Levaquin and doctors

I am 35 years old and I live in Jacksonville, NC. Five days ago I was prescribed Levaquin for a serious sinus infection. After taking the first pill, I kept telling my husband I felt weird. Like I was numb. This was Saturday. By Monday I had no feeling in my face, no sense of smell or taste. It was horrible. By Monday eve my heart was pounding. I felt like it was coming out of my chest. I was so dizzy and I found it hard to concentrate. I woke up Wed. morning telling my husband I felt weird. I felt like I couldn't move my eyes and I couldn't feel the left side of my body. My lip on the upper right was swollen with blisters. Not to mention they were so dry because it seemed like no matter how much I was drinking I could never stay hydrated. By lunchtime Wed my left side of my body became very hot to where I was actually sweating under my armpit on the left side and my right side was cold. My heart began to race very badly, I became very dizzy, I felt like I couldn't breathe, my throat felt like it was swelling up and I couldn't swallow, then I started to shake uncontrollably, my body broke out in the horrible hives/rash. My blood pressure soared to 198/109 my pulse was 148. Then everything went black and I lost conscious. When I woke I was told I was unconscious for nearly three hours and that they injected me straight in the neck with epinephrine and injected me in my arm with 50 cc of Benadryl. They told me that they believe I suffered a serious reaction from Levaquin. It is the day after, cant even go to work, so weak and have the worst case of diarrhea you could possibly imagine. I was not even aware that the FDA put a black box warning on this drug. Meaning it is the worst warning you can have without removing it off the market. What the hell is wrong with these doctors? Why the hell would you keep giving that poison to us if you know it has such severe reactions. I am a mother of five and yesterday I thought my kids were going to be without a mother, that is how bad it was. I still have the bouts of paranoia and swear I am seeing things. My mind is a blur to most of yesterday. I still have no feeling on the left side of my body, or my face. I still cant taste or smell anything either. I am having bouts of dizziness and anxiety. I only consumed four of the 750 mg tablets, they gave me seven. They have prescribed me a different antibiotic, however because of yesterday, I am petrified of taking any medications, even Tylenol.

Extreme nausea, stiff joints, weak, dizzy, quickened pulse.
11/08/08
After taking just one dose of Levaquin, I can say with confidence, this is the atom bomb of antibiotics. My doctor was off for three days, so I went to a walk-in clinic with a solid reputation in Westport CT. My problem was a sinus infection that had gotten slightly better after a round of Clarithrymicin, but was reincarnating itself every week or so with new symptoms. At the time of the visit, I had been sick almost 6 weeks, and now had a phlegmy cough and felt run-down.

The doctor prescribed Levaquin rather casually, said I seemed to have a touch of bronchitis. He never mentioned possible side effects, asked no questions about my history. Adding insult to injury, when paying for the scrip at CVS, I discovered, that having exceeded the cap my insurer pays for medications, 10 tabs of Levaquin cost me $219 -- the good news was, without an insurance discount, it would have cost $310, To his credit, the pharmacist looked embarrassed.

After taking one tab, 750 mg, around 7:00 pm, I woke at 3:00 am feeling very nauseous. I used deep breathing to get back to sleep. In the morning, I felt better, my cough was already gone, but the nausea continued. As the day wore on, my joints felt dry and stiff, my heart raced, I was weak and dizzy. The thought of taking another tab felt like participation in my own poisoning.

I looked up Levaquin on Medications.com, and was glad so many people had taken the time to report their stories. In the end, I didn't take another tab, and don't much feel like ever going to a doctor again. My symptoms hardly justified such a powerful blast. Doctors need to question the authority of their masters, the greedy pharmaceutical ghouls.

I was prescribed levaquin for a skin infection called cellulitis. I was meant to use it for 12 days but i stopped on day 10 because i started feeling a sharp pain in the right side of my chest. I intend to talk to my doctor today about this but I'm sure there won't be any real solutions considering the posts I've been reading on this website. I'm currently at work and just can't concentrate as a result of this chest pain. I can't stretch, I can't swing my right arm, I can't even lift anything heavier than my cellphone with my right arm!!......Pls if there is anyone out there who has a solution to this problem, kindly send me a reply. I feel sorry for everyone on here with this experience with levaquin especially with those who are in a more serious situation than i am. Thanks as I look forward to someone's suggestion.

If Levaquin has all these side effects why do the Doctors give this medication to patients??
My Doctor give me 5 samples and are to be taken once a day.
I have osteoarthritis etc. and had a cold plus I had a bladder infection, should I be taking Levaquin??

