Levaquin and irritability

I was prescribed Levaquin 3 days ago for a sinus infection. After 3 doses, I feel worse than I did when I went into the doctor. After taking my first dose, I woke up with a terrible sore throat. Then came the excruciating shoulder pain. I can't even lift my arm up it hurts so bad. I'm extremely weak and get dizzy very easy. I am also experiencing chest and leg pain, sleeplessness, and irritability. I have broke out in a rash on the back of my arms. I've read the info that came with the medication at least 5 times through and kept telling myself that it couldn't be the medicine making me feel this way since it is supposed to make you feel better not worse. After reading this, I am not going to take the medicine anymore. I put a call into my doc to see if he will prescribe something new and I am considering going to the er to get some relief from the pain I am in.

I am 61. I was recently prescribed levaquin for an intestinal infection. Began having rapid heart beat, trembling, shortness of breath, floaters in my eyes, itching, thick tongue, lips tingling, irritability, sweating, feeling of brain fog. Felt like I was having a panic attack. Stopped taking medicine after 6th day. Now I can hardly move my head. My left shoulder and neck are hurting very badly -- feels like muscle spasms. After reading these posts about levaquin, I'm sure that is the levaquin has caused these problems.

I was prescribes Levaquin 500mg for 10 days for sinusitis. On the second day, I woke up with a migraine and took Aleve. The headache accompanied by dizziness lasted 10 days or so. As time has passed, I have pain in my right shoulder and bicep and stiff/swollen joints in the back of my neck. It has been 4 months since I took Levaquin and my symptoms have only gotten worse. I have been on bed rest for a week just after a simple 5 minutes on an elliptical machine. Additional problems along the way have been anemia, my vision got extremely worse with retinal degeneration, anxiety, diarrhea, fatigue, irritability, and numbness in my hands and feet. My doctor says he believes me but mentioned fibromyalgia. My symptoms don't even fit that disease. Friends don't believe me either. I am a pharmaceutical rep. The FDA needs to pull this drug off the market. Why won't they do it? Someone has a connection someone. I am almost 31 years old and I don't know how much more my body can take. I miss my friends, tennis, and even normal daily tasks like opening a car door and sitting for an extended period of time. DO NOT TAKE LEZAQUIN EVER.

I'm 30 and in good shape...Last thursday I went to the Dr for an ear infection and pnumonia, he gave me samples for 750 mg for 5 days and 500mg for 2 days after the first pill I couldn't sleep tossing all night ususally I hit the pillow and I'm out, I woke up exausted dizzy and with a head ache and the shakes, at work my arms, well to be more specific, my elbows and neck were getting tight and very sore, I attributed it to all the tossing the night before but now on day 6 I'm still tired having weird dreams , no sleep, my knees and elbows and neck really hurt not to mention extream irritability and depression my mood is just awful again thought it was just from being sick. But questioned it so looked on line and found this, I'm shocked, I am allergic to pennicillin which is why the Dr said he gave mw this instead I have one pill left and I just thew it in the trash and I'm calling my Dr first thing in the morning to report these problums.
This is a real wake up call, wish I would have looked up this med before I started taking it, but for sure I will from now on, Guess it is up to our selves to protect our selves can't count on anyone else to do it for us..

unable to sleep, irritability while taking medication. Still have joint pain over 2 weeks later

insomnia, irritability, joint pain

I have been experiencing joint pain while being on this drug. I had to take it for a staph infection. The joint pain has increased daily along with dizziness and irritability. I stuck with it to heal the infection but pray the pain in my joints goes away.

