Levaquin and co worker

My mother actually already posted about my experience with Levaquin, but I thought I would add my own story.
After being perscribed Levaquin and taking only one...I couldn't sleep, my heart rate (normally below 60) was at atleast 110, I thought people were outside my house and envisioned them talking about killing me. I have never felt this way in my life. It was very scary and I called the ER to ask if I should continue taking the meds. They told me to take another and see what happens... Thank goodness I threw it up, because after reading these horror stories, I'm afraid I may have had permanent damage. This drug is absolutely awful for those with side effects. Stop taking them at the first sign of symptoms like these. Most doctors it looks like are oblivious to the fact that this is happening.

I haven't seen this side effect listed but on the second day of taking Levaquin for an upper respiratory infection I had a yellow streak from the inside corner of my eye down my cheek. I was speaking with a co-worker when she said, "What's wrong with your face?" Knowing this to be a jaundice sign from my liver, I discontinued the Levaquin immediately and called my Dr. I also experience fogginess to the point I shouldn't have been working or driving.

Im a 39 year old male in good health, diagonosed 2 days ago with Epydidimitus of my right testicle, possibly bacterial. My GP prescribed a 4 day dosage of Levaquin after giving me 3 sample 500mg tablets, told me to keep out of the sun and to call him if there were any reactions like a rash/sunburn. When I enquired as to whether I could continue my daily 2 mile bike rides, he suggested I not and I concluded it was due to the Epydidimitus. There was no insert in the sample packs, I filled the prescripton and would pick it up later that day.
However, at work I proceeded to do an Google search on Levaquin at Ortho-McNeil and was alarmed at what I read. I found this site and concluded that I didn't want to take fluroquionones for my illness and now understood why bike riding wasn't a good idea (possibility of Tendon Ruptures!!!).
I called my GP's office, spoke with the nurse and requested an alternate antibiotic. I was told the GP would be get back to me. The next morning his nurse called and instructed me to either take the Levaquin or see the in-plan urologist. An co-worker told me he'd requested not to receive Levaquin for a UTI, as it gave him leg cramps after he'd stopped taking it. I called a drug-rep friend of mine, inquired about Levaquin, was told it was being given out "like candy", most widely prescribed AB, safe, he's taken it, etc. But he'd also seen side effects and was surprised my GP wouldn't prescribe an alternative. He put me in touch with a PA at my urologists office, who called me back within an hour. The PA agreed that it was reasonable to prescribe something less powerful, as fluoroquinones are usually 2nd or 3rd line drugs. He agreed to see me the same day. I then called my GP's office to request that he get on the phone for 5 minutes at his convenience to discuss an alternative drug, but only received a call back from the head nurse who would relay the message!?? The PA did an exam, explained that quionones are often prescribed at his office after a patient hasn't responed to other antibiotics prescribed by a GP. His prognosis was the same as my GP, however he also suggested I get an ultrasound in addition, just to be sure.
End result, I was prescribed Doxycycline 100mg/2xDay for 14 days and will follow up in 3 weeks.

DON'T GIVE IN WITHOUT A FIGHT! If these drugs are unsafe, and there is even a 1% chance of major complications (Levaquin 46% of all patients reported adverse effects of some sort), why take them unless absolutely necessary! This is a family of drugs, that while being very powerful, was originally approved as a 2nd or 3rd line of defence, when other AB's didn't work. GP's may be prescribing them as wide-spectrum cure-alls without knowing the frequency of adverse side-effects. They already work 10+ hour days, why would they hop online to investigate negative effects reported to non-profit watchdog sites? We're not doctors, so what do we know...right? WRONG! Do your homework, ask questions, be considerate but firm. You have the right to ask for alternative treatments so long as you are informed. God Bless, best wishes.