This is my third posting. At this URL thousands of people have recounted how they were were poisoned by medicine that was supposed to make them well. Reading these accounts is like watching a science fiction horror film. One after another over the course of five years since medicines.com began posting their respective experiences, another hapless victim falls headlong into the levaquin trap. It's like watching cars crash on a fog-filled highway. Suggestible doctors rely upon marketing representations by pharmaceutical reps. Doe-eyed patients fill with confidence their doctors' prescriptions. A small percentage of these presciptees --- what % we likely will never know --- suffers severe adverse reactions that change their lives forever. There are several thousand accounts of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) re: levaquin on this website alone. There must be ten times that number of computer illiterates or incurious who experienced ADRs but who never posted their stories on medicines.com. Insofar as Levequin poisoning can appear many months after the prescription-taker discontinued taking his/her prescription, one wonders separately how many people became blind-sided by symptoms which the ADR sufferer never remotely traced back to quinolones. Suddenly out-of-the-blue a hapless victim is felled by symptoms that require exhaustive medical testing. No-one intended this DNA-changing drug to create full employment for medical personnel. Ironically Levaquin poisoning has created a pharmaceutical aftermarket for medical professionals who occupy a no-lose proposition: Either Levaquin will cure what ails you now, or consequent Levaquin poisoning will put you at the head of the line for additional testing. The right hand unwittingly prescribes a poison while the left hand tests you and treats you for a possible antidote! It's really a half-wit's delight with possibly deadly consequences. The FDA bows to the invisible hand of deregulation and social Darwinism: What doesn't kill you makes you better. If enough people complain about their ADRs, the FDA might or might not post a black box warning about the prescription drug's adverse effect. But unaddressed is the crucial link between commission-incented pharmaceutical marketing reps and their prey ---- harried doctors who are too busy to read the contraindications' fine print. Big pharmacy knows well the drill, and has earmarked a percentage of company profits and set them aside to cover the inevitable lawsuits from crippled Levqauin consumers and/or their heirs. Big pharma's profits exceed big pharma's court-mandated awards. The hubaballo dies-down about the time the FDA has weighed-in with warnings and after big pharma has retired its belatedly discredited antibiotic in favor of marketing a **miracle** new generation replacement. It's Sisyphus (look it up) all over! It's hard not to be cynical and bitter. This is the equivalent of taking incoming "friendly fire" in the medical profession. With ADRs like these who needs illness? Just take the medicine and proceed right to sick.

I was prescribed Levaquin in July 2008 for a kidney infection - 500 mg for 7 days. I experienced insomnia, muscle cramping in my calfs, and aching a chilies tendon while taking the drug. Approximately 5 days post Levaquin I started having generalized muscle twitching (head to toe) which is intensely noticed at rest, severe anxiety, burning sensation, vibratory sensation, and most recently weakness accompanied w/ pain in my right arm. I have seen 4 separate doctors in 3 months and have had blood work done along with an MRI of my brain. All tests came back normal... I am scheduled for an EEG and EMG this coming week - which too will probably come back normal. Between all of my doctors I have been diagnosed w/ a virus, anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and a mild case of Guillain-Bairre Syndrome. Luckily all the doctors have agreed that they do not believe I have MS or ALS. Before the kidney infection I was healthy and RARELY made a visit to the doctors. I have issued a Medwatch Report to the FDA as I am completely convinced that my medical issues are related to Levaquin. I have been dealing with these symptoms now for 3 months and would appreciate any feedback from individuals who have experienced the same side effects and what they may have done to ease the symptoms.

I had a sinus infection and my doctor handed me samples of Levaquin, 5 doses at 750mg each. I took it for the first 2 days, couldn't sleep, forgot to take it on the 3rd day because I finally was able to catch up on the sleep that I missed from the 1st and 2nd day. Took the third dose and noticed that my shoulder (left shoulder) was starting to hurt, I thought I had slept on it the wrong way, until I started looking at the side effects on the 4th day after I took my 4th dose. After I read the side effects I threw the 5th dose in the trash. I love my doctor and he has always helped by giving out samples, but what the samples don't tell you are the side effects. Needless to say I have been off of it for 2 days now. I am sleeping slightly better, but now have to adjust the way I sleep because I can't raise my arm any higher than level to my shoulder with out horrible pain. I am 28 and very active but now I fear that I may have to worry about rupturing my shoulder. I think I will head back to my doctor to see what I can do.

I am an active, 35-yr old male, who is fighting some kind of infection for three weeks, finally went to doctor, who prescribed Levaquin to knock out bacterial infection. Took one pill yesterday at 8:30 a.m. Did not have immediate reactions, but began to develop sore throat throughout the day. Basically crashed last night at about 9 p.m. Exhausted, went to bed, where I had "tired" joints (hard to qualify this, not pain per se, but achiness), numbness on left side of body, tingling, bizarre dreams, but basically so TIRED. Feel better this a.m. (still have the sore throat, residual numbness and joint ache) but I am NOT taking the Levaquin again - after reading these posts, hopefully one pill will not cause me any long term damage.

