Levaquin and reply

I've been on Levaquin for only 2 days, combined with Prednisone... Taking them due to a nasty sinus infection. One of these two meds is making every joint in my body hurts, as well as me having lost almost every bit of my sense of taste. I ate general tso's chicken today for lunch and could not taste anything, so as an experiment I ate one of those little red Chinese peppers that I normally throw out because they are WAY too hot - I couldn't taste a thing. Last night I had to drop the air condition down to 68 degrees as one of these two meds made me sweat very heavily and uncomfortably hot.

I took this antibiotic for 2 days. I have no history of mental illness whatsoever and I thought I was losing my mind for 2 days. I had a panic attack 2 nights in a row and stayed up all night starring at front door afraid that someone was going to break into my home and hurt my children. I can not believe that this "antibiotic" is even on the market. This is an extremely dangerous drug. I called the doctor and he sounded like he didn't believe me- maybe I should share some of this stuff with him so he can experience the crazy too!

Started Levaquin 500 mg for 14 day treatment 4 days ago for chronic ethmoid sinusitis (15 months of battles!). Within 1 day, my symptoms were significantly better - and now 3 days later are about 95% gone. Only strange side effect happened on day three (3rd pill), got severely nauseated and dizzy and felt disoriented within 20 mins of taking the pill, but all subsided within 3 hours. Might have happened because I had taken a Zyrtec the night before - I believe that the 2 don't really mix well. Have been fine since (not taking Zyrtec with it again!).
Do also feel a little tendon pressure in my knees and elbows, but is very little and doesn't bother me at all.

Wow, I had no idea that Levaquin affected so many people. My daughter had knee surgery a couple of years ago. They gave her vancomycin before the surgery. She had an allergic reaction to the stuff. She also found out from one of the nurses that levaquin is related to vancomycin.

I had a total hip replacement 3 years ago and they gave me vancomycin just before the surgery. I was laid up in the hospital for a week. When I arrived home I noticed that my skin was really itchy (mostly my arms). Whenever I scratched it left whelps and turned extremely red. Now after 3 years my skin is still itchy, but not as frequent as it used to be. Has anyone had this problem with their skin?

I wanted everyone to be aware of the relation between vancomycin and levaquin.

Good luck to all.

Struggling with a sinus infection that threatened to bore into my brain, resulting, ultimately, in seizures and death, I've been taking Levaquin now for three days. I'm experiencing anxiety and sleeplessness, however, it's not from the medication. It's from all the hyperbole on the internet.

Look, I understand that many have had adverse reactions to this medication. One dose of penicillin can kill you without warning. At anytime. No warning. I suspect that few of those labellings Levaquin "poison" would ever bother to consider that - or anything else. All wrapped up in your misery, you spout off with rhetoric that is really better left to lawyers and politicians.

If you were uninformed of the possible side-effects of this medication, blame your doctor. I see that the last post here is dated November 2007, and the bottom of this first page takes us to October 2006. Perhaps one could take a bit of responsibility for oneself and do some research on one's own before popping a pill handed out by a disinterested physician. This information is out there - and yes, your doctor could have seen it, too. But he didn't bother, did he? Neither did you.

So, yes, with my first dose, and despite the impact drill driving through my eye-socket, I waited for the seizures, swelling and signs of imminent demise. Nothing. Sorry. Oh, my sinuses feel better, I don't have a brain infection, and so I won't die frothing at the mouth on my living room floor.

I'm sorry you feel bad - and if you hadn't run off at the mouth calling what may be one of the last effective antibiotics "poison", I might mean that with some sincerity. Oh, and lest you forget, antibiotics are poison by definition - the idea being that they affect/poison/kill the source more than they do the host.

So let's stop the hyperbole, and simply say you had a bad reaction to this medication. Not everyone does. Your option might have been to skip the doctor and the meds altogether, and see how you'd fare. But that would leave the responsibility, and the blame, all on you, then, wouldn't it? Far better to spread it around some.

I am a physician and have prescribed levaquin to many people. I have had some of them complain of what they thought were serious and variable side effects but mostly I attributed their problems to anxiety and hypochondiasis. I now know differently. I took levaquin, and for over a year I have had serious CNS anxiety, insomnia, joint and tendon pain, and widespread peripheral neuropathy. It has been an awful time and since realizing that the effects are often long term I have been able to identify many other patients who have developed serious long term problems with anxiety, depression, arthropathy and tendonopathy, neuropathy and possibly endocrine effects like gonadal failure and worsening of diabetes. There are no long term studies done post marketing to identify these effects and to unify all of these problems into one syndrom of fluoroquinolone toxicity. This is a big problem and I believe thousands of patients have been adversely affected by the use and misuse of levaquin and probably the other fluoroquinolone antibiotics. I have other colleagues who are beginning to recognize the long term consequences of levaquin and the fluoroquinolones. More research and study needs to be done. In the mean time I am sure that Johnson and Johnson, Ortho- Mcneil, will continue to refute that the incidence of serious adverse reactions is much higher than they report.

I took levaquin, cipro and avalox in a 4 month period due to a severe sinus infection, back in Jan to april of 2006. I had tolerated it most of my life, but at that time, I had had 'neck surgery due to 2 pinched nerves, left shoulder operated on, major tears, due to extreme 'flat roof roofing repair' for 6 months trying to save our 'dream home from satan'. (we lost it, foreclosure)
I complained to my dr the next day, (and most every week) he ignored my halluciations, (actually "snickered" in my face), mood altered, ignored my complaints of feeling like a hot rake tearing my muscle and tendons apart. pain, told me to continue taking it:(, blame me for listening and NOT doing research soon enough, I learned later the dr is supposed to STOP the drugs immediately to rule out tendonitist to prevent pernanent irreverable damage AND it's not to be given to 'muscle challanged people'). after that 3rd round in a 4 month period, I told him I'd rather die than to take them again. mom always told me I was allergic to pennicilin, I wasnt, it helped clear my infection.

