Post Marketing Reports May 2004

Avelox

Sun, 23 May 2004 09:16:26 -0400 by Guest, #5783
PAIN AND BURNING OVER THE LOWER 1/3 OF MY BACK. MILD PAIN IN MY ANKLES.

Fri, 21 May 2004 09:48:30 -0400 by Guest, #5742
I took Avelox as I left the doctor's office. ( she had given me a sample) I was driving my 2 year old daughter home when I began to feel panic, fear, Tremors, tingling in my head, dizziness and an overall sense of illness. We live in the country, and I was afraid if I pulled over, no one would stop for a long time, and my daughter would be caught in the car. It took all my focus to get us home, and I felt if I could just get her in the house, I would call the ambulance, and she'd be safe.

I was weak and dizzy, so first I called my husband to tell him to come home and to call a squad. He called the neighbor, and she came right over. We both called the doctor I had just left, and a pharmacist. They told me I had an adverse effect to the medicine, and to drink lots of water. I was also experiencing severe dry mouth, and a headache, muscle fatique, and tingling.

With 4 glasses of water the symptoms began to subside. Later that night, I had occasional chest pains. I was told by the physician to stop using the drug.

I have since found out the label says "Do not Drive". I am so thankful nothing happened to my baby daughter, and we were able to make it home safely.

Thu, 13 May 2004 16:58:24 -0400 by Guest, #5634
I took 15 days of Avelox in March 2004. This was given with Prednisone (Medrol) which enhances the possibility of an ADR. I initially had lower leg and Achilles tendon pain, then sharp wrist pain. Paresthesia soon followed. I called my ENT who told me to quit the medication. Nevertheless, a couple days later, I developed a rash on my palms which looked like allergic vasculitis, and the paresthesia intesified. My GP suspected a drug reaction and performed CPK tests. CPK 3 came back elevated but later returned to normal. A couple weeks later, numbness developed in my toes.

A neurologist has so far diagnosed me with bilateral ulnar neuritis (nerve inflammation in the elbows), carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendinitis. There is also evidence of a peripheral neuropathy. I can no longer exercise, and it hurts to type. My hands are still red and inflammed.

ADRs to this drug are virtually identical to those of Levaquin. the drug is extraordinarily dangerous, and should be reserved for the most aggressive infections.
Susan Harvey - Thu, 27 May 2004 09:03:48 -0400 - #2097

Levaquin
Thank goodness I found this site! I have been being treated for a stubborn UTI - Levaquin is the 6th antibiotic I've been on. Third day of treatment and I have been feeling worse every day - stomach pains, no appetite, when I do eat I feel worse. I have night sweats and have trouble sleeping - I feel like I have the worst case of flu I've ever had. Needless to say, I'm going to quit taking this drug - I'd rather have the UTI symptoms which is really saying something. As a note, my daughter took a quinolone antibiotic a few years ago for a case of bronchitis and had such a severe allergic reaction to the first dose that she had to be rushed to the hospital. It never occured to me that I could be allergic to the same group of antibiotics. The side effects on the prescription info sheet sure don't mention all of this!

maktraveler - Thu, 27 May 2004 01:06:36 -0400 - #2095

Almost 1 1/2 years after Levaquin therapy
In Feb of 2003, I had 7 days of Levaquin therapy.

I could barely walk, had to crawl up my staircase. I had severe muscle weakness, muscle burning and joint pain in all my limbs. I almost fell several times when walking. I ached and burned in what seemed every tendon in my body. I was unable to sleep due to the pain.

I told my family and friends that I didn?t know what was happening to me. I felt like I had MS. After researching this drug online, I realized I was having an ADR to Levaquin.

1 and ½ years after the Levaquin therapy, I still have the following symptoms:
? Severe tendon/muscle pain and tightness
? Tendonitis
? Tingling, numbness, prickling, pins and needles sensations in my extremities.
? ?Electrical? sensations
? Shooting pain
? Feeling of worms crawling under my skin
? Severe arm and leg weakness
? Twitching, spasms and contractions

Diagnosis: My Rheumatologist, GP, Neurologist, Hand Specialist, Neck & Spine specialist have ruled out rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, neurological disorders, disc problems or nerve damage. I've had EMG's, blood tests, xrays. All the doctors lean toward a fibromyalgia diagnosis. I'm now going to have a tendon biopsy to see if Levaquin changed the cellular function of my tendons.

I recommend reading the Case Reports from the May 2000 issue of the Southern Medical Journal, Vol. 93, No. 5 ?Quinolones and Tendon Ruptures?. It states that some studies find that the pathophysiologic changes associated with fluoroquinolones may not be completely reversible with ruptures occurring long after the antibiotic therapy has been discontinued.

