Avalox symptoms and conditions

Wow, who should I believe? Placebo controlled studies which suggest Avelox is a perfectly safe drug or a bunch of crazy people who like to TYPE every OTHER word IN all CAPS who are probably all middle aged women with psychological problems and/or fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, or other made up diagnoses.

Here's a hint morons: The reason why every drug in existence now lists every possible side effect is because of crazies like you. This way, the drug company can protect themselves from litigious idiots like the poster below who wants to join a class action lawsuit. This only compounds the problem, though, because then more crazies look at the side effect profile and when they see that "Oh my gosh, it says right here it causes x, y, and z" it just validates in there mind that this is somehow a dangerous drug.

I swear, if all of the pampered babies in this country were put to work in a rice field in Cambodia, there would be a lot less nonsense in the world. You would see what true pain and suffering is about.

I was prescribed Avelox along with Prednisone by my allergy doctor for pneumonia. Even with a prescription insurance program, the Avelox costs $14 a pill. After 13 days on Avelox, my joints hurt so bad I can barely walk. My muscle tone is almost non-existent, and the muscles ache like I've been in training for a marathon. I daily became more depressed, and really thought I was dying. I went to see my internist this a.m. A chest x-ray revealed I still have a raging case of pneumonia, now in both lobes of my lungs. She wanted to put me in the hospital but agreed to put me on a Augmenting and another round of Prednisone to try at home a couple of days. Avelox should be taken off the market. I can not believe this medication which costs over $240 for one round of treatment was ever approved by the FDA. My doctor could not tell me when the side effects of the Avelox will diminish or disappear. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG IF ANOTHER WILL DO THE JOB.

I have to admit I am dumbfounded. I "stumbled" upon this information tonight.
I am a very healthy and active 40 year old female with no health issues other than seasonal allergies and asthma. I went to the dr. 4 weeks ago for a sinus infection. I was prescribed 5 days of Levaquin (called a “Lev-pak”??). The sinus infection seemed better but the symptoms of that came back after 10 days and I went back to the dr. only to be prescribed a 2nd round of the same medication. Again the sinus infection seemed to get better and now a month later I went to the same dr. again today because the sinus problem came back but worse. Today I was prescribed a different antibiotic called Avalox. Since I had not heard of this drug I decided to look it up before taking it.
I now look back over the last month and am horrified that I have had these bizarre symptoms and here they are experienced by 100's of other people. And this is just one website, with people that took time to speak up. Just one. All of sudden I already feel better because I can explain so much. Not once was I warned about this drug either by the doctor or my pharmacist.
Everything I am about to describe I have either blamed on still being sick (and getting sicker from the presumed infection) or have blamed on other meds taken in addition for congestion, headache, stomach problems, wheezing, etc.

I have had ridiculous sleep patterns. I was either SO awake some nights that I felt like I could run 10 miles or SO exhausted by bedtime that I could barely walk up the stairs to get to bed. I have had extreme nightmares and dreams. In addition I have had at times practically NO peripheral vision combined with a blinding headache. I also had ringing in one or both ears that was very random. I seriously thought several times that I might have a brain tumor. I have had all these weird stomach issues. I have felt bloated and my abdomen area has been painful at times. I also have gone from either having bad diarrhea to being very constipated. My heart has raced at times both while doing physical activity OR sitting still. For about 3 days after the first round I had sharp pains in my left side (abdomen and arm). I have experienced bizarre hot flashes combined with being freezing cold minutes later with no fever at all. And last my right leg, particularly my knee and foot have just hurt at odd times (just waking up, walking up and down stairs, after sitting for a few minutes). All of these things separated seem so random so I never suspected Levaquin. Having read page after page…they are ALL explained.

I can’t tell you how much better I feel right this moment. I feel sane again. I will never, ever take Levaquin again and am so thankful I was smart enough to get information before taking Avalox, which would have been round three of this poisonous family of antibiotics. I don't know how long it will take for the Levaquin symptoms to go away but at least I'll know why these things are happening. Thank you.

I had bronchitis (being an asthma sufferer, during a bad cold this is expected). I went to my doctor, who handed me 5 days worth od samples of Avelox (400mg). Approximately 1 hour after my first dose I started shaking, feeling dizzy and nervous, had an upset stomach and abdominal pain and was itching on my knees, wrists, ankles, legs, elbows, arms and neck. I called my doctor who told me it was a mild side effect and to continue taking it. So, I did. Considering that I had been out of work with bronchitis and lacked the time to start a new antibiotic, I decided to listen to my doctor. The side effects intensified. I have now been off of Avelox (which I will NEVER take again) for 4 days and I am still not side effect free. They have definitely lessened, but not completely gone away.

This is a HORRIBLE antibiotic. I implore all who read this...do not take Avelox. Get amoxicillin, Ceclor,, Erythromycin... anything else will do just as good a job without side effects.

