Flagyl - bad taste in mouth - yuk!

Help! I just started a round of flagyl and am feeling tons better already! That's the great news. It is making me nauseaous (I will get some ginger capsules as recommended on another thread) and giving me a HORRIBLE taste in my mouth.

Does anyone have any advice or miracle solution to get rid of this hideous taste???

Any advice is most appreciated. Thanks! - Amy

Hi Amy, ginger works well with nausea or motion sickness tablets. I find that if you drink gatorade with the flagyl it won't taste as bad. I totally know what you mean, that stuff tastes soooo bad, worse than pred.

Some others might have other options.

Good luck

just watch out for the night sweats, I get those real bad when I'm on flagyl (my pillow becomes soaking wet). Also, don't be surprised if your urine and poo poo come out a weird color, it's normal. Your urine will stink too...

Hi Amy - I was on Flagyl for over 8 years!!! As far as taste, probiotics and orange Gatorade. I developed a CNS reaction (central nervous system) which manifested in numbness and tingling of my fingers and toes. The Flagyl/Cipro gave me few years of semi-remission.

Hiya Amy

I've just posted on your other thread about this!!

xxxx

Yeah, i would agree with taking it with a liquid that has a strong flavor to mask the Flagyl flavor. Gatorade always worked for me as well as grape juice and Ensure!

I agree with Joan's comment about chewing gum to get the taste out of your mouth. I could not tolerate water because it tasted despicable to me while on Flagyl, haha. So, just make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids if you are like me and can't stand water right now.

As far as the nausea, I didn't take anything to calm it down. I would just try and lay down with my eyes closed and breath slowly until the worst of it went away. I found watching TV always made my nausea worse for some reason.

If I had thought about ginger I would have used that probably for the upset tummy. My mom just got my some ginger "mints" recently by Newman's Own (I thought he only did salad dressing!?) and they test just like gingersnap cookies! Yum! She got them from the local health food store.

Peppermint and chamomile tea might help with the nausea as well.

How long will you be on the Flagyl?

I didn't read the whole thread but a trick I learned a while back is to stick the flagyl between your teeth, without it touching your tongue, and then chug down gatorade. I also finished that with starburst or jollyrancher candies and that seemed to get most of the bad taste out. I started flagyl before I ever took prednisone so once I took pred it tasted like candy comparitively. I can still taste the flagyl on my tongue when I think about it.lol

Ha, I practically live on Flagyl lol... not much to add but brushing your tongue does help a bit. Flagyl is gross but it works. Even if i just have one a day keeps it at bay. Pred in 15mg is holding me now. I am like Jeff, just memories of Flagyl isnt nice! Keep drinking water it helps or sucking on a popcicle.

Ugh.....I don't get flagyl any more - it makes me sicker than what I take it for to begin with! (so my chart say 'does not tolerate flagyl).....I think when I did take it I just sucked it up and dealt with the taste.....

Amy, my wife came home with a bottle of Scope Outlast peppermint mouthwash the other day and it is absolutely the longest lasting, strongest mouthwash I've ever tried.

Oh, the Flagyl club! I finish a 10-day bout tomorrow, and the taste in the mouth is horrible.

I can't handle gatorade, so I suck on ice chips a lot. I also end up eating foods with a lot of flavour to counteract the intensity of the bitter flavour. Oh, and sugar-free Lifesavers, peppermint flavour.

I'll try Jeff's trick tomorrow...!

I finished my 10-day antibiotics (which included Flagyl) about 2-3 days ago and yes I can tell you I woke up every morning and went through most days with what must have been the most putrid taste I have ever had in my mouth. Night sweats were also an issue but not as annoying as the taste

Let us know how you are feeling?! WHat the heck happened..poucher buddy! I have been wondering if I need an antibiotic, lots of gurgling going on, tons of gas, and going more..But, functioning...Sorry to hear you needed more meds, but I am glad to hear they are working for you!!! (((HUG)) Sue

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I am feeling GREAT and the bad taste seems to be subsiding, as well as the nausea.