I'm not someone affected by Levaquin, but my boyfriend took Levaquin and now he has blurriness, visual snow, static, and halos. He's having really bad vision, yet his doctor says he has 20/20 vision. He is becoming suicidal and doesn't want to live anymore. He's been to over 30 doctors alone in a few months to find a cure and none of the doctors want to put a blame on Levaquin. He is losing hope and I'm losing hope. He seriously contemplates suicide everyday. Please someone help or e-mail me with anything you did to help your vision if you took Levaquin. If you saw any retina specialist or special doctors that cured the problems that Levaquin damaged. He's willing to fly anywhere in the world to get this fixed. He's going to try acupuncture for the eyes. What other remedies or things should he be trying? My e-mail is ******

I'm on day 3 of 750mg of Levaquin for walking pneumonia, and I feel awful. I've been so nauseous that I feel like I have the flu now. It started yesterday, but is definitely much worse today. I'm not taking any more of this medication. I'm calling my Dr. in the morning. I feel lucky after reading all these other posts.

I've been taking Levaquin for about 3 weeks. Last week, suddenly, every joint in my body started aching. I mean from my neck, hands, hips, knees, ankles, feet, everything. For the past week, when I wake up, I can't even make a fist without experiencing excruciating pain. I've always been very active, running, basketball, soccer, skiing, you name it, so this is scaring the heck out of me. I'm 47 years old, and up until a week ago, I was hiking with my family, running everyday with my dog. Now I feel like I'm 100 years old. It hurts to walk, stand up, etc! I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow! I'm ticked about this!

I was hospitalized about four months ago for a total of three days due to a massive kidney infection, during three days in the hospital I was pumped full of Levaquin. I began suffering what the doctor believed was a migraine on the second day, let me tell you it was far worse than any other migraine I had ever had. So not only did they send me home with a prescription for Levaquin they sent me home with a migraine prescription. I took Levaquin for a week after my departure from the hospital, I am young and very naive when it comes to doctors and hospitals and I had faith in my doctor that the medicine they prescribed me was good for me. After suffering from a migraine for almost two straight weeks I began to suffer from blind spots in my eyes, and a kind of slowing down effect. I would get up and it would cause my head to feel like it take my mind and my eyes a couple minutes to catch up to my body, vertigo. Well I returned to the hospital and was told I was suffering a migraine, once again, no migraine I had ever had caused blind spots. They referred me to a neurological ophthalmologist who took the time to look at my eyes, and diagnosed me with Pseudotumor Cerebri. He told me that the medicine had caused pressure to build up in my head and caused hemorrhaging in the back of my eyes, hence the blind spots. I have a scheduled MRI to validate the doctors concerns, but the treatment he is telling me may reverse the affects is a long term treatment, and has a possibility of not being successful. So for a medicine I was given to treat one thing I acquire something far worse and all for trusting a doctor to have my interests in mind

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 too have been on a regimen of 750mg of Levaquin for an infection on my leg. On day 2 I could not figure out why my upper keft arm was hurting me so much. I as so many others, wrote it off to hanging drapes and cleaning out my pantry. Four days later the pain started in my right arm and again, I was trying to figure out what in the world was going on. It's an intense pain like I've never had before. I have Crohn's disease so I wrote some of it off to that as well. I saw my Doctor today and didn't even think about telling her about the Levaquin (different Doctor prescribed it). As I lay in bed this evening unable to sleep I decided to do some research on Levaquin as it was the only thing I could think of that was causing problems. Boy, did I discover something. Thank you all for posting your issues on this website. I will be seeing the prescribing doctor tomorrow and will let her know the outcome of the drug and will make sure that I will never be taking Levaquin again. Too bad we can't get this word out to everyone being prescribed this drug. It's dangerous and hardly worth it. There has to be something else out there that we can take. .

