Levaquin and quinolone antibiotics

I have been prescribed cipro 2x for diverticulitis and has adverse reactions (after completing the recommended prescription) to dairy and fruits (citrus acid). When another bout of diverticulitis occurred, I asked my doctor not to give me cipro. He does some research and prescribes levaquin. I completed the prescription and now more than ever have adverse reactions to dairy and fruits and anything that has whey or citric acid in it. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg of exactly what I am allergic to. I have done extensive research of the adverse reactions from cipro and levaquin which for me once I eat these particular foods is extreme case of hives and skin rash. I have to take benydral. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it does not. I went to my gastroenterologist and allergist with complaints from taking these drugs and they have told me they have never had anyone come to them with complaints. Who are we kidding? With all the reading I have done, these drugs are poison. Although I know I am among the extreme side effect category, I need help and I can't get it anywhere. I have also read that these quinolone antibiotics are given to the animals, foul and fish that we eat. So does that mean we are ingesting extra quinolone into our systems when all we want to do is have it wear off? My wife feels that we should eat organic meats. I tried organic milk and I have reacted to it. I just want a bowl of cereal and a normal cup of coffee. Whey also gives me hives. Whey is in almost everything and so is citric acid as preservatives. If there are anyone of you out there that is or has experience similar to what I am, please let me know. My doctors cannot help me,nor do they seem to really even care. My wife has given them a lot of information she has been downloading from the computer. Hope this wears off soon. Every time I take one step forward, I wind up taking two steps back. Where is the help out there that we need? Since we are the minority who suffers from these drugs, doctors don't care until they have to deal with it. What is wrong with our medical society?

Through the past years I have been looking for information about the quinolone antibiotics, Levaquin, Cipro and others.

I have not taken this kind of medications myself but a close friend did and I am absolutely sure that`s why he suffered psychiatric symptoms as well as extreme sesitivity to light and also had cramps/convulsions.

It`s a terrible long story which also etails other medications for instance statins.

I am surprised at how similar quinolone and statin side effects seem to be.

A few minutes ago I found a new site which might be interesting:

Google for "Death by Levaquin" and you will probably find the site I am thinking about.

If I write down the exact address it will be replaced by *****.

O passed away at an old people`s home at the age of 74. I will never forget his suffering.

The best thing you can do for yourself and the people around you is to "educate" yourself on diseases/medications and how the pharmaceutical industry is run.

Here are two books on that issue: Overdosed America (John Abramson) and The Truth About The Drug Companies (Marcia Angell).

Don´t give up.

Im only 16 years old and ive been on levaquin for about 3 days now. My doctor told me off the bat that the only thing wrong with the drug were some "theories" on cartilidge damage, how ever, now i see for myself, and for many other people that is not the only side effect. He told me that no one under 18 is supposed to have it but i caught a severe case of sinutitus, and a uti which ive had for 2 months and nothing was working, so he put me on levaquin, once a day for 7 days. Ive now been having the following symptoms and im extremely scared!!
1. Constant fatigue
2. Extreme Migraines
3. Nausea, vomiting
4. Rapid heart beat (and chest pain)
5. Stiffness in joints and horrible pain...
6. Constant anxiousness, to where i cant get to sleep
7. Dizziness

Is there anyone i can talk to who's had these same problems? please email me or something im scared and i don't know what to do my mother doesn't believe me and she says its just a head cold....

******

Please help me!!

I have no personal experience of Levaquin or the other quinolone antibiotics (Cipro etc.)

A very dear friend was prescribed Ciprofloxacin during the summer of 2004. I am sure that was the reason for his sudden confusion among other things.

His suffering made me look for information on the Internet and I read a lot of books by Peter R. Breggin and Stephen Fried.

Today I just received another one - Medicine Madness ( Peter R. Breggin) and I am happy to say that he has also included a chapter about ordinary prescribed drugs that can cause psychiatric symptoms.

He, for instance, writes about "Antibiotic Madness".

It`s about this very group of antibiotics.

Here are some lines from his text:

"Hardly anyone thinks of antibiotics as potentially dangerous psychoactive drugs but many of them are".

"Levaquin is a member of the quinolones family of antibiotics, a group that is known to cause severe emotional reactions".

The best thing you can do for yourself and the people around you is to inform your self!

I took Levaquin for 2 days and woke up with both arms from the elbow down having the worst spasm ever, felt like contractions at times. I also had eye twitches and headaches and thoughts of feeling like I was poisoning myself. I did something very similar 6 months ago on Cipro, I took 2 rounds of it and by halfway through the second round I took myself off, I felt like my spine was swelling and I had vice grip headaches with that. My Dr. said they ae cousin meds of each other and I should NEVER take them again. I cannot believe they don't watch you more closely when giving something that has some serious side effects.

Hey all. I suspect many of you would agree that one of the most infuriating aspects of this antibiotic nightmare is that seemingly, there aren't many {none that I've dealt with} doctors/nurses or pharmacists that will even acknowledge the potential {and VERY REAL} side effects of these drugs.

On 01/10/08 I was put on Cipro 500mg twice daily, two week supply, for epididymitis, which likely stemmed from a bacterial infection/urinary infection back in late Oct of 07. It's an infection that can require a lengthy dosage due to eliminate bacteria growth. I was also prescribed a painkiller along with it.

That night after dosing had horrible nausea/vomiting, and chalked it up to the painkiller ... which at that point it likely was. Within a few days the groin pain from the infection had subsided a great deal, and although felt a little 'odd' from the Cipro, nothing too noteworthy. At eight days into treatment, became nauseous around the clock with bizarre flu like symptoms. I called the doctor at the ER who had diagnosed me, and she switched me to Doxycilline {sp?}, which isn't a quinolone. After stopping the Cipro, nausea disappeared. However, within a week the pain of the infection returned, apparently due to the weaker antibiotic.

