Levaquin and urge

I WAS a very healty 45 year old. I walked/ran 3.5 miles a day and did weight training 3 x a week. Ate healthy. No medicines at all, never sick. Had a mild sinus infection and hot flashes followed by freezing that we thought might be from the sinus infection. Dr. gave me Levaquin. Within a couple of days, I felt like both of my hamstrings were pulled and could barely walk. Bear in mind, that I had not been excercizing due to work circumstances. I had a shaky feeling inside that you could sort of see in my fingers. Anxiety. Depression. Mild nausea. Fatigue. A month later, still having the hot flashes and freezing and worse than ever (seems like constant), doctor thought the sinus infection hadn't cleared up so he prescribed cipro - 15 days 500 mg along with a steroid. Everything got even worse. Rash on my hand/arm the first or second day that I blew off as from an ant bite. Nightmares the first 3 nights. Hot flashes often accompanied by racing heartbeat, sometimes slight chest pain if the hot flashes came one right after the other. As I write this I am dripping in sweat. Headache. Also, all my joints started, and continue to hurt. Knees, ankles, even fingers and toes. I've never had arthritis, but I imagine this is what it would feel like if you had it in your entire body. Also, I feel STARVING right AFTER I eat. A relative emailed me a scanned copy of her pharmacy's warnings for levaquin and it mentions hypoglycemia and lists many of these symptoms. (not the muscle ones)
My dr. is attributing most of it to 'anxiety' but I didn't have the anxiety until after the meds and the symptoms.
He did a host of bloodwork to rule out infection, lupus, hormone problems, thyroid, etc and they all came back normal.

Two weeks after taking Levaquin for a urinary tract infection, I developed a rash/hives that covered my entire body. I had frequent violent itching attacks and wanted to scratch my skin off. After two days of the hives, I went to Urgent Care and was given a steroid shot and Prednisone. The next day I had severe chest pains and shortness of breath. I went to the emergency room and and EKG came back abnormal. My white cell count had shot off the charts to 35.0 I was admitted to the cardiac unit and was put through a battery of heart tests. All came back unremarkable. After three days of blood tests, CT scans and nitro tablets, I was released with no conclusion as to what I was experiencing. The rash continued, just not as bad and I've experienced joint pain. One week after the intial symptoms, I began experiencing dizziness and loss of vision. It has now been two weeks. I've had a MRI on my head to determine the cause of the dizziness and the vision loss and results from the MRI are pending. I was a healthy 46 year old before taking Levaquin. Currently, I cannot work a full day without vision loss or dizziness. I've been so perplexed as have the five doctors I've seen as to what the cause of my symptoms could be. After reading many comments from Levaquin patients, I now believe that I've found the cause.

I took Levaquin 750 mg for 2 days. The first night it made me sleepy and drowsy. The second night I took it, I was high. I felt like I was a zombie. I sat in front of my computer rocking back and forward. And al I wanted to do while I sat there was take more and more and more levaquin. I wanted sit there and eat them like they were candy. That urge was so overwhelming. So, I hurried up and I flushed them down the toilet except for 3. Knowing that they were there, I wanted to eat those 3, so I flushed them.
That was the worst night of my life. I said to myself if this is how high suppose to feel. I don't ever be high.
This drug need to be taken off the market.

I was prescribed Levaquin for a persistent cough and sinus condition I have had for six weeks. I am on day two and I can tell you if I have the same side effects tonight as I had this past night I am calling my Doctor. After taking Levaquin my symptons became worse, I could not stop coughing (it seems to have exacerbated the cough) all night and when I did fall asleep the nightmares I had were, to say the least, horrible. I would urge caution on taking this drug.

Took leviquin 500 for 8 days before I realized what was happening to me. Side effects included: severe panic, altered mental state, constant sleep, loss of appetite, pounding heart rate. After 2 trips to the ER no help was provided. I stoped the Leviquin early (was supposed to take it for 3 wks) and immediately started feeling better. The anxiety is much less but still present and I still sleep all the time.

