Levaquin and allergic reactions

Saw Levaquin on the news yesterday. I was very pleased to see that they are putting a warning on this med. I thought it was just me with a problem with Levaquin. I have allergies to antibiotics anyways so I attributed my problems to just another allergic reaction to an antibiotic. Wow!
I took Levaquin in April 3 years ago for a respiratory infection of some kind. I then had the same experience I have with allergies where my tongue felt swollen. I called the nurse and she told me to take the next dose anyway. I did so and my chest/esophagus felt like it was on fire. I couldn't breathe. I went into the Emergency room and they gave me a lidocaine/maalox combo that would take the pain away for a while and diagnosed me with reflux.
I went on some reflux medications later that caused more problems for digestion. The more we tried to solve it the more my system reacted. I ended up in the emergency room about 5 times that year. Two were for chest pain from the esophagus and two were from severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). I became allergic to many categories of food and lost down to 110 lbs. I went to naturopaths and other specialists and none of them could pinpoint any problems. I was tested for Celiac and had two upper GI and one lower GI that year alone, My Dr. bills totalled more than $5,000 for that year.
The next year I had given up. The only doctor that I would go to was the allergist and the new GI doctor I had found. I still worked but was in such severe pain that I did nothing but sleep when I got home. I cried and begged God for death or healing all night long. I was losing my hair in great handfuls. They put me on ativan and I became addicted to the stuff. I was allergic to most foods. I had a diet of about 6-10 foods that I would cook homemade and I would never eat out unless I knew what and how the food was prepared. I took vitamin c in very high doses and that took the pain away.
I slowly re-introduced food back to my system. Now I have a less restrictive diet but it still is limited. I am now allergic to all nuts, rice, sunflower seeds (sunflower oil is used in most potato chips), some other grains, and melons. I still have problems with legumes and some other foods.
It took 2 years for the pain to subside and I still have digestive problems with diarrhea on and off. I am fine just as long as the pain stays away. I don't mind being limited on my diet.
I had noticed that my legs and joints hurt during that time too- but the other pain was so severe and my diet was so limited that I attributed that to diet.
If there is a class action lawsuit on this stuff I would like to be involved.

My doctor has put me on Levaquin 500 mg 5-7 days every time i get a sinus infection, bronchitis or laryngitis. I haven't had any side effects or allergic reactions to the drug so far. I'm allergic to amoxicillan though. Sorry to hear about everyone having allergic reactions to the drug.

I was prescribed 750mg Levaquin for a sinus infection - having never taken this antibiotic before, and never having any allergic reactions to others I thought nothing of my 20 day prescription. After 7 days on this medication, I started feeling HORRIBLE - achy, flu like symptoms, and worst of all, every muscle, joint and tendon ached so badly that I had trouble walking at times. I had such bad nightmare on the 9th day of taking this, that I was afraid to attempt going back to sleep. After thinking all thoughts of bad things that could be happening to me (lupus, rapid onset of arthritis, etc.) I finally googled Levaquin and, fortunately came up with this site that showed others that had similar reactions to this terrible medication. After taking this for 11 days, I threw the remaining pills in the garbage and will never take this again. My only question is, when does this get out of your system where you will feel normal again? I have not taken this medication for eight days now and still my muscles, joints and tendons ache - at times, my body just feels flu like still. This is very frightening as I have never had a bad reaction to a medication and it is hard to believe that an antibiotic can wreak havoc on your muscular system such as this one has. Thank heavens for this website - I may have ended up taking Levaquin for the prescribed 20 days and who knows when these aches and pains would go away - they are far worse than the sinus infection!

