Post Marketing Reports for May 2003

From: "Badoir *" <badoir@m...>
Date: Mon May 19, 2003 3:28 am
Subject: Levaquin World Health Org. Report
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
LEVOFLOXACIN
Reports in WHO file:
Tendon disorders 888
Reference:
Folia Pharmacotherapeutica 29: 63, July 2002.
LEVOFLOXACIN
Reports of tendinopathy
Belgium. The Belgian Pharmacovigilance Centre has received 161 reports of levofloxacin (Tavanic) - associated tendinopathy, including 68 reports of tendon rupture, since the drug was marketed in 2000 through to 16 April 2002.
The average age of patients with levofloxacin-associated tendinopathy was 69 years and about half were receiving concomitant corticosteroid treatment. The average time between the start of levofloxacin treatment and the development of
tendinopathy and tendon rupture was 8.4 and 10 days, respectively, with tendon rupture occurring within 48 hours in some cases. The centre notes that, although data from spontaneous reports are insufficient for risk comparisons, the number of cases of tendon disorders reported in association with levofloxacin to date is much higher than that for ciprofloxacin (22 cases), norfloxacin (8), ofloxacin (63) and pefloxacin (16), all of which have been on
the market for > 10 years. The most common indications for which levofloxacin was prescribed in patients who experienced tendon rupture were acute or chronic bronchitis (32%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (28%); the
pharmacovigilance centre reminds its readers that the outpatient prescription of levofloxacin is only justified for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in patients allergic to β-lactams. The centre stresses the importance of advising patients for whom levofloxacin treatment is found necessary to contact their doctor if tendon pain occurs, and points out that the increased risk associated with age and the presence of simultaneous
corticosteroid therapy should be considered.
Reports in WHO file:
Tendon disorders 888
Reference:
Folia Pharmacotherapeutica 29: 63, July 2002.

Earlier report from 2001.
LEVOFLOXACIN
Reports of adverse reactions
Belgium. Levofloxacin (Tavanic) has been associated with a number of adverse reactions, including 12 cases of tendinitis, which have been reported to the
Belgian centre for pharmaco-vigilance since the drug's launch in August 2000. Of the 12 reports of levofloxacin-associated tendinitis, 6 cases involved tendon rupture. Also, in 5 cases, concomitant corticosteroid therapy may have been a contributing risk factor. The mean age of the patients was 74 years, and it appears that the risk of tendinitis with levofloxacin therapy increases with age. The centre has also received 8 reports of allergic reactions with
levofloxacin, including 7 of angioneurotic oedema and 1 of anaphylaxis. Reports in WHO file: tendinitis 255, tendon disorder 268, tendon rupture 49, anaphylactic shock 27, anaphylactoid reaction 102, angioedema 61
Reference:
Folia Pharmacotherapeutica 28: 76, Aug 2001.


From: "transitco3302" <jbbuxton@c...>
Date: Thu May 1, 2003 4:10 pm
Subject: Sleep Aids
I am still suffering insomnia. This bout has gone on for 2 weeks. I
got a recomendation to try VALERIAN, a natural herb that aids sleep. What experiences does any one have with Valerian, and any
interactions or side effects. Other ideas on sleep. One
recomendation I got was warm milk and jam toast as a snack before bed time to alevieate any hunger. Thanks for any help. My prayers go out to you all on this national day of prayer. JBB

From: "jwk" <jwk@m...>
Date: Fri May 2, 2003 5:23 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Sleep Aids
. I had developed severe pain in the joints and burning
in the muscles

From: <devimootie@y...>
Date: Sat May 3, 2003 12:13 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Tequin Problems Persisting
--- flwrlady2002 <flwrlady2002@y...> wrote:
>Dear flower lady--I am a relative newcomer to this
website--though I believe I have been suffering from
fq reactions for over a year. I am responding to your
post because a couple of your fq reactions sound like
mine. I don't want to get to the point where every
single illness or pain makes me wonder if it's the
cipro I took--but the resemblences between my "weird"
pains and yours--as well as others' I've read seems
too close to be a cooincidence. I have been having
itchy hive-like rashes that drive me nuts--but they
appear and disappear within about 10-15 minutes. My
whole stomache or back, or both wrists will tingle
burn itch and break out in this tiny bumps and then,
just as fast, they go. Sometimes, it's the soles of
my feet, my scalp, my neck. It is worse at night-or
seems to be--and keeps me awake. I have also had some
pretty intense anxiety/panic/shaking/heartpounding
"spells" which are so scary. My joints ache, and my
muscles feel like they freeze up if I do something
simple like--my arm spasms if I hold a couple of books
for ten minutes while browsing in the bookstore. I
feel lucky in that my doctor wants to learn about fq
adrs--but she hasn't been able to do much more than
rule out other illnesses. I have been going to an
accupuncturist and using some supplements--but like
you--my transient hives/joint pains and anxiety all
seem to come and go w/o my being able to id let alone
eliminate what triggered another cycle. I guess this
is just a long way of saying that I could relate to
your post in many ways--whiach makes me feel a little
less alone--and I appreciate your prayers for us all.
To me, we are just people struggling to make sense out
of our circumstances w/o a whole lot of help from
those we expect help from. Sometimes dealing with
that--the lack of helpful info is the hardest part of
it for me. Thanks, Devin

From: <flwrlady2002@y...>
Date: Sun May 4, 2003 9:12 am
Subject: Re: Fingernails and Dr. Flockhart


I have lines in my nails and now I also notice that I'm getting some
strange dents in them too. I have a couple nails that also have
lines through the whole nail that look as though they could just
split. When you tell 2 drs. about this and they don't say anything
it just leads me to believe they don't because they KNOW something
is going on, but don't want to say anything because that would be
admitting it; otherwise, what dr. would ignore something like that?
I always was under the assumption that your nails can tell a dr. a
lot of what is going on with you.

My main itching/hive problem seems to be on my face/neck/shoulder
areas. I use benadryl and apply cortisone sometimes and they come
and go too, but the mystery remains - why are they coming and going?


From: <passin42@y...>
Date: Sun May 4, 2003 11:33 am
Subject: eye opening experience?


On febuary 19, 2003, I took an Avalox tablet at 1030am by 1100am I
was in an ambulance enroute to ER. The lungs stopped, the heart
stopped pumping and the pancress stopped, (all vital organs shut
down). Had I not been found, (and that is a story in itself) I would
not have pulled through. Within several minutes of ingesting the
Avalox, I began to feel like my skin was tingaling everywhere; then
breathing came very fast and hard. I was unaware that my face had
swollen so bad I was unrecognizable and speech was impossible. I
lost control of both bladder and bowel. The ER recorded my core body
temp as 78. I spent 3 days in the ICU and haven't felt right since.
I have tried to blame these strange feeling on everything but the
Avalox. In reading over the other e-mails I can relate to alot of
the complaints. Good to see I am not alone, however, Hate that we
have to put up with this kind of stuff.



From: ajv6240ajv6240nvinwv@a...
Date: Mon May 5, 2003 4:45 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] eye opening experience?


I also had a reaction to Avelox in Jun 2002. I was not hospitalized but I
have not been well since. I am much better but am still on Xanex and not able
to sleep more than 2 or 3 hours at a time. I never had a lot of pain just the
tremors, anxiety, heartburn, hot flashes, severe fatigue, and a general sense
of not being well. I had never experienced any of these symptoms before
taking the Avelox but the drs are still trying to put me on anti depressant
drugs and send me for psychological evaluation which I keep telling them I'm
not crazy, the drug did all this to me.
I hope you find a dr who understands your symptoms and helps you. Good luck.

Nancy


From: <nettazig@y...>
Date: Mon May 5, 2003 3:47 pm
Subject: Off to the doctor again
Hey all! Well, I'm off to the doctor yet again tomorrow. I've had
a sudden return of full body pain (also in new places!!), and a new
symptom of total fatigue. I ended up in the nurse's office at work
today because I thought I was going to fall over from being so tired
and hurting so bad. My temp and BP were normal (even though I was
freezing), but she said my pulse was racing....not really sure what
to make of it all! I'm not sure what my doc will make of it
either. From talking to a few people on the forum, and from some
reading I've been doing, I think it may be Fibromyalgia, but I'm not
sure. I'd really appreciate input from the members, especially
those who've been dx'ed with it.

Jen


From:<qyit19313@y...>
Date: Mon May 5, 2003 5:54 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Re: Off to the doctor again

I am in my 10th month of this craziness and am still having these type of
symptoms. I was never told i have fibromyalgia. I have been tested for it but
was never diagnosed with it. I am having rapid heart problems with this
pressure and strong thumping type of feeling then i feel like my heart stops
for a few seconds then the heavy thumping again. This goes on for at least 1 to
1 1/2 mins before i get relief. I feel really light headed during this episode
like i'm about to pass out. I ache all over and when the barometric pressure
drops i really ache. This is just one of many problems i have from time to
time. New and old they are all a pain in the butt. Right now i am really
feeling fatigue and will be glad when this passes over again..it comes and goes
as usual....Sharon............peace


From: <linmarsta@a...>
Date: Mon May 5, 2003 6:55 pm
Subject: Re: Off to the doctor again

Jen: Central pain syndrome?
my neuropathy was worst a year after I got hit by the levaquin
reaction
linda


From: "saturnrn" <saturnrn@h...>
Date: Mon May 5, 2003 6:57 pm
Subject: Re: Heavy Thumping in Heart
--- In quinolones@yahoogroups.com, Sharon Jones <qyit19313@y...>
wrote:
> I am having rapid heart problems with this pressure and strong
thumping type of feeling then i feel like my heart stops for a few
seconds then the heavy thumping again. This goes on for at least 1 to
1 1/2 mins before i get relief. I feel really light headed during
this episode like i'm about to pass out.
usual....Sharon............peace


From: <go595@c...>
Date: Mon May 5, 2003 10:04 pm
Subject: Cipro induced Neuropathy??
Hi there, I'm new to this group after searching cipro and neuropathy.
Been on Cipro for 2.5 weeks now after being diagnosed w/prostatitis
and have been experiencing burning pain on my lower legs/shins, some
joint pain, and bouts of anxiety coinciding w/the neuropathy symptoms.
Anyone w/similar symptoms? Am going to Dr. tomorrow to discuss.
Thanks.

From: <wardsown@y...>
Date: Tue May 6, 2003 8:20 am
Subject: ONE MORE TIME!