I was prescribed avelox for mastitis and a UTI. I was fine until after the 3rd dose, I had MAJOR anxiety attacks that would start from my head down through my legs, like a tingling sensation. I felt as if I was going to fall over or faint. I then had tremors or the shakes. Doc said to continue the med after telling him how I was feeling. I then couldn't take the symptoms and went to the ER and they said the same thing, continue taking it. Now my gut feeling was to not take it, but I had a bacterial infection and didn't want that to get out of control, so I took the 4th dose. The next morning, it was the same thing all over again, tingling/dizziness from my head that would run through my whole body, and the shakes again. I went back to the doc and they told me it was safe to stop taking it. It has been 3 days since I stopped taking it and I still feel terrible. Very tired, my head just does not feel right. I hope with each day that it gets better. What a nasty drug this is and For anyone that reads this, please take this warning seriously, you do not want to feel like this. Oh, one more side effect, I had the tight chest also.

I am a physician and have prescribed levaquin to many people. I have had some of them complain of what they thought were serious and variable side effects but mostly I attributed their problems to anxiety and hypochondiasis. I now know differently. I took levaquin, and for over a year I have had serious CNS anxiety, insomnia, joint and tendon pain, and widespread peripheral neuropathy. It has been an awful time and since realizing that the effects are often long term I have been able to identify many other patients who have developed serious long term problems with anxiety, depression, arthropathy and tendonopathy, neuropathy and possibly endocrine effects like gonadal failure and worsening of diabetes. There are no long term studies done post marketing to identify these effects and to unify all of these problems into one syndrom of fluoroquinolone toxicity. This is a big problem and I believe thousands of patients have been adversely affected by the use and misuse of levaquin and probably the other fluoroquinolone antibiotics. I have other colleagues who are beginning to recognize the long term consequences of levaquin and the fluoroquinolones. More research and study needs to be done. In the mean time I am sure that Johnson and Johnson, Ortho- Mcneil, will continue to refute that the incidence of serious adverse reactions is much higher than they report.

I took levaquin, cipro and avalox in a 4 month period due to a severe sinus infection, back in Jan to april of 2006. I had tolerated it most of my life, but at that time, I had had 'neck surgery due to 2 pinched nerves, left shoulder operated on, major tears, due to extreme 'flat roof roofing repair' for 6 months trying to save our 'dream home from satan'. (we lost it, foreclosure)
I complained to my dr the next day, (and most every week) he ignored my halluciations, (actually "snickered" in my face), mood altered, ignored my complaints of feeling like a hot rake tearing my muscle and tendons apart. pain, told me to continue taking it:(, blame me for listening and NOT doing research soon enough, I learned later the dr is supposed to STOP the drugs immediately to rule out tendonitist to prevent pernanent irreverable damage AND it's not to be given to 'muscle challanged people'). after that 3rd round in a 4 month period, I told him I'd rather die than to take them again. mom always told me I was allergic to pennicilin, I wasnt, it helped clear my infection.

I now have hodgkins lyphoma, (affects men mostly, i'm female, 51 yrs of age), I shouldnt have 'this cancer'. My face started breaking out w/2 types of skin cancer, basal cell, and precancer A. keratosis eveywhere. I was 120 lbs, cut muscles, always had been physical. Now, flab, lost mucle strength everywhere. Every day now is filled w/severe pain and NO dr will listen, I've been called crazy so many times, I could puke. The dr's dont WANT TO KNOW because of the extensive lawsuits that will exist due to them NOT knowing side effects and stopping meds, it's their 'brotherhood', protect each other no matter what the patients 'cost' is, as in mine, complete mind and body destruction:(
To MOST people, this drug is okay. To many of us, it's a life destroying slow death. Cant work, cant get disability. Have reached for 'help to heaven' so many times, but never followed through:(. I still HOPE for some dr to listen and do necessary tests so I can sue the crap out of my previous g.p. He should have known . HOPE is a forbidden 4 letter word, yet I cuss like a sailor.
Peace my fellow quin sufferers, Sandie in S.C.

I'd had a bad experience with Avalox so when my OB wanted me to take Levaquin for a possible infection I called to ask whether this was a good idea since they are from the same drug family. She told me to do it and against my better judgment I complied. Side effects: dizziness, feeling drowsy/drunk, nausea, insomnia, vivid nightmarish dreams, and most alarmingly, a burning sensation (on my skin and in my joints) at the top of my spine/base of my skull that started around the 3rd day of taking it. That's when I checked the internet for others' experiences, freaked out, and told my OB that I was simply not going to take another dose. Please RESEARCH this drug and any possible alternatives before taking it!

I had the unfortunate experience of taking both avalox and Levaquin to treat a case of chronic sinusitis. I received Levaquin for 10 days at 500 mg / per day. After four days I began experiencing extreme pain in my knees, soles of my feet, and hip joints. The pain became so severe I could barely get out of bed in the morning. I contacted my doctor who advised me to stop taking the drug immediately and prescribed another drug in a different class. It has been almost a month since stopping Levaquin and I continue to experience pain in my knees and soles of my feet. This website was a Godsend. I suspected my cotinued pain was caused by this drug but couldn't be sure. Thanks to you all for sharing the side effects you've suffered as well. This is definitely a case in which the treatment can be much worse than the illness.