E coli symptoms and conditions

Hi Gang,
I have a problem of my own with bactrim, but I want to start this post by saying I am an emergency room physician assistant and I prescribe bactrim all the time due to a number of reasons - one, it does, according to state guidelines, cover MRSA (people misunderstand that MRSA is a PENICILLIN resistant staph - but USUALLY responds to bactrim, levaquin, or cipro (ciprofloxacin). And two, traditionally bactrim is the cheapest and I personally try my best to keep my patients costs down (I have 6 kids and even I cannot afford the $800 a month cost just for insurance so we put money in a health savings account and pay cash for everything - though we rarely go for just "colds" like so many do). But I developed a UTI which tend to be real bad in men as we do not get them as much as women do - this is due to the urinary tract and anatomy differences. Almost ALWAYS a UTI is from E. COLI 80-90% of the time - don't let that scare you as it is a normal digestive enzyme - but outside of the digestive tract or if exposed to an outside source like bad meat - it cause infection), why that matters is some antibiotics, like zithromax, do not cover that bacteria.

Well, to the point. I started on it for my UTI, normal dose, 2 times a day. I noticed I was having some weird dizziness and even slurred speech - no rash. I noted in this blog that people worry SO MUCH about the rash, but the rash is usually not any big deal. We see it, but unfortunately what we see scares us more than what may be going on silently inside of us!

So I have these symptoms and now I have a lump under my jaw that I can hardly open my mouth and still slurred speech. The Mrs thinks I am taking something else or who knows what, but I almost felt like a stroke. No headache, some nausea at times, but no rash. The jaw pain and I guess a left side neck pain are pretty intense today. I am stopping the bactrim and I promise I will be a bit more sensitive to others who I prescribe it to! I was looking for side effects and came across this blog.

Jamie B. PA-C******

Hey guys i was given LEVAQUIN for a Bacterial infection, maybe a UTI or some other types pertaining with E-coli. At first i was fine. I was given 750 mg for 5 days. Today is 9 am of the 4th day and i have one more pill to go. First night was fine. Had a few nightmare, specially one pertaining to my umbilical cord poping out of my belly. VERY WEIRD... Second day was ok felt a little weak from the drug, but have severe anxiety attack. On the third day i started noticing. Some sores most probably thrushing form the drug ( years infection ) but more like sores in circles on my tongue. The fourth day i was the worst. My mind could not stop racing. I was very anxious. I could not even sit through a movie without going crazy. I had bed tremors. Left very HOT real quickly and started sweating and then feel cold when there is too much air blowing. Weird things like that. I got a lump in my throat. NOt sore but more like i can swallow my spit. I had no headaches at all from this drug. ( I THINK YOU GUYS NEED TO REALIZE THIS, headaches are caused by this drug if you do not drink A LOT OF WATER. I am now drinking about 4 to 5 liters of water a day. It helps with the JOINT ACES and headaches. BUT NOT the physiological effects. Man those are killers. I think i am going to take my last pill this evening at 7:30 and hope for the best. I have had no fever at all but soem fluxuation in degree of temp from 97 to 99 degree in general. Please if any of you guys have similar symptoms like mine, specially hot and cold sweats and mouth dryness and soars on your tongue. Please email me back i would like your input.
I am going to call my doctor today and ask him what to do but i am sure i ca continue on this drug.
thank you so much for all your post this put my mind at ease !! Because honestly i though that there was something wrong with me.
btw i am a 28 year old male

Wow.....after reading so many of the stories here, I am immediately stopping my prescription. While visiting another state I was hospitalized with fever, extreme tremors, and after having a burning pain in my upper abdomen. Was immediately put on IV Levaquin while tests were being run. After 3 days of numerous blood tests, urine tests and 2 CT scans the doctors determined I had a blood infection and the bacteria was E-coli (but not the kind that comes from eating something???). No determination was made as to where the infection came from. During this time I experienced extreme diareah, headaches, insomnia, pain in my right shoulder, extreme heartburn, acid reflux and loss of appetite. All these symptoms were reported to the doctor and nursing staff, but no relief (except a dose of Malox and 2 Tylenol every 4 hours if I asked for it, which offered no relief). They wanted to do more tests but I finally checked myself out with the promise I would see a doctor when I returned home and get more testing. Could barely walk without assistance of my husband for the first hour but improved drastically a couple hours later. Had the first best night's sleep that night. Boarded the plane the next morning with a prescription for Levaquin 500 (11 pills) and took the first one on the plane and within 10 minutes felt a warm rush spread through the back of my throat and into my head. Felt extremely exhausted immediately. After arriving home I felt normal again and the best I had in 4 days. I took my 2nd pill the next afternoon at the same time of day and again felt the same symptoms and went from fully functioning to barely making it to the bed. After a 2 hour nap I arose and within another hour was feeling well and "normal" again. Went shopping for some necessities but found it extremely hard to make a decision on anything and came home with unnecessary items and not the things I needed. Slept well that night and woke up to feeling "normal" and energetic. Shampooed my carpet and cleaned house until time to take the pill. Again, severe fatigue, warm rush in the back of throat and chest pain within 10 minutes. I found this site while researching side effects and am scared to take any more of this stuff. Am still feeling the side effects 4 hours later and not bouncing back like last night. I will immediately stop these pills!!!!!! If the infection comes back I will deal with that in some other way. Good luck everyone and hang in there. I will tell everyone I know about this drug.

