Quinolones symptoms and conditions

Three pills @500mg each. That’s all it took. Three pills of a five-pill prescription for levaquin. I can still see the pursed lips and amused twinkle in the eyes of my urologist who said "You're going to be all right" after he prescribed meds for my prostates. The doctor discerned the rapidly cycling angst in my face as I teetered emotionally between blind faith in his curative powers and a nagging suspicion that he was another overpaid oaf in a long train of medical practitioners whose 15-minute consultative look-sees had done sometimes good and sometimes bad to stem the ravages in my then 61- year old frame. Subsequent events proved my nagging suspicions were correct.

Was my urologic problem bacteriologic, viral, or "non-specific"? Was it psychosomatic, STD-related, or associated with my recurrent bouts of kidney stones and urethritis? The medicine man really didn't know, but that didn't stop him from enlisting quaint Latin phrases to describe my condition. He prescribed me with an intimidatingly-named antibiotic (”levofloxacin”) from an odd sounding family of antibiotics (”fluoroquinolones”), which loosed on my internal flora a block-buster med suffused with flouride molecules just to make sure that the quinolones would penetrate every single tissue and nerve bundle including my brain, which is protected by a blood barrier normally inhospitable to biochemical interlopers. And the quinolones got into my brain where they proceeded to have a ball!

First, the quins performed little warm-up exercises. The tendons in the back of leg calves began to ache. Then the quins floxed my neck tendons, which began to make little “cracking” noises every time I pivoted my head. Now began the full spectrum assault: insomnia, intracranial pressure, near fainting, eye floaters, white-outs at vision periphery, unprecedented nightmares more preposterous than scary, panic attacks, intense agitation, anxiety, diminished executive function, inability to focus, depression, heart palpitations and a ghastly feeling of having been poisoned. My body felt toxic as if I were being cooked chemically from the inside-out.

The worst of it was cognitive impairment: I couldn't finish a sentence because I couldn't find a critical word or descriptor that informed my attempted communication with meaning. I tried to fill-out a questionnaire at a doctor’s office, but my hand-writing became an illegible scrawl that masked my inability adequately to describe the sensation of being poisoned. I couldn't find the vocabulary to cry out: "Doctor, I am in full blinking eclipse. My body hurts, my mind races from one obtrusive and disconnected thought to the next, and sometimes I feel as if I'm going to faint." What I didn't tell my doctors, family and friends is that my consciousness was filled with “suicidal ideation,” shorthand for existential dread and hopelessness where I wanted to escape further psychic torture and agony.

Looking back I might as well have been treated with voodoo, chicken claws, leeches, rooster blood, maybe some arsenic — all rolled into a gelatin tablet made from horse hooves and marketed by glad-handing pharmaceutical reps who barely could get their tongues around the multi-syllabled, ponderous Latin inflections required to bill-out their pills at stratospheric prices. But, wait, big pharma needs those hefty margins to pay for their marks' "educational" seminars, mini-vacations at Club Med, and lengthy faux testimonials from leading medical lights who neglect to mention to prescribing physicians that a public relations flack had ghost-written their research trial reviews, which big pharma had underwritten to begin with!

So, what do you get when you put the “sin” into “levofloxacin”? You get sick. Big pharma can make-up all the high fallutin’ Latin names in their multimillion-dollar laboratories, embargo their advertisements' release on infomercials during t.v. show intermissions, and continue to spend twice as much on marketing as they do on research & development, but it all boils down to this: feckless corporates abetted by toothless regulators have reaped a bowl-full of profit and left too much devastation & misery in their wake. Even assuming its best intentions and expensive brilliance, how can a medical system remain in denial about its own missteps? Have we become so litigious and politically correct that it’s too expensive for the medical industry to govern its own? Botched pharmaceutical intervention, they name is deregulation!

I am a 29 y/o male.this month i got a terrible sinus infection, probably due to a month's struggle with allergies. I was initially prescribed Augmenting but after just 1 pill i was up all night with stomach cramps & diarrhea. I was scared to take another dose so my dr. prescribed me Levaquin as an alternative. After reading the warnings I became very worried due to the fact that I already have lower back/hip and joint pain issues. I also work evening freight at Home Depot. After 1 Levaquin yesterday morning, I went to work ready to take it easy and not hurt my body more than it already does... after about 30 minute of simply opening small boxes and putting light-weight merchandise on the shelves, i began to feel extreme tension/aching in my hands and fingers.I was being very careful with my back & neck, but never even thought this might effect my hands??? I woke up this morning hoping it would be gone... no such luck, even after a full night's rest they still feel like i have arthritis, and no my hips (S.I. joints)are popping out like crazy. i am about to take the 2nd dose, only b/c my ears nose and throat do feel much better. I am just glad I picked up paperwork/and can afford to take a few days of LOA if this gets any worse. It is hard for me just to type this now : (. I'm scared.

