Post Marketing Reports October 2003

Fri, 31 Oct 2003 21:11:22 -0500 by Guest, #3711
The first day of taking this medication, I had violent dreams during the night. The second day, as I driving to work my stomach started churning. When I got to the parking lot at work, I choked back vomitting. During the day, I could not hold anything in my hands without uncontrollable shaking. I'll stop taking the medication and notify my doctor ASAP.


Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:08:13 -0500 by Guest, #3710
I'm only on the third day of Levaquin 500mg, but I'm so glad I found this website. My doctor prescribed Levaquin for my "borderline walking pneumonia." I was initially glad to have a pill to get me on feet again since I was down for a week with coughing. The first day was great, I slept a lot, felt weak but I was positive. Yesterday I took my 2nd pill and had all this initial outburst of energy. I got a lot done around the house and even had appetite for a steak and potato dinner. This morning after the 3rd pill, I definitely took a turn for the worse. I felt this weakening, to the point I could hardly stand up, so I thought I would lie down and I slept for 3 1/2 hours straight with chills and really intense dreams. I could hardly get up, and then I felt nausea, got the shakes and more chills. I have never felt so bad in a long time. Thanks to this website, I got a lower dose of medication (Z-pack) and hope the last Levaquin pill has passed thru' my system. I felt very scared and thankful that others have experienced similar side effects so I didn't feel so all alone.

Tue, 28 Oct 2003 21:58:29 -0500 by Guest, #3699
My 76 year old mother began taking Levaquin for a foot infection. Seven days into the course she developed severe muscle cramps and joint pain. She has been off this drug for one week and is still stiff and sore! She said imagine having lifted a 70# barrel and that is what her shoulders and arms feel like, almost like ripped tendons. Her knees and lower legs also ache and she doesn't do regular exercise (fell and broke her back some time ago) so this med does affect people who aren't exercising on a regular basis as well.

Mon, 27 Oct 2003 18:49:59 -0500 by Guest, #3695
I was prescribed Levaquin (500 mg) for a respiratory infection to be taken once daily for 7 days. I took the first two doses without incident. I remember feeling pretty good before taking my third dose of Levaquin at bedtime, but all that was about to change. I awoke at 2:00 AM from a disturbing nightmare feeling very agitated and depressed. I somehow managed to calm myself down and get a few hours of sleep. When I woke up I was still feeling very anxious and depressed. I knew right away that this had to be the Levaquin, so I immediately threw it in the trash. My depression finally lifted around midday; however, the anxiety stayed with me until evening. I am normally a very calm, healthy, and happy person with no history of depression, and I don't ever recall having any side effects to medication. The most disturbing thing about this experience was how I went from my normal disposition to becoming a completely different person in a matter of hours. I felt very emotionally unstable and kept having random thoughts and images of suicide. I never really felt in danger of doing harm to myself, but the fact that I was even having thoughts and images of this was extremely disturbing. I submitted an incident report through the FDA web site and I encourage others to do the same. Needless to say, I will never take any medication in the future without first investigating its potential side effects. I hope this information will be helpful to others. I felt comfort in this site knowing that others have shared similar experiences. I also wish the best for those of you who still suffer from your side effects from this dangerous medication.

Wed, 22 Oct 2003 22:04:18 -0400 by mitchie2000, #3678
I have taken Levaquin for 10 days for prostatitis. I have developed aching in multiple joints during that time period. It has been about 2 days since I stopped the prescription. I still am experienciing these symptoms. Is this a known problem. Should it have stopped by now?


Tue, 21 Oct 2003 17:29:15 -0400 by davidwa, #3671
I was on 250mg of Levaquin for 30 days and then on 500mg of Zithromax for 10 days afterward. During this time I had developed Thrush as well as swollen testicles. Now 14 days afterward I can not get rid of either symptoms.

I have been taking (3) 150mg of Diflucan (one per week) and used Nystatin Oral Suspension twice a day for the last 5 days with no relief.

