Levaquin and anxiety

I was give Levaquin when I had a Prostate Biopsy and had a reaction to it , Hives, muscle pain oral thrush ,I told the doctor about it so he gave me another anti biotic,CIPRO which made things worse, then I find out they are both from the same family of antibiotics, these doctors don't know what they are giving you and he said all that I should have gotten from them was a little stomach problem, Its two years now and I still have skin
problems, joint pain and pain in my neck amd the doctors say it can't be from the Levaquin, Well how come I was healthy until I took it

I have been on levaquin now for my second round of 5 days of a 28 day does for prostate. I have experienced joint pain, insomnia, irregular and skipped heart beats, fatigue, anxiety and many of the previous mentioned symptoms by others. I had all of these with my first round of this drug but I thought it was because if the severe infection in my prostate, UTI, kidneys and bladder. I was feeling great until 5 days ago when I start taking levaquin again. I think there is something very wrong with this drug and someone should be looking into a class action against the maker of this drug.

I took levaquin (750) for a bronchial infection about 9 months ago. My doctor gave me individual samples with no info. on any side effects. Like most people, I trusted my doctor and took the pills without question. The aftermath has been a complete nightmare as I have suffered severe joint pain, depression and an atypical anxiety that at times that feels like a drug induced brain fog. I've seen numerous specialist searching for an underlying process causing the symptoms but nothing is ever found. Since the beginning I've contended that the Levaquin was at the root of my problem, but no doctor has ever given that thought any consideration. Prior to the Levaquin I was perfectly fine with no history of any joint pains or mood disorders. Does anyone have any ideas on how to reverse or heal the process?

in 2006 i was attacked and bitten by a dog , the wounds became infected and was prescribed levaquin for the infection, about the 8th day of taking it i noticed bad joint pain, insomnia, anxiety, ringing of ears,and more symptoms, i was in good health before this, and have been in misery every day all day ever since!!!!
i have been told by my dr that i have fibromyalgia. if anyone has a doctor that will verify that the levaquin , and the trauma from the dog bite caused the fibromyalgia, please contact me , thanks

About 4 months ago I took 7 days worth of Levaquin after my sinus surgery. It was a preventative measure, I never had an infection. A few days into the prescription I started having tendon pain in my knees & ankles. I couldn't sleep, I was having nightmares, I was emotional, anxious and drained. My doctor told me to stop taking the Levaquin immediately. 4 months later and I am still suffering from entire body tendonapathy, neuropathic pain, joint pain, skin sensitivity, severe migraines, temperature sensitivity, twitching (muscles convulsing), basically my entire body hurts. Some days are a little better than others but not by much.

I have been to rhuemetologists, neurologists, pm & r doctors, physical therapists, acupunture, orthopedic surgeons, & allergists (in Chico Ca, & @ UC Davis in Sacramento Ca). NONE OF THE DOCTORS KNEW WHAT TO DO. My general physician actually told me to "go home and wait it out" because there was "no hope of finding help" (I'm not kidding). I've had tons of blood tests with fairly normal results. Thankfully I have a wonderful neurologist who has taken some interest in my situation. All of the other doctors told me that my case was very rare & that they had heard of such side effects but had never seen any patients with them! After some research on the internet I seriously doubt that my condition is as "rare" as they claim.

I am only 28 years old, I can't walk, I can't work, and my life has been turned upside down. I was very healthy before, I don't have a family history of health problems, nothing like that...it was the Levaquin.

Here is what I am currently taking: Lyrica for neuropathic pain, twitching, not being able to sleep etc., and oral morphine for the severe pain, Milk Thistle to promote glutathione (important because it helps your liver detox), Magnesium Malate (also helps detox), a multivitamin, vitamin c, and fish oil pills. I also attend acupuncture 2x per week (honestly feel some relief from it). Also, I heard that glutathione infusions are helpful but I haven't tried them yet. At this point I will try anything.

IF YOU HAVE HEARD OF ANYTHING OR ANYONE WHO CAN HELP WITH THESE DEVASTATING SIDE EFFECTS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

~J.

About a month ago I was given Levaquin, for Pneumonia. After about 5 days my face and neck swelled up, Then came the Prednisone at the hospital. I have never in my 38 years not been able to control my own body. I do take Zoloft,and Xanax for anxiety. No one said I would have a problem walking (legs are not working properly) eating,sleeping, Buzzing in my head. Unable to lift my 3 year old let alone care for her, I get extremely fatigued easily. My Husband has missed a week of work, and if your like us....NOT GOOD. Even trying to type is hard I must look at every letter, It's like I REALLY have to think to make my body move.My kidneys feel like balloons in my back when I lay down,Uncontrollable crying. I can't believe this has happened. We have been going through this the whole month of May.Is anyone able to control the shakes? Even my head is shaking??? I suppose if I had tried hard drugs ever, this might be what it's like. I Pray someone can help me. I am so afraid of what is happening to my body. By the way, when they put me on the Prednisone they did not give me a taper... Had to see another Doctor for that. So as I sit here today, hands shaking, head shaking, knees feeling to loose to walk on them, Hard to breathe, or even to think the way I could a month ago. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME...

My husband took Levaquin for ten days along with Prednisone for a chest infection. On the tenth and last day of the Levaquin, he began having burning in his knees. It then progressed to cramps in his feet, calves, thighs, knees and now his forearms. He has been referred to a neurologist. I plan to go with this information in my hands when I take him tomorrow. He had called the prescribing doctor's nurse and asked if the problems could be caused by the Levaquin since I had read nerve damage as a side effect. He never got a call back about it. He has also had nightmares so bad he kicked my in the middle of the night while having one. He has been in so much pain, he can hardly walk. He has incredible fatigue with other things already. He takes tramadol as a muscle relaxer, but then he can't drive to pulmonary rehab he is supposed to go to three times a week.

