It is strongly recommended that you fill out a Med Watch Report as well as taking a moment to fill out
our Patient Survey form (only 16 questions).  Post Marketing Reports are very important in identifying
unusual adverse reactions.  You need not use your name or e-mail address to assure your privacy in your
response.  We ask that you fill out the survey form only so that we can document the fact that these
reactions are anything but "rare", but are actually quite common. 

It is not our intention to infringe upon the privacy of any individual.  Should you wish to have any post
that is being "mirrored" on this site removed, for whatever reason, please send your request indicating
the post you wish to have removed to fqresearch@aol.com as well as notifying the moderator of the
originating forum.  We will only respond to requests from the original poster.  Please be advised however
that should you be involved in litigation or planning on pursuing litigation the removal of such post at your
direction may be considered by opposing counsel to be destruction of evidence, which may result in your
case being dismissed.

The following responses have been posted regarding the post marketing survey request found on the
home page.  All identifiers have been removed to assure the privacy of those responding:

Response 30

My husband’s name is Jason Garner and twelve years ago Ciprofloxacin changed our lives forever. My husband was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated robbery and until 2004 we could never understand what it was that sparked this peculiar behavior. All him and I knew that it was not until after he got sick that his behavior changed.

In September of 1995 my husband murdered a good friend of his. He could not remember committing the crime unless he was having nightmares. When he was assigned a public defender we told him that my husband’s behavior did not change until he was diagnosed with a severe urinary tract infection. His attorney at that time said he had gone to the hospital and there was no record of my husband coming to the hospital. We proceeded to trial just knowing that this was an accident but no other explanation. The jury came back with guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated robbery and he was later sentenced to forty years at 100%. My husband made me promise to find out what really happened that day.

In 2004 I decided to go to the hospital my husband had gone to a couple of weeks before the crime. The record clerk told me that all I had to do was get my husband to sign a form releasing his medical records to me. So that’s what I did and I received his medical record three weeks later and took it to the local pharmacist and that’s how I was introduced to Ciprofloxacin. The pharmacist explained the side effects of Cipro and gave me a pamphlet as well to read. I have done extensive research for the past three years on the side effects of the drug.

My husband is still currently incarcerated at West Tennessee Penitentiary serving his forty years however he is on post conviction hoping his attorney was ineffective for failing to get the medical records. If there are any similar cases please email me at wheelsofjustice1235@hotmail.com or just anyone know anything that can be beneficial.

Response 31

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
PIEWACKET

2. Drug prescribed:
NOROXIN (AKA NORFLOXACIN)

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
GYNECOLOGIST

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
SEVERE HYPERGLYCEMIA, SYMYOMATICALLY TREATED WITH INSULIN SINCE 1987 (THE ADVERSE EXPOSURE OCCURRED IN 1987, THE LINK TO THE DRUG WAS DISCOVERED ON MAY 2, 2007).

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
NOT YET COMMUNICATED

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
NO

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?
NOT YET COMMUNICATED

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
NO

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
NO – THE DRUG I HAD BEEN PRESCRIBED BEFORE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM (A UTI) WAS NOT GIVEN

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
YES

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI)

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
YES, THE INFECTION RESOLVED

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
THROUGH TWO ROUTES. I FIRST LEARNED OF YOUR SITE THROUGH 'THE FLOX REPORT'. SECONDLY, I GOOGLED: "NORFLOXACIN HYPERGLYCEMIA", AND IN REVIEWING THE RETURNED LINKS, I CAME ACROSS YOUR SITE. RECOGNIZING THE NAME FROM 'THE FLOX REPORT', I OPENED THE LINK.

15. What made you log unto the site?
I WANT TO LEARN MORE. SEE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
YES. I'VE JUST STARTED LOOKING INTO YOUR SITE; BUT, IT'S INCREDIBLY HELPFUL TO FIND ANY INFORMATION.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
(1) I JUST RECENTLY DISCOVERED THE LINK BETWEEN MY "DIABETIC" CONDITION AND NORFLOXACIN THROUGH RESEARCH ON PUBMED. THE ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS I WAS GIVEN ("TYPE 1.5 DIABETES") NEVER MADE SENSE, EVEN BY THE DOCTOR WHO GAVE IT TO ME (MY C-PEPTIDE LEVELS AND OTHER LAB WORK WERE NORMAL, MY GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST WAS NORMAL, THERE HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN TIMES WHEN I DON'T NEED INSULIN, AND MY "DIABETIC" CONDITION DEVELOPED APPROXIMATELY 5 DAYS AFTER I WAS EXPOSED TO NOROXIN.) WHILE I'VE CONSISTENTLY BROUGHT UP THESE POINTS AT AND SINCE MY DIAGNOSIS, NO ONE INVESTIGATED MY CONDITION FURTHER. MY ADDITIONAL COMMENT IS: HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE THERE LIKE ME WHO WERE "PROCESSED" AS DIABETICS, YET HAVEN'T MADE THE CONNECTION YET BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO A FLUOROQUINOLONE AND THEIR DIABETIC CONDITION? I JUST HAPPEN TO BE AN ENGINEER AND A PARTICULARLY DILIGENT RESEARCHER AND EVENTUALLY UNCOVERED THE LINK. MOST PEOPLE WON'T. ONCE YOU'RE LABELLED "DIABETIC", YOU ACCEPT IT AND MOVE ON.
(2) MY SECOND COMMENT IS: HAS ANYONE LOOKED AT WHETHER THERE IS ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP THE BODY RECOVER? I ORIGINALLY HAD DRUG-INDUCED HYPERGLYCEMIA. I BELIEVE THAT HAS NOW BEEN COMPOUNDED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF EXOGENOUS INSULIN (WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY CREATES ANTIBODIES TO INSULIN). I NOW CONSIDER MYSELF TO HAVE EITHER PERMANENT DAMAGE FROM NORFLOXACIN OR A DRUG-INDUCED DIABETIC CONDITION CAUSED AND MAINTAINED BY ADMINISTERING EXOGENOUS INSULIN. MY GOAL NOW IS TO HEAL MY BODY AND WEAN MYSELF OFF INSULIN. ANY ASSISTANCE IN DIRECTING ME FURTHER TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME WOULD BE IMMENSELY APPRECIATED.

