Extreme nausea, stiff joints, weak, dizzy, quickened pulse. 11/0...

Extreme nausea, stiff joints, weak, dizzy, quickened pulse. 11/08/08 After taking just one dose of Levaquin, I can say with confidence, this is the atom bomb of antibiotics. My doctor was off for three days, so I went to a walk-in clinic with a solid reputation in Westport CT. My problem was a sinus infection that had gotten slightly better after a round of Clarithrymicin, but was reincarnating itself every week or so with new symptoms. At the time of the visit, I had been sick almost 6 weeks, and now had a phlegmy cough and felt run-down. The doctor prescribed Levaquin rather casually, said I seemed to have a touch of bronchitis. He never mentioned possible side effects, asked no questions about my history. Adding insult to injury, when paying for the scrip at CVS, I discovered, that having exceeded the cap my insurer pays for medications, 10 tabs of Levaquin cost me $219 -- the good news was, without an insurance discount, it would have cost $310, To his credit, the pharmacist looked embarrassed. After taking one tab, 750 mg, around 7:00 pm, I woke at 3:00 am feeling very nauseous. I used deep breathing to get back to sleep. In the morning, I felt better, my cough was already gone, but the nausea continued. As the day wore on, my joints felt dry and stiff, my heart raced, I was weak and dizzy. The thought of taking another tab felt like participation in my own poisoning. I looked up Levaquin on Medications.com, and was glad so many people had taken the time to report their stories. In the end, I didn't take another tab, and don't much feel like ever going to a doctor again. My symptoms hardly justified such a powerful blast. Doctors need to question the authority of their masters, the greedy pharmaceutical ghouls.