Levaquin and postings

I am taking Levaquin one time a day, 500 mg. for diverticultis. I have fibromyalgia so attributed symptoms of EXTREME FATIGUE to that but this is fatigue like I've never known. I can't do much of anything. I don't work outside the home so will just deal with it if it cures my infection. I'm using sleep meds too...but that could be fibromyalgia kicking in too. But fatigue is much worse. I hope it kills those bad bacteria!

I was prescribed an 11 day supply of Levaquin - 500 mg. I'm on day 7 and struggling to make it 4 more days. The first day I took the tablet around 5 pm. I was up all night. Since taking in the morning, I've been fine. Now, I'm suffering from very sore biceps, heels and stiff knees. The fatigue is overwhelming. I also experience extreme dizziness as well. I may call the doctor tomorrow to see if I can stop this. I've taken various antibiotics throughout my lifetime and never have experienced the side effects such as this one.

I am currently taking levaquin for a sinus and double inner ear infection, i have also taken this antibiotic before,i am 35 years old. I think this drug works wonderfully and tell the doctor this drug works the best for me.i have noticed a harder time falling asleep if i take it too late in the evening and some mild stomach cramping if i do not eat at least 2 hours prior to taking it.i also take it with a full glass of water.some of the side affects listed in this blog that people are describing are normal if you read your insert that comes with the medication.And if you follow the directions and eat and drink with a full glass of water the side effects are not as severe.Unless you are allergic to the drug,i do not find it bothersome knowing i will not be taking it forever and it is just temporary that i will be having a hard time falling asleep.i do eventually fall asleep.My suggestion while taking this medication if you are in reasonably good health,is to read the directions about eating and drinking plenty of water and don't panic,that just makes things worse.

My 10 year old was prescribed levaquin for a sinus and ear infection, he has been "dizzy and lightheaded" and started having "horrible" nightmares. That was only after 1 dose. I don't think he'll be taking anymore. Thank You for this website! :) very informative.

I have some of everything above and am in so much pain that I feel as if I am dying a slow, painful death. I am on heavy pain meds and even with those I have severe abdominal cramping. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this pain relief. I am very worried as to what is happening to me internally. They are scheduling cat scans and I am awaiting a phone call to get something diagnostic done. This all started 8/15 and not only are things not easing up, but I think this is getting worse. I also have a urethral discharge, UTI, and alternating constipation and diarrhea. Initially, I had a 102 degree fever and now my temp is low, only 97.1! my husband plans on calling a lawyer today, 8/26. One day I passed brown urine and it shocked me! I'd appreciate hearing from others as I feel so alone in this horrible nightmare which is unfolding! FYI, my doctor feels that my muscle tissue is breaking down...has anyone heard anything like this from their doctor? The stomach and abdominal pains are like labor!

I have had progressive muscle weakness, pain in my joints with swelling of the knees, ankles and hips. My doctor said it is not related to the antibiotic and to continue taking it. The symptoms are so disabling I can barely make it to the bathroom alone and I have had to miss work. I also told him the inside of my throat felt swollen, and my tongue is turning white. It just isn't a pleasant drug to be on.

It is quite amazing how when the story hits the news, the number of postings here jumps up! How sad it is that many people now realize the same things that many of us have known for quite some time. I only hope that the floodgate have now opened and that everyone will now keep the pressure on to limit the use of thee dangerous chemicals.

After 20 months I have had my right distal tendon surgically repaired, I endure tremendous pain in my left arm daily, and I fight the other unmentionable adrs. A black box warning is a start but it is not nearly enough.

New side effects: intense anger with the FDA and drug manufacturers, distrust of the medical community, and the required development of pain management skills.

Began taking Levaqauin on/about 19Mar08. Became symptomatic (agitation + insomnia followed by a host of psychiatric ills) within eight weeks. I'm in a living hell now, which might or might not be related to flouroquinolone, e.g., levaquin poisoning. There are more than 2000+ posting on this site that go back five or so years. Most of the postings constitute one-way communiques from hell. (Go ahead, read a representative sampling of the postings.) Here's the question: what became of these people who wrote their awful posts? Are they still alive? Did they find cures? How does one contact some of the earlier posters?

I was diagnosed with pneumonia 12 days ago and put on Levaquin because of it. I have felt like a totally different person and not in a good way. I have not slept more than 2-3 hours per night since beginning this antibiotic, I have been depressed, crying and fatigued. I am normally very emotionally stable but the insomnia has been a nightmare. I will never take this medication again. I appreciate all the postings on this site that helped me know that I wasn't going crazy - Levaquin was doing that to me.

I started taking Levaquin last Monday, today is Saturday the 17th of May. I have a chronic sinus infection which i was given Augmentin that did not work. The Augmentin was taken for 10 days. Then I was told to wait 5 or 6 days to see if the infection would clear up. No it did not. So my doctor gave me 10 days of 750mg of Levaquin. I started taking Levaquin last Monday, today is Saturday the 17th of May. I decided to get back to walking for exercise to loose a little extra weight gained this past winter. I walked about 1 mile. I am used to walking and that is nothing. I usually try to walk 5 to 6 miles each evening. Today, I can hardly move. My hips are sour and my shoulders are killing me. I thought I must be really out of shape, but why are my arms and shoulder hurting. After reading the postings here, I am sure it is the Levaquin. I was fine Monday as far as muscle aches and pains just the sinus infection. Now I can hardly move. I will call my doctor first thing Monday morning. Thanks to you all for your postings and good luck.