I keep trying to post here with no luck. Here goes again: I was on
Levaquin & Tequin 2 1/2 yrs. for prostate. Off 6 mos. and on Levaquin
again early Feb. 2003. Had treatment on Hako Pain Machine Feb. 5 &
had severe tingling in right foot & perineum. Week later I had
steroid shot in my lower back and that DID IT! Severe feeling
of "vibrating" electric shocks all over my entire body. It was &
still is terrifying as it comes & goes. Docs here had no clue. Went
to Mayo Clinic where they diagnosed Peripheral Neuropathy and advised
Neurontin. My doc here gave me samples and 2x I had severe reaction
so no more. Attended support group here last night. No one had ever
heard of my symptoms or trouble with Neurontin. Need big help here!
Ward in Denver.

From: <celliott@i...>
Date: Tue May 6, 2003 10:30 am
Subject: Levaquin hurts cartilage????


Perhaps some of you can elaborate on joint pain from Levaquin.
We have all heard for years that the drug affects tendons, and perhaps,
muscles. I accepted that, as i was in extreme gasping pain for months.
Finally a dr. performed arthroscopic surgery, and informed me that i had badly
torn cartilage on both sides of my knee, and that any other pain was due to
severe arthritis.
I have no reason to doubt the cause of the intense pain, but as i have been
unable to walk for so long, i wonder what could cause such bad cartilage
tears.
I assume that i can no longer blame the Levaquin, as no one has ever
connected it with torn cartilage and sudden onset severe arthritis (both
knees). (And now the pain has returned, for what reason i have no idea.)
If any of you have any insight and/or/similar cartilage tears, rather than
tendonitis, i would appreciate your ideas,
Thank you,
Janet







From: <forgottengod@c...>
Date: Tue May 6, 2003 1:40 pm
Subject: Re: Levaquin hurts cartilage????


<celliott@i...> wrote:
> Perhaps some of you can elaborate on joint pain from Levaquin.

I can't say for sure what hurts, but at times I have joint pain that
does not feel like tendon pain. Also my joints crack and pop all the
time, which I don't think a tendon and muscle only issue would cause
(but I'm not a doctor). I have some arthritis-like symptoms, but
they don't last. I'll get the swelling and stiffness in a joint, but
it goes away and maybe comes back later. Also I don't get the
blatant swelling that arthritis seems associated with.

My opinion (for what it's worth) is that Leviquin could defintely
have something to do with that, it could even be something that
triggers arthritis.


From:wardsown@y...>
Date: Tue May 6, 2003 7:33 pm
Subject: HUSKY VOICE


When I have flareups of the "vibrating" feelings (and
in between times as well) I get a very husky voice and
almost hear an echo when I speak. Have to clear my
throat all the time. It seems to feel heavy in my
chest. Has anyone reported such a thing? How about
diet? I note SUGAR really flares things up but I seem
to get a recurrence no matter what I eat.


From: <linmarsta@a...>
Date: Tue May 6, 2003 8:09 pm
Subject: Re: Off to the doctor again


--- >
Al's right -- I had tacycardia that landed me in the ER thanks to
Levaquin. see a cardiologist.

I would suggest that you see a cardiologist. My understanding is
> that FQ's are known to cause palpitations and QT interval
> prolongation which can lead to a condition known as torsedes de
> pointes - a deadly ventricular arhythmia.

From: SRo2930269@a...
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 7:29 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Re: ONE MORE TIME!/Hey Lisa


WOW!! Sorry to hear Neurotin caused bad neuropathy for you....I thought your
symptoms were caused by Leviquin exclusively. You and I have/had the same
symtoms, but mine was 100% caused by Leviquin...same burning and electrical
vibrations w/cold hands/feet. How many more Neurontin did you take, and how
long between the Neurontin did you start Leviquin time period? And how long
did it take for Neurontin adr's to leave you? Is it possible that the
Nerontin "reacted" to the Leviquin, assuming you had residual amts Nerontin
in you at the time you took Leviquin? Thanks for an update, Lisa
Shybasset

From: <dissident@m...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 8:21 am
Subject: Another fearful Newbie looking for answers


Hi, everyone

I'll try to keep this background stuff concise.

I'm someone who's had problems with generalized anxiety
issues in the past, usually after stressful situations. After some
serious stress in my life, I developed some symptoms the
doctors diagnosed as prostatitis. Although no infection was
found, I was put on (cue ominous music) Cipro, which I took for
almost two weeks.

Within a couple days, I began experiencing occasional sharp
pain in my lower left pelvis, which seems to be made worse by
exercising. I though it might be more "prostatits" symptoms. The
pain subsided, to be replaced by occasional flare-ups of what
can best be described as burning sensations throughout my
pelvis, then, after a week, expanding down my legs.

I personally believe my prostatitis symptoms were caused by
stress, not infection, and I began trying to treat it that way. In
doing so, I began learning more about Cipro's side effects and
decided to stop the medication immediately.

My prostatitis symptoms have improved a lot, but I still have the
sharp pain in my pelvis at times, sometimes also on right side,
but usually on the left, periods of INTENSE cold feelings in my
feet and legs, and sometimes up into my stomach and
abdomen, the burning sensations in my pelvis, legs, etc. and a
great deal more anxiety than usual (I've started taking Zoloft for
this, which helped me before).

Could someone please let me know if the symptoms I've
described correspond with Cipro "poisoning," and PLEASE give
some advice on how to get this drug out of my system as quickly
as possible. Why would the effects linger after stopping the
medication?

Thanks for your time, and I hope all of you are well or soon will
be.....me included. :-)

From: grego595grego595go595@c...
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 9:36 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Another fearful Newbie looking for answers


Hi there, sounds almost exactly what I experienced, including the pain on
right and left side of pelvis. Although I had those pains prior to taking the
Cipro for the Prostatitis. I alos was on Cipro for 2 weeks and stopped after
I experienced intense Neuropathy on my lower legs, neck, and around my eyes.
Of course the Dr. immediately dismissed Cipro being the cause, but I faxed
him some good research by Dr.Jay Cohen that at least made him accept the
possibility. Anyway, I stopped 2 days ago and now, it seems the pain is going
away, hopefully for good. I'm curious about stress being a cause for the
prostatitis, do you have any info regarding that? Good luck!

Greg


From: "Jen Zeigler" <nettazig@y...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 10:11 am
Subject: Baker's cysts




BTW....the doc said I have developed a Baker's cyst on the back of
my left knee. Has anyone else developed one of these, or any other
types of cysts since being floxed? I know that a few of you have,
and I'm starting to get the idea that cysts are yet
another "unknown" side effect.

Jen



From: <wardsown@y...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 10:29 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Re: ONE MORE TIME!/Hey Lisa


Last time I had Levaquin was 1st week of February.
First time for 300mg Neurontin was May 2 and a 100mg
on May 4. No more since then. Side effects from the
Neurontin seem to be gone now; from Levaquin
definitely not.

From: <stwiety@c...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 3:03 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Levaquin hurts cartilage????


I was diagnosed with severe arthritis in both knees a month after I took
Levaquin the first time. I have no doubt that the Levaquin caused it, as I
have arthritis now in both shoulders which developed after the last time I took
Levaquin. And I am only 43 years old.

Sue

From: <jsmithereen@y...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 5:39 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Levaquin hurts cartilage????


May I ask how long you took the levaquin? I was only
on it for five days. I was already diagnosed with
some kind of rheumatological or possible autoimmune
disease (fibromaylgia, possible rheumatoid arthritis),
and i have endommetriosis also. i am just wondering
if the levaquin stepped up the arthirtis process. By
the wya, which kind of arthritis is it? Osteo or
rheumatoid?



From: <stwiety@c...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 8:01 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Levaquin hurts cartilage????


I have severe osteoarthritis in both knees. I took Levaquin the first time in
September of 2001. I had bursitis in the one knee 2 days after I finished the
10 day dose of Levaquin and a month later was diagnosed with arthritis in both
knees. The Orthopedist came in after the x-rays and asked me why I wasn't in
excruciating pain. He said I have the knees of a 90 year old.


From: <storylady_74@y...>
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 9:43 am
Subject: delayed reaction


Has anyone had a delayed reaction to Cipro? I took it from 3/19/03
to 3/31/03. The muscle and joint pain started suddenly around April
19. Right now its hard to stand or walk. I have Sjogren's Syndrome
and have occasional joint pain with that. However I've never had
pain this intense or onset so quickly. So its possible that its the
Sjogren's and not Cipro.
Thanks for the help!
Nancy
 

From: <kfkawilliams@e...>
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 10:22 am
Subject: delayed reaction


yes this has happened 2 me..started w/ muscle cramps in buttox and
back of legs..on day 3 of treatment.still comes and goes. after a
few weeks i started w/ joint pain which i feel in wrists and ankels.
i am 38 in excellent health an athletic! have had a full rhumatoid
profile and am surprise... fine!!!!i woke up yesterday an felt
bruised on left thigh..it is fine today.i took cipro on 2/13/03 for
2 1/2 day. my drs. say its the cipro even my psychiatrist who gives
me ativan says its the cipro but they have no hints other than
multivitamins w/ 100% b vitamins. also no caffeine.at least we're
not nuts. the ativan helps me sleep. hope this helps


From: SRo2930269@a...
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 11:04 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] delayed reaction/YES


Excluding prior adr's happening gradually all along, it was 2 1/2 months
later before the peripheral neuropathy "started" and hasn't left at all for
past 3 months. Shybasset


From: "kevin kitts" <kkit1@h...>
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 11:47 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Levaquin hurts cartilage????


You are right. I took Cipro for 6 months and suddenly
all my joints were cracking.both my thumbs, my knees and my
neck. You need to take the over the counter Shark cartilege
for your knees.It took 3 months for my knees to come back.

From: <kfkawilliams@e...>
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 10:04 am
Subject: regarding vibrations


this does happen 2 me frequently.i have only experienced it behind
my left knee. it feels very weird.i was on cipro 500mg. for a
routein uti. only took 5 doses. have alot of peripheral
neuropathy...i was contacted by an attorney from outside
philadelphia. her name is rose. she seems to be working hard to get
a suit going..if you check the past posts you may come up w/ her
website. i forget it..she said she gets at leat 1-2 calls per day
concering adverse reactions to lev. and cipro! imagine that! i hope
and pray for gooh health for the people on this site...


From: <stwiety@c...>
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 3:06 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] delayed reaction


I had all my reactions after taking Levaquin the first two times. Not while I
was taking it. So I never related the reactions to the Levaquin until the
third time, when I finally had so much of it in my system and was taking an
NSAID and prednisone, that my system broke down.

