Levaquin and feelings

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!!!!

I have been on 500mg Levaquin for approximately 10 days, and thought I was doing fine. I did notice that I felt a bit hyper, but not enough to bother me. Then, last night, I simply could not sleep. I have had insomnia at times in the past, and I have found that mild sedatives such as Valium and Ativan work quite well in small doses. But last night, even after taking Valium, I was simply wide awake. There was nothing particular on my mind - I just couldn't sleep. I got up at 3am to pay bills out of sheer boredom laying in bed. Ultimately, I got a total of two hours sleep. I decided to research if the insomnia and overall hyper feelings might be a side effect of the Levaquin, and read the insert for the first time. And there it is on the first line of side effects - difficulty sleeping. Then I Googled it, and found this site. Apparently, I am not alone. So today, I will contact my MD, and most likely suspend the Levaquin.

i was prescribed Levaquin in April for pneumonia. I took 1 pill in the morning and by mid-evening felt gross. My stomach was in knots, head was fuzzy. I decided to NOT take any more and let my body fight it. Last week I had awful pain in my ear/jaw and thought it was my tooth so didn't go to the DR. right away. Finally I couldn't handle the pain and went. He said I had an ear infection and immediately wrote a script for Levaquin despite me telling him how it made me feel in April. He said it was no big deal, the feelings would go away. I came home and against my better judgment took what I had left from April. (6 pills) I am done them now, but was looking up Levaquin on line because I feel like crap, my ear and jaw still hurt like hell, and tonight my leg started to hurt. I have a flaming esophagus as I sit and type this at 2 in the morning because I cant friggen sleep. Pain my chest feels like I inhaled glass. My husband said he noticed I haven't been acting right...news to me. I'm cranky because all this crap did was make me feel worse. DR. told me to take 2 aleve in the a.m. and Tylenol/Motrin every 4 hours after that for pain. I just got done reading that NSAIDs shouldn't be taken with Levaquin. Nice to know after the fact. My stomach has been turning for 5 days and food is absolutely disgusting. I have awful diarrhea from this med too, which the doctor said was normal.. good to know that spending hours on the toilet was"normal". I've been teary too. Crying over nothing, literally sitting at the pc playing a game of cards and I busted into hysterical sobbing OVER CARDS!! Hopefully I will feel better in a few days and nothing else happens. DO NOT TAKE LEVAQUIN!!! Save yourself the trouble.

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.

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 started taking Levequin before a procedure I was getting (cystoscopy) and was told to take ot for 3 days, 500 mg. The first day i took it I had severe insomnia/heart racing/shortness of breath but I attributed this to nerves due to the proecdure I was getting , the night of the procedure I slept fine but I was also doped up on anesethia. Yesterday was my last night of Levaquin and I once again was up all night. Not only that but I have severe anxiety, feelings of hoplelessness, dread and just worry all day long. I don't knwo what to do. I am 31 years old and 2 weeks ago was feeling fine. I actually took some xanax last night for the anxiety and it really did nothing although it usually does help when I have minor anxiety. I really do not know what to do. I have to go to work every day feeling depressed, achy and lethargic. I just made another dr appt. 3rd dr in 4 days. I have lunesta at home but it rarely works for me. Any suggestions to help me sleep and get rid of the jitters??

My father was prescribed Levaquin 750mg as a 5 day dose. They call it a Levapak. After the first couple of days he began having restlessness, headache, and the scariest of all, emotional distress and fear of death. He would start crying for no apparent reason. This is a normally emotionally strong man who has been reduced to tears by this medication. He couldn't sleep because of the restlessness. He had, like one of the others here, feelings of futility. It didn't occur to us that it could be the Levaquin until we found this website. He only had one day's dose left by this time, but he is not going to finish it. We only wish we had found out sooner. He would have quit taking it immediately. His Pharmacist told us that he should stop taking it also and put a note in his file to never fill this prescription for him again. Even the Pharmacist said that he has heard of this happening and that this drug should be off the market. I just hope others who find this website can take some solice in knowing that you're not going crazy.

I'm in my ninth day of a ten day regimen of Levaquin for treatment of a sinus infection. I suppose I have fared better than most on this board. I Googled Levaquin and ringing ears due to a recent onset of that symptom. I have also had a mild, nagging headache at the base of my skull or upper neck. I have also experienced a slight queasiness in the past two days, but nothing close to nausea. The past three nights, I have had unusually vivid dreams, although I don't recall any of them being what I would describe as nightmares. Finally, in the past two days, I have experienced what I can only describe as deja vu kind of feelings throughout the day. My symptoms have increased somewhat during the past several days, but none could be described as severe. I guess I will take my final dose and hope for the best, but I will probably try to avoid this drug in the future.

I am sorry to hear of the trouble and pain that you all are having!

The common thread is the the DOCTOR didn't tell of the dangers and side effects. This is not at all unusual. I am employed as a Certified Pharmacy Technician for one of the largest HMO's in the country and have also worked for retail pharmacies. If I have learned anything at all it is this; ALL QUESTIONS REGARDING MEDICATIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO A LICENSED PHARMACIST!! Day in an day out I see doctors, PA's and RN's who are all but clueless as to drug interactions, proper uses, side effects, even proper & safe dosing! Countless times the Pharmacist will catch and error and not only save the patient from a potentially fatal mistake but also save the doctor's license, yet they are not given the respect they deserve. These people go to college for 7 to 8 years and study every possible aspect of pharmacology. Our society puts such God-like faith in doctors and fails to realize, they have only studied pharmacology, if we are lucky, for a couple of classes for one semester. Graduates now, at least in my home state are earning the degree PharmD (Doctorate of Pharmacy).

