Levaquin and tendon pain

Im sad to find out all the problems people are having from levaquin. But now Im able to put 2 and 2 together because Im realizing whats been compromising my health. This is my second year with bronchitis and my second prescription of levaquin. I now believe its what has caused me horrible nightmares, suicidal thoughts, irritation, mental anguish, stress tendon/muscle pain in my arms and shoulders. I bent over to pick up my dog to help him into the car and I got a terrible pain in my chest. I thought I was dying. And I still have a rattle in my lungs after 2 weeks of levaquin so it has not helped at all. If anything it has caused me more problems that has opened the door for additional medications of unknown origin. I wish I could find a real witch doctor.

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!

Numerous side effects including but not limited to: spontaneous tendon rupture (right distal bicep), CNS agitation accompanied by anxiety and panic, extreme fatigue, digestive problems, on-going fluctuations of blood sugar level, rapid changes in body temperature, nausea, etc.

Some here insist on reporting the "good" this stuff has done (other than lining some peoples pockets with profits). I disagree. As I post this I see 2250 adverse effects have been posted previously. I urge yo all to look deeper ask the question: "Why so many problems with this class of drug?" The 2250 number is only for Levaquin..... don't forget to add in all the responses for all of the other drugs in the quinolone family. And while you are at it, find out how many other drugs have death as a side effect and how many have been reported. This is a defective drug.

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 was prescribed 750 MG of Levaquin after a ER visit on Saturday, August 16th for a sinus infection. Both Saturday and Sunday I had diarrhea. I took the second pill on Sunday and I did not sleep the entire night. I was sweating so much. I felt out of sorts and scared in my own home. I started to turn on the lights. I even tried to sleep with my bedroom light on. It was an awful night to say the least, I won't go into all of the details. But I did start to question not only my physical health but mental. I knew I had been stressed out, but this never happened to me before. I was not able to work Monday. I took the third pill Monday not realizing this was all a reaction to the antibiotic. I was speaking to a close friend late Monday afternoon about my horrible night. I did not tell her what I was taking. She informed me that one time she was taking a antibiotic, Levaquin, and that she had a similar reaction and even hallucinated. I was relieved to know that I was not loosing my mind but it was the medication. I called my doctor's. office and they said stop taking it. They said they were aware that this had happened to some patients. Gee, thanks for telling me in advance. They suggested I take Benadryl to help me sleep. Needless to say, what a horrible experience I had. And this night was worse. I was sweating even more, could not sleep, tried to take a shower to cool off and then I started to hallucinate. I tried talking myself out of it, but the medicine was too strong. I called my God Mother and she talked me through it. Again, all the lights had to be on, I felt very anxious and scared. IT WAS AWFUL. If you have a sensitive system I would not take this! It is now August 21st and I still can not sleep. I am still out of sorts. I wish I knew in advance. All I know is I am telling everyone I know, DON'T TAKE LEVAQUIN!!!

I had bladder surgery and was given levaquin 500 mg. I took 1 pill when I got home that day and my entire face was swollen and I was also sweating and definitely couldn't even think of falling asleep. My mind was going crazy and to try to tell you how I felt it was kinda like I was in someone elses body looking through their eyes, it's the weirdest feeling I have ever had, I didn't know that it was the medication at first because I just thought I was feeling bad from the surgery and them putting me to sleep. The next day I took another pill, same thing felt really really bad, got up on the third day went to work and left in an ambulance. They told me it's because of this medicine and what's in it. I still feel really weird and typing this letter is killing my wrist. I don't know why because I am on the computer a lot before all of this and never a problem. I wish I knew what was going on with me. I feel like I am going out of my mind, and my swelling is no better. My husband even ask me if I took my lasix and I already did and still swelled up in the face. Any feedback would be great. please help.

