Swollen joints symptoms and conditions

I had the Mirena inserted almost 2 years ago. Over the past 6 months, I have had horrible joint pain and swelling in my ankles, knees and hands. I have not been able to wear a wedding ring in 4 months. I hurt so bad that I can't sleep and recently I have felt that my fingers, toes and palms of my hands are cramping. My calves get so swollen, they shine and no one knows why. I have had MRI's, X-rays, innumerable blood tests, nerve conductions and a bone scan. Other than the bone scan showing inflammation, EVERY test is normal.
Because of these increasingly debilitating symptoms, I started wondering if they were related to the Mirena. That is how I found this website.
I had the Mirena removed yesterday and I think I may see some decrease in swelling today. Even though I still hurt, I am not cramped.
I see that many people experience swollen joints, has any one had their fingers swell. My swelling never goes down, I have it 24/7. If so, can anyone share there experience after having the Mirena removed. Did your joint pain and swelling go away?

I am a 51 year old female with lyme disease and co infected with Bartonella who previous to getting sick was very anti medical establishment and very anti--antibiotic.
After 8 months of treatment with other horrible antibiotics I decided to try Levaquin, even after reading these horror stories as I was desperate for relief. I expected ill effects from the moment I swallowed the first pill but by the 4th of 5th day my pain and brain fog began to recede and I am almost through with my second month and I feel positively human. I have had headaches nausea depression etc etc for 10 months so I can't say these things are related to the Levaquin. I do have tightness in my ankles and wrists but some tender tendons and swollen joints have actually improved. I am also taking 3000 mg of Amoxicillin so that make contribute to the relief. My doctor is very aware of the side effects and encourages me to pay a lot of attention to my body and limit any exercise or actions that strain the ligaments.
I believe this is a very very powerful antibiotic that is being used randomly and needs more research to determine who is at risk for these horrible side effects before it is prescribed in such a broad monner. I am happy for the forum and the discussion and the opportunity to make a leap toward health with this drug.

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.

DRUG: CIPRO FOR UTI. NOV 08. FEMALE AGE 52.

STARTED ON CIPRO FOR UTI ON 11/15/08. I TOLD MY DOCTOR THAT CIPRO IS A EVIL ANTIBIOTIC. I STOPPED TAKING CIPRO ON 11/18/08 WHEN I WOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE PAIN IN MY JOINTS AND THE RIPPING AND BURNING IN MY CALFS. I FINALLY GOT OUT OF BED AND COULD HARDLY WALK. I DISCOVERED THAT MY TOES, FINGERS, ELBOWS, BOTH KNEES WERE SEVERELY SWOLLEN. AT THIS POINT I HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED ALMOST ALL OF THE SIDE EFFECTS AS LISTED IN THE "PACKAGE INSERT" THAT CAME WITH CIPRO.

BEGINNING MY FIRST DOSE ON SAT. AFTERNOON (11/15) I THOUGHT I HAD THE FLU ALONG WITH THE UTI AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS CAUSING MY FEVERS OF 102.9 WHICH I KEEP DOWN THRU IBUPROFIN. THE BLOATED STOMACH AND TENDERNESS WAS EXPLAINED FROM MY FRIEND WHO WORKS IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AS PROBABLY CAUSED FROM THE INGREDIENTS IN THE ANTIBIOTIC THAT DESTROY OUR OWN BODIES "NATURAL ENYSEMS"
I ALSO WAS CONSTIPATED FOR 4 DAYS. (I HAVE BEEN DAILY ALL MY LIFE). EXTREME FATIGUE KEPT ME EITHER ON THE COUCH OR IN BED, I NEVER SLEPT SO MUCH IN MY LIFE. I LOSSED ALL MY APPETITE, WAS DIZZY, AND VERY SICK OF BEING SICK. I ALSO HAD PERIODS WHERE I WOULD JUST START CRYING (ONE TIME I REMEMBER OVER THE DOG AND NOT WALKING IT) EMOTIONALLY, I WOULD BEST DESCRIBE MYSELF AS HAVING SEVERE MOOD SWINGS. ALSO HAD HEART PALPITATIONS. , SHORTNESS OF BREATH, ODD TASTE IN MOUTH WAS ANOTHER "EXPERIENCE" WHILE ON MY JOY RIDE WITH CIPRO.

