Avelox and fda

I went in on a Monday for some ear/throat pain, and was diagnosed with sinusitis and prescribed Avalox 400MG. By Thursday, I had an unrelenting headache, SEVERE anxiety and tremors, and decided to Google "avelox side effects". It's Friday morning, and I'm blown away by the amount of negative feedback this drug is getting. Obviously I've stopped taking it.

Worst part? I called my Dr on Thursday morning, told the receptionist that I was having side effects.....NEVER HEARD BACK FROM HIM. And this goddamn drug has a black box warning from the FDA about severe risk or tendon rupture, etc. I f*cking hate Western medicine.

My husband was hospitalized with pneumonia on July 14, 2008. He was given Avelox via IV in the hospital and a 7 day pill prescription when he came home. Even in the hospital, he complained of muscle aches, but no one keyed on the antibiotic as an issue. When his breathing was better, he assumed he should try to do physical activity...but when he tried to play some golf one day, and do a little deck staining another, he payed for it with severe joint pains...even then, no doctor said anything about the antibiotic. He has lost over 25 lbs since this began, and has lost absolutely all muscle tone in his body..

He's stopped trying to do anything, but the last month has been terrible for him...every joint in his body hurts--he can hardly walk, there were days he couldn't lift a fork to his mouth with one hand... I brought him back into urgent care on Aug. 9th...that doctor was the first to mention that it could be a side effect of the Avelox he had taken 3 weeks before...

Since then, we have been to his primary care doctor, who doesn't think "the Avelox has anything to do with it. Now that I've googled it and seen the new FDA warning, I can't understand any way it wouldn't be at least part of the problem!

He's been give Vicodin for the pain, and they're running more tests, but I intend to go into the doctor with every thing I've seen on this..I don't have a problem with them using this medication for his pneumonia, but am so frustrated that they didn't tell warn us of this side effect--especially when he's tried to tell them what he's feeling.... I just think he would have been so much better by now if they would have switched him off of the drug as soon as he noticed the pain..

I am on my fifth day taking Avelox. Today I noticed some increased anxiety and my ankles hurt?! A throbbing and frightening pain.. both ankles. I've already called my doctor and will go see him tomorrow. I did not do anything strenuous at all that would cause this. The anxiety is killing me!

My sister was prescribed Avelox on Tuesday, March 11, 2008. Within 15-20 minutes she began having breathing difficulties. Because she has asthma her initial thought was that she was having an asthma attack. She tried asthma treatment and it didn't help. She soon was unable to breath. Her husband called 911, they responded quickly but had to intubate her in the ambulance. They know that she was without oxygen to her brain for at least 3-5 minutes. This caused seizures that lasted 20 hours before I.C.U. could get them under control. Unfortunately it caused brain damage leaving her with no higher brain function (vegetative state). As she has worked in the medical field for over 14 years she did not wish to be kept alive by artificial means. On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 her ventilation tube and feeding tube were removed. It is now Thursday, March 20, 2008 and she is in a wonderful Hospice House awaiting her death.
She had taken the same class of antibiotic in the past with no reaction. Really not sure what caused this one. She was going through chemo for breast cancer, but had just finished and was scheduled to start her radiation treatment. Her chemo doctor told us that since her reaction, they have had another patient who went into anaphylactic shock after taking Avelox.
My sister is only 43 years old. This medication should be taken off the market.

For all of you suffering on this board I strongly suggest you log unto www.fqresearch.org where you will find over 4000 medical journal entries, case reports, etc., that detail the horrendous damage these drugs are capable of. You will also find a link there for a support forum hosted by yahoo that everyone here is invited to join.

We have been fighting with the FDA since 1999 to get "Black Box" warnings as well as "Dear Doctor" letters sent. Had this been done I doubt that most of you would be suffering like this. This class is a drug of LAST RESORT, and it is not approved as a first line agent for ANY disease state.

It is both shocking and appalling that we see people coming on this site promoting the use of these drugs and chasing you for suffering a reaction. I can assure you this is not "in your head" by any means. These severe adverse reactions have been documented since 1982 within ALL of the leading medical journals. They are THE most toxic and dangerous antibiotic in clinical use today.

But the FDA refuses to provide adequate warnings within the package inserts and Public Citizen has had to SUE them in Federal Court to even have them review their petitions seeking, once again, "Black Box Warnings and Dear Doctor Letters."

Recently Bayer issued a "Dear Doctor" letter in Europe regarding the severe adrs to Avelox. But we find no such letters being written here in the United States.

Anyhow, just a brief note to let you know that you are not alone, your name is "Legions", and we have been fighting on your behalf since 1999.

Regards,

Mr. David T. Fuller
Director
Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Research Foundation
www.fqresearch.org

From the first AVELOX capsule, I was sweating, dizzy, weak and could not concentrate. This continued till the 4th day, when I started having severe pain in the neck, a feeling of about 50 pins and needles being pushed all over the back of the neck and down to both shoulders and arms. I hope I'll be able to regain a full range of motion in my neck and shoulders, as this is a terrible pain. As I stopped AVELOX over the weekend, I am still getting worse, and pain medications don't help. I wonder how the FDA allows the use of a drug that can cause syncope and death, are they trying to make statistics with our lives?? I am going to E. R. right now, although I won't be able to sit up.

I was given Aveloz with Predisone for sinuitis...I was having no symtoms but a MRI Then 2 CT's showed bad infections in sinus.

Day 2 3 hours after taking I saw gold sparks fly off the back of my friends dog has he came out a doggie door. I said oh wow your dog just got shocked. She was like no she didn't. I got in my car to go home it was dark and my left eye began to rapidly flash white light. I drove one 1/2 mile and my visison was blurred with numerous floaters. I called my insurance company and they told me to get to the ER. The er Doctor told me not a side effect as I suspected but my retina had detached. HE said go home and lay flat and go directly to Eye, Ears, Throat Doctor expecting to have laser eye sugery in the am.

I did go to the Eye specialist and he said I was fortunate that just the gel wall collasped in the back of my eye. He said it is not the drugs...aging happens to everyone. I just knew better.

I took the meds a different time yesterday and had a similar worsening experience.

Today I was on the phone and all of a sudden was in a deep brain fog. Words would not come out of my mouth. I knew I was trying to talk but it was like my brain was detached and was not letting the words come to me.

I am suppose to take this 15 days, refill and take 15 more days. Come back for an MRI ..then take 15 more days.

I am not sure what to do now.

I called manufacturer of drug and they took report and said "we will report to FDA." Also took my information and doctors phone, fax and address and name.