I've experienced a severe allergic reaction that resulted in over 3 weeks of being in and out of the hospital for severe hives, breathing and digestion associated with severe reactions. I am now still hypersensitive with a low level case of hives. ARe there other normal chemicals /food additives that I should stay away from to eliminate that as a possible future reactions?

Now I know why I've felt so bad. I got a sinus infection that was so bad my teeth hurt. My ENT prescribed AVELOX and prednisone. After a week of feeling like crap (much worse than the symptoms that took me to the MD in the first place) I now know why I feel as bad as I do - I owe a big apology to prednisone, I've been throwing it under the bus all week.

I'll be calling my ENT shortly.

OH MY GOD!!!! I thought I might be imagining things. I was prescribed Levaquin and clyndamycin on December 15 2008 for a urinary tract infection that appeared to have gone systemic. After 2 days my right knee swelled up. I went back to the Dr the next day and he looked up both antibiotics in his little book and said the clyndamycin could cause joint swelling and pain. He told me to stop taking the clyndamycin and take 600 mg of ibuprofen for the joint paig. His little book said nothing about levaquin. Well I kept taking the levaquin and the pain spread literally to every joint in my body. I could not walk and had trouble even holding a coffee cup. The pain was unreal. I completed the 10 day course of the levequin as instructed. The joint pain was getting worse. I called the Dr. again and they did blood work to rule out arthritis and stuff like that. He put me on prednisone which has significantly helped with the pain. He said it may be a coincidence that I have developed arthritis and that it had nothing to do with the UTI. Well as I was watching TV last night I saw a lawyers commercial for a law suit against levaquin and cipro. Then today got on the internet and found this site. I am going to call the Dr. and tell him to update his little book he looked up the levaquin in. My fear is how long after you stop taking this poison does the joint pain end? I wish I would have known all of this sooner. I will never take this drug again.

Have taken Avelox for bronchitis and pneumonia in the past. I was well-informed as to possible side effects, and it was suggested that I drink a glass of tonic water daily, that the quinine in it can help offset problems of this class of drugs, the quinolones.
Started myself on it last night for a five-day course, again for bronchial infection (very bad cold turned into bad cough, bringing up discolored mucus, bad taste in mouth). I have asthma and have had bronchial infections many times following a cold.
Had the slightly jumpy reaction, trouble sleeping, and snatches of a song fragment replaying in my head. Finally fell asleep and feel ok this morning--better, actually, as i think i caught the infection at an early stage and it will be gone with a five-day course of this drug.
The reason I have been prescribed this med is that I am allergic to virtually every kind and class of antibiotic. I can successfully take quinolones and sulfa (like Bactrim)--that's it.
However, I've found it to be very effective and the side effects quite minimal. I am drinking that glass of (diet!) tonic water, taking the medication on a full stomach (something carb, like pasta or lots of bread), and being careful not to do any heavy lifting for next couple of weeks to avoid any tendon issues.
This is a very effective drug for those of us who cannot take Zithromax, Penicillin, Erythromycin, etc. My doctor, who runs the pulmonary dept at a hospital, is well-versed in what to use and when.
Will let you all know if there are any problems during or after the 5-day course.

I was prescribed Avelox 400 mg last week for a sore throat. I took one table per day for 5 days but those 5 days were the most miserable days of my life. I had panic attacks, short ot breath, rapid heartbeats, confusion, dizziness, lack of appetite. Last Friday and Saturday were the worse days. I went to see another doctor this past Monday and he told me that I had been given the wrong medication that could have killed med because of the side effects of the quinolones. I took the last pill last Saturday night and I still feel the side effects and don't know for how long they will last.

Numerous side effects including but not limited to: spontaneous tendon rupture (right distal bicep), CNS agitation accompanied by anxiety and panic, extreme fatigue, digestive problems, on-going fluctuations of blood sugar level, rapid changes in body temperature, nausea, etc.

