Levaquin and few days

I just spent $40 on a 10 day supply of Levaquin (750 mg). I am so upset - for one I am out $40, and now I don't want to take it. Of course the pharmacist will not take it back. I am a 30 year old female, (weigh 105 lbs) and have had serious reactions to medication before. To top it off I have fluid in both ears, which is why I got this medicine in the first place. I am assuming that most of you would tell me to stay away from it. I feel like I should try it since I spent all that money on it, but I am afraid to now. Any thoughts from anyone. I can't believe my doctor didn't say anything about the possible side effects.

I knew it had to be that antibiotic!! My family doctor put me on Levaquin for a urinary tract infection a few days ago and the night before last I woke up in the early a.m. shaking all over and hurting in every joint in my body, and I have a foggy memory of it all too. It was very bad. I could not stand up without holding on to the wall because I was to weak and my legs felt like aching jello. I could barely move my neck and I thought I had meningitis it was that bad. I called 911 and the ambulance came for me. The doctor at the ER took blood work which was all normal and he told me I had a panic attack!, neck pain, and fatigue...I couldn't believe he told me I had a panic attack...I was asleep for goodness sakes. I have been hurting so bad that I was thinking I had something really serious. I hurt all over so bad that I can't even express it. I am so glad that all of you posted these side effects or I would not have known what was causing my problems. I will NEVER take that stupid drug EVER again and I hope they take it off the market. I hope someone will do something about this drug before it hurts more people like it has hurt all of us...I pray that you all will heal from the problems this medication has caused you.

While taking this, I have experienced water on my knee, aching in my leg and then a problem with the right knee, aching in arms and shoulders. All of this could be something else, or at least the fluid on my knee. I had an MRI Saturday and will hear in a few days.
So what is the best med for sinus infection which is why I am on this.
Thanks.

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.

I have just finished taking Levaquin for a 10day treatment for pneumonia. In the last 5 days or so I have noticed stiffness in my achilles tendon (no pain) until I get moving. I have also notice a tremor in my hands and no muscle weakness and shaking in my triceps and quads. Of course I hadn't read the precautions to this drug before noticing these symptoms. I contacted both my pharmacist and physician and neither seemed concerned and told me if I was really worried to go to the emergency room. I am wondering if these symptoms will disappear since I am no longer on the drug, how long it will take, and how long I should worry about tendon damage----is the possibility of rupture forever???

19 year old female prescribed levaquin for a kidney infection after a round with cipro did not cure a UTI. Symptoms gradual at first but began with chest pain a couple of days into treatment. The doctor said it was costochondritis which sometimes comes on during infections and was not serious. He told her to continue the medications (this was not her regular doctor...he had closed for the day so she was seen at the after hours clinic). Other symptoms include: Headache (drinks plenty of water), muscle aches and pain, dry mouth and throat, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite. When the chest pain spread across the front of the chest and into her back and she had experienced swelling around the eyes and in face that same day we went to the emergency room. After many tests, this doctor said it was the levaquin and told us it had been black boxed. He said they had been told in the ER to immediately take anyone on levaquin off of it if they came in experiencing pain or other symptoms. He said she should be better in a few days. He shared that he too had similar problems when he took it and thought it was going to kill him. When Monday gets here we will make a return visit to her family doctor to follow up on all of this. After reading all these other people with the same or similar symptoms, I am worrying and I am praying that she will not continue to have trouble. We hope all of you are better soon. Please don't take this drug again!!!!!!

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.

Question for you all. I have been on levaquin for 6 days 750 mg. For the last 3 to 4 days my hands have been killing me and it is getting worse, my knees, and shoulders hurt now. After reading your remarks I am calling doc first thing in the morning. Please let me know if you have any advice for me.

On June 17, 2008 I had an emergency appendectomy. They put me on Levaquin in the recovery room. By the time I got to my room I was covered in a horrible red itchy rash--I layed there scratching like a squirrel for hours. When I told the nurse, she said everyone has that reaction and she put Benadryl into the IV. They CONTINUED to give me the Levaquin with a Benadryl chaser until I couldn't take the itching any longer. Finally changed the IV to Cipro---no more itching! I am home now, very very sore and extremely tired. I could have done without that rash-----it is still all over my arms, neck , chest and back--very RAW because I scratched like crazy! Hopefully in a few days it will disappear. Will NEVER take Levaquin again, that's for sure!!