 
Response 32

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Dawn

2. Drug prescribed: Levequin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Urologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Dizziness, severe nightsweats, knee pain, extreme cold feet, muscle twitching, stomach pain, confusion (found it hard to speak or come up with certain words), insomnia, tingling in arms and legs, loss of weight.

5. Physician?s reaction to your concerns: Called and reported symptoms, he had me make an emergency office visit because he thought I may have an infection or blocked kidney, did a CT scan, found nothing wrong, no infection in urine sample, no fever, told me it must be viral.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? During emergency visit to his office, I did report I took the Levequin at night to sleep through most of the dizziness, he then reported to me that this med causes sleep disturbances and insomnia but did not relate on any of my other symptoms.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? NO. Other than the sleep disturbances, he had no other idea of why I was feeling so aweful.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? NO! NONE! Not from the Dr. or the pharmacy.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? NO.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? I had a cyctoscopy with a stent put in the first time Levequin was prescribed, the second time was to have the stent removed. In between times I had a kidney stone busted up but was given different antibiotics each time to prevent infections after each treatment.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? It was given as a precautionary measure following the insertion and removal of the stent to prevent any infection following the surgeries.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Researching Levequin and the symptoms I was having and this site was recommended several times on a message board.

15. What made you log unto the site? More research and information regarding my symptoms and how I could possibly start to feel better.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I just wish it was mandatory to give any and all information to patients so that they can make an educated decision on whether or not to take a med or to find out if there are other alternatives so that they can avoid the potential dangers from certain medications.

Response 33

Had sinus infection and my endocrinologist prescribed be 10 days of Levaquin 500. I had used it in the past and never made the correlation. This time I had dry mouth/nasal/throat which was very debilitating and causes hoarseness. I also had a rough gums in my mouth. I stopped after my 7th pill and have been trying to restore to normal. Body is just now after 3 days making mucous that I can probably use to heal. I have also had sever spasms or cramps in my interior neck muscles. It cuases such an intence pain and lump that I had been to the ENT in the past. He said it was GERD but when it cam back this time I figured it out. I also have insomnia, which is already getting better.

Response 34

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other
identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
laura32

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin 500 mg 1x daily (only
took 10 of a 20-day treatment)

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example,
internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency
room physician, surgeon, etc.)

Specialist - Allergist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this
drug:

Aching & stiffness in joints in hands, fingers,
elbows, neck, upper back, knees, feet, shoulders.
Can't sleep because muscles feel tense all the time.
Some loss of mental cognition - don't think as clearly
as I did before Levaquin.

5. Physician?s reaction to your concerns: Said stop
taking it and would look into something else to fight
the infection.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge
concerning the adverse reactions associated with the
fluoroquinolones?

Didn't discuss it. Pharmacist did warn me to be aware
of these reactions.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug
could possibly be responsible?

Yes - readily admitted it. Said only a handful of
people experience the bad reactions - so he was aware
of it as a possibility.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects
you may experience?

Yes - from the pharmacist. He said to stop taking it
if I did have any reactions.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit
discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

No.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use
(meaning NOT an approved use)?

I don't know what an approved use for this drug is.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence
of a bacterial infection?

NO - cat scan of sinuses was positive for sinus
infection.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

Chronic sinus infection (6 months)

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this
drug?

Not that I can see - My sinus infection actually feels
worse and has spread to my chest as well.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

via the Yahoo! quinolone group

15. What made you log unto the site?

Wanting to help stop anyone else from being a victim
of these drugs

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

Absolutely!

Response 35

1. Unique Identifier:
Loving Wife

2. Drug prescribed:
Cipro 500mg for 15 days
CiproXR 1,000 for 15 days

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug:
General Practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
tendon ruptures (6)
tendonitis
muscle & joint pain
stiffness in joints
migraines
rectal bleeding
peripheral sensory polyneuropathy of both lower extremeties
numbness & burning in hands all the way up to the elbows
suicide attempts
aggressive tendencies with memory loss of such actions
acid reflux
panic attacks
tinnitus
hearing loss in high frequency
insomnia
vivid nightmares
jerking & twitching of arms & legs also fingers clinch as if squeezing something
single muscle flexing unvoluntarily
rashes: vasculitic and unknown rash
vertical ridges in all fingernails
back pain & spasms
angioedema of the lip
hard to concentrate
dosen't remember as well as used to

5. Physician?s reaction to your concerns:
After telling the doctor the side effects caused by Cipro, the doctor felt it might not be a good idea if my husband took Cipro again or any quinolone just in case Cipro might have caused his injuries. He was concerned about the injuries.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
None. I brought up the issue that the FDA had sent out information regarding side effects from Cipro. He didn't rememeber getting that information.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?
He admitted that it might be possible, but felt doubt the drug caused the injuries.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
No risk was discussed. Impression was the drug would help my husband heal up faster from any infection. That would have been a benefit.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
I"m not sure for I don't know what conditions are considered not approved for.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
No

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
sinus infection/bronchitis
puncture wound with possibility of infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
sinus infection and bronchitis seemed to clear up
puncture wound didn't get infected

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
From being on the Quinolone Adverse Reaction Forum. I came there looking for answers to what happened to my husband. I had typed in a search engine "tendon rupture lawsuits" and the name Cipro showed up as causing the type damages my husband was suffering from. I wanted answers and found the Quinolone Forum.

