Flora symptoms and conditions

I was given it for a nasty kidney infection, but I swear it made me more sick than the infection ever could. I was lethargic and nauseated off my rocker, fevering, and trembling. I remember while I was recovering from the medication as I lay waiting for its 1 1/2 half life to expire, my room mate said it felt like we had a vibrating couch I was trembling so much. That all passed, but what has stayed with me for two years is a damaged, unpredictable, undesirable digestive tract. I get stomach aches and nausea a lot, and my bowel usually cramps and hurts. It stripped me of all the good flora I had in my tract and though mom gave me acidophiles bacteria (sp?) which has helped a ton, my tract has never ever been the same. People say I just developed IBS over the years, and if a doctor does give me a minute of their time, they just say that or it's stress or it's 'normal' as one doc tried to pass it off as. They just won't listen. Before Cipro my tract was strong and resilient, I took Cipro, then after Cipro it's so sensitive and unpredictable and painful. Thank goodness I found ginger, but this shouldn't have happened in the first place. I hope one day a doctor listens to me so I can find out what the Cipro caused, whether it's Colitis, Chrones, IBS... Ect... I don't even know what is wrong with me but I do know Cipro caused it. No one will believe the Cipro is what caused it... Now I am so anxious about it, which only exaggerates it. I get stressed and I can feel my gut start to spasm. Please someone help me... Please...

Im sad to find out all the problems people are having from levaquin. But now Im able to put 2 and 2 together because Im realizing whats been compromising my health. This is my second year with bronchitis and my second prescription of levaquin. I now believe its what has caused me horrible nightmares, suicidal thoughts, irritation, mental anguish, stress tendon/muscle pain in my arms and shoulders. I bent over to pick up my dog to help him into the car and I got a terrible pain in my chest. I thought I was dying. And I still have a rattle in my lungs after 2 weeks of levaquin so it has not helped at all. If anything it has caused me more problems that has opened the door for additional medications of unknown origin. I wish I could find a real witch doctor.

I was prescribed a generic for keflex (cephalexin), 500mg three times a day for 10 days for cellulitis(skin infection through an insect bite). My gastrointestinal tract went totally haywire as soon as I started taking the medication, bad stomach upset. The infection subsided in a couple of days but started having stomach cramps and the diarrhea continues for almost a month till I started taking probiotics to replenish all the flora in the gi tract.
It has been almost a month after I stopped taking this medication and now experience phantosmia( phantom smell ), in my case smelling smoke/exhaust fumes at random times throughout the day. I mentioned this symptom to the doc and according to here, it is one of the side effects asked me to hang in there for 5 more months before I can consult an ENT specialist.

I have had my mirena since April of 2006. For the first two years it was the most wonderful thing in the world ( no cramping, spotting or periods). But lately I have been feeling very horrible. I have no desire to do anything. I am very tired, moody, gained weight (just around stomach area), depressed, joint pain and sik to my stomach. After reading a lot of the posting on this website. I realized that a lot of the women feel just like me. Now I know that I am not crazy. I also scheduled to have mine's removed on August 1, 2008 (yay!!!).

Why do I think I landed here, I have been having very bad mood swings mostly relating to anger and dissatisfaction in everything and everybody. Put the mirena in April 2008, braved it out for 4 months with the
1. spotting and all the time kept thinking that my
2. fatigue and no interest in everything was due the stress of having 2 kids, work and the pregnancy weight that I have to shed.
3. I am hungry always (maybe since I am breast feeding the baby)
I had a copper IUD between my first and second son,
4. I don't remember how that was ( am I in a mental fog?). must have been better than this one. I never wanted anything hormonal. I don't want pills. Dont even know why I went with this then. I know the doctor convinced me saying it has very little hormonal effects

Yesterday, I just lost myself over a silly issue, now I feel I am going to lose my wonderful relationships with people. My 3 yr old asks me If I am not angry any more uh!!!. Why cant I call the doctor to get it removed when I doubt it could be the IUD.
5.I am lazy( another symptom).