I want my life back. I have limited function now, can't do my job any more and am disabled. I?m too young to be in this condition.

I can only hope your ADR doesn't last as long as mine. I know many others have had continual problems years after taking this poison.

Regards,
Mary
Carol Stares - Thu, 20 May 2004 11:31:55 -0400 - #2054

Re: Levaquin side effects--horrid pain
anyone who is taking this toxic drug -- GET OFF IT NOW!!!! as i said in an earlier message, i would rather deal with a severe sinus infection/cold than to take this poison. the joint pain was unbelievable and my energy level is still down. i have been off the pill for 3 days and hopefully, have prevented any further damage.

Sun, 30 May 2004 15:57:21 -0400 by Guest, #5878

I have posted before. I am still having extreme pain in my joints, particularly my knees. Mobility has become very difficult, and this whole thing is getting really old.

Now I have been diagnosed with a 4.7 cm. mass in my right lung. I had started coughing about three weeks ago, which I attributed to the pneumonia for which I took Levaquin and Cipro in the first place. Then I started coughing up blood and my doctor has done a chest x-ray and a CT scan of my lungs. He says I have a tumor suspicious for cancer.

Now I'm wondering if anyone else's symptoms have progressed this way? If anyone, ANYONE, has had this happen to you, I really need to hear from you. I am feeling very scared right now, and in constant pain from the joint pain and now in my lung.

My email address is clj7024@juno.com. Please put something about Levaquin in the subject line so I'll know it's a real email.

Thank you to everyone.

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Wed, 26 May 2004 17:38:38 -0400 by grjones, #5835

I am a 62 year old healthy male. About two months ago I was prescribed 500 mg. Levaquin by my urologist for a suspected prostate infection. Within the first 24 hours I experienced strange visual effects and extreme fatigue. By the third day on the medication I began to notice motor coordination problems. On the fourth day I awoke with chills, major hand tremors, and extreme motor coordination difficulties in my hands (I was unable to pick up a coffee cup with only one hand). I stopped taking it at this point, of course, and the symptoms gradually declined. It was a terrifying experience.

About one month later I had a relapse of the original symptoms and immediately arranged an appointment with my regular physician, who ordered a brain MRI and a prescription for a beta blocker to relieve the tremors. The MRI was negative. My symptoms improved markedly, almost immediately, and have not returned, even though I am no longer taking the beta blocker (after one month of regular dosage). I have my fingers crossed for the future.

I learned that my sister had similar reactions to Levaqui, suggesting that there might be a genetic predisposition to such an extreme reaction. From now on I will indicate to medical personnel that I cannot tolerate any member of the fluoroquinalone family of antibiotics.

As a side note, it turned out that I did not have a prostate infection after all but rather that a sudden upward jump in a PSA reading led the urologist to suspect the infection. A retest showed that the reading was anomalous, completely out of line with my history of lab tests for PSA. The worrisome part of this experience is the physician's willingness to prescribe such a powerful drug without clear indication of an infection.

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Mon, 24 May 2004 18:45:45 -0400 by Guest, #5805

I was put on a 500mg Levaquin dose 5 days ago for Kidney infection. Each day I felt worse, but I was thinking it was the infection. I am so tired but couldn't sleep, my stomach aches, burns, cramps and my back hurts so bad. I have had a hard time eating or drinking at all. It feels as if I am trying to digest broken glass. Today someone directed me to this site and my eyes about popped out! I immediately called my doctor and was seen. She took me off the Levaquin right away. Hope it doesn't take too long for me to feel better.

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Thu, 20 May 2004 13:45:27 -0400 by Guest, #5731

I took Levaquin in Februaryl, 2004 and experienced joint pain and fatigue. I did not associate the pain with the drug. I was prescribed Levaquin again in April and had severe joint pain. My doctor said it was the Levaquin and said I should never take this drug again. I needed yet another course of antibioitics later in April and my doctor gave me Cipro. The result was horrible - I now have severe joint pain, can barely stand up and sit down and can't stand on my feet for more than a few minutes. I feel like I've aged 30 years in the past three months. Obviously, my doctor is now telling me not to take any antibiotic in this drug family.

The pain in my knees is so severe I fear I have ruptured the tendons. Is there any way short of an MRI to tell?

And has anyone had their symptoms go completely away? How long did it take? My doctor has told me to drink a lot of water, but had no other suggestions to reverse this.

Thanks to those of you I've corresponded with via email. Any other comments would be appreciated.