Sue

From: <dakotalabs444@y...>
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 11:29 pm
Subject: CIPRO REACTION, HEAD AND BRAIN


HI

I CAME DOWN WITH WHAT THEY THINK WAS AN EAR INFECTION IN OCTOBER
2002. I WAS GIVEN OTHER DRUGS FIRST, WHICH DID NOT SEEM TO TOTALLY
CLEAR THIS INFECTION (SPECIFICALLY, ZITHROMAX).

WHEN THE INFECTION DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ZITHROMAX (IT RECURRED),
I WAS GIVEN TEQUIN TO TAKE ONCE PER DAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAD NEVER
TAKEN TEQUIN BEFORE BUT FOUND OUT REAL QUICK I COULDN'T TAKE IT.
SECOND PILL INTO IT, I ENDED UP ON THE FLOOR UNABLE TO MOVE, SWEATING
ALL OVER, TREMBLING, AND FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO FAINT. THEY CLAIM
I HAD A HYPOGLYCEMIC ATTACK (YET I SUFFER NO OTHER SYMPTOMS OF THIS
ANY OTHER TIME) SO THEN THE DOCTORS PUT ME ON CIPRO 500 TWICE PER DAY
AND CIPRO OTIC HC DROPS TO PUT IN
THE EAR TO FIGHT THE INFECTION.

WITHIN A DAY OF PUTTING THE DROPS IN MY EAR, AFTER JUST ONE DAY OF
THIS, I
HAD WEIRD HEAD PAINS FROM SIDE TO SIDE ACROSS THE TOP, STRANGE
PULLING SENSATIONS AND HEAD BUZZING AND THE WORKS. I WAS VERY DIZZY
AND HAD SOME REALLY BAD SHARP HEAD PAINS, AND I DIDN'T REALLY EVEN
KNOW MY NAME !!!! IT WAS VERY SCARRY. I WAS LIKE A ZOMBIE.

I ENDED UP WITH A TOTALLY NUMB RIGHT SIDE OF THE FACE, WHICH THEN
WITHIN A FEW HOURS PROCEEDED TO MY HEAD, OVERTAKING ONE SIDE, THEN
THE OTHER TO ENGULF MY ENTIRE HEAD AND FACE. IT WAS AWFUL, I COULD
NOT FEEL MY OWN HEAD OR FACE !!!!

THE DOCTOR SENT ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, AND AFTER WAITING 6 1/2
HOURS THERE, THE ER DOCTOR LOOKED AT ME FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES (IF
THAT!), SAID "I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN YOUR EAR" AND SENT ME HOME WITH
A PRESCRIPTION FOR ANTIVERT, AND TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR DOCTOR !!!!
I WAS AT A LOSS.

I CONTINUED TO TAKE THE FULL 2 WEEK COURSE OF THE CIPRO AS
PRESCRIBED BUT WAS TOLD TO NO LONGER USE THE DROPS.

BEFORE THIS CIPRO, I DID NOT HAVE THESE HEAD EFFECTS OR NUMBNESS
AND HEAD PAINS-- AFTER ALL THE INFECTION IS ENOUGH !!!!! THE EAR
INFECTION OR WHATEVER IT WAS/IS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH PAIN. (AS I HAVE
HAD RECURRING EPISODES SINCE THIS FOR WHICH I AM TAKING CIPRO
AGAIN!!!) AND THIS TIME THEY WANTED ME TO DO THE DROPS AND THE ORAL
ANTIBIOTIC AS WELL WHICH I HAVE BEEN DOING IN HOPES OF GETTING RID OF
THE INFECTION THEY THINK IS IN THE MIDDLE EAR.

I STARTED HAVING ALL OF THESE NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AGAIN THIS
TIME...... DURING THE FIRST DAY OR TWO OF THIS
CIPRO.....................AND FEEL WORSE TAKING IT THAN I DO WITH THE
INFECTION..............IT'S BEEN ONE WEEK TOMORROW I HAVE BEEN BACK
ON IT AND I FELT SO BAD TODAY I WENT TO THE DOCTOR AGAIN !
NOW HE PUT ME ON STEROIDS FOR 8 DAYS, AND ALLEGRA (FOR ALLERGIES
SUPPOSEDLY) AND TO CONTINUE THE CIPRO (BUT NOT AFTER READING THIS
FORUM TONIGHT WILL I INGEST ANY MORE OF THOSE PILLS!!!!)

I HAVE BEEN TO 2 EAR, NOSE AND THROAT DOCTORS.....AND HAD 2 MRI'S
DONE AND NOTHING FOUND DURING THIS TIME EXCEPT SOME SLIGHT
ABNORMALITY WHICH THEY
COULD NOT IDENTIFY STILL IN THE FRONTAL WHITE MATTER (FOR WHICH I
HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO A NEUROLOGIST). THE FIRST ENT DOCTOR SAID "OH
YOU HAVE TMJ" AND THE SECOND ONE WANTED TO DO SINUS SURGERY TO
REDUCE THE SIZE OF MY SINUSES IN MY FACE................AND THE GUY
HASNT' EVER LOOKED AT MY SINUSES....JUST MY EARS !!!! ALL I WANT TO
DO IS GET RID OF THE EAR PAIN, NOT MAKE MORE PROBLEMS. LETS' FIX
THIS ONE (THE EAR) FIRST GUYS.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE WRITTEN SO MUCH ON THIS FORUM, FOR
ALL OF US TO KNOW WE ARE NOT IMAGINING THIS STUFF AND THAT SOMEONE
CARES. THESE QUINOLONES ARE SCARRY STUFF !!!

IRONICALLY, MY DAUGHTER WAS PUT ON LEVAQUIN 2 YEARS AGO (AS A
TEENAGER) FOR A KIDNEY INFECTION (RX FROM EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT) AND
WITHIN THE SECOND PILL SHE BLACKED OUT AND SCREAMED FOR HELP IN THE
SHOWER AS SHE WENT BLIND FOR ABOUT 5 TOTAL MINUTES (WHICH SEEMED LIKE
FOREVER) AND WAS SCARED TO DEATH. WE CALLED THE DOCTOR AND HE TOOK
HER OFF OF IT, BUT STILL ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE INFECTION, AND NOT THE
MEDICATION. HOWEVER, A FRIEND OF MINE IN PHARMACOLOGY AT THE TIME
TOLD ME THEY HAD A LOT OF THAT HAPPENING,AND THAT IT WAS A BAD CHOICE
FOR MANY. SHE ALSO ENDED UP MISDIAGNOSED MONTHS AFTER THIS AS HAVING
GLAUCOMA AND HIGH EYE PRESSURE --- AS SHE WAS HAVING SEVERE DAILY
MIGRAINES WHICH RESPONDED TO NOTHING!!! SHE ENDED UP NOT HAVING
GLAUCOMA THANK GOD, AND THE MIGRAINES LEFT ABOUT A YEAR LATER ON
THEIR OWN.

SEEMS LIKE THE DRUGS TODAY ARE DOING US IN..........YOU HAVE TO
REALLY WATCH YOUR BACK.

TAKE CARE ALL, I WISH EVERYONE WELL, INCLUDING ME !!!!!! THANKS FOR
EVERYONE WHO SHARED THEIR STORIES ON HERE, IT HAS BEEN HELPFUL.


From: <pwdrskiers@n...>
Date: Fri May 9, 2003 8:41 am
Subject: Re: MAYO clinic and update on condition


Wardsown----

You are not even close to the first FQ victim to make a trip to Mayo.
I visited in December 2001, about 4 months after being nailed by
levaquin. They also told me that they had never seen this before.
However, come to find out, several fellow FQ'ers had visited before
me. Somehow, they either don't believe the drugs caused the problems
or the Mayo patient databases and info sharing between docs does not
work as advertised. Two of the docs I saw there blew me off (a
neurologist and a rheumatologist). However, the endocronologist at
least put in his report that the arthralgias and myalgias were
levaquin induced. So, somewhere in the patient database at Mayo, they
have "admitted" that at least one patient was seen for levaquin
induced problems.

My docs here in Atlanta (an internist, orthopedist and podiatrist) all
believe that the drug was the cause of my ongoing problems. My
podiatrist has seen several cases of FQ induced problems (none of the
drugs he prescribed to others helped a bit, so he advised I stay away
from any drugs). My internist has never seen another case, but he was
very familiar with the research before I saw him. Unfortunately, they
don't have any remedy other than time.

As for an update on my condition--I continue to cycle through good
periods (relatively speaking) and bad--it's now almost 22 months since
the last of 28 levaquin pills. Many of the nervous system problems
are gone. The bad cycles seem to effect mainly my tendons and joints
with the tendon pain being the worst remaining problem. However, the
bad periods seem to be getting less intense each time they hit and
they seem to be shorter in duration (based on my communications with
some folks that have recovered, this seems to be standard protocol
during the recovery phase). During my recent recovery periods, I have
tried some very short jogs, played some 9 hole rounds of golf, thrown
baseball with my kids, increased my workouts at the gym, and even hit
the bunny slopes with the kids this winter. I am in some pain during
these activities but it is generally not debilitating. This would not
have been the case one year ago. During the downturns, I cut back on
the workouts and limit myself to the recumbent bike and only VERY
light weights. So, my body does seem to be recovering very slowly.

I still believe in exercise during the recovery period (I never
stopped even during the worst periods of pain and fatigue), but you
need to be careful with the type of exercise performed (stick to low
impact and light weight stuff). Also, a healthy diet, as much sleep
as possible, low stress levels and limiting the types of supplements
taken are key to my recovery.

Hang in there everyone. You are all in my prayers.

Happy Mothers Day to all of the FQ victims that continue to take care
of families through all of the painful days.


From: <alviener@h...>
Date: Fri May 9, 2003 10:42 am
Subject: Re: NEUROLOGY CLINIC?


To answer you question, as far as I know, no one has had any luck
obtaining any effective treatment whatsoever with any clinic or
doctor. Rarely, I have seen reports that a doctor has acknowledged
that an ADR was FQ induced.