Most of the "side effects" are die off responses (sometimes referred to as a herxheimer response similar to that which occurs when treating syphillis) from bartonella or borrelia. Levaquin is a potent intracellular antibiotic...where these and other organisms can hide. These can be subclinical infections where (at this time) you are not even aware you are infected. If your "side effects" start around the 3rd day into your prescription...rejoice...and suffer for a while, you are killing something really bad.

took Levaquin 500mg x 5 days end of March ,2008- no problems except still with bronchitis sx.Saw Allergist who said not enough,long enough-put on 750mg x 21 days, again no side effects and got better. after 5 days off, started productive cough so placed on another 16 days of 750mg. On day 13, awoke with terrible pain in knuckles, knee. Completed med as drug book only listed tendon pain not joint pain. Now 4 days after completing, pain in elbows as well as knees, less in knuckles. None of joint pain sx listed on Pharmacy info either.

I have been on Levaquin over 6 times in the past 2 years for upper respiratory infections. I just came off another levapak 750mg for 10 days and my biceps were feeling really tight. I mentioned this to my doctor but he said it was a common side effect. After researching this today I am shocked about the tendon damage. I have had distal bicep tendon surgery on each arm on separate occasions in the past two years. Now I am terrified this is going to happen again. None of the surgeons could figure out why someone my age (41) could do this twice in under 2 years. Has anyone found a way to reverse this? I am terrified to go back to the gym or even lift anything. My biceps are so sore and I have been off the Levapak for 3 days and my biceps seem to be getting more tight and sore each day. I can't face having another surgery. This drug should be taken off the market.

I took 500 mg Levaquin daily for 5 days during the first part of Oct. 07. Tendon pain developed on the third day. Today, after four and a half months, three doctors and a dozen sessions of physical therapy, I still can't walk more than a few feet without a walker. Any thoughts regarding how I might proceed will be greatly appreciated.
David M.

I was in the hospital for a bowel re-section. On the third day, they switched me to Levaquin because I spiked a fever. I was released four days later (after 2 doses of I.V. Levaquin per day) and sent home with three days worth of pills. Ever since I've taken the Levaquin, I've had horrible shoulder and back pain and feel somewhat neurotic. The doctor said that it's a side effect from Levaquin. I have one day left of the medication and will continue to take it, but I'm curious if anyone else has had mental side effects. All I've read about is the joint and muscle soreness. Please help! It's affecting my sleep and daily routine. I don't recommend this and will not take it in the future (not to mention the cost of the medication!)
thanks

In my case, Cipro tablets were prescribed for a potential prostate infection. The first dose was taken on 12/12/07. While taking this medication, I experienced "pens and needles" and shooting pains all over my body, leg pains behind my knees, right groin swelling to the point I could barely walk, and chest discomfort just below the sternum. The chest discomfort started after the second dose. My use of this drug was discontinued on about 12/17/07 (after 6 doses). I threw it away. Read the label BEFORE you start this medication. It's quite alarming after the fact.

I let my physician know about my problems with the Cipro and he then prescribed Levaquin, 500 mg, which is the same class of antibiotic. This was confusing to me later since I told them about the problems with Cipro. The doctor knows best...right- so I took 1 Levaquin per day from 12/21/07 until 12/26/07, again about 6 doses. My symptoms re-appeared after about the third day. Pen and needle pains re-occurred although they never entirely went away from the Cipro, severe swelling and tendon pain behind knees- especially the left knee, some chest discomfort, swelling in the armpits, and groin area. Swelling sensations were most prevalent behind both knees and the armpits. Shooting pains also occurred everywhere in my body, especially in the arms and legs. Shooting pains also occurred in my head and jaw with no warning but were less severe. The bottoms of my feet also hurt at times. Sleep was difficult to come by so extreme fatigue set in. I have been off the Levaquin now since 12/26/07 (5 days) and still have some shooting pains but some of the swelling has subsided. The symptoms have reduced but not disappeared entirely. I will never take a quinolone antibiotic again. My suggestion to others is to file an Adverse Drug Reaction report with FDA on their Medwatch website.