Symptoms: joint pain, blisters on tongue, low blood pressure, dizziness, loss of vision. I started Levaquin 750 mg orally 11 days ago for diverticulitis, along with Flagyl. I had taken Levaquin in the past for this same condition without any side effects. I am also on Benicar 25 mg for high blood pressure. This time after spending $106 dollars AFTER insurance, I started having problems with dizziness where I would lose my vision for a few seconds every time I stood up from a sitting position, or sat up from laying down. My arms and legs felt very heavy and I was exhausted and felt like I could hardly walk. Since I had taken this drug before without complications, it didn't occur to me that this might be a side effect of the Levaquin. My doctor recommended I stop taking the Flagyl, which I did. Nothing improved. After several days of this I finally went to an after hours clinic and found that my blood pressure was 90/50. The nurse told me to stop taking my blood pressure med for a few days, that maybe there was a reaction. (She stated she had never heard of blood pressure being affected by an antibiotic). I stopped taking my blood pressure medication and it came up to normal within about 36 hours. Approximately 4 days ago my tongue broke out with little blisters all over, top and bottom and my lips are cracking. Yesterday my joints started aching and I feel like I'm 75 every time I take a step. (I'm 46) I took my last Levaquin yesterday and I still have the blisters and the joint pain is worse. This morning my blood pressure was back to my normal "mild high" range of about 130/83. I took my blood pressure med and it came back down to what is normal for me, 122/77. I haven't done anything different (meds, food, products, etc.) that should be causing these blisters, and I don't feel sick other than the joint pain, so I'm assuming these are side effects related to the Levaquin. I'm hoping they will clear up now that I'm done with the medication. I find it interesting that I spoke with two different pharmacists and two different physicians and none of them indicated there might be contra-indications with Levaquin and my blood pressure med. The good news is that the diverticulitis seems to be gone!

I posted on April %th about my bad dose of levaquin. This is a little follow up. Today is 15 days since my last pill and ( knock on wood) im feeling pretty good today). last 2 days iv have slight headach and leg pains but today im free and clear. My side effects ran in stages. days 1-5 was panic attach and shoulder, hip and leg pain. The they stooped and it was goin and Stomach pain, constipation, aches. then last set was insomnia and headaches on both side. Last 3 days iv taken benadryle capsules and drand a ton of water almost to the point of drowning myself. but i think it worked. also in th elast few days iv basicly said fuck it, whatever tried to ignore it and not think about it and i think its worked for me. So took me a full 2 weeks once i stoped taking it to clear out of me.

I have actually been prescriped Levaquin a few times for sinus infection. My experience has been good. No side effects, quick relief of sinus pain and pressure. I have taken each prescription exactly as directed with great results. At the advice of my doctor I always eat yogurt each day and for a few days following taking any antibitic. I would like to add that some of the symptoms described here (emotional trouble, severe headaches, mood etc.) remind me of what my daughter experienced when she had an undiagnosed (therefore untreated) severe sinus infection. I am not a doctor, and do not mean to minimize the seriousness at all, but maybe some of them are due to the infection not being cleared.

I started taking 750mg of Levaquin last Thursday, March 20, 2008, for a strep throat infection that was not responding to 500 mg. of Penicillin. I took Levaquin last summer due to another bad throat infection and had absolutely no side effects. However, this time I am experiencing a raft of them, from awful insomnia and sluggishness and tiredness, to sever headaches and coughing. I suffer from depression and this is effecting my reaction to the depression medication. I am feeling more depressed.

A few days ago, my head started to hurt near my left eye, and my skull became very sensitive on the top left side, midway between the middle of the skull and my left ear. If I cough, it feels as if my head is about to explode. To make matters worse, whenever I try to speak, I start coughing , which in turn hurts my head. My head is painful to the touch.