I took Levaquin for a sinus infection March 26th... 5 doses of 750 mg. I felt slightly better initially but that lasted only a day. I think it was prescribed wrongly, I had a virus and was getting over it... not a bacterial infection. The problems started about a week after the 5 day course ended. I ended up in the ER feeling like I was going to die, some strangeness in my breathing and feeling as if I was having a stroke... like I was going to pass out. They found nothing wrong except an elevated blood pressure and did a d-dimer to see if it could be an embolism (at my insistence, I had no idea this could be from levaquin and thought I was having a stroke. After the ER visit, I just felt like I had the flu, but I didn't... weak, extremely tired with some muscle aches ... two weeks out I had a lot of pain in both legs, like charlie horses that didn't go away... that lasted several days to a week... the weird depersonalization and the anxiety has been intense throughout. Constipation (never ever had it before this drug) started about a month out from taking it. I still feel pain in my legs from time to time and a feeling like there is a tight band across the top of my left foot... like when you tie your shoe too tight and need to loosen the shoe strings, but I am not wearing shoes.

I am an 80 year old male----quite good health except for having right hip replacement since 1988 industrial accident---several months ago, my orthopedic surgeon told me the severe pain; again in right hip, required surgery to correct. I had that surgery about 3 weeks ago and it went well--had usual pain, muscle cramps, but nothing alarming---I also had a left knee implant 4 years ago, so I know what to expect. I was discharged from hospital after 3 days and seemed OK-----however, I developed a mild infection the the drainage area of the surgery, my Orthopedic surgeon said not to take any chances and prescribed 500 milligrams of LEVAQUIN---one tablet each day fro 30 days!!!!~the very first day I took Levaquin, I was very stiff and sore in muscles, arms, legs and the worst insomnia I have ever experienced---I took a SECOND pill next day because I trust my doctor-----I immediately began having HORRIBLE NIGHTMARES, anxiety and absolutely unable to sleep longer than an hour at a time.----I feel like some of the descriptions that people said about LSD---I thank God I had sense to stop drug and am cleansing my system---I pray I am more successful in clearing this poison that some others I have read about-------BAN LEVAQUIUN it is a deadly, multifaceted poison that damages, muscles, eyes, joints ------THE WHOLE BODY!!!!! B.

I have to admit I am dumbfounded. I "stumbled" upon this information tonight.
I am a very healthy and active 40 year old female with no health issues other than seasonal allergies and asthma. I went to the dr. 4 weeks ago for a sinus infection. I was prescribed 5 days of Levaquin (called a “Lev-pak”??). The sinus infection seemed better but the symptoms of that came back after 10 days and I went back to the dr. only to be prescribed a 2nd round of the same medication. Again the sinus infection seemed to get better and now a month later I went to the same dr. again today because the sinus problem came back but worse. Today I was prescribed a different antibiotic called Avalox. Since I had not heard of this drug I decided to look it up before taking it.
I now look back over the last month and am horrified that I have had these bizarre symptoms and here they are experienced by 100's of other people. And this is just one website, with people that took time to speak up. Just one. All of sudden I already feel better because I can explain so much. Not once was I warned about this drug either by the doctor or my pharmacist.
Everything I am about to describe I have either blamed on still being sick (and getting sicker from the presumed infection) or have blamed on other meds taken in addition for congestion, headache, stomach problems, wheezing, etc.

I have had ridiculous sleep patterns. I was either SO awake some nights that I felt like I could run 10 miles or SO exhausted by bedtime that I could barely walk up the stairs to get to bed. I have had extreme nightmares and dreams. In addition I have had at times practically NO peripheral vision combined with a blinding headache. I also had ringing in one or both ears that was very random. I seriously thought several times that I might have a brain tumor. I have had all these weird stomach issues. I have felt bloated and my abdomen area has been painful at times. I also have gone from either having bad diarrhea to being very constipated. My heart has raced at times both while doing physical activity OR sitting still. For about 3 days after the first round I had sharp pains in my left side (abdomen and arm). I have experienced bizarre hot flashes combined with being freezing cold minutes later with no fever at all. And last my right leg, particularly my knee and foot have just hurt at odd times (just waking up, walking up and down stairs, after sitting for a few minutes). All of these things separated seem so random so I never suspected Levaquin. Having read page after page…they are ALL explained.

I can’t tell you how much better I feel right this moment. I feel sane again. I will never, ever take Levaquin again and am so thankful I was smart enough to get information before taking Avalox, which would have been round three of this poisonous family of antibiotics. I don't know how long it will take for the Levaquin symptoms to go away but at least I'll know why these things are happening. Thank you.

I was prescribed Levaquin 500 mg daily for a persistent sinus infection
thirteen days ago. I am rarely worried about taking a drug my doctor prescribed but after reading the precautions and side effects I was concerned. I decided to wait until I checked with some doctor friends of mine who said not to worry because if even one person in a million has a problem they must post it. Now I'm so sorry I listened to them. My hands
are so swollen and feel prickly and painful. They have been like this for the last three hours, which is the reason I went online for information about this drug. Now I realize why my legs have been so painful and why it's so hard to use my legs to squt down and then stand. For days now I have
had trouble with my legs hurting as I go up and down the stairs in my house (lots of stairs!). I am very fit, 110 lb., take yoga and have a extremely active lifestyle so I knew something was odd but kept
thinking it would go away. I try not to be a whiner! I also had (have) sweating and itching (even behind my knees), back pain and neck pain. Last night I only slept 3 hours and felt anxiety so I just got up and started working. I finally had the time and tons of snow here to go sking but I just felt too weak to go! No wonder I felt (feel) depressed!!!!
UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO DIE WITHOUT THIS DRUG DON'T
TAKE IT! I can't believe this is used as a out patient medicine, I would
think it would be used as a last resort before death in a hospital!
Jamesville, NY S.