I again saw the physician on 12/27/07 and he said that it's "possible" I could be having a rare side effect. Another physician I know said I was having some type of hypersensitivity to the medication but that he had never come across such a case in his practice. Just my luck.

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.

My Dr. gave me levaquin July 5th, for a cough that had lasted 3 1/2 weeks. I took the first dose same day. Started having muscle pains in my legs next day, but continued the medicine because I thought I needed it to get rid of my cough. The pains continued to get worse; I couldn't staighten out my legs or put my full weight on them. I stopped the Levaquin after the 6th day. The pain continued for the next 9 days, after which it finally started to lessen. It is now 2 weeks since I stopped taking the medicine, and I still have some pain in my legs, although I can straighten them out and put my weight on them now. I would not take this medication again unless it was the only way to keep me from dying. I am 75 years old, but have not had any pain in my legs prior to this. Funny thing is that my chronic back pain did not bother me during this time.

Basically I have nothing new to add, but to confirm the many reports here. I under went some Upper and Lower GI testing back in May, and to clear up some infections the doctor found, he put me on a 10 day course of Levaquin and 14 days of Metronidazole. After the 2nd day, I was very sore in every muscle and tendon in my body. I had been doing work in the garden and just thought it was from that, but a couple more days, the muscles in my calves and the tendons around my knees felt like they were being pulled out of my body and it didn't matter if I was at rest or up moving about. Getting up in the morning was excrutiating. It was all I could do to put weight on my legs, and my arms and back muscles felt like they were on fire. I also had headaches, but the muscle and tendon pain overshadowed anything else. Doctors need to know this very debilitating side effect of this drug, and prescribe it only in the most dire of cases, and not to anyone already suffering from joint, muscle or nerve disease. The flyer I received from the pharmacy had a brief warning about tendonitis..but listed it under additional side effects. This should be listed as a critical warning. It has been 2 months since I finished the prescription, and I am still having problems walking and a great deal of pain in my legs. The calf pain has mostly subsided, but the muscles in my calves still feel very tight and the tendons around my knees feel sore all the time. This is a very dangerous drug!

I was prescribed 5 days of 500 mg of Levaquin for a possible UTI. I had some vision disturbances - seeing spots and shapes that weren't really there on the 2nd day. On day 3 I had a night of complete sleeplessness. On day 4, I noticed a slight soreness in both calves. I thought it was just from gardening. On day 5 (after I had taken the final dose) the calve stiffness/pain got much worse - it was like the muscles had become extremely tight and was centered around the tendons. I realized it was from the Levaquin when the insert and way down at the bottom it said to call your doctor if you had leg or tendon pain. Since then, I have looked at several sites and it's very scary. I can only hope that the leg pain goes away in a few days - I can hardly walk and it hurts with every step. I have always been a very active person. If this is permanent, it will change my life completely, as I walk everywhere and right now can barely get down the street or up and down stairs. My doctor said that only prolonged use would cause tendon tears, but that is not what I am reading. It damages cartilage, muscles, tendons. That's one of the reasons they don't prescribe it for under 18-year olds.

It should not be prescribed for anyone. There are thousands of entries on the web about the sometimes permanent and very serious side effects of this toxic antibiotic. I feel very sorry for all of us.

