Down stairs symptoms and conditions

I was on Levaquin for 6 of the 7 prescribed days, and as a result I have extreme joint pain. I am 37 years old and feel like I am 70 years old. I can't walk up or down stairs easily, it hurts when I get dressed, wash my hair...basically any movement hurts. After the first 2 days of taking the meds, I called the pharmacist since it was the weekend, and he told me that the Levaquin shouldn't cause this and it was OK to continue using it. So, I did through Sunday, then called my Dr. on Monday when I was instructed to discontinue its use. The only side effect remotely similar that was noted was "rupture of Achilles tendon" in rare instances. I've read some of the other messages that were posted and am glad to see that the pain some of you are having is subsiding. I sure hope mine does too. I go for blood work on Friday to see if any real damage has been done.

I am participating in a research study for Wellbutrin helping smokers to quit. I am 25 years old. The study is a double blind study so there is a possibility that I am on placebo...but judging from my feelings - I am not. I have been on wellbutrin for 8 days now. I went from 150mg to 300mg in the course of 3 days. My symptoms/side effects include feeling "blah", not having interest in conversation, coordination problems (I have had issues with walking up and down stairs; almost to the point of falling), small episodes of memory loss, and I am thinking possible hair loss. The hair loss is the most devastating to me and I am going to stop taking wellbutrin because of it. I will find another way to quit smoking - there is no sense in taking something that is going to make me feel horrible about myself. Has anyone quit taking it and have their hair grow back?

I went on levaquin-2 rounds of it, due to pneumonia. I felt very out of sorts and discombobulated. Dizzyness, word recall problems, insomnia, diahrrea. My tongue was coated with a thick white film. One night my tongue and my hand felt very disconnected to me, and I had a strange but familiar taste or sensation in my mouth but I couldn't name it. It lasted 3 or 4 minutes. I think I may have had a petit mal seizure. I have been having trouble with my vision, things I read are blurry now, and I have never worn glasses, or had vision problems before. I have been off of this medication for 6 days now, and I am still feeling some of these side effects. I rarely have any side effects from medications. I will never take this again.

I went to the doctor with a sinus and kidney infection, after 2 days of levaquin, I had severe swelling in my knees, calves, and ankles, the pain was more than I could bear, I had vomited of the dry heaves because I had no appetite. Does someone know why this mediation is on the market, and why no one has done anything about it. I am still in severe pain after 9 days

I took this drug for 9 days of a 10 day prescription. I suffered from insomnia, but didn't connect that to the meds. On day 9 I awoke with slight pain in one knee. As the day wore on, that pain got acute and spread to the other knee, elbows, shoulders and hands. I thought perhaps it was a severe attack of osteoarthritis, but that didn't seem right. Three days later in a newspaper column called "The People's Pharmacy" I read about Levaquin causing severe tendon problem. A light went off in my head and I heard a "Boing!" It is now day 5 of my symptoms, some of which have abated. I still have to wear a knee brace on one leg, can't bend either knee very far, and am in acute discomfort. I took some naproxin to alleviate the inflammation and it seemed to work, but I won't take NSAIDS for a long period of time. I'm furious. Neither the doctor nor the instructions for the medication warned me of this side effect. Now I'm left to hope this goes away with time and I can walk comfortably again without this giant brace on my left knee. I remind myself of Igor in "Young Frankenstein!" Sleeping is uncomfortable as well - I awoke in severe pain last night because I had rolled onto my side and my right knee was resting on my sore left knee. Not good. I'm furious.

My local pharmacies have switched to dispensing only ProAir HFA inhalers in place of the usual albuterol inhalers by Warrick, per the new law concerning the ozone layer. Am experiencing severe breathing problems because of the switch. Was under cotrol with the old type for over ten years, it was a life-saver. The new type inhaler doesn't work for me. Even after adjusting to the slightly different feel and mastering a slightly different user technique, it fails to ease my breathing. Peak flow meter stays around 250. Why drastically alter a medication for non-medical reasons? I am reading on internet forums that I am not alone; thousands of users are having problems with the new HFA inhalers. I can't walk to the store now, I can't go up & down stairs, I can't carry on a sustained conversation. ???? I appeal to the powers that be to make our old inhalers available to us again. Let the marketplace decide which type to buy. This is a frightening failure and we need help.

