This personal story was originally posted to the Quinolone Adverse Reaction Forum. If you are a victim of a quinolone antibiotic and need support or advice then please visit the Quinolone Adverse Reaction Forum (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinolones/).
 

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This personal story was originally posted to the Quinolone Adverse Reaction Forum. If you are a victim of a quinolone antibiotic and need support or advice then please visit the Quinolone Adverse Reaction Forum (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinolones/).

Levaquin
Posted on 16 January 2002
A few days ago my husband came across this forum and sent me a posting written by an RN who sounds like is in the middle of what I went thru last April.

I hear you loud and clear when you said that you cry and spend a lot of time praying.

The ER triage people thought I was a drug addict as I was having a lot of trouble walking up to the desk to register. I KNEW that's what they would think so made sure to take the Levoquin bottle with me. No help. Two hours later I finally saw a doctor. In the meantime I had what felt like shooting needles working their way from my toes up my calves. Then they started in my fingertips and worked up my forearms. I was burning up, but the thermometer only showed 99.9.

Finally hours later another RN about came unglued when he found my blood pressure was 60/30. They pumped 4 liters of IV fluids in to try to bring my BP up. It just filtered out into my tissues instead of staying in the veins. I put out only 250 cc of urine. I was about to tell them they had to stop because it felt like my fingers and toes were going to launch like missels. They had to cut my wedding ring off.

After 6 1/2 hrs in ER I was transferred to ICU where a Swan Gantz was put in my right jugular vein. Talk about feeling like you're a dog on a very short leash! I found out a few days later they thought they were going to have to put me on a ventilator.

I also found out months later that the chaplain was going over papers with my husband about whether I should be kept alive on tube feedings or just let nature take it's course. Thank God my husband told him he didn't think it would be very good for my moral to have me sign the papers just yet. I KNOW what that means!

After 3 days in ICU and then 2 days on a medical floor I was sent home where I spent the next several weeks on the livingroom couch. My grip was gone. I didn't have the strength to prepare anything to eat. Hardly had the strength to eat. Friends came by and prepared food and ate with me. Helped make sure I ate. Many people were praying for me. I too cried and wondered if I'd ever be able to work as a nurse again. Wondered if I'd have to learn a whole new career that took no energy. I spent hours pacing around the dining room and living room and kitchen as I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sit thru a meal. Sometimes I'd carry my food around with me while I paced. I'd hyperventilate as I paced. When one friend called me during one of the pacing/hyperventilating episodes, she became alarmed! She came and fixed supper that night and brought me Usana vitamins with Proflavanol. I hadn't been given anything to build me up. Perhaps they didn't realize how totally physically drained I was.

My feet hurt so bad. I could hardly stand to have them touched. I couldn't stand regular lotion on them. Over and over and over I'd get warm water in a basin, pour a little olive oil on top, and then put my feet in and soak them.

Eventually all the outer skin peeled off the bottoms of my feet in large pieces. I'd been told by my docs that the same would happen to my hands. "God" I prayed,"if there's any way, please don't let me lose the skin off my hands. I can hardly bear the pain as it is.". I'm a firm believer in God. No, I'm not a religous person, just believe in a very personal relationship with God. I've read in my Bible where it says to give thanks in all things. As I paced at night, I'd put 'praise to God' music on our CD player. As I learned the songs I'd sing and sing and pace and pace and cry and thank God that I'm alive. And eventually I'd be able to drift off to sleep. I'm NOT PREACHING I'm sharing how I survived. I wasn't angry at God but figured there was something for me to learn.

I'd never been on the other side of the sheets in an ICU bed. What an experience. By the 3rd day I told my nurse that the clock on the wall was crawling across the wall. He laughed and left the room. I hadn't eaten in over 3 days. When I insisted that maybe I needed something to eat because it was still crawling across the wall he checked and brought me jello.

It's been a llllooooooonnnnnnnngggggg haul for me. It's been about 10 months. I've been off the Prednisone for about 2 months now. And am just about 1 1/2 weeks off the Elavil for the chronic pain control. Every drop in the Prednisone taper hurt. And I'm feeling it again now that I'm leaving off the Elavil.

I learned how totally exhausting having visitors can be. I knew they meant well. I didn't know how much energy it takes to visit. Well, this is my first post. Perhaps I should be quiet for a bit. My heart and prayers go out to those of you who are still is the thick of the adverse reactions. GOD HELP YOU. HE WILL. That's how I made it through. And YOU WILL MAKE IT THROUGH TOO. With God's help this will not control you or me! Blessings to each of you, Sherrill

Originally posted on the Quinolone Adverse Reaction Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinolones/message/6048