Marianne
7/3/07

Help!
My father who is almost 73 was prescribed Levaquin for a possible sinus infection. He took the last dose of a ten day prescription on April 26 (Today is May 17} Almost a month later he is suffering from many flu-like symptoms(fever, chills, weakness, loss of appetite, and etc. As well as the typical tendon pain and according to the Dr. - Bronchitis) My question is how typical is it to have the flu, bronchitis symptoms 3 weeks later? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I'm posting my comment here on the Levaquin site because I too was poisened by this drug one year ago. I experienced horrible joint and tendon pain and even a year later I am still experiencing problems with both Achilles tendons. What I wanted to talk about today is Levaquin's horrible sibling Cipro. Here it is...the honest facts...In late Dec 2006 my dad was diagnosed with chirrosis of the liver. On Jan 8, 2007 he was admitted into the hospital to have fluid drained from his abdomen as a result of his liver not functioning well. My dad was given 400 mg of Cipro through an IV over the course of one hour. I wasn't there with him at the time because I would have never allowed the doctor/nurse/whomever to administer that to him. He was released from the hospital two days later and was ok by all accounts. On Jan 18, 2007 my dad was rushed to the hospital ER where we were told he was in complete kidney failure (renal failure). His liver was also failing. My 70 year old dad died on Feb 13, 2007 from complete kidney and liver failure. At one point over the weeks he was slowly dying I looked up Cipro on the internet and was horrified to read that Cipro is notorious for causing acute renal and liver failure. Another Flouroquinolone, Tequin, was taken off the market last year for causing the same thing. My dad had a "sick" liver to begin with and I cannot comprehend whay a doctor would prescribe a drug to him that is known to cause liver failure. Yes my dad had a liver problem, but besides that he was in excellent health. I do believe that one day my dad would have died as a result of having liver disease, but I truly believe that the Cipro he was given caused his kidney and liver to fail so soon and so rapidly. Beware my friends....beware. May God bless us all who have been affected in one way or another from this crap that is STILL on the market.

It seemed to begin with a 2 day headache. As I had a severe UTI, I was not sure if the symptoms I was having were because of the Levaquin or the infection. The headache was the first "unusual" symptom I had within 1 hour of taking the Levaquin. Then the muscle aches, tendon pain, arches of feet hurt, arthritis in hands became more painful than I had ever experienced, very fatiqued, skin sensitive to touch, tingling sensation on arms, racing heartbeat (may have been due to anxiety of other symptoms). These symptoms continued for 6 days until 24 hours after stopping medication. I discontinued it after researching side effects on internet as Patient Information sheet that came with medication was vague. I still have tendon pain in left elbow, and arches of feet. Amazingly, I have had knee surgery and back surgery, but neither of these areas seemed to have been affected. Still don't feel "right", but hopeful will continue to improve.

I took Levaquin for recurring sinus infection - my doctor prescribed 3 different series. By the 3rd prescription I had developed severe joint pain, mild depression, rapid heart beat and chest pains. Blood tests showed that my cardiac risk factor was elevated. I have been off of the medication for over 6 weeks, I am taking nutritional and mineral supplements but still experiencing joint and tendon pain throughout my body. While I have exercised all of my life just walking is painful. My tendons 'pop' at odd times and are very painful. I also have nerve pain/spasms that randomly shoot through my joints.

Dear guest 36868, you have been poisoned by levaquin. Your dr is an idiot. There is a drug interaction listed with this poison. This is last resort medicine and it's being given out like candy and turning this country into a "country of cripples". Please send a medwatch report in by going to www.fda.gov and please go to www.fqresearch.org and find some help there for your pain. I was poisoned by this "medicine" two years ago and I'm still suffering the tendon pain. It's gotten worse

I was prescribed Levaquin,by a dermatologist, 500MG for 10 days for a skin infection. I began to have severe muscle/tendon pain within a few days. I took it for 9 days. I stopped taking it 8 days ago, and still have severe arm pain. I feel like I've been doing more than 100 pull-ups. I find it difficult to carry a bag, as it adds to the pain. I've tried Naproxen, but it doesn't seem to help. The pain is worse earlier in the day. I talked to my primary Dr. 2 days ago. He thinks it is from the leaquin in combination with Crestor", a cholesterol lowing drug I take. I also take Femara and effexor. I'm wondering ifanyone has had drug interaction problems when taking levaquin, or if this pain is just from the one drug.I am also experiencing unusual (for me) fatigue, and wonder if this is related to Levaquin also.

