Tell Your Story Here
3 Jan
Have you or someone you know been harmed by Levaquin or a similar antibiotic? Are you or someone you know suffering due to the adverse effects of taking antibiotics like Levaquin? If so, post a comment and tell your story here. Through awareness we can do what the manufacturers failed to do – warn everyone of the dangers of these drugs.
As always: Be well. Be aware.
i went to the doctor because i was sick. he prescribed levaquin. 10 days of it. when i finished the meds my shoulder started hurting, getting worse every day. after a couple weeks of pain and not sleeping my wife got mad and sent me to a specialist. an mri was done and the results turned out one of the worst rotatot cuff tears the doc has every seen. i had to take off work and have surgery, then sleep sitting up (when i could sleep)! i took the pills in april had surgery on june 12th and still in therapy to this present day. the doc says 9 months heeling and my bills are pilling up! i never knew that taking this drug would ruin my life.i didn’t even feel pain until after taking it.
My urologist treated me for prostatitis and “pelvic floor pain.” He prescribed five doses of levaquin @500mg each. In early March 2008 I took my first pill shortly before retiring for the evening. Several hours later I awakened from a bizarre dream that was too hoky to be a true nightmare. So began toxic neurologic, physical, and psychiatric symptoms that have lasted until this day. Insomnia and intracranial pressure are the most pronounced symptoms. I felt like I was being burned from the inside out. For months I felt as if I had been poisoned. I was constantly in an agitated state. My heart pounded, my thoughts raced. I felt like a caffinated zombie in a really bad trance. Exposure to florescent lights caused a painful white halo at the periphery of my vision. I experienced eye floaters, and a tingling, scorched sensation around my eyes. But it was not just in my central nervous system. I also experienced pain (”tendonopathy”) at my leg calves and (briefly) at my Achilles heals. For several months I did’nt know whether I was coming or going. My body and mind were a five alarm fire and a three-ring circus — all at the same time. I could’nt multi-task, I had no executive capacity. My brain was short-circuited. I could’nt think sequentially. I could’nt finish sentences because I could’nt find the right word to complete a thought. I could’nt figure-out how to make a knot at the end of twine. For a time I became suicidal because I could’nt imagine remaining in such a diminished state for much longer.
No doctor remotely attributed my symptoms to adverse effects from an antibiotic. Medical professionals were maddenly condescending. I wanted to shake my doctor/s by the neck and say: “Look, pal, maybe the pill is too new and your medical books are too old, but I’m sure there is a causal relationship between the ingestion of levaquin and the rapid onset of bizarre and multi-system complications that have rendered me into a pathetic ball of hurting flesh. Go back to big pharma and ask your greedy enablers what in the hell they cooked-up that causes so much pain, and why they have’nt done a better job to warn you and your patients about the downside risk associated with magic elixirs and wonder drugs.”
12/1/06 – Hospitalization for Infection
Drugs – Levaquin, Cipro, Flagyl, Solumedrol
* Both legs and left arm and hand swelled evening of 12/1
12/2/06 – 2nd dose of Levaquin, REACTION, red line going up arm and
heart pounding,brain ’sizzled’, told them to remove immediately!
SYMPTOMS worsened and followed by;
Left knee and ankle – sharp burning pain (joint?)
Left knee wanted to go backward when standing or walking
Red blotch on inner ankle, very noticeable and worsened by walking
Achilles tendon swollen and burning BAD, beet red!
Bottom of left foot beet red
Burning pain on top of feet, left worse and continued
Both shins burned and severe pain when touched
Tingling, bugs crawling/stinging esp. on sides of leg and knees
and joints
Left side of left foot, severe pain
Wierd muscle and joint pain, unlike FMS
Both legs weak, but left leg DEAD by the time I came home
Wrists painful and cracking, shoulders burn and tender to touch
Arms and hands weak, esp. left still
Strange pulling pains in biceps and hands, fingers weak and
uncoordinated
Unable to squat, kneel and cannot get up if I do get down without
grabbing onto things and pulling myself up
Knees very painful upon sitting/standing
Complained from beginning and all docs and staff told me I had
’severe disease’ and it will take time to get better,’be patient’
‘Just keep walking’…
Saw Saletta in January, voiced concerns about leg and how weak I was
asked about Levaquin causing damage, he laughed and dismissed it.
Saw Saletta in February, begged him to look at my leg, told him it
felt ‘DEAD’ since hospital stay. Again, I questioned drugs due to
the research I have read regarding Levaquin and/or steroid mix causing
all of my symptoms…I also added that my calf was now changing color,
I was then sent for a doppler and Dorian said he found 3 clots in my
left leg…Admitted again!
