Post Marketing Reports for November 2003

From: "llvlcc" <llvlcc@y...>
Date: Sat Nov 1, 2003 6:38 pm
Subject: levaquin
I developed pnemonia in late August 2003. Stayed bed ridden for 5
days and slowly returned back to work. Noticed a pain in my lower
calfs and knees and felt it was just the time off my feet. It has
now been over two months and the pain is severe in my knees and lower
legs. Tried heat, cold to no avail. Any suggestions would be
appreciated.

From: "ppierce2nm" <ppierce@f...>
Date: Mon Nov 3, 2003 9:23 am
Subject: New Member
Hello.

I am new to this list, unfortunately I am having an ADR to Cipro. I
had taken it several times in the past and had even been prescribed
to take 250 mg postcoitally as a preventive for UTI's--I'm especially
prone to those. Anyway, I took a 7 day course of Cipro ending in
early October. I then took one postcoital and got an upset stomach
that lasted for several days. About a week later I developed vertigo
and ended up going to the doctor, she prescribed Phenergan which
pretty much got rid of the vertigo (scary experience). Interestingly
at the beginning of October I was doing situps and picked up my 5
pound weight, and felt my thumb strain--I thought I had just picked
up the weight wrong. At the end of October both wrists and forearms
started hurting and swelling, my right knee, and my right ankle. I
thought about the Cipro and found this forum--then went to an
orthopedic doctor who right away recognized what was happening to
me. He says he has often seen this type of problem with statins
too. He also had personally had an anaphlyctic reaction to Cipro
after taking it two times previously. He told me no running for a
month but I can do stationary bike. I have been taking Osteo Biflex
glucosamine chondroitin triple strength (doc suggested it), Rolaids
extra strength (for the magnesium). I also have been wrapping my
forearm in an Ace wrap (doc said a splint wasn't a good idea) and
wearing an ankle support on my right ankle. I seem to have stamina,
just tendon pain. It is especially annoying lying on either side of
my body at night, I wake up with my forearms and bicep hurting. Any
suggestions beyond what I am already doing? I haven't taken any
NSAIDs based on the info on this group but it sure is tempting. By
the way, my primary care doc didn't believe the vertigo and joint
pain was due to the Cipro, she said, "Antibiotics just hang out and
do their thing and then they're gone." She then proceeded to give me
the idiot's class on what happens in the body when you get a
virus!!! Thankfully the orthopod believed me and wrote on a
prescription pad that I had an allergic reaction to Cipro and was
never to take another quinolone or statin! BTW, I'm 35, female, and
was running 3x/week and lifting weights. I'm now stationary biking
on a Nordic Track and wishing I could get back on my treadmill.

PPierce2nm

From: "cnannette" <cnannette@y...>
Date: Tue Nov 11, 2003 5:09 am
Subject: need help please
It is two weeks for me since taking my third levaquin. I posted a
message recently and would like to thank those who answered me. I
would just like to ask for a little more information please. I went
back to the doctor last week and told him how I was feeling. He said
that I had a bad reaction to Levaquin. The nurse said that sometimes
it just takes a while to get over it. I want to know how long. I
was very active and have five kids at home and want to get back to
feeling like myself. I wake up sometimes feeling better but then
start having some muscle weakness and start aching again. It is very
discouraging. I have also felt like I was going to have a seizure a
few times and that is also discouraging since I haven't had one in 11
years. I still can't understand why a doctor would prescribe this
medicine to someone with epilepsy. I feel very nervous alot and a
feeling of dread comes over me and I get very scared. I feel jittery
inside sometimes as if I am having a low blood sugar attack. I was
walking everyday sometimes up to three miles before this happened and
I am afraid to get back out and even try. Any help on any of this
would be very much appreciated. I teach school also and haven't
worked but two days since I had the really bad reaction. Thank
anyone for their help in this.

From: "Christine" <muscrat70@m...>
Date: Tue Nov 11, 2003 9:50 am
Subject: help

I was prescribed Levaquin last thursday, the dr told me my sinus
infection was so bad and they had tried everything else, that I had
to get better. I am very sensitive to meds so I asked her about side
effects, She said it was very well tolerated, no effects.

My trips to the bathroom has multiplied to the point I am getting up
all night. And last night my pulse jumped high and hasn't stopped.
My husband called the pharmacy and they said to stop the Levaquin
and call the dr. They told me it couldn't possibly be a reaction to
the levaquin and I was just anxious. I wasn't upset yesterday at
all, it hit out of nowhere... now I am so tired, have a headache and
my heart is pounding out of my chest. I called the dr and they
reluctantly gave me an appt but I am afraid to keep it, knowing they
will probably just say I am anxious. Ever since I lost my baby to
stillbirth, they never look beyond anxiety or depression even though
I have been dealing fairly well.

