Cartilage damage symptoms and conditions

My poor Mother was prescribed this medicine 2 days ago and she's not slept for 2 days and has had horrible pains in her legs. I just found out today that she started taking this and I looked it up only to the horror of all the complaints on this medication. DON'T TAKE THIS MEDICATION, IT'S POISON! It's so sad what people have to go through in taking some medications. I never take a medication without looking up all the side effects. I wish my Mother would have called me before taking this, but she trusts in her Doctor. I don't think Doctor's check complaints on medications, at least some don't. I had her STOP taking this right away and contact her Doctor tomorrow.

I go by the ID Miserable Knees. I posted last spring on medications.com about my adverse reaction to Levaquin. I was given a 10 day prescription for a respiratory infection. 3 days after I finished taking Levaquin, BOTH KNEES were swollen, painful and I could barely walk. I spent a month throwing myself backwards into chairs due to the inflammation in my knees. My knees were on fire, I was in pain every day. After seeing an orthopedic doctor an MRI showed cartilage damage. A year later, I'm living with permanently altered legs. I was an avid walker, loved to hike, would spend hours walking for recreation. Levaquin changed all of that. I had a career requiring me to be on my feet for 12 or more hours a day. Levaquin changed all of that. I decided, if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. Now, there is a documentary about the dangers of fluoroquinolne antibiotics. When I was harmed by Levaquin, I was flabbergasted that something like this could happen to me in the prime of my life. I made this 52 minute film for all of the people like me who trusted the system, (government, doctor, medicine) to guarantee my safety. "Certain Adverse Events" is the name of the documentary and it is now available online. You can reach the documentary site by going online to the .com of "Certain Adverse Events"

Miserable Knees Productions

We are looking for people who can participate in a documentary film to be shot in Los Angeles which focuses on the apparent adverse effects of Levaquin. Specifically, we are looking for people who have experienced cartilage damage or burst and ruptured tendons as a result of using Levaquin. It is especially useful if you have a doctor's opinion that the damage was caused by Levaquin. If you or someone you know would be interested in taking part in this film which will shoot in Los Angeles in mid-June 2008 please email us at ******

I was given a 10 day dose of LEVAQUIN for a mild bronchitis/respiratory ailment on Jan. 29, 2008. I took 1 500mg pill for the full ten days. Three days after I stopped taking this medication, I experienced incredibly painful swelling in both knees. I could barely walk, and couldn't bend my knees. I was scared, upset, and in absolute misery. I spent a week literally throwing myself backwards onto chairs. It was unbelievable. When I could finally get to my normal health care provider 5 days later, she immediately identified the culprit as the Levaquin I had taken. She said she knew it to cause people's tendons to burst. It was obvious since it was both knees that it was not an injury and I never had any other problem with my legs. I am, or shall I say I was an avid walker. I was told to see an orthopedic doctor if I had not improved in one week. I had not improved in a week. The orthopedic doctor sent me for an MRI which showed irreversible, permanent cartilage damage in my left knee. The right knee he didn't MRI at the time, saying he could determine what he needed to know from the one knee and would only be able to do corrective surgery on my knees in 6 week intervals. This horrible drug has permanently altered my way of life. I was a 53 year old active, ambulatory adult who would walk miles a day. Two months later, I still have constant knee pain, cannot stand for long periods of time without leaning on something and can no longer kneel, etc. I can only walk around a bit and if I'm on my feet for long periods of time I experience knee, ankle pain and swelling. I sent a report to the FDA who obviously cares nothing about this situation, since I'm not the only unsuspecting person to have this happen. I've been studying this drug now and there was evidence in animal clinical trials of joint and tendon damage, To me it would have been no different an experience if someone had come up and hit me with a baseball bat across both knees. I am permanently damaged from Levaquin. I think it's criminal this drug is given to younger ambulatory adults at all.

In July of 2005, I was prescribed 14 doses of Levaquin 750 mg for a bad case of viral pneumonia and mononucleosis. After two days of insomnia, I developed extremely painful feet, especially the bottoms of my feet. Last month (Aug 2007) I was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis of the Hip, and just had my right hip replaced (total). At age 45, I am fairly young to have developed such an ailment and other than July of 2005, have been healthy and active my entire life. In retrospect, I am beginning to wonder if Levaquin caused my avascular necrosis, as the doctors are at a loss.

OMG, I thought it was just me! I went to my doctor because of an ongoing infection and the worst cough I've ever had. I was given Levaquin 750mg and a steriod shot. Then it went down hill from there. My ankles began to swell, then my fingers and hands. I had a very hard time using my hands to open my back door and it even hurt to use my stapler at work! Then other joints began to hurt, like my neck and my knees. It was painful to get up or sit down. I tried to get up and get ready for work one morning, but I just stood in the shower crying because my entire body hurt. I went to an emergency clinic and asked them to start doing lab work to find out what's going on. I felt like I was 90 years old and had been suddenly stricken with menopause, lyme disease, fibromyalgia,arthritis and migraine. All the lab came back normal. I went back to the doctor that gave me the drug (handful of samples) and was referred to a pain and joint center. I am still trying to recover from this drug. .

Just got back from the dr. She said it is definitly caused by Levaquin. The knee pain etc. is from this drug. She said it putme right over the edge after taking it for only one week. Hopefully it will subside. This is a powerful drug that attacks cartilage and joints and should not be used by people prone to arthritic conditions. Anyway, I feel better knowing I don"t have Lyme or anything more serious. GoodLuck to all of you out there, hang in there.Marsh