TODAY IS SATURDAY, 1 WEEK LATER - ANTIBIOTIC FREE FOR 4 DAYS. I STILL HAVE EXTREME SWOLLEN JOINTS AND FIND IT DIFFICULT TO MOVE AROUND ALTHOUGHT ITS BETTER. TODAY I CAME DOWN IN THE BASEMENT TO LAUNDRY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE LAST SATURDAY. (I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT MY HOUSEHOLD CHORES ALL THIS TIME). RIGHT NOW, MY HIPS AND BUTT ARE SORE FROM SITTING - MAYBE BECAUSE LAST Night I WENT TO BED AT 7:00 pm AND WOKE UP AGAIN AT 6:00 AM OR IS IT BECAUSE OF THE SWOLLEN JOINTS SIDE EFFECT. I DO FEEL BETTER AND AM HOPEFUL THAT ALL OF MY ACHES AND PAINS WILL GO AWAY. I STILL AM NOT 100%, I STILL AM EXPERIENCING PERIODS OF WANTING TO PUKE, AND HEADACHES COME AND GO.

I WILL NEVER TAKE CIPRO AGAIN. WHAT I REALLY WOULD LIKE IS TO TAKE THE COMPANY DOWN THAT PRODUCES THIS DRUG. THIS DRUG SEEMS TO ATTACK A INDIVIDUALS "WEAK SPOTS" AND MAGNIFY THE SYMPTOMS. I AM PRAYING THAT ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE TEMPORARY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WEBSITE AND BLESS EACH ONE US WHO HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF THE EVIL ANTIBIOTIC "CIPRO".

My hair is falling out too!! Since January I have had 2 kenalog shots for allergies and 2 shots for poison ivy. My side effects are hair loss, depression, headaches, bruise easily, swollen joints, weight gain, and a dent on my rear. These effects did not start until I had 2 shots, now it is so severe. I was so scared when my hair started falling out but knew that I didn't have Lupus or Diabetes which could cause the same side effects...I have been tested for both and do not have either.

Please let us know if there are anymore out there who have hair loss because of the Kenalog Shot.

I can't attribute this directly to my cortisone shot - however, I've noticed that the past few months I have been losing my hair. I can pull it out virtually by the handfuls anymore! I am only 24 - this doesn't seem normal and the only change I could point to is the shot. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD HAIR LOSS THEY CAN TIE TO A CORTISONE SHOT?

I also noticed a change in my period. Nothing as extreme as I'm reading here - but I'm so glad to have read this - puts my mind more at ease to know have a cause for that.

I have tried other remedies - but the cortisone shot has been the only thing to actually work. Any other ideas?

Thank you so much for your website. I cannot begin to tell you what this drug has done to ruin my life.

I had been on it for over 4 years on a misdiagnoses (Never should have been on it) and was told
“It was no worse than Tylenol.” Ok I thought as I was suffering from a few swollen joints every
now and then but was fine otherwise.

Then one day I was working and someone noticed my face was swelling. I looked in the mirror and
low and behold my face was rubbing my glasses. I asked my doctor and he said “it will go away soon.”
I am very athletic so I continued to run and work out as I slowly went from a 30” waist to a 50” inch waist!!
People at my office thought I was on a food binge like no other. My wife was stunned on how fast this
happened as was my family. Now the problem had gotten much worse. Constant body aches and swollen ankles.
After a year I went from jogging, to walking, to using a cane to using a walker…how sad my family felt
for me and no friends insight. my company then laid me off as I used the walls as a walker and simply could
“perform up to par.”

Next came the extremely high sugar, blood pressure, Glaucoma and I suddenly noticed I was having problems
seeing. Went to the eye doctor and was told I was getting cataracts but it would take a couple of years to form.
90 days later I could not drive and could barely see in both eyes, now I was almost blind.
Now 80lbs overweight almost blind with Glaucoma, high blood pressure, diabetes and cataracts. not to mention severe depression and mood swings that were unbearable, and yes still using a walker from severe muscle pain.

Well the time came where I lost my health insurance and was unemployed. I was out of Prednisone
one day and called my doctor. He said come in for $320.00. I said I didn’t have it and pleaded for them to call
in a 30 day supply, I was told that they “weren’t a charity” and “go to the emergency room” click!! My wonderful
doc was gone. Well I went to the emergency room the next day and was told “they don’t give refills.” I had been
off prednisone for a day and as some people know if you stop that high of dose for that long you may die from
adrenal crisis. So I stood in the emergency room for 12 hours waiting to go into this crisis! Finally a nurse convinced
a doctor to see me for 30 seconds, gave me a refill and a list of welfare clinics and booted me out the door. They
hated my appearance and hated me for no cash.

