Post Marketing Reports for June 2002

From: "amandadp80" <amandadp80@y...>
Date: Sun Jun 2, 2002 2:09 pm
Subject: Cipro
Hi,
I've been helped a lot by this group.I just joined a few days
ago,but have had ADRs for 8 months now,after being on Cipro from
Oct.3,2001 until Jan.2002.The thing bothering me most right now is
the muscle cramping and knots. Is this common? When I awaken in the mornings, if I haven't taken Klonopin and a muscle relaxant both,my muscles in my arms and legs feel as though they are twisted up in tight,kinked up knots. My fingers are drawn into a claw-like position and my husband has to gently pull them straight.As much as I hate taking so many drugs, I'm realizing that Effexor,Klonopin,Ultram (which our insurance WON'T cover) and Soma are going to be a regular part of my life.When does this get better? The headaches are terrible and my family says I've had a personality change.I don't notice that, but then, I don't suppose I would.I know that I sometimes have irrational days, and that's scary,since I have 2 babies.I had to take prednisone for a total of 8 months,most of that time it was 60mg.,then weaning down.Does that add to the Cipro effects?
Thanks,Mandi


From: "fortiercharles" <fortiercharles@y...>
Date: Fri Jun 7, 2002 12:25 pm
Subject: New member of this famous club
Hello everyone!
My name is Charles and I took Cipro for 10 days. I was obligated to
stop because I had too much abdominal pain. Nevertheless, I notice
now that my back is painful. I am constipated, i don't recognized
having had any stools like that before. It has a strange texture.
Finally, i have to go to the bathroom to pee every two hours. Has
anyone have these symptoms? I mean is it going to last long? Is it
curable? What can i do?
Thanks in advance...
Charles


From: "grozrob" <bobbygr@p...>
Date: Sat Jun 8, 2002 7:46 am
Subject: I have much pain - Please Help - I really need help badly
I went of Cipro and Vioxx almost three weeks ago. I can barely
sleep - last night I did not sleep at all. I am so wacked out - now - my pain from prostatitis is really bad again. They want me to take vioxx again - but I don't think that's the right thing to do.
I have some Ultram here for pain - can I take it safetly? Between
the pain and no sleep I feel like I am dying. Can I take the Ultram?
I really need help - I'm very, very sick...
Thanks....
Desparately,
Bob

From: "desiparacidas" <desiparacidas@y...>
Date: Mon Jun 10, 2002 3:22 pm
Subject: Cipro-aggravated sunburn? what to do?
Hi -
I'm new to the group, and writing from work so I have to type quickly and surreptitiously - I was diagnosed with a kidney infection
(pyelonephritis) on Thurs. and given 1000 mg of Cipro to take daily
(500 mg 2x). I am having very few probs. with it EXCEPT that I
stupidly went out in the sun on Sunday (for approx. 3 hours) and I
now have the most severe sunburn I've ever had. What can I do to
reduce the severity - specifically the redness, pain and slight
swelling? I have been slathering myself in aloe gel, but I want to
know what else I can do. Please help! I'm at work, in a lot of
pain, and I have a second job to go to after this. Any info would
help - specifically if you have gone through this yourself.


From: morleykj@a...
Date: Thu Jun 13, 2002 4:10 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] rapid heart rate

A great big Thank You to all of you!
I will not take my next dose of this medication. I just
feel blessed I found out about this stuff before I took
my 3rd dose (1 pill of 500mg per day) out of a 20 day
course. With the severity of my reaction to the drug,
including an incredible panic attack, I didn´t think I
would live. Imagine this outrage, if you will. I went to a doctor
here in Germany again and asked to be put on a new
antibiotic, one not in the Cipro family, and he put me
on Avolox- Moxifloxacin. I checked it out on the
internet to be sure this drug wasn´t a new nightmare
waiting to happen...it was the same family. Why does no
doctor or pharmacist make sure people are aware this is
a side effect and danger of the medication? I am a 27
year old woman and it could have hurt me for life.
I think someone needs to make drug companies more aware
of hypersensitivity to this family. I am considering
that I should report my reaction for statistical value
to the FDA...would any of you recommend this? If so,
please let me know how to make such a report.
Thank you for possibly saving my life... definitely for
saving my sanity!
Kimberly


