Levaquin and abdomen

I have taken three 500mg doses of Levaquin since Saturday. They were prescribed by my urologist for a "possible" minor prostates that might be affecting my PSA (2.2). The very first night I was unable to sleep, tossing and turning all night. Thought nothing of it, and blamed it on diet or too much sleep the previous day. However, insomnia has continued for three straight nights and last night I woke at 4:30 AM with shortness of breath (had to take long deep breaths to feel like I was getting enough oxygen) that felt like an anxiety attack. Although there was no pain, I felt like my heart was pounding and rapid. Finally got a little more sleep and woke up feeling OK in the morning, but blood pressure was elevated. I continually feel like I'm on a caffeine high. I never associated it, but, I woke up second and third days with a sore throat and have had a few minor muscle twitches in arms, legs and abdomen.

I feel fortunate compared to others on this forum. I have stopped taking the Levaquin and have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow. As a side note, I had an acute prostates this time last year and took Cipro for over one month with no similar side effects that I can recall. Does anyone know if two drugs from the same group can have such different side effects, or can I expect the same problems if I start taking Cipro again?

In July 2007, I was put on Levaquin for pneumonia. I was 53 years old, working full-time, active. The pneumonia was caused by aspiration when vomiting. I had never had these problems - pneumonia or aspiration - before. I had gradually worsening generalized joint and muscle pain and stiffness, which I reported to my doctor after about 5 days on the Levaquin. The pain I was experiencing was worse than the pneumonia symptoms (mostly high fever). The course of levaquin was supposed to be 14 days. After 9 days, I could not tolerate it any longer. My doctor put me on a Z-pack (azithromycin) for the remainder of my treatment. It is a year later, and I am still plagued with muscle pain in my back, shoulders, arm, abdomen - and, at its worst, my legs. The only way I'm able to function is on prescription painkillers, which I detest having to take - but they're a lifesaver. I've been seeing a rheumatologist since December '07. He dosen't seem to believe the levaquin - pain connection. He thinks I may have Polymyalgia Rheumatica. I have consistently elevated blood levels of creatine phosphokinase, a muscle enzyme which indicates muscle damage. I was on prednisone 10 mg. from early March '08 which I have just weaned off of after suffering a depressive episode with a suicide attempt at the begining of this month. I can't work now. I'm terrified of becoming permanently disabled. Finding answers has been very difficult but I firmly believe that the Levaquin started all this.

Most of the "side effects" are die off responses (sometimes referred to as a herxheimer response similar to that which occurs when treating syphillis) from bartonella or borrelia. Levaquin is a potent intracellular antibiotic...where these and other organisms can hide. These can be subclinical infections where (at this time) you are not even aware you are infected. If your "side effects" start around the 3rd day into your prescription...rejoice...and suffer for a while, you are killing something really bad.

I was taking it for two days. I was trying to change the channel, but I couldn't. I looked down and screamed because my hands were literally coming at me. They were crippling inward and so were my feet. My abdomen became severely painful. I couldn't stop vomiting and started vomiting bile. I was rushed to the hospital, they placed me in the 'security' emergency private room and strapped me down because they said I was out of my head. My whole body was yellow (jaundice). The doctor told me while the nurses tried to stick ivs in me that my digestive system has failed and your liver is failing. He told the nurse to stand by my bed period to keep me awake. I remember him shaking my face telling me 'johanna you have to stay awake, if you don't, you are not waking up. you have to stay away.' I was released later on. I had to eat liquid foods for two weeks, then baby foods for two more, then I slowly had to eat mushy to solid foods. The doctor said I had to reintroduce my body just like a baby due to the failure. That was my experience and if that nurse didn't keep me awake I would not be here right now.

