Levaquin and strep throat

Was given iv levaquin in hospital for pneumonia (sat night). Oral the next day. The following day (monday) all the joints in my body started to ache. Hard to move. Especially ankle. Dr said stop antibiotic. Ankle and joints sore all week. Friday I had a huge pop in my ankle. Large bruise and swelling. Turned out to be a second degree sprain with ruptured blood vessel. Caused by levoguin. It has been 13 days since the pop, ankle still popping, swelling will not go down. Does anyone know how long this drug lasts in your body?

I started taking 750mg of Levaquin last Thursday, March 20, 2008, for a strep throat infection that was not responding to 500 mg. of Penicillin. I took Levaquin last summer due to another bad throat infection and had absolutely no side effects. However, this time I am experiencing a raft of them, from awful insomnia and sluggishness and tiredness, to sever headaches and coughing. I suffer from depression and this is effecting my reaction to the depression medication. I am feeling more depressed.

A few days ago, my head started to hurt near my left eye, and my skull became very sensitive on the top left side, midway between the middle of the skull and my left ear. If I cough, it feels as if my head is about to explode. To make matters worse, whenever I try to speak, I start coughing , which in turn hurts my head. My head is painful to the touch.

This is awful. Can anyone help me out with some pain relief or something?

Mikal

I started taking Levaquin for strep throat. I am 22 years old and it good health. I was supposed to take it for 5 days. During the 5 days my stomach felt a bit uneasy, but I was expecting that because i usually have a small stomach ache when taking anti-biotic. On the fourth day i ended up bed ridden. I woke up with severe diarrhea, and threw up. I attempted to go to work, but my symptoms got worse. I ended up in bed with severe stomach and body pain for the rest of the day not able to move or hold anything down. If i tried to drink or eat anything i either threw it up or had diarrhea. It was worse than the flu. I then looked up side effects of Levaquin and found the following: feeling restless or anxious; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain; headache, drowsiness, dizziness;sleep problems (insomnia). I fell under each of those categories. This drug is evil. They said keep taking it but consult with your Dr... yea right. I was DONE with it. I'd rather get strep again than go through that again! DON'T TAKE LEVAQUIN!

I was prescribed Levaquin for seven days in August for a strep throat infection. I took a "frontload" dose of 750mg and four doses of 500mg. I got off it after the 5th day due to strange feelings of tingling, burning, stiffness, and pain in my feet, ankles, knees, and hips.

For the first week or so after discontinuing Levaquin, I could barely hobble around due to the stiffness and pain in my legs. I took an Aleve every twelve hours for about 10 days, which helped a lot. As someone on this board suggested, I also tried drinking Ensure (apparently the calcium and magnesium helps to counteract the effects of the drug). Can't really say whether it did much, but at least I felt like I was doing something to repair the damage. I laid off vigorous exercise but tried to maintain some moderate activity so as not to let my muscles weaken.

I'm relieved to report the symptoms diminished over time. After about two weeks off Levaquin, I finally had a pain-free day. It's now been six weeks and I'm pretty much back to normal (though still being careful not to overstress my joints).

My heart goes out to anybody suffering from the side effects of this drug. I hope with care and patience you're able to recover. I feel lucky to get out of this without being crippled. I will NEVER take Levaquin again.

I was given seven days worth of Levaquin for a bad strep throat infection. I was frightened reading about some of the side effects, but I've had strep before and had a very hard time getting rid of it. The doctor at urgent care said Levaquin was "primo" for getting rid of infections, so I took a chance.

About the third day on the drug, I started to have minor tingling, burning, and "pins and needles" feeling in my hips and ankles. My knees were also slightly affected. I quit Levaquin after five days. I'm recovering, but my achilles tendons are still stiff and sore. I've definitely lost a step or two on this drug and wish I'd tried something else.

My doctor said joint pain was a "rare" side effect of Levaquin, but it sure doesn't sound like it reading this and other boards on the subject. This is scary stuff and should be avoided if there is any possible alternative.

Was prescribed Levaquin 500 mg tablet for 10 days to treat strep throat. I had never taken it before. I have finished it two days ago and now have a severe yeast infection. I've never had one from antibiotics before and it is to the point that I can't sleep. Has anyone else had this as a side effect before????

