Levaquin Almost Killed Me!!

On Monday, April 7, I went to my doctor for an allergic reaction which turned into bronchial infection with productive cough. I am a teacher and I am in my 60's and this doctor has been with me for at least 15 years. He prescribed levaquin and I had it filled. The vial contained 7 tablets, 500 mg each, dose: 1 per day. I took my first one around 8 pm on Monday night, took my shower, and by 8:30 I was suffering from stomach pains, headache and nausea. Feeling absolutely lousy I went to bed by 9 pm. I did not sleep all night, I had rapid hearbeat, profuse perspiration all night long, continued nausea and stomach pain, jittery nervous limb motions, swelling in the face. I got up at around 3 am scared to death, and went to get my Family Guide to Prescription Drugs. I looked up levaquin, and in the area that states:"Most Important Fact About this Drug" it states, and I quote, " Levaquin has been known to cause dangerous allergic reactions as soon as you take the first dose." p. 319, PDR The Family Guide to Prescription Drugs, 6th Edition, Three Rivers Press, New York. If I would have read that first, I would never have taken this poison. Cyanide also causes dangerous reactions as soon as you take the first dose!!!! Of course, I did not take another of these pills. The next day I felt like death.......no energy, slept most of the day, nauseated, stomach pains, headache, diarrhea, perspiration, muscle aches and pains. I managed to call the doctor and told him this...........he said to stop taking it...ha ha!! Believe me, I didn't need anyone to tell me to stop taking poison! The bronchitis felt better! The doctor finally prescribed an antibiotic for me which I had taken some years before when I had pneumonia and it works fine, no reactions, takes care of the problem quickly. Why in the world do the doctors make guinea pigs out of their patients when they know there is a medication that will work, that has been used, and that causes no ill effects??? Could it possibly be that the pharmaceutical companies wine and dine these doctors and encourage the doctors to push these new medications on their patients?? I told my doctor........never anything new again, please........just give me the oldies but goodies that work and do not hurt me. I discovered levaquin is from the quinolone family and there are 5 more antibiotics from this family. They are: cipro, floxin, maxaquin, noroxin and penetrex. I went to my pharmacy and put all of these poisons on my profile so they will never be prescribed to me again. Today is Sunday, April 13th and today, I am starting to feel like myself again. I am still a little weak, but almost completely back to normal. this drug took a week out of my life....a miserable, painful, week.