Please, please, PLEASE, don't say "Oh, I have no questions, my doctor told me" or "If I have questions, I'll ask my doctor." ASK A PHARMACIST!!! Granted, even the best trained pharmacist can't predict ALL potential problems but their knowledge is far superior to the vast majority of doctors!

Another point to consider; doctors are greatly influence by "drug reps", salespeople from the pharmaceutical companies that tout a new "drug du jour" every week, bombarding the docs with free samples, promotional gimmicks while wining and dining them so they will push (prescribe) THEIR product over the competitors' or any older but just as effective medication that most likely costs less too!

Again I wish only the best to all of you and my heart goes out to you who are suffering.

Susan

My doctor prescribed Levaquin 500mg as the 3rd antibiotic to treat a sinus infection that just would not go away. Unfortunately I'd taken 12 of the 14 pills prescribed before I found this site while trying to figure out what was worng with me. I'm experiencing sleeplessness, extreme lethargy, neck pain, muscle & joint pain and I'm having difficulty concentrating at work. I've stopped taking this awful drug and can't wait for that point it works its way out of my system.

I am very sorry to hear about the problems you all have experienced. I thank you for taking the time to post your experiences here so that people like me have others to turn to.

My doctor gave me Levaquin for an infection.
I noticed soon after taking my hands were getting very numb.
I thought it was maybe carpal tunnel doing this.
I finished the medicine on a 6 day course.
I started having numbness in my neck,legs hurting and aching very badly .
I have feelings of suicide and going crazy.
I have had panic attacks in the past but this was different much more intense in nature.
I also am light headed and really feel out of sorts with my body.
I will never again take this medicine.
I would love to know how to get this out of my system and what foods to avoid.
Please if anyone knows for sure some help email me with the answers.I am a single parent and do not enjoy my daughter seeing me this way.
It is very frightful for us both.

After taking the first dose of levauin, I couldn't sleep and was very dizzy- thought it was from my sinus infection. After the second dose, I developed severe feelings of anxiety amnd had panic attacks! I stopped the medication, contacted my doctor who said it was an unusual side effect from the levaquin ( yeah right). Unfortuanetly for me- I am now allergic to every antibiotic out there which leaves me with nothign to take if I get sick!!!

I had 750mgs of Levaquin for three days for a sinus
and bronchial problem. Then, because I have fibromyalgia,
and chronic costocondritis, my symptoms worsened--pain
in joints, severe abdominal pain, jittery feelings, interrupted
sleep and a miserable flareup of costocondritis. The sinus and bronchial thing has not yet completely gone away.

Dizzijness, headaches, insomnia, extreme weakness, weired feelings

BJS

It's been 7 months since I was poisoned by Levaquin. I am suffering every bit as much now as I was months ago. No improvement at all. My entire body feels as if something is in the entire inner system, just racking everything with pain and indescribable feelings, like gripping, weakness, shuddering, etc. Dear God, why do doctors deny that this is happening and that Levaquin is the cause. Why do they get angry and space out your visits for two months and even threaten to drop you because you persist in believing that Levaquin did this? Why?

Update to January 2, 2006:

I stopped Levaquin after Sunday (five days on it). Today is Wednesday and still am feeling week, fatigue, muscle ache, no appetite, feelings of high-fever exhaustion. However, this evening I have 101.5 fever which could explain some of my symptoms this evening. Until this evening I have not had a fever to trigger such syptoms...72 hours after beginning to flush my system with water/juice. We'll see what happens after my fever breaks...if I am still having persisting symptoms. I've visiting my chiropractor tomorrow for an adjustment and consultation on how best to continue to purge anything from my tissue. More to come...for anyone monitoring my reaction to Levaquin. Note: The substituting physician I saw yesterday for surgery follow-up said he QUIT prescribing Levaquin after several people complained of knew pain when they ran/jogged and other complaining folks.

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!!!!!!!

I began taking Levaquin 3 weeks ago and right away started feeling nauseous when I didn't eat and extreme abdominal pain when I did eat. I had an assortment of muscle aches and feeling pressure in my chest and arms after a couple of days. After 6 days, the pain moved into my legs...heavy feelings and my knees began to buckle. I can't kneel or bend at the knees at all now. I was being treated for UIT and sinus infections. This medication is barbaric! It should be banned!

Does anyone attribute these awful symptoms of the infection or medical problem you have??? I almost died from a large, infected kidney stone. The infection moved into my bloodstream causing major organ function to shut down. All of the symptoms I have read above are symptoms I experienced prior to levaquin in my IV. The previous antibiotic was not strong enough to kill the bacteria in the infection. Levaquin saved my life! You should discuss your feelings with your doc and not post your "opinion" to influence others negatively. Yes, afterwards I felt dizzy, lightheaded and my temp dropped 2 degrees, but this will pass.