My questions are:
Are these symptoms not letting go because all of the Antibiotics are still in my system?
How long does it typically take for the Antibiotics to get out of my system?
Has anyone else experienced swollen testicles as a side effect?
Has anyone had Thrush that took more than 30 days to stop reappearing?

If you have please contact me at
davidwa@catmktg.com

Mon, 20 Oct 2003 08:59:09 -0400 by Guest, #3663
I was prescribed Levaquin 4 days ago for a possible UTI/Kidney infection. The only side effects I have possibly experienced are sleeplessness, fatigue and a bit of anxiety. Quite frankly, I had these symptoms prior to taking the drug so I don't believe I have suffered from any side effects. The UTI/kidney infection I had seems to be improving. It is amazing to me what other people are experiencing!

Mon, 20 Oct 2003 00:17:13 -0400 by Guest, #3660
I started taking Cyprofloacin on a Saturday evening when I went to the hospital for a severe bladder infection. The doctor gave me one dose of it to last me until I could make it to the pharmacy in the morning. That night I experienced horrible joint aches and had a very hard time sleeping. In the morning when I woke up most of my muscles were aching and I could barely pull myself out of bed. When I went to the pharmacy in the morning they substitutided Levaquin. I hoped that the side effects would be less severe, but they are not. Most of the mucsles in my body are aching and I feel very out of it, almost like I drank ten cups of coffee. I have never been sensitive to any medications (I've been perscribed many kinds for various things) and I have no known allergies, so for me to have these kind of side effects is highly unusual.

Sun, 19 Oct 2003 20:50:16 -0400 by Guest, #3659
I was recently prescribed 500 mg of Levaquin per day (for a total of 10 days) to treat a sinus infection and a staph infection of the eye (the systemic Levaquin was in addition to Ciloxin eye drops).

I have almost always been prescribed Zithromycin for infections in the past, which I have used without incident.

All I can say is that I'm on day 7 of the Levaquin now and I'm having several very weird side effects.

I'm anxious as hell, irritable, terrible nightmares, flashes of hot and cold that seem to have nothing to do with the actual temperature of the environment. This Levaquin seems to be having effects on me that are more akin to a psychotropic drug than a regular antibiotic.

I did some research on the web and found out that fluoroquinolone antibiotics compete with GABA receptors in the brain, which means that, at least for some people, the fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Levaquin will have an effect on them that is pretty much the opposite of valium . . . instead of calming you down . . . it ramps up your central nervous system and can seemingly cause all sorts of weird things.

At least for me, I don't think I'll be wanting to take this Levaquin drug ever again. I can't say it's bad for all people, but it's been a very unsettling experience for me.



Sun, 19 Oct 2003 14:59:47 -0400 by Guest, #3658
In my opinion, Levaquin is a dangerous drug. In January 2002, I had a severe cold/sinus infection for which my Dr prescribed Levaquin. I had started a moderate exercise program, and was doing curls with 10 lb dumbbells. I developed SEVERE tendinitis in both elbows within 2 weeks, while taking the drug. I've had cortisone injections, tried stretching, medication, and forearm braces, and nothing has helped. I'm possibly looking at surgery in the near future. My orthopedist was quick to conclude that Levaquin was indeed the cause, combined with the light exercise, which, under normal circumstances, couldn't have possibly caused tendinitis. DO NOT exercise if you're taking this awful drug, and if you're reading this, please get off of it as quickly as you can.

Sun, 19 Oct 2003 01:16:20 -0400 by blakebaby, #3655
I took Levaquin for pneumonia 2 years ago and had trouble sleeping and I thought it was the albuterol inhaler that was keeping me awake. I am taking it again and I noticed that it DID increase my anxiety and keep me awake. It just sucks that I am so awake, I like to sleep away my illness.

Sat, 18 Oct 2003 14:03:51 -0400 by snow, #3653
I'm done with my prescription, worked very well, I feel fine.. no side effects.. good luck to those who take it, and don't read into medications b4.. your mind just starts playing tricks on you when you read sites like this!