Has anyone had similar experiences and, more importantly, how long does this last?

Please help!

I've been taking 500 mg Levaquin for about 2 weeks for a chronic urinary tract problem. I've taken it before for a shorter period of time, with limited side effects, but this last time was another story. I got severe abdominal and lower back pain that keep that makes it difficult for me to walk, sit or lay down. I'm experiencing so much nausea and lathargy that I haven't been to work since I started this last regiman of Levaquin. My doctor has no idea why I'm experiencing so much discomfort despite my urinary tract infection has been resolved even though I still have the constant urge to go and are totally bloated. I told him I thought it was the medication,but he wouldn't confirm it. He just discontinued the medication and scheduled me for a CAT scan asap. The nurse told me that she's heard of Levaquin causing body aches similar to the flu. What's up with the doc not informing me of that information. Conspiracy with the drug company ? I'm just scared the symptoms with take forever to go away. Anyone out there experience the same thing and have seen the light at the end of this horrible tunnel?

The company that manufactures Levaquin is called ORTHO-McNEIL. They have a main website.

I have entered here before also.

I can't believe that so many of us are telling the world here what happened to us taking Levaquin...and NOBODY...is doing anything about this !

These stories are not made up or exaggerated. These stories are telling us that we are being given a poison!

If someone just printed out all of the stories on this board and put them in a book form and mailed it to "all" the newspapers in the country...maybe then this insane denial and non-concern would end! Maybe then the nation would see and acknowledge the massive damage this drug is doing to thousands!

Just read these stories...what more does our FDA have to see before they shut down the administering of this toxic substance?

It's been a year since I took 7 days worth of Levaquin.

I did "not" have the swollen throat and hives and red skin "immediate" reaction to Levaquin. Therefore, my doctors say it didn't damage me. They get angry if I bring up this possibility.

But within 24 hours of taking this drug I awoke at home in the night with burning pain in my shoulders, arms and hands so bad I was calling out. I was so confused. I had never felt anything like this before. My hands would also get cold and go numb.

My insides went haywire this first time too. My bladder would feel the urge and then not. I was feeling wincing sharp pains all over. I could not sleep except for a short nightmare type thing. I was anxiety ridden. Shaking inside and out. My legs felt weird. My sensitivity to cold became unbelievablely extreme. I was freezing.

Next morning my stomach went into literal shock with pain and I had to call an ambulance to go back to the ER as I was seconds away from passing out. The weakness? So bad....let me repeat that...SO BAD that I could not lift my hands while laying down! My entire body felt like it was going to die.

I could not walk, legs so weak and body shakey, and feeling so unbalanced. Crying with pain and anxiety and just unbelievable crashing of everything. Lost 35 pounds in 2+ months! Couldn't eat. Metallic taste in throat. Still have most of these symptoms after 1 year! Sorry to tell you all this last point.

Since all my tests "supposedly" haven't shown anything that would explain these most extreme conditions...I have been relegated to the psychiatric area almost totally.

Yes, my nervous system has been effected...damaged.
Yes, I get so anxious and depressed and scared and frantic at times with my suffering and non-treatment and adversarial treatment. Have lost my self-confidence of my body.

My regular doctors have found ways to dump me or schedule me so infrequently they are really out of this situation.

It is like living in cold war Russia. I have made too much protests against my regular doctors refusal to consider levaquin...and now my record is full of psych visits. Once you have these on your record. Let me tell you...most new doctors eyes get real big when they first see these. They label you immediately and silently to themselves as a "problem" case. Your care is different because of this. It's an incredible injustice and almost Kafka'n in it's implications.

But that's just one of the "levaquin" poisoning problems. A medical community refusing to acknowledging it...and if you protest to much to their view...you will be sent off to the psych ward.

54 years and I never saw a psychiatrist in my life. 54 years and I never ever had a problem with drugs, alcohol, the law or even in my first and still on-going 25 year long marriage. I have raised two responsible kids...both working and in college. I had a wonderfully social job as a hotel concierge that I loved for 5 years previous to this "levaquin" poisoning.

