself insane looking for a cure. Anyway my theories are 1) Hyperventilation from pain. My first ever attack happened when I awoke with a sore back. The pain made me breath awkwardly in between the "ouches" & "wholly crap", I didn't know at the time but I was hyperventilating which led me to feel "weird". I got scared and my limbs felt odd. I had a sit down and a glass of water and thought the whole episode was odd but never thought much of it. I did see a doctor who blamed it on shift work. This episode did not lead to panic disorder because I wasn't worried about what happened and more importantly it never occurred to me that it could happen again. Months later while driving long distance, I had terrible stomach pains and needed a bathroom! There wasn't one for another 30 minutes so I drove faster. Only to be stopped by a road block where a crash had occurred and I couldn't get through. The attending fireman said to turn the engine off, it was going to be a while. So I sat in pain, desperately hoping the pain would go away. Again this "weird" sensation came over me. I thought back to my first episode of unexplained weirdness and thought "oh its that again" i immediately said to myself "not now I've got other problems" & the feeling left. I never thought much of that. Until theory 2) Caffeine and energy drinks. Now I've been drinking coffee since I was 5. It never bothered me. Working nights I used the energy drink V. One particular night I hadn't slept much and felt horrible so I cracked a can of V. The next thing I knew I was incredibly aware of my heart. I felt like my body was awake but my mind wanted to sleep. There was terrible confusion and I was sure I'd pass out. I told the boss I was ill and sat the rest of the night out feeling like my heart had the hiccups and I would faint at any minute. This is where my disorder began. I became very aware of my body ever since. I could always feel my heart and my arms felt weird, I constantly felt I would faint. I became worried about this of course and it took 7 different doctors before 1 diagnosed panic attacks. Worse was that they kept telling me something bad must be going on at home or in my childhood. I had to work out on my own that it was none of this and it was my own fear that kept it happening. I did work this out after a few months and that's when I cured myself. I was no longer afraid of it, any symptom that came up I would just say "oh its just that again" instead of "oh my god not this again!!" So it went away for about a year. Until I was happily wide awake on night shift singing away and lost my breath. I thought "I hope that's not panic returning" & immediately forgot everything I'd previously taught myself! I became worried again and anticipated the next one. I've had it ever since. Except the days where I can clear my head enough to say "No not today". But this brings me back to my original question, why me when another person could have had the same thing, the same back pain, belly pain, energy drink? Is it genetics? Theory 3 is antibiotics. The two times i have spiralled into panic disorder have this in common. I had both times the week or two before been on antibiotics. It's long been known that antibiotics kill off the good bacteria in the gut. This happened to me both times requiring me to take further meds to rectify the situation. But the thinking pattern had already begun. Do antibiotics harm the good gut bacteria which in turn effects the way you think? I know it's far out and a long read but I'd be interested to know if anyone has had something similar happen to them. Or another theory. Think back to when it all started for you? What was going on then? What causes one person to get suck n a thought pattern but not another?