Al


Date: Fri May 9, 2003 10:47 pm
Subject: the mayo clinic


Ward,
I know of at least half a dozen members who have made the trip to
Mayo just to be told the same thing you were. THEY were the first they had
ever seen. What a line of BS. The medical community knows full well it is
the drug and have known this for more than sixty years. They are just too
chicken to admit it. I would be willing to bet that EVERY MEMBER HERE has
seen the expression on their doctors face when they mention the fact that
this is quinolone induced. It is the same expression when you catch someone
with their pants around their ankles, or a kid with his hand in the cookie
jar. Just try mentioning "fluoroquinolones" and adverse drug reactions in a
doctor's office and you would think you just let loss a string of profanities
in the middle of High Mass.
They know full well what is going on over at Mayo, the CDC knows full well
what has happened to the postal workers, the Armed Forces knows full well
what has happened to the veterans from desert storm and they also know there
is not a thing they can do to help. That is why if a thousand people marched
into Mayo Clinic they would all be a "first". The same reason every doctor
tells you "if it is the quinolones you would be a first." Even when a
congressman's aid was damaged by these drugs do you think he could get an
investigation? Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. We are
anything BUT a first. Our name is "legions". If I for one can't get
satisfaction within the medical community then I will get it within the legal
community. They understand we are anything but a "first", they are not as
ignorant as the doctors, believe me.


From: <toomuchpsi383@y...>
Date: Sat May 10, 2003 6:24 am
Subject: Re: the mayo clinic


David,

I remember when I first went to my regular doctor when I first got
hammered by Levaquin. He swore up and down there was no way possible
Levaquin could have caused it. Even after I told him my urologist who
prescribed it said the Levaquin could have caused my problems..

This was the same doctor who said it was stress, and prescribed me
paxil, and sent me on my way.

Well fast forward to a few weeks ago when I had a throat infection.
Mind you this was the first time I had seen him on over a year and a
half. When he asked how I was doing, I kindly reminded him that it
has been a very rough recovery for me. I asked him if he saw the
neurologists reports on all the tests that were done when I first had
my reaction. He said yes, and that it DOES seem that Levaquin caused
my problems! ????? Why all of a sudden the change of heart?? This
guy is not stupid in the sense of covering his butt. He looked into
these reactions and found out I was telling the truth. I swear
sometimes I feel they all network each other like when he asked me
how my progress was, and I told him after 14 months, I am finally
felling back to normal. He immeditely said, great, and your
uruologist's name is **** right? As if he was going to call the guy
up and tell him the news.. I had a felling they all keep each other
informed on patients that get hammered by drugs. Yet they do not want
to admit anything until you feel better, or there is a chance they
will not get sued over it.

The last time I saw the guy , he was practicaly jumping up and down
telling me I was full of it, and never question Levaquin for my
problems....Then next tiem I see him when I am feeling better.. Oh,
Levaquin sure sounded like the problem..??? SHEW.



From: <cordess@v...>
Date: Sat May 10, 2003 9:25 pm
Subject: tremors/weakness


Hi All,

I just stumbled across this group and joined. My mother (age 73)
finished taking Levaquin (Bactrim just before that) about 2 weeks
ago. She became very sick to her stomach while taking the
Levaquin. More worrisome, she has developed tremors and has
weakness. She has always been extremely healthy before this.
Reading some of your posts is depressing! Do these symptoms ever go
away?

Has anyone tried chelation therapy? I don't know if it would be of
any help. I know that it is used to treat atherosclerosis and also
used to clear the body of lead and other heavy metal poisoning.

Sue

From: <wardsown@y...>
Date: Sun May 11, 2003 5:15 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] prostatitis


I was on Levaquin & Tequin 2 1/2 yrs. for "bacterial
prostatitis" tho rarely did tests show bacteria. I was
told the therapeutic effect was due to the
anti-inflammatory effects of the antibiotics. My last
urologist told me I would probably be on them "the
rest of my life". Eventually, after 6 years of pain,
17 doctors and 36 prescription drugs, I was properly
diagnosed with Chronic Pelvic Pain, received physical
therapy treatments and am 99% over the symptoms. What
I ended up with instead are serious side effects of
the antibiotics. However, I now believe that most
"chronic prostatitis" (bacterial or non-) is actually
CPP and should be treated as such.
[note the fact that this patient was treated with levaquin BEFORE it was approved for such use by the FDA]

From: <stwiety@c...>
Date: Sun May 11, 2003 6:51 pm
Subject: Another floxing



Just talked to my sister-in-law tonight. I talk to her about twice a
year. Found out she had been given Cipro and is now having tremors
and anxiety. Her doctor put her on Paxil. She had no clue that
these were side effects of Cipro. How many others are there out
there that are having side effects that have no clue?

Sue

From: <devimootie@y...>
Date: Mon May 12, 2003 8:26 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Another floxing



I too suffered from large doses of anxiety post
cipro--but had no idea that an antibiotic could ever
cause such effects. I was also put on paxil, but have
managed to wean myself off of it and try to manage my
anxiety with yoga/accupuncture/herbs. No dr. ever
suggested that my anxiety could be caused by anything
but my own dysfunctional response to normal stressors.
I had felt so bad about my "weakness" until I
started reading this forum--and the research people
here have uncovered.
>

From: <mlvoght@s...>
Date: Mon May 12, 2003 8:38 am
Subject: Re: Another floxing


In the past year I've talked to men and women in my little town, and I
find many people are having problems, without identifying them as ADRs
to antibiotics. What is worse, two friends who are suffering from
fibro and PN don't even want to investigate the possibility that the
pills they took for a sinus infection caused this. Perhaps the thought
is too scary. If a pill did this, who and what can you trust?
Marty Voght
Bishop, California

From: <siriuspfl@y...>
Date: Mon May 12, 2003 3:29 pm
Subject: One Dose of Levaquin


After having been diagnosed with a moderate prostatitis infection, I
was put on Levaquin 500MG 1/day... Within a half an hour of the first
dose, small rash erupted on chest.. Within a couple of hours, pain,
tingling, pins-and-needles in the soles of the feet... and mild
tinnitus...

1) Anyone else have this kind of reaction with one pill?
2) Anyone venture a guess as to duration of conditions?
(the rash subsided)
3) Wonder how much I need to curtain running/walking...

Don't know if I should wonder if other neuropathy symptoms or tendon
problems could ensue...

Help or experience is appreciated...

Paul

From: <wardsown@y...>
Date: Tue May 13, 2003 5:56 am
Subject: MAYO DIAGNOSIS


I finally received all my records from my recent trip
to the Mayo Clinic. The neurologist there who seemed
to dismiss the fluoroquinolone aspect of my problem
now says "a side effect of fluoroquinolone use could
be a nervous system hyperexcitability. There is no
clear-cut evidence that fluoroquinolones could cause a
peripheral neuropathy....etc."I ended up with
diagnoses: "Small fiber neuropathy" and "Diffuse body
vibratory sensation". No treatments suggested.


From: <mlvoght@s...>
Date: Tue May 13, 2003 7:39 am
Subject: Re: One Dose of Levaquin


One pill is all it takes. I had similar symptoms with 1 Cipro,
foolishly took a second, and now, more than 13 months later, still
have problems. How long will they last? Anyone's guess. Don't exericse
if you notice pain in your tendons. A further ADR is ruptures of the
Achilles tendon.
Unfortunately, the ADRs seem to hit hardest those of us the most
physically fit.
Go back through these posts, and you'll find many suggestions for
coping.
Marty Voght, Bishop, California

From: <alviener@h...>
Date: Wed May 14, 2003 10:54 am
Subject: Re: Hi everyone, just thought I would give an update...


I was told by an opthalmologist and a neuro-opthalmologist that my
post Cipro dark spots, lines, shades, etc. in my vision was caused by
vitreous separation. A third opthalmologist then told me she saw no
signs of vitreous separation and that it may be "a higher level
perceptual problem." Scary stuff. She also discovered an abnormal
blind spot that I perceived as blurred vision in part of my field of
vision.

I've had floater before. They appear as almost imperceptable specs of
dust. What I have now are hundreds of dark spots, etc.

Al

From: "storylady_74" <storylady_74@y...>
Date: Wed May 14, 2003 11:01 am
Subject: more tendon problems






Last Friday I was going up some stairs at work and my leg (with the
already sore tendons) gave out on me. I fell UP the stairs and
pulled what felt like every inch of soft tissue in that leg. I've
been on crutches since! Nothing fractured but when I suggested to
the doc that Cipro was to blame for the tendinitis that was there
pre-fall....well I got the proverbial blow-off. Oh well. I
expected it.
Nancy

From: <rionews@y...>
Date: Wed May 14, 2003 9:47 am
Subject: CIPRO HELL?


My first post here. I am a 27-year-old male. Three months ago I
ran 50 miles a week and now I can hardly walk around the
neighborhood! I'm currently undegoing a barage of tests to try to
rule out MS, after a six-week course of Cipro for prostatitis and
many other courses of antibiotics over the past months. About
week one I developed numbness in my left side, mostly leg and
foot - but it subsided. I should have thought twice about it, but
somehow attributed it to prostatitis. After discontinuing Cipro,
which made me a sleep-deprived nervous wreck, I got acute
onset of electric shocks, tremors and paresthesias throughout
my body, as well as pruritis, constipation, urinary frequency and
severe depression. I need medication to sleep and I wake up
tingling and pulsating, like I've been in bed with porcupines and
jellyfish all night. I wake promptly at five and the ''demons'' are
visiting me, stoking fears that I have MS. I got hot flashes and my
hands and feet go from freezing to warm. I've had everything
from strange rashes to complete lack of ability to concentrate,
and I've dropped $3000 on diagnostic testing so far. I've had to
defer my exams for a master's degree at the LSE in London and
can't do more than a page or two of reading. My libido is at 10%.
My neuro suspects MS or an infectious disease that has
attacked my CNS. Needless to say, finding this forum has been
an anxiety-reliever. I would like to ask people in similar
circumstances what treatments if any (vitamins and
supplements, massage, physical fitness, drugs) have helped
them overcome a quinolone ADR. I've got head and spine MRI's
later this week and docs tell me I should go for a spinal tap, too.
My Uro just prescribed me with Levaquin, but I'd rather lose a leg
before popping another quinolone. When can I expect to start
feeling better? Thanks kindly and hang in there! Josh



From: SRo2930269@a...
Date: Wed May 14, 2003 1:26 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] CIPRO HELL?/Josh....sorry


Hate to hear of your BAD adr's......my experience was similar to
yours....after 26 days Leviquin for mis-diagnosed prostatitis, I stopped
taking Levi on Dec 21 and passed kidney stone Jan 7...then 2 weeks later the
adr's started....which "currently" leaves me with some of your
symptoms...parathesia in back, hands,feet and numbness tingling, electrical
vibs in calfs and thighs. What to do for treatment....prayer and time. Like
you, my deductible is $5000 (used 4400 so far) JUST for the adr's!!!! Hang
in there, as (sorry) no meds cure the adr's. Stay with us and receive moral
support...the group welcomes you! Shybasset

From: go595@c...
Date: Wed May 14, 2003 7:45 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] CIPRO HELL?