15. What made you log unto the site?
Information and support in trying to help people understand the destructive nature of these medicines

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
Yes it was. It was also frightening. I don't know what all is wrong with my husband. To see all the things that these drugs can do to a person and wonder if more terrible conditions will affect him.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
I am deeply concerned that my husband had his muscles and tendons to rip, tear away or apart and not a single doctor seemed to be alarmed as my husband and I were. He has seen quite a few doctors at this time and not one of them will admit Cipro is responsible for this. He has seen at least 3 orthopedic doctors. Two did surgery on him. The tearing became worse shortly after the surgeries. After the second tear, I felt something was very wrong and told them I felt something was causing this. After the third tear I knew something was wrong and started asking all the doctors if they would please try to find out what it was. Then the forth tear occurred and I told the doctors that they had to find out what was wrong because the operations seemed to be making his tearing worse. He tore two more times after that. His diagnosis was non-trauma ruptures. I have brought most of these doctors the information of Cipro side effects. I searched through all my husband's medical records and found that he had taken Cipro and 11 months afterwards his tearing started. It finally stopped after several years. He took Cipro a second time and his the tearing started again 11 months afterwards. So simple. Easy to see the cause, but the doctors can't see it even now. I am concerned that my husband had 6 ruptures and a quinolone was never considered. If 6 ruptures in one person doesn't get diagnosed as being caused by a quinolone, then how will people who have one or maybe two find out what's wrong with them. It makes me wonder how many people here have been injured by quinolones and how many more will be because the doctors don't recognize it. My husband was once a strong and proud man. Cipro has caused him so much physical damage, pain and agony. A doctor asked me why was I so insistent Cipro did this. I told her that if you have no idea what's wrong with my husband, how can you help him.

Response 36

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Vermeer14331

2. Drug prescribed:Levaquin
3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) General Practioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:Severe lower body neuropathy

5. Physician?s reaction to your concerns: Refer to specialist

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Left side abdominal pain

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? No

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Google

15. What made you log unto the site? Ongoing repercussions (still having problem with neuropathy

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: Please inform me as to how best to help prevent the use of this drug.

Response 37

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
nap1962

2. Drug prescribed:
Norfloxacin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
General practitioner - not my family physician but another at the clinic.

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Sick, run down, lethargic, severe headaches, strange bloodblister rash on shins but not itchy, white toenails,
Hospital diagnosed Drug Induced hepatitis. Liver enzymes off the scale

5. Physician?s reaction to your concerns:
Went to see my family doctor. He immediately took me off the drug when I reported strange symptoms and did blood work "stat". Sent me to hospital internist/specialist 24 hours later when bloodwork came back showing "liver enzymes off the scale"

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
No. Even specialist didn't know what it was and wasn't ready to admit it was toxicity to antibiotics until they had ruled out all other causes.
Took 4 MONTHS to recover.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?
Yes.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
No.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
Absolutely not.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
No. It was an approved use for urinary tract infections.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
Yes.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
Urninary tract infection.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
no.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
Wikipedia.org

15. What made you log unto the site?
nephew has now had an adverse reaction to quinolones too.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
yes.

Response 38

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
DOBELFQ

2. Drug prescribed:
Ciprofloxacin, 10 days, 500 mg twice daily, total 10g.

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
Nurse practitioner (RNP)

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Severe dry eyes; burning, red eyes; sensitivity to light; tinnitus (continuous since ingestion); tingling;
leg numbness; throbbing, sharp pains; twitching; headaches; lightheadedness; loss of balance; dizziness;
extreme fatigue, mostly in the morning; muscle and neck pain; nervousness; agitation; depression; insomnia; tendon, knee, wrist and ankle pain; night sweats; cold extremities; renal calculi; rectal burning;
intestinal problems; UTI-like symptoms (frequent urination, hesitancy; difficulty urinating, urethral pain, cloudy urine - all without bacterial detection) modified semen consistency; loss of libido.

5. Physician?s reaction to your concerns:
Denial, extreme reluctance to link my adverse reactions to Cipro. I have seen ten doctors so far and all told me Cipro is basically safe, since they never heard of these reactions before.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
NO.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?
NO, extremely reluctant to do so.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
NO. There were some listed on the information package insert from the pharmacy.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
NO. I asked him what drug that was and, while walking out, he told me "it's good".

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
I don't think so.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
NONE.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
Presumed epididimytis, very mild pain.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
Overall, NONE, only a lot of problems and I am one year after taking this poison, still having new symptoms and old ones recurring.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
Internet search.

15. What made you log unto the site?
The available various information you have and the willingness to listen to my concerns.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
YES.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
I need to find a specialist in fluoroquinolones' side effects in California, ideally within Kaiser Permanente's system that would be willing to properly and carefully examine me and issue an informed medical opinion. Please help if you can. Thank you very much.

Response 39

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT
use your screen name or real name.
winnerie

2. Drug prescribed:
Levaquin 750mg

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist,
general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
family practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Insomnia, Exteme tendon & muscle pain (rotator cuff & biceps/triceps)

5. Physician?s reaction to your concerns:
Placed Levaquin on my chart as a drug that I was allergic to.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the
adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
No! Actually looked up the information online while I was sitting in
the office.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be
responsible?
Urgent Care physician was--Orthopaedic Surgeon that I saw for my
rotator cuff problems was skeptical because it only affected one area
of my body.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
Just to watch for the usual reactions to antibiotics--diarrhea, nausea

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug?
No--and I've had 2 surgeries on the same shoulder that was
affected--prior to using the drug, my shoulder was at nearly 100%
rehabilitated!!