I am normally a very physically fit specimen, working outside every day. One 500 mg. tab of this poisencompletely debilitated me. Within six hours of taking levaquin I experienced excruciation soreness in my arms and shoulders. My throat swelled up and I could barely breath. I was perscribed steroids to stop the swelling - I took only ONE 500 mg time release tab 7 days ago and today I am still experiencing incredible pain.I am so sore I can't sleep. If anyone wants to start a call action suit I am in - I have NEVER sued anyone - but I am furious.Any advise out there as to how I can flush this poisen out of my system?
Chris

I was prescribed 5 days of 500 mg of Levaquin for a possible UTI. I had some vision disturbances - seeing spots and shapes that weren't really there on the 2nd day. On day 3 I had a night of complete sleeplessness. On day 4, I noticed a slight soreness in both calves. I thought it was just from gardening. On day 5 (after I had taken the final dose) the calve stiffness/pain got much worse - it was like the muscles had become extremely tight and was centered around the tendons. I realized it was from the Levaquin when the insert and way down at the bottom it said to call your doctor if you had leg or tendon pain. Since then, I have looked at several sites and it's very scary. I can only hope that the leg pain goes away in a few days - I can hardly walk and it hurts with every step. I have always been a very active person. If this is permanent, it will change my life completely, as I walk everywhere and right now can barely get down the street or up and down stairs. My doctor said that only prolonged use would cause tendon tears, but that is not what I am reading. It damages cartilage, muscles, tendons. That's one of the reasons they don't prescribe it for under 18-year olds.

It should not be prescribed for anyone. There are thousands of entries on the web about the sometimes permanent and very serious side effects of this toxic antibiotic. I feel very sorry for all of us.

Marianne
7/3/07

I was diagnosed with bilateral ear infections and was prescribed 500mg Levaquin ( because I am allergic to most penicillin-based products) once a day for one week. On the fourth day I began to experience stiffness and pain in both feet, especially the heels, and also in my calves, and knees. I also had pain in my neck, at the base of my skull.These symptoms proceeded to worsen to the the point that I could barely walk on Sunday and had to go up and down stairs two feet at a time. I worked from home yesterday and took a Naproxen because the pain and stiffness was so debilitating. Today the symptoms have somewhat subsided, but I still feel stiff and can't walk or climb stairs very well. I was so deparate to figure out what was wrong with me and entered all search words that applied to my problem to Google. My search return included numerous sites connecting these symptoms with Levaquin. I found the PI and it is true. I have to say I feel better just knowing why this happened. I never suspected that the antibiotic was responsible. My question is this: has anyone else ever had this happen to them and what were you advised to do to "get back to normal"? I hope that these responses to the medication will go away now that I have finished the prescription. Please advise.
Ruth

HI, I was prescribed Levaquin for a sinus infection. I took it for 9 days. I could not sleep but worse than that I got pain in my knees. It started in the back of the knees and felt like a pulling sensation. Then the pain moved into the front of the knees and limits me to how I bend. I can not kneel down or squat since taking this medication. It has limited me considerably on how I do things. It has been 2 months since I stopped the levaquin but I still have the symptoms. Does anybody else have these symptoms and if so does it ever go away????