Do I have to wait a little longer or take it out and maybe get my self back.?
(What a question to an obvious answer)
Confused!!! lazy!!

I'm 19 and i've had mine since 2006...i've had most of these side effects but i never thought it was my IUD!!! I've always had an anxiety/depression/insomnia problem but it has gotten WAY worse over the past 2 years...i just never put it together.And i have had TERRIBLE cramps for 3 weeks now and i can't take it anymore.I've tried 3 or 4 times to get it removed but my doctors kept talking me out of it and telling me everything was fine,but obviously it's not so i'm getting it removed for real tomorrow @ 12:45!!!!YAY!!!!!!

i want to start off with IM SOOOOO GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE!!!

i though.. well i wasn't actually sure what to think.. i got my mirena at the end of January 2008.. at first things were going good... yes my periods got longer.. 3 times longer then normal actually.. i wasn't too worried because the OB said that might happen at first. then slowly i started loosing my sex drive ( im only 25 that really shouldn't happen) started getting achy, especially in my joints, so i started drinking more water. then my clothes started getting tighter.. i cut out soda all together and started watching what i eat more closely..i have also had some pretty bad anexity attacks lately.. which i never had before i got this thing.. i dint know what to do i though i was going crazy.. i talked to my doctors and basically got nothing out of that.. im now in my 6th month of having mirena and i have gained almost 30 pounds!!!! yes i have been hungry all the time but i either restrain myself fream eating altogether or eat healthy snacks.. i exercise daily and still am unable to lose any weight.. the numbers on the scale just keep creeping up and up.. im am moody and easily worn out.. i have no energy at all.. which isnt good with a 3 year old that has more energy then the sun.. i had no idea that mirena could cause any of these symptoms.. but the more i have been reading about it and the more site like these i find, the more i realize that the most likely culprut of losing myself is mirena.. i have decided that on Monday im calling my OB and demanding she remove it!! i want my old self back again.. i wasn't perfect but at least ill be me.. thank you all for sharing your experiences, you made a world of difference!!!!

Well after all the hype of the negative side effects of levaquin I did the 7 days and tho I felt like crap mainly due to the flu I think I seem to be fine a week after stopping. The side effects I did experience were wrenched stomach. This could of been a flu symptom or maybe a side effect of the antibiotic. Knowing that antibiotics can cause pretty much most of the symptoms that people here complain of and having experienced ten years of allergies due to antibiotics from 93 to 03 and curing myself thru education on the subject I knew before hand that taking any antibiotic is a gamble. I think the reason most people have bad experiences is due to an already compromised out of balance system. Candidiasis is a controversial subject that a lot of doctors do not believe in but recently it has made a lot of headlines both on tv and in the holistic field. So knowing I did not want another ten years of hell I bought good flora, probiotics from a health food store. I have been taking about 5 a day with meals. So far i have no side effects. I feel good. I will take probiotics for a month or so to make sure I get enough good flora back into my system. Anyone taking an antibiotic needs to know that it will kill most all benificial bacteria but does not kill candida so without the good flora which keeps candida in check candida can grow and leak into your blood stream and attack any part of the body. I personally do not agree that antibiotics should be used in a lot of situations but sometimes you have no choice. If one does not have the knowledge to use them responsibly I do believe your life can be altered dramatically. Its easy to blame the pill which in most cases you are correct in your assumption but its also your own fault and the doctors to of not educated yourself beforehand.

Had severe flu--suspected bronchitis and strep. Took z-pack. Immediately started to feel better. High fever, chest pain, aches gone. BUT now 1 week after I took z-pack, I have severe abdominal pain and diarrhea after every meal. Can't keep anything from immediately going out the other end. So miserable. I'm thinking the good flora was killed off in my intestines. Calling the doctor tomorrow.