From: "sullivan43613" <sullivan43613@y...>
Date: Thu Jun 13, 2002 10:15 pm
Subject: Cipro Allergy
Hi - I took Cipro for the first time this past week. After 5 days
the symptoms I was being treated for dissipated. However, I have
developed a long list of other symptoms that are much worse.
It started with a blister on my upper lip which has developed into a
large crusted sore and my lip is twice its normal size. I have never
had a cold sore in my life. My face hurts on the right side only,
especially the bridge of my nose and under my right eye. I have had a severe headache for the past three days. I have ringing in my right ear. The skin above my lip and my right cheek is tingling. My gums ache and my teeth even hurt (If that makes sense). Yesterday I though I was dying - the pain in my head was so intense. I also find that I am very sensitive to noise and I am very irritable and I get confused and find it difficult to concentrate. I keep feeling people are arguing with me during normal convesations and I get really angry.
Has anyone else had these specific symptoms and what can I do about it. I went to another doctor on Tuesday and I told him my symptoms and he said it was from the cipro and to stop taking it. He was not the prescribing doctor, but he was very flippant about it all and acted as if I was over reacting. Does anyone think that an emergency room visit might be needed. Thanks for any help
Nick


From: "anitabrit" <anitabrit@y...>
Date: Sun Jun 16, 2002 3:00 pm
Subject: Avelox Scare

I just found this messageboard and am extremely interested in all
this! Three days ago my doctor gave me Avelox for a sinus
infection. I haven't slept well since, with panicy feelings,
anxiety, extreme stomachache and feelings like my nervous system is going crazy. I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me, when I realized that I got these same feelings when I was given Floxin some years ago which I reported to the doctor. He had on my medical chart the fact that I was allergic to this medication, but still gave me Avelox. Today I have been researching on the internet and discovered that Avelox is moxifloxacin which in turn is Ofloxacin. I began to realize that Avelox was the same "family" as what I was allergic to. Then I chanced upon your message board, so now know I am not alone. Obviously I am not taking it anymore. Ten years ago I was in a depression, and given Prozac. This did the same thing to me. Is Prozac related to all these other medications? I have taken three Avelox pills in all. I hope the symtoms go away soon - ?
Anita Woodward
Enlightened, and calling my doctor tomorrow!!


From: "mocaegoodman" <kirkandsuzanne@p...>
Date: Sun Jun 16, 2002 8:28 pm
Subject: new to Cipro

Hi All! I ran across this forum by searching on side effects of
Cipro. I have been taking it for a severe infection including staph,
strep and pseudomonas. It occurs as a severe skin infection. The
Cipro has worked quite nicely at healing the wounds. I have not seen any side effects yet and since I have suffered with these infections from September until now (june) I am happy to be taking the Cipro. However, now I am concerned about possible side effects. I was wondering. Are these problems you all post about only happening to people with allergic reactions or can they happen to everyone? Should I stop the Cipro? HELP me to understand!
THanks,Suzanne

From: "stephen gunder" <stephengunder@h...>
Date: Sun Jun 16, 2002 9:40 pm
Subject: Ear ringing and eye floaters
To all,
Following my Levaquin adverse reaction approx. two years ago, I have had tinnitus and eye floaters. Has anyone out there suffer similar symptoms and have them abate after two years? Is this damage permanent? If anyone has experience with the aforementioned symptoms or their associated treatments,
I would greatly appreciate your comments.
Thanks,
Steve

From: "fortiercharles" <fortiercharles@y...>
Date: Tue Jun 18, 2002 3:11 am
Subject: Cipro worsens prostatisis
I took Cipro for a prostate inflammation and now, I have bigger
symptoms. I has worsened my condition by 500%. Did somebody notice the same and did the symptoms go away or are you still having those.
I am quite out of resources.
Charles

