Levaquin and levaquin

I took my first pill of Levaquin 500 and started having abdominal pain.later I started feeling cold and shaking for about one hour. My arms and legs were so sore that I couldn't stand straight. Joints hurt a lot..My husband told me that my eyes were rolling and he was scare. Next day I had red dots in my whole body.mostly my legs. I went to the doctor for a blood test and my platelets were 35. Put me on prednisone. week before were 220. Almost sure was the levaquin. Shoud be taken out of market.

This is not a new side effect, but the same day I started taking Levaquin for sinusitis, I suspected something was wrong. Within hours, ears were roaring. First night, NO sleep, and that's WITH Ambien CR. Day 2.....depression! Immediate. This is in spite of having a severe depression under control for over a year. Sudden. I really started suspecting Levaquin then, but thought it was a coincidence. Took it this morning. Deep, dark depression. After reading these posts, I knew my suspicions were correct. The depression is getting better after 10-12 hours after the dose. This is really scary stuff. Really scary. Oh, yes, and I had the stomach pains, also. Told my husband it was just hurting like a bruise, not like indigestion or gas. I will report it to my doctor so they will no it's a "no-no" for me....in spite of all the websites that said how safe it was. Glad I found this website. Thank God.

Three pills @500mg each. That’s all it took. Three pills of a five-pill prescription for levaquin. I can still see the pursed lips and amused twinkle in the eyes of my urologist who said "You're going to be all right" after he prescribed meds for my prostates. The doctor discerned the rapidly cycling angst in my face as I teetered emotionally between blind faith in his curative powers and a nagging suspicion that he was another overpaid oaf in a long train of medical practitioners whose 15-minute consultative look-sees had done sometimes good and sometimes bad to stem the ravages in my then 61- year old frame. Subsequent events proved my nagging suspicions were correct.

Was my urologic problem bacteriologic, viral, or "non-specific"? Was it psychosomatic, STD-related, or associated with my recurrent bouts of kidney stones and urethritis? The medicine man really didn't know, but that didn't stop him from enlisting quaint Latin phrases to describe my condition. He prescribed me with an intimidatingly-named antibiotic (”levofloxacin”) from an odd sounding family of antibiotics (”fluoroquinolones”), which loosed on my internal flora a block-buster med suffused with flouride molecules just to make sure that the quinolones would penetrate every single tissue and nerve bundle including my brain, which is protected by a blood barrier normally inhospitable to biochemical interlopers. And the quinolones got into my brain where they proceeded to have a ball!

First, the quins performed little warm-up exercises. The tendons in the back of leg calves began to ache. Then the quins floxed my neck tendons, which began to make little “cracking” noises every time I pivoted my head. Now began the full spectrum assault: insomnia, intracranial pressure, near fainting, eye floaters, white-outs at vision periphery, unprecedented nightmares more preposterous than scary, panic attacks, intense agitation, anxiety, diminished executive function, inability to focus, depression, heart palpitations and a ghastly feeling of having been poisoned. My body felt toxic as if I were being cooked chemically from the inside-out.

The worst of it was cognitive impairment: I couldn't finish a sentence because I couldn't find a critical word or descriptor that informed my attempted communication with meaning. I tried to fill-out a questionnaire at a doctor’s office, but my hand-writing became an illegible scrawl that masked my inability adequately to describe the sensation of being poisoned. I couldn't find the vocabulary to cry out: "Doctor, I am in full blinking eclipse. My body hurts, my mind races from one obtrusive and disconnected thought to the next, and sometimes I feel as if I'm going to faint." What I didn't tell my doctors, family and friends is that my consciousness was filled with “suicidal ideation,” shorthand for existential dread and hopelessness where I wanted to escape further psychic torture and agony.

Looking back I might as well have been treated with voodoo, chicken claws, leeches, rooster blood, maybe some arsenic — all rolled into a gelatin tablet made from horse hooves and marketed by glad-handing pharmaceutical reps who barely could get their tongues around the multi-syllabled, ponderous Latin inflections required to bill-out their pills at stratospheric prices. But, wait, big pharma needs those hefty margins to pay for their marks' "educational" seminars, mini-vacations at Club Med, and lengthy faux testimonials from leading medical lights who neglect to mention to prescribing physicians that a public relations flack had ghost-written their research trial reviews, which big pharma had underwritten to begin with!

So, what do you get when you put the “sin” into “levofloxacin”? You get sick. Big pharma can make-up all the high fallutin’ Latin names in their multimillion-dollar laboratories, embargo their advertisements' release on infomercials during t.v. show intermissions, and continue to spend twice as much on marketing as they do on research & development, but it all boils down to this: feckless corporates abetted by toothless regulators have reaped a bowl-full of profit and left too much devastation & misery in their wake. Even assuming its best intentions and expensive brilliance, how can a medical system remain in denial about its own missteps? Have we become so litigious and politically correct that it’s too expensive for the medical industry to govern its own? Botched pharmaceutical intervention, they name is deregulation!

I took the drug for 2 days for a sinus infection. Midway thru the first day, I started to feel numbness 2 front teeth, palate, upper lip and nose. Thought it was the sinus. Took one more pill.

The shoulder and elbow pain was exacerbated by the pill as I already have tendinitis.

The sinus infection is gone, at least for now. I hope it doesn't come back to bite me!

After you read a representative sampling of this website's testimonials, you certainly ask yourself inter alia: Can this be true? Did thousands of people inject an antibiotic from the fluoroquinolone family, which crippled them for longer or for shorter? Most of us, I suspect, never really get beyond the initial litmus test: Did this medicine poison me or save me? (The answer depends, of course, upon the age, gender, medical condition, and most importantly, the DNA make-up of the individual patient. For hundreds of thousands of patients this antibiotic is a boon. For thousands of other misfortunes this antibiotic is a disaster.) But there is another important question here.

Who gains from self-revelation? To be sure individual sufferers gain certain emotional catharsis from posting their adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to levaquin. E-postings are one-way anonymous tracks that form ruts on a well-traveled trail of tears. Unless these postings are hoaxes written by mischievious gnomes, then they consitute prima facie evidence for a causal link between levaquin injection and sundry crippling ADRs.