I'm 27 yrs old, fairly healthy female and just was given Levaquin on Monday, Sept. 18th for an upper respiratory infection. I was given a 5 day regimen of 750mg pills. I took the first pill Monday night between 7-8pm. By 9-10pm I was very ill, my whole body was in pain, I had nausea and started vomiting like crazy. I ended up having to go to the ER that night. I was told at the ER that I had a bad virus in addition to the upper respiratory infection and was told to keep taking the Levaquin. The next day I went home and slowly started to feel better - so by late evening I'm thinking this Levaquin must really be working, so I took the second pill at about 8pm. I will sum up all the symptoms I had starting at about 10pm that night...nausea, horrible insomnia -- every time I would try to drift off to sleep my body would "jump" out of sleep. My mind started racing thinking about a million different things, I started hearing cracking noises, my knees became very weak, I got so hot that I had to turn the AC down to 60. My legs and feet started tingling...you name it, it was happening. I thought I was going crazy. So at 4am I decided to go online and look up the side effects of this medicine -- I was shocked/relieved when I found this website. I was shocked that so many others have had negative experiences with Levaquin -- many worst than mine but I was also relieved to see that Iwas not just imagining all this. I only took 2 pills of Levaquin and it had this effect on me --- right now my right knee is so sore that is hurts to walk up and down stairs. I believe it was the Levaquin and not a virus that sent me to the ER Monday night! I have contacted my Doctor but all she said is yes, this is what could happen and offered me another antibotic --- I'm not trusting any prescription medicine at this time! Good Luck to all and I will file a complaint about this pill as all you should, so that it can be taken off the market!

Over 50 and prescribed Zocor after being unable to get my LDL, my ratio, and Total Cholesterol down. The LDL did come down to normal and the ratio improved and Total Cholesterol came down to 208. After 1 month I had to take myself off of it. My right leg is not functioning the way it did before starting this drug. Walking, going up and down stairs, getting in an out of vehicles, is extremely uncomfortable. Also, I can't sleep on my right side now and need to put a pillow under my leg. I've now been off of it 10 days. My Dr. and I keep missing each other. I'd like to know if my leg will return to normal after a period of time off of this drug. I'm hoping someone who's taken this drug can answer this for me.

I tried Fosamax twice ...... the second try was two months after the first. Each time I developed a choking sensation, knee and back pain. My bite is much different, my kneecaps have drifted laterally and it is difficult to go up and down stairs or get in a pickup truck. I also am experiencing extreme fatigue, racing heart and sweating which has never occurred before. This happened each time by the second week. This time months later the symptoms are still with me. My doctor is clueless. I'm in the process of seeking another doctor. This is the result of taking a total of four tablets.

Apparently, I am allergic to the 20 mg. of Lisonipril the doctors gave me to take once per day to regulate my blood pressure, which shot up unexpectedly 6 days ago and landed me in the local cardio unit.

I have never had high blood pressure, but I had a dangerously high spike that the ER staff had trouble lowering.

Within 24 hours of beginning to Lisinopril on Friday, I started getting a deep ache in the center of my hip joint in both legs. I thought it was just stiffness from being in bed for over two days, and maybe a reaction to all of the drugs they used on me when I was in the hospital.

Nope. It got worse, and by Sunday night, I was taking aspirin every 4 hours just to cut the pain enough to sleep.

I took my next pill on Monday morning, and the joint pain started getting worse, and were traveling down my leg as muscle pain.

I tried walking up and down stairs, walking around campus, and sitting in my work chair--nothing helped, and the pain just kept getting worse.

I looked up possible side effects for this drug, and the one I found from the National Institure of Health (NIH) site on Lisinopril stated that muscle pain and cramps were a dangerous side effect and that I should see my doctor immediately.

The pain was coming off and on in waves that I could practically time with a watch.

So, I called the office of the cardiologist who took care of me in the hospital, so I could get this medication changed, and see him if necessary.

No dice. His secretary wouldn't even take a phone message for the doctor, because I had not been in to see him before in his office, and all my records were at the hospital (which I found out later, she could have had FAX'ed to her immediately, doggonit).

She said I had to go back to the ER to be seen in order to determine what was going on, etc.

I called my military primary care center, and told them my tale as my cramps grew worse by the minute.

They said I had to go back to the ER, and that Tricare would approve it.

By the time I arrived, I could barely walk, and I stumbled into an ER gone mad. Seems that the entire county got messed up at the same time, and everybody's case was different, but severe.

The only other hospital in the region was in the same shape, and was calling the hospital I was in to see if they could take some of their patients (they couldn't). We even had guys lying on gurneys who had been medevac'd in from other places who were waiting in line to get into ICU.

What a madhouse. The staff took an EKG on me as soon as I arrived and it was OK, so they sent me for a chest X-ray (the results of which I was never told), then left me alone in the hall.