Irritability, Lightheadedness/Balance problems, Muscle Aches
(But only antibiotic my digestive system can tolerate! One has to weigh the cost/benefit. It's a great drug for tough sinus infections)

Normal, healthy male, 57, with suspected prostrate infection. Prescribed 500MG Levaquin for 30 days. I've used it before over the years for sinus infection (10 day regimen) and it was quite effective, although I had noticed some muscle and tendon soreness. This time, 14 days into it, I'm experiencing severe irritability, and stress. The muscle soreness and joint stiffness are constant, particularly in the feet and hands. I've read a number of postings about accompanying stomach and digestive problems - you must use acidophilus when taking a drug like this - all the beneficial flora in the digestive tract are being destroyed and you have to replace them or you'll get bloating, gas, stomach and intestinal cramping, etc. The mental distress is new for me on this one and it concerns me.

I took 2 500mg of Levaquin back on April 18 2004 for a suspected throat infection. I didn't have an immediate reaction to the drug until 7 days later when my life become a living hell. I experienced tightness in my throat I thought I was choking, reflux acid from my stomach burned my throat and I developed the worst case of IMSOMNIA anyone could possible bear, I spent 3 days literally unable to fall asleep. I call the doctr and had him prescribe Ambien which only helped for 4 days after that even 2 ambiens wouldn't put me to sleep. I developed rapid heart beat and strong palpitations, I now have more black spots floting in my eyes,I bacame disoriented, irritable, depressed, and even on those four days when taking ambien I had the terrible nightmares and hallucinations, as I tried to concentrate on sleeping my mind just kept going on it's own making out a lot of nonsense visuals things. I stop to ambien and tried Valerian root which seem to help me better but upset my stomach. I developed Neck pain as if something had been ruptured on the right side off my neck. I also develedped pain in my shoulder radiating down my arm. Two months later I started to get muscle twitching, and the depression kept getting worse. I have never been the same ever since. It's been more than 4 months after the incident and the twitching, depression, neck pain (now on the left side too), irritability, panick/anxiety feeling in my stomack it's still here. I am taking supplements and magnesium to try to rid my system of these effects. I will be posting regularily as to any information I find that can be helpful to dealing with these side effects.

Eddie

I started taking Levaquil on, I think, wed. March 3. I took 250 mg twice a day for 3 1/2 days. Since I started taking these pills for pneumonia I have felt absolutely terrible. I have a bad headache, intermittent hot flashes, shortness of breath, metallic taste in my mouth, an acute sense of smell and complete lack of taste, extreme lethargy, irritability, unable to sleep more than 3 hours at a time even if I take an ambien, bad nightmares, have gotten out of bed in the middle of the night and wandered outside, mild nausea, a feeling of whoooshing throughout my body, chest pain, and my memory is so shot I couldn't even count from 10 to 1, I keep getting stuck on the 5 or 6. I am an otherwise healthy physically fit 37 yo physical instruction teacher. I spoke with my Dr. and he instructed me to stop taking Levaquin and has put me on Biaxin. Does anyone know how long will this last? Thanks for what information you can pass on.

Metallic taste, loss of real taste, constipation (NOT diahrrea!), disrupted sleep with nightmares, chest pains, sweats/chills, dry mouth & throat making it difficult to swallow, anxiety, depression, shakiness, irritability, leg pains, reflux worsened, blurred vision.

I have taken Levaquin very successfully with little or no side effects. A very effective treatment for UTIs and ear infections. I would like to point out that if you are taking it in conjunction with another medication, your conditions may be do to the other product or interaction between the two. I.E. - Prednisone. I absolutely CANNOT take that at all because it literally turns me from Dr. Jekyll into MRS. HYDE, complete with irritability, severe insomnia, basically made me CRAZY. Also, if you have been diagnosed with a UTI, the body aches and general "been hit by a truck" feeling can be due to the infection, especially if it is a serious one.

I went to my doctor for UTI and was given 250mg of Levaquin I took the first pill at 6pm. At 11p.m. I was showing signs of anxiety, irritability, and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I was up until 3am. I got up at 6a.m. went to class for four hours and was still feeling aggitated and restless. It felt as if I had an ulser, my stomach was churning. I will never take this medication again. I don't recommend it. I was also given samples from my doctor which had no information regarding side effects. Next time I will ask for literature before I take anything. Live and learn....