Some here insist on reporting the "good" this stuff has done (other than lining some peoples pockets with profits). I disagree. As I post this I see 2250 adverse effects have been posted previously. I urge yo all to look deeper ask the question: "Why so many problems with this class of drug?" The 2250 number is only for Levaquin..... don't forget to add in all the responses for all of the other drugs in the quinolone family. And while you are at it, find out how many other drugs have death as a side effect and how many have been reported. This is a defective drug.

Hi

I just ran upstairs to look at what Antibiotic I was on last and it's the same one. I got a rash on about day 7 and googled it and saw all the patients with lots and lots of complications. Actually I mentioned this to the doctor when I went back and she said lots of people react badly to it ...she could even take it. You think they should have to warn you of the serious side effects ...
I wonder why they are using this antibiotic all of a sudden as I have never heard of it before!!!
Interesting ....you should have this in your medical records in case you are in an accident.

There are on line sites that people post reactions to things that others can read....you should add yours....like I said SCARY!!!!

Jackie



-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Heather" ******
I just googled Levaquin and read this: Quinolones, including LEVAQUIN, may also cause central nervous system stimulation which may lead to tremors, restlessness, anxiety, lightheadedness, confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, nightmares, insomnia, and rarely, suicidal thoughts or acts. That describes what happened to me.

I took Avelox a couple of months ago to treat a urinary tract infection which i thought was kind of strange. About two tays later i started getting severe heart palpitations. It felt as if my heart was going to explode from beating so fast. I almost went to the hospital but stopped myself when i thought it could just be anxiety. I called the doctor after 3 days of taking it and he said that my symptoms could be side effects of Avelox but were rare. Ill tell you one thing i will NEVER take Avelox again and i dont recommend that anyone take it unless absolutely necessary.

I would like to urge everyone to report adverse drug reactions to the FDA. Without a supporting data base, things move way too slowly and other people get hurt. I was doing some further work on quinolines/quinolones and ran across a medical researcher who starting writing about quinolones in 2001. The warnings that finally appeared on the quinolone drugs were placed in 2005. Let's do everything to keeping that from happening to parents.

Here is the researcher who wrote about quinolones so that you will have the reference.

******

I am a 54 year old, very active female. Had a UTI and was given 750 Levaquin. I have taken 10 days worth and began having a sore swollen ankle, followed by right knee pain, followed by shoulder and arm pain. I have never experienced muscle pain to this degree before. I am scheduled for a doctor appt in 3 days. I started trying to imagine what could be causing this. I took a shot and looked up Levaqin side effects this morning, after another night of no sleep and severe shoulder pain. Well guess what, from everything I just read I think I found the source. The problem now is how do I get my life back???? The one thing I am sure of is it's time to stop taking the poison!!!

If you are having musculo-skeletal symptoms such as soreness, arthritis, tendons, etc., they have known about those side effects for eleven years.

Toxicol Pathol. 1997 Nov-Dec;25(6):635-43.

Links Toxic effects of quinolone antibacterial agents on the musculoskeletal system in juvenile rats.Kashida Y, Kato M. Drug Safety Research Laboratory, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. JDN07402@niftyserve.or.jp

Quinolone antibacterial agents have adverse effects on the musculoskeletal system in humans, consisting mainly of myalgia and arthralgia, and additionally of tendon disorders and rhabdomyolysis. The present study was conducted to examine the toxic effects of quinolones on the musculoskeletal system in juvenile rats using light microscopy, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Single oral administration of 900 mg/kg pefloxacin (PFLX) or levofloxacin (LVFX) was found to induce lesions in the muscle + fascia, tendon + sheath, and synovial membrane, in addition to articular cartilage in the fore- and hindlimbs. Articular cartilage lesions were not necessarily associated with changes in the muscle, tendon, and synovial membrane, or the reverse. Among all lesions, the ankle and elbow showed the highest incidence and severity. Changes were more severe in the PFLX than in the LVFX group. Lesions in the muscle + fascia, tendon + sheath, and synovial membrane were similar and characterized by edema and increased number of mononuclear cells, many of which were positively stained with BrdU, as well as vascular endothelial cells in the Achilles tendon sheath and synovial membrane in the ankle. Electron microscopic examination revealed an increased number of fibroblasts and macrophages and collagen deposition in the matrix of the synovial membrane and tendon sheath. Capillary endothelial cells were hypertrophied, increased in number, and stratified. These results suggest that quinolones have toxic potentials in the muscle, tendon, and synovial membrane in addition to articular cartilage, and that local vascular hyperpermeability may contribute to the development of these lesions. PMID: 9437810

OH and to those of you have taken the time to read these posts and have posted your own accounts and have not been offensive. Thank you! I appreciate you increasing awareness. Concerned citizen I am very thankful that you have done so much research. It has been very useful to me!