Curiously, this e-forum cannot be used as a tool for organizing thousands of potential litigants who might coalesce under a class action lawsuit. Yes, we can analyze each other's anonymous revelations to see if they muster our respective sense of the "ring-of-truth" re: levaquin toxicity, and we may contact each other one-on-one, but no-one can harness this intoxicating communication's technology to reach simultaneously all respondents en masse as a bloc.

So, who wins? The emotionally unburdened e-poster who learns belatedly that s/he is not alone and that prescription medicine likely caused more pain than the underlying malady for which s/he is being treated? Or big pharma that continues to manufacture and market a medication that poses downside risk to many consumers who unwittingly incur more damage than therapeutic value?

Indeed, who wins in a forum where consumers anonymously reveal their symptoms and unconfirmed suspicions? The answer is big pharma wins. Pharmaceutical companies data-mine our postings to estimate the frequency and bredth of ADRs about which consumers complain. House statisticians estimate the ratio of active complainants : silent complainants, i.e., the ratio of complaints who show up on this website to the far heftier percentage of complainants who never post on this website because either they are technology-challenged or they are incurious. House actuarians proceed to estimate how much operating profits their employers must set aside to cover losses in out-of-court settlements or in awards made to plaintiffs in class action lawsuits.

I think this is how the game is played in a behavioral sink where billions are made in a deregulated marketplace that allows predators and prey to interact anonymously. Sorry to be such a downer, but I fathom only the desperate plight of tens of thousands of levaquin consumers for whom no monetary award ever will compensate them adequately for their suffering, and the hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in court awards if consumers ever brought to bear their aggregate numbers and draw a bead on their big pharma tormenters.

I think it a true horror and shame that pharmaceutical companies have not devised a test which determines in advance which patient safely may consume levaquin and which patient's DNA places him or her at risk. I suspect the genome technology is available, but would dig too deeply into big pharm's bottom line. The economics of "parachutes-for-everyone" is infeasible. We are all guinea pigs in a B-grade movie featuring Russian roulette, billion-dollar pay-offs, and an FDA that pretends not to know.

Since July 12, 2009 (Saturday) my life has been altered by a cure for a UTI that caused me to be taken by ambulance to the E.R. with a 105.6 fever. The horrible feeling of waking up shaking from the fever and not being able to stop it was scary. That was quickly followed by an ambulance ride to the local E.R. It was explained to me that the cause of my fever was a UTI that became a kidney infection. The E.R. doctor prescribed Levaquin 500 mgs for 10 days and Lori-tab for the ache very typical of a kidney infection. I am a 42yo woman who owns a motorcycle, swims, dances with a group and loves to wear beautiful heels. My life has changed since that night in the E.R. July 14 (Tuesday) , I was in my doctor's office complaining about bad headaches and feeling achy. I asked if this should be a concern since headaches were part of the warning label. The response was to remain on the antibiotic since the benefit far outweighed the side effects. The rest of the week was full of aches, pains, swelling, and a cloudy mental state. By Friday, the 17th of July I was laying in bed after noticing I no longer had ankles and I hurt all over. Thinking maybe this would pass I rested for an hour and my partner came to check on me. My jaw was tight and felt like it was locking down, every part of my body, every joint was hurting including my head. I called my doctor's office and asked if this was an allergic reaction and should I go to the hospital. The on-call said she was at the E.R. and maybe I should come in to be seen although it would be a long wait time because they were busy. I was seen, they talked about finishing with Cipro and then decided they would give me Bactrim. I asked how long I could expect to feel the effect of the Levaquin, the answer was 3 to 4 days. Since then, I have been in and out of the E.R. with acute and chronic pain. Walking has become almost impossible on some days. All of a sudden I have a back and hip problem. I am getting lumbar epidurals now and have sold the motorcycle. Oh, Dr. Higgins said, "Levaquin is a great drug". This was a E.R. doctor that was angry that I asked if this seemed to be an on-going issue from taking Levaquin. I am desperate to be pain free for even one 24 hour period. A storm of depression and clouds have set in...the thunder is my pain....

I was give Levaquin when I had a Prostate Biopsy and had a reaction to it , Hives, muscle pain oral thrush ,I told the doctor about it so he gave me another anti biotic,CIPRO which made things worse, then I find out they are both from the same family of antibiotics, these doctors don't know what they are giving you and he said all that I should have gotten from them was a little stomach problem, Its two years now and I still have skin
problems, joint pain and pain in my neck amd the doctors say it can't be from the Levaquin, Well how come I was healthy until I took it

Hi,
I am just looking for a web site that can help me with Levaquin side effects.
I had some of the listed side effects however within 4 days of starting the medication my taste and smell was totally gone. That was in Feb. 09, its now Sept.09 and i got back some smell and taste back but nothing like I
used to. In fact a lot of things taste different than they used to. Can
anybody help or point me in the right direction?

I have been on levaquin now for my second round of 5 days of a 28 day does for prostate. I have experienced joint pain, insomnia, irregular and skipped heart beats, fatigue, anxiety and many of the previous mentioned symptoms by others. I had all of these with my first round of this drug but I thought it was because if the severe infection in my prostate, UTI, kidneys and bladder. I was feeling great until 5 days ago when I start taking levaquin again. I think there is something very wrong with this drug and someone should be looking into a class action against the maker of this drug.

I took levaquin (750) for a bronchial infection about 9 months ago. My doctor gave me individual samples with no info. on any side effects. Like most people, I trusted my doctor and took the pills without question. The aftermath has been a complete nightmare as I have suffered severe joint pain, depression and an atypical anxiety that at times that feels like a drug induced brain fog. I've seen numerous specialist searching for an underlying process causing the symptoms but nothing is ever found. Since the beginning I've contended that the Levaquin was at the root of my problem, but no doctor has ever given that thought any consideration. Prior to the Levaquin I was perfectly fine with no history of any joint pains or mood disorders. Does anyone have any ideas on how to reverse or heal the process?

