Levaquin and physical therapy

I was prescribed Levaquin by my Dr. for a sinus infection. There were 10 pills and I was to take one a day. No one mentioned any of the side effects or drug interactions except to not take antacids within 2 hours of taking the meds. During the coarse of me taking the medication I began having substernal chest pains which I thought was just horrible heart burn, but it got so bad that I woke up screaming multiple nights from the pain. I also started having pain in my ankles, legs and especially my knees. The pain in my knees gets so bad that I think my knee caps are going to shatter when I walk especially when going down the stairs. I didn't know any of the drug interactions and my father in law who is a physical therapist has always advised me to take ibuprofen for muscle and joint pain so that's what I did, but little did I know that was only increasing the effects on my central nervous system. I am also experiencing bouts of nausea, confusion, light headedness, difficulty sleeping, anxiety and I actually thought I was having a mental breakdown.. I was freaking out on my husband and very depressed even having suicidal thoughts. It wasn't until my mother randomly mentioned that she had heard about the FDA issuing the Black Box warning that I connected the dots and had already finished the meds. I called my doctor's office right away and was told that the symptoms I am having are not side effects of the medicine. Maybe the Dr. doesn't listen to the news either.

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???

Hi all, I was amazed to find this site. I too have had a rough life for the past eight years! I am going to be 39 in a few days but this story starts back in August 21, 2000. The day that put me in HELL for the next eight years and still going through it. Prior to this day, I had a lot of UTI's and Pneumonia and several times prescribed both Levaquin and Cipro. I did develop Achillies tendinitis but I thought this was due to my active life style, see I was an LPN and a firefighter. So I went for treatment to fix the Achillies tendinitis. This was a foot Dr that of course gave me a cortizone shot in it. I cant remember how much earlier this was that this took place and I am still not sure if this is what did it but as I am thinking back these are the things that come to mind. On August 21, 2000 I was on a fire call and my right Achillies tendon popped off the bone! They took me away by ambulance. The Dr in the ER said to go home with an air cast on, eat or drink nothing and come back in at 10:00am and they would possibly do surgery. Well, I did just that. The orthopedic Doc said oh yeah it is achillies rupture will have to go in and tie back all the little fibers. So away to the operating room I went. They gave me a spinal and just knocked me out. I was awakened suddenly by my Dr. voice loudly saying " Holy shit it peeled off the bone!" And another nurse saying let me see! I came up on my hands and they grabbed me put me back down and knocked me back out! (I still have night mares over that!) Anyway, I spent the next 3 months in a cast. During this time, I was told from over usuage of my left foot, I now was developing tendinitis in my achillies tendon in the left foot! Which this sent me to a wheel chair. They took the cast off in 3 months then I was still no weight bearing for another month. Then i had physical therapy for about 6-8 months with little improvement. I complained to the Dr about the left achillies tendon and he said he would not do anything about it unless it too popped! So now many Dr later, and many many medications tried and many surgeries later, and now diagnosed with Lupus, Sjogrens, and Fibromyalgia, the most my rheumatoligist says is I have a connective tissue disorder, and taking cancer medication (Methotrexate) I am now disabled at 39! My life taken from me. I have situational depression, panic attacks, sleep trouble, Suffer from post traumatic stress, nightmares, basically my life is a mess and it is over. On July 1, 2008 I had to go to the ER cause I was sick. I had been run down and feeling bad and sleeping a lot, disoriented, couldn't stay awake. They found I had another UTI and a sinus infection. The Dr Says we will put you on Levaquin and that should take care of both problems. So he left, it took me a while for it to sink in that I should stay away from that drug, so I caught him and told him, he said to me that this was only found to be in kids while they are young and developing that it causes tendon rupture, and besides he said, one dose will not hurt you. I took 5 pills, one a day. Since then I have been in so much pain all over my body it is unreal! It still took me days to figure out that it was the Levaquin doing this to me! I feel like at random someone is sticking a knife in different muscles in my body! I felt like I had done Tie bo for 24 hours straight! Even my butt muscles hurt so bad to sit here and write this email! I have days when I cant even use my hands! Write my name with a pen. I am not sure if this is all due to these drugs, but I am most miserable and not a bit better. I may have just made it worse by taking this last round of them. Has anyone else had this kinf of symptoms?