I am shaking right now and don't know what to do, can anyone help
me. Will this side effect just go away without me going to the dr?
What have I got myself into.

Thank you.
Christine

From: "swataz" <swataz@y...>
Date: Fri Nov 14, 2003 5:41 am
Subject: Gland Pain

I just posted a similar query to a specific person who found a
correlation to gland pain in their research, but I thought I'd share
this in detail with the group.

I took Levaquin back in late July/early August for a bout with
pneumonia. I am a 35 year old male with no major health problems,
and in fact, I had been in very good health up until the pneunonia,
which I am still at a loss to explain!

Anyway. I experienced a lot of things others have made reference to
in this thread, including incredible anxiety, hallucinations,
psychotic reactions, etc. I didn't know until much later that it was
probably from this damn drug.

Now, I have read some posts and see that GLANDS are affected by this
drug. I have had what the LAST ENT doctor I saw proposed was a
reactive lymph gland. This gland ison the right hand side of my
neck, nearest to my thyroid area, under my neck (but not my thyroid!)

Since I have had it for, oh, 2 months and have no infection, I
highly doubt it is reactive to an infection. So the light bulb went
off above my head and I am thinking that perhaps the Levaquin may be
behind this MADDENING symptom that has rendered me without a strong
voice and robs me of vocal power.

I used to sing, even with a friend's band. I never beat the hell out
of my voice, and even though reherasals were for hours, I NEVER had
a problem recovering and NEVER had a pain like this. I may have
been hoarse for a half day but this is not what I consider a normal
pain.

My vocal chords have been examined, I have had a CT of head and neck
and been poked, prodded, diagnosed with anything from NOTHING to
tonsiloliths (tonsil stones - yeah right, tonsil stones), but here I
am, 3 months after I finished my course of Levaquin, still unable to
do what I used to love.

If anyone else out there has a similar problem, I'd be glad to hear
it so I can at least feel vindicated somewhat.

Thanks all.

Nick

From: "peter92020" <PNAJOR@S...>
Date: Fri Nov 14, 2003 5:20 pm
Subject: CIPRP

Hi

I have used CIPRO for one week back in July and still suffering side
effects such as ringing in the ears and recently was diagnosed with H-
Pylori infection, however am unable to take any medication due to
pain in the ears. Does anyone experiancing such symptoms especially
the ears pain?

From: "wildreader2000" <debm@c...>
Date: Sun Nov 16, 2003 2:27 pm
Subject: Re: Does anyone experience severe diahrea from this cipro.

Steve

I've suffered with the stomach problems such as horrible gas,
bloating and abdominal pain but no diarrhea though. I've had two
abdominal CT scans, an abdominal MRI with dye contrast and an EUS and
so far (Thank God!) everything is checking out pretty well. When
they ran the EUS, they decided that I have an "infection of chemical
origin" (in other words, probable pancreatitis) and the most recent
CT scan this week shows that my kidneys, liver, stomach and "hepatic
vein?" (not sure exactly what that one is) look great.

I agree about the vitamins too. Since I started a regimen of various
vitamin supplements, I have been feeling better overall. I even have
days where I feel almost normal again! Main problems now are a
lingering abdominal problem (though that IS "slowly" getting better)
and a tendon problem with the right shoulder. I had to have rotator
cuff surgery due to a malformed acromion bone causing impingement on
the tendon but two weeks after the surgery I suddenly had massive
spasms of the muscles in that arm and shoulder and I'm still having
problems with it 2 months later. I have just finished 4 weeks of PT
and saw the doc last week and he ordered 3 more weeks of PT as well
as an MRI of my neck! Of course, he won't even entertain the idea
that Levaquin could have had anything at all to do with this
continuing problem but I strongly disagree!
Deb


From: "kyrlin8" <B.John1@a...>
Date: Fri Nov 21, 2003 3:27 pm
Subject: Re: 8 months after levaquin
Mary,

I am 10 months post Cipro, and have some similar symptoms as you
described. I have the head-shocks- sometimes they feel like they
originate in my abdomen or chest and then zing up to my head,
sometimes they just occur in my head. They feel like they exit right
out the top of my skull. I have vertigo almost all the time to
varying degrees. I get lightheaded and feel like I will faint, but
do not actually lose consiousness. My blood pressure goes very low,
and initially the doctors thought that was causing the dizzyness, but
even w/ medication to keep blood pressure up I still continue with
these symptoms. I have the heart paplatations, but my pulse is
usually within normal limits.
For the first two or three months I did have periods of rapid heart
rate up to 150. I still have periods of chiils or sweats,and my
hands and feet are almost always freezing. My appetite is
diminished, and I have lost about thirty pounds over this time. I
don't have outright panic attacks, but I feel my body overreact to
the least bit of stress-like a big surge of adrenaline , and then
very hard to relax. I have a bit of 'fuzziness' in my lower legs and
feet, but not very often anymore. I have not had the muscle/tendon
tears, but my muscles tire very easy, and seem very weak. For me the
dizzyness is the biggest problem, as I cannot drive feeling so
unsteady. I have been unable to work since this all began. I am
better than I was 10 months ago, symptoms are not as severe, and I
don't usually fell like I am dying anymore. Some days I actually
feel OK, but some days not so good. I continue to hope that things
will get better for all of us . Hang in there.