This is awful. Can anyone help me out with some pain relief or something?

Mikal

I weigh 118lbs and I am 30 years old. I took one dose 250mg. of Levaquin yesterday and developed severe side effects, confusion, dizziness, irregular heart beat, muscle numbness and weakness in my hands and arms, panic and visual disturbances. Does anyone know hoe long it takes to get a 250mg dosage of this God forsaken drug out of your system?

Just finished 750mg of Levaquin five days ago. Made me feel speedy the first two days, since then I've had pain in the shoulder and elbow. Now I'm having a burning sensation in my mouth. It's on fire! Tongue and corner of my lips to. There is no blistering or signs of infection. How long does this last? What to the doctors say??

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 had a cough for a few days, which didn't improve,my wife insisted that I go to the Doctor to have it checked. The Doctor determined that I was either getting over a slight case of pneumonia, or it was just beginning. He prescribed LEVAQUIN 500 MG for 10 days. I took the first pill in the evening of Feb 3rd. When I went to bed, I was not able to sleep, I was short of breath, my heart rate went to 140, I did not sleep the entire night, my heartbeat was also irregular and I have a terrible headache. The next AM, I went to the Doctor and he said that I should continue with the LEVAQIUN - and that the symptoms were not related to the drug. - I have had and irregular heartbeat in the past, but no like this. The Doctor insists that the LEVAQUIN did not cause the problem. Then he put me on Toprol - to slow the heart rate. I took the Toprol and took the 2nd dose of LEVAQUIN last night. My heart rate is down, but still irregular, I didn't sleep, have anxiety, shortness of breath and don't feel right. Went back to the Doctor today and he still insists that the LEVAQUIN didn't cause this. Thank God that I found this website and others, I have stopped taking the LEVAQUIN. I already feel better, and hope that I don't get any other of the side effects.

I started taking Levaquin last Friday ( the 11th) for a severe sinus infection. I was prescribed 750 mg for 5 days. I finished that but my sinus infection didn't improve so I was prescribed another 5 days of 750 mg. I took the pill yesterday and today ( totally 7 pills) I noticed on about day 2 or 3 that my legs felt tight, but thought it was a normal side effect. Then my lower back. I wasn't in serious pain at all so I ignored it. Today my knees, knuckles, shoulders, elbows, are extremely sore and i get sharp pains every now and then. It also hurts to sit for too long. I started researching the drug and now am so terrified after reading all these horror stories. Has anyone had this only last while taking it and not for months afterwards? Or am I pretty much in this for the long haul. And to the people who say that it lasts for months or years is it pain that disables you from working and doing daily things? I'm only 23 and I live a very active life and I'm totally freaked out now. PLEASE HELP

I was put on Levaquin 750 mg. for 7 days for a sinus infection. After a few days, I was soooooooo sore in every muscle and joint of my body, that I didn't even want to get out of bed. Since I am self-employed and the only one that does my job, (custom sewing and alterations of clothing), I had too. One Friday, shortly after taking the Levaquin, I was in the bathroom, and I had to get my husband's attention to help me get up off the commode, my right leg would not let me raise up. I went to the doctor that was on call, and he said that Levaquin is like using a Elephant gun, and that you can tear a tendon, cartilage (sp?). I was put in a brace and sent for an MRI, which showed nothing other than fluid. Then I was sent to an Ortho. He gave me a cort. shot and had me to come back in 2 weeks, well the shot helped for a few days, in 2 weeks he gave me 3 options: 1: another shot, 2: surgery to see what the MRI and x-rays missed, or 3: learn to just live with it. I opted for the surgery and had it on December 31, 2007 and was informed that my cartilage(sp?) was torn in 2 places with 1 place having a "floppy" place that had to be take off. Now I have to take p.t. and get "back" to where I can work, I can't even drive now, it is my right knee, and the pressure to press the pedal is VERY painful.I have to depend on my husband to do for me and I don't like having to do this. I have never had any problems with my right knee and the doctor asked me how I did this and I told him this happened while taking Levaquin, and he was looking straight at me when he asked, when I answered with Levaquin, he just said OOOOOOOOOO, and looked straight at the computer screen. That told me that I'm not the first that he has seen or heard about. While my husband was in the hospital, there was a nurse, that said that she had heard a lot about the terrible side effects of this medicine, but had not yet met anyone that had been affected.
I also have been very moody, and short tempered since taking this medication. I have no patience, and that is not me at all.
I have also got my right ear stopped up and a ringing in it. I have also had this since taking this so called wonderful cure all antibiotic. Someone should have to pay for everything that everyone has had to go through with, PAIN and ALL. If there is a Lawsuit, count me in. I've never been affected this way with any medicine. It should be taken off the market immediately. Thank you for letting me get this off my chest.

