An Introduction to Sulfatrim Side Effects
As with any medicine,
Sulfatrim® (
sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes the medication will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Sulfatrim. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Sulfatrim side effects with you.)
Sulfatrim was approved long before the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required manufacturers to include highly detailed information about potential side effects in the prescribing information for the medications. Therefore, only vague information is available about possible Sulfatrim side effects; the exact percentages of individual side effects are not provided in the Sulfatrim prescribing information.
Based on this limited information, the most common side effects of Sulfatrim include:
- Decreased appetite
- Nausea, with or without vomiting
- Allergic skin reactions (such as a rash or itching).
Even though a skin reaction due to Sulfatrim is quite common, it should always be reported to your healthcare provider. In general, it is recommended that you stop taking Sulfatrim at the first sign of a skin rash, as very dangerous reactions can develop (although this happens only rarely).