I have taken Cipro & levaquin or several occasions for several years. I DID NOT KNOW OF THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF THESE DRUGS ON TENDONS AND OTHER MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS. A FEW DAYS AGO I HEARD A LEGAL AD ON TV WHICH CAUGHT MY ATTENTION: ' IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS TAKEN LEVAQUIN AND SUFFERED A RUPTURED TENDON, CALL....... ' OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS , I HAVE HAD THREE ROTATOR CUFF INJURIES, TWO OF WHICH REQUIRED SURGERY AND A LONG REHAB, AND A "PROBABLE" TENDON TEAR OF MY FOREARM FOR WHICH I WAS ON LIGHT DUTY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, REHABBING W/ PT, STEROIDS, BOTH ORAL AND INJECTIONS, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDS. AS MOST OF THESE INJURIES OCCURRED AT WORK- I AM A CCU NURSE- AND WAS TREATED BY OCC MED DOCTORS, AND THEN REFERRED TO SPECIALISTS WHEN I WASN'T GETTING BETTER, I WAS MADE TO FEEL AS IF THESE INJURIES WERE SOMEHOW MY FAULT, THROUGH POOR LIFTING TECHNIQUES,ETC. AT NO TIME DURING ALL THESE TREATMENTS FOR INJURIES DID ANY HEALTHCARE PROVIDER PUT THESE TWO THINGS TOGETHER AND ASK QUESTIONS, AND NOR DID MY OWN PHYSICIAN. THIS WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS DRUG HAS NOT BEEN WELL DISSEMINATED TO THE MEDICAL PROVIDERS.

My 81 year old mother, who has Diabetes and Blood Pressure (and who is on eleven medications) was given a prescription for 750(!!!) mgs of this drug, by the doctor's physician assistant for a mild upper respiratory infection. Four days later, she ends up in the hospital delirious and confused, with pain in her back and legs. She recognized no one. After a few days, and constant intravenous fluids, she came back to herself. She's always been sharp as a tack, and in pretty good shape for her age. When she was brought to the hospital, they thought she was stroking, and of course, she couldn't tell them that she was just prescribed this medication. All her battery of tests came back negative for stroke. Her useless doctor never even showed up at the hospital. If she had, she could have told them about the prescribed Levaquin. When she was released from the hospital, I called the pharmacist and asked what medication that she was taking could of caused this - and he said without a doubt, the Levaquin. This stuff is absolute poison and should not be on the market. How it got approved, I don't know - maybe kickbacks to them - for sure kickbacks to the doctors who prescribe it and claim side affects are very rear with this medication. If you are every given a prescription for this - ask your doctor for something else.

Hello All, My Levaquin nightmare began on June 18th, 2008. The side effects I had were so unbelievable, most of you, if not all of you will believe this. I had severe night sweats which would transfer over to a extreme cold chills, which would allow me to sweat like crazy. Bathed in Sweat. I thought there were small needles all around me and poking me everywhere. My feet, toes, knees and buttocks tingled like there was no tomorrow (and still are to this day). When and how can I make these side effects go away. I'm sick of them. I no longer have the night sweats or the bitter chills, I'm now totally aware of want is going on around me, while taking the med and several days after I couldn't even tell you my name. The bridge of my nose, and running across to my ears tingled like crazy and my ears rang all the time, and they still ring once in a while still. I need to know when this feeling of tingling in my hands, feet, knees, legs and humming in my ears will go a way. Help! I think this drug needs to taken off the market. I took a total of 17 pills. My first scripted was for 15 days and by not knowing any better less then a week later and another doctors appointment, and one more script, which I filled. I took two pills from that bottle. My husband called the doctor and she told him this wasn't normal. She told him that I was to stop the med asap, which I did and I'm still having these awful tingling. If anyone, anyone has any suggestion of how to get those med out of my system I would certainly appreciate it. God Bless each and every one of you. May you all find relief.

I was prescribed Levaquin 750mg for a cough and cold. Day 6, the day after my last pill, my shoulders started to hurt. I took Motrin which did not help at all. 17 days after taking the drug I was still having shoulder pain and the doctor prescribed a pain killer for Tendinitis.
Last week I read about the black box warning from the FDA and then realized that the Levaquin was the source of my Tendinitis. I am now on my third pain killer, Ibuprofen 800mg. After six days I still have the shoulder pain and will have to be making a fourth visit to the doctors.

My husband was having gastrointestinal problems for about a week. The PA at his primary care physician's office prescribed Levaquin for 7 days. Blood taken ½ hr after Levaquin started showed liver levels to be a little high. By the 3rd or 4th day my husband was jaundiced. Blood taken on the 6th day revealed liver levels dramatically higher. He is still jaundiced and liver levels are still at the higher level. Had ERCP procedure, CT scan of abdomen and MRCP, but no conclusions other than stricture of bile duct and possibly pancreatic cancer, although a mass has not been seen on any film. Has this happened to anyone else on Levaquin? Doctors want to try ERCP again and if that does not work then the Whipple Procedure which is major surgery to remove a possible pancreatic cancer that they have not seen.

Levaquin is a wonderful drug and one of a very few that help men with prostatitis. If you have ever suffered with a prostatitis infection you know what i mean. No problems here with Leviquin.

