Levaquin and sense of smell

I am 35 years old and I live in Jacksonville, NC. Five days ago I was prescribed Levaquin for a serious sinus infection. After taking the first pill, I kept telling my husband I felt weird. Like I was numb. This was Saturday. By Monday I had no feeling in my face, no sense of smell or taste. It was horrible. By Monday eve my heart was pounding. I felt like it was coming out of my chest. I was so dizzy and I found it hard to concentrate. I woke up Wed. morning telling my husband I felt weird. I felt like I couldn't move my eyes and I couldn't feel the left side of my body. My lip on the upper right was swollen with blisters. Not to mention they were so dry because it seemed like no matter how much I was drinking I could never stay hydrated. By lunchtime Wed my left side of my body became very hot to where I was actually sweating under my armpit on the left side and my right side was cold. My heart began to race very badly, I became very dizzy, I felt like I couldn't breathe, my throat felt like it was swelling up and I couldn't swallow, then I started to shake uncontrollably, my body broke out in the horrible hives/rash. My blood pressure soared to 198/109 my pulse was 148. Then everything went black and I lost conscious. When I woke I was told I was unconscious for nearly three hours and that they injected me straight in the neck with epinephrine and injected me in my arm with 50 cc of Benadryl. They told me that they believe I suffered a serious reaction from Levaquin. It is the day after, cant even go to work, so weak and have the worst case of diarrhea you could possibly imagine. I was not even aware that the FDA put a black box warning on this drug. Meaning it is the worst warning you can have without removing it off the market. What the hell is wrong with these doctors? Why the hell would you keep giving that poison to us if you know it has such severe reactions. I am a mother of five and yesterday I thought my kids were going to be without a mother, that is how bad it was. I still have the bouts of paranoia and swear I am seeing things. My mind is a blur to most of yesterday. I still have no feeling on the left side of my body, or my face. I still cant taste or smell anything either. I am having bouts of dizziness and anxiety. I only consumed four of the 750 mg tablets, they gave me seven. They have prescribed me a different antibiotic, however because of yesterday, I am petrified of taking any medications, even Tylenol.

Very disgusting metallic taste in my mouth, with my sense of smell being inhibited very acutely. Every time I breathe in, it smells as though I am in a foundry. It is making me crazy and I have not taken the medicine for over a week now.

Hello,
I have just found out about this and have been on cipro and levaquin and guess what. 2 weeks ago i was jumping in a pool and the tendon in my arch let loose. I went to the orthopedic doctor and he sent me for MRI then put me in a boot cast. It felt like i stood on a golf ball and it still hurts like hell. I have problems walking on it still. My doctor stated that i will most likely be flat foooted now in the foot that the tendon let loose. then i seen this on the news. Damn i have never had problems in my foot. He called planter facititus.

I've posted here before about my nightmare with Levaquin that began in December of '06. I had all of the usual nasty side effects including: anxiety, thoughts of dying, unable to eat, redness, chest pain, strange blood pressure and temp readings, and finally a ruptured bicep tendon. Still, one side effect that I have not seen mentioned is one I'm still curious about..... I had a tremendous change in my sense of smell. To the point where I literally could not stand the scent of the deodorant I have used my entire life. To this day I still cannot tolerate that smell (as well as changes in other smells). Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Just curious.

Took Levaquin for chronic prostatitis. After a a few weeks experienceds intense pain in feet, calves and thighs. General feeling of maliase, fatique and depression. Inability to sleep. Sense of taste has diminished though sense of smell has been heightened. Fingers and wrists aching on and off. Fealt extremely dizzy and nauseous for several days. Nausea has diminished, but the feet, calf and leg pain remain. Have called doctor and recommendation is to cease taking Levaquin and see if syptoms abate after a few days. In the mean time he told me not to do any physical exertion as muscles and tendons are weakened when side effect occurs. Prescribed mild OTC anti-inflammatory (Ibuprofen) and pain-killer (Tylenol) for a few dayswhile we wait to see the progression and/or abatement of symptoms.

3 or 4 months ago I was given Levaquin for a viral flu. As soon as I began taking it I lost all sense of taste and smell. I have regained my sense of taste and some of my sense of smell but it is not nearly as keen as it was. Many people will say they smell stuff and I can't smell it at all.

levaquib for a month and completly lost sense of smell and taste (yes, i know they are interrelated) for 4 months now. never came back

After taking one pill of 500mg levaquin I have experienced burning / tingling sensation in the upper and lower extremities with severe joint pain. Anxiousness.
Insomnia. This has been awful. After 5wks I still have terrible episodes of pain unrelenting, with altered sense of smell, metallic in nature. I am not getting better.

I started taking Levaquil on, I think, wed. March 3. I took 250 mg twice a day for 3 1/2 days. Since I started taking these pills for pneumonia I have felt absolutely terrible. I have a bad headache, intermittent hot flashes, shortness of breath, metallic taste in my mouth, an acute sense of smell and complete lack of taste, extreme lethargy, irritability, unable to sleep more than 3 hours at a time even if I take an ambien, bad nightmares, have gotten out of bed in the middle of the night and wandered outside, mild nausea, a feeling of whoooshing throughout my body, chest pain, and my memory is so shot I couldn't even count from 10 to 1, I keep getting stuck on the 5 or 6. I am an otherwise healthy physically fit 37 yo physical instruction teacher. I spoke with my Dr. and he instructed me to stop taking Levaquin and has put me on Biaxin. Does anyone know how long will this last? Thanks for what information you can pass on.

I have been taking Levaquin for 5 days after being diagnosed with a lung infection (likely bronchitis). I had been prescribed Biaxin (Erythromicin) previously, but my lung infection only got worse. The Levaquin has been great and has completely cleaned up my lungs. The only noticeable side effects have been very bad night sweats (have to change clothes 2 or three times a night) and diminished sense of smell. I would highly recommend Levaquin to anyone who has badly congested lungs - it was great.

Oct. 1, 2003

In December I took Levaquin (500 mg ) daily for 10 days. I had a respiratory tract infection. After taking this medication, I lost my sense of smell and taste and I have severe joint pain in my hands. I am now being treated for carpel tunnel and may have to have surgery. Yesterday after seeing a ear nose and throat specialist, I find these problems are a side effect of the medication. I would never take this medicine again and would not recommend it to anyone.