I have been on Levaquin 750mg for an infection in the bone of my toe. I am also on a daily IV drip of antibiotics. Since I have been taking the Levaquin, I ache all over. Every joint aches from my hands to my ankles.
I'm wondering if this is all a side effect of the Levaquin. I have nothing else to blame the aches upon.

in 2006 i was attacked and bitten by a dog , the wounds became infected and was prescribed levaquin for the infection, about the 8th day of taking it i noticed bad joint pain, insomnia, anxiety, ringing of ears,and more symptoms, i was in good health before this, and have been in misery every day all day ever since!!!!
i have been told by my dr that i have fibromyalgia. if anyone has a doctor that will verify that the levaquin , and the trauma from the dog bite caused the fibromyalgia, please contact me , thanks

After major surgery in mid-June I got an infection. I took a week-long dose of Levaquin. Approximately a week later, my shoulders, back, wrists, hips, knees and ankles became extremely sore and stiff all at once. It took two and a half weeks for those symptoms to disappear, however, my right hip is still affected so much that it hurts to walk. I am an otherwise healthy, young person. The pain does not dissipate when I sit, lay down, or stand in any position. It's really awful and completely has put a hold on my life. Just about everything I enjoy doing involves the use of my leg, and the pain stops me from living normally. I hate this! I wonder whether it's related to the antibiotic. My doctor has not been able to figure out what it is. I'm going to ask her to look in to this! Thanks for letting me vent..D.M. Washington

I began taking Levaquin for a kidney infection. After the first pill (500mg) I had insomnia, joint pain and a little under the weather. I thought maybe it was a combination of the pill and still having the kidney infection. I figured the infection wasn't gone because the first med, Sulfameth/trimethoprim 800/160 I had a reaction too also. That was prescribed for 10day when I only was 4days into it with that pill. So I went from Friday to Monday without any medications. I felt that the kidney infection was still there because I was still hurting, not as bad as when I went to ER but knew it wasn't gone. So Monday night I started taking the Levaquin. Felt bad after the first pill but after taking the 2nd pill I became very weak, had ringing in my ears, eyes started to swell,had sweats nausea, stomach hurt and became very bloated, neck pain so bad I could hardly turn my neck. Pain running down into my shoulder blades, jaw pain, sore throat, nausea, felt like someone was squeezing muscle in left arm and squeezing muscle on left side of neck Started to have some muscle pain in right calf. Call Dr. on call and he said STOP taking the medicine, take some Benadryl and if gets worse go to the ER. Well, I took some Benadryl which made it seem a little better, but this is the day after and my muscles by my shoulder blades are so sore and have a burning sensation. I still feel somewhat weak but not as bad as last night. Seems I tired out real quick. This medicine made me feel like I was on the way out. I was prescribed it for 7 days and only took it for 2. Now I am very hesitant about taking anything as I have had reactions now to 2 different meds. Still don't know if kidney infection is gone or not. Does anyone know of any natural ways to rid yourself of kidney infection? I would appreciate any advice anyone has. All I know this has been 2weeks of @@@@ since I was diagnosed with this kidney infection.

Hi All,

I am so glad that I found this group of postings. For the past 5 days I have been experiencing muscle pain which began on the inside of my left knee day 1. On the second day I had significant pain in both calf muscles as if I had begun a new calf workout routine(I haven't) as well as pain in the large back muscle that runs down either side of the spine. Day 3 I noticed serious pain in my forearms and wrists. The forearm pain is causing hand cramping and my thumbs don't seem to function properly. I tried to sign a credit card receipt today and could barely grip the pen. I now have pain in my neck muscles as well.

I know I have taken Levaquin in the past 6 months, I am just not exactly sure when it was. I am definitely going to research that. I went to the Dr. yesterday to discuss my muscle pain. He took 2 viles of blood. He said he is going to check for Lyme's disease and other infection. I am hopeful it is not something serious. I must say thought, many of the posts above sound a lot like what I am experiencing. I am going to be beyond angry if I have a permanent condition from taking Levaquin. Some pain I believe I can deal with. It is the current poor function of my hands I am most concerned with.

I wish all of you the best in recovering. If my condition turns out to be something else I will repost.

I started taking levaquin about a week ago. At first, I was doing fine but then I started to get fevers. Next thing I know, I have full blown flu systems and break out in a crazy rash. I have to go to urgent care. I kept calling the nurse and asking her if it was the antibiotics. She indicated that levaquin was very well tolerated and that she did not think it was the pills. After reading these posts I am confident it is the pills.

I have been taking Levaquin for four days now and am suffering from serious lower leg pain, weakness in my right hand, nausea, my skin feels so hot all the time and not able to sleep. I am sure the Levaquin is causing this as this all started right after taking the first pill. I did not get an information sheet from the pharmacy that there were serious side effects to this drug. I was prescribed Levaquin for a sinus / ear infection because I am allergic to Zithromax (my liver reacts negatively with this antibiotic). I will not be continuing the course of antibiotic and hope the pain stops.