I was given a 10 day dose of LEVAQUIN for a mild bronchitis/respiratory ailment on Jan. 29, 2008. I took 1 500mg pill for the full ten days. Three days after I stopped taking this medication, I experienced incredibly painful swelling in both knees. I could barely walk, and couldn't bend my knees. I was scared, upset, and in absolute misery. I spent a week literally throwing myself backwards onto chairs. It was unbelievable. When I could finally get to my normal health care provider 5 days later, she immediately identified the culprit as the Levaquin I had taken. She said she knew it to cause people's tendons to burst. It was obvious since it was both knees that it was not an injury and I never had any other problem with my legs. I am, or shall I say I was an avid walker. I was told to see an orthopedic doctor if I had not improved in one week. I had not improved in a week. The orthopedic doctor sent me for an MRI which showed irreversible, permanent cartilage damage in my left knee. The right knee he didn't MRI at the time, saying he could determine what he needed to know from the one knee and would only be able to do corrective surgery on my knees in 6 week intervals. This horrible drug has permanently altered my way of life. I was a 53 year old active, ambulatory adult who would walk miles a day. Two months later, I still have constant knee pain, cannot stand for long periods of time without leaning on something and can no longer kneel, etc. I can only walk around a bit and if I'm on my feet for long periods of time I experience knee, ankle pain and swelling. I sent a report to the FDA who obviously cares nothing about this situation, since I'm not the only unsuspecting person to have this happen. I've been studying this drug now and there was evidence in animal clinical trials of joint and tendon damage, To me it would have been no different an experience if someone had come up and hit me with a baseball bat across both knees. I am permanently damaged from Levaquin. I think it's criminal this drug is given to younger ambulatory adults at all.

Well after all the hype of the negative side effects of levaquin I did the 7 days and tho I felt like crap mainly due to the flu I think I seem to be fine a week after stopping. The side effects I did experience were wrenched stomach. This could of been a flu symptom or maybe a side effect of the antibiotic. Knowing that antibiotics can cause pretty much most of the symptoms that people here complain of and having experienced ten years of allergies due to antibiotics from 93 to 03 and curing myself thru education on the subject I knew before hand that taking any antibiotic is a gamble. I think the reason most people have bad experiences is due to an already compromised out of balance system. Candidiasis is a controversial subject that a lot of doctors do not believe in but recently it has made a lot of headlines both on tv and in the holistic field. So knowing I did not want another ten years of hell I bought good flora, probiotics from a health food store. I have been taking about 5 a day with meals. So far i have no side effects. I feel good. I will take probiotics for a month or so to make sure I get enough good flora back into my system. Anyone taking an antibiotic needs to know that it will kill most all benificial bacteria but does not kill candida so without the good flora which keeps candida in check candida can grow and leak into your blood stream and attack any part of the body. I personally do not agree that antibiotics should be used in a lot of situations but sometimes you have no choice. If one does not have the knowledge to use them responsibly I do believe your life can be altered dramatically. Its easy to blame the pill which in most cases you are correct in your assumption but its also your own fault and the doctors to of not educated yourself beforehand.

Perhaps the only good side effect I have experienced as a result of my Levaquin poisoning is a never ending quest for understanding. I really want to understand how this happened to me and so many others. My life has been dramatically altered and it does not appear that it will return to the way it was any time soon (if at all). So I want the who/what/when/why of how it happened. My searching led me here: ******
I believe many of you might be interested to see what some others have to say on the matter but please be forewarned... it might bother those of you who have been harmed by these drugs. Also, if you look closely I think you will see some similarities in the postings that mirror some recent postings here about the benefits (?) of this stuff. It certainly is an interesting perspective.

I took 750mg Levaquin for 5 days for a sinus infection and after the 2nd day had a horrible headache, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, muscle aches and metal taste in mouth. At first I thought I was getting the flu or that it was from the sinus infection. After taking the 5th pill and not feeling any better, I found these postings which explains everything. My doctor did not tell me anything about the side effects. It is 3 days after I took the last pill and I am still suffering from severe headaches, dizziness and some nausea. Do not take this medication unless you absolutely have to. I do not normally have any side effects to medication and am not on any other meds. I just hope the headaches go away because I am having to miss work as a result and not able to give attention to my family. My fear is that the headaches won't go away. One posting said that her daughter's headaches went away after 6 days...I can only hope at this point. Terrible drug and shame on the doctor for not warning patients. Try other antibiotics first before you take it.

Well I started Levaquin on the 17th of January for a bladder infection, and I took 2 pills and I have had nausea and watery diarrhea, so after reading all your postings about it I am not going to continue this medication

I was prescribed 750 mg of Levaquin for a skin infection after a minor burn. On the third day I noticed flashing lights in my right eye and the next day I felt as though I was looking through a black lace curtain. It has now settled into a large thread like floater that is in my central vision. My eye doctor said it is a large vitreous tear which is permanent. I also had tinnitus and burning on my lips and tongue which stopped after I stopped the medication. Two weeks after stopping the meds, I was biking and lost my balance. I turned my ankle, not violently, but it resulted in ruptured tendons all around the ankle. Three days after that, my right shoulder began popping in and out of its socket. Each evening, I had a low grade fever and chills. I'd wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. I also had a rough eczema-like rash on my elbow and neck, however that has gone away. I'm sleeping better now and last night I did not have a fever or night sweats. My ankle is improving and I can now get through the day without having to take Advil. The shoulder is still popping when I extend my arm, but I'm hoping that will improve with time. So far, the only permanent damage seems to be the eye floater. It's annoying, but I'm adjusting. I'm planning to go back to the gym today, but honestly, I'm feeling like a ticking time bomb and I worry that new symptoms will continue to pop up. Has anyone out there been completely symptom free for any period of time? Has anyone discussed their case with an attorney?