What is metronidazole?
Metronidazole is an oral antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections of the heart, blood, nervous system, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, lungs, joints, bones, and skin. Extended-release metronidazole is commonly prescribed as a treatment for bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted bacterial infections such as trichomoniasis.
Because metronidazole is an antibiotic, it cannot be used for the treatment of viral infections. If metronidazole is being used as a treatment for a sexually transmitted infection (like trichomoniasis), both sex partners should use the medication simultaneously. This helps reduce the risk of reinfection in either partner. Antibiotics stop the growth of harmful bacteria in the body, so simultaneous use of metronidazole will help prevent the infection from living on and being passed between partners.