There may be no way to get Levaquin out of one's body except time. But I wanted to at least try to speed it up. I don't know if it will work for me or others, only time will tell. There is genetics involved since each of us has a unique tolerance for Levaquin. But here is what I am doing:

1. 8 glasses of water daily with fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
2. Lots of fiber - a tblsp of wheat bran 3 times a day with more water.
3. Plain yogurt with live active cultures 5 times a day.
4. A hot bath with epsom salts once a day.
5. Magnesium, Calcium and Iron, a couple of times a day.
6. Vitamins B and C a few times a day.
7. Body Cleanse and Liver Cleanse from the drug store, as directed.

I took 7 Levaquin pills and stopped 10 days ago. Some symptoms have improved. Notably, my appetite is better, the bloated stomach is gone and food moves through normally, anxiety spells are gone, the brain fog is still there but maybe a slightly better each day.

I will be watching my body for any signs of tendon pain in the 12 - 18 months ahead. No pain so far, but Levaquin is capable of doing damage with the pain not felt until later. I will ease back into exercising very slowly over the coming months.

I will be posting updates periodically over the next couple of years. I am a 50 year-old man.

Good luck to all and God bless.

Doctor prescribed 500mg 1x day for Upper Respiratory Infection. I took it the first 7 days. I experienced insomnia, anxiety, loss of taste and smell and loss of appetite. After a meal, food just sat there and bloated my stomach for 10 hours. I also was shocked to experience increased sexual desire and that is the last thing I wanted while in the dark mental state of panic induced by Levaquin. It's a horrible drug.

I found this site and stopped taking it. I called the doctor, who said he did not agree that Levaquin caused those symptoms. It's time for a new doctor.

I have read the dreadful Levaquin experiences of others here. May some good come out of the suffering of these folks and may this site serving as a warning to prevent others in the future from ever taking Levaquin. God bless everyone.

I had horrible side effects (body aches, joint and muscle pain, headaches, hallucinations, insomnia, anxiety, heart palpitations, etc.). I did some research and I am currently trying to detox using calcium (tums or vitamins), magnesium (liquid antacids or vitamins), orange juice, apple juice, and grapefruit juice which all limit the absorption of the drug. A high protein and high fiber diet with no refined sugars is suppose to help. Drink plenty of water and add a B-Complex to help with Anemia (another side effect). Apparently, it takes three weeks to eliminate from your system. Good Luck and God Bless.

I took 4 500 mg doses of Levaquin for a sinus infection on Aug 19-22 2008. I am now almost 5 months out. I suffered multiple adverse reactions and have been waiting to post to see how things resolved. I am 39 years old and in excellent health. I rarely see doctors and have never had anything chronic. This is what I experienced: extreme fatigue, all over muscle soreness/stiffness, severe headaches, tingling/numbness in hands/feets, serious shoulder problems requiring ortho, physical therapy and chiropractor, irregular heart rhythm, irregular kidney function, constant ringing in my ears, impaired vision. Currently most of these are resolved except irregular kidney function (although this has improved), shoulder issues (not normal yet) and ringing in my ears.

You can't judge the full scope of your reaction by your body's initial reaction. As time unfolds you will get the big picture of how this drug harms the various systems of the body.

I can not begin to explain how taking this drug has impacted my life and my family. I have 3 children to take care of. I thank God that I am healing and have now resumed almost all of my daily activities. I pray that I will soon be back to full health. This is absolute madness. I am so sorry that so many of us have been injury in such a way.

Besides the pain you can forget sleeping while on Levaquin. I was up until 5:00am freaking out about everything.

This drug is bad news!!!!!

On Sunday I went to the emergency hospital due to a infection from some minor dental sugary (Tooth pulled) on Friday. I had puffed up with infection on the whole side of my face. My dentist advised me to go to emergency so that they could give me some antibiotics that get in my system quicker.

I was given Levaquin in an IV I was never informed of any side effects. I was fine for a few hrs. then I started experiencing racing heart and anxiety and could not sleep or concentrate on anything. I felt weak in my legs. It is now Monday evening at 1:18 AM I am still experiencing occasional heart flutters and am still awake although I am finally starting to slow down.

I feel like I was on speed for the past 2 days. . I was also given a 10 500MG tabs of levaquin to take. I am not taking them I am glad I looked up this drug. I hope that there will be no other side effects and stopped before taking the pills

I am really upset that I was not informed of these possible side effects at the hospital and was not given the change to say no to it.

All the bad things that this drug does and an IV bag full and it did not get rid of my infection in my face completely still have swelling.

Guess I am going to my doctor and ask for my Keeflex 500 Mg that I never had a problem with.

I was diagnosed with Diverticulitis and put on the usual regime of Levaquin (500mg a day) and Flagel. The case turned worse and was admitted to the hospital (they thought I had a blockage but turned out did not) and was put on IV of the same medication. Released from the hospital 4 days later and stayed on the Levaquin as prescribed. When I ran out, I called my regular doctor who sent in the renewal prescription. However the his aide made an error and the bottle read 500mg 4 times a day…nobody including the pharmacy caught it. So for 3 days I was taking 2000mg a day of Levaquin. When I started getting worse (truly thought I was dying), I got to the doctor and he said I had taken turn for the worse and could not figure out why. He asked if I was taking the meds and I said yes 4 times a day…his face when white. I had the bottle with me and he panicked. They apologized for the error and I was told to stay off my feet, no heels, they ran ekg’s that day and the following Monday, blood work to check the kidneys etc.

Subsequently, I have had extreme pain in my joints and muscles – everyday, all day. Some days I just cry it hurts so bad. If I bend down I can hardly get back up because of my right knee. I have talked with a doctor I happened to run into about this and she said that Levaquin dosage has saturated my body and gotten into the joint and muscles and takes a long time to work it out. I can hardly lift my arms above my shoulder without severe pain. Stabbing pains in my knees, shoulders, arms and hands.

I have not gone back to the doctor because when I mentioned the pain the when I was in that last time…he just wanted to give me more meds! I have been seeing a massage therapist who specializes in deep tissue restoration and repair. It helps some, but he as well says this is going to take a lot to time to work out.

I have depression to the point of feeling like I am a nothing and what good am I to anyone feeling like this. So like snoop45...that is exactly what i feel like!

dawn62

J.