One day I decided to end this nonsense and tread everything I could from sources I hadn’t read that were very old
regarding what was wrong with me. I went on self imposed diet of 1000 calories a day and lost 60 lbs…yes!!
I stated weaning from the Prednisone and took a ton of supplements I had read about. I got down to 7.5mg every
other day. Yes, suffering tremendous total body aches, severe mood swings, dizziness, severe hunger and
confusion but I plowed though. By the way I don’t recommend this but I couldn’t get a refill for a prescription from anyone
because I ‘had made to much money.” So I turned to the Internet for everything. I bought 500 5mgs for $23.00 screw the doctors I don’t need their prescriptions. I am now totally off for 6 weeks I do have some bad stiffness, muscle aches and mood swings but after 4 years of pure hell I am truly thankful to be off this dangerous drug, it ruined my life.

So I went to a new Doctor finally and my diagnoses was a food allergy and simply had a small stint of bursitis a total mis- diagnoses from my first Doctor! Doctors aren’t gods so take it from me trust yourself first and do your research.

My prayers to all who suffer from this drug. Damn the incompetent doctors who wrongly prescribe it!

Dan

PS Does anyone know how long these severe body aches last after completely stopping. Its been 6 weeks and its just a little better. My doctor told me to fight it out or get back on pred. NO WAY!!

Thank you so much for your website. I cannot begin to tell you what this drug has done to ruin my life.

I had been on it for over 4 years on a misdiagnoses (Never should have been on it) and was told
“It was no worse than Tylenol.” Ok I thought as I was suffering from a few swollen joints every
now and then but was fine otherwise.

Then one day I was working and someone noticed my face was swelling. I looked in the mirror and
low and behold my face was rubbing my glasses. I asked my doctor and he said “it will go away soon.”
I am very athletic so I continued to run and work out as I slowly went from a 30” waist to a 50” inch waist!!
People at my office thought I was on a food binge like no other. My wife was stunned on how fast this
happened as was my family. Now the problem had gotten much worse. Constant body aches and swollen ankles.
After a year I went from jogging, to walking, to using a cane to using a walker…how sad my family felt
for me and no friends insight. my company then laid me off as I used the walls as a walker and simply could
“perform up to par.”

Next came the extremely high sugar, blood pressure, Glaucoma and I suddenly noticed I was having problems
seeing. Went to the eye doctor and was told I was getting cataracts but it would take a couple of years to form.
90 days later I could not drive and could barely see in both eyes, now I was almost blind.
Now 80lbs overweight almost blind with Glaucoma, high blood pressure, diabetes and cataracts. not to mention severe depression and mood swings that were unbearable, and yes still using a walker from severe muscle pain.

Well the time came where I lost my health insurance and was unemployed. I was out of Prednisone
one day and called my doctor. He said come in for $320.00. I said I didn’t have it and pleaded for them to call
in a 30 day supply, I was told that they “weren’t a charity” and “go to the emergency room” click!! My wonderful
doc was gone. Well I went to the emergency room the next day and was told “they don’t give refills.” I had been
off prednisone for a day and as some people know if you stop that high of dose for that long you may die from
adrenal crisis. So I stood in the emergency room for 12 hours waiting to go into this crisis! Finally a nurse convinced
a doctor to see me for 30 seconds, gave me a refill and a list of welfare clinics and booted me out the door. They
hated my appearance and hated me for no cash.

One day I decided to end this nonsense and tread everything I could from sources I hadn’t read that were very old
regarding what was wrong with me. I went on self imposed diet of 1000 calories a day and lost 60 lbs…yes!!
I stated weaning from the Prednisone and took a ton of supplements I had read about. I got down to 7.5mg every
other day. Yes, suffering tremendous total body aches, severe mood swings, dizziness, severe hunger and
confusion but I plowed though. By the way I don’t recommend this but I couldn’t get a refill for a prescription from anyone
because I ‘had made to much money.” So I turned to the Internet for everything. I bought 500 5mgs for $23.00 screw the doctors I don’t need their prescriptions. I am now totally off for 6 weeks I do have some bad stiffness, muscle aches and mood swings but after 4 years of pure hell I am truly thankful to be off this dangerous drug, it ruined my life.

So I went to a new Doctor finally and my diagnoses was a food allergy and simply had a small stint of bursitis a total mis- diagnoses from my first Doctor! Doctors aren’t gods so take it from me trust yourself first and do your research.