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
No-was prescribed for sinus infection

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
No

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
Sinus Infection/Bronchitis

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
No--became more sick and had to switch to Bactrim

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
Google

15. What made you log unto the site?
The site was easy to read and I could easily navigate my way through
the information.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
Somewhat--had researched many other sites before this one--some
information was new and some was a repeat of information I'd already
learned.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
This drug is awful--I've told everyone I can not to take it.

Response 40

Researcher, I am an RN, have taken levaquin in the past, and I do not remember having this side effect.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I did not find any information on how to resolve this, now that I have bilateral tendonitis in my heels, knees etc. Im assuming drinking lotza water.. any thing else ?

Response 41

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. SCW

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: These drugs should be studied more. The public should be told.

Response 42

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Boston Yankee

I took one pill and I thought I had bought the farm. I was otherwise healthy, in my 20's, with no allergies or reactions to any substance natural or synthetic. When I informed by PCP of the adverse reaction he was unimpressed. Were  not an EMT, my complaints would have been completely ignored. The good news is I now don't take so much as a cough drop unless I know every single molecule in it and how it might effect my physiology. One pill was all it took. I feel like I dodged a bullet. My heart goes out to those suffering.

Response 43

1. CHMF California

17. How to reverse the side effects...or is it permanent?
 

Response 44

Dear flouroquinolone research foundation,

I have reported my reaction to the FDA because I want this drug banned!

Response 45

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.) Crohn’s skeptic

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

Response 46

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. SHEWHOSINGS

WASN'T WARNED BY PHARMACIST PERSONALLY, BUT DESCRIPTION INCLUDED BY CVS DID MENTION TENDON PROBLEMS, WHICH I INITIALLY DISMISSED, BUT REMEMBERED LATER (AFTER TAKING 6 OUT OF 7 PILLS) RESULT DEVASTATING TO CAREER AS MASSAGE THERAPIST

Response 47

1.  Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

drug too.
 

Response 48

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

Bab

2. Drug prescribed:

1st Norfloxacin, then Ciprofloxacin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

General Practioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:

Leg cramping and pain, abnormal blood pressure, extreme weakness, dizziness, blacking out for a few seconds at a time 20 min after taking pill, extremely rapid heart rate (admitted to ER), vision disturbances such as seeing blue spots and inability to focus on objects, hearing problems such as extreme sensitivity to sound and pressure in ears, face swelling, loss of apetite, nausea, anxiety, memory problems, numbness in arms, muscle twitching, problems with speech, joint pain in hands and wrists, stiff muscles, drying out of mucous membranes (nose, mouth,eyes), inability to cope with stress, severe burning in bladder, abdominal pain, rib cage pain, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

I saw nine doctors and not a single one believed that the drug could be the cause of my symptoms. They searched every other possibility but all my blood tests and urine tests came back normal. Then I was told that I'm an anxious person, which must be the cause for all my symptoms. I'm not a doctor but that doesn't mean that I'm devoid of common sense and to me it seems logical that if everytime someone takes a pill and gets sick immediately afterwards that the pill is most likely the culprit. I don't need seven years of medical school to come up with that one.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

Not at all. It seemed like I was committing sacrilege to even suggest that it could be the drug. How dare I.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?

Most certainly not. They all looked at me like it was the craziest thing they had ever heard of.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

No, I was just told to drink a lot of water. That's all.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

No, they don't have time for things like that.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

I don't know. My infection didn't even show up on the lab results. I was given this drug as a precaution. Just in case I had an infection.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?

I had six tests. All inconclusive. I was then told by another doctor that i had a kidney infection, and then when I ended up in the ER for cipro side effects two days later I had no signs of infection. Do kidney infections really clear up that quickly?

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

Possible Urinary Tract Infection/ Kidney Infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?

Norfloxacin made my symptoms much worse and did nothing for my infection. Cipro killed the infection but didn't make my symptoms go away. Symptoms of UTI persisted for months and then disappeared on their own.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

It's shocking that we have to resort to creating a research site dedicated to this problem because of the incompetence of the FDA and the misplaced priorities of the pharmaceutical industry.

15. What made you log unto the site?

I'm trying to find out what these drugs did to my body and if I will ever completely recover from the side effects. Of course that seems to be top secret information since its really hard to find any articles on what these drugs do.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

I was shocked to read the stories and see the statistics.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

I hope that something is done about these drugs and that those responsible are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
 

Response 49

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.\

Brandy ******

2. Drug prescribed:

Levaquin 500mg.

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

gynecologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:

very swollen feet, severe pain in my feet, loss of ability to walk normally

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

They told me to continue to take the meds as perscribed but I stopped

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

no

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?

no

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

no

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

I don't know

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?

no

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

He said I had an infection but he wasn't sure what kind

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?

no, I think it is because I quit taking it on day 3

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

I looked up the side effects from the med. because of the severe swelling

15. What made you log unto the site?

my dad

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

We need to find a way to get this crap off the market it's causing to many severe reactions.
 

Response 50

1. Unique Identifier: David

2. Drug prescribed: Avelox

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist,
general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon,
etc.): internist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: huge hives and
swelling, difficulty breathing resulting in two trips to ER for Epi
shots, tremors, hyperventilated, gastritis, stomacitis (awaiting lower
GI scope on Tuesday), extreme constipation with blood and mucous
discharge, difficulty urinating, panic attacks, weakness, pain in
joints, immobility in fingers

5. Physician's reaction to your concerns: if it gets any worse go to
the ER (we've been there twice for Epi shots and IV steroids), was even
hesitant to write a referral to a GI specialist. He was interested when
the hives and swelling were so apparent, but no longer wants to help, or
can't explain the other symptoms.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse
reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? NO

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be
responsible? Yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may
experience? NO

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug? NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved
use)? NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial
infection? NO

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Antibiotic resistant
bronchitis

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? NO

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Researching severe allergic
reactions to avelox on the internet.

