Levaquin and charley horse

I was prescribed Levaquin because 'my body was fighting some sort of infection'. I was told to take it in the am since it had a side effect of causing sleeplessness. That night I had very tortured sleep. I would wake up after an hour or two of sleep feeling very unsettled. At times I would have nightmares and wake up sweating with my heart pounding. I woke up the first morning after taking it with an awful headache. I stupidly took a second pill that morning and went through the same again the next night. I woke up on day two with another awful headache. I finally got it under control with advil. I also had the worst charley horse I have ever had. My leg was sore for 3 days afterwards, causing me at times to limp. One of my nightmares was so vivid that I now, after reading these blogs, wonder if I really dreamed it or not. I have actually considered ways that I could verify. (It involved police helicoptors flying over and over my house.) I never have had things like this happen to me. This medicine is very scary and I hope that it will be taken off the market.

I was prescribed 7 Levaquin (3- 750mg and 4- 500mg) on Friday December 12th 2008 for an ear infection. I was to take the 3- 750mg ones for the next 3 days and then start on the last 4- 500mg. The next evening Saturday, I started to get sharp pains in my left calf. I thought it was a charley horse and started limping around with pain. During the night I felt as if I was lying on golf balls and could not get comfortable.

The next morning the pain in the calf included soreness in the left hip area. I took an over-the-counter pain pill and went on my business. I also took the second 750mg Levaquin Saturday morning. Later that afternoon my right calf starting hurting with sharp pain as I walked around the house. This was really weird. The pain was exactly in the same area as the left side.

On Sunday morning (December 14th 2008) I took the 3rd 750mg Levaquin. That evening I started to put two and two together and had some thoughts the medication (Levaquin) was causing these side effects. I told my wife that I was going call my doctor on Monday (December 15th 2008) and let him know how much pain I was in. At this time I could hardly walk. I was walking with much pain and felt like I was walking like the Apes in the movie called “Planet of the Apes”.

I was now on the 500mg Levaquin. I took this pill Monday as scheduled. I called my doctors office Monday morning and talked to the lady that answered his phone. I explained my condition. She had me describe my symptoms twice. She told me she would give my message to my doctor. I did not receive a return that same day.

Tuesday morning I took the next 500mg Levaquin as scheduled required. Later that day I received a call from a lady at my doctor’s office. She told me that the doctor was going to phone in an additional prescription and where did I want it phoned to. I asked her what the doctor said about the additional 2- 500mg Levaquin pills I had left. Did he want me to stop taking them? She told me he didn’t say and he made no comment on my side effects.

My wife called the Pharmacist later Tuesday afternoon and the prescription was not there or not ready.

Wednesday morning I took the 2nd to last 500mg Levaquin dose as scheduled. Later that morning my wife called the Pharmacist and my new prescription was ready. We went and picked up the new medication that afternoon.

At this time I only had one more dose of the 500mg Levaquin and seeing-how the doctor didn’t tell me to stop taking the remaining last couple of pills I took it on Thursday morning to finish out the prescription.

I’ve been off Levaquin for about 3 days now. It’s now Sunday December 20, 2008 and many of my joints and muscles are in distress. I walk with much pain. I can hardly life my arm above my shoulders. Even my hands hurt when I try to make a fist. I hope this drug starts to wear off soon.

Along with my other medical problems, I have been starting to have thoughts of how unimportant I am. How I could become a burden to my family. My depression has gotten worse and thoughts of suicide have flashed into my mind. Those thoughts give me chills because I love my wife and know how much that would hurt her. I love life but I don’t want to get to the point that I can’t take care of myself. God must give me the courage to do what I have to do. I don’t know why I’m writing down the above information. This is so personal. This can’t be happing to me. It just doesn’t seem possible. I feel the pain in each of my joints in my hands as I type. It is as though I was not myself. I look at my hands and it seems as if I was in someone else’s body. I’m sure this is side effects of the Levaquin and should subside soon. Merry Christmas Everyone.

Tremendous pain and pressure in eyes. Broken ankle feeling. Sprained wrist feeling. Unnatural headache. Less frequent peeing. Insomnia. Severe fatigue. Depression. Detachment. Anxiety. Crying fits. Nightmares. Manic episodes. Saying wrong words and dropping things from my hand very easily. Confusion while driving in my own neighborhood. Calf pain, as though it were going to split wide open, and at other times as though on the edge of a charley horse, lasting for several hours. Extremely DEEP shoulder pain. Funny taste in mouth. Substantial decrease of appetite. Misc deep and quite disturbing pains in fingers and toes and hands and feet. Strange 'bubbly' sensations under skin. Strange 'wet' feelings (like blood running down) under skin. Sore to the touch 'sunburned' feelings on skin. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE POISON AND MUST BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET!!! STILL AFFECTED 3 WEEKS AFTER STOPPING PILL AND COUNTING!!! DO NOT TAKE WITH STEROIDS OR IBUPROFIN OR CAFFINE - MAY LEAD TO MULTI-SYSTEM ORGAN FAILURE!!!!!!!