Jeeeeeez, I'm really sorry to hear of your reaction to the Cipro. I had onset
of symptoms, primarily neuropathy in lower legs, neck, face along with joint
pain, after only 2 weeks. I stopped the Cipro and the symptoms subsided but
have continued to appear now and then. It's been 8 days since my last dose.
My Dr. also diagnosed me with Prostatitis and prescribed Cipro, but after
finally seeing a urologist, he determined that it's Chronic Non-Bacterial
Prostatitis, so antibiotics will have no effect anyway. I'm now following the
Krisiloff Diet which consists of cutting out ALL caffeine (not even decaf),
alcohol and hot spices (my 3 most favorite things). After only 5 days, the
symptoms from the Prostatitis seem to be getting less frequent. Due to go
back in 4 weeks for testing. I feel for you!! Try the diet for the
Prostatitis unless your Dr. has determined it's bacterial (rarely). Also try
Quertenin, Saw Palmetto, pumpkin seeds (contain Boron) which all support
prostate health. As for the Floxing, hang in there. You found the right
place for support.


From: <wardsown@y...>
Date: Thu May 15, 2003 1:09 pm
Subject: CONSTIPATION


I have thought my recent months of severe constipation
was just due to aging & lifestyle. Doctor at Mayo
Clinic said drink more water. Where diet and then an
occasional Metamucil would work, now next to nothing
does. I didn't relate this to my
fluoroquinolone-induced neuropathy til now. I have
tried all the different fiber products (doc at IBS
meeting last week said FiberCon), stool softeners and
laxatives (MOM, Miralax). Now I see numerous postings
on this site about constipation in even younger
victims, so add me to the group. Also, I just left my
allergist's office where I asked for & got a B-12
shot. Will get 1x a week 6 weeks & see doc again for
food testing before he lets me try the soy milk
suggested here. He also wants me to hold off on adding
magnesium til the Alpha Lipoic Acid & B-12 shots have
had time to prove themselves. This doctor had never
heard of the severe fluoroquinolone adrs so I am
giving him copies of what I have on it. In the
meantime, if you haven't already done so, get a copy
of Dr. Jay Cohen's book "Over Dose". I am taking mine
back to the library today. Every doctor in practice
should read this book. I guess it is up to US, the
patients, to contribute to our doctors' continuing
education. Ward in Denver.


From: <rmdd86@a...>
Date: Fri May 16, 2003 8:59 pm
Subject: Could my symptoms be from Cipro?


About 2 years ago I took Cipro for an infection. Right after taking it I
began to experience odd symptoms. These include jerking of my arm when I reach
for something, feelings of vibrations in my arms and legs, and internal
trembling. I also felt cold after eating, but that symptom went away.

The doctors said that my symptoms were due to cervical spinal stenosis and not
the Cipro. However, I do not have any pain which most people with stenosis
have.

No doctor mentioned anything about possible long term side effects from Cipro.
Are my symptoms the same as others in this group? Could Cipro have caused some
kind of damage?

Thanks in advance,

Randy


From: "Linda Hughes" <dathasgirl@a...>
Date: Sat May 17, 2003 8:44 am
Subject: Prevention Magazine article


A cover story this month in Prevention Magazine (June issue) is "Don't Spend
Your Vacation in the Bathroom!" It's written by Mark Wise, M.D., who's the
author of several books on travel and health. This article is also the editor's
pick for this month.

He recommends that travelers get a preventative prescription of Cipro
(mentioned by name) to prevent diarrhea while traveling, and refers to it 3
times in the article. He does go on to say that pregnant women and children
should not take it, but he does not mention any adrs or side effect warnings at
all.

I'm very upset that Prevention published this. I'm a subscriber and I've
always valued the info I found there. But I'll have to rethink that now.


From:sunshine7777777777" <stwiety@c...>
Date: Sat May 17, 2003 3:53 pm
Subject: Another Cipro victim



I was talking to someone at work today, that was not aware of my
reaction to Levaquin. When I told him Levaquin and Cipro were in the
same class of drugs, he told me his doctor put him on Cipro and his
hands, feet and face all swelled up. He ended up in the emergency
room and all they did was to "monitor" him.

It has been 2 months and 4 days since I was last floxed. I have lost
20 lbs in that two months. Everyone tells me how great I look and I
tell them I am trying not to lose weight. Every time I have a
reaction I lose another 3-4 lbs. It opens the door for me to spread
the word about what terrible drugs FQ's are.

I am thinking that, rather than waste our time calling Ortho, maybe
the right thing to do would be to contact our insurance companies.
Since they are in the business of not wanting to pay out claims, they
might be interested in knowing the the pharmaceutical companies have
ulterior motives that will end up costing the insurance companies big
bucks in lab tests, emergency room visits, specialist visits, and
additional drugs. I figure that I've cost the insurance company at
least $2000 related to this Levaquin ADR so far. Multiply that by
the number of people that are prescribed FQ's and were talking
millions of dollars in medical costs. It's no wonder that medical
costs are expected to skyrocket in the next 20 years.

Sue


From: "teobider" <jaros@c...>
Date: Sun May 18, 2003 11:38 am
Subject: More experiences on floaters and vision prob


With respect to vision problems, as there are some new persons in the
forum very concerned with them, I herein post a summary of my vision
problems related to quinolones.

I have been severely floxed. I still have very limiting
musculoskeletal and neurological problems, am still sensitive to fq
contamination in foods and so on.

I have had FLOATERS, and also some generic sight problems and
complete loss of vision.

Previously to the floxing I had one old floater. It is a sort of
semitranslucent grey twisted wire or worm.

As a result of the floxing, I got several brother floaters worm-
shaped. They appeared in full force by the 5th month post floxing.

Besides that, I also got some small dark grey flies that crossed my
sight slowly, mainly around the edges. They kept crossing the whole
day long, some a dozen per hour or so. They also appeared around the
5th month.

Most noticeable of all were the ziggy tiny lights that moved around,
some times alone or in groups of up to a dozen units. That ziggies
must be related to a vascular disorder, that is to say, to a
quinolone induced narrowing of the small arteries that irrigate the
eyes, because they appeared by the hundreds whenever I placed my self
upside down, altering greatly the pattern of blood pressures and
blood flow to the eyes.

I also developed an area of null vision in the center of the right
eye.

For many months I saw a blurry curtain on the upper area of my
vision, affecting both eyes.

Three times I lost vision, entirely. The first time for 5 minutes;
the second one for 1,5 minutes and the last one for less than 30
seconds. It comes suddenly, and in a very fast proccess that lasts
some 5 seconds I could see nothing. Obviously, the analysis made by
the ophtalmologist were normal.

The worst of all happened during the period from the 5th month mark
to the 12 th month.

After 13 or 14 months post floxing I saw no more flies, all but the
original worm had disappeared, the ziggies became very rare, the
curtains were off. The only very long lasting damages are the blank
central area with no vision, and some minor other problems. Last time
I lost vision was by month 11 or so. I hope not to have another
recurrence because it is very scarring.

For many months I have sustained a strong photofobia, with peak
discomfort from month 9 to month 13.

To me, time has made things become more bearable and damages less
intense. I have been unable to link any progress to supplements or
special treatments. I have not used any drugs to help my eyes, nor
even the corticoid drops recommended by the badly ignorant doctors,
all of whom I met deeply believe in the holy principle of medicine
that so much effort has taken the laboratories to stablish: "By no
means can be the quinolone".



From: "ajv6240" <nvinwv@a...>
Date: Sun May 18, 2003 5:58 pm
Subject: Avelox, Lawyer, Bayer


I took Avelox in Jun of 2002 and my life has not been the same since.
I don't have muscle or eye problems but I do have stomach and
digestive problems. Nervousness, insomnia, weakness, fatigue, hot
flashes. I also filled out a form with Stellar Law Firm but I never
heard anything from them. I also contacted Bayer and they asked for
my med records which I released to them. They offered to refund the
price of my prescription which I told them was a sample. They also
told me I could write to their legal dept and they gave me the
address. I have not done this yet because I want a cure before
money.I have yet to find a dr who can give me anything to cure me.
They put me on blood pressure med, cholestrol med, acid reflux med, a
daily vitamin, and xanex.They also advised me to see a psychologist
for my anxiety attacks. I'm not crazy, I'm sick.
Just thought I would share this with you. Any advice or comments?
Nancy





From: ward crowley <wardsown@y...>
Date: Mon May 19, 2003 6:21 am
Subject: MY SYMPTOMS


Have posted this before but as I rarely see others
with THIS aspect of adrs hope someone else will come
forward: I do not have joint/muscle pain at all.
Long-term Levaquin therapy left me with: peripheral
neuropathy in both legs/feet (buzzing, tingling,
feeling of walking on springs, warm feeling in
feet.)Plus occasional but frightening "vibrating"
feeling throughout my body (groin, chest, face, lips)
and occasional "husky voice" (bronchitis?).And,
stubborn constipation. Doctors here "never heard of
such a thing". See a new neurologist June 16. Trying
alpha lipoic acid & low-carb diet. Find sugar really
sets it off bigtime. Neurontin nearly wiped me out
first dose. Who else has THESE symptoms? Ward in Denver.


From: "stayhome3kids" <kfkawilliams@e...>
Date: Mon May 19, 2003 7:11 am
Subject: vibrations


IN COMPARING SYMPTOMS..I TOO HAVE HAD VIBRATIONS BUT ONLY IN MY LEFT
LEG BEHIND MY KNEE.LOTS OF PERIPHERAL NEURO. IN HANDS AND TOES. LOTS
OF BURNING ON TOP OF HANDS.HOW FAR INTO THIS ARE YOU? I'M 3 MOS. OFF
CIPRO. ONLY TOOK 4 DOSES BEFORE GETTING HIT W/BAD MUSCLE CRAMPS IN
BACK OF LEGS. YOU CAN'T BLAME ANY OF IT ON OLD AGE. I'M 38 AND
ATHLETIC. I KEEP UP ON THE TREADMILL NOW JUST A SHORT WALK IN THE
AM.I'M AFRAID TO PUSH THINGS TOO FAST. I HAVE GIVEN UP YOGA, BIKE
RIDING AND RUNNING FOR NOW. TRYING TO LET THINGS HEAL.