15. What made you log unto the site? My husband is still extremely sick
and we don't know where to go next for help.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Somewhat

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I am concerned that my
husband may be getting worse now that this reaction seems to be
attacking his insides the way it did his outside.
 

Response 51

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT
use your screen name or real name. Buttonnbows

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist,
general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
Eye-ear-nose and General practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Severe
tendonitis in knees

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: must be something else-
arthritis etc.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the
adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? Some – liver
damage and achilles tendon rupture

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly
be responsible? no

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may
experience? NO

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug? NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an
approved use)? NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial
infection? NO

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? 1st x – sinus infection
- later for tooth root canal

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Seemed to
help

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Web search

15. What made you log unto the site? Any info or hope for relief of
pain

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Others have
same issues

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: Anything that can
be done to get back to normal? Can’t increase exercise or do too much
or pain gets worse in knees.
 

Response 52

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

Jenn

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) primary care physician

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: my sister inlaw slipped into a coma and her systems shit down one by one till she died after receiving levaquin

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? no

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? the oncologist was

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? none

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? none

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? after the drug was already prescribed there was no presence

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? for the possibility of bacterial infection they heard fluid

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? none she died

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? i typed in adverse reaction to levaquin in the ask jeeves search engine

15. What made you log unto the site? my sister in laws death. she was doing great till she took levaquin

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes!!!! good to know she is not alone

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: im looking for a good attorney in these cases
 

Response 53

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO
NOT use your screen name or real name. DCW

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist,
general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon,
etc.) General Practioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: I took two
1000mg doses of this drug, prescribed for a sinus infection, about
a year and a half ago. Side effects at that time were metal taste
in my mouth, inability to concentrate, severe muscle cramps and
chest pain. Prior to taking this, I absolutely NEVER had muscle
cramping. Since taking this drug, I have muscle pain, cramping and
twitching on a daily basis. I was perfectly healthy prior to taking
this albeit the sinus infection. I have had lingering problems ever
since.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: She did prescribe
something else after I told her about the reaction to the Levaquin,
however said nothing about the Levaquin itself.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the
adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? She
appeared to have no knowledge whatsoever of serious side effects to
the drug.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly
be responsible? No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may
experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an
approved use)? Prescribed for sinusitis - I believe this is an
approved use

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial
infection? Not to my knowledge

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Sinusitis

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? None

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? From a medical news
website where many people have input their own stories regarding
Levaquin

15. What made you log unto the site? I'm looking for any info on
the drug that I can find. Trying to get answers as to whether the
problems I suffer since taking this drug will ever go away.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Not really.
Just lots of stories that sound similar to my own.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I would
appreciate any additional info regarding Levaquin.
 

Response 54

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Mom

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Urologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Tremor, Altered Mental Status - confused, fixated on minor details in instructions almost obsession, difficulty finding & saying words during conversation, short term memory disturbance, loss of fine motor control - difficulty w/ finger to nose, couldn't find mouth w/ spoon or fork when eating, Muscle weakness in upper extremities only, Increased anxiety, Beligerence, Anger, Extreme fatigue, Flat dull affect

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: ER physician recognized symptoms as possibly related to levaquin; Primary care MD seeing patient after symptoms cleared not convinced that drug was the cause of the symptoms

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? ER MD & primary care MD both seemed fully aware of this type of possible side effects in older patients

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? ER MD seemed convinced that the levaquin was the problem; the primary care MD seeing patient after symptoms had cleared, not convinced & specifically said she did not believe that this was an adverse reaction to levaquin

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? I don't know - but I doubt the pharmacist gave any specific info; prescription was called in to replace another drug so MD did not speak directly to Mother when prescribing the drug.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Routine pre-op urine culture returned positive for bladder infection

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Bladder infection; Sulfa drug was prescribed first but Mother had allergic reaction & this was stopped. Levaquin was called in as replacement antibiotic.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Urine culture done on admission to hospital was negative so either the sulfa drug or the 2 doses of Levaquin were effective in getting rid of the infection

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Google search for info re: neuro side effects in elderly

15. What made you log unto the site? Looking for info on how adverse effects could be reported since primary care MD seems to want to distance this incident from any possible relationship to the levaquin - so I know she isn't going to report this to anyone as an adverse effect

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 55

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

Leonbergergirl

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

Urologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:

In the space of three days was completely unable to walk. MRI showed total loss of cartilage in both knees.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

Dismissed my inability to walk.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

No.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?

No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?

Urine culture indicated bacteria receptive to Levaquin.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

UTI

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?

Cleared up infection.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

Still searching for other research or anecdotals which confirm my own knees problems.

15. What made you log unto the site?

See above.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

Still working on it. Thank you for the site.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

Response 56

1. Seashell

2. Multiple courses of Cipro in previous years and about 6-8 doses of Avelox. In April and May of 2006.

3. The Cipro and was prescribed by primary care physicians and the Avelox by my allergist.

4. I now suspect minor reactions to the Cipro had been going on but not at a level I recognized at the time. After taking the Avelox for several days. I began to feel generally ill. I took another dose as I thought the symptoms were related to a sinus infection for which it was prescribed. I began to have diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness and anxiety. A pounding heart and general agitation. I was seen in an urgent care clinic that night and was thought to be having a drug reaction and sent home. The symptoms subsided over several days. I tested the Avelox again in May when I thought I was having another sinus infection just one pill made me repeat the reaction for several days. The next several months went by with just minor issues, which I did not connect to the Fluoroquinolones. In September over the course of several days the reaction occurred again and developed into multiple symptoms. Vomiting, diarrhea, heart pounding, a rise in blood pressure, tinnitus, insomnia, And of course extreme anxiety. I was also very adverse to food for several weeks. This reaction has continued now for 8 weeks.