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Thu, 20 May 2004 12:56:06 -0400 by Guest, #5730

In June of 2003, I went to the Dr. for sinus infection syptoms and weakness. I have never been seriously ill in 60 years.
She prescribed 500mg of Levaquin.
After taking the first pill, I woke up on the bathroom floor with a bath mat around me , disoriented. The Dr, advised me to go to the ER. The ER Dr. said to take only 1/2 a tablet and go home; I did so and ended up in the ER the next day in a coma that was life-threatening. The diagnosis was bacterial spinal meningititious, I recovered but never tied it to the drug.
A year later, I went to another Dr. for a checkup and was feeling fine. He suspected some prostatitous and prescribed Levaquin. I took it for 5 days and then became unsteady on my feet, with a tendency to almost fall to the left when I walked. I began to drag my left foot slightly. I went to the ER. The ER Dr. took me off Levaquin.
During the hospital stay, the Dr. administered an MRI and declared that I had a small stroke on the right brain (thallamus area). It has been a few days since hospital
discharge,and my walking has improved. I am concerned about the coincidents that have occurred with my taking Levaquin.
Does anyone know of brain problems that may be associated with taking Levaquin?
I am not an alarmist, but I am concerned about this drug.

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Tue, 18 May 2004 01:31:13 -0400 by Guest, #5684

I took Levacquin in APril & thought it was my imagination that my hip began aching. I now have severe tendonitis & cannot drive. I am thin, an athlete & never had such a prblem. Then my kness swelled up, my neck spasms constantly & I looked this up here.


My dr. told me not to work out when taking this & I did not BUT this still happened. A small case of tendonitis is what she said might happen! Not swelled knees, bruising, fatigue like I am 90 years old. As for the idiots saying this is "whining"? I work 70 hours a week as a project manager in the FDA field. I have no time or desire to whine. Perhaps 100 plus entries does not hit you as odd but it actually is, for we educated people. DId I mention that I work in an FDA related field? I just had a sinus infection that would not clear up & I did not bargain for this ...nor was I told. I am going to go to the fda.gov website & ask for their "adverse events" reporting information (based on the drugs clinical trials) which they have to release by law. I advise that you all do as well ..... uh, except for those that have too much tome on thier hands and just don't get it.

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Sat, 15 May 2004 15:12:22 -0400 by Guest, #5651

My daughter was prescribed Levaquin on May 7 for an abdominal infection. She gradually started having muscle aches and feeling bone tired until today she had trouble getting out of bed. I found this site and asked her to stop taking it immediatly.

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Thu, 13 May 2004 07:42:04 -0400 by Guest, #5617

I posted previously.
I also suffered terrible side effects from Levauin.
I was given it for a sinus infection.
I didn't have the pains in my limbs but I suffered terrible quivering and constant crying and weakness in my arms and legs. Thought I was losing it....
It took me four months to get over the withdawal.
The doctor and pharasist did tell me that it is a powerful drug and it will take time to get out of your system.
LIke I said, its been since December and little by little I did get better. Just takes time!!!!. So hang in there everyone....You will get better and be back to yourself again.
Thats a good idea about wearing a bracelet. I also told all the members of my family about this and if I'm ever in a situation that I can talk for myself and need an antibiotic. "Please make sure its not Levaquin or any antibiotic thats in the Quinolone family."
Janet G


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Tue, 11 May 2004 16:43:30 -0400 by Guest, #5588

Thank you to those who wrote me with words of advice. I'm now 14 days out from levaquin and am feeling a bit better. I have had a complete physical and blood workup. I've also seen an allergist, a rhematologist, two ER doctors and my primary care. My primary care and one ER were at the Cleveland Clinic and advise that it's the levaquin. I have yet to run across a doc who didn't say it's the levaquin. I was sure it was MS, ALS or something worse than an allergic reaction. I am getting a little better and hope I continue on this path. I wanted to share the list of meds the allergist told me to NEVER TAKE and even suggested that I get a med alert braclet. It appears that if you have a bad reacation and take the offending agent again, next time will be worse including shock. My daughter who is an RN also agrees with the medic alert braclet. She said that if I were ever in a car wreck, one of the first things they would do in the ER was start an antioboitic IV.

The meds in the same family to avoid are:

Cipro, avelox, faxtive, levaquin, varoxin, tequin and trovan.

This same Dr. (the allregy immunology doc) says that I have had nerve damage, that I should fully recover and that it will not get worse.

My symptoms were mostly pain in my limbs, if you have had the pain in your limbs at the least please put a note in your wallet that says that you can not take the above listed drugs.