I was a healthy 42 year old male who took Levaquin for a sinus infection. The same day as the Black Box Warning was issued; I was having my third tendon reattachment surgery. I have to wait at least 6 weeks before I can undergo yet a fourth tendon rupture reattachment. At least it takes my mind of the Achilles Tendinopathy, joint pains, headaches, uncontrolled muscle twitching etc. I consider myself one of the lucky ones since so far it has not affected my kidneys, liver, heart, eyes and other side effects that many are dealing with from this class of drugs. I would urge a real journalist to take the time and look at the real number of cases. The Fda numbers are misleading. The clinical data coming from other counties are showing much higher rates of tendon ruptures and other life threatening side effects.

My husband has COPD and was prescribed Levaquin along with prednisone for bronchitis. He developed acute tendinitis in both achilles tendons and then the right achiiles totally ruptured about 6 weeks later. It has been a nightmare for him.

It is so important that everyone who has suffered an adverse affect report it to the FDA. Unless they receive these reports, they do not know how serious this problem really is and most doctors are totally oblivious.

Hello,
I have just found out about this and have been on cipro and levaquin and guess what. 2 weeks ago i was jumping in a pool and the tendon in my arch let loose. I went to the orthopedic doctor and he sent me for MRI then put me in a boot cast. It felt like i stood on a golf ball and it still hurts like hell. I have problems walking on it still. My doctor stated that i will most likely be flat foooted now in the foot that the tendon let loose. then i seen this on the news. Damn i have never had problems in my foot. He called planter facititus.

I took Levaquin for five days, beginning on June 5th. My doctor gave them to me in the individual "blister packs", not in the box or with any pamphlet. I had/have horrible joint pain in my ankles, knees, and hips. The pain in my hands and wrists is almost gone, but the rest is still there and, in some areas, getting worse. I called the doc. and told them about my problem, they said all the side effects should go away after about 72 hours from the last dose. Has not happened, its been over a month and my left ankle and hip are worse. Does anyone have any advice? I'm ******

I am diagnosed with COPD. On March14, 2008, I visited my pulmonologist due to having a bacterial infection in the lungs and nose. I was given a script for Levaguin 750 mg for 7 days. After my first dose, my feet felt like they were on fire. I spoke with the pharmacist and he said it could be a side effect. I finished the meds with a lot of trepidation, feeling uneasy and anxious. However my large toes began to have a tingling sensation, which I reported to my PCP and he said to keep a check on it. I just came from my PCP today, July 8,2008 and now, in addition to my lung problem, I have peripheral neurophathy, involving all my toes and also my hands. This medicine is dangerous, as looking back at the time after I took this medicine, I was seriously considering ending it all! I will never take any medication in the future until I research it thoroughly. I trust my PCP and I trusted my pulmonologist, but I feel the pulmonologist should have informed me of the possible bad sich effects. Be careful out there!!!

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.

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.

Took levaquin,500mg,for 10 days to combat infection in my left toe. Infection stopped,however pain in both calves is severe. Started on left leg then also rt. leg. Been off the med for 3 days. Seems to be better in am but gets awful as the day wears on. When will it stop? Is there long trm damage?

I'm a 31 female. I was diagnosed with bronchitis/sinusitis on 5/28 and was given Biaxin which did not help. I was instructed to return to the doctor if I did not feel better within 2 to 3 days. On Monday 6/2 I returned to the doctors per instructions because I was not feeling better. He switched me to Levaquin 500mg 1 a day. I took Levaquin at 8pm Monday evening. I was unable to sleep that evening so I researched the medication the following morning and saw that Insomnia was a side effect. Starting at 10am today 6/6 I begun severe hip pain in my right hip. I called the doctor and they instructed me to stop taking the medicine for 24 hours and begin treatment again if the pain reduces. After reading this information I'm now reluctant to start "if" the pain subsides.

I took this antibiotic for 2 days. I have no history of mental illness whatsoever and I thought I was losing my mind for 2 days. I had a panic attack 2 nights in a row and stayed up all night starring at front door afraid that someone was going to break into my home and hurt my children. I can not believe that this "antibiotic" is even on the market. This is an extremely dangerous drug. I called the doctor and he sounded like he didn't believe me- maybe I should share some of this stuff with him so he can experience the crazy too!

I am a 54 year old, very active female. Had a UTI and was given 750 Levaquin. I have taken 10 days worth and began having a sore swollen ankle, followed by right knee pain, followed by shoulder and arm pain. I have never experienced muscle pain to this degree before. I am scheduled for a doctor appt in 3 days. I started trying to imagine what could be causing this. I took a shot and looked up Levaqin side effects this morning, after another night of no sleep and severe shoulder pain. Well guess what, from everything I just read I think I found the source. The problem now is how do I get my life back???? The one thing I am sure of is it's time to stop taking the poison!!!