5. The Urgent care doctor who saw me at the time I had recently ingested the Avelox believed immediately that there was a drug reaction. However other doctors seen later in September when the reaction re-occurred did not think it could be the fluoroquinolones.

6. The Urgent care doctor either had prior knowledge and reviewed the drug information with me on line during the visit.

7. See above. However other doctors at my current clinic are skeptical.

8. No.

9. No.

10. It was prescribed for a sinus infection that had not responded to Augmentin.

11. No testing was done.

12. See answer 10.

13. I have not had another sinus infection.

14. I found the site when I began researching Avelox after my initial reaction

15. I logged on to this site in my efforts to learn about what has happened to me and to participate in some further effort to educate the general public and decision makers about the dangers of these drugs.

16. The information on these sites have been both helpful in allowing me to understand my situation and alarming in that there are no easy answers as to any recovery.
 

Response 57

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

My name is "k*** h****"

2. Drug prescribed: most recent since latter part of
2005 until now.
Levaquin 750 mg in 11/05, 4/06, (refused to take Levaquin again after a few days in April due to side effects that were consistant w/Nov 2005, doctor called in CIPRO 400 mg, (I think that's the mg) for a 28 day regiment. Cipro prescribed again in August 2006 for food poisoning.

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) g.p. (our family doctor)

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
nightmares were horrendous, halluciations, rapid heart beat, sensativity to anyone touching me, (even at slightless touch)
paranoia (sp?), exhaustion, back pain, pain in legs, (reported pain in right leg to doc, he gave me ~physical therapy~ sheet, told me to do those exercise, they didnt help. I
often walk/shuffle like that of an ill 80 yr old woman, I'm 50) pain in upper portion/top of left foot, boney growths on right achellis tendon (sp?) entire upper torso (arms/shoulders/right inner elbow pain/
right wrist/upper hand pain: (I'm left handed, fyi) went to our g.p., he said it sounded like carpal tunnel syndrome, I told him NO way it could be, but followed up as he requested,
tests were done and confirmed, NO carpal tunnel. Nothing further was done regarding that.
I also became easily agitated, psychotic at times, out of control of my own emotions. I HATE THESE ANTIBIOTICS!

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: My pharmacist called my g.p. in November and told him I should not be taking this drug due to the fact I take elavil (amitryptaline) 75 mg at night, his answer to her "she has a serious sinus infection, tell her deal with the side effects. My pharmacist told my family to watch my ~breathing~... (my pharmacist ended up calling him on 3 different ocassions w/each new prescription) re: Physician's reaction to your concerns: When I went to my g.p..the first time w/my complaints and told him of the horrendous nightmares (at that point, he ~snickered~ and with a slight laugh said ~oh, nightmares~ and started writing something down on my file. I told him of the pain in my entire body quite frankly, he seemed uninterested, oblivious to my complaints.(I had NOT investigated the side effects of Levaquin/Cipro early on, it has just been recently that I found my complaints are much the same as many other people with serious side effects.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? NO!!!!!!!

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? NO!!!! *read below*

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? Only the breathing problems by our pharmacist.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? NO!!!!! (I visited my doctor recently, told him of the information I had found about these antibiotics, I asked him for an ADR to file with the FDA, he knew nothing of it, I think that warrants a DUH!

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use) ????, levaquin/cipro was prescribed for my sinus infections, I dont know what you mean ~off label~.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? CT scan showed I had serious sinus infection on several ocassions.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? sinus infection mostly, then food poisoning in August. (I told him then, I hated these drugs and what they do to my body/mind. Due to the fact that my mom advised me early on that I was allergic to Penicillian (sp?), my doc said levaquin and the like were my only options.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? a recent ct scan showed I am currently not having a serious sinus infection worthy of an antibiotic at this point.
So, I'm guessing yes, it helped cleared my sinus infection but my entire body is aching, my mental state is that of ~confusion~.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Internet, while looking up side effects. I had seen a commercial on tv concerning a class action lawsuit concerning levaquin. I told my husband, I thought that was the antibiotic I had been given. Calling my pharmacist confirmed that.

15. What made you log unto the site? the word RESEARCH,

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
YES!!!!, but I would like to know how I find a lawyer in South Carolina who handles class actions suits, and what evidence will I need? if the doctors dont believe me, what do I do?

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
I was repairing a rental home we had in 2005. While working on the flat roof for months, I ended up w/2 pinched nerves. Surgery (4/05) resulted with titanium rods etc. I had complained of my left bicep muscles feeling like they were being ripped apart and shoulder pain in both shoulders. They said ~nerve damage~, I finally demanded an MRI 4 months after neck surgery. the Left MRI showed multiple tears in the rotary cuff. The right shoulder MRI showed less damage, but it was there. Surgery for my left shoulder was 9/05. And I was to wait a year for the surgery needed on my RIGHT shoulder.
(NOTE ABOVE: repetative levaquin/cipro since 11/05.)
I was a STRONG, Vibrant, woman, UNTIL the first prescription of Levaquin. I became physically weak, mentally ~zonked~ (lack of a better word).
I remember seeing somewhere in the internet that people who are ~muscle challanged~ should NOT be given fluoroquinolones. IF I had known what I KNOW NOW, I would have demanded another type of antibiotic. Risking my life with penicillian rather than EVER being given this antibotic again. (the doctor has FINALLY FLAGGED my records as being allergic to levaquin and the like.

Due to other extenuaiting(sp?) circumstances with a violent teenager full well knowing of my physical condition) I feel I could have handled her better IF my muscles/tendons had not become so weak by what I feel certain now, resulted from the Levaquin/Cipro. (I had been handling it fine before, but physically/mentally I have become, I'm searching for the right word here, um,,,,, worthless, confused, disabled, and madder than hell that I wasnt WARNED,, and that my complaints to my doctor went in one ear and out the other.. Even my family told him of the ~change in me~.. geesh. it sux...