Took Levaquin for 5 days as a prophylactic measure to prevent infection from a prostate biopsy. Experienced severe Achilles tendon pain and itching and swelling in both feet after the 1st 2 days but did not originally attribute it to the Levaquin. The pain has finally subsided after 12 weeks but some swelling remains. Could barely walk in the beginning and still have some balance problems.
I take no other medications and do not jog or exercise strenuously. I had a heart catherization 1 week ago and all is OK (no blockages). I have been to 4 doctors and only one would say that it might have been the Levaquin. Meanwhile I have been left to my own devices. Found some exercises on the internet to strengthen my Achilles tendons which have helped and found that lotion and massage have helped my feet.

Just an FYI to BettyPaint and any one else on the board that doesn't know this. Ancef is not in the same family as Levaquin. Levaquin is a flouroquinolone. Ancef is not a flouroquinolone or a quinolone. Ancef is a cephalosporin. Cephalaosporins are another class of antibiotics. The flouroquinolones (Levaquin, Cipro, Floxin, etc) are what is causing everyone's problems on this board. I took 1 500 MG of Levaquin 5 months ago and I still suffer with tendon pain in my achilles and plantar fascia. Both feet! It's unbelievable. Levaquin has horrific side effects associated with it.

Peter, Joint pain, tendon pain, periferal neuropathy etc. etc. are dangerous side effects. You should not be taking this poison. You need to tell you dr. about the joint pain.

First two months had brain fog, unable to complete sentences, remember day to day information.
Now 28 months post dosage of Avelox and still have peripheral neuropathy and sever tendon pain in knees and hips and right shoulder.

I took levaquin for 4-5 days more than one year ago to treat a sinus infection. I began to have pain in my ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows after just 2 days on the antibiotic. To inquiry, my doctor told me the tendon pain was NOT a side effect of levaquin. By speaking to my pharmacist, I learned she was very wrong, and discontinued the drug. More than one year later, I am still in pain, and have difficulty walking.

Penny.... Hang in there because I do not think it has to do with Fibromyalgia. Keep reading....

This is a follow up to what I posted on 2/9/06. I went to see my internist today. He is not the doctor that prescribed the Levaquin. The doctor that prescribed the Levaquin suggested that I see my internist because he didn't know why I was having the joint pain. The internist asked me a bunch of questions and then asked if I was prescribed any mediactions lately. That's when I told him Levaquin. He said that is what is causing the joint pain. He told me that it is a reaction that can come on after stopping the drug. He said that it can affect any or all of the joints. In my case it's my shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers. He told me that a lot of peolpe suffer the most in their knees and ankles. He said that not only does it cause joint pain, but it also causes tendon pain. He said that a reaction can happen with any dosage. It has been 16 days since I took that Levaquin. The pain is getting better. The internist told me that maybe another week or two before my joint pain is completely gone. He told me never to take Levaquin again and he told me to never take Cipro. He was very supportive and I didn't even have to bring up the subject of Levaquin side effects to him. The minute the word Levaquin left my mouth he knew. If I experienced this pain after taking just one dose I hate to think what would have happened to me if I took the entire prescription.

To all who are going "crazy" trying to figure out if the Levaquin is causing the joint pain........ It most likely is. This is a very dangerous drug and my heart goes out to everyone that is suffering from the horrible side effects.

Had it prescribed twice. The first time was for sinusitis and the second for a urinary infection.
The first time I suffered from severe achilies tendon pain with a little ankle swelling but didn't conect the drug and the pain.
The second time, the doctor, when I informed him that I was even finding walking painful, told me that it was just a side effect of the drug and that it could continue for up to three or four months. That information would have been really usefull before I started using
Levofloxacin the second time but, as is often the case, I was too badly affected by the ailment to look it up myself or ask all the clever questions.

I was prescribed Levaquin for a prostate infection. 500mg per day for 30 days. Took it for a couple of weeks and it worked, cleared up the infection, but oh my goodness, what horrible side effects...