Been on it for a month for adult acne mild, when took it for first time I felt bad, then researched. you need to EAT EAT EAT and don't take it with milk but have a yogurt in the morning or evening hours after or before the pill
since these meds kill your flora, the probiotic yogurt should help, good luck

I'm a 37 year old female and have severe asthma and allergies and have used pregnisone on and off for 30 years. I believe I am the poster child for the long term side effects. My immune system is shot to the point that my normal medicines for asthma (ventolin, advair) and allergies (tylenol sinus, claritan, visine A) and ezcema (elidel, hydrocortisone, etc. - - NOTHING works!

In the past 6 months, I have developed various infections that the doctors have not been able to identify. My eyes are swollen and red with large amount of white/yellow secretions. Vaginal secretions. Face swollen. Skilled covered in a rash with ezcema out of control. Sharp pains in my back and stomach. Constant asthma. Abnormal hair growth. It is to the point that it is impossible to function and each doctor just wants to prescribe more pregnisone. I feel as if my body is a walking time bomb and it is so full of all the cortisone from over the years and has just decided no more.

I admit that I too readily believed in the doctors when they would rapidly prescribe the pregnisone. Only now am I paying attention to the long term side effects.

Has anyone had tests done to test their immune system and other organs for damage? Thanks and best to our pregnisone club.

I developed a staff infection from a horse throwing me and landing on my leg. What I though was scraped up skin was actually a big chunk of dead skin where there was no drainage. They drained about a 1/2 cup of puss from the back of my leg. Then I was presented with the choice of losing my leg or taking antibiotics. I chose the antibiotics because within 12 hours the infection had taken up almost all of the lower leg. I was given two antibiotics, one of them being levequin. I was on levequin for 15 days. I had no really severe reactions until the 14th and 15th day. Now the pain is very extreme in the sacral area and I have trouble sleeping sometimes, nightmares, and depression. My feet and hands became very dry and had burning pain. I had very bad stomach cramps which I used a flora/probiotic for and it corrected. I took 5 doses of 10 capsules... one that evening and 4 the next day (2 to 3 capsules equals 60 billion viable cells per gram of flora or acidophilus and bifidum cultures. I am now continuing that treatment taking 10 capsules a day. I have heard that lactobacillus GG is the best culture for antibiotic resistant bacteria (C-diff toxin bacteria colitis).
I have been praying and searching for a holistic treatment for the problems. Because the fluoride in levequin makes the body very acidic and robs the body of calcium I have taken many supplements and done a lot of raw juices. I think the reason I did not react sooner is because I have been using a rounded teaspoon of dulse (a seaweed containing natural iodine with naturally occurring minerals) a day and a teaspoon of chlorella, both of which (iodine and chlorella) are specific for eliminating toxic metals and poisons in the body (ex. copper, radiation, mercury, fluoride, etc.). The best product I have used for the pain is an alkaline water call Essentia. I can be in horrible pain and drink a full glass of this and I the pain eases right up and my brain clears. The water is sold at the Smith Food Stores and I would like to see someone else here try it and see what it does for their pain. I honestly believe that the human body has the intelligence to heal provided we can supply it with the right healing substances to carry the poison out.
I will be trying acupuncture to hopefully further accelerate the healing process and stabilize the back, so I can do a let you know how that works. I would like to see more feedback of what works to alleviate the problems.

Normal, healthy male, 57, with suspected prostrate infection. Prescribed 500MG Levaquin for 30 days. I've used it before over the years for sinus infection (10 day regimen) and it was quite effective, although I had noticed some muscle and tendon soreness. This time, 14 days into it, I'm experiencing severe irritability, and stress. The muscle soreness and joint stiffness are constant, particularly in the feet and hands. I've read a number of postings about accompanying stomach and digestive problems - you must use acidophilus when taking a drug like this - all the beneficial flora in the digestive tract are being destroyed and you have to replace them or you'll get bloating, gas, stomach and intestinal cramping, etc. The mental distress is new for me on this one and it concerns me.