Hi,
Earlier this week, I started taking Levaquin for strep throat. My regular doctor was out of town , so I went to a walk in clinic. Anyway, two later, I woke up with the worst spasms in my left shoulder and arm. I could barely lift my arm without screaming out in pain. The next morning, my right arm and shoulder were affected as well. I have had depression and bouts of sudden tears over the past five days. I read what you wrote after looking up side effects on the internet, and called my own doctor asap, since he had returned to work by then. He said that Levaquin was a very strong drug, and overkill medicine for strep throat. I mentioned my pains and he said that he knew Leva quin caused damage to children and teens, but not to adults. So I took it again, but the next day, the pain increased. It was a Saturday, so I called the covering doctor who said it was probably my Lipitor causing the pain. I told him I had taken Lipitor for three years without difficulty, he said that side effects from it can suddenly crop up. However, he did take me off the Levaquin and gave me the 5 day Z-pack.
When I picked up the new prescription at the drug store, I asked the pharmacist about Levaquin, and she said that more and more cases of damaged Achilles tendons and shoulder and arm problems were being reported due to Levicon. She asked if she should put it as a drug I am allergic to on my chart at the pharmacy. I said emphatically to list it. I went home and through out every levicon I had left. Obviously the makers of Levicon have kept this side effect pretty quiet. It is listed as a precaution, but it doesn't seem to stress enough what damage it can do.
If doctors aren't aware of this, the general public certainly wouldn't know, and yet so many cases are written up on the internet.
I think that it wopn't be too long until there IS a major law suit.
I hope my pain doesn't last, but if it lasts more than a week, I won't sit back and do nothing. I care too much about others who could be affected adversely by a dangerous drug.

Mary

Hi,
Earlier this week, I started taking Levaquin for strep throat. My regular doctor was out of town , so I went to a walk in clinic. Anyway, two later, I woke up with the worst spasms in my left shoulder and arm. I could barely lift my arm without screaming out in pain. The next morning, my right arm and shoulder were affected as well. I have had depression and bouts of sudden tears over the past five days. I read what you wrote after looking up side effects on the internet, and called my own doctor asap, since he had returned to work by then. He said that Levaquin was a very strong drug, and overkill medicine for strep throat. I mentioned my pains and he said that he knew Leva quin caused damage to children and teens, but not to adults. So I took it again, but the next day, the pain increased. It was a Saturday, so I called the covering doctor who said it was probably my Lipitor causing the pain. I told him I had taken Lipitor for three years without difficulty, he said that side effects from it can suddenly crop up. However, he did take me off the Levaquin and gave me the 5 day Z-pack.
When I picked up the new prescription at the drug store, I asked the pharmacist about Levaquin, and she said that more and more cases of damaged Achilles tendons and shoulder and arm problems were being reported due to Levicon. She asked if she should put it as a drug I am allergic to on my chart at the pharmacy. I said emphatically to list it. I went home and through out every levicon I had left. Obviously the makers of Levicon have kept this side effect pretty quiet. It is listed as a precaution, but it doesn't seem to stress enough what damage it can do.
If doctors aren't aware of this, the general public certainly wouldn't know, and yet so many cases are written up on the internet.
I think that it wopn't be too long until there IS a major law suit.
I hope my pains don't last, but if they persevere for more than a week, I won't sit back and do nothing. I care too much about others who could be affected adversely by such a dangerous drug.

i am 22, and before the levaquin and tequin i was healthy and normal.
Last november while visiting family for thanksgiving, i came down with strepthroat. i couldnt get an appt with tricare so my mother gave me some tequin, she had used it for strep throat. Since then my life has been a living nightmare and it has been the worst year of my life. I took the tequin for 4 days. on the 4day, i left to go back to VA where i live. I got horribly sick that day, but thought nothing of it as my husband and son had gotten the 24 hr bug while we there. pretty soon i started having anxiety attacks and chest pain left and right. The came the stomache PAIN. I thought i was having appendicitis. I ended up going to the er once sometimes 2x a month for things like severe abdominal pain and chest pain, anxiety attacks going out of control, and unbearable migraines (which i had never had before.) i was diagnosed with lots of different things, IBS, Ulcer, pulled muscles, chest wall pain, and once even gall bladder dysfunction. So as a result of all that i have been perscribed all kinds of things for the pain the nausea the headaches the unbearable insomnia etc.
These things caused a major rift in my marriage. My husband has at a few times talked of divorce bc he couldnt stand the hypochondriac *as he put it* that i had become. I have thought i was going crazy, have contemplating hospitalitizing my self etc. Recently my PCM and I decided to try a perscription for depression. One of the major symptoms of depression is"persistand physical symptoms that DO NOT respond to treatment. Such as Headaches, digestive disorders and headaches." so i tryed it. Then a week ago i stepped on something outside and went to get a tetanus shot. They perscribed levaquin 750 mg a day for 5 days, and gave me a 750mg dose at the hospital. That was Monday. it is now 430 am on friday and this week has sucked. My side effects have included insomnia(even with my nightly ambien), nausea, burning/tingling in my entire right arm, chest pain, a sinus infection, knee pain, back pain, shoulder/neck stiffness, headaches, jitters, something kinda like blurred vision..like right on the verge of not being able to focus. Constipation, pain in my hands, and almost overwhelming fatigue.
regretably i had already taken todays dose, and i started feeling bad again so i decided to look up all my current meds online to see if maybe it was an interaction of sorts. I tried the levaquin last, as it is an antibiotic. After reading 9 pages of nothing but negative comments i decided to flush the remainder of the bottle of pills down the toilet. I plan on filing a compaint with the FDA. This is poisin and I cannot belive with all the side effects it is still on the market. I cannot believe that for almost a year my life has been a living, tormenting hell. And all b/c of something that is supposed to make things better? If you read this please stop taking the pills and see your doc about another alternative. I agree that the drug should be taken off the market and soon. i also agree that a class act lawsuit should be filed. These side effects LAST A LONG TIME, they interfere with your ability to function on a daily basis. I am very interested in talking with others about the problems with the side effect, and the longevity of them. My yahoo email/ID is ******* i would appreciate and be thankful for any advice, and i would also like to be in contact with others who have suffered as i have suffered.