Murdered by Levaquin.
This may be hard so bear with me. I need to give you a little background to show what an injustice (criminal you be the judge) happened to my soulmate. Her lifelong dream was a humble little spot in the wilderness and at 58 and on a disability we were able to make that happen; and she was happier than I'd seen her in years. Existing conditions included depression, anxiety, fibromyalga and chronic fatigue, and a thyroid condition that she got from over radiation for Graves disease many yrs. ago. Oct. 07 she came down with pnemonia and made a trip to ER. the Dr. saw something he didn't like so prescribed Levaquin. She left there sure she had lung cancer. Three days into a 10 day course her lower extremities became extremely painful and swollen, a call to her GP was never returned. We thought she was experiencing some effects of pneumonia or cancer. 2-3 wks. later a dr. appt. where she was in such bad shape she had to wear my shoes and be carried from car to wheelchair she could barely walk. An alternate dr. saw her. got xrays prescribed more levaquin and prescribed water pills for her swollen lower extremities. 2-3 weeks later side effects much worse has now traveled up to her midsection (peripheral neuropathy) she is now wheelchair bond going to dr. office and guess what lung hasn't cleared up yet so more levaquin with no solution or idea what is happening to her body ( she was terrified and in horrific pain. So she was prescribed 3 courses of levaquin and ignored the blatant side effects. The next several months at home were hell, the neuropathy continued up her body, she could no longer feed herself or hold anything in her hands. Every day the pain and frustration were unbearable and she cried for hours at a time. I couldn't get her to go to hospital as by now we knew what we were dealing with PN and it is irreversible and she knew she was dying and if she left she'd never see her dream home again. We finally got her to the hospital, they wouldn't accept my Achumes Razor and suggested numerous things conducted numerous tests including a Gallum scan and still no answers. She deteriated fast. She was within a week about 63 pounds and suffering severe sycosis with hallucinations. She experienced depersonalization. She had severe pain to the touch. I now know she is going to die and I'd promised her I'd never let her die in an institution but we could get no home care. They now wanted to kick her out of hospital after 3 months and suggested a hospice and although terminal she was undiagnosed so did not qualify. I have seen both parents a brother and numerous people die from a variety of ailments but this was truly a horror show esp. the psycosis and pain she was in. It scarred my heart and soul forever. No insurance so I am fighting to keep our dream home and keep her memory alive, made it a year but the future is uncertain. She died July 5 07, 2 days after she died the FDA put out a black box warning label so how come every time i insisted it was that poison they would not take me seriously. I now know what drives people over the edge to retaliate in some way. In Canada I don't think there is any class action happening, but in everybody that knew about it it would appear like gross negligence at least giving it to her 3 times after showing adverse reactions after first course. She was stolen away form me and her daughter just as she had reached peace and serenity. It breaks my heart continually and I don't know what to do with this rage I feel. It is now 13 months and no autopsy, apparently a hold up at pathology. Feel free to comment I really can't believe she's gone I haven't disposed of anything or even changed the house in any way.
M.

I was given Levaquin for a kidney infection. It seemed to help break my fever but after only one dose, I broke out in rash and later that night had tingling in my legs. My hand felt numb. When I called the oncall doctor she told attributed to anxiety. I told her I was anxious because all of a sudden my hand had gone numb and knowing that was a danger sign I refused to take anymore. Later that night, I could not walk or stand or bear weight on my legs. My shins and Achilles tendons were burning and only because of the internet did I know what was happening to me. Only 1 out of three doctors would agree I was having a drug reaction. For some odd reason, the doctors REFUSE to believe or acknowledge this was caused by Levaquin. No wonder the side effects are "rare" if no doctor will acknowledge the pain their patients are going through....how can the drug companies get any real feedback. Funny thing is only after I sent an email out to my team essentially warning them about this drug did I find out my coworker who had been on medical leave had suffered the same fate of torn achilles tendon and only after 3 months of PT is finally walking without pain. WHAT IS WRONG WITH our world when no one will listen to us. Thank God for the internet. I can walk now and have no pain standing (lasted only 2 and half days) but I am scared about the future as I know the results are lingering. I have been exhausted this whole weekend and wonder if its just me recovering as my PCP had me quit all antibiotics even at the risk of getting my kidney infection back. Well nice to know our stories are the same...and its not in our heads. BTW, my ER doctor told me it was a good drug and very unlikely the cause of my leg pains. They rather believed I had pneumonia or lyme's disease before they would believe it was caused by their beloved drug. All I can think now is I hope one day they are given this drug and it cripples them like it has so many others. Sometimes that is the only way they will acknowledge the truth. It has to happen to them or someone they love.

About 4 months ago I took 7 days worth of Levaquin after my sinus surgery. It was a preventative measure, I never had an infection. A few days into the prescription I started having tendon pain in my knees & ankles. I couldn't sleep, I was having nightmares, I was emotional, anxious and drained. My doctor told me to stop taking the Levaquin immediately. 4 months later and I am still suffering from entire body tendonapathy, neuropathic pain, joint pain, skin sensitivity, severe migraines, temperature sensitivity, twitching (muscles convulsing), basically my entire body hurts. Some days are a little better than others but not by much.

I have been to rhuemetologists, neurologists, pm & r doctors, physical therapists, acupunture, orthopedic surgeons, & allergists (in Chico Ca, & @ UC Davis in Sacramento Ca). NONE OF THE DOCTORS KNEW WHAT TO DO. My general physician actually told me to "go home and wait it out" because there was "no hope of finding help" (I'm not kidding). I've had tons of blood tests with fairly normal results. Thankfully I have a wonderful neurologist who has taken some interest in my situation. All of the other doctors told me that my case was very rare & that they had heard of such side effects but had never seen any patients with them! After some research on the internet I seriously doubt that my condition is as "rare" as they claim.

I am only 28 years old, I can't walk, I can't work, and my life has been turned upside down. I was very healthy before, I don't have a family history of health problems, nothing like that...it was the Levaquin.

Here is what I am currently taking: Lyrica for neuropathic pain, twitching, not being able to sleep etc., and oral morphine for the severe pain, Milk Thistle to promote glutathione (important because it helps your liver detox), Magnesium Malate (also helps detox), a multivitamin, vitamin c, and fish oil pills. I also attend acupuncture 2x per week (honestly feel some relief from it). Also, I heard that glutathione infusions are helpful but I haven't tried them yet. At this point I will try anything.

IF YOU HAVE HEARD OF ANYTHING OR ANYONE WHO CAN HELP WITH THESE DEVASTATING SIDE EFFECTS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

~J.

I was diagnosed with pneumonia on July 6 and prescribed Levaquin 500 mg for 10 days. I took my last pill tonight and could not understand the pain in my right hip, red eyes which I suspect comes from the insomnia I have been experiencing since July 10. I am still having difficulty sleeping and tonight I feel extremely tire with discomfort in the back and shoulders. I wish I had read these comments earlier, I would have discontinue using this drug. I have not experience any depression, but lack of appetite, stomach pain and upset stomach. I have had intermittent diarrhea. How long will it take for this drug to get out of my system.

I was prescribed Levaquin in my early twenties (about 10yrs ago) for a sinus infection and my throat swelled up after 1 pill. Turns out I had an allergic reaction to it. I was taught that It's in the same family as Penicillin, being that I'm allergic to Penn, why was I prescribed Levaquin?