I was diagnosed with 'a "spot" on my chest upper left, after doing an x-ray.I had 100.4 fever really bad chills and sweats, terrible loss of appetite. I am 41 years old. No diagnosis given at initial visit. After 5 days of Levaquin 500, I felt that the dose was too low as I was not improving. When I called my doctor he said, we usually given 750 mil. I thought, well why didn't you do that in the first place? I would be over this thing by then! I was hacking and plenty of phlegm greenish yellow was coming up. He said to use Mucinex DM and Ambien to sleep. Ambien didn't work so I discontinued it. Don't recommend Mucinex at night it keeps you awake, daytime fine. I felt depressed, super fatigue and very anxious, with difficulty sleeping, but thought that is the way everyone feels when sick. I had trouble having my twins jump on the bed to see me, do to the aches, again I thought that is from the illness, now I wonder if these symptoms were exacerbated by the Levaquin . I had the original script that Dr. told me to refill, it was for 500 mil, so he said do another course of that for another 5 days, 1 per day. I did, at that point 10 days total. Still wheezing, I called and said I was still not any better after 10 days of Levaquin 500 and in bed all of the time. Finally I asked him what was wrong, 'bronchitis' he said. I never had it before but I started looking it up before he told me as it had to be that! He said do another 5 days of Levaquin 750. Very hard to get rid of cough still there, however weird wheezing slowly getting better. It is weird though, I have incredible pain on my lower right ribcage from my back radiating to the front. I think it is from being in bed so long, but hope it is not from the tendon issues people are talking about on this forum. My friends who had same symptoms one week before me, (her family and I got bacterial bronchitis from her 4-1/2 son on a play date we had the week before Thanksgiving) was prescribed Amoxicillin 250 per day and was over it in 1 week! My doctor said he didn't like the way Amoxicillin worked over the gastro track. My opinion, stick with the tried and true meds. unless we all become immune to everything, Amoxicillin worked for me with other illnesses in the past and that is what I will be requesting next time! Hopefully there wont be a next time! Good luck everyone. I hope and pray we have not suffered permanent damage from Levaquin!

I posted earlier today about my side effects: ringing ears, headache, nausea, agitation/anxiety, inability to think straight, stuffed nose, etc. Though no fun, I was tolerating the side effects ok so far. Not for long...

Update: Took pill number 4 of 10 (500mg, 1x day) tonight at 6pm. Oh my God. Within an hour I am itching, and where I scratch, there are welts. Then nausea and belching, like I'm gonna vomit. I immediately take 50mg benadryl in case of allergy. Breathing is ok, itching stops. But this poison is making me shaky on the inside, and still nauseous with terrible headache, and muscle aches in my neck and back. I also have a sense of muscle stiffness, bodywide. All this for a "possible" post surgical infection. You couldn't get me to take this again for a million dollars. I am ordering a MedicAlert bracelet with Levaquin on it, as I don't ever want this in my body again. I almost had my husband take me to the ER. I am drinking lots of water to flush it out. I'm sure I am in the minority, and many people take it with no troubles. But all I can say is that I feel like I just took rat poison.

I have had to take Levaquin twice. Both times were for a post surgical infection. The Levaquin worked great on the infection, so I stuck with it even though it made me feel terrible. The side effects I had are: ringing in the ears (tinnitus), agitations/anxiety, dizziness, headache, inability to think straight, nausea, stuffed up nose. They were worse in the few hours after I took the Levaquin. I would take it at dinner, so I could sleep through most of the effects and not have to go to work feeling so bad. Fortunately, I did not suffer the insomnia some have had. After 5 days on it, I also got pain in my finger joints which took 2 weeks after stopping the Levaquin to go away. The pharmacist told me these are unfortunate side effects, but not dangerous enough ones to stop taking the drug. I really don't like this one at all, but I can say it does kill the infection.

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?

I am a healthy female with little to no history of adverse reactions to medications. I was prescribed a 10 day dose of Levequin (500 mg) for a minor but stubborn skin abscess. After the third day, I woke up with significant joint soreness in my fingers. Progressively the soreness spread daily to my wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, hips, etc. I did not suspect the antibiotic at first, but I know my body, and I know something was WRONG.
After my 8th dose I decided to look online...it is at least good to know that what I'm experiencing is definitely from Levequin. Thank you all for sharing your stories.

I especially found MERCEDESLANE posting on April 15th interesting. I guess this person works in the health care system. Considering this uncompassionate individual, who apparently wants everythone to know he has a Mercedes, can't spell (whine), and does not have basic grammar skills. Wow...my faith in the our health care system is stronger than ever. But what do I know, I'm just an "IDIOT" with shingles that needs to have a couple of glasses of whine while I pop my remaining Levequin.

I was prescribed 7 days 750mg of Levaquin on 9/10 and finished 9/16. I was originally diagnosed with bronchitis but went back to the Dr. yesterday cause I was not doing any better and he now says it's viral. I've gone to the hospital because I passed out on 9/13 and continue to faint at least once a day. I have tingling/numbness in my hands, ankles, toes, my knees hurt, my lower back is in a lot of pain, almost to where it is not tolerable, I'm dehydrated (I'm drinking and eating, just not as much) it is extremely painful to eat, my tongue and my gums hurt terribly. Last night I had a horrible dream (I don't dream usually, not nightmares) and today I started to hallucinate (mildly) A week ago I was functioning normally, a mother of 3, playing with my kids and now I can hardly walk without assistance, I can't go to work, I'm in constant pain. Someone please give me some kind of guidance. Will these feelings ever go away? What should I do? Thank you!!!!

Numerous side effects including but not limited to: spontaneous tendon rupture (right distal bicep), CNS agitation accompanied by anxiety and panic, extreme fatigue, digestive problems, on-going fluctuations of blood sugar level, rapid changes in body temperature, nausea, etc.