I posted my experience with Levaquin back in January 2008. It's been three months since my initial reaction to Levaquin. I was in terrible pain then and I could barely walk. It has been three months now and I am still in a lot of pain and the pain in my lower back is worse. However, I can walk better now. I have yet to find a doctor who can help me or who even believes that Levaquin caused this. If anyone out there has a physician who believes that Levaquin can cause this damage and who is competent to treat this problem, PLEASE email me with his or her name. I am willing to travel to wherever I need to travel to to get some relief from this. If nothing else it would be great to have a doctor who understands the problem. Thanks. My prayers are with you all.

Chris

I'm 17 and I took Levaquin back in November and still have to use a wheelchair to get around. I ended up having to go to the Mayo clinic because there were so many factors to my case, and we were not getting anywhere with my doctors at children's hospital. i also have mono and west nile virus and so all that viral activity made the reaction so much worse. They discovered Levaquin caused severe tendinitis in each and every tendon, but my hips mainly affected causing them to be extremely fluid-filled. I also have a permanent peripheral neuropathy from it. They discovered an autonomic syndrome called POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) , however that can logically be attributed to either the mono or the reaction.
I go to physical therapy every week now for my hips and my ability to be ambulating well enough to go to college in 6 months is being questioned.

I took 500 mg Levaquin daily for 5 days during the first part of Oct. 07. Tendon pain developed on the third day. Today, after four and a half months, three doctors and a dozen sessions of physical therapy, I still can't walk more than a few feet without a walker. Any thoughts regarding how I might proceed will be greatly appreciated.
David M.

I was put on Levaquin for 21 days to treat chronic sinusitis and I am only 17 years old. After about the 3rd day I was having great pain in my hips and knees and we called the doctors office to say we were having some of the side effects you're supposed to notify your doctor for, and they told me to keep taking it because all medicines have side effects and not to freak out. By the fifth day I had to be rushed to the ER because of serum sickness and i finally stopped it. Now, 2 and half months later, I still walk like a 95 year old and have to use a wheelchair to get around. I've also developed hypersensitivity to cold and touch and my limbs go numb randomly.

My son is 14 years old and was given two rounds of this drug for an infection (two weeks and one week respectively). Last round in the middle of September. The pain started with the first round and got worse the second time. Real bad. We had him tested for a multitude of diseases and x-rayed the knees - all came back normal. We finally stumbled onto the fact that the joint pain coincided with the drug - WE WERE NEVER WARNED!

Well, he's a heck of an athlete/student/good kid...and has been wrestling since he's 5 years old, has competed nationally and this sport is "his thing." Well, now he's finally in high school and can barely make it through practice - can't go live at all. The pain and stiffness ain't going away even though he's been off it since September!

What in the world can we do to treat this effectively (or t all)? Doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory meds and they did nothing. Physical therapy is doing nothing. Ultrasound treatment on knees is doing nothing.

How long will it last?

Help please anybody with any information - we're disparate.

Prayers are welcome too.

Thanks.

Craig V. (Dustins Dad)

Well....an update on my update. Legs aching again. I thought the symptoms were gone. Apparently not. Leg pain and nausea. I am just hoping against hope (and praying!) that these are not permanent. I've been off the Levaquin for 2 weeks+ now after being on it for 12 days. This drug is a nightmare.

Who would think an antibiotic would have such effects? I have been experienceing pain in my shoulder for about 3 weeks. This began less than 2 weeks after taking Levaquin for 2 weeks. In addition to that, I experienced side effects during the treatment. This include chest pressure and rapid heartbeat.

Yesterday, I saw an orthpaedist who diagnosed me with a rotator cuff injury.
I have one month of physical therapy to endure 3x per week now. If the pain doesn't improve in 2 weeks, then an MRI will be done. If it is ruptured, there will likely be surgery.

I am a healthy 35 year old woman with no history of shoulder problems. The doctor and others have asked what did I do to hurt myself. My answer is that I made the mistake of taking a drug that shouldn't be on the market. I don't lift weights and I didn't pitch 9 innings before this. So the only connection is a drug whose website states "ruptures of the shoulder, hands, and Achilles tendons have been reported...".