I took Levaquin on multiple occasions for a severe prostate infection. I took a 15 day supply...then off for 1 week...another 15 day supply...off for two weeks...and then a 30 day supply. I took another 30 day supply when the infection resurfaced about a year later. During the time I was on it I experienced extreme "arthritis like" pain in my ankles, wrists, shoulders, and especially my back. The infection was over 3 years ago and I have not taken Levaguin since. However, the joint pain has never went away. I can barely climb stairs as my right knee feels like it is going to pop out of socket. The bone pain in my neck and between my shoulder blades is horrible. I visited a doctor (I never even considered the Levaguin as a possible antagonist) and was told that I had spinal degeneration and needed physical therapy. Protect yourself and your family from this drug.

My Mom was prescribed Levofloxacin ( AKA Levaquin) by her retarded doc for a mild cold and a sore throat.
After taking 2 tablets of 500mg each my mom is down is severe pain all over her body! she has joint pains, neck pain, arms, palms shes got severe pain all over her body!
She also has severe itching on the palms and her arms as well..
Headaches,
Things aren't looking good.

She in real pain! She tells me she just wants the pain to stop and that she was better off with the cold and sore throat.

She has stopped taking Levaquin.

Anyone got anyway to help her? something?? She is asleep now but tmr Im going to ask her to drink some kefir..

Thanks

I was prescribed levaquin back in May for a sinus infection. Have suffered from severe side effects, worst of which being joint and muscle pain, stomach pains, weakness and hives (last dose was taken 10 days ago). This has been the most physical discomfort and pain that I've ever been in. In addition, my ability to concentrate and recall easy things has lessened.
The "Bafoon" of a doctor that prescribed this claimed he didn't know what was wrong with me after a normal blood test. My new knowledgeable doctor told me that some people can't even walk after taking Levaquin. She says it takes on average 7 days to 6 weeks to feel improvement. Being a 36 yr old woman, having to move turtle speed, and feeling like I'm in a 90 year old body is very depressing.
If anyone has any information on any class action or mass tort litigation lawsuits please send me the information. This drug is poison and should not be prescribed for minor infections!!!

I am happy to find this site. I was given Levaquin for UTI. A few weeks prior to getting this prescription I was given a sulfa based drug (generic for Bactrim) and started feeling some pain in right wrist and hand. Dr. prescribed Levaquin since this sulfa based drug didn't clear up infection. Took 2 doses of 250mg and the reactions hit - both hands swelled, joints ached, both knees swelled and both feet and ankles swelled. Went to ER and admitted and spent 3 days in hospital on morphine and started prednisone treatment of 20mg a day with Aleve to also help with pain. This Levaquin is NASTY stuff. I can't believe doctors prescribe this medication. I am still not well. How long does it take to recover? I still am stiff and ache. I too am very active runner and finding myself frustrated in the slow recovery.

Following my last post about levaquin. I bought the probiotic drink ''kefir'' I noticed an instant change. After drinking a whole bottle in a days course I noticed that most of the pain went away. The burning and itching went away for good ! I could not believe it. I have began new symptoms though, I started getting light headed and having panic attacks. I am only 2 more days away from completing my 10th day off of the medicine. I am looking forward to feeling normal again. I'm getting fatigued easily and at night my feet,ankles and hands hurt but not as bad as it did before the probiotic. I hope this helps.

32 year old male here. I was prescribed Levaquin 500mg 2 days ago for 10 days after being diagnosed with cellulite which is a bacterial infection in the blood. I had a swollen and sore groin on the right side. I already take prilosec once a day for acid reflux. Since starting Levaquin the infection seems to be clearing up, but the heartburn is pretty vicious. Yesterday I thought to myself hmm, maybe I didn't take my prilosec but I thought I did. So, I took a second prilosec but with no results. Today again as listed on the bottle I waited two hours after taking the Levaquin and then took my prilosec, but no luck. I've since taken a second prilosec and a couple of tums. As I drove home from work the heartburn started reoccurring. Thats when I googled it and came to find this site and that I'm not crazy. I also had sharp pains in my wrist and hands today and feel really run down and almost mildly depressed. I can live with joint pains and feeling a little run down, but the heartburn really does effect your eating and sleeping. I guess I'll have to see how the next 7 days go.

hello i am a 28 year old mother of three i am going to school to become a nursing assistant just started my clinical.i have not been feeling good for the past 4 weeks went to my doc and asked for them to test my urin they took it and only did the dip stick instead of sending it to the lab the doc called me about a week later and told me everything looked good i said to him are you sure i feel like i have a uti so he told me if i am still not feeling well come back in in about a week so a week passes and now i am having pains in my back and trouble going to the bathroom so he does a (ua) i go to the lab to give urine and he put stat so the women said it should be back by tomorrow i called my doc the next day the receptionist says yes your results are in so i told her i am coming down cause she couldn't give me the results over the phone so i get ther and she tells me well it came back abnormal which i knew didn't have to pay $80.00 to tell me that i was the one telling the doctor that so anyway she tells me the doctor is in with another patient that i will have to wait i said oh no i feel like i am dying i am having so much pains in my kidneys so she said ok 1 min she got the doctor he called me down to his office and said well it looks like you had a uti and now it seems a little worse than that it might have traveled into your kidneys so i said i told you a few weeks ago when you said my urine came back fine i was in a lot of pain so now what he told me he was going to put me on levaquin 500 mg for 5 days and lets see how that works and to come back in in 2 weeks to take a repeat ua so i said ok got the prescription filled $50.00 later went home and read all the side effects and was so scared to take it but i was in so much pain and hearing about the actress who died of a ut i was so scared but i took it even know in my heart i knew it was not going to respond to me ok well let me tell you i almost had to quiet school i can hardly take care of my children just to walk up the stairs to go to the bathroom feels like i have been running a marathon for 10 miles we are a young couple and parents of 3 and i am a homemaker till i finish school so we live on my husbands pay check which really is living week by week nothing in saving cause we need every penny for bills and food but now i have been in so much pain not sleeping a wink cause i am so afraid of the nightmares that he has been home and not working which means no money is coming in at all i mean how do you tell your children well sorry i have nothing here and no money to buy you juice boxes for school i just really wanna give up i feel like i became a failure to my husband and children if i wasn't so sick he could be working and at least we can have the basics how do i tell them that we are almost out of oil and might not be able to have hot water i mean my life seems ruined all because of this drug i can not believe it i wish every day if i do fall asleep mybe it would be in my childrens best if i do not wake up but then feel like how can i even think that they love me no matter what i don't know i just can not even believe that my life turned around like this in the matter of a week how can this happen i really need help if anyone is out there please help i just wanna end it but i know deep in my heart my kids need me what to do

I was 54 at the time (2007) and in good physical health, however, after having my first round of chemotherapy as a result of breast cancer, I developed a severe throat yeast infection and my white blood count plummeted. I had ceased taking my many vitamins that have kept me in reasonably good health for the past 25 years because of nausea and generally just not feeling good. The doctors prescribed Levaquin.