I am a 36 year old male who was prescribed Levaquin for a urinary tract infection related to some bacteria in my prostate, most likely E-coli. I was prescribed 500mg for 14 days. I have not taken antibiotics in about 8 years as I am a firm believer that they are toxic and do more harm than good in the long run. However this was the first time I had something like this and was worried about something serious developing, so I agreed. The side effects started mildly and got worse and 11 days into them I could barely go to work. Incredible dehydration and light headedness accompanied with soreness in my muscles and tendons and trouble sleeping. (I was in possibly the best physical shape you can be in and worked out regularly). I'm not taking them anymore and hoping for the best. If the infection returns I will go see an Eastern medicine doctor and go the natural route with herbal remedies. I have heard doctors make commissions (kick backs) by prescribing certain drugs and don't pay attention to the horrible side effects their patients describe. Some of the stories related to this drug are very scary and people should be very cautious. Something else of interest, Levaquin is prescribed for anthrax inhalation and cancer as well, I think that says a lot.

I am 23 years old and I have never used a birth control besides NR which I have been on for 2 years. My first few weeks of being on it were almost disastrous. I was having symptoms of a UTI, but Planned Parent Hood told me that my tests were not showing that I had any infection. They offered to treat me with a generic antibiotic for UTI, but I didn't want to use antibiotics if I didn't need to. I asked them if my symptoms could have anything to do with the NR, they said impossible. A week later I was in the hospital with a UTI and kidney infection. It took me weeks of best rest and 3 antibiotics to be well again. The first antibiotic they put me on had no effect on me at all, but they made me keep taking it once I started. I discovered by myself that my UTI and my kidney infection were due to a tiny piece of lint that had gotten stuck to my Nuva Ring. The bacteria on it had climbed up the uretha and turned into a kidney infection. None of the doctors even thought to have me check if something like that could be the source of the infection. I was told that if I had waited any longer to come into the hospital that my kidney's would have failed/collapsed. I had E. coli and another bacteria growing in my kidney's. It took me weeks of best rest and 3 antibiotics to be well again. If you are on the NR, please take it out after sex and examine it and rinse it off. Bacteria will cling to it!

Other than that experience I have noticed many side effects mentioned by others here: random moodiness, fits of crying coming out of no where, PMS symptoms can be two weeks long for me, increased irritability with my boyfriend, massive amounts of white lumpy discharge all month long, itchiness, multiple UTIs, bacterial vaginitus, random painful stabbing sensation in the vaginal area, increased dryness during sex, major lack of sex drive, painful breasts (which have increased in size, not complaining there), extreme swelling of the vaginal walls during and after sex. No matter how much precaution I take with cleanliness before and after sex this will randomly occur. There is so much swelling some times that wearing loose cotton underwear even hurts with all of the sensitive skin exposed. Walking really hurts! The cost of the Nuva Ring is also a problem. My insurance doesn't cover birth control and it costs me $60 a month to get the NR.

I am strongly considering going off of it. I do like the fact that I do not have to worry about taking pills or getting shots. In that sense this is a great alternative! I also only bleed for 3 days with a little spotting on the 4th day. I do not have cramps. I really like the idea that this is a low dosage of hormones localized right where it will be most effective, but I am getting concerned about what it may do to my body long term.

There is new research coming out that shows that our brain's ability to sense pheromones (which are nature's way of telling us if some one is a good match for us or not), is altered when we use birth control and that this can lead women to fall in love with some one that may not be a good genetic match for a mate. In the larger scheme of things this means that children coming from these couples may have weaker genetics. Very disturbing.

I am a healthy, 36 year old woman and on 3/18/07 I was hospitalied for a blood infection caused by e.coli and was given levaquin intraveinously (sp?) during that time. Upon release from the hospital I was given a perscription for 750mg once daily for 10 days. In the hospital, I was having TERRIBLE HEADACHES- borderline migraines, HORRIFIC NIGHTMARES and was also sweating profusely throughout the night. When I got home and began taking the prescription pills, I continued to have the nightmares, nightsweats and headaches but then started having ODD TINGLING SENSATIONS IN MY LEGS, DEPRESSION, BACK PAINS & TERRIBLE NECK STIFFNESS/CRAMPING as well as INSOMNIA. (Right now it's 2:53 am and I am up writing this email). I am also noticing some pain in the tendons in my ankles and feet. After I read these postings I immediately flushed these pills down the toilet. I believe that these postings saved me from further suffering and possible long term damage. At this point, the cons of the medication seem to definitely outweigh out the pros. I am a mother of three (two of whom are under three yrs old) and I can't afford to have any lingering and/or debilitating side effects. Good luck to all and may God bless and keep you.

PS - It may be helpful if future posters would include their ages and health status pre-levaquin to help others in ascertaining risks, etc.

Took leviquin 500 for 8 days before I realized what was happening to me. Side effects included: severe panic, altered mental state, constant sleep, loss of appetite, pounding heart rate. After 2 trips to the ER no help was provided. I stoped the Leviquin early (was supposed to take it for 3 wks) and immediately started feeling better. The anxiety is much less but still present and I still sleep all the time.

Has anyone had similar experiences and, more importantly, how long does this last?

Please help!