I took Leva-kill last November, 500mg for 10days due to a resistant ear infection. On the 3rd day, my back felt like it was on fire. Went to ER, did one blood test for muscle deterioration, came back fine.Told to keep taking. I thought I was going to die. I felt and still feel like I was poisoned. Seems to be permanent. Some days worse than others. Check out FQVICTIMS.ORG.Any doctors and dentist I have seen says not Levaquin {about ten]. One ENT said "I bet" when told levaquin made me feel like dying, but that was it. Has anyone heard of any hope? Is this really permanent?

My dad who's 52 had a fever and flu last week. The doctor gave him 10 pills of Levaquin (500mg) and said this was a very good antibiotic. After taking each pill, my dad felt more nauseous and told me that everything (delicious food, cigarettes, perfume, etc) smelled like burning garbage. Apparently this was caused by Levaquin, and I'm pushing him to see the doctor with me tomorrow. I'll post what the doctor says once we come back.

My son has been battling sinusitis for a few months . I didn't know sinusitis could be so bad. His doctor prescribed Levaquin three days ago and I read the side effects and realize it was a risk because my son has seizures.After 2 dosages and sleepless nights with headaches and him not being able to function I've stopped giving it to him.
Thanks for such a great website!
The benefits don't out-weight the risk.

My adult son was put on Levaquin and by the 5th day was severely depressed to the point of thinking of sucide and he has never been depressed and the Dr said he never heard of Levaquin causing this but the pharmacy said yes it does cause depression only people are not telling the Doctors.My son ended up bleeding rectally 7 days after he started Levaquin???This clearly should be monitored and people should be told of this side effect because some people do not connect depression with taking an Antibiotic

I work in a health care system and we have used levaquin for this last cough, cold and flu season. It has worked wonders for the various upper respiratory infections.

No one has developed rashes, boils, or bone/muscle pain. After reading the first response, her abnormal reaction sounds more like a bad case of shingles.

Then, I read the last post where the person drank two glasses of whine to help with the blah blah blah. Mixing alcohol with any type of medication will not help with Your sypmtoms were a "full fledged panic attack" as you stated from the beginning.

Nothing but idiots posting here!

I was on the medication for several days. I developed a rash that traveled down my blood vessels on the outside of my body. It both hurt & itched. I went back to the doctor & he had doctors & nurses from all ends of the clinic coming to look at me. The rash was diagnosed as vasculitis & was the worst case they had ever seen. One of the doctors even did a biopsy on one fo the larger masses, but it was negative. They had never seen anything like that before. It took 9 months to get over the rash - like big boils that were on the blood vessels. It was so unsightly that I wore pants all summer long. Fortunately I only had it on my arms & legs. I now have scars where the boils had been.

PLEASE READ:

I have posted my side effects here before. Was floxed at least twice but didn't put 2 and 2 together because the side effects came well after I had taken the medication. I caught it this time because I was on a higher dose. I was on Leva-Pac 750mg for 9 days. I have had 2 distal bicep tendon ruptures and surgery each time.

It's nuts that there is no treatment for the person who is floxed and how many doctors and hospitals are telling us this is all in our head. This needs some coverage. I had thought about Sonja Gupta on CNN but every other commercial is from a drug company.

Then I thought of Helmet Oz on Oprah. He is into alternative medicine and if he did a segment on Oprah I think it would raise awareness. I am writing and urging you to do the same. I am telling him my story and the lawsuit that Public Citizen with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General against the FDA to blackbox this medication.

Please follow my suit and submit a letter and also spread the word to other floxed web sites. The link to Oprah is
http://www.oprah.com/email/reach/email_showideas.jhtml

I am a 36 year-old female, and in very good physical condition. I have been a runner for 15 years. I was prescribed levaquin for a recurrent sinus infection, 500mg x 7 days. On the second day I developed severe carpal tunnel syndrome (tendonitis of the forearms & hands); I could barely hold a pen in my hand, much less write. I refused to take the 3rd dose. On the 5th day (even though I am not taking it anymore) I woke up with severe hip pain (both hips). I can barely walk, much less run. I am a full-time physician and have a small child. I am not sure what will happen to my favorite hobby, running. This drug is extremely dangerous, and I will never prescribe it to anyone. It should be removed from the market!!

If people would stop referring to this poison as just another antibiotic, we would be much further ahead. This is not just another z-pak or even a penecillian or sulfa based antibiotic. It is poison. The side effects are MUCH greater than people want to admit (especially those making a buck on it). That is why there are lawsuits and sooo many complaints. Look people, let's stop with the "you can have side effects from Tylenol" crap and get to the heart of the matter. I believe this drug serves a purpose.... for those that are not responding to anything else, for those that need to take tremendous risks to save their life, for those that might die otherwise. I DO NOT believe it should be a "Drug of choice" or a larger market share for some drug rep. My bicep meant much more to me than that. Yes I'm angry. Not just for the lack of information I was provided but for the denial that I was fed while it was going on. Perhaps I could be just as cold as some of these remarks if I said.... "go ahead, if you feel that way take it I hope you suffer too." Is that what you want? We need to stop this before others keep getting hurt. Please.