Some here insist on reporting the "good" this stuff has done (other than lining some peoples pockets with profits). I disagree. As I post this I see 2250 adverse effects have been posted previously. I urge yo all to look deeper ask the question: "Why so many problems with this class of drug?" The 2250 number is only for Levaquin..... don't forget to add in all the responses for all of the other drugs in the quinolone family. And while you are at it, find out how many other drugs have death as a side effect and how many have been reported. This is a defective drug.

I started Levaquin 500 MG on Thursday Aug. 29, 2008. I did not have any problem the first night. But the second day at about 3:00 PM I was working on my computer when my finger joints started to get stiff and my hands and arms started to shake. I just thought I was tired and forgot about it. At 1:30 AM August 30, I was awakened by someone shouting in my ear , You are going to die. I woke up in a sweat and my heart pounding. My hand were stiff and my knee joints were very tight. I also was in a very bad panic attack.
I went to my desk and wrote my wife a letter telling her how much I loved her and my dog Abby. I then proceeded to give her funeral instructions as to which funeral home church and buriel plot.. This writing was 3 pages long. I called my doctor and they as much told me this could not happen. My blood pressure was 240 over 120 when I took it. I took a valium and this calmed me down in 10 minutes. They gave me a new antibiotic for my Bronchitis. So I thought the nightmares and pain was over. Not so quick last night at 2:20 AM I was awake by the screaming in my ears you are going to die. I tried to call my wife but I could not get the word out for help. I tried to move my hands and fingers they would not move. Finally I rolled off the bed and yelled my wifes name she did not hear me.
This drug has set back my recovery from my panic attacks. This drug should be badded by the FDA. But as usual the government does nothing to help the public only big business.

Hi

I just ran upstairs to look at what Antibiotic I was on last and it's the same one. I got a rash on about day 7 and googled it and saw all the patients with lots and lots of complications. Actually I mentioned this to the doctor when I went back and she said lots of people react badly to it ...she could even take it. You think they should have to warn you of the serious side effects ...
I wonder why they are using this antibiotic all of a sudden as I have never heard of it before!!!
Interesting ....you should have this in your medical records in case you are in an accident.

There are on line sites that people post reactions to things that others can read....you should add yours....like I said SCARY!!!!

Jackie



-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Heather" ******
I just googled Levaquin and read this: Quinolones, including LEVAQUIN, may also cause central nervous system stimulation which may lead to tremors, restlessness, anxiety, lightheadedness, confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, nightmares, insomnia, and rarely, suicidal thoughts or acts. That describes what happened to me.

Im only 16 years old and ive been on levaquin for about 3 days now. My doctor told me off the bat that the only thing wrong with the drug were some "theories" on cartilidge damage, how ever, now i see for myself, and for many other people that is not the only side effect. He told me that no one under 18 is supposed to have it but i caught a severe case of sinutitus, and a uti which ive had for 2 months and nothing was working, so he put me on levaquin, once a day for 7 days. Ive now been having the following symptoms and im extremely scared!!
1. Constant fatigue
2. Extreme Migraines
3. Nausea, vomiting
4. Rapid heart beat (and chest pain)
5. Stiffness in joints and horrible pain...
6. Constant anxiousness, to where i cant get to sleep
7. Dizziness

Is there anyone i can talk to who's had these same problems? please email me or something im scared and i don't know what to do my mother doesn't believe me and she says its just a head cold....

******

Please help me!!

I was prescribed Levaquin by my Dr. for a sinus infection. There were 10 pills and I was to take one a day. No one mentioned any of the side effects or drug interactions except to not take antacids within 2 hours of taking the meds. During the coarse of me taking the medication I began having substernal chest pains which I thought was just horrible heart burn, but it got so bad that I woke up screaming multiple nights from the pain. I also started having pain in my ankles, legs and especially my knees. The pain in my knees gets so bad that I think my knee caps are going to shatter when I walk especially when going down the stairs. I didn't know any of the drug interactions and my father in law who is a physical therapist has always advised me to take ibuprofen for muscle and joint pain so that's what I did, but little did I know that was only increasing the effects on my central nervous system. I am also experiencing bouts of nausea, confusion, light headedness, difficulty sleeping, anxiety and I actually thought I was having a mental breakdown.. I was freaking out on my husband and very depressed even having suicidal thoughts. It wasn't until my mother randomly mentioned that she had heard about the FDA issuing the Black Box warning that I connected the dots and had already finished the meds. I called my doctor's office right away and was told that the symptoms I am having are not side effects of the medicine. Maybe the Dr. doesn't listen to the news either.

Muscle weakness, pain, tingling

After taking levaquin, I still suffer from muscle weakness, pain, and tingling several years later. My doctor who is one of the top specialists in New York has seen what this drug has done to me and is doing research for an article in a medical journal to put the word out of the horrible side effects of this drug as well as increasing the knowledge to hopefully figure out how to counteract this.

If you are/have suffered similar results, please contact me at ****** and we can discuss how you can send your case information to my doctor for the study and medical journal article. We need more scientific studies and literature out there about this drug and the side effects.

I took levaquin 750mg as prescribed yesterday, after leaving my doctors office at 330pm ( june 18th). along with calrinex d (1tab) and a tsp of tussionex suppension syrup and 4 nose shots of astelin in increments of two over a 4 hr period of time. I was awake a majority of the night unable to sleep. But had some bouts of sleep. This morning (june 19th) I awoke at 930 am forced awake due to an appointment, and took 550 mgm of levaqin and the array of other drugs, around 12pm I noticed a headache and believed it was due to the exertion of coughing so much, my appetite is non-existent and around 6pm I felt flushed and sweaty, however this feeling subsided. I am now in hyper drive, I want to fall asleep but when I do my throat has the sensation of being choaked and then I have this odd gush or air emmited nasally which awakens me from the doze. My left corotid arrtey was tender and my heart is palpitating. While my sinus infection is almost gone I do not think I will be continuing this medication. There will be a call made to my physician at first reasonable light, I am sure I will be awake.