While there, I complained about knee and ankle, showed Dr. Frank
Guanieri the swelling and redness, explained the symptoms, he said
‘looks like RA’…Did Ritchie Block test…
Current problems~ Left leg still weak, swells and pains worse with
activity and time of day
Both knees crackle and stiff esp. upon sitting or standing
Behind left knee-pulling and burning pain
Forearms-creepy crawlies and stings
Hands weak and pulling between finger joints and up arms (difficult
writing and typing, much worse than before)
Ankle blotch coincides with worsening leg symptoms
Knee and ankle stabs
Stinging under skin, arms, legs
Been diagnosed with the following due to reaction:
Severe Anxiety (medicated and unable to stop meds)
PTSD
Causalgia (nerve injury)
RSD
Peripheral Neuropathy,Tendinosis (esp. Achilles, legs and arms) This drug, that doctor, nurse and pharmacist ruined my life!
The previous summary of what happened to me (which I recently posted here) was written by me from shortly after I came home from a 16 day stay in the hospital due to this ‘adverse event’…It took me several weeks of taking mental notes and written ones as well to come up with that. It seems as tho I could have also written the post above from (name withheld) with nearly the exact same issues. I had, what I now know to be, the severest of reactions. After 3 years, I can finally make sense enough to realize I am considered one of the ‘lucky ones’…I am reminded of a conversation I had with an attorney regarding this occurence who stated ‘You should feel blessed to be alive, people don’t survive this’.
I also echo the emotion and the ‘facts’ from (name withheld) regarding the doctors and big pharma (with the small heart). In my search to get as well as possible from this, without any help from the medical profession (wasted a year with that nonsense) I have learned much about the drug world and the cattle for which it was designed. It is more than disgusting to know that even our neighbors can be held responsible (but not liable) for poisoning thy neighbor and only the victim and their families suffer the lifetime of agony, while THEY enjoy the profits reaped from our suffering.
I would say more but severe PTSD prevents me from doing so…I only type what my brain tells me without focus or an ability to concentrate on just this task…My brain feels like scrambled eggs (the brain on drugs commercial comes to mind) but my drug of choice (NOT) was Levaquin…HOW DARE THEY?!?!?! SHAME ON THEM!!! I’m out! ps. I stated my name in hopes that someone with good intentions sees it and remembers it…Seems more and more people that are telling their story are not legit or are never heard from again. I’m gonna keep telling my story…I’m helping others, unlike you monsters!
Thank you Alicia – only by having people like you tell their stories will the word get out – and then doctors and consumers will think twice before prescribing and taking this medicine (especially if it’s not as a last resort). Keep telling your story. Best wishes, Mike
I am related to someone whose life has been absolutely devastated by the drugs Cipro and Levaquin. As I read so many of your symptoms, I shake my head…it’s amazing how similar my relative’s adverse reaction is to yours! Multiple prescriptions for Cipro in the past year for recurring UTI’s, resulted in a cripling, inoperable ruptured foot tendon. Then a prescription for Levaquin was given for flu symptoms…FLU symptoms…within the FIRST dose of the Levaquin, my relative became a wondering, jittering insomniac. Pacing here and there, painful breathing and a horrible aching body. Several months after the Levaquin, they are 40 lbs lighter, emotional, dependant, weary, achy, hunched over, difficulty completing thoughts,agitated, nervous, and still struggling with insomnia. This person is basically the exact opposite of who they were prior to their first dose of the Levaquin. It happened that quickly. Cat scans, MRI’s, blood tests galore…everything has come back “normal”…but they are ANYTHING but NORMAL. Up to now, their life has been completely destroyed. The most frustrating thing is that every doctor they have seen, has been completely ambiguous about the causes of their life deterioration or has ANY solution towards healing. So here’s my question…now that their life has been so OBVIOUSY destroyed by the floroquinolones, what can be done now? What are you guys doing to cope with your extreme symptoms. What’s done is done, and along with getting the word out about this POISON, I am also seeking ANY suggestions for healing or at least coping with this. We are DESPERATE for help. Since the medical community is a BIG FAT zero in this area, we are asking you, who have been affected by this drug, what you are doing to get by from one day to the next?