My prayers to all who suffer from this drug. Damn the incompetent doctors who wrongly prescribe it!

Dan V

I was prescribes Levaquin 500mg for 10 days for sinusitis. On the second day, I woke up with a migraine and took Aleve. The headache accompanied by dizziness lasted 10 days or so. As time has passed, I have pain in my right shoulder and bicep and stiff/swollen joints in the back of my neck. It has been 4 months since I took Levaquin and my symptoms have only gotten worse. I have been on bed rest for a week just after a simple 5 minutes on an elliptical machine. Additional problems along the way have been anemia, my vision got extremely worse with retinal degeneration, anxiety, diarrhea, fatigue, irritability, and numbness in my hands and feet. My doctor says he believes me but mentioned fibromyalgia. My symptoms don't even fit that disease. Friends don't believe me either. I am a pharmaceutical rep. The FDA needs to pull this drug off the market. Why won't they do it? Someone has a connection someone. I am almost 31 years old and I don't know how much more my body can take. I miss my friends, tennis, and even normal daily tasks like opening a car door and sitting for an extended period of time. DO NOT TAKE LEZAQUIN EVER.

Levaquin should be removed from the market. I was prescribed 750mg. and took it for just 3 days and had a terrible reaction to the drug. Now several months later it's recurring again. Severe leg pain and swollen joints, difficulty walking, drowsyness and loss of appitite. If anyone has a remedy for these side effects and a hope of getting it out of my system I'd love to hear from you. Whitey at jwhitey@earthlink.net

I was given 500 mg levaquin for a bad`sinus infection. My doctor wnted to nip it quick because I take a drug that lowers my immunity because of Rhumitoid Arthritis. After 3 days I broke out in a terrible rash all over my body. Since I had other allergies to antibiotics I figured that was what it was and it couldn't be much worse than the sinus infection. I was wrong. Now I have swollen joints. My knee is at least twice the size it should be. I feel horrible everywhere. I am so tired I can hardly function. I have enough health problems without this too.

fatigue, sore joints in legs and foot pain, swollen joints

I experienced horrible side effects while on Lupron. At best, hot flashes and night sweats. At worst, chest pain, palpitations, anxiety, achy and swollen joints and muscles. After four months I had to get off it. It took a long time to feel somewhat back to normal. Lately I've been reading posts here from people who have been on the drug for a couple of weeks and are doing OK. I hope they NEVER experience what MANY of us have suffered. But, I myself felt OK the first month I was on it. The serious side effects didn't happen until after my second shot. For some, add-back therapy does relieve symptoms, but there are real risks involved there too, and some of us just can't take hormonal medications. I guess we all have to weigh the side effects/benefits/risks. There aren't a lot of options when it comes to endometriosis.

I've been on Lipitor for two weeks and have developed pain in my joints, aching muscles, barely able to walk from the pain in my feet and ankles. I have been awakened the last two nights with pain in my chest, pain in my left shoulder and aching in my left arm. These symptoms were not present prior to taking Lipitor. My fingers have begun to ache and I have developed swollen joints in my hands. Since I began taking Lipitor I have been chilled and feel very cold -- something highly unusual for me since I have always felt very warm, even in cold weather.

My husband recently began taking this drug after heart surgery and complains of severe pain in his legs. Initially, I thought these symptoms were due to surgery -- not so sure. Is there a proven effective alternative, that is safe?

I've been on Lipitor for two weeks and have developed pain in my joints, aching muscles, barely able to walk from the pain in my feet and ankles. I have been awakened the last two nights with pain in my chest, pain in my left shoulder and aching in my left arm. These symptoms were not present prior to taking Lipitor. My fingers have begun to ache and I have developed swollen joints in my hands. Since I began taking Lipitor I have been chilled and feel very cold -- something highly unusual for me since I haved always felt very warm, even in cold weather.

My husband recently began taking this drug after heart surgery and complains of severe pain in his legs. Initially, I thought these symptoms were due to surgery -- not so sure. Is there a proven effective alternative, that is safe?