I am a 49 year old male and took a 14 day course of Cipro for a UTI. By day four the souls of my feet were very sore, especially first thing in the morning but no other side effects. Mentioned sore feet to Dr after 7 days of Cipro but he did not believe it was from Cipro and had me complete the course. After 14 day course of Cipro feet were now so painful that I could barely walk on them especially after resting or getting out of bed. Also burning sensation on skin of feet and hands and some minor tremor. Saw a specialist and he immediately confirmed Cipro as the culprit and advised never to take that drug family again. Have since done the whole web search thing and discovered the whole saga of these drugs. Other symptoms have also appeared, some pain in middle of back, sharp pain in middle of back of both knees, hot and cold flushes, pain in left bicep, fingers that are very susceptible to joint injury and feelings of weakness and anxiety. Has been over three weeks now since I stopped Cipro and condition shows no improvement, may even be slightly worse. About to try a shotgun approach with treatment as there appears little documented evidence of anything conclusive on line. Starting course of anti-inflams (Voltaren) and these have already reduced the pain in my feet. Also magnesium and calcium supplements (theory goes that it may mop up any remaining Cipro and there is plenty of reports from sufferers saying that symptoms continue to appear for some months after stopping Cipro), Vitamin B6 (can apparently help with some types of nerve pain and tingling) and Fish Oil (omega 3's can help reduce inflammation). Not very scientific I know and can't be sure that all these are compatible with each other but am a bit desperate at this stage. Bracing myself for a three to six month recovery (just based on experience of many others). At this stage I am just hoping that damage is not irreversible as this appears to be a real risk. As everyone here will agree it is amazing how this situation is being allowed to continue. I could have stopped my Cipro on day two or three if I had been made fully aware of the risks and what to look out for. I am no expert by any means on this but from what I can gather Cipro and its relatives do nerve damage by the very way they work. It appears that anyone taking these drugs will inflict some nerve damage but for many it will not manifest to a degree that is a problem or at least a noticeable problem. So in some ways we are all sufferers, just to varying degrees. Another point mentioned often is that the symptoms may not appear for some months after the Cipro is stopped and therefore is not always associated with the drug. Also some say there is an accumulative affect with using the drug a second or third time. Symptoms may appear only after multiple use or symptoms may get much worse and more likely irreversible with multiple use. It's all scary reading. At this stage I am just hoping I can make a full recovery. Do damaged nerves repair themselves, does the Cipro eventually leech out of our systems .... I don't know. I will post in this forum again in a few months or sooner if I make a recovery.

I have been taking Levaquin for sinus infection after Augmentin didn't keep it from coming back. All I can say is that I am completely exhausted. I wonder if it is the drug or something else. No muscle pain. I don't know if I should stop taking it or continue. Tonight I was walking for exercise and couldn't finish because I thought I might faint. My heart was beating and I was shaking. Do you think it is the drug? HELP!

Prescribed 500mg of Levaquin for sinus infection, along w Medrol Pak steroids. Although steroids can cause restlessness, they do NOT cause COMPLETE anxiety, nightmares insomnia and aphasia. I took only 4 pills, 1 each day, and it's like i boarded THE CRAZY TRAIN. Fluoroquinolones are apparently known for their intense and dangerous side effects, and if it is true that this is also an antidote for anthrax poisoning, it's probably something that should not be prescribed for sinus infections. SEVERE side effects, chest tightness, etc. No wonder they will not rx it for teenagers-I am a healthy 42 yr old woman and would NEVER take it AGAIN,.

I have a question to any and all of you who have posted. I have similar symptoms to just about all of you minus any rash but mostly I have pain and some weakness in my right side particularly my shoulder and arm with some tremors in my pinky and ring finger and some pain and weakness in my right thigh. Insomnia and anxiety have also been a big part of the symptoms. Additionally when I take a hot shower my fingers twitch really bad then subside after about an hour...weird. My question is to some of you who have been going through this for some time is does this subside or even better go away over time? I have been off this stuff for just about a month now and things seem to be a little better but it might be that I am just getting used to the symptoms. Thanks

I have taken several rounds of Levaquin, and recently Avelox. After taking 2 rounds of levaquin for a sinus infection last spring I experience many of the myalgia type symptoms, and was tested for Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Lyme's disease, all negative... eventually felt better. I never attributed to the medication. Last fall I again had a sinus infection levaquin again, 2 rounds of 5 days in February, and then Avelox early April. I have never been sicker in my life. I have had many of the CNS effects, and the joint and muscle pain. Agonizing pain that I had never experienced. worse than passing a kidney stone. I am feeling a bit better, and heading back to work today after being unable to go for 10 days. I have also developed some eye problems, that are being managed with drops. I am trying to eat naturally and drinking lots of water. I pray this will go away, and want to warn everyone not to take this medication! Still have back and hip pain, pain in my feet, insomnia, headaches, and anxiety...but is not as severe as 10 days ago. My prayers are with all of you suffering from the side effects of these dangerous drugs.

I was prescribed Avelox for pneumonia, which I had a severe reaction to. I was driving in my car with my kids and suddenly didn't know where I was. I was so confused and pulled the car over and vomited. I rushed home and was launched into a full-fledged panic attack. I was then given Levaquin and I was fine with it other than some mild malaise and a little dizziness for the 7 days of 750mg, but my symptoms just came back soon after and I developed a sinus infection and was put back on the Levaquin. I took one 250mg pill yesterday and had the same thing happen, severe fatigue, weakness and numbness in my hands and arms, dizziness, confusion, panic attacks, blurred vision and severe diarrhea. I felt floaty and out of it for the rest of the day and night. I woke up this morning and I feel much better, other than some left over anxiety about taking the prescription. THE GOOD NEWS is that my symptoms are gone now that the antibiotic has been metabolized and secreted from my body. I did see some floaters in the shower today, but I believe they were because I strained my eyes when looking to far to the right. I drank 2 glasses of wine to help with the increased heart rate and insomnia that the drug caused--worked well!! I would never, ever take this antibiotic again.