Fri, 17 Oct 2003 08:03:41 -0400 by Guest, #3647
Have taken 500Mg Levaquin for bronchitus or bacterial pnemonia. Experiencing four days of night sweats and symptoms of paranoia, wandering the house hold and causing general upset. I am also a diabetic Type 2 which was considered during the diagnosis. I find nothing good to say about the drug and consider it detrimental to my ongong health issues. What with halo vision and nausia.
The couse of Levaquin treatment was prescribed for ten days. Will discontinue today. How do these drugs get recommended by physicians without clear warnings.

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 20:44:06 -0400 by Guest, #3640
15 Oct, 2003- I was on Levaquin for an ear infection in July with no memorable side effects. I now have an upper respiratory and sinus infection and the Dr. put me on it again. Last night was my first dose of 500mg. I was motivated to look into possible side effects after having the WORST night of my life in terms of sleeplessness. Absolutely horrific night where I near slept a wink. I suffered from hot spells, bed sweats (I have no fever), dry mouth, thirst, constipation (today), anxiety and yet my body is exhausted and I feel like the ENERGIZER bunny that wants to 'keep on going". I felt depression and like crying all day, I have anxiety and dizziness. I did not attribute these effects to the drug until I felt so miserable, it motivated me to look into it on this web site. Absolutely amazing that others of you have had the same experience. If you are trying to get better and cure an infection, DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG. I asked the doc for Zythromax and he said this one is better. I have taken Z-Pak before with NO problems..............now tell me who knows best- DEFINATELY NOT MY DOCTOR!!!!

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 20:20:47 -0400 by Guest, #3639
I started the medication two days ago for a sinuse infection. It has helped a great deal, but I have had alot of nausea and a sore mouth.

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 13:56:53 -0400 by snow, #3635
calm down lil guy.. anyways, day 4.. i feel no side effects.

Mon, 13 Oct 2003 22:49:53 -0400 by Guest, #3633
I took this drug for a swollen lymph node on the back of my head. It worked great on the node, I noticed a difference right away, but after a few days it made the inside of my mouth burn. After day 11 (out of 14) I finally couldn't take it any more and quit. Two weeks later my mouth is still a little raw on the inside, but I'm almost back to normal. I would only take this drug again if there was no other choice.

Mon, 13 Oct 2003 20:48:39 -0400 by Guest, #3632
I cannot help but be amazed at some of the post. It is obvious that these folks have NO CLUE as to the damge these drugs can and will do and I find such idiotic posts quite insulting. There is no question that some people do quite well on the fluoroquinolones without having any adverse reaction. To make fun of those who have suffered severe and even life threatening reactions is insane. Having suffered such a reaction three years ago that now requires the intervention of at least a dozen specialist I find no humor in this. I have lost the majority of my vision, I have damage to my liver, kidneys, pancreas and joints. I am a virtual cripple as a result of such scripting abuse and damned near died as a result. If these morons would read some of the older post they will find several such post that refer to a FATAL reaction. If you have taken these drugs without such reactions you should be on your knees thanking all mighty God and not ridiculing those who have, for the next time you could very well be in my shoes. The tens of thousands of others that I have spoken to over the past three years who have suffered such damage and even worse, would gladly trade places with any of you who posted in this manner, irregardless of your obivous brain damage and warped sense of humor.

There have been numerous aditional post since I brought the following to your attention, therfore I am sending this information once agian:

Those who continue to suffer the adverse side effects of this drug may find the following to be of some help:

The following is the link to the quinolone adverse drug reaction discussion forum:

groups.yahoo.com/group/quinolones

The following is the link to the fluoroquinolone research forum:

groups.yahoo.com/group/fq_research

The following is the link to the homepage of the fluoroquinolone toxicity research foundation where you will find over 4000 articles documenting the damage these drugs can and will do.

www.fqresearch.org

I do hope that you will find some answers to all of your questions by using these links. You are far from being alone for your name is "Legions". These sites are independent of medications.com and have no relationship what so ever with medications.com I would not of even of dignified the idiotic posts I was reffering to earlier with this response had it not truly been a matter of life or death.
Such a response one could very well be expect from the ignorant physician, for they know not what they do, but these people know exactly what they are doing and deserve the scorn of everybody, whether they be a victim of these drugs or one of the luckier ones who escaped such injuries.
I find them to be a cross between a horse and a mule.