Almost immediately, I developed heart palpitations and continued to have fever, nausea, and a rushing feeling throughout my body that was draining me of all energy. I could tell I was fading fast. Upon calling the doctors I said then that I thought it was the Levaquin but they insisted I stay on it otherwise they would put me in the hospital.

After the 4th day on it and with my blood pressure sinking (80/30) my husband called the doctor and they said to go to the ER. I again said to the ER doctor that I thought it was the Levaquin and he scoffed at that. After several hours and many tests, the ER doctor released me and said I could stop taking the Levaquin and he prescribed something to help me to sleep.

By the next day, I already started feeling better and within 3 days I was back taking my vitamins and feeling much better. I never took chemo again after this experience. Unfortunately since then, I have experienced severe ankle and leg cramps in the middle of the night, muscle spasms in my legs. I don't trust my ankles, they feel weak. I assumed it was linked to the chemo and never guessed it could be tied to Levaquin.

I went to my internist doctor who prescribed Flexeril which has helped with the cramps. My massage therapist has noted many times that my tendons and ligaments seem twisted and she has to really work on them which ultimately feels better. I never thought any of these symptoms were tied to Levaquin until last night when I saw the ad on TV regarding Levaquin and tendinitis. I will show this info to my Internist the next time I see him. How does one know if what I am experiencing is linked to Levaquin.

My girlfriend is 36 she had a kidney infection and got Levaquin IV in the hospital. Her legs were going numb and she could hardly get up to go to the bathroom in the hospital. She thought it was her infection. They sent her home two days later with 5 pill containers. One of them was Levaquin. She called me today and said she is having terrible pains in her hands, wrists, hips, and knees. She says she cant make a fist or hold a bag of groceries and her hands have swollen up so that she cant get her rings off. I told her I would do a search on the net to see if it might be one of the drugs she was taking. Slowly but surely I made it to the Levaquin. The drug maker fairly non chalantly refers to tendon rupture as a side effect effecting mostly people over 60 years old. I dug a little further and found this web site and was amazed at how many people are being poisoned by this drug. I am praying if she stops taking it the pain and debilitating effects will go away quickly. She has two disabled boys she has to take care of, including lifting them into wheel chairs and into beds. This is no joke! I am so angry at this drug maker and these doctors who often times do more harm than good.

My husband took Levaquin for ten days along with Prednisone for a chest infection. On the tenth and last day of the Levaquin, he began having burning in his knees. It then progressed to cramps in his feet, calves, thighs, knees and now his forearms. He has been referred to a neurologist. I plan to go with this information in my hands when I take him tomorrow. He had called the prescribing doctor's nurse and asked if the problems could be caused by the Levaquin since I had read nerve damage as a side effect. He never got a call back about it. He has also had nightmares so bad he kicked my in the middle of the night while having one. He has been in so much pain, he can hardly walk. He has incredible fatigue with other things already. He takes tramadol as a muscle relaxer, but then he can't drive to pulmonary rehab he is supposed to go to three times a week.

I took Levaquin for a sinus infection March 26th... 5 doses of 750 mg. I felt slightly better initially but that lasted only a day. I think it was prescribed wrongly, I had a virus and was getting over it... not a bacterial infection. The problems started about a week after the 5 day course ended. I ended up in the ER feeling like I was going to die, some strangeness in my breathing and feeling as if I was having a stroke... like I was going to pass out. They found nothing wrong except an elevated blood pressure and did a d-dimer to see if it could be an embolism (at my insistence, I had no idea this could be from levaquin and thought I was having a stroke. After the ER visit, I just felt like I had the flu, but I didn't... weak, extremely tired with some muscle aches ... two weeks out I had a lot of pain in both legs, like charlie horses that didn't go away... that lasted several days to a week... the weird depersonalization and the anxiety has been intense throughout. Constipation (never ever had it before this drug) started about a month out from taking it. I still feel pain in my legs from time to time and a feeling like there is a tight band across the top of my left foot... like when you tie your shoe too tight and need to loosen the shoe strings, but I am not wearing shoes.

I have been taking this Leviquin for 4 days. I have had severe cramps in my calves and feet in the middle of the night. So bad that I get up and try to step em' off but to no avail. My muscles hurt so bad in my legs arms and I have been very sick to my stomach. Do these things go away? I am not taking one more of those pills. I would rather have sinus and bronchitis problems than deal with these horrific side effects!! Any feed back?

I have had pain in my knees and legs after taking levaquin for pneumonia for 10 days. I am weak. It is hard to get up and down and very painful with steps of any kind. I am very depressed from the pain and inability to find anything that will help. I have been to an orthopedic doctor and had X-RAYS. Just given anti-inflammatory. No tendon or obvious reasons for pain. What do you do now? Who do you go to for help? In
the mean time, my breathing at night has gotten worse again.

My poor Mother was prescribed this medicine 2 days ago and she's not slept for 2 days and has had horrible pains in her legs. I just found out today that she started taking this and I looked it up only to the horror of all the complaints on this medication. DON'T TAKE THIS MEDICATION, IT'S POISON! It's so sad what people have to go through in taking some medications. I never take a medication without looking up all the side effects. I wish my Mother would have called me before taking this, but she trusts in her Doctor. I don't think Doctor's check complaints on medications, at least some don't. I had her STOP taking this right away and contact her Doctor tomorrow.