From: ward crowley <wardsown@y...>
Date: Mon May 19, 2003 7:25 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] vibrations


Was on Levaquin & Tequin 2 1/2 years til fall 2002;
took 1 week Levaquin late January 2003. Pain Machine
treatment (like BIG TENS unit) really pushed me into
the adrs 1/29/03. Guess all the adrs were latent
before that. So, last Levaquin was 3 1/2 months ago.
Mayo Clinic last month diagnosed the neuropathy &
"diffuse vibratory sensations" and said a side effect
of fluoroquinolone use "could be a nervous system hyperexcitability."


From: SRo2930269@a...
Date: Mon May 19, 2003 9:43 am
Subject: Re: [quinolones] vibrations/Hey Kfkawilliams


My hands and feet AND back all tingle with burning also on top and all over
hands and feet. My calf leg muscles also have vibration/cramping.....also
cold extremities. All this after discontinuing Leviquin on 26 th day ending
Nov. 27.2002......AND about $6000. now "out-of-pocket" for med testings!!!!
My sorrow goes out to the un-fortunate YOUNG people who have been HIT
with this devistation(I'm 56, but many in 20's have posted here. Bet there
are a LOT of teenagers and adolescents with similar woes!! Hang in there,
Shybasset

From: "long_ponytail" <long_ponytail@y...>
Date: Mon May 19, 2003 9:57 am
Subject: Re: Sleep Aids - Ambien anyone?


Before taking a 12 day regimen of Cipro, I was already having
problems with insomnia. Now, they are two fold. To help with
insomnia, I've been taking AMBIEN. It is by far the best prescription
sleep aid in the world (my opinion). You fall asleep in about 15-20
minutes and wake up without the hangover effect. I've been taking it
for almost a year and I have seen no drop in it's efficacy, with the
exception of the Cipro side effects. It's still worth its weight in
gold. Without it, I'd never get any sleep.



From: "sue333999333" <cordess@v...>
Date: Mon May 19, 2003 10:03 am
Subject: Re: vibrations/Hey Kfkawilliams


My mother (age 73) suffers from tremors (visual) in her upper body,
including her voice, and feelings of vibration and weakness in her
lower extremities. She also feels very weak and tired. All of
these smptoms were of sudden onset. Before the Levaquin, she was in
perfect health (except for the upper respiritory infection for which
she was given the Levaquin). She took 5 doses of Levaquin. She has
had these symptoms for over a month now. She also initially
suffered from nausea, extreme tiredness, and bleeding. The tremors
started apx. 3 days into the Levaquin. She has been referred by her
internist to a neurologist. Anything she should specifically ask to
be tested for or mention?

Sue

From: "kirk7055" <Joekirkby@a...>
Date: Tue May 20, 2003 8:13 am
Subject: Levaquin after-effects: goofy, light-headed, dizzy






My 91-year old mother finished a regimen of levaquin for
diverticulitis and now, a week later, she behaves as if she's lost 40
points of IQ, and has difficulty maintaining her balance.

During the course of the antibiotic she began to exhibit the above
symptoms, but there's been no improvement since completing the 10-day
regimen last week.

I just discovered that this forum exists, and hope to obtain some
information on whether the changes I described in my mother are
going to be permanent or temporary. She's a bright lady and this is
quite sudden.

Since she had some itching and minor rash during the treatment, her
doctor feels that this is an adverse reaction to the quinolone,
levaquin, and not the result of a stroke.

Joe K


From: "rionews" <rionews@y...>
Date: Tue May 20, 2003 11:48 pm
Subject: Cipro Hell? - Update


Hi. This is my second post regarding the possible side effects of
7 weeks of Cipro taken for prostatitis. Thanks kindly to those
who replied to the earlier post. My symptoms so far: Numbness
in hands, arms, legs, especially at night. Electrical sensations,
especially when I bend my neck forward. Fasciculation (muscle
spasm). Pruritis (itch). Urinary frequency and weak stream.
Rashes. Nervousness and sleep disorder. Minor joint pain. IBS
and constant tummy-growling.
I wanted to update that all my bloodwork has come out all clear.
My MRI of head and spine showed no lesions pointing to MS,
although an arachnoid cyst was discovered in my brain.
Neurologist says the cyst is not capable of causing my
symptoms and probably won't require treatment - usually these
congenital cysts remain asymptomatic. My family practice doctor
agrees that I may be suffering a bad reaction to Cipro, although
she says she's never personally seen one like mine. I have
begun taking magnesium to help flush Cipro out of my system
and am avoiding coffee and alcohol to the extent possible, and
guzzling lots of water. I would be interested to hear what other
solutions have helped people get over their ADRs.


From: "sunshine7777777777" <stwiety@c...>
Date: Wed May 21, 2003 4:47 am
Subject: Achilles tendonitis



I am now 10 weeks post floxing. Two weeks ago, I started having pain
and burning in my achilles tendons. It appears to be getting worse.
I asked my orthopedic doctor about it and he said the best thing I
could do was to wear shoes like I was wearing (Nike's) all the time,
take it easy on stairs and stay off them as much as possible. I told
him that I believed this was a result of Levaquin (I had already seen
him post-flox for arthritis of the shoulder) and he said that yes,
the fluoroquinolones are dangerous drugs. He said he would only take
it if exposed to anthrax and it was a life and death situation. If
doctors won't even take it, why are they giving it to us?

Sue



From: "ac_power_adapter" <ac_power_adapter@y...>
Date: Wed May 21, 2003 10:36 am
Subject: prostatius, sypathy ,and anger


Hello all,

First of all, I would like to extend my sypathy to all the people
suffering an adverse drug reaction, and am sorry for your pain. I
have previously suffered synotendinitus and repetitive strain
injuries that were incredibly painful. I was told it was all in my
head, went through hell with HR people at work, and suffered and
still have emotional scars from the ongoing ordeal. Now, my
condition is not caused by a quinone drug, but was similar in that
there were many symptoms...and not a lot of help.
Well, recently I have been experiencing prostate pain and
troubles and decided yesterday to see the doctor. This is how it
went. I did a urinalysis, he asked me some questions, did a digital
rectal exam, then wrote me a perscription for Levaquin. (Funny, the
results of the urinalysis culture are not even back yet...how can he
know it was bacterial...typical doctor). Well, I asked him if
antibiotics were really advised and he assured me yes, and that this
drug...was "good stuff"(quote) and "good for prostates" and had
a "99% success rate. Well, I got the script filled and read the
pamphlet from the pharmacy, read about some of possible side effects
(the pharmacist mentioned staying out of the sun). Last night I
took a tablet and went to sleep. Well, I feel dehydrated and a
little dizzy this morning. On a whim I decided to search
for "Levaquin" on Google and found this site. And I am truly shocked
and angered!!! I had no idea that this drug had so many toxicities,
was so dangerous, and is still widely perscribed!!!
I have decided that that tablet last night will be the first and
last tablet I will take, I am flushing the rest down the toilet. I
am unwilling to risk my health to possibly solve my prostatitus
problem.
Now I do not know what to do. Do I call my doctor and ask for
another antibiotic (non-quinone)? Has anyone that took this drug for
prostatius been cured without side effect? What can I do? I am
worried that my doctor will not be helpful, because he was uninformed
enough to perscribe the drug in the first place.
I apoligize if this message is long-winded. I am really sorry
about everyone's suffering. God bless you for having this warning!
I'm just thinking about all the poor souls who don't have access to
internet and think doctors are all-knowing gods. I imagine that many
people suffering from these reactions have no idea what caused them.
Any ideas about what I should do now? I would like my
prostatitus to get better, I am not prepared to play russian roulette
with my health.




From: "greghagerman" <greghagerman@y...>
Date: Wed May 21, 2003 1:00 pm
Subject: An all to familiar story


I'm a 31 year old male who was "floxed" at the age of 25. Back March
of 1998 I had a case of diarrhea which was suspected to be bacterial
or giardia. My general practitioner treated it with Cipro after it
didn't go away for a few weeks. During the 10 day cycle of Cipro I
had major insommnia and my already anxious self was at least 3-5x
more nervous than usual. If I recall correctly though the majority of
the Cipro nervousness and insomnia calmed down after the meds were
through but there may very well have been some lingering effects from
it.

These stomach problems had been on and off most of my life and would
only later be discovered that I had some food allergies. Anyway, my
diarrhea never went away after the Cipro but there was some
resolution wtih Flagyl a couple of months later and it seemed to go
away completely later that spring with a dose of Augmentin. However,
when the doses were finished, the stomach problems increased again.

June of 1998 I was starting to get in shape(slowly) for Air Force
officer camp when I would go on walks/jogs. Initially my hands and
face went a little numb during the jogs and I thought this was odd.
About a week later I felt like I was getting the flu, then on Sunday,
June 21, 1998 ( I was 26 by then), I woke up feeling dizzy, all my
skin was partially numb and I pretty much felt like I was mostly
drunk and tired..very spaced out and detached. I refer to this
symtpom as "brain fog".

Initially my CBC came back normal with the exception of eosinophils
beinga bit high. Basically the doctors didn't know what to do
except refer me to an Internist and a GI doctor for the diarrhea.
The brain fog and fatigue only improved maybe 50% at most and the
diarrhea continued. Essentially I never got a clear diagnosis on
anything including the stomach, except when they discovered bunch of
food allergies, however the prescribed diets only help somewhat.

Even before this, I was an anxious, emotional person with occasional
depression ( but it had never been treated with meds). However,
after a full workup by the year 2000 and the start of a very strict
diet for the allergies, I began to lose some weight and lose hope too
that I would remain undiagnosed and have a lifetime of stomach
problems, brain fog and various neuro problems including loss of
sensation in my skin.

New Years Day 2001 I had a bad panic attack and had to be taken to
the ER( in Houston). Ultimately i saw a psychiatrist where he
diagnosed me with generalized anxiety and panic disorder. Gave me
paxil and xanax but they only helped some and I couldn't tolerate
more than a half dose of paxil because it made me jittery. I later
made the xanax a habit but quit it after I saw signs of it being
habit forming.

Fast forward to 2001---saw a new Internist and he did a huge panel of
bloodwork. This time I had a sky high ANA level (over 5000; it was
retested at a different lab and it was 640 & remained there for a
long time (a positive is over 80). For months also I had low C4 and
C3 levels but the Rheumatologists didn't think I had Lupus and were
unsure of any clear cut diagnosis of a connective tissue disease or
anything within the realm of Rheumatology. I have continued to
struggle with the frustrations of the ongoing stomach trouble, lack
of diagnosis and fatigue and neuro symtpoms which I would later
discover to be tied to quinolones...