Director
Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Research Foundation





Mon, 13 Oct 2003 05:31:04 -0400 by Guest, #3630
I am a personal trainer and athelete.... I visited the doctor for the treatment of swollen lymp noids..I was prescribed a 10 day supply of 500mg of Levaquin..after taking this med for 3 days the tendon in my left leg and all throughout the joints had such severe pain I had never felt before...I could hardly walk without holding on to something for support..the pain was so excruciating I got up this morning(3a.m.) to research this drug and low and behold I came upon this site..amazing!! IF YOU EXERCISE REGULARLY,BE AWARE OF THIS DRUG!!! it will definitly cause joint problems..(P.S.) MY LYMP NOIDS FEEL BETTER THOUGH!!!

Sat, 11 Oct 2003 12:59:56 -0400 by snow, #3624
man, i took levaquin and guaifenex my first night, along with ibuprofen, and a number of beers.......and i felt fine. i didn't see any midgets, dream of billy goats eating me, or feel like my knee caps were falling off. are you sure you guys aren't just trying to scare people?? on a sidenote, my tonsils still feel swollen.

Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:27:07 -0400 by Guest, #3623
After the 3rd day I had diareah bad, then insomnia, a feeling of being bloated with air, and I stopped the meds myself 2 days ago. I've only slept a bout 2 hours in the last 3 days. Hopefully the dilussional effects other people on here experienced doesn't hit me.

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:43:44 -0400 by mlj, #3621
I have taken Levaquin very successfully with little or no side effects. A very effective treatment for UTIs and ear infections. I would like to point out that if you are taking it in conjunction with another medication, your conditions may be do to the other product or interaction between the two. I.E. - Prednisone. I absolutely CANNOT take that at all because it literally turns me from Dr. Jekyll into MRS. HYDE, complete with irritability, severe insomnia, basically made me CRAZY. Also, if you have been diagnosed with a UTI, the body aches and general "been hit by a truck" feeling can be due to the infection, especially if it is a serious one.

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 09:43:23 -0400 by Guest, #3620
I've taken Levaquin before with no ill effects. This time around for a sinus infection...I'm 5 days into tx and last night I couldn't sleep at all. Severe insomnia, worse than with Sudafed. Was restless and agitated. I didn't like that very much but I successfully zeroed out the effect with a sleeping pill. Still, I'm considering D/C'ing the med since I never had this effect before. I don't know...it's a very effective antibiotic.

I agree with a lot of people posting to this group who realize that all medications, even innocuous aspirin, have severe and sometimes even deadly side effects. In the medical world, we all have to practice the "buyer beware" creed: Research everything that goes into your mouth. Figure out what literature and the public is saying, learn how to interpret side effect percentages and put it in perspective by looking at side effects for OTC meds, too. There is hardly a single med out there, Rx or OTC, that hasn't caused *someone* to have a severe side effect, but we need to evaluate which side effects are acceptable risks and which not. Weigh the benefit with the risk.

Minor illness + large % irreversible side effect = don't take it.

Deadly illness + large % irreversible side effect = what do you have to lose?

Anything in between is a judgement call between you and your brain....

I agree...Drs. should tell us more about these things...but since we all know by now that the medical establishment is being driven more and more by HMO attitudes and Drs. are driven to prescribe drugs based on the basket of brownies and free samples that the cute drug rep brought in this week, let's just agree that it is now OUR responsibility to figure this stuff out for ourselves.

I's a sad state, but the medical establishment is not going to change. We all need to realize that we are the last stop on the road between sickness and health.