Hope this helps. God bless

Taunda

taundaleah@msn.com

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Sun, 9 May 2004 12:10:52 -0400 by colin, #5565

I took Levaquin for 14 days in January of 2004, and a month later, I took Avelox for 15 days. My ADR appeared on day 13 of the Avelox (a drug in the same family). It first started as lower leg pain in the calves and shins. Then I had sharp pains in my wrists. The next day, I developed carpal-tunnel like symptoms in the hands (pins and needles). I went off the medication, but a couple days later, a burning rash appeared on my palms, and I began having pains in my solar plexis.

5 weeks later and I still have sore legs, Achilles tendons, numbness in my toes, carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral unlnar neuritis, runaway anxiety, and termination insomnia. The hands have improved a bit during the day, and the rash has diminished about 95%, but I still wake up with numbness. Both my GP and neurologist suspect the medication to be the cause of this, but it is difficult to prove.

My quality of life has been affected, since I can no longer exercise or type for lengthy periods of time.

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Fri, 7 May 2004 11:31:09 -0400 by aschemetti, #5543

Hello everyone,

I was on Effexor 150 mg's for about a year and I just recently decided to try and get off of the medication. People kept telling me that I wasn't acting like myself, that I was showing no emotion, like there was a lid on my brain. So, since I'm at the age where I'm starting to want a family (children) I decided to try and get off of Effexor. WOW, I had no idea what I was in for. I seriously thought about putting myself in a mental institution but, I didn't. It seemed like I'd just be sitting there laughing and having a great time and then all of a sudden I'd be bawling and drenched with tears. I had an aching in my stomach that was unbarable and my head felt like it wasn't even on my shoulders. I went to the doctor 3 times in 2 weeks insisting something was wrong with me. Come to find out it was just the withdrawal symptoms from Effexor. As others have said, nobody seemed to let me know all of the withdrawal symptoms when prescribing me this medication, if that's even what you want to call it. I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy. It's been almost a month since I've been completely off of Effexor and I'm emotionally better (for the most part), I still cry out of the blue occasionally. My stomach is still a mess, not a day goes by that I don't feel like I need to just crawl into bed until the cramping pain goes away. And my head, wow, I feel like I'm in another world sometimes. I even feel my head jerking every once in awhile, like I'm having tremors or something. I'm 26 years old and I feel like I'm 60, since getting off of Effexor I feel like my whole body is falling apart, and it's not because the drug was so good, it's because the withdrawal is sooooo bad. I wouldn't reccomend this drug to anybody, no matter how bad your anxiety or depression, do NOT let your doctor prescribe you Effexor!!! I only hope that these withdrawal symptoms eventually go away. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

VABeach

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Thu, 6 May 2004 15:52:43 -0400 by Guest, #5535

I am glad I found this site - thought I was going crazy. I am in the seventh day of 500mg for a serious sinus/strep infection. I had taken this drug before, without any pain.

Really don't know which is worse the severe sinus pain or the pains in my calf, legs, hip and shoulders. Also, I am very tired, but can't sleep-- in addition to the lovely gas (taking acidophalis)24/7.

I looked up some side effects - apparently the joint pain is a big one, due to the drugs affecting the tendons and making them more lax. I found this out after the first time I took it and ruptured my ACL - this time I was careful with the physical activity, but it still didn't help the pains. Staying in bed doesn't help either.

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Wed, 5 May 2004 14:31:43 -0400 by Guest, #5519

I took 3- 500mg of Levequin starting March 3. After the first pill I had pain in left hip, next day it was in my back and legs.
Foolishly, I didn't associate it with the Levaquin until just after taking the pill on the 3rd day.
Things went down hill from there. I could hardly get out of bed by myself. The pain was so bad I went to my orthopedic doctor. I had X-ray, then MRI with a bad reading that prompted a Nucular 3 phase bone scan. These came out clear and found no reason for my pain. Finally, my internest did kidney test and chest x-ray. After all these test and 2 months later, I was told it probably was the Levaquin.
I am better to the point of careing for myself and using the wheel chair and walker to get around. I was told just to let the muscles rest and it would pass, but when? This was a terrible price to pay for a sore throat. I did file a complaint with the FDA and suggest each and every one of you do the same. My feeling now is that I might never be able to return to my life as it was before Levaquin.



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Mon, 3 May 2004 17:24:57 -0400 by Guest, #5492

It's been seven days since I took my last of five doeses of 500 mgs. of levaquin.

Still have racing heart, muscle aches and pain.

I've been to the dr and the er - they just say go home and wait it out.

Does anyone have an idea of how long this will last, and has anyone completely recovered?

Please email response to taundaleah@msn.com

Thanks!

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Sat, 1 May 2004 11:21:59 -0400 by Guest, #5455

My 14-yr-old son was prescribed levaquin for a chronic sinus condition. He just finished day 2 and started suffering extreme muscle cramps in his legs. We're taking him off this medication....