I was diagnosed as having Bronchitis. I have cardio vascular disease; have had 4 heart attacks. A doctor prescribed Levaquin 500mg for seven days. I started getting pain in my left leg about the 4th day of taking the Levaquin. I started having difficulty breathing and found myself gasping for air especially at night. I just thought the infection was getting worse and I finished the 7 day of pills. After that time I got a rash on my body, shortness of breath continued, my eyes were swelling up, had little urine flow, got cramps in my feet, thighs, neck and arms and I gained 20 pounds of fluid even though I was not eating much and swelled up like a water balloon in my abdomen and down to my feet. I went back to the doctors office, had a different doctor which she said I was having heart problems. She ran blood tests to check the heart and liver, took another x-ray, gave me a drug to test my urine flow and when the results of the blood test came back I was told I had an enlarged heart, fluid in my heart cavity and referred to schedule an appointment in two weeks with a cardiologist.

Then the doctor asked me if the previous doctor knew I had heart disease and I said yes. This doctor informed me it looks like you had an allergic reaction to something. She then prescribed a blood pressure and diuretic for me to relive fluid and released me, I took the diuretic one day did not relieve any additional fluid became constipated and I immediately stopped taking the water pill.

I then went to a third doctor four days later since I got no help from the first or second doctor for the shortness of breath, fluid retention,swelling and shortness of breath.
This doctor asked me what medication I had taken I informed him Levaquin and he proceeded to tell me they were having trouble and bad effects in some people taking Levaquin. I felt relieved because I had read the warnings that came with the medication and I confirmed I had certain allergic effects from the drug. The doctor then took a blood and urine test told me to come back in four days until the blood test results come in. I am extremely angry at the medical profession and the treatment I have received for their failure to treat the side effects of the prescribed medication I was given, I even read Lefaquin has caused cardiac collapse in some patients so why on earth would a doctor prescribe this medicine to a person with cardio vascular disease? I am sitting here suffering the side effects and they are out of the office not having a concern to my suffering just lining their pockets Monday through Friday with cash, Our medical and drug systems are broken and no one is attempting to repair them to my knowledge.

I was given 2 doses of 750mg IV Levaquin in my local emergency room for a UTI, then sent homw with a RX for 750mg oral. I went back to the emergency room 2 days later with a temp of 101 and complaints of leg pain and numb feet. The emergency again gave me 750mg Levaquin IV admited me into a observation ward when they continued to give me three additional does 750mg Levaquin IV, and sent me home. I went back to the emergency for the third time, severe pain in feet, numbness in feet and swollen and red, burning, elevated temp and this time elevated liver and pancreases enzymes. Admitted into the hospital, they proceed to do a spinal tap to see if I had Guillian Bria Symdrome. I was concluded that I had acute sensoury neuropathy induces by Levaquin toxicity. It is four weeks past, I still have numbness and buring in my feet. I must have had my allergic reaction after the second does because as we look back, I experienced a rash around my abdomen, a sever headache and elevated temp as I received the third does. Because the temp kept stayed elevated and the leg pain got worse, they kept giving me the Levaquin, which resulted in the overdoes toxicity, that was escentially casuing the elevated liver and pancreas enzymes, which was causing the high temp and leg pain. The temp, and elevated enzymes started to decrease when the Levaquin was stopped. As for the nueopathy in the feet and lower legs, only time will tell. If you have never taken this drup before, DON"T. They are other drugs out there that can be used.

I was prescibed Levaquin for a sinus infection in late May. The first day I took it my entire right leg fell asleep while I was standing. Just thinking I was tired I did not think much of it. The next day while laying in bed my hands fell asleep. By the 3rd day my arms & hands & tip of my nose were tingley
I also had a bit of chest pain. I immediatly stopped taking the Levaquin. About a week later I woke up with a severe pain in my hip & pain shooting through my abdomen every time I took a step. It has been 6 weeks & my pain in my abdomen is gone but my back hurts all up & down my right side & the same leg that fell asleep when I was taking the Levaquin has been tingley & crampy. I am going to the doctor tomarrow to see what is going on I suspect it is side effects from the Levaquiin.