Crapshot, thanks for the info on your thoughts. But in my case as well as others I do not believe this is at all related to Candidiasis. If you scroll down and read my post you will see that I have snapped two biceps from Levaquin. This in not the first time I was Floxed But the other times I was on lower doses and the symptoms didn't appear until well after I had finished my prescriptions. Not only did I have to have 2 surgeries but I was also having heart palpations and severe joint pain that went away after months of my body cleansing itself. This time I figured it out because they put me on a higher dose for a longer period. This time around the symptoms started before I finished my course. I quit taking the Leva-pak and googled the side effects. And they were spot on. Not only do I take probiotics and vitamins daily but I work out and do cardio 4 to 5 times a week, and eat a healthy diet. At the ripe ol age of 41 the doctors were amazed that I have torn each bicep tendon from the bone in a 2 year time period. I AM blaming the pill. Also Public Citizen along with the Attorney General from Illinois is suing the FDA to get this Black Boxed. They are also suing the FDA because they haven't been updating the newer cases of tendon ruptures. It's easy to blame the consumer, but do you think I would have taken this after my history with this medication. If they had the proper warnings and black boxed the tendon rupture I wouldn't have even allowed this drug to be in my house. I'm glad you didn't come away with the serious side effects but please don't blame the patients.

Well after all the hype of the negative side effects of levaquin I did the 7 days and tho I felt like crap mainly due to the flu I think I seem to be fine a week after stopping. The side effects I did experience were wrenched stomach. This could of been a flu symptom or maybe a side effect of the antibiotic. Knowing that antibiotics can cause pretty much most of the symptoms that people here complain of and having experienced ten years of allergies due to antibiotics from 93 to 03 and curing myself thru education on the subject I knew before hand that taking any antibiotic is a gamble. I think the reason most people have bad experiences is due to an already compromised out of balance system. Candidiasis is a controversial subject that a lot of doctors do not believe in but recently it has made a lot of headlines both on tv and in the holistic field. So knowing I did not want another ten years of hell I bought good flora, probiotics from a health food store. I have been taking about 5 a day with meals. So far i have no side effects. I feel good. I will take probiotics for a month or so to make sure I get enough good flora back into my system. Anyone taking an antibiotic needs to know that it will kill most all benificial bacteria but does not kill candida so without the good flora which keeps candida in check candida can grow and leak into your blood stream and attack any part of the body. I personally do not agree that antibiotics should be used in a lot of situations but sometimes you have no choice. If one does not have the knowledge to use them responsibly I do believe your life can be altered dramatically. Its easy to blame the pill which in most cases you are correct in your assumption but its also your own fault and the doctors to of not educated yourself beforehand.

I am a registered Nurse who was recently hospitalized for a bacteremia cuased by a sinus infection...........Of course with bacteremia and cuastive germ as strep viridans, the first thing to rule out is endocarditis. So 6 days later after fighting with doctors to treat sinuitis and not endocarditis they finally put me on Levaquin 750 for thirty days on discharge........ well three days later I thought I had gout in my right knee and left hop. then the following day my other knee became involved..............this medication side effects apparently affects the joints as it also affected my shoulder and elbows..I am an active, healthy woman who does yoga and runs and bikes....I feel like all that the doctors did was look at tests and read books popping all kinds of heavy duty antibiotics into my system I do not take anything at home except vitamins...............so beware...........I refused to take more levaquin and have informed these infectious dis. docs that I am seeking a second opinion with my dentist as the sinusitis is related to an endo/root canal problem in my molr...........I am also a dental hygienist........bottom line consumers need to be assertive and docs need to listen and trouble shoot with patients and their families.

Well, I am not posting a side effect. I actually stumbled upon this website while trying to look up whether hypoglycemia is a side effect of Levaquin. I am a physician assistant and routinely prescribe this medication. Unfortunately ALL medications have the potential for causing many many many different side effects. Obviously one has to weigh the benefits of using the medication with the risk of side effects. And certain side effects are obviously more common than others. While I appreciate the point of a website like this, it is very frustrating for me, as a clinician, to read someone posting things that are absolutely untrue which can potentially cause undue distress or worry for everyone who may read it. I am referring to the person who wanted "to let everyone know of the relationship between levaquin and vancomycin." Her only source for this WRONG information is a nurse who told her daughter. Did she ever think that the nurse could be wrong and that maybe before posting something like that she should ask a pharmacist or a physician. Vancomycin and floroquinolones are not related pharmacologically!!!!