I had a sore throat. The first doctor said mono. The 2nd doc. said no mono or strep --must be viral. Third doc says viral and puts me on predinsone, levaquin and darvocet because my uvula was swelling from infection. White count was elevated and had low grade fever. That was Friday..............................The Monday after that I had severe pains in my left side. After teaching went to ER they said gas after 2 minutes. Next day level 8 pain same side went back to ER. They said skeletal prescribed me 4 more drugs and told me it was viral too. Went to internist on Wednesday had to miss teaching he scheduled CT on Thursday morn. Level10 pain almost passed out on Thursday eve missed school/teaching. Friday admitted to ER at different hospital beyond any level of pain I have ever had, blood pressure through the roof, heart palp, they gave me morphine and phenagrin and muscle relaxer for spasms.

Here I am a perfect state of health get a sore throat and the next week I am in the hospital because of the 2nd ct saying that I am full of poo. 4 weeks later I am still in pain, missed 12 days of teaching and now they say i have ibs. I miss my active life before. I believe the combination of these drugs caused this. I am young no children and very healthy. Ultrasound,s blood works, 2 ct scans with dye, colonscopy, xrays show no probs. Which is great but still in pain. Anyone PLEASE HELP the doctors are taking their sweet time while I have lost weight and stay in bed which helps the pain. Bending over, lifting, eating, pooing, sneezing, coughing, hiccuping can make it worse. It is intense SHARP pain. I have cut out everything med wise except for Miralax and now I have diarrhea and joint pain.

They want me to take Dicyclomine and IMIPRAMINE, MIRALAX and Levisin sublingual and Diflucan.

I first took avelox last december for cellulitis. I also took levoquin for the same condition. I had a recurrence and took Avelox again this week. On the 3rd day I noticed brief "sticking" pains that would come and go. It felt like someone was poking me, first on the leg, then my back, then an arm. They lasted briefly, and then came back a few hours later. About the same time I noticed my shoulder was hurting, and my forearm and some of my fingers. I thought the infection was spreading and I went back to the doctor, who offered to Xray my shoulder. That seemed pointless, so I said forget it and refered to the package insert, where i found tendon rupture as a side effect. I searched more and found that Avelox, and other quinolones are TOXIC to the TENDONS and may cause muscle and tendon pain. I discontinued the medicine and now am using ceflex to treat the infection. I will wait a while for the pains to resolve, and pray I do not blow a tendon, esp. in my shoulder. I am pretty pissed that the doctor was unaware of this side effect, and when I informed him of my experience he said he would not use Avelox for cellulitis in the future.
KB

I've been taking Januvia for 8 weeks, and have experienced muscle cramps with shock-like pain running down my leg into my heel; upper and lower GI spasms; night sweats with sleep interruption; and I gained 5 pounds in the first 4 weeks which I can't attribute to anything else. I've also taking metformin and glyset for several years, and although I've experienced the night sweats, they've greatly increased in intensity.

I am on Levaquin 500 now for what I was told was a respirtory infection, this is my 4th antibotic for the same problem. I am extremely sore and feel as if there are hundred pound weights on my ankles, it hurts to walk. My stomach is sore, my muscles are so tired, it hurts to situp. I am so lightheaded after taking this medicine, I feel ok before I take it but it all hits me at once after I have taken it. I have only been on Levaquin 4 days is this normal?

Beware of cycling. That's what happens with this poison. You start to feel better and all of a sudden you're hit again. After a few weeks you start to blame it on something else because it's so hard to believe that this so=called medicine is still messing with your body. The dr. will blame it on something else for sure but the fact is that with some people the damage is done and it will go on for possibly years if not forever. Make sure you send it a medwatch report to the FDA and check out the forum that yahoo has on quinolones and side effects. There is help there.

To Yeoman123 It's a lot more complicated than that. Please go to www.yahoo.com/group/quinolones/messages

Also try www.fqresearch.org. It's not so simple to be poisoned by this family of drugs. It soon will become the 2nd vioxx story. good luck I've suffered for just over 2 years now and I'm damaged for life.