The pain in my hips, back and legs was absolutley agonizing, and grew worse whenever I sat or walked. The pain made my head hurt like hell, too, and made me nauseous, and my vision was becoming very blurred.

I was left unattended for nearly three hours, until I finally fell apart, hobbled into the ER nurses station and keeled over--I woke up vomiting in a securty guard's arms.

They left me on the floor for a while until they could round up a wheelchair, then sort of folded me into it until they could find a free gurney. I lay around for another hour until someone came and started looking me over.

The ER doc said that he "had checked the literature, and that there was nothing about anyone having muscle cramps or joint pain from taking Lisinopril unless they were also on a water pill". I asked him to read the information sheet I had brought from the NIH, but he didn't bother.

I was not on any diuretic, but I was convinced that he didn't know enough about the drug to know for sure what it could or couldn't do.

The info I found on the government medical web sites definitely DID indicate that severe muscle weakness or cramps could occur, and it mentioned nothing about water pills having anything to to with these symptoms.

Anyway, they took blood work (came back normal), and gave me a shot of Xanax, which did nothing to help the pain at all.

Six hours after I arrived in the ER, the doctor finally got around to calling the cardiologist who had cared for me when I was a patient there a few days before.

After another hour of rolling around in tearful agony, and contemplating the beautiful freedom that death could bring, the nurse came back in and gave me a big ol' shot of Demerol. That worked, thank the Maker. My pain subsided to a bearable level, and I passed out.

In the end, the cardiologist's diagnosis was to take me off of Lisinopril, give me a shot of Demerol right away, and then send me home with Darvocet and Flexeril to keep my muscles relaxed and joints relatively pain-free until the drug clears my system (it's one of those that is supposed to "build up", so it takes a few days to clear).

They did this and sent me home--nine hours after I arrived. I will be put on something else by my primary physician when I see him on Friday.

I definitely think my problem was related to the new drug, and I will know for sure in a few days. Thank everyone for your posts; they have provided me with lots of useful information and confirmation. I will be very careful when taking any new BP lowering drug, and will gather plenty of information if I have any problems, so that I can convince any ignorant physician who needs to know what he or she does not.

After completing a regimen of Levaquin, my UTI cleared up, but later, in the space of three days, i went from skipping down stairs to shuffling, holding onto the wall. Doctors informed me i had arthritis, MRI showed nothing. Knee arthroscopy revealed that i had virtually no cartilege in my knee joints.
Pain was unendurable, finally had to have both knees replaced. Two years out of my life for pain and rehab.
Is it possible to develop severe arthritis pain between Tuesday and Friday?! I hope it is, because the only other cause could be the Levaquin.
Janet

I have been on Tricor for about a year and my right knee creaks going up/down stairs, now the right one stopped and left one is doing it. I will ask to be taken off tricor.

i only have been on it for about 2 or 3 days its horrible tingling in my feet hands arms, i walk down stairs i think i am going to fall, i loose concentration, i am not taking anymore because there is something about it i dont like, i dont really have much of an appetite at all. over top of that i have anxiety and i dont smoke anymore so i have little bouts of pains in my chest. i dont want to be to thin. i already lost 10 pounds people say you loose weight well i dont want to be a walking zombie. i will stick with wellbutrin and alprozolam i will study something better than topamax

Been taking Lipitor for over two years without any problem that I attributed to it. Started traiing for a marathon--never run before in my life. Steadily increasing thigh pain which i attributed to the training until I am in SEVERE pain mainly in my thighs. Can barely go up or down stairs or uphill or downhill. Had to stop running and can't even really even walk for exercise right now. Taking Ibuprofen like M&M's. Just met someone this week who told me that extreme exercise caused him to have the same symptoms. I am relieved to find that stopping the Lipitor might allow me to once again exercise and maybe even do the marathon with my training group. Wonder if my indigestion if from Lipitor also?

Female age 52 on Lipitor about 5 months. Will stop immediately after reading these posts. I have experienced shooting pains in my legs, especially while sitting. My fingers cramp and I wake up several times during the night because my hands and feet have gone to sleep. Tingling and shooting pains for 5-10 minutes until feeling is regained. Going down stairs is painful on knee and ankle joints and I must hold onto the railing.