Fast forward to February of 2003, I was prescribed Levaquin for a bad
cold. Within hours my anxiety was through the roof and my body felt
very cold(which is odd for me as I'm usually hot natured). Luckily I
only took 4 pills over 4 days before my medical diary pointed out
that the Levaquin was causing the additional insomnia and anxiety
(which was a huge increase in both). It's been almost 3 months since
this 2nd "flox" and my anxiety and insomnia have only marginally
decreased if any. Since February I've had a hard time finding any
anxiety meds to work( at least the ones which aren't addictive).
Currently I'm taking 15mg of valium per day, 7.5mg of Lexapro(similar
to Celexa), Sonota to help me sleep. Looking back on eveerything I
have a hard time believing that these quinolones didn't contribute to
the chronic element of my problems. On one hand it's nice to know(at
least with 98% certainty) that I know what caused it but it's also
disheartening to find out there are little things to do to get over
these problems. Am I wrong in this last statement? I haven't read
the majority of the posts in this forum but I have read a few. Any
comments or questions are welcome. You can email me at
greghagerman@y...

thanks and best wishes to everyone with their quinolone related
struggles.

Greg


From: "raemuir" <mlvoght@s...>
Date: Wed May 21, 2003 1:35 pm
Subject: Re: prostatius, sypathy ,and anger


Your feeling of being "a little dizzy" after the first Levaquin is
exactly how my problems started after downing one Cipro. Within two
hours, I could barely make it up a flight of stairs. Unfortunately, I
took a second tablet, and 1 year, 2 months later I'm still fighting
symptoms.
Wait for the report on the culture, read past posts to get some
idea of what others with your problem have done, and print out some
info for your doctor about this marvelous medicine he's passing out.
Marty Voght
Bishop, California
Well, I feel dehydrated and a
> little dizzy this morning. On a whim I decided to search
> for "Levaquin" on Google and found this site. And I am truly shocked
> and angered!!! I had no idea that this drug had so many toxicities,
> was so dangerous, and is still widely perscribed!!!
>
> Any ideas about what I should do now? I would like my
> prostatitus to get better, I am not prepared to play russian roulette
> with my health.


Date: Wed May 21, 2003 9:17 pm
Subject: yet another denial by the manufacturer


Gatifloxacin-associated acute hepatitis. _original
Pharmacotherapy 2001 Dec;21(12):1579-82 (ISSN: 0277-0008) Henann NE; Zambie
MF
College of Pharmacy University of Louisiana at Monroe, and St. Francis
Medical Center, 71209, USA. Gatifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone with extended
gram-positive activity, has become extensively used in both the community and
hospital
environments. Unfortunately, concerns have been raised about the use of certain
fluoroquinolones because of adverse drug reactions. A 44-year-old woman
developed acute hepatitis while receiving gatifloxacin for chronic sinusitis.
After
5 days of receiving antibiotics, the patient developed nausea, lethargy, and
abdominal pain, all of which progressed over the next few days. Liver function
tests were elevated, with bilirubin peaking at 9.4 mg/dl. The patient also
became jaundiced. A percutaneous liver biopsy showed acute hepatitis with
eosinophilic infiltrates consistent with drug-induced hepatitis. All other
drugs and
disease processes were ruled out as likely causes of the patient's hepatitis.
Clinicians should be alerted to the possibility that hepatitis may occur with
gatifloxacin administration.

This is the response from the manufacturer of gatifloxacin, Bristol-Myers
Squibb:

Antimicrobial-Associated Acute Hepatitis
from Medscape Pharmacotherapy
Posted 08/26/2002
Susan C. Nicholson, M.D., C. Douglas Webb, Ph.D., and Robert C. Moellering,
Jr., M.D.
Abstract
Recently, the case history of a 44-year-old woman who experienced acute
hepatitis subsequent to therapy for chronic sinusitis was reviewed. The patient
sequentially was administered clarithromycin, levofloxacin,
amoxicillin-clavulanate, and gatifloxacin. Her adverse events were attributed
definitively to
gatifloxacin, a surprising conclusion because many other possible causes of
hepatitis existed in this case. Not ruled out as potential causes of the
clinical and
laboratory adverse events were hepatitis other than hepatitis A or B. Other
antimicrobials administered were dismissed. In particular, extended treatment
with amoxicillin-clavulanate has been clearly linked to hepatotoxic effects
that may occur long after therapy begins. Thus, while we agree that physicians
must be aware of the potential for antimicrobial hepatotoxicity, we believe
that
this case study is not a solidly documented case of hepatitis attributable to
gatifloxacin and overlooks other possible causes of acute hepatitis of which
prescribers should be aware.
Introduction
In a case study recently published in this journal,[1] Drs. Henann and Zambie
described hepatotoxic reactions in a 44-year-old woman with chronic sinusitis
who was treated with two doses of clarithromycin 500 mg, levofloxacin 500 mg
once/day for 10 days, amoxicillin 875 mg-clavulanate 125 mg twice/day for 35
days, and gatifloxacin 400 mg once/day for 6 days. The patient also took
methscopolamine 2.5 mg-pseudoephedrine 120 mg, methscopolamine 2.5
mg-chlorpheniramine 8 mg, and a homeopathic remedy that contained colloidal
silver. Epigastric
pain, nausea, and vomiting occurred after 5 days of gatifloxacin, which was
discontinued on day 7. Pain, lethargy, and nausea persisted. Three days after
the last gatifloxacin dose, the patient was hospitalized with ultrasonographic
evidence of mild cholelithiasis and elevated levels of total bilirubin (4.1
mg/dl), aspartate aminotransferase (259 U/L), alanine aminotransferase (669
U/L),
and alkaline phosphatase (243 U/L).[1] Biliary obstruction, intrahepatic duct
abnormality, or hepatitis A or B infection was not evident. A percutaneous
liver biopsy showed eosinophilic infiltrates consistent with acute drug-induced
hepatitis. The patient remained weak, complained of right upper quadrant pain,
and became jaundiced. Liver function test results remained elevated 19 days
after hospitalization and returned to normal levels by 71 days.
In light of the temporal relationship between gatifloxacin treatment and the
onset of adverse events, the low hepatotoxic potential of the concomitant
drugs, and the lack of any other readily apparent reason, gatifloxacin was
implicated as the likely cause of the acute hepatitis.[1]
Although the data presented warrants including gatifloxacin-induced hepatitis
as a possibility in this case, other information about the patient may call
into question its definitiveness. For example, the authors ruled out viral
infection as a cause for the patient's symptoms because she had negative
results
on tests for hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody, hepatitis B core
antibody, and hepatitis A antibody IgM. However, in the United States,
approximately
20% of cases of acute hepatitis are due to hepatitis C virus (HCV), which has
an incubation period of 7 weeks (range 4-20 wks) and is symptomatic in about
one third of patients.[2] Serum transaminase levels can rise dramatically in
acute HCV infection, as they did in the patient whose case was reviewed.[2]
Diagnosis of acute HCV infection on the basis of serologic markers is difficult
because anti-HCV antibodies may never appear; however, viral RNA may be
detected
by polymerase chain reaction within days of infection.[3] Moreover, hepatitis
C can cause a wide range of hepatic histopathologic abnormalities, including
inflammatory cell infiltrates (lymphocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils),[4]
making acute disease difficult to distinguish from drug-induced hepatotoxic
reactions based on biopsy results. Although none of the data other than the
transaminase elevations indicate acute HCV infection, none appear to rule out
this
diagnosis. Acute hepatitis may be associated with hepatitis E infection and may
follow infection with Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex
virus -- none of which were ruled out in this case.[5, 6]
The concomitant drugs were exculpated as potential causes for the observed
hepatotoxicity because the patient apparently had been taking them well before
the event without any ill effect. Antibiotic-associated hepatotoxicity,
although its incidence is rare at approximately 1/10,000 individuals, has been
reported for all of the antibiotics taken by the patient.[7] Hepatotoxicity
with
cholestatic or mixed biologic characteristics may occur 1-6 weeks after the
initiation of clarithromycin, with liver function values typically returning to
normal within 3 months after drug withdrawal.[7-9] Levofloxacin also can cause
hepatotoxic effects.[10] Amoxicillin-clavulanate, the antibiotic administered
immediately before gatifloxacin, likewise has hepatotoxic potential.[7] Typical
symptoms of jaundice and pruritus usually occur 2-4 weeks after the start of
oral or intravenous treatment,[7] and a long course of therapy significantly
increases the risk of this adverse event.[11] For this reason, administration
of
amoxicillin-clavulanate for more than 10 days is not recommended.[7] The
reviewed patient received amoxicillin-clavulanate for 35 days just before
starting
gatifloxacin. Previous treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanate without
incident does not lessen the possibility that this combination agent caused the
hepatitis.
Concern over quinolone-associated hepatotoxicity is prompted by the severe
liver damage noted in patients treated with trovafloxacin.[12] Nevertheless, it
is uncertain whether the adverse hepatic effects of trovafloxacin are
particular to this drug or represent an emerging class effect.[13] Evidence to
date
supports a unique association of trovafloxacin with severe hepatotoxicity at a
frequency greater than that of the main quinolones in use.[12-16]
Trovafloxacin-associated hepatotoxicity may be due to hepatic metabolism that
results in the formation of protein-adduct neoantigens that, in turn, induce
a hypersensitivity reaction in the liver.[14] Indeed, hepatotoxicity most
often is observed for agents that are metabolized extensively in the liver.[15,
16] Unlike trovafloxacin, gatifloxacin undergoes relatively little hepatic
metabolism (< 1%), and more than 80% of the drug is excreted unchanged in the
urine.[17]
Reports of hepatitis with newer fluoroquinolones have varied. Sixteen cases
of hepatitis attributed to moxifloxacin have been reported to the Food and Drug
Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) as of December 14,
2001.[18] A similar number of patients with hepatitis who were receiving
gatifloxacin has been reported to AERS. Insufficient data are available through
AERS
to determine the relationship between drug and adverse event, and some effort
is required to correct for possible duplication of reports. The incidence of
hepatitis with levofloxacin has been reported at 1/100,000 patients in Japan
and
1/109,000 patients worldwide.[10] Case reports of hepatitis have been
published for the older fluoroquinolones including ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin,
and
norfloxacin.[1, 19-22] A single, well-documented case of reversible
gatifloxacin-associated hepatitis was reported in a postmarketing study of
15,625 patients
and is the only case reported to date in more than 44,000 patients receiving
gatifloxacin in clinical trials.[23]
The case reported by Drs. Henann and Zambie[1] underscores the importance of
careful monitoring of hepatic function in patients undergoing prolonged and
complicated antimicrobial therapy. This is certainly sage advice in light of
the
common association of nearly all classes of antimicrobials with rare
chemical-induced hepatotoxicity.[7] Their review led to two conclusions: the
hepatotoxic reaction probably was due to gatifloxacin, and hepatitis may occur
with
gatifloxacin.
Although gatifloxacin may have been involved in this patient's hepatocellular
dysfunction, clear culpability cannot be established for two reasons. First,
all possible viral etiologies of hepatitis were not ruled out. Second,
although amoxicillin-clavulanate was dismissed as the agent causing hepatitis,
it is
a highly likely cause in this case, particularly because it was administered
for a long duration (35 days) temporally related to clinical illness. We
respectfully suggest that the hepatitis case reported by Drs. Henann and
Zambie[1]
was confounded by several factors and thus does not represent a solidly
documented case of gatifloxacin-induced hepatitis. Prescribers should be
mindful of
the possibility of drug-induced hepatitis with nearly all classes of
antibiotics (including fluoroquinolones), which can occur as often as 1/10,000
patients.[7] In addition, they should rule out viral hepatitis and consider
noninfectious causes in any patient with suspected drug-induced hepatitis.

