Big guns symptoms and conditions

This is my second round with Doxycycline for a Staph infection (probably MRSA - the culture isn't back yet); the first round was unpleasant, especially in terms of feelings of heat in my head, wooziness, and rather severe stomach upset and esophagitis due to reflux. I am a Chinese herbalist, and tried going that route with the first bout of the infection (which fortunately is at the skin level), but didn't get much relief so went the route of the 'big guns.' The infection cleared up, more or less, but three weeks later I began to get another new lesion. Grr. Back to Doxy. This second time I've been more proactive, however: Ginger is used in a lot of chinese formulas to help with digestive upset, so I've been taking a couple of pieces of candied ginger as soon as the stomach upset gets going, and hey it works! By the way, I am taking capsules, and I find that lying down on my LEFT side actually helps prevent the reflux pain - the exit of the stomach is on the left side, and since capsules float, lying on my left side keeps the med closer to the exit than the entrance... or so it seems. Whew - I'm glad this stuff is out there, but I'd really like to be done with it - forever....

THANK YOU ALL for posting!!!

I've had chronic bronchitis attacks three months in a row now, and now suspicion of pneumonia on top of it. I had a feeling something wasn't quite right when my doctor said, "Let's pull out the 'big guns'" and prescribed Levaquin, but the pharmacy's patient advisory leaflet only mentioned a few innocuous side effects. I picked up some guaifenisen and ibuprofen at the pharmacy at the same time.

Get home, pop a few ibuprofens for pain in my diaphragm from coughing so much, make dinner, take my first levaquin with dinner as prescribed. After dinner, infojunkie that I am, I search for more about this stuff, and found your and other boards. Thank goodness!

It's too late to stop those ibuprofen, but I know not to take any more for the next four days of levaquin treatment (should I wait longer?). I also know not to have caffeine and to drink lots of water, which won't be a problem, and to discontinue use if any of those serious side effects occur (thanks for nothin', patient advisory leaflet).

I'm going to be very guarded in my taking of this medicine thanks to your posts. I really need to be able to breathe better; I'll keep you posted!