I feel I've left something out, (that confused state I'm in)

If you need to reach me, just reply to my email address...
AND
PLEASE, let me know how I go about finding a lawyer who handles these cases as I am NO longer able to work due to physical and mental incompasibilities.. and I HATE IT.!!!!

Response 61

 I am a 46 year old woman who took Noroxin a year ago for a UTI since then I have had facial numbness on the left side, MRI's Ct's etc cannot find cause, I also developed toxic hepatitis diagnozed by three specialists and still have lfts three times the normal limit. Are their any australians taking legal action or class actions, is there an australian support group? I hope you can help, my life changed the day I took Noroxin.
Elizabeth

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Sun123

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) ER Dr

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: 5th day near suicidal, 10th day severe tendonitis in left elbow, shortly after right leg sciatica, now both legs have sciatica and I have since been diagnosed with L4-L5 stenosis but had no symptoms prior to the Levaquin. 6 drs have told me I am very young to have such an advanced degenerative state and are puzzle that I didn’t feel the symptoms coming on gradually.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
(1st primary dr): Elbow tendonitis was probably from Levaquin, sciatica probably not, no further advise.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? 
No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?
She said tendonitis was probably from Levaquin, sciatica probably not, no further advise.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? NO

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?  NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?  Chest X-ray for pneumonia

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? for pneumonia

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Yes, all pneumonia symptoms went away quickly

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? A search for “living with lumbar stenosis” led me to a site that led me here.

15. What made you log unto the site? I want to get the word out to others, this has destroyed my life.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I took Levaquin in May and now it is September and my life hasn’t been the same since. I just want to find out if the Levaquin is really responsible for all the changes I’ve gone through. I used to be very active, now I can barely get through my day at work.

Response 62

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. joey

2. Drug prescribed: Avelox

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) general practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: burning, tingling pain in arms and somewhta in legs, muscle spasms, light headeness and feeling of pressure in head, muskoskeletal pain,

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: Physician seemed indifferent about this, not really concerned, almost like I was making this up.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? no, for a sinus infection

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? No

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? not sure, sinus infection cleared up but not sure if it was due to the drug

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? searched my symptoms

15. What made you log unto the site? hoping to find an answer

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 63

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.) Mary

2. Drug prescribed: Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) ER Dr.

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Accelerated heart rate, nausea

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: A different ER Dr. and my primary care physician performed EKGs and the primary put me on a 24-hour heart monitor

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No. I pointed it out when I returned the Holt monitor back to the primary

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? I spoke to the Nurse, yes, she agreed it was possible

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? Not yet

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? I don’t think so, it was prescribed for pseudomonas on my arm

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? For the pseudomonas

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? I initially was prescribed Bactrim & Duracef, which seemed to be clearing the infection, but when the culture came back, the original dr. wanted me to switch to Cipro.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Yahoo search under “Cipro side effects”

15. What made you log unto the site? Answers to my symptoms and how long I can expect them to last

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 64

I was treated for UTI this spring with Cipro. I developed chills and flu-like symptoms, but thought it was from the UTI. I also got severe chest pressure and neck tightness. I went to the family MD's and saw a nurse practioner for UTI problems. When I tried to explain about the shaking problems (shaking from head to foot especially when lying horizontally), the NP said, "I don't have time to listen to all this in a 20 minute visit). She called the pharmacy to confirm that they had Rx'd the 500 mg and not the original 250 mg dose that they called in, then the nurse told me that the urinalysis did not show UTI (I had already taken the Cipro for about 5 days), and she told me that the Avelox that the ENT physician had Rx'd to take after I finished the Cipro would take care of any remaining germs that the Cipro didn't get.

My ENT MD gave me a Rx for Avelox to get filled and start for a sinusitus if I still had symptoms after the Cipro was finished. Since my ear was still hurting, I started the Avelox after I finished Cipro. My ear pain improved some, but the shaking and flu-symptoms worsened to the point I could not continue my college courses. I went to the ENT doctor who offered me some tranquilizer (Xanax), but I told him that the problem was physiologic and not related to anxiety. He suggested I try to stop the Avelox and see if it helped, so I did.

The day I stopped the Avelox, the SEVERE shaking went away. I took Omnicef for the tonsilitis and referred ear pain/sinusitus that helped prior to my tonsillectomy.

I would like to add that I was also taking Plaquinil 400 mg /day when I took the cipro and also the AVElox. I had previously taken Cipro and Avelox without difficulty, until I took them in combination with the Plaquinil (Hydroxychloroquine).

I think the FDA should be aware of these side -effects. It was very scary.
Catherine C.

Response 66

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Tazsgto

2. Drug prescribed:  Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) General Practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:  Severe joint pain and swelling, muscle weakness and pain, severe pain in rotator cuff to the point I couldn’t sit walk or lay down to relieve the pain.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:  Yes, it is probably a reaction to the Levaquin although I have never seen it before (other than a rash). I felt like he thought I was just being a crybaby pest. He told me to take Tylenol.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?No he did not.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?No he was not.

8. Were you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?  I was given no warnings, only it was a great drug and it would get rid of my sinus infection.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? Not that I am aware of.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? No

12.What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Yes, it did clear up my stubborn sinus infection.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Drugvictims.org

15. What made you log unto the site?I want to see how other people cope with the continuing pain.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes, it was of some help.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I am disgusted with the medical profession, I asked my doctor how long my pain would last and he just said, I don’t know. I emailed the pharmaceutical copy and asked the same thing. The said they couldn’t tell me, I have to ask my doctor. What a run around. I am fed up.
 