IN DEC 2008 I CAME DOWN WITH CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, MY DR. PRESCRIBE 750MG OF LEVAQUIN ONLY 5 TABLETS FOR FIVE DAYS. AFTER ABOUT THE SECOND DAY I STARTED HAVING SEVERE PAIN IN MY SHOULDER, FOREARMS ,HANDS, BACK ,HIPS AND KNEES. I MADE A APPOINTMENT TO SEE MY DR. AGAIN . COULD HARDLY GET IN OR OUT OF THE CAR THE PAIN WAS SO BAD. WHEN I WAS TOLD TO GET UP ON THE TABLE THE PAIN WAS SO BAD I WAS ACTUALLY SCREAMING. SHE KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT IT WAS THE LEVAQUIN AND KEEP SAYING I AM SO SORRY, IN AWAY I WAS RELIEVE TO KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM THINKING I WOULD BE GIVEN SOMETHING TO MAKE IT GO AWAY . I WAS AT THE DR. ABOUT EVERY OTHER DAY THEN XRAYS MRI AND FINALY AFTER THREE DIFFERENT DR. I HAD TO SEE A ORTHOPEDIC WHICH STARTED A SERIOUS OF SHOTS , NINE SHOTS GIVEN SEVEN DAYS APART AT A COST OF OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS. I WAS OFF WORK FOR FIVE MONTHS . STILL MY KNEE GIVES ME PROBLEMS BUT EVEN BEING ON SHORT TERM DISABILITY I WAS LOSING MONET AS I HAD TO PAY 500.00 ON MY MRI , 25.00 FOR EACH OFFICE VISIT WHICH WERE MANY PLUS 10.00 EVERY VISIT FOR THEN TO FILE PAPERS FOR MY SHORT TERM DISABILITY AND IF THEY WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH HOW THE FILE , THEY WOULD NOTIFY ME AND I WOULD NEED TO PAY ANOTHER $10.00 FOR THEN TO REFILED.I WAS ONLY GETTING 60%OF MY PAID MINUS MY SHARE OF THE INSURANCE . I STILL DON'T HAVE ALL OF MY ENERGY BACK BUT TO KEEP MY JOB I HAD TO RETURN TO WORK ONLY PART TIME FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS ,AND NOW THEY HAVE ME BACK ON FULL TIME AND IT IS VERY HARD THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I DRIVE HOME AND GO TO GET OUT OF THE CAR I CAN HARDLY WALK. IT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE, I HOPE THAT THEY TAKE IT OFF OF THE MARKET.

I was hospitalized with a severe kidney infection, later to be told it was e-coli. After several days of intravenous antibiotics along with prednisone in my IV to help manage terrific arthritis pain, I came home from the hospital with a prescription of levaquin, prednisone and something for my stomach that I could have gotten over the counter. I have progressively gotten sicker on my stomach, had severe attacks 3 to 5 times a day, headaches, extreme fatigue and weakness. Worst of all were the crazy thoughts when I woke up partly due to nightmares and partly to just not feeling myself and having a feeling of loss of control of all my emotions. I told my husband I believe I was going into a depression. After stumbling onto this site, I threw the 5 remaining levaquin in the trash and thank God that I found all the information I have today on this POISON. I agree with many that the side effects far outweigh any good this antibiotic has done for me. I continue to be very sick and weak. I just hope when I wake tomorrow this mess is out of my system for good.

I thought I was just taking a regular antibiotic for s simple bladder infection.. I have only taken one dose and had bad dreams, my muscles feel like a have run a marathon, I have no energy, my head is foggy,ears ringing and I am depressed for no reason. I wish there had been a strong warning on the side effects. I am going to natural remedies from now on.

Was prescribed Levaquin in November 2008 for suspected pneumonia, then 5 other times until last week. I've had really bad knee, thigh and arm and shoulder pain for the last 2 months. My legs get so weak and painful that getting out of a chair makes me want to cry, i've got to the stage that i need to hold on to something just to get on to my feet. My arms are rather weak, i can't even lift a small 10lb box without pains shooting down my arm. I've since stopped my last prescription of Levaquin 750mg daily for 7 days, the pain seems to have eased a little but not enough.

My pulmonologist keeps prescribing Levaquin each time i catch a cold or have shortness of breath. I was also taking 60mg of Prednisone from November 2008 until March for newly diagnosed Lung Disease. I've complained to him more than once about pain and weakness in my legs etc. He keeps telling me my muscles are deconditioned.

I've now started physical therapy and i'm doing aqua therapy, so we'll see if this works or not. Maybe it will also help my restless legs, which seems to have intensified this past few weeks.

My daughter is 16 and was given Levaquin 500 for a sinus infection. While on the medication she was tired but not much else in the side effect category. Now here we are 4 weeks later and she has acute abdomen pain, extreme fatigue,nausea, a headache, and she has lost 21 lbs in 2 weeks. I took her to the doctor and they ran a cbc, chem 12, urinalysis, and an electrolyte panel. All came back negative. Basically my perfectly healthy little girl is suffering from this. I went back and looked at the Levaquin packet because I know it can sometimes take a few weeks AFTER medications are stopped for side effects to show themselves and of course, all her symptoms are listed.

I am a 57 year old male, who is in very good shape and active playing sports. I had a bad cold and had just finished a 3 day "burst" of prednisone per my asthma specialist. I am supposed to keep it on hand and take it if my usual meds and "rescue" inhaler are not working, and I feel that I am going into an infection (asthmatic bronchitis). The steroid treatment did not work, so I saw a doctor who prescribed Levaquin (with a coupon for $15 off) - for 10 days. The pharmacist remarked that they had seen a LOT of these coupons and that the drug reps must be doing their jobs. I read the warnings which noted that "in rare instances, ...". after I got home. Since I was leaving town immediately and did not have time to change meds, I took the Levaquin. I have suffered leg cramps for over three weeks now and don't know when or if they will disappear. The cramps appear in my hamstrings, groin, thighs, and calf muscles. They are debilitating. Sometimes I can barely walk. I am no longer able to play racquetball. I try to stretch out and warm up thoroughly before physical activity, but the cramps still appear in one muscle group or more - then I stop immediately.