I had a bladder infection and e.r. docs prescribed levaquin 750 mg. 5 days into treatment both knees became very swollen and painful. Walking up and down stairs and getting up from sitting were acts of sheer will and excrutiating pain. Went back to ER explained history of last visit including Levaquin meds being taken. Did doppler (no clots) and blood work (no Lyme) and sent me home with pain meds. A week later no relief leads me to family doctor. He prescribes oral steroids. Left knee swellng and pain relieved right knee no change. He sends me for x-ray and to Orthopedic doc. Ortho shoots up both knees with steroids and raises blood sugar so high I become ill with raging headache and nausea and almost head back to ER for 3rd visit in 3 weeks. Next morning swelling down in both needs and pain improved and bareable. 3 days later pain gone. Returned to work after 2 weeks on disability due to above day before yesterday. It had been 5 days since steroid injections. Yesterday (7days after) right knee began to swell again. Today swelling and soreness is returning. Also, noted pain in ankle, hip, and both hands. After reading all the info out there, I am now gravely concerned that this is going to become a long drawn out and ultimately painful ordeal. Spent whole week dropping things over Thanksgiving thinking I was just a huge clutz all the sudden and now I wonder if it had to do with my hands hurting and being numb. Just really frustrated that so many people are having these adverse side effects and no one thought to put two and two together and that my own docs treated with steroids which may turn out to have only made the matter worse. I’m calling the family doc today and alerting him. He is awesome at researching and getting to the bottom of things. I’m sure he will be able to help me find a solution and get better. But, I’d have preferred to avoid it all together.
When I was taking Levaquin and other antibiotics I got neck stiffness real bad.
I went to my doctor with problems not seeming to get enough air when I breathe and being very tired. He prescribed Levaquin which I had never had before. Not ever having been allergic to antibiotics I took them. The last day of taken them I began to get a very bad stiff neck. The front part of my neck felt as though someone had their thumb in my throat and the rest felt as though my neck was 3 times the size it should be and the pain excruciating. This lasted nearly a week and then finally relief! I thought that was the end of it but then a few days ago it began all over again and I have been off the antibiotic for two months now. I am terrible pain, can not sleep and now I read that this could be for a lifetime!! This should be OFF the market and those continuing to manufacture, sell and distribute this product should be sued. People’s lifestyles are being dramatically affected.
I Was scheduled to have 1 surgery on Oct. 12th, 2009. Ended up having another on Nov. 9th, then again Nov. 13th. During the 1st or 2nd surgery I had been Contaminated with Serratia. So they put me on Levaquin 750mg/day. Next (2nd) culture found that I also had Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, 3rd culture then found Staph as well. Who or what was dirty is yet to be determined. But it left me with the need to be on Levaquin.
My problems: Both knees, left ankle and left shoulder are very painful. It takes all my will to get up from a sitting position because I know what pain will immediately take place. Prior to this drug, these areas never had any problems…in 47 yrs. My hips are starting to be painful, laying on either side at night has become dreadful. Nausea, constant fatigue. I never used to take naps, now my eyes close often during the day, waking up to find an hour sometimes 2 hours has gone by. My taste-buds and sense of smell are completely off. Foods/drinks I used to like I can’t stand the sight of right now. I am easily agitated. Nervousness. I sometimes feel like I am in a haze of some sort but I can’t really describe it. Thoughts strewn all over. I was taking 750mg from Nov. 12th, to yesterday, December 22nd. Once a day, everyday. 41 days of this ingestion. I was off for 2 days after a 4th and then clear culture. My Dr consulted with the Infectious Disease Control Dr on my case and they decided another 21 days to be sure the bacteria is all gone. (The culture only tests that area that the culture was taken from, not the whole body) My initial mental response…oh my Gosh how can I do this another 21 days? This is going to kill me. My hesitation (I am sure you are wondering why I have not yet) to come off this poison…I was told that this Levaquin is the only thing that will treat the Serratia, a deadly bacteria, drug-therapy resistant to anything else. Yes, a very long period of ingesting this medicine.
All from surgeries. While Levaquin “MAY” kill the bacteria in my body, it also killed my spirit, what used to be a very high-energy life that I lead. This is ridiculous. I can only pray that something will change, because this is not right. Female, 47 yrs of age.
I was prescribed Levaquin for 6 days, 500 mg January 26, 2009, by an emergency room doctor at a major hospital for a stomach infection. 30 days later my right foot began massive cramping and spasming one evening just watching a movie. I was diagnosed with a Peroneal Tendon Tear, through 2 MRI’s and months of pain, drug therapy, physical therapy, castboot, lace up boot, orthotics, shoe wedges, 20 medical appointments later, finally surgery and going on 10 weeks of recovery and many more weeks still to come. Not to mention the massive medical expenses incurred.
Realizing soon after this injury that Levaquin has a “Black Box” warning by the FDA for tendonitis, tendon tears and tendon ruptures, I was appalled that I wasn’t verbally warned by either the doctor prescribing the drug or the pharmacy dispersing it of it’s potential dangers.
During this time, the healthcare professionals insist that they would prescribe the drug again to me and insist the injury was from overuse. They rely on this drug when I’m told there are other “less toxic” drugs available…by a pharmacist. Having a drug like this on the market puts all of the public as uneducated “guinea pigs” exposed to this dangerous drug, while the FDA does no more than give a warning to it’s side effects.
I was a healthy, active 50 yr old woman before taking this drug. My life has drastically changed. I will not stop trying to make these people pay and get this drug removed from the market.