Susan Nicholson, M.D., Bristol-Myers Squibb, 777 Scudders Mill Road,
Plainsboro, NJ 08536; e-mail: Susan.Nicholson@B...
From Infectious Diseases, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Plainsboro, New Jersey (Drs.
Nicholson and Webb); and the Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr. Moellering).
Medscape Pharmacotherapy 22(6):794-797, 2002. © 2002 Medscape

Of course anything BUT their product is responsible for this according to Dr.
Nichlson.

But then agian this had been previously reported:

The Annals of Pharmacotherapy: Vol. 36, No. 7, pp. 1162-1167.
Possible Gatifloxacin-Induced Fulminant Hepatic Failure
Craig I Coleman, Jeffrey V Spencer, Jenny O Chung, and Prabashni Reddy

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of fulminant hepatic failure associated with the
use of gatifloxacin.
CASE SUMMARY: A 76-year-old white man was found to have an approximate 1-week
history of worsening jaundice on the last day of a 10-day course of
gatifloxacin for treatment of impetigo while at his skilled nursing facility.
Liver
function tests including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine
aminotransferase (ALT), international normalized ratio, activated partial
thromboplastin
time, and ammonia concentrations were found to be markedly elevated, consistent
with hepatocellular necrosis commonly seen with fluoroquinolones. Screening for
other causes of hepatotoxicity, including alcoholic or viral hepatitis,
obstruction, or autoimmune-mediated processes, were negative. Other potential
medication causes were less likely. The patient's liver function steadily
declined,
eventually resulting in multiple organ failure. The patient died 25 days
after completing the course of gatifloxacin.
DISCUSSION: This case of hepatotoxicity was associated with gatifloxacin.
Other fluoroquinolones, most notably trovafloxacin, have been observed to cause
variable degrees of hepatotoxicity, ranging from asymptomatic elevations of
liver enzymes to fulminant hepatic failure. Fluoroquinolones are thought to
cause
hepatocellular necrosis, which results in elevated ALT and AST concentrations
with a normal alkaline phosphatase concentration. A variable degree of
hyperbilirubinemia is often seen, with the presence and degree of jaundice
often
correlating to a poorer prognosis. Hepatic encephalopathy and coagulopathy are
also commonly present.
CONCLUSIONS: Fluoroquinolones, including trovafloxacin, ciprofloxacin,
ofloxacin, enoxacin, norfloxacin, and, in this case report, gatifloxacin, have
been
associated with hepatotoxicity. It is important that these medications be
considered a possible cause when the patient being treated has liver disease.


From: "therealliontamer" <fibrom@e...>
Date: Thu May 22, 2003 10:17 am
Subject: Location of ankle problem? Can't tell what's happening.


I was on levaquin in March. Yesterday I really noticed pain straight
down from my ankle bones and slightly behind the ankle bones on the
inside of my feet. Is this the place for the tendon? I'm sorry I
don't know enough to help myself, so I'm hoping some of you can
enlighten me.



From: Yves Beaupre <y.beaupre@v...>
Date: Thu May 22, 2003 1:14 pm
Subject: Re: HEY teobider/ More experiences on floaters and vision prob


Hi teobider....i to have the same problem as you...i took a course of 5
weeks of cipro 500 mg twice a day for a prostatitis. After 6 months i have
some little pain on my right side from my shoulder to my feet. But the most
terrible thing is the FLOATERS. I have a floaters like a worm, some coweb
and maybe ten little dots in each eye.
In 6 months, i see a difference...they seems to clear off!
Very very slowly but they gone. I would like to know if your floaters totaly
gone. I think that when we took this substance(fluoroquinolone), it's affect
the retina and it's cause some fragility of the retina. it's maybe like the
retina is thinned???? and we see all the particule in our eyes.

take care! Yves

From: "raghlg" <raghlg@a...>
Date: Fri May 23, 2003 10:03 am
Subject: Re: 20/20 and Primetime


sue,
i was interviewed by consumer reports in 1998... they never printed
the story...said the story was back on the shelf.... also, dateline
just said to email the problem...2 newspapers same thing.... i think
they 1). don't care and 2). are afraid of liability... nice thought
though....

From: Shawnee <shawnee1@s...>
Date: Fri May 23, 2003 12:24 pm
Subject: Levofloxacin Induced Aseptic Meningitis


http://www.acponline.org/chapters/in/abstracts.htm.

Levofloxacin Induced Aseptic Meningitis

Heather L. Misra, M.D. (Associate).
St. Vincent Hospitals and Health Services,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
Introduction: Meningeal inflammation that is not the result of
bacterial infection is referred to a aseptic meningitis. While it is most
frequently the result of viral infection, drug-induced meningitides have
rarely been reported.

Case: CM, a 30 year-old African-American male with end-stage renal
disease, hypertension, and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus presented to
the Emergency Department with a one-day history of headache, stiff neck,
fever, photophonophobia, and nausea. He had started levofloxacin five days
prior for a urinary tract infection. Physical examination was significant
for a temperature of 38.8° C, nuchal rigidity, headache exacerbation with
side-to-side head movement, and presence of Kernig¹s sign. No rash was
present and he appeared uncomfortable. Total serum white blood cell count
was within normal limits with a normal differential. The cerebrospinal fluid
appeared clear and colorless. Microscopic analysis of the cerebrospinal
fluid revealed nine white blood cells, four red blood cells, low-normal
glucose, and an elevated protein of 0.135 g/L (135 mg/dl).
Upon admission the levofloxacin was discontinued. Ceftriaxone and
vancomycin were started at dosages consistent with his renal failure and
were continued due to concern of a partially treated bacterial meningitis.
Over the next two days, the patient improved symptomatically along with
resolution of his fevers. Per the advice of the Infectious Diseases service,
the ceftriaxone and vancomycin were discontinued on the third hospital day
with negative blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures. Discharge was planned
for the fourth day of hospitalization as he had remained afebrile and had
become minimally symptomatic. An oral dose of levofloxacin was administered
just prior to discharge in order to complete his original course. Within an
hour, all of his presenting symptomatology returned to a similar degree as
at initial presentation. His temperature rose only slightly.

Discussion: Drug-induced aseptic meningitis (DIAM) is a rare entity.
Clinically it is indistinguishable from other forms of meningitis including
those due to viruses and bacteria. Generally, resolution occurs with drug
withdrawal. When DIAM does occur, it is etiologically difficult to prove.
Multiple NSAIDs, various antibiotics including penicillin, TMP-SMX,
ciprofloxacin, and metronidazole, intravenous immunoglobulins, and OKT3
monoclonal antibodies have all been implicated in DIAM. While a literature
review yielded mention of a single case of ciprofloxacin induced aseptic
meningitis, no reports implicating levofloxacin were found.



From: "siriuspfl" <siriuspfl@y...>
Date: Mon May 26, 2003 10:55 am
Subject: Levaquin Reactions and Light Sensitivity


Now, in addition to tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy and tendonitis,
two weeks after the single dose of 500mg Levaquin, I experienced
sunlight sensitivity... buring sensation on the exposed skin after
less than a 1 mile walk...

Anyone else experience this... is this too a longterm side effect...
does it make one more suseptible for skin cancer or other problems...

Great I live in colorado, why? for the sun... hmmm

doctor, of course, in total denial and distancing herself at every
turn... how exemplary - hmmm

thanks and blessing

Paul...

From: "S." <stwiety@c...>
Date: Mon May 26, 2003 2:24 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] Re: Thank You


The first time I took Levaquin I did not have any reactions while I was taking
it. A month later I was in the orthopedic doctors office with severe
osteoarthritis in both knees. He said I have the knees of a 90 year old and I
am presently 43 years old. I have a high tolerance for pain and he said I must
have because he couldn't see how I was even able to walk. After numerous
cortisone injections and anti-inflammatories, the pain is now chronic, not
continuous. But it was bad enough that I got a permanent handicap sticker for
my car.
Two months after the first dose, I started having tremors, hot flashes, chills,
heart palpitations, tightness in the chest, and blood pressure readings of
170/136. (normal is 100/70). I attributed it to the Allegra I had started
taking. When I stopped the Allegra, these side effects let up some but still
continued sporadically. It scared me enough to go on a diet and lose 35 lbs.
I also broke a tooth and when the dentist went in to do a crown, the tooth
crumbled in his hands. I believe now the Levaquin was responsible for the
tooth just crumbling.
The second time I was put on Levaquin, I was already on an anti-inflammatory.
I still did not have side effects while taking the Levaquin, but shortly after
started having the tremors, hot flashes, chills, heart palpitations, tightness
of the chest, and blood pressure readings of 170/136. I thought I had
developed food allergies. I also started having sciatic nerve pain. I was
convinced there was something wrong with me but I didn't know what. I couldn't
sit, I couldn't stand, I couldn't lay down, there was no comfortable position I
could be in without agonizing pain. I got counseled at work for sick leave
abuse because I was missing a day of work every two weeks but didn't have a
good diagnosis for what was ailing me. I started seeing a chiropractor and
found that I now have arthritis on my spine. I got some relief there but she
couldn't believe how bad my muscle spasms were in my back. I guess when you
have so much pain all the time, it becomes the norm. She