i will never take this drug again! took only one 750 mg tablet for strep throat,and was rushed to the er for panic attacks and throwing up. i had to be put on xanex,and, it took over 48 hours for the anxiety to go away. still scared of it coming back. bad reaction. i have told my friends to stay away from this medicine!

I am a 31 year old male, have always been in good health with no known allergies, eat a healthy diet, and have worked out with weights and cardio twice a week for the last year.

I recently went to see a doctor for strep throat. I was given amoxicillin and the strep went away after 7 days.

Two days later, the strep symptoms started to gradually reappear. I went back to the doctor and was prescribed 10 days of Levaquin. I did notice some side-effects of rapid and irregular heartbeat, mild panic attacks, confusion, depression, vivid epic-long dreams, and minor dizziness. I had not previously read anything negative about Levaquin and just thought these were normal symptoms of being medicated for strep throat. The strep symptoms went away after 1 day of being on Levaquin.

Then my REAL NIGHTMARE began. After about 2 days on Levaquin, a SEVERE rash/hives started to spread over my body, starting with my hands. I went back to the doctor, was told I had contact dermatitis from "something" I was allergic to, and was given an anti-inflammatory shot in the arse and Kenalog ointment to apply. As directed, I had always taken great pains to avoid being in the sun whatsoever while on antibiotics. The rash continued to grow worse and worse over the next several days.

I went back to the doctor and was given another anti-inflammatory shot. I asked if the rash could be a result of the Levaquin, and the doctor quickly brushed that "absurd" notion aside! By the 9th of my 10 day trip on Levaquin, the rash had completely spread all over my body, even under my palms. Frightening! Only the soles of my feet and groin area have been spared this horrible-looking, itching madness. On that 9th day, it even started to appear on my face. Though the doctor insisted I should, I did not take the 10th dose of this "poison."

I wish I had done my research and found this website sooner! I have now been off of Levaquin for 48 hours and the rash is still raging strong. The itching has almost brought me to the brink of insanity. I have taken Benadryl tablets and used Benadryl gel and thankfully, they have brought me some minor amounts of comfort. My NIGHTMARE rash does not seem to be going away. I look like some sort of medieval, infected "plague victim." I am severely depressed and the rash is now so horrific-looking that I do not even want to leave my house! I have now read some accounts on this site about this sort of rash happening, but never learned just how long I can expect to endure this HELL?

I was never given ANY warning at all about how serious this medication is, and how threatening it's side-effects can be. I would rather have that nasty strep throat back than now look like some plague-victim and be itching non-stop, unless I'm stoned out of my mind on Benadryl!!!

I have never in my life enjoyed wearing the mantle of a victim, but I truly feel that some sort of cruel injustice has been done to me. Having this never-ending rash has now dragged me into such a deep depression that I feel I may soon need to seek professional mental help. Any advice on how I might make this rash go away and be back to looking like a normal human being would be greatly appreciated.

I wish all of you out there a speedy recovery from your personal LEVAQUIN NIGHTMARE. Thank you.

I am on my 8th day of Levaquin for pneumonia and have had no side effects. I am a 35 year old female who have NEVER been sick in my life other than strep throat twice. I do feel a bit more tired than usual but I have to believe it is from the pneumonia. Went for a somewhat vigorous walk with my daughter tonight - no aches, no pains, no weakness. Levaquin seems fine for me. But to me, it is important to go with what you believe. If your instinct tells you something isn't right - don't give up, keep calling your doctor.