Levaquin and kidney

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.

My wife had a UTI (urinary tract infection) and the doctor prescribed cipro-something which did not work. Two days later the pain continued and it started to make her back feel very sore (infection spread to kidney). The doctor prescribed Levaquin and she felt better within an hour or so. As I recall, a 5 day supply cost $100 so this is not cheap, but our insurance did offset that quite a bit. Two days after she started taking it, I found this site and read all of the horror stories. Fortunately for us, the 5 day dose is now over (since yesterday). My wife has not experienced any side effects and her UTI issues have disappeared.

I'm so glad that I found this page. I injured my back 3 years ago and have been taking prescribed opiods for the pain. Recently got a bad UTI that lasted 3 months and they thought it spread to my kidneys, so they put me on Levaquin. The first 2 days nothing but soreness,I felt like I had been held down and beat with a bat. The 3rd day I noticed some swelling on my ankles and attributed it to working and standing on my feet all day. By the 6th day(this past Saturday) I can barely stand my knees and hips hurt so bad that I cut short my training with my Thoroughbred Shelby. I even had to ask my husband to come with me so that I could at least get him brushed out and groomed. I couldn't even hold a large groom brush. I literlly have to roll out of bed and try to prop myself up. My hands and wrists are so swollen that it's hard to just sit up on the side of the bed, and my lower legs, ankles and feet are all pitting edema with pain in every joint and difficulty just standing and walking is even harder. Thank God I have a cane that I use intermittently for my back. Here I was worried that my kidney's had shut down. I also have been looking on the net and found all my symptoms related to Levaquin. I'm not taking this any more.
This drug is dangerous, like others here, not 1 doctor even said a word about this side effect/ allergic reaction I could have. Not even the pharmacist. Sickening. All for a buck in their pocket.

I took this drug for 9 days of a 10 day prescription. I suffered from insomnia, but didn't connect that to the meds. On day 9 I awoke with slight pain in one knee. As the day wore on, that pain got acute and spread to the other knee, elbows, shoulders and hands. I thought perhaps it was a severe attack of osteoarthritis, but that didn't seem right. Three days later in a newspaper column called "The People's Pharmacy" I read about Levaquin causing severe tendon problem. A light went off in my head and I heard a "Boing!" It is now day 5 of my symptoms, some of which have abated. I still have to wear a knee brace on one leg, can't bend either knee very far, and am in acute discomfort. I took some naproxin to alleviate the inflammation and it seemed to work, but I won't take NSAIDS for a long period of time. I'm furious. Neither the doctor nor the instructions for the medication warned me of this side effect. Now I'm left to hope this goes away with time and I can walk comfortably again without this giant brace on my left knee. I remind myself of Igor in "Young Frankenstein!" Sleeping is uncomfortable as well - I awoke in severe pain last night because I had rolled onto my side and my right knee was resting on my sore left knee. Not good. I'm furious.

WHY IS THIS DRUG STILL ONTHE MARKET???? My wife is in severe pain after taking just 2 days worth of 750 Levaquin. Fear of dying, legs trembling, vomitting, hips and back pain, headaches, and severe stomach pains! Does anyone know how long this willl last? It has already been 3 days since she stopped taking the pills! DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL!!!

I took this drug for a kidney infection and now can hardly walk or sit on the toilet. The pain in my knees is excruciating especially at night. I can not turn over in bed without pain and they don"t seem to bend anymore. My doctor thinks I am nuts.I have not slept an entire night since this started. It came on all of a sudden after two weeks on this crap. Please, somebody tell me this is going to go away in a while!!!Marsh

i would like to know if its normal to have a pain in a kidney during antibiotics??? thank u

I took 3- 500mg of Levequin starting March 3. After the first pill I had pain in left hip, next day it was in my back and legs.
Foolishly, I didn't associate it with the Levaquin until just after taking the pill on the 3rd day.
Things went down hill from there. I could hardly get out of bed by myself. The pain was so bad I went to my orthopedic doctor. I had X-ray, then MRI with a bad reading that prompted a Nucular 3 phase bone scan. These came out clear and found no reason for my pain. Finally, my internest did kidney test and chest x-ray. After all these test and 2 months later, I was told it probably was the Levaquin.
I am better to the point of careing for myself and using the wheel chair and walker to get around. I was told just to let the muscles rest and it would pass, but when? This was a terrible price to pay for a sore throat. I did file a complaint with the FDA and suggest each and every one of you do the same. My feeling now is that I might never be able to return to my life as it was before Levaquin.

HAD A HYSTRECTOMY LAST THURS.,AFTER BEING ADVISED THAT IT WAS NORMAL TO RUN LOW GRADE FEVER,WASN'T TO CONCERNED TO START WITH,BUT EACH EVENING THE FEVER GOT A LITTLE HIGHER, THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE KIDNEY OR URINARY TRACT INFECT. WENT TO THE DOCTOR TODAY ,SAID TEST SHOWED NEITHER.BUT BLOOD WORK SHOWED RISE IN WHITE BLOOD COUNT, SUSPECTED BACTERIAL INFECT. WAS THE CONCLUSION. THEY GAVE ME ASHOT OF SOME SORT OF ANTIBIOTIC AND PRESCRIPTION FOR LEVAQUIN. TOOK MY FIRST PILL AFTER SUPPER(7:00PM) POSSIBLY MY LAST. ABOUT 12:OOAM I FELT WIRED ,JITTERY AND ALMOST CRAZY . EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY WAS SLEEPING BUT ME, I WOKE MY HUSBAND AS I WAS PASING THE FLOORS .THATS WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT LOOKING ON TH E-NET TO SEE IF I COULD FIND SOME HELP AND STUMBLED ON TO THIS PAGE. BY NOW I HAVE BROKEN INTO A STILL NERVOUS SWEAT AND HEAVY BREATHING (NOW 3:00AM) THANKS TO THIS , I KNOW I DONT NEED TO TAKE ANY MORE!

I have taken three 500mg doses and have experienced a rash(Like Poison Ivy) on my face as a result. I am taking Toporol XL100mg and Lipitor 20mg also. However, these have never caused any problems. The Leviquin was for other infection Sinus/Kidney related. The infection seems much better but I will have to change to another antibiotic. I seem to be one of very few people that break out in rash.