Response 68

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other
identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
bizibeth

2. Drug prescribed: levaquin and previously cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example,
internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency
room physician, surgeon, etc.)  internist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this
drug:
sudden severe bilateral tendonosis in achilles tendons
and forearms lasting for over a year.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge
concerning the adverse reactions associated with the
fluoroquinolones?  NO

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug
could possibly be responsible?  subsequently went to a
different doctor, rheumatologist, who acknowledges
that quinolones can cause tendon damage.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects
you may experience?  NO

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit
discussion prior to prescribing the drug?  NO.  Her
only comment was "This is a great antibiotic."

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use
(meaning NOT an approved use)?

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence
of a bacterial infection?  not before prescibing the
drug.  A test was done in the office and I was told to
start taking Levaquin immediately.  A week later I
received a letter from the doctor stating that there
was no infection.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?  suspected
bladder infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this
drug?  No

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?  from yahoo
quinolones message board

15. What made you log unto the site?

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 69

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
Andy

2. Drug prescribed:
Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
ER DOCTOR

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
MUSCLE PAIN IN RIGHT SHOULDER, DIZZINESS, STOMACH HURTS, CLOUDINESS, BOUTS OF HOT/COLD.  TIREDNESS.  INSOMNIA.

5. Physician's reaction to your concerns:
HAVEN'T GONE BACK YET.  WILL SOON.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
NO

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
NOT THIS MANY.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
YES.  CHEST XRAY.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
PNEUMONIA

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
FEVER WENT AWAY, FELT GOOD FOR A FEW DAYS.  BUT STARTED TO FEEL WORSE.  FEVER STAYED AWAY. BUT STOMACH HURT AGAIN, AND I GOT MORE TIRED EASILY.  

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

15. What made you log unto the site?
CONCERNS ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
YES

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
Saw new physician and while he was entering my details and before he asked why I was there he asked what med's I wanted. He then excluded all other symptoms during the examination and only treated the obvious rash around my groin. He did not know what it was and prescribed a 1% cortisone cream. The rash, body itching and little lumps are slowly clearing. I feel more mentally active. I was particularly red and blotchy and my neck was red and looked very wringled and old. This might not be a reaction to fluoroquinolones but my range of symptoms seem quiet consistent with the mentioned side effects.

Response 71

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

2. Drug prescribed: Avelox

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) General Practioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Lower back pain, wooziness/light headed, headaches, and general weakness.

5. Physician's reaction to your concerns: Sent me to a speacialist-rheumatologist

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? He stated it might be possible.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Blood work

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Sore throat

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? None

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Research

15. What made you log unto the site? Find out how long I'll be a victim of these side effects

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Just started looking

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: Initial blood work found a dozen areas to be extremely high, putting the liver in high distress. Additional tests are being conducted to see what other problems this has caused.
 

Response 83

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.DJust30

2. Drug prescribed:Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)specialist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:enlarged lymph nodes, throat swollen together, severe pain in feet and legs, lethargy, depression, foggy thinking, sleeplessness, soreness in neck and shoulders, patchy dry skin, nausea, lack of appetite, metal taste in mouth, Achiness all over that is not alleviated with pain medication, inability to function in my daily activities.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:misdiagnosis

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?I don't think so

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?Upper respiratory infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?No

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?google search

15. What made you log unto the site?I need help

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?No, not at the present time.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:Will these side affects go away?  Is there anything I can do to alleviate them?
 

Response 84

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
Shelleypidge

2. Drug prescribed:
Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
Internist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Dizziness, depression, knee swelling and pain

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
Reported yesterday - no feedback as yet.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? no

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
No.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
No.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
Unsure.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
No.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
I had suspected shingles, and also a breast lump/ lump under my arm, which my doctor thought may have been due to an underlying infection - hence the shingles.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
The lumps went away after 3 days on the drug.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
When my knee swelled up I saw from the pharmacist notes that it may be a side effect of Levaquin - I then went online to check it out, and that led me to this website.

15. What made you log unto the site?
Wanted to record my experience - so many people have had serious issues, it's important all adverse effects are recorded.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
I finished a 10 day course of Levaquin 2 days ago - my knees are still swollen, and I wonder how long it will last, and if the effects are permanent - others seem to have been permanently affected by this drug.

Response 85

1.Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Dundir

2. Drug prescribed: Ciproflaxin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Urologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Extreme Fatigue,Tendonitis, Paranoia, constipation, vision damage, weakness in ankle tendons, kidney and colon pains, and getting worse.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: He said the symptoms i was having were not related to his field, and that I should speak with my primary care doctor. I was unable to get an appointment with my primary care doctor and so went in to several of the urgent care doctors. When I spoke to each one i mentioned that Cipro has these symptoms as side effects, they refused to admit that cipro had caused the problem and decided to treat the symptoms. At the time it was tendonitis but since then has gradually worsened. As if they were unrelated.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? The physician's did not exhibit any prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the flouroquinolones.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? They were not.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? I was only warned of possible fatigue associated while taking the medicine and that it was normal.

9.Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? He did not.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? I'm not sure, I had done a cystoscopy and they thought I had a UTI so they prescribed it as a first line drug.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?  Minimal Urine Testing was done, there was no signs of infection, yet i was recieving symptoms of an infection.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? For a possible urinary tract infection.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? I recieved no benefit from this drug, I retain all my previous symptoms in regard to my urological condition as well as new symptoms related to cipro.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?  I started doing my own research and ran across the site on a forum.

15. What made you log unto the site?  I haven't logged in yet.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? The information was somewhat valuable however i'm hoping to find a way of stopping my health's gradual degradation.

17.Additional comments or concerns you may have: I was being seen at Kaiser Permanente, all the doctors with the exception of one urgent care doctor