Well just started yesterday on the 500mg levaquin tablets. Ended up with the flu and waited 6 days before going to see the doctor. I have known for a long time that any antibiotic is bad for you due to the fact they kill all benificial bacteria also. I had severe food allergies for ten years due to them. Only by accident did i find out that what had happened was candidiasis which is also a bacteria that we all have in our system was allowed to grow out of control due to all the good bacteria being wiped out. With this information at hand I was able to treat my what you would call long term side effects. By reintroducing good bacteria back into my system I was finally able to beat all the symptoms. Now I know that with levaquin I will have to reintroduce all over again. The important thing to remember is you have to reintroduce right away. Its the candida that in most cases that causes the problems most people experience. Anytime you kill something in your body you will create toxins that must be eliminated. Anyone not educated about candidiasis should read up on it in whole. Most doctors do not recognize this condition or even believe. I have posted on curezone.com in the candida forum under ( crapshot ). I firmly believe that when probiotics are (good benificial bacteria) reintroduced ASAP the recovery time from the side effects of levaquin or any antibiotic will be diminished greatly. I do not believe that any one probiotic works better than the other but when used rotate brands to allow a better assimilation into your system. Tho dairy products due have good bacteria added for our benefit when candida has grown out of control at this point your better off with a product like Three Lac or Primal Defence or the likes.

I have a friend who has recurrent bladder infections. I had told her a million times not to take Cipro because of the side effects. She is elderly and whenever she does take it she gets these other symptoms with her knees and back and is almost a cripple for quite a while. Well, she started it three days ago and is now home with a BAD BACK, etc. Why do the doctors prey on these older people and not tell them the consequences?I asked her about her infection,"Oh, thats gone" she says, but her back and kness are acting up!!!Shes been in the house for 2 weeks unable to move. What a cure!!!!Marsh

I posted my experience with Levaquin back in January 2008. It's been three months since my initial reaction to Levaquin. I was in terrible pain then and I could barely walk. It has been three months now and I am still in a lot of pain and the pain in my lower back is worse. However, I can walk better now. I have yet to find a doctor who can help me or who even believes that Levaquin caused this. If anyone out there has a physician who believes that Levaquin can cause this damage and who is competent to treat this problem, PLEASE email me with his or her name. I am willing to travel to wherever I need to travel to to get some relief from this. If nothing else it would be great to have a doctor who understands the problem. Thanks. My prayers are with you all.

Chris

Recently took a twenty day run of 500 mg Levaquin for a cellulitis infection that popped up after a knee surgery. It seems that unlike most people I tolerate the drug pretty well. The only side effect I have noticed is a little muscle stiffness when I wake up which is quickly remedied through light stretching and a warm shower. After being put on this medication I looked up it's side effects and was frightened by how many people have had terrible and debilitating side effects. Next time I'll trust my doctor and not look them up. I think any lost sleep and nervousness can be attributed to worrying about side effects that never came up.

I'm 17 and I took Levaquin back in November and still have to use a wheelchair to get around. I ended up having to go to the Mayo clinic because there were so many factors to my case, and we were not getting anywhere with my doctors at children's hospital. i also have mono and west nile virus and so all that viral activity made the reaction so much worse. They discovered Levaquin caused severe tendinitis in each and every tendon, but my hips mainly affected causing them to be extremely fluid-filled. I also have a permanent peripheral neuropathy from it. They discovered an autonomic syndrome called POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) , however that can logically be attributed to either the mono or the reaction.
I go to physical therapy every week now for my hips and my ability to be ambulating well enough to go to college in 6 months is being questioned.

Immediately after took the Levaquin and my throat began itching like 40 ants were crawling down my esophagus. My chest started physically burning like I'd drank alcohol. I stopped being able to talk within 30 seconds and within a minute I couldn't breath through my nose and I started coughing and couldn't breathe. My face swelled up like I had Down's Syndrome. One of my eyes couldn't see from the swelling. I turned beet red and had welps all over my body. When I got the hospital I thought I was going to die in the hallway..I felt like I was underwater and couldn't breathe. They shot me full of ephedrine in me and started breathing again. I asked if I could have more to take home and they said it was illegal for me to have. If I didn't live close to the ephedrine, I don't know how long I would have lasted.
The doctors said I needed to quit doing drugs(I was in my 20's). I was too weak and drained to disagree with him. He said the drug wasn't the cause. I can't believe this drug is on the market. I can't believe people are still taking it without any warnings. I talked to 2 lawyers , but they said my hospital bills wouldn't justify this going to court. I am glad this forum is here to warn people.