From: "mikedcjr64" <johnprine64@h...>
Date: Fri Jun 21, 2002 6:53 am
Subject: 2 500mg levaquin tablets taken 6/13/02 and 6/14/02
i had terrible side effects after only two levaquin tablets. First
came a terrible rash, raised welt-like patches. then a bit later i
was feeling tight in the chest. experienced intense pain in right
jaw, shoulder and foot. woke up sunday morning with a lump above my upper lip and below my nose. the swelling went down after 18 hrs. the next day got a small lump on my upper lip, which went away next day. for a couple of days i was foggy, not clear in my thinking, and scared to death. experienced sensitivity to sunlight as though my skin was burning. my arthritis acted up badly in my joints in my
knuckles. benedryl finally got rid of the rash but had another
outbreak when i took a voltaren for my arthritis. the rash was very
strange looking, this time only under my arms on the sides of my
torso, and they were about dime-sized, white raised looking like huge misquito bites. benedryl took care of it that night by morning
time. wife says my face has remained puffy since taking levaquin.
i know you all experienced the same if not worse. i had an infection
of the vas deferens in my testicle and levaquin is what i was
prescribed. i don't think i'll be able to take the voltaren if it
causes the rash again. any feedback is appreciated. i submitted an
adr to the fda....is there any way i can contact the manufacturer
directly to relate my horror story with this drug? thanks for your
help,
mike


From: "mamabearwilliams" <mamabearwilliams@y...>
Date: Fri Jun 21, 2002 9:55 am
Subject: Re: Wondering If My Symptoms are Due to Levaquin
Jana,
Many of us have experienced similiar reactions to the
Fluoroquinolones. My first problems was tingling/numbness in my
legs. I have had anxiety, muscle weakness, burning, & twitching,
tendinitis, and joint stiffness & pain. It has been 3 months for
me. Many of us experience cycles where the problems come and go in differing degrees of severity. Just when I think that I'm almost better, many of the problems hit again.
It will take time. There are a lot of old posts regarding
nutrition. For my own problems I think that some of the nutritional
advice has been helpful ( I mainly take a multi-vitamin, Calcium and
Magnesium)
I would strongly urge you to research anything before you take it -
we've all learned what problems drugs can do.
Ann


From: "nettazig" <nettazig@y...>
Date: Fri Jun 21, 2002 4:19 pm
Subject: Levaquin Reaction a question about Cipro HC
My PCP gave me a 10 day course of Levaquin 500mg on June 3rd for a sinus and throat infection. Three days later, I started feeling
pain in my elbows and forearms. I also felt more run down than I
had felt with the infection I was supposed to be getting over.
Sunday morning I woke up with such horrible joint pain that I
couldn't get out of bed. But I still hadn't put it together with
the medication. It took me 8 doses to put it all together and
decide to search the internet. Lo and behold, everything I was
feeling was listed as a "rare" side effect. I called my doctor
immediately who took me off the Levaquin and told me I would feel
better in 2-3 days, when the drug got out of my system. Those 2-3
days passed, then 5, and now, it's been another week and the side
effects still haven't passed. I saw my company doctor this week for
advice, and he gave me the steroid Decodan for the inflamation and
pain, but it hasn't helped. I had also been taking Bextra for a
chronic back problem....not sure if that was a good thing or bad, as
I have read that NSAIDs and quinolones don't mix. And yes, the same doc gave me both! I have read that the side effects can last for months or years, neither of which is comforting. I guess I am
fortunate that most of the pain is now contained to my elbows and
forearms, however, some days I do feel it elsewhere. I don't have a
lot of lifting strength and I still get the sunburnt feeling right
on the bend of my arms every night. After all of the horror stories
I have read, I feel very lucky right now, but as I have also read, I
may not be so lucky in the future as the side effects tend to come
and go. My husband thinks I'm losing it being so involved in the
side effects and such, searching the internet for information and
solutions, but he can't even begin to imagine the pain this drug
puts you through! Which leads me to a question....he brought our
daughter back from the doctor today with Cipro HC Otic for a case of swimmers ear. Does anyone know if it causes the same side effects as oral quinolones? She's only 11 and I would really hate for her to have to go through even a small amount of what I and everyone else have went through. Thanks!


From: "michael_a_caine" <michael_a_caine@y...>
Date: Fri Jun 28, 2002 5:16 am
Subject: ofloxacin
Hi - new to your group and thank God I've found it!
Can someone give me some help/advice?
In April, I was treated for prostatitis using a 6 week course of
ofloxacin. All went well - until around week 5, when I started
getting ulcerations on the roof of my mouth and swelling/burning of
the tongue/ sticky saliva The hospital treating me examined my mouth and said there was nothing wrong. Symptoms got worse - so I visited my own GP. He immediately said it was a reaction to the antibiotic. He said it would subside but in the mean time prescribed some oral paste for the sores. That was 2 weeks ago. There's no change in my mouth.
Can anyone empathise - give me some advive?
Cheers from London.