I was prescribed 250 mg Levaquin once daily in mid-January for a Group B strep UTI. The night I took the first dose, I had trouble sleeping but didn't think that much of it. But the sleeplessness and anxiety grew over the next few days, and by the morning after I had taken the fourth dose, I was feeling extremely edge. Also, on that day i started feeling itchy and my face got hot and quite red. I took an Allegra and called my doctor, who said I should discontinue the drug. Three weeks later, I had my chin waxed at the same place I'd been having it done for years; I hadn't realized how messed up the Levaquin made my skin, but I had two large burn marks afterwards (which fortunately cleared up in about a week). I've also been having a rash on my neck, which I've been treating with Allegra and Benadryl cream.

I've posted here before about my nightmare with Levaquin that began in December of '06. I had all of the usual nasty side effects including: anxiety, thoughts of dying, unable to eat, redness, chest pain, strange blood pressure and temp readings, and finally a ruptured bicep tendon. Still, one side effect that I have not seen mentioned is one I'm still curious about..... I had a tremendous change in my sense of smell. To the point where I literally could not stand the scent of the deodorant I have used my entire life. To this day I still cannot tolerate that smell (as well as changes in other smells). Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Just curious.

While taking Levaquin I experienced insomnia and anxiety. One week after completing 500mg a day for 10 days, I began experiencing Tendonitis in my right hand/wrist and have had an incredibly painful earache with tinnitus and vertigo. The ENT doctor diagnosed TMJ, but I do not grind my teeth or clench my teeth. My jaw operates just fine with no immediate pain, but the earache persists almost constantly. The ENT doctor's solution was Vicodin, but I want a cure not a pain treatment. I don't believe I have TMJ and wonder if it could be the temporal tendon. I am indirectly aware of two other people who have had the same experience, and I wonder how many others are out there. If any one else has experienced this and has any knowledge or advice to offer, I would greatly appreciate it. I have no idea who to go to about this. The ENT doctor does not have any solutions, and I doubt a dentist can help me because I don't think it's TMJ.

Levaquin actually worked great when I took it. I was diagnosed with epididymitis after a urine culture was analyzed and the doc gave me a 10 day supply of Levaquin to take once a day. The side effects I felt were pain in the abdominal area, headaches, anxiety, confusion, and dizziness. Those I could live with, because the epididymitis problem had more side effects than the drug. The trade off was worth it. I'm on my 7th day of Levaquin and I feel a whole lot better than without it. But do beware some people do react badly to the Levaquin family of drugs including cipro. This is some powerful stuff not to be messed around with, it is also used to treat HIV patients and people who had post inhalation of Anthrax. Yes it is powerful enough to treat those dangerous conditions. When you take Levaquin just get plenty of rest drink lots of water AND Cranberry juice which prevents unitary tract infections. Do not exercise while on this medicine for it will cause tendon damage, just take it easy for the whole time you are on it with plenty of fluids. Get better and stay healthy.

Was prescribed Levaquin during the flu for the "possibility" of an infection. Developed severe leg cramps and swelling. Insomnia, have slept a total of about 3 hours in 3 nights. Episodes of depression, crying and anxiety with racing heart. If this was the only drug available to save myself from a severe sinus infection, or even death, I would chose the infection! Stay away from this antibiotic, it's unbelievable this drug is legal and even more so that doctors actually prescribe it to people. I guarantee they wouldn't take it themselves or give it to loved ones.

I started taking Levaquin in December for a respiratory infection (500mg for 10 days). The only side effects I noticed while taking it was a terrible headache, insomnia and anxiety. I experienced that after the first dose. The next day I called my Dr. to tell him and he said he would prescribe Ativan and I should continue with my prescription. I wish I had listened to my common sense, but I listened to the doctor. I finished the prescription and felt somewhat better from the infection but after 10 days of being off the Levaquin, I started to get a burning pain in my left arm. At first I thought it was a blood clot or something. Two days later, the pain had spread to both arms. The pain was so intense I thought I was going to pass out. I had severe joint and muscle pain. I suspected it was the Levaquin when I found this and other websites where people have been describing their experiences. I made copies of a lot of information to take to the doctor. When I went the doctor I described my pain and tried to show him the information, but he didn't believe me. He said it was not caused by the Levaquin. Since then, the pain has spread to my knees. I have decided to find a new doctor since I refuse to waste my time on a doctor who doesn't even believe me. I called the FDA to file a med watch and they said they were going to send me paperwork..guess what..that was last week and I still haven't gotten paperwork. I believe that everyone is trying to keep this undercover! I am going to go to their website and download my own forms and file.
Two weeks ago I started taking a regimen of vitamins: Daily 3000 mg vitamin C, one B Complex, Milk Thistle, 1000 mg Calcium, 500 mg Magnesium, Potassium, and a Probiotic supplement. I don't know if these have helped me, but I do want to say that I feel better than I felt two weeks ago. I still have a lot of pain, but it's not as severe as it was. I'm hoping that it goes away soon. I am spreading the word among family and friends to NEVER take anything in the quinolinone family of antibiotics. I really don't believe that these side effects are as rare as they say. I just believe many people don't report because most don't connect the dots that their symptoms were caused by the antibiotic. My symptoms didn't start until almost two weeks after I completed the antibiotics. I was just lucky enough to have figured it out. The other symptoms I am having are muscle twitching, trouble focusing, insomnia, and cold hands/feet. I also just once had a ringing in my left ear that made me feel like I lost some of my hearing after it finished. I hope that's not the case. I will continue to pray for all of you.

My 15 year old daughter was prescribed this medication for a sinus infection. By the 2nd day she had a headache and by that night she was having nightmares bad enough that she wanted me to watch her fall asleep. She is now paranoid, anxious, she has slept the entire day for the last 5 days and hasn't wanted to leave the house. I left the house and she called me on the phone very paranoid to the point she asked me not to hang up the phone and she kept asking how long until I come home. I was just a few blocks away and she kept telling me to hurry home. I put her in the car with us just to get out of the house then she said she felt sick and threw up. She hasn't held a full conversation in 5 days and says she feels like she's crazy. I called the on-call doctor's hospital and they surprised a doctor prescribed this to a teenager.