I, too, was attributing all of this to early arthritis and aging, but I am going to cut out the Lipitor as of this evening and see how it goes.

I have been on synthroid for 11 years. This past year, however, after stopping birthcontrol pill, my dosage has changed. First I was too high on 125-150 mcg and now I am back to 100 mcg. My TSH is 1.72 which is within the normal range of 1-2. My big side effect right now is extreme nausea especially after any activity, not even strenuous, such as doing some errands or grocery shopping or even up-down stairs. I have to sit really quietly before feeling slightly better. Has anyone felt this way? I feel sick all the time. Perhaps a smaller dosage of synthroid would help.

I have been on Advair since 2001 and it has been the miracle drug. I used to have to do nebs twice a day and was using my rescue inhaler constantly. When I would get a cold for flu I would end up in the hospital and would have to take steriods for a couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, I began having heart palpatations. I went to my internal medicine doctor and she ran many tests to exclude any underlying heart problem. All tests came back normal except for the fact that I was running PVCs. At first, the doctor didn't want me to go off the Advair. I mentioned getting off of it and taking Singulair and she was fine with it, but wanted me to consult with my pulmonoloigst. After speaking with him, he decided that we could try taking me off the Advair.

It has been a week and I feel pretty good. I have used my rescue inhaler, but not excessively and I have not had to do any breathing treatments.

There are a couple things that I have noticed the most since I have stopped Advair - my knees are not hurting going up and down stairs and I am starting to feel as if I am not so swollen. I have also gained about 20 pounds since I started taking Advair.

Hopefully everything will work out.

I would be interested to know if anyone that has gone off Advair has actually lost weight?

I have been on Lipitor for about two years. I am extremely stiff particularly my knees. I have been to a rhumatologist who injected my knees with cortizone and synvisc. Neither seemed to help. I walk with great difficulty and have to be extremely careful when going up or down stairs or just walking on flat surfaces. I just saw an orthopedic surgeon who recommended I go for physical therapy. Has anyone else suffered with these symtons?

To dkc (8083)
I have problems with my feet. I do not know if the problem is due to Lipitor or Fosamax or both.First I had numbness at the end of my big toe. Over a couple of years the strange feet sensations moved up my feet to above the ankle on both legs till I did not have any flexibility in the ankle. I cannot walk down stairs without holding on to a rail. My feet feel flat on the ground and do not grip the ground. I have stopped Lipitor and I think the sensation is slowly coming back to normal. I have heard that improvments have been noticed in people even two years after stopping Lipitor.

My dad is 62 years old, and he recently stopped taking lipitor after a few years of being on it...4 years ago he began experiencing muscle weakness in his thighs, and they started to atrophy...3 years ago, he would randomly fall without warning. Now he has to walk with a cane, sometimes 2, and he has trouble going up and down stairs...
My mother had breast cancer 6 years ago, and after being on Tamoxphen for 3 years she went blind in her left eye, and remains blind today...her doctor told her that it was probably due to this drug...These drug companies are evil!!

I had all kinds of pains like others discribeded. I also had short term memory loss weakness,tired and felt like I was too old to do anything at 42. I was taking 10 mg. of lipitor for 5 or more years. I tore my bicept tenden ( think from muscle degeneration from the staten) and had sergery to repair it. The lipitor slows down the healing process from sergery or any other injury. I also had a double hernia(more torn muscle) opereration three years ago and had complications that did not go away till a month after I stopped taking lipitor. I no longer have pains and I can go up and down stairs with no problem now. I gained over fifty pounds while on the lipitor and have lost thirty of that in the two months since I stopped the lipitor. I no longer fall asleep at seven thirty every night and I can get jobs done around the house I could not get myself to do when on the lipitor. Lipitor is a good way to keep people sick and kill them slowly. There is hope if you stop the drug. The cloudy felling in your head will go away also. You get a great sense of awareness when you stop the drug. good luck...your Dr. will tell you that none of it's from the drug. My doctor told me I was just getting old and getting arthritis. Well it went away and i'm getting younger since not taking it.