From: "miantauqeer" <miantauqeer@y...>
Date: Sun Nov 23, 2003 2:46 am
Subject: My Story of Quinolones

I am a doctor by proffesion. In 1998 I developed an infection
which was not responding to routine antibiotics. I went on to
quinolones and took ciprofloxin 500 mg on 8 hourly basis for about 5
days. I was very fine and was in deed thankful to this group of new
antibiotics i.e. Quinolones. After about 10 days I felt a mild
swelling of my rt knee joint. I thought it to be twist or some
unnoticed trauma and resorted to some NSAID but it did'nt respond.
Swelling increased with increase in pain. I landed in a hospital. I
was pushed through hundreds of tests including arthroscopy under GA.
But all inconclusive and I was put on anti tuberclous therapy with a
strong suspision of tuberclosis of rt knee joint.

I had to continue this treatment for a complete year. There was a
remarkable improvement.Suddenly I developed some other infection and
I was put on Quinolones, ciproxin and withen days I was on the bed
unable to move my leg.

All praises to my physian he took it as a relapse of tuberclosis
and started ATT. This time I Imported my drugs from abroad
undermining the quality of drugs in my country but all invane.

Neither me nor any one of my collegues who happened to be doctors
could guess the real cause of swelling of my knee. I was better after
taking NSAIDS.

I was lucky, I got sick again and I was again advised quinolones,
ciproxin and here here came my lucky day. My knee was again in the
same shape within few hours. Then it struck me that it is the
quinolones, whenever I took was the culprit. Since that day I am off
quinolones and having a nice life which include daily exercises and
running along with games. Thanks to my luck

From: Daniel Dobleman <danieldobleman@y...>
Date: Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:29 pm
Subject: hand tremors

Has anyone had severe hand tremors? And one hand worse than the other?

From: "johnus20042000" <johnus20042000@y...>
Date: Mon Nov 24, 2003 10:21 pm
Subject: Need help, been on Cipro for 10d
I've been taking CIPRO XR 1000mg for 10d. THis morning I woke
up and noticed that my ankle felt funning, it felt warm and
a little stiff. Got up moved around a bit and did not notice
any major pain so I went to work. Thru-out the day the slight
pain and burning sensation started up again. It's not major
pain, but I notice it. Then I remembered reading about tendon
rupture and CIPRO when I was checking out this medication.

Have a call into my doc, but no call back. If it is the start
of tendonitis or worse, what medication or theraphy should I
look into immediately to prevent any rupture.

Your recommendation would be helpful.

THanks
John

From: "Jenny" <jmoreau.i@s...>
Date: Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:32 am
Subject: Finally

Hi,
After 4 years of seeing doctors and being rejected and insulted more
often than I needed I finally found a doctor that understood about
quinolones and what it does to our bodies. He was even honest enough to
tell me that there is nothing that can be done except pain killers to be
able to have a better quality of life and that only time will tell. He
says that there is some hope of a full recovery but not much. The only
problem is that I don't want to take morphine based meds and that is
what he is proposing. Any idea on this?

I wanted to let everyone know that there is still good doctors, keep
looking for them!

Jenny

From: "tassywaliany" <tassywaliany@y...>
Date: Tue Nov 25, 2003 9:48 pm
Subject: CIPRO

Hi...I am 22 yrs old and I was given Cipro 500 mg once a day for a
week to cure a urinary tract infection. I was given Cipro September
2003 about 2 months ago. Prior to this UTI I was completely
healthy. Now, I don't know what is wrong with me. My menstrual
cycle is off, I can't sleep some nights, my body feels jittery, i
feel worried all the time, although I am not worried about anything,
I am going through HELL, and honestly I cannot live like this....my
skin has rashes all over it....I really don't know what to do...can
somebody please tell me if this will ever go away, will I ever be
normal again...I was normal just 2 months ago...please help me...no
doctor knows what is wrong with me...I just came to the conclusion
that it must be something to do with the antibiotic, because I have
never in my life been sick for 2 months in a row....will Cipro ever
leave my system and how do i make it leave my system the
quickest...please I am begging for someone to answer me.