Grapefruits symptoms and conditions

We have had the same situation as so many others have reported and are devastated. My husband was given Levaquin 750 mg. and has all the symptoms that so many others mentioned. I am so tired of talking about it that I will just leave it at that. I feel like this has ruined him and he is getting very depressed and extremely angry. We feel like he has been a guinea pig but when we read all the other people's comments, we see we are not alone. This has ruined our lives if things continue this way. He was a pro basketball player and super athlete. Now his ankles are the size of grapefruits, he is in pain, can't sleep, has fever at night, feels like he is tearing tendons, hates doctors now and is living in hell the more he reads the outcome of all the other people. The fact that no one has gotten much better even after 2 years makes things look pretty grim. All we want is something to reverse the effects. Anything you can share would be helpful. Stacey (austin texas)

I too have nothing new to add just wanted to share my experience. I had severe bylateral ear infections accompanied by a sinus infection. My dr. gave me 10 days of augmentumn (sp?) it didn't work so she then prescribed 10 days of Levaquin (poison!) my insurance company didn't approve it at first so the pharmacy put a call into my dr.'s office and was waiting for an alternative. I was in so much pain from the ear infections that I did the single worst thing that I regret in my life. I called my insurance company and had them overide the rejection and approve the medicine, I wish to God I didn't. I did ask them if it was a controversial medication and they said no, just that it needs to be approved. Well, I started on Monday July 2nd and by Wednesday July 5th my knees started to ache really bad, just thought I walked a little too much on the 4th (nothing out of the ordinary I walk all the time and swim) well I thought it would subside and NEVER ever ONCE thought it was due to an antibiotic (aka levaquin/poison). I experienced sleeplessness and nauseau and didn't think anything of it, I know most antibiotics can make you nausiated. Well, by Sunday I could barely walk and when I had to crouch down to get something, I had tears in my eyes trying to stand up, the burning in my knees was unbearable and I still didn't relate it to the medicine, I had NO idea! Well, by Tuesday I took my 9th dose and my ears had felt better but my knees were getting worse, so I woke up on Wednesay and didn't take the medicine and then called the dr.'s. I asked if this could be related to the medication because it's not getting better, and the nurse said, I've never heard of that before, but hold on. She came back and stated "it says a side effect can be tendonitis and she said I needed to come in right away" I saw the dr. and she said, yes it's a side effect but it happens mostly in teenagers, but she was a little concerned that I was still having severe joint pain more than 24 hours after stopping the medication and that she wanted to do a lyme test. She told me that even if the lyme came back negative she was going to put me on dicylomine (sp?) for 3 weeks as a precaution because lyme tests can produce false negatives. She said wait another 24 hours and if I'm still in pain then she will prescribe the lyme meds. Well, 24 hours past and I got the lyme back, negative, my knees were killing, my muscles started to shake in my upper thighs and I was getting vibrating sensation along with muscle contractions. I called them back and on Friday and stated that I did some research on Levaquin and this is a side effect of the medication and I am NOT taking another antibiotic for a disease that I don't have! They asked me if I could wait until Tuesday to come see the dr because she was on vacation and I agreed hoping that my pain would subside with the prescription motrin and some ice. By Saturday (yesterday) it was moving down to my left shin and both the back of my ankles were killing like they were stiffl. I called and they said to put warm heat packs on and take the motrin and they would see me tomorrow if necessary. Well, the trembling in my legs were so bad that I had to take a diazapam to calm them down (which I didn't want to because I wanted to measure the pain, but couldn't stand it any longer) and put heat packs all day. I got some sleep last night (most likely due to the diazapam) I think the ice is worse for this but it feels better at the time. I am NOT getting any better, what is going on with me? I cannot believe this company has not been put out of business! I am going to see the dr's on Tuesday and am treating my condition as if it's tendonitits, I am now experiencing the muscle contractions in my arms. I am drinking water like it's my job and trying to stay off my legs with just a bit of stretching. I do pilates and go to the gym but have not gone since the 2nd of July the day I started the medication and am getting frustrated because I need to go for my back (arthritis of the spine with some herniated discs which are killing me now because I haven't been able to excersie or stretch). I am SO furious that this drug is on the market, the nurse said that it was a serious but RARE side effect to the drug and that she has never heard of anyone having it, well I don't think it's as rare as they would like to think and would like to do something about getting it taken off the market!

PLEASE tell me PLEASE has anyone just ONE person recovered from this HORRIBLE nighmarish pain and anguish? I am looking for that one beacon of hope that others have recovered and are feeling better, please anyone. I have children and I need to take care of them but I can't move my legs without excruciating pain going through them, especially the burning of the top of my knees. ANY help on how you took care of yourself would be great help to me. Thank you all!

Sorry to tell you. I have leg, arm, shoulder, ankle, wrist and hand pain one year later.

Not one of the 20 to 25 doctors I have seen in this past year would ever even allow me to speculate that Levaquin did this to me. Not one! And yet look at this board and a half dozen more just like it. Thousands of people all reporting the same medical symptoms...right after taking this drug!

I know for a fact that almost every one of these doctors hasn't researched Levaquin any more than you or I. They know the general info on it yet they dismiss it as a cause or trigger for these symptoms we are all saying we have and that are all similar after taking this drug.

This massive denial is a crime.

Look how many doctors kept prescribing Vioxx even after rumors and reports were coming in specualting that it was causing heart problems. Look how many doctors kept telling their patients this drug was okay to take until 50,000 died from this!

Doctors can be very, very wrong about drugs. The Vioxx example is the most powerful proof of this. I dismiss their denial of Levaquin. I have to. Tens of thousands of people all reporting the same problems with this drug...simply cannot be dismissed anymore. The sherr numbers make it more logical that Levaquin is truly damaging people seriously, than it is not.

This denial is one of the most unethical things the AMA and doctors in this country have ever done.

Someone told me you shouldn't eat Grapefruits or drink Grapefruit juice if your taking Norvasc, is this correct, as i eat a l/2 one at least every morning for breakfast plus sometimes eat one during the day for just a treat. Please advise, thought may have found something on side effects about it, but unable to do so. Thank you. Wilma