Taking Levaquin for pneumonia discovered through Xray as I had a nagging cough for a few weeks. Into 10th day of 14 day 500mg regimen and have had what feels like muscle tears in my calf muscle. First one happened after a weeks treatment during athletics and seemed to get much better in a few days. Second 'tear' happened today while walking. I can't really tell if these pains are muscle or tendon (achilles) but massage and heat helps. Sure am surprised to learn about all the side-effects from taking this drug and think I better end the treatment.

My son is 16 years old, a wrestler, and was in excellent health. He developed sinus issues and had surgery on September 17, 2007 (he had a headache on the left side of his head which the ENT said was due to sinus issues). After sinus surgery, the doctor prescribed Levaquin for 10 days. After 4 days, I called his doctor and told him he was getting worse and not better. The doctor said not to worry. After that he had sleepless nights, felt like the room was moving away from him, became dizzy and light headed. Then the joint pain came. First in his thumbs, then wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. He developed severe headaches in the back of his head. The headaches were moderate to severe and with him 24 hours a day. He became extremely weak and his dizziness continued. He was tested for many diseases through numerous blood tests, had a spinal tap, MRI, MRA, CT of the spine, CT of the sinuses, x-rays of the knees, and an EEG. All came back normal, except his sinuses were still swollen which is normal after sinus surgery. He has seen numerous medical doctors (primary, pediatrician, two neurologists, allergist, two Ear Nose Throat) and is now seeing a pediatrician in UCLA and has appointments to see more UCLA doctors.

He has been out of school now for a couple of months. Luckily, the school has him on home instruction and sends teachers to the house and he is maintaining his honors classes. To give you all hope, he does appear to be getting better, but it is a very slow recovery. Up until two weeks ago, some days were okay and some days were pretty bad. It comes and goes like that. At first I never suspected Levaquin, but stumbled across the side effects when I was trying to research what was wrong with him. The only thing I found that had helped some people was taking high doses of magnesium (the kind ending in "ate" is better absorbed). I was and still am nervous about giving my child a lot of any type of vitamin, but no one was able to make him better, so I gave him 250 mg three times a day for three days. It could be just a coincidence, but about 3 days after I stopped giving him the magnesium, all of the joint pain was gone except for his knees, which still hurt if he bent down.

After a couple more weeks, he still had severe headaches, knee pain, some dizziness and some weakness, so I thought I would give it another go and gave him magnesium three times a day for 4 more days. After the 4 days of magnesium, he started on a new medication called Lyrica. His knee pain is almost gone and his headaches are minor with only an occasional flair up. I can see in his eyes and how he reacts that his is feeling better than he has in a long time. He has always been a happy kid, but I can tell he has his special spark back.

For the last two weeks, I just give him one 250 mg of magnesium a day, multi-vitamins, and Lyrica. By the way, one of the blood tests I requested was for magnesium, and it showed his level was normal. So, I have no idea if it is time that is making him better, the magnesium, or the fact that he is taking Lyrica. He will still continue to go to the doctors, none who believe Levaquin could be a cause, until he is completely back to normal. I believe that Levaquin was likely a culprit in his overall health issues, especially since no one can figure out how my healthy, energetic son suddenly became so ill he could no longer go to school. For the past two weeks now, he has had good days mixed in with okay days (no bad days though!!!) He has had only 2 weeks so far of better health and we hope it continues to get even better. Good luck to all of you and my prayers are with you. I hope somehow this will help someone.