Can you buy metronidazole over the counter?

In this article:

• Can you get metronidazole over the counter?
• Metronidazole OTC alternatives
• Are there any home remedies or natural alternatives to metronidazole?

In this article

• Can you get metronidazole over the counter?
• Metronidazole OTC alternatives
• Are there any home remedies or natural alternatives to metronidazole?

Metronidazole is a generic antibiotic used to treat various bacterial and parasitic infections. These include skin, blood, liver, vaginal, heart, and respiratory tract infections. Commonly referred to by its brand name Flagyl, metronidazole belongs to a class of drugs called nitroimidazole antimicrobials and works by killing the organism that’s causing the infection. It also comes in several forms, including an oral tablet, capsule, topical cream, gel, or lotion, and an injection that a healthcare provider administers. 

Metronidazole is not sold over the counter (OTC) in the United States. Therefore, you will need a prescription from a licensed healthcare professional to obtain the medicine. 

Read on to learn more about how to access metronidazole. 

RELATED: What is Metronidazole: Uses, warnings & interactions

Can you get metronidazole over the counter?

Metronidazole is not available over the counter. You must obtain a prescription from a doctor or other healthcare provider to get it. 

Healthcare providers typically won’t prescribe metronidazole or any antibiotic product until a thorough evaluation is completed. This is in part because metronidazole can cause serious side effects, including seizures, meningitis, and severe skin reactions. Additionally, every antibiotic is used to treat infections caused by specific bacteria or parasites, and they aren’t effective against viral infections. Taking an antibiotic that isn’t effective against your specific infection is dangerous because it can lead to antibiotic resistance, which occurs when the bacteria causing the infection learn to overcome the antibiotic intended to kill them. Antibiotic resistance can make your infection more severe and harder to treat. 

The risks of using metronidazole without a prescription

If metronidazole was available without a prescription, patients could take the drug without consultation from a healthcare provider. This can be dangerous, as metronidazole is only effective against certain types of bacteria. If it’s ineffective against your specific infection, taking metronidazole can worsen your infection or make it harder to treat. What’s more, metronidazole isn’t the right choice for everyone. 

Certain medical conditions or health factors, such as liver or kidney problems, blood disorders, or alcohol use, can put you at higher risk for side effects from metronidazole. In some cases, people may need their metronidazole dose adjusted to account for this increased risk. In other cases, it may not be safe for you to take metronidazole at all. Metronidazole may also interact with other drugs, so it must be only taken under the supervision of a doctor. With that being said, there are no systemic antibiotics available over the counter at the pharmacy in the United States. 

Although oral antibiotics are not available OTC, other OTC medications may be helpful in managing your infection. 

Metronidazole OTC alternatives

There are no suitable OTC alternatives for the oral or topical form of metronidazole. However, there may be OTC medications that can help manage the symptoms of your infection. 

For example, OTC cough or fever medications may provide relief for symptoms of a mild lower respiratory tract infection. OTC fever medications include Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen). Nevertheless, these medications come with risks, so be sure to ask a healthcare provider or pharmacist for medical advice before starting any new drugs. 

Similar to OTC medications, there aren’t any natural alternatives to metronidazole. However, some natural supplements or vitamins may support your body’s management of an infection. 

Are there any home remedies or natural alternatives to metronidazole?

Natural therapies cannot replace metronidazole treatment. However, your body needs certain vitamins and minerals for your immune system to work properly and fight off infections. These include:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Zinc

If your diet doesn’t provide adequate amounts of these vitamins and minerals, your immune system may not work as well as it should, and you might want to consider supplements. A healthcare provider can help determine if you’d benefit from vitamin and mineral supplementation. But keep in mind that increasing your intake of these vitamins and minerals when you aren’t deficient won’t necessarily help you recover faster from an infection. 

Probiotics are live microorganisms that support digestive health and may also be helpful when taken alongside antibiotics, such as metronidazole. Antibiotics work by killing bacteria, but in doing so, they also kill the good bacteria in your gut. This can cause various digestive side effects, including diarrhea. There is some evidence that taking probiotics during the entire course of antibiotic treatment can help prevent diarrhea. 

Although these are natural remedies, all treatments come with risks. Only your healthcare provider can determine which treatments are best for you, given your medical history, medications, and the severity of your infection.