But with this case, my normal past means nothing. I am just all of a sudden a nut case for complaining too much about my belief that Levaquin did this to me. That Levaquin destroyed me. Especially since the doctors say they can't explain why I got so sick and I am still so sick. I still feel like I am going to die almost every other day! And it's been a year.

Also, my statute-of-limitations one year period to sue the hospital that gave me this drug ( and never ever told me to quit taking it even after I came rushing back to them with these incredible, unprecedented symptoms just 1 or 2 days after they prescribed it to me and were told it was the only medicine I was taking ) and the drug company that manufactures Levaquin ( Ortho-McNeil ) are almost up.

Not one lawyer I have contacted out of maybe 50 will even consider taking this case. They say it's too hard to prove, drug companes can ruin them they are so rich and powerful and that Bush has limited suit awards to 250,000 dollars and they would need a lot of this to prove you have been damaged!

They say if my liver failed and I died and I had never had liver problems before I took Levaquin...that they would then "consider" taking on a case like mine. But as long as I am alive I haven't got a chance.

I wrote to Ortho-McNeil and told them their product Levaquin has destroyed me and I asked for their financial help with my tens of thousands of dollars I owe in medical bills as financially I am also ruined. I also asked them to help me finanically get more specific, technical tests done beyond my small ton area. Never a word back.

I am so glad i found this site. I was convinced i was developing severe arthritis at age 39. I was put on a 3 weeks course of levaquin in November to combat a sinus polyps and sinus infections. Shortly after, i started complaining to my husband that i was afraid i was getting arthritis. Had the aches and pains through December and then got another sinus infection in january. Was given another course of levaquin and the 2nd day into it, i awoke with terrible pains in my wrists, knees, ankles and shoulders. I called my doctor and got prescribed another antibiotic. It is now February 7 and the side effects linger including sleeplessness (benadryl can get me to sleep) and dry mouth. My symptons kind of come and go - my joints will feel fine for a couple of days and then randomly the pain returns in my ankle, or hands and feet (sometimes all 3). I wanted to encourage many of you that although this is irritating and uncomfortable, you will get better in time - it is a slow process to get this drug out of your system. I have done lots of research and have found that taking 2 tablespoons of milk of magnesium a day can help clear the poison from your system plus taking acidophilus to restore your healthy bacteria and echenasia goldenseal to restore your immune system. Plus and most importantly drink LOTS of water. I have learned that depending on the severity of your reaction - that getting back to normal can take anywhere from a few months to 2 years (for the most severe reactions) But more than likely, it will be a several months. I am feeling better and the aches are tolerable. I am thankful i figured out it was the levaquin or i might be in really bad shape right now. I have two small kids, work part time and don't have time for this!!! I have also learned that you can take this medication one time and suffer mildy and then the second dose can knock you out - so even if you didn't react severely the first time, i urge you not to take it again. Anyway, i would love to hear from others how long it took to get better. I am 2 weeks into my recovery and feeling hopeful and lots more educated. I will never take meds for granted again. Hope this helps. Blessings........

I am a 62 year old female, in great shape (or at least I was) until I took 6 doses of Levaquin for a UTI. After the 6th dose, I went to sleep perfectly normal and when I woke up, my arm muscle or tendon located about 2 inches from the shoulder could not move. I immediately knew it was the Levaquin, because my husband took this medicine and could hardly walk due to the achilles tendon soreness and he power walks every day. His tendon did eventually get better so I decided to wait it out, of course, I didn't take any more of the medicine. It is now 2 months later, I am starting physical therapy, and my arm cannot move without pain. It has made me very depressed because it was no unnecessary and is causing me so much difficulty. Why arn't we told these horrible side effects by our doctors before we take this horrible medicine. I urge everyone NOT to take this medication, there are others around, so please don't take the chance I took.