It has been a year ago since I had my reaction to Levaquin. On Feb. 11, 2005; I suffered an anaphexia reaction and had to be put on the vent for 3 days. I remained in CCU for 6 of the 7 days I was in the hospital. I took Levaquin about 5pm that evening and all of a sudden I became very tired. I went to lay down and 20 minutes later I woke with my ears on fire. I went to the bathroom and looked at my ears and they were both bright red with a rash on both of them. Then these red marks began to go down my neck, down my arms and it was covering my whole body. I went immediately to the emergency room. The triage nurse asked me some questions and my lips began to turn blue and my tongue was swelling even bigger. The nurse put me back in the Urgent care where I was left. I was not put on any monitors or seen by any doctor. Then within 5 minutes a nurse showed up, didn't check my arm band to see if it was me and gave me a shot of ephirenephrine in my stomach and walked away. As she turned the corner, I was laying down on my back telling my daughter to go get a "real" doctor, something was wrong. The next thing I knew, I was being surrounded by a bunch of people and being told they were about to put me out and put me on the vent. I just wanted to go away. I did. I lost 3 days of my life. Now, it has been over a year since this happened. I am extremely hypersensitive. Now I am experiencing allergic reactions to everything I eat. It starts with the very tip of my tongue going numb and tingling. Then it goes to the middle of my tongue, which makes my tongue thick, then it goes to my Uvala and down my throat. My hands get real red and I become very thrusty. But it hasn't bothered my breathing at all. Does anyone out there have these same symptoms? If so, what is it called? and do you know how to get rid of it? Thanks.

I am 31 years old and very healthy but lately I have had bronchitis that I can't seem to shake. I have have been prescribed levaquin 500mg twice. I'm allergic to a lot and I have not had any allergic reactions to levaquin! I am on my second round of it and I dread taking the medication. I get severe headaches and I feel pain all over. I cannot sleep and I seem to feel worse???After reading every one statements I don't think I will continue to take levaquin.

Last year Levaquin was prescribed for me in treatment of a bad sinus infection and upper respiratory illness. After having been on the medication for 8 days I developed tendonitis in my right shoulder and arm. I immediately stopped the medication and it took several months to clear up. I took motrin to relieve the pain. I wasn't sure whether the Levaquin was the cause.
Last month I again had a severe sinus infection and Levaquin was prescribed. The reason being I am limited to the anti-biotics I can take as I have severe allergic reactions to the ones ordinarily given.
Within three days I began again having severe pain in my right shoulder and arm. I stopped the medication and once again resorted to taking Motrin for relief of the pain.
After a second bout I am convinced that the Levaquin was the cause and although the sinus infection cleared up, I am again having a bout with tendonitis.

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!

My mother-in-law was recently hospitalized for a kidney infection. She is 79 years old. She has had allergic reactions to a number of antibiotics in the past few years, including Cipro which is in the same "family" as Levaquin. Since her infection was severe (temperature went to 104.7), the doctors decided to try a half-dose of Levaquin because she had had an allergic reaction at least one in every "type" of antibiotic. The first 3 days, she had mild leg spasms resembling restless leg syndrome. Since that is common in elderly people, especially those who have been very ill with little movement, we were not concerned about it. On the 4th day, after she had come home from the hospital, she began to have leg pain. At first, it was more of a burning sensation under the skin, but, as the days went by, it became unbearable pain. What had been helped by 2 mg of Valium and some tylenol, became barely tolerable with Darvon every 4 hours, Valium every 6 hours and 600 mg of Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours. The pain became so severe that she could not walk, and within a week, she was hospitalized for 9 more days with pain so bad that she could not sleep or walk. They finally put her on Vicodin for pain, which made it tolerable. They tested for everything but, by process of elimination, the Doctor decided that it must have been the Levaquin. It took over a week after they discontinued the Levaquin for the pain to lessen enough to leave off the Vicodin at night. Even after she came home, she had to take the pain medication round the clock to be able to bear it. She is now learning to walk again and still taking Vicodin at night for pain (2 weeks after she stopped taking the Levaquin).

i was given a 10-day regimen of 250mg Levaquin for a pesky respiratory infection with fever. Day2, infection cleared up and fever gone, feeling better. Day4 (today) my feet have swelled up with lump-like mounds on the sole, very similar to 2 adverse allergic reactions to e-mycin anti-biotics some years ago (except reactions occurred day 1.)

This site is scary (what with all the bad reports.) But with my medical insurance dropped, i think i will tuff it out a few more days, despite some other incidental discomforts that may well just be anxiety. Wish me luck!! - Jay (PS thanks for the site)