Fri, 10 Oct 2003 09:21:07 -0400 by Guest, #3619
This stuff certainly works, the tonsillitis I've had for 3 years is gone, when nothing else phased it. The downside, I now see foot long tarantula's descending from my ceiling at every turn. One just ate my daughter and is coming to me. It's laughing at me and cursing me in Farsi. I will shoot it with me eye heat beam until it's dead.

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 08:39:18 -0400 by Guest, #3618
I would like to know how long the side effects last. I was on Levaquin - 750 mg for 20 days, before I realized that Levaquin was causing all of my problems. Could someone please let me know.

Wed, 8 Oct 2003 14:43:09 -0400 by Guest, #3611
I took Levaquin for 7 days for a bacterial infection the only side effect I had was a strange taste in my mouth I think it worked great and would take it again. If yu look up any other medication there is always going to be side effects no matter what and people have different reactions to different things and I also think by reading all the side effects it is very possible to start thinking your having them.

Wed, 8 Oct 2003 11:05:30 -0400 by gward, #3609
My wife just started Levaquin for pneumonia and, after one dose, had numerous side effects. One in particular that is not mentioned in the literature is insomnia. Along with severe insomnia, she had severe paranoia, crying spells, twitching all over her body and a rash. The twitching lasted almost 24 hours and she got NO SLEEP during the entire night. Yesterday, we decided to check out this site for side effects and we were amazed at the seriousness of most of the responses. Needless to say, she stopped taking the medicine and will never take it again. We are angry since we shelled out $145.00 of our own money (the cost was $174.00 for 10 tablets). We feel we should get our money back since no mention was made of insomnia or of the seriousness of the side effects by the doctor or the pharmacy. Has anyone tried to get their money back? Would like to hear from you if you tried and what the results were. Contact me at
wardgwcolo@aol.com.

Tue, 7 Oct 2003 23:00:59 -0400 by Guest, #3608
I would hate to see all of you read the side effects that just aspirin has. Most medications have possible side effects and the majority never see any of them when taking the prescribed meds. It's good to read and be aware but to swear them off based on someone elses experience, nah I think not. Thanks for the heads up!

Mon, 6 Oct 2003 17:25:10 -0400 by stocktonick, #3603
I forgot to mention in my previous post: dizziness (still happening) and lack of balance!

Mon, 6 Oct 2003 17:23:33 -0400 by stocktonick, #3602
I took Levaquin for 3 days (of a 7 day course) and I will NEVER take it again. I thought I had a kidney infection or UTI, but the Dr. wasn't sure (test results today say no infection!!). After the first dose, I noticed a little tingling around my mouth. By the second dose, I had joint and muscle pain, especially in my thighs, wrists, and knees. But worst of all, after the third dose, I had TERRIBLE, severe, diarrhea, which not many people seem to mention here. It was almost the worst I've ever felt. The medication did much more harm than good. I am still very weak and have joint pain (3 days after taking the last pill). I would never recommend this to medicine to anyone.

Mon, 6 Oct 2003 15:57:37 -0400 by Guest, #3601
I was prescribed Levaquin 18 days ago along with prednisone for a severe sinus infection. I went on vacation after starting the medication and had no problems whatsoever. When I got back to town, I played a tennis match on Monday morning. I had noticed that my knees were sore, but they sometimes are because I play tennis about 3-4 times per week. After my first set on Monday, I had the most horrific cramping just below my knee. I had some minor cramping in the other leg. The cramping didn't go away and hurt the next day also. On Thursday, I played again and the same exact thing happened and hurt into Friday. I decided to look up the medication on line and was shocked to see how many people have had cramping, etc. while on this medication. I stopped taking it. I have played tennis almost 15 years and at times in the hot, hot sun and never cramped before. My knees hurt so badly I could hardly walk up the stairs. I will definately notify my Dr. of these side effects and recommend that he not prescribe this without warning patients of complications while exercising!