I have some gatorade on hand so if things get worse, will try that trick.

I really appreciate everyone's replies!

PS Will be on the anti-biotics for 1 month, and see the GI at the end of the course for follow up. Bonus points for doc - I dealt with the covering doc while my doc was on vacation. My doc called Monday morning 9 am to check in and talk to me directly and see how I was feeling.

i used to take it for a couple of years, and i learned this trick - always use very cold liquid (room temperature water and the heat from the mouth make the pill dissolve in the mouth, and if it brushes against the skin inside the mouth, it sticks and leaves the taste). Another trick is to NEVER put the pill in the mouth and follow with the liquid, always take a mouthful of liquid first, tilt your head back a bit, open your mouth, drop the pill in, and swallow in one gulp, follow with the liquid. And do it quickly so the liquid stays cold.
I know, it's nasty.... I used to chase it with some bittersweet or very dark chocolate

What is wrong with Matt!!! :eek2:

I know so many of you suffer with this side effect, Matt, nothing, says the tab tastes fine and it has no lingering taste! Yikes! :lol:

He's been on it for 4 months now.

Dusty.

I'm on it for 6 weeks atm and right now I feel dog rough kinda like the beginning of flu and kinda queasy but I'm not sure its the flagyl I think I might just be run down, bleurgh.

If you get a weird taste in your mouth... tictacs! Orange and Lime, or just Mint. They're so tiny it's not like you're eating something all the time but theyre tasty and delicious.

I was eating lots of popsicles to kill that taste it worked but that stuff was nasty.

The taste of flagyl us horrible i take the liquid i swallow it and drink lots of water but i still vomit it i need help

I like to keep breath mints around when I take flagyl OR prednisone. The taste of both is just rough sometimes. Either that or I go straight for the mouthwash after taking the stuff lol.

I have occasional bouts of diverticulitis, so while this group is really not for me, I had to open an account to share my metronidazole (flagyl) experiences.

Night sweats: Horrible.

Taste: really thought I was going to vomit it and the Oxycontin I'd just swallowed.

Efficacy: Taken with ciprofloxin the inflammation associated with the infection had subsided to the point where 1/2 an oxy 2x/day managed the pain quite nicely.

Solution to the EXTREME bitterness: Don't ever let the pill touch the inside of your mouth or throat... to wit:

Cut a rectangle of "loaf bread" (I used white-wheat but any thin sliced bread of a "white" type will work). Make the rectangle about 1.25" wide and maybe 1.5" long, make sure you've removed the crust.

Flatten it with the palm of your hand until it is very very thin.

Carefully roll the tablet up in the center of the bread.

Quickly dunk the capsule into what ever you're going to chug to get this down.

Give a quick reforming to make it a thin football shape. Pop it in and chug.

It's some work to get the larger thing down, but it really beats trying to get rid of the taste afterward. I've done this way, and, if you can, a very thin coat of peanut butter on the bread (inside) before rolling it up helps it hold together.

Great idea KenR. The first time I was on Flagyl I ended up having to go to the ER and have IV. I could not hold it down. I dread being on it and the awful taste that goes with it that lingers even when you are finished your doses.

I cut open a Trolli Egg candy (kind of like a jelly bean) an put the nasty Flagyl in the center an then press the candy back together. Went down the hole easily, and NO TASTE!

Tried the bread thing, almost died. Thats too big to swallow. I found that grapefruit juice is the best for taking flagyl, I dont think the taste is avoidable wether it touches yourmouth or not, for me anyway. My daughter has no problems with it. Gross.

I think every time I take flagyl I get thrush. lol. So it's a double whammy. I tend to drink a lot of flavored water when I take it. I also suck on sugarless candies to help with the metallic-y taste that you always have.

Perhaps cutting the pill in half and then quarters and stuffing into a gelatin capsule would do the trick?

Gel caps can be found readily online, are dirt cheap, and for a 500mg pill, I think a #"0" size would do the trick. (Please do your own research, though, and you may find a store near you that stocks these so you can visually check before buying).

Let Google be your research buddy!