I am a 29 y/o male.this month i got a terrible sinus infection, probably due to a month's struggle with allergies. I was initially prescribed Augmenting but after just 1 pill i was up all night with stomach cramps & diarrhea. I was scared to take another dose so my dr. prescribed me Levaquin as an alternative. After reading the warnings I became very worried due to the fact that I already have lower back/hip and joint pain issues. I also work evening freight at Home Depot. After 1 Levaquin yesterday morning, I went to work ready to take it easy and not hurt my body more than it already does... after about 30 minute of simply opening small boxes and putting light-weight merchandise on the shelves, i began to feel extreme tension/aching in my hands and fingers.I was being very careful with my back & neck, but never even thought this might effect my hands??? I woke up this morning hoping it would be gone... no such luck, even after a full night's rest they still feel like i have arthritis, and no my hips (S.I. joints)are popping out like crazy. i am about to take the 2nd dose, only b/c my ears nose and throat do feel much better. I am just glad I picked up paperwork/and can afford to take a few days of LOA if this gets any worse. It is hard for me just to type this now : (. I'm scared.

Ran into friend at grocery store with mystery illness. Docs attribute it to Agent Orange exposure. Been at death's doorstep for a year. Hands were extremely cold and has little energy. Showed up one day at golf course with oxygen bottle! Asked him if he had taken Levaquin. Unfortunately had. Docs again fail to link antibiotic exposure to his ailments.
I wonder how many illnesses and deaths this poison has caused? Why does the FDA allow this crap? Do you people realize that the average person is clueless about the side effects of drugs like this. Put total confidence and their well being in the hands of ignorant docs and profit crazed drug companies.
Ignorant oncologist failed to link my dad's symptoms to Levaquin, instead attributed them to b-cell lymphoma which just happened to suddenly appear. Rituxan and numerous other drugs (Heparin, Lasix, Gamma globulin, Tylenol, antibiotics, Insulin, steroids, Flowmax, etc.) was too much. A fiasco, people think he died of lymphoma. Was walking three miles a day before taking Levaquin, for an undiagnosed lung infection.

I am a 40 year old male diabetic insulin dep. for 31 yrs.I was in the hosp. for 1 month with pneumonia in both lungs, I was given levaquin for the time i was in the hosp. then given 500mg pills. I have been getting pain in my shoulders and chest area. after a week out of the hosp. Also been have been depressed but have been taking drugs for that. Dont know what to do!?

My husband was prescribed 500 MG of Levaquin for 10 days due to respiratory infection. When I got the medicine home, I read all of the warnings and possible side affects. He is 61 and has had tendon damage in his shoulder and his lower leg from taking Cipro two years ago. He had severe joint pain from Bactrim and hallucinations from Flagyl. From these previous antibiotics he still suffers pains and limitations of movement. What is worse is that they prescribed Prednisone with the Levaquin. It clearly states in the warnings that Levaquin taken with Prednisone increases the likelihood of tendon damage. The warnings state that people over 60 have increased risk of tendon damage. Why on earth did his doctor prescribe this? My husband is 61 and was too sick to research all of this on his own. It has obviously become more profitable to make people sicker.
I found this forum and called his doctor. I refused to give him this terrible Levaquin and asked for a prescription for something milder. The Doxycylene seems to be working just fine to clear his infection.
A word of warning to all to not drink the Kool Aid that they give you without asking questions. Any health care system that sustains itself by keeping people ill is a bad one. Think about it. If people are healthy, then where is the profit?
This Levaquin sounds like some kind of bad snake oil to me and I am thankful to have read the warnings and then found this helpful forum. I am so sorry for the pain that most of you have suffered and are suffering. We are living with damage from antibiotics and we understand your anger. Take good care of yourselves.

Has anyone had the experience of previously taking Levaquin without side effects, then when taking it again, developed severe headaches, joint aches, muscle pain and weakness, etc? I am currently going through this. I've taken Levaquin before probably 2 or 3 times due to upper respiratory problems and not noticed any side effect but this time, I've taken 5 days worth, 3 in hospital 2 as outpatient dose and can hardly move. I had the same experience in 2004 with zithromax. Had taken it without side effects, then suddenly when taking it again developed such bad chest pain, I thought as did my doctor, that I was having heart attack and spent a week in hospital before figuring that one out.

Does it cause nosebleeds?

Update: I took Levaquin 2 months ago, stopping after 7 daily doses of 500mg for an upper and lower RI. I did not have the extreme reaction to it that others here suffered. I had general fatigue, brain fog, loss of appetite, dizziness and tight joints. I had always exercised regularly prior to Levaquin. I also had a sudden onset of bloating and inability to digest food. Doc said Levaquin wouldn't cause those symptoms. It's hard to tell if it was the Levaquin, but...

Now 2 months after my last Levaquin dose, my joints seem OK, I can exercise, although I don't push it too hard since that can aggravate any joint damage done by L, the brain fog is better, and the digestion is still a problem sometimes.

Levaquin symptoms can appear months after the last dose, so I am being vigilant.

God bless everyone here who has had horrible experiences with Levaquin and I hope that your bodies will heal as the months go by. I will be posting updates in the future.

Allergy, not side effect.
62 yr. old male. diagnosed with lung infection associated with smoking and was prescribed 5 x 500 mg Levaquin. I took one with water in the parking lot of the pharmacy. With-in 20 minutes I started getting burning, tingling feelings in my throat and mouth. I drove home , by that time I had huge hives on my back and buttocks. I went back to the doctor immediately.
Other than a rapid heartbeat, the only symptom seems to be the hives which were huge and covered my whole body.The Dr. stated that the episode occurred too soon after I took the pill to be an allergic reaction to the pill, however, I had not eaten or drank any thing that morning other than coffee. I also did not eat anything exotic the day before. I was given a steroid injection at the Dr. office and was prescribed a steroid med pak and an antihistamine. With-in 3 hrs. all the hives were gone. It is now 11 hrs later and I am ok except I am drowsy. If I do not recover well, I will post again to advise.