Sun, 5 Oct 2003 15:31:44 -0400 by Guest, #3596
My doctor prescribed Levaquin to me for a UTI that I couldnt get rid of. On the 2nd day of taking this, my right leg is in severe pain from my groin to my toe, Ive had a hard time breathing also and Im anxious. But my UTI seems to have faded.. This is only my 3rd day of being on it but I will not take it tomorrow or ever again. I take a medicine to heal me not cause more problems..

Sat, 4 Oct 2003 14:10:22 -0400 by Guest, #3592
has anyone ever heard of swollen testicles being a side effect of this medication? please let me know. thanks

Sat, 4 Oct 2003 08:51:32 -0400 by Guest, #3591
I am on my 6th day of Levaquin, 500mg for treatment of a sinus infection,... and have experienced no side effects whatsoever. My sinus infection is clearing up nicely...and I also have taken Allegra D, motrin 600mg and a multivitamin with no consequences.however I would do some research on the type of vitamins you're taking as some may prevent the proper absorption of Levaquin into your system (iron). I recommend Levaquin under the supervision of your doctor, but as with all medications you must be aware of the side effects.,and this anti-biotic may be one thats not for you.

Sat, 4 Oct 2003 02:52:31 -0400 by tannerlaughs, #3590
Two days ago I was prescribed Levaquin for a kidney infection. 18 hours later I started having nightmares, paranoia, and shakiness. At 24 hours I took my next dose. Within 2 hours I had a terrible taste in my mouth, felt extremely dizzy, in a panic, disoriented, a feeling of doom, and rapid breathing. By the time I got to the hospital I was shaking all over, crying uncontrollably, skin felt like it was crawling, and I had begun to hallucinate. Horrible things! The drs. started with benadryl, it did not work. Next came Ativan, it helped but did not stop the hallucinations...Finally I was given Haldol and it stopped the hallucinations. That was yesturday. The hallucinations are gone, but the dizziness, parnoia, disoriontation, shakiness, and just plain feeling "out of it" is still here! The Dr. sent me home with a new antibiotic, (macrodantin) and 30 ativan pills. How long will these horrible side affects continue??? please email me if you had a similiar experience. Suzyqej2@sbcglobal.net

Wed, 1 Oct 2003 19:52:28 -0400 by Guest, #3583
Oct. 1, 2003

In December I took Levaquin (500 mg ) daily for 10 days. I had a respiratory tract infection. After taking this medication, I lost my sense of smell and taste and I have severe joint pain in my hands. I am now being treated for carpel tunnel and may have to have surgery. Yesterday after seeing a ear nose and throat specialist, I find these problems are a side effect of the medication. I would never take this medicine again and would not recommend it to anyone.

Wed, 1 Oct 2003 19:50:26 -0400 by Guest, #3582
Oct. 1, 2003

In December I took Levaquin (500 mg ) daily for 10 days. I had a respiratory tract infection. After taking this medication, I lost my sense of smell and taste and I have severe joint pain in my hands. I am now being treated for carpel tunnel and may have to have surgery. Yesterday after seeing a ear nose and throat specialist, I find these problems are a side effect of the medication. I would never take this medicine again and would not recommend it to anyone.

Wed, 1 Oct 2003 09:01:27 -0400 by Guest, #3580
I began taking Levaquin two weeks ago for walking pneumonia. I asked my doctor at the time if I could exercise, and he told me after a couple of days it should be fine.

The pain started below my right calf. A day later, the same pain in my left leg. The next day, my shoulders, my biceps, my elbows, my wrists, and worst of all...my knees. I had to hold on to something to stand up and actually move my leg over with my hands to drive.

I called the doctor. He told me to go off of it a day to see if the pain went away. I did. The pain subsided. I called back according to his directions and gave him the news. He told me that he thought the side effect was very unusual and go back on it.

I did for a few more days...then the pain started again, so I took myself off the drug. I will never take it again. If my symptoms from the pneumonia come back, he will need to put me on something else.