I have been put on five different drugs for my cholesterol. I react within a week of taking these....... I wake at night with my hand cramped and loose the power of my hand temporiarily .. then my feet go ice cold .. then get great sharp pains in feet....... aches in neck and back.....I stop the statins right away and the Dr insist we try another. Now I have said NO MORE........... this has beenover a period of three years. I am shocked at the sudden and quick problems of the drugs. I have stiff joints and swollen fingers sice the last trial of two one week......... any cholesterol lowering drug affects me....I keep telling them I can not use statins and they say this is a new drug it will be different. Nothering is different.
I have not brought my cholesterol down to normal with diet and non flush niacin...... plush omega -3 oils.
I asked the Dr why they do not try the natural route first?? He said " patients do not like the side effects!!!!" I said have you not heard of NON FLUSH NIACIN. Have just had blood tests done for rhemoid factor......... all because of my swollen joints and aches .. as a result of statins.
DO NOT TAKE THESE DRUGS...... TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH... DIET EXERCISE AND TAKE NATURAL PRODUCTS

WE ARE NOT EXPERIMENTIAL OBJECTS FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES......

THEY DO NOT HAVE OUR HEALTH AT HEART .. IT IS ALL ABOUT PROFITS AND MORE AND MORE MONEY

Do not take this medication! I ended up in the ER with a bad rash, swollen joints , hands, dizziness, insominia, vomiting, elevated blood pressure, and swollen tongue. These side effects took three days to totally manisfest. I discontinued the meds myself . Took benedryl to offset the itching.
It is now on my list of drugs NOT TO EVER TAKE AGAIN!

This is the first time I have ever taken levaquin. Never heard of it before this. I have always suffered with joint pain, back aches, and swollen joints. I have athritis. I am not even sure what the infection is, in my body. I had a swollen lymph gland in my groin area. Have been taking tests, and may have had a mild kidney infection. I have just found out I have diabetes too. The dr. put me on bextra for the joint pain, and levaquin for the infection. 500 mg for 10 days. I have had NO side affects that stand out. Actually, I feel much better. no joint pain, no nausea, no headaches and no tired feelings. I had all this before I started the levaquin. I did expreience one or two nights of not being able to sleep and feeling anxiety, but with everything else I am going thru.. I just took it as emotional stress. I have taken other antibiotics in the past that have given me a yeast infection.. but the levaquin has done well for me. I only have one left to take. I think allot of the side affects I have been reading are actually allergic reactions.. I was on prozac for 2 wks once, years ago and it put me in the hospital with all the stuff I am reading here. I hope you all get well and recover from whatever is making you sick.. Peace!

No new side effects, just want to reiterate what Levaquin did to me. What I resent is that no doctor involved ever mentioned problematic and painful side effects of the drug, yet when I had to be admitted to the emergency room for severe muscle and joint pains, the first thing the ER doctor said was "Levaquin causes painful, swollen joints and severe muscle and tendon pain, including rupture of the Achilles tendon."

Amazing that an unknown ER doctor, who had seen my case for less than 5 minutes, immediately caught and explained the cause of my problems. Thank God I hadn't forced myself to exercise, which I had considered doing, as I have now read on this website that exercise exacerbates the problem and could have caused ruptured tendons.

My main symptoms, which gradually grew worse as I continued the drug for 10 days, were metallic taste in my mouth, feeling of tiredness and heaviness in my body, increasing muscle and joint pain, especially in my knees, eventually spreading down the back of my legs toward my ankles. When I finally gave up and went to the Emergency Room, I could barely walk in; had to hold on to walls, chairs, etc. just to stay upright.

The ER doctor stopped the Levaquin and started me on Ibuprofin to combat the inflammation of the joints. (yet another drug??) So far it has been 24 hours since I stopped the Levaquin and I feel a little better - can almost walk again. I hope and pray the side effects will go away quickly, but I'm concerned since reading other people's lingering problems.

Thank you for this forum; I wish I had discovered it sooner!

After having been on Wellbutrin for 1-1/2 years by moving the dose to the morning at Dr.'s suggestion it does not bother my sleep.
The side effects I have read here can belong to any other drug if someone is taking more than one.
Wellbutrin has helped my ability to focus which was lost from serious brain injury. I do have painful, swollen joints but have had that in the past. It could be worse now. I do get confused and forgetful. Confusion is the worst but how can I be certain it is Wellbutrin

For anyone just experiencing adverse reactions to Levaquin: My wife had, and after 4 months continues to have, a bad reaction from Levaquin. Symptoms include very sore and swollen joints (still here), tingling in her extremities (gone after about 3 months) and mood swings (mostly gone). The doctors she is seeing were very emphatic - stop taking Levaquin at the first sign of any adverse symptoms - it can only get worse.