Parathesia, especially in hands
Unpleasant dreams and fitful sleep
Heavy, heavy fatigue and weakness
Muscle and tendon pain extraordinare - twitchy too
Joint pain, back pain, you name it, it hurt
Lower left leg even feels sunburned when lightly touched
Slightly psycho / depressed

I will never, ever take this medicine again. I stopped taking the medicine over a month ago (at my physician's suggestion) but the symptoms still linger. Although, they have improved somewhat. It's nasty stuff. How on earth did the FDA approve it?

I recently began taking Levaquin for an infection I received after donating a kidney to my sister last year.

I too was never warned by my doctor about the potential side effects. I had no idea that this drug could cause tendon and muscle damage if rigorous exercise is performed.

I am currently training for a marathon and told my doctor this but was never warned about the risk. One day after taking the drug I was out running and began having extreme tendon pain. The pain was located just below my calf and has persisted for the last 2 weeks.

Just having recently moved to the US from Canada I am shocked at the lack of information the US doctors give to their patients. I had informed the doctor about my exercise schedule but no mention was made about the possible effects this drug could have on me.

If anyone has any questions about this posting please contact me at crabber@houston.rr.com

No new side effects, just want to reiterate what Levaquin did to me. What I resent is that no doctor involved ever mentioned problematic and painful side effects of the drug, yet when I had to be admitted to the emergency room for severe muscle and joint pains, the first thing the ER doctor said was "Levaquin causes painful, swollen joints and severe muscle and tendon pain, including rupture of the Achilles tendon."

Amazing that an unknown ER doctor, who had seen my case for less than 5 minutes, immediately caught and explained the cause of my problems. Thank God I hadn't forced myself to exercise, which I had considered doing, as I have now read on this website that exercise exacerbates the problem and could have caused ruptured tendons.

My main symptoms, which gradually grew worse as I continued the drug for 10 days, were metallic taste in my mouth, feeling of tiredness and heaviness in my body, increasing muscle and joint pain, especially in my knees, eventually spreading down the back of my legs toward my ankles. When I finally gave up and went to the Emergency Room, I could barely walk in; had to hold on to walls, chairs, etc. just to stay upright.

The ER doctor stopped the Levaquin and started me on Ibuprofin to combat the inflammation of the joints. (yet another drug??) So far it has been 24 hours since I stopped the Levaquin and I feel a little better - can almost walk again. I hope and pray the side effects will go away quickly, but I'm concerned since reading other people's lingering problems.

Thank you for this forum; I wish I had discovered it sooner!

I took Levaquin for a sinus infection and by the 3rd day I had such terrible muscle and tendon aches that I couldn't sleep. I seemed to get a little relief from standing up. I thought I had hurt my back--never thinking it was the medication. Although the medication was working well for the infection, I could not stand the pain and had been taking Tylenol#3 for it. After stopping the Levaquin, the muscle and tendon pain subsided, but it has been 6 weeks and I still get sharp leg pains. I took 5 of the 10 day prescription. I then finished up with Amoxicillin 500mg for the infection.

I took Levaquin for 10 days and then 15 days for prostatitis. (was prescribed 21 days worth) I started getting muscle and tendon pain after 13 days of 2nd course of tx. I was also taking ibuprofin, which disguised some of the symptoms. Weekend before last, I did a lot of walking (5-6 miles a day)
since then my ankles have been very sore and swollen. Almost as they are badly sprained. The rest of my muscles are still somewhat sore and weak feeling. I have always been very active physically, but for the last few weeks have been very dibilatated. My prostatitis seems to have alleviated,
I am 59 years old.

Was given Levaquin on May 16. Within days was unable to walk due to severe joint and tendon pain. As of today I can walk but only assisted with a cane. Prior to this antibiotic I was an active 36 year old mother but now have been reduced to being the grandmother!