Precautions
Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®
It is important that your doctor check your progress after you finish using this medicine to make sure that the infection is cleared up.
If your symptoms do not improve within a few days after you start this medicine or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
You should not use this medicine if you are taking or have taken disulfiram (Antabuse®) within the last 2 weeks. Disulfiram is used to help people who have a drinking problem. If these 2 medicines are taken close together, serious unwanted effects may occur.
Drinking alcoholic beverages while using this medicine may cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, or flushing or redness of the face. Alcohol-containing medicines (eg, elixirs, cough syrups, tonics) may also cause problems. The chance of these problems occurring may continue for at least a day after you stop using metronidazole. You should not drink alcoholic beverages (eg, ethanol or propylene glycol) or take other alcohol-containing medicines while you are using this medicine and for at least 24 hours after treatment.
Check with your doctor right away if you have dizziness, problems with muscle control or coordination, shakiness or an unsteady walk, slurred speech, or trouble with speaking. These may be symptoms of a serious brain condition called encephalopathy.
Call your doctor right away if you have confusion, drowsiness, fever, a general feeling of illness, a headache, loss of appetite, nausea, a stiff neck or back, or vomiting. These could be symptoms of a serious condition called aseptic meningitis.
Check with your doctor right away if you are having burning, numbness, tingling, or painful sensations in the arms, hands, legs, or feet. These could be symptoms of a condition called peripheral neuropathy.
This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy or lightheaded. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you. If these reactions are especially bothersome, check with your doctor.
Vaginal medicines usually leak out of the vagina during treatment. To keep the medicine from getting on your clothing, wear a mini-pad or sanitary napkin. Do not use tampons since they may soak up the medicine.
To help clear up your infection completely and to help make sure it does not return, good health habits are also required.
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Wear cotton panties (or panties or pantyhose with cotton crotches) instead of synthetic (eg, nylon or rayon) panties.
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Wear only freshly washed panties daily.
Do not have sexual intercourse while you are using this medicine. Having sexual intercourse may reduce the strength of the medicine. This may keep the medicine from working properly. Also, oils in the cream and vaginal tablets (but not the vaginal gel) may damage latex (rubber) contraceptive devices (eg, cervical caps, condoms, or diaphragms), causing them to leak, wear out sooner, or not work properly.
Avoid using douches or other vaginal products unless your doctor tells you to.
Many vaginal infections (eg, trichomoniasis) are spread by having sexual intercourse. You can give the infection to your sexual partner, and the infection could be given back to you. Your partner may also need to be treated for some infections. Until you are sure that the infection is completely cleared up after your treatment with this medicine, your partner should wear a condom during sexual intercourse. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.
Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are using this medicine. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
Portions of this document last updated: Aug. 01, 2024
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