I have woarned all of my friends and co-workers about this drug. I am now on a crusade to prevent others from falling victim to this drug. I understand that the risks to the few outwiegh the rewards to many. However, when you are one of the few who is affected, your viewpoint changes. I am an educated woman and did read the side affects prior to taking the drug. I knew this was a possibility but it was "rare". Who knew an antibiotic could be so helpful and harmful at the same time!

My mother was told she had pneumonia after going to the emergency room, and was given a prescription for levaquin 750mg. 9 pills cost over $220. After having taken the 2 pill , my mom (81 years old) developed tremors, headache, stomach pain, jaw and mouth discomfort, became disorientated, and worst of all was unable to walk without the help of family. She became very depressed and was praying to die. We took her to her doctor, who literally took the pills from my hand , and threw them in the bio-hazard trash container. We were also informed that we were the second patient to come into his office , THAT DAY- WITH AN ADVERSE REACTION TO THIS DRUG. THIS DRUG ALMOST KILLED MY MOTHER- I BELIEVE THIS DRUG TO BE HIGHLY DANGEROUS. THE DOCTOR ALSO STATED , SHE WILL HAVE TO HAVE PHYSICAL THERAPY , AFTER SHE GETS THROUGH THE ANTIDOTES TO COUNTERACT THIS DRUG. I BELIEVE THAT UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE, THIS DRUG IS GOING TO HARM ALOT OF PEOPLE. FINAL WORD-THIS IS POISON. BEWARE

January 2, 2007
In August of 2005 I was given my third prescription for Levaquin for an infection. (The other two in previous year for Sinus infection.) This time the pain in the knee joints was so sever I though that I was going crazy. I could not get up from a seated position without assistance. I have had a weakness in the legs as well and had tests for MS but the Dr. said it there was something affecting the nerve connections but not sure why. I have had physical therapy twice in the last year which does take away the worst of the pain but to this day cannot increase activity or the aching in tendons around the knees gets to be unbearable. I heard of Levaquin as possiblity of my troubles and it sure does make sense to me. I have found no cure tho and no real hope for relief of pain or getting back to normal exercise to increase strength in knees.
I did fill out form on FDA wedbsite tho so perhaps more info to them will get them to alert physicians that side affects are more comon then we are led to believe by the drug manufacurers.

on day 4 of a 5-day dose of 750mg....I experienced intense shoulder pain in both shoulders---later diagnosed as impingement syndrome for which I need to do physical therapy in hopes of getting back to normal again! Also, weakness and pain in my hands and upper thighs...I cannnot unscrew a jar or open a door without pain. I am normally very active --aerobics, swimming(up to a mile 3x weekly), step, and walking....I can do none of the above!...I told my doctor to add to my chart ---no Levoquin!....the cure for my flu has been worse than the flu!....they should remove from market and/or highlight the muscular problems associated with the drug.

I am a 62 year old female, in great shape (or at least I was) until I took 6 doses of Levaquin for a UTI. After the 6th dose, I went to sleep perfectly normal and when I woke up, my arm muscle or tendon located about 2 inches from the shoulder could not move. I immediately knew it was the Levaquin, because my husband took this medicine and could hardly walk due to the achilles tendon soreness and he power walks every day. His tendon did eventually get better so I decided to wait it out, of course, I didn't take any more of the medicine. It is now 2 months later, I am starting physical therapy, and my arm cannot move without pain. It has made me very depressed because it was no unnecessary and is causing me so much difficulty. Why arn't we told these horrible side effects by our doctors before we take this horrible medicine. I urge everyone NOT to take this medication, there are others around, so please don't take the chance I took.

After being diagnosed as possibly having pneumonia, Levaquin was prescribed for a 10-day period. I took the medication for 5 days until I noticed severe aching & jolts of pain through my left leg & hip. I have NEVER had problems like this before taking this medication and have since been placed into physical therapy for bursitis in my left hip. I'm still having trouble walking great distances, quickly or sitting for longer than 30 minutes. Needless to say, I did not finish the Levaquin prescription.