Struggling with a sinus infection that threatened to bore into my brain, resulting, ultimately, in seizures and death, I've been taking Levaquin now for three days. I'm experiencing anxiety and sleeplessness, however, it's not from the medication. It's from all the hyperbole on the internet.

Look, I understand that many have had adverse reactions to this medication. One dose of penicillin can kill you without warning. At anytime. No warning. I suspect that few of those labellings Levaquin "poison" would ever bother to consider that - or anything else. All wrapped up in your misery, you spout off with rhetoric that is really better left to lawyers and politicians.

If you were uninformed of the possible side-effects of this medication, blame your doctor. I see that the last post here is dated November 2007, and the bottom of this first page takes us to October 2006. Perhaps one could take a bit of responsibility for oneself and do some research on one's own before popping a pill handed out by a disinterested physician. This information is out there - and yes, your doctor could have seen it, too. But he didn't bother, did he? Neither did you.

So, yes, with my first dose, and despite the impact drill driving through my eye-socket, I waited for the seizures, swelling and signs of imminent demise. Nothing. Sorry. Oh, my sinuses feel better, I don't have a brain infection, and so I won't die frothing at the mouth on my living room floor.

I'm sorry you feel bad - and if you hadn't run off at the mouth calling what may be one of the last effective antibiotics "poison", I might mean that with some sincerity. Oh, and lest you forget, antibiotics are poison by definition - the idea being that they affect/poison/kill the source more than they do the host.

So let's stop the hyperbole, and simply say you had a bad reaction to this medication. Not everyone does. Your option might have been to skip the doctor and the meds altogether, and see how you'd fare. But that would leave the responsibility, and the blame, all on you, then, wouldn't it? Far better to spread it around some.

I am a physician and have prescribed levaquin to many people. I have had some of them complain of what they thought were serious and variable side effects but mostly I attributed their problems to anxiety and hypochondiasis. I now know differently. I took levaquin, and for over a year I have had serious CNS anxiety, insomnia, joint and tendon pain, and widespread peripheral neuropathy. It has been an awful time and since realizing that the effects are often long term I have been able to identify many other patients who have developed serious long term problems with anxiety, depression, arthropathy and tendonopathy, neuropathy and possibly endocrine effects like gonadal failure and worsening of diabetes. There are no long term studies done post marketing to identify these effects and to unify all of these problems into one syndrom of fluoroquinolone toxicity. This is a big problem and I believe thousands of patients have been adversely affected by the use and misuse of levaquin and probably the other fluoroquinolone antibiotics. I have other colleagues who are beginning to recognize the long term consequences of levaquin and the fluoroquinolones. More research and study needs to be done. In the mean time I am sure that Johnson and Johnson, Ortho- Mcneil, will continue to refute that the incidence of serious adverse reactions is much higher than they report.

I WAS a very healty 45 year old. I walked/ran 3.5 miles a day and did weight training 3 x a week. Ate healthy. No medicines at all, never sick. Had a mild sinus infection and hot flashes followed by freezing that we thought might be from the sinus infection. Dr. gave me Levaquin. Within a couple of days, I felt like both of my hamstrings were pulled and could barely walk. Bear in mind, that I had not been excercizing due to work circumstances. I had a shaky feeling inside that you could sort of see in my fingers. Anxiety. Depression. Mild nausea. Fatigue. A month later, still having the hot flashes and freezing and worse than ever (seems like constant), doctor thought the sinus infection hadn't cleared up so he prescribed cipro - 15 days 500 mg along with a steroid. Everything got even worse. Rash on my hand/arm the first or second day that I blew off as from an ant bite. Nightmares the first 3 nights. Hot flashes often accompanied by racing heartbeat, sometimes slight chest pain if the hot flashes came one right after the other. As I write this I am dripping in sweat. Headache. Also, all my joints started, and continue to hurt. Knees, ankles, even fingers and toes. I've never had arthritis, but I imagine this is what it would feel like if you had it in your entire body. Also, I feel STARVING right AFTER I eat. A relative emailed me a scanned copy of her pharmacy's warnings for levaquin and it mentions hypoglycemia and lists many of these symptoms. (not the muscle ones)
My dr. is attributing most of it to 'anxiety' but I didn't have the anxiety until after the meds and the symptoms.
He did a host of bloodwork to rule out infection, lupus, hormone problems, thyroid, etc and they all came back normal.

I took this drug for an infection and it was the worst thing that
I could have done to my body. I went to see a chiropractor for adjustments to my body and did acupuncture to help build my body back up. It has worked for the muscle aches, but the anxiety, tingling in the arms and insomnia is still there. I started taking Levaquin in May of this year and have been off the medicine for almost three and a half months. I'm in the hopes that I will continue to get better everyday. I want people to know that this is a nasty drug and do not take it no matter what!!!!!!

Thank God for this forum. It's my second day taking this poison and I am feeling AWFUL ..insomnia, anxiety, flu like sympotoms and all this time I was thinking I was going crazy. I am just worried about what would happen if I stop taking it, but at this point I can't feel any worse. It is obvious to me now that we cannot put our heath on anybody's hands, except ourselves. I can't believe this things is still being prescribed after everything I've read about it.

I started a 5 day dose of 500 mg (UTI) last week right before I flew to Chicago for a weekend vacation. Before my flight I was a NERVOUS wreck! I hadn't flown in a while and couldn't believe the anxiety I was feeling. While there, on my 3rd day of levaquin, I went horse-back riding for about an hour, no biggie. The next day, I tried to go on a walk, and had to lay down right in the middle of the woods because my thighs were so sore and my hands were trembling. I had terrible fear of getting back on the plane sunday night, and wanted to write out a will! I was crying my eyes out. Not normal for me. When I got home, I awoke at 3 am extrememly sick to my stomach. I have now been off for 2 days, and the hot sweats and leg pain made me think I had something very wrong. I'm 37 female, healthy.