I now have hodgkins lyphoma, (affects men mostly, i'm female, 51 yrs of age), I shouldnt have 'this cancer'. My face started breaking out w/2 types of skin cancer, basal cell, and precancer A. keratosis eveywhere. I was 120 lbs, cut muscles, always had been physical. Now, flab, lost mucle strength everywhere. Every day now is filled w/severe pain and NO dr will listen, I've been called crazy so many times, I could puke. The dr's dont WANT TO KNOW because of the extensive lawsuits that will exist due to them NOT knowing side effects and stopping meds, it's their 'brotherhood', protect each other no matter what the patients 'cost' is, as in mine, complete mind and body destruction:(
To MOST people, this drug is okay. To many of us, it's a life destroying slow death. Cant work, cant get disability. Have reached for 'help to heaven' so many times, but never followed through:(. I still HOPE for some dr to listen and do necessary tests so I can sue the crap out of my previous g.p. He should have known . HOPE is a forbidden 4 letter word, yet I cuss like a sailor.
Peace my fellow quin sufferers, Sandie in S.C.

LEVAQUIN is a FLURO quinelone. The fluoride replaces the iron in metalloproteases in your tendons. Remodelling to stress thus fails to occur. It is a molecule shapped like a horseshoe. The base is the formula for an INHIBITORY neurotransmmitter: GABA. It also causes cardiac hyperpolarization. If these dangers are not carefully examined before taking the drug, you are playing Russian Roulette.

But don't just be hysterical. Read. America can't survive as a nation of hedge fund BSers with no grasp of science or math. Doctors are drowning in HMO paperwork and 5 mins. per patient. They can't be thorough and don't have time to read other than the BS of drug salesmen. So don't go by the stupid TV ads. READ-->LEARN-->READ--> and contact the FDA and drug company to get their info on your side effects. If they lie, you have a case. Fight for yourselves instead of just panicking over symptoms. That could kill you whether you stop or not the drugs.

My husband was prescribed 750 mg of Levaquin to be taken over a 14 day period. After 3 days he had the most bizare reactions; heavy chest, pain in his arms and legs, constant "burps" among other things. We called his doctor and went in to see him. His first remark was there was no connection between the antibiotic and his "reaction." No amount of discussion would convince the doctor we had a toxic reaction to Levaquin. This was in October of 2006 and today my husband is still feeling the effects of this drug. I wrote to the FDA and I've not received a reply, which I was assured would be forthcoming, nothing works to get rid of this toxin and our medical profession does not accept any responsibilty in prescribing this harmful drug. IT MUST BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET. Our thinking is perhaps a lawsuit will get the manufacturers attention...what do you think?

Don't give up. For me, it is getting better. I was given Levaquin 5 day dosepack for a recurrent URI and also after extreme fatigue following major surgery that just kicked my butt. In 24 hrs of taking the drug, I went from pure exhaustion to no sleep for 48 hrs straight. The severity of pain in my wrists, calves, feet and various other extra muscle pains (that were not there before taking Levaquin) was unbearable. It was over the weekend and I did continue taking the drug until Monday - finishing the dosepack that day. I was in the doc's office that very day and all they could say was "I've never known this drug to do that...." and of course my reply was to 'read the side effects in the PDR'. That was about 5 months ago and they have noted my file to no longer give me this class of antibiotic - even though this was the first time I was on Levaquin, I'm told there are other meds in it's family that I've taken for years with no problem (Bactrim?). Today, I still suffer from hand weakness & pain and bilateral feet pain. It is nowhere near the severity as the initial onset. Hang in there, take it ODAT & drink plenty of water & juices to flush your system.

i was perscribed levaquin for 10 days for pneumonia and a sinus infection. it got rid of it but now 3 weeks later its back and i cant seem to get my period now. also after stopping it after my 10 days, i had awful diarhea for about a week afterward. now ill probly have to go back to the doc to get something so i can have my monthly again plus to clear this other infection!! are there any other women who have experienced this or am i the first . please reply . i didnt get all those other problems from it but this one.

As of 5:00 p.m. today 3-1-2005 I have not been able to get a reply from the hospital or the maker of LEVAQUIN. If and when I get answers from them will post what they have to say on this website.-Ed

Ref: guest # 9738. Got a reply from the FDA. They informed me that when I take a drug the results may be good or they may be bad. What do I think. They don't care. Ed

In reply to Sharon #2662 June 9th, I had acute bronchitis and was prescribed levaquin. I took it for 10 days, and felt much better. Two days later, the infection was back. My doctor prescribed another 10 day course of levaquin. On day 2, I became itchy from head to toe, and began breaking out with tiny bumps that had liquid in them. The itching was intense- it felt like it was coming from the inside out. My doc put me on hydroxyl. It is now six weeks later, and I am still itchy in spots, many different areas at a time, and sometimes just one area. The worst is on my feet, ankles,legs and arms. My legs look like I have some funky disease, it is really upsetting. I researched levaquin side effects, and learned that these side effects can last up to three months on average, and sometimes longer. Please try not to scratch them too much. When you scratch off a scab, it just gets itchier. I find calahist ointment relieving, although it burns at first. You can also get a scrip for cortisone cream which will have a higher concentration of the meds than the over the counter stuff. Best of luck to you.