So I was re-checked on 01/24/08 and put on Levaquin, 250gm once daily. Within a day or so the pain subsided once again, but on the third day developed horrible diarrhea and pain in my left knee/leg. Stopped taking it immediately, and decided to research my dilemma online, where to my horror I've discovered all sorts of people from all walks of life experiencing debilitating side effects from this grouping of fluoroquinolone/quinolones antibiotics.

I'm now on Cephalexin, and the pharmacist I spoke with today assured me that it's not part of the quinolone grouping. He also suggested that I must be part of that small pool of the populace that has trouble with quinolone antibiotics ... one begins to wonder just how "small" this pool is given how the average person isn't likely to associate muscle/joint pain with the antibiotic they're ingesting.

How this POISON has lasted so long on the market without more exposure/media coverage speaks volumes about the state of corporate America, with nearly every social system compromised {usually at the expense of the corporation's victims} , with little or no help from the corporate owned mainline media, which serves as nothing but a megaphone platform for vested intertests to transmit "official" opinion to the unwary. So here I be with very painful knee, which I should add is already compromised due to a major tibial plateau fracture in 2001.

I'd love to know whose palms are being greased to keep this rat poison available ... hell, I even had to pay over our insurance co-pay fore the Levaquin, as it's apparently a "top shelf" drug.

Good luck everyone ... and it probably doesn't need to be said, but man, I know after this I will check and double check any and every antibiotic that may be perscribed to our daughter in the future!

I was put on Levaquin 750 mg. for 7 days for a sinus infection. After a few days, I was soooooooo sore in every muscle and joint of my body, that I didn't even want to get out of bed. Since I am self-employed and the only one that does my job, (custom sewing and alterations of clothing), I had too. One Friday, shortly after taking the Levaquin, I was in the bathroom, and I had to get my husband's attention to help me get up off the commode, my right leg would not let me raise up. I went to the doctor that was on call, and he said that Levaquin is like using a Elephant gun, and that you can tear a tendon, cartilage (sp?). I was put in a brace and sent for an MRI, which showed nothing other than fluid. Then I was sent to an Ortho. He gave me a cort. shot and had me to come back in 2 weeks, well the shot helped for a few days, in 2 weeks he gave me 3 options: 1: another shot, 2: surgery to see what the MRI and x-rays missed, or 3: learn to just live with it. I opted for the surgery and had it on December 31, 2007 and was informed that my cartilage(sp?) was torn in 2 places with 1 place having a "floppy" place that had to be take off. Now I have to take p.t. and get "back" to where I can work, I can't even drive now, it is my right knee, and the pressure to press the pedal is VERY painful.I have to depend on my husband to do for me and I don't like having to do this. I have never had any problems with my right knee and the doctor asked me how I did this and I told him this happened while taking Levaquin, and he was looking straight at me when he asked, when I answered with Levaquin, he just said OOOOOOOOOO, and looked straight at the computer screen. That told me that I'm not the first that he has seen or heard about. While my husband was in the hospital, there was a nurse, that said that she had heard a lot about the terrible side effects of this medicine, but had not yet met anyone that had been affected.
I also have been very moody, and short tempered since taking this medication. I have no patience, and that is not me at all.
I have also got my right ear stopped up and a ringing in it. I have also had this since taking this so called wonderful cure all antibiotic. Someone should have to pay for everything that everyone has had to go through with, PAIN and ALL. If there is a Lawsuit, count me in. I've never been affected this way with any medicine. It should be taken off the market immediately. Thank you for letting me get this off my chest.

What are possible side effects of LEVAQUIN?
LEVAQUIN is generally well tolerated. The most common side effects caused by LEVAQUIN, which are usually mild, include nausea, diarrhea, itching, abdominal pain, dizziness, flatulence, rash and vaginitis in women.

You should be careful about driving or operating machinery until you are sure LEVAQUIN is not causing dizziness.

Allergic reactions have been reported in patients receiving quinolones including LEVAQUIN, even after just one dose. If you develop hives, skin rash or other symptoms of an allergic reaction, you should stop taking this medication and call your healthcare professional.

Ruptures of the shoulder, hand, or Achilles tendons have been reported in patients receiving quinolones, including LEVAQUIN. If you develop pain, swelling, or rupture of a tendon you should stop taking LEVAQUIN and contact your healthcare professional.

Some quinolone antibiotics have been associated with the development of phototoxicity ("sunburns" and "blistering sunburns") following exposure to sunlight or other sources of ultraviolet light such as artificial ultraviolet light used in tanning salons. LEVAQUIN has been infrequently associated with phototoxicity. You should avoid excessive exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light while you are taking LEVAQUIN.

If you have diabetes and you develop a hypoglycemic reaction while on LEVAQUIN, you should stop taking LEVAQUIN and call your healthcare professional.

Convulsions have been reported in patients receiving quinolone antibiotics including LEVAQUIN. If you have experienced convulsions in the past, be sure to let your physician know that you have a history of convulsions.

Quinolones, including LEVAQUIN, may also cause central nervous system stimulation which may lead to tremors, restlessness, anxiety, lightheadedness, confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, nightmares, insomnia, and, rarely, suicidal thoughts or acts.

If you notice any side effects not mentioned here or you have concerns about the side effects you are experiencing, please inform your healthcare professional.

For more complete information regarding levofloxacin, please refer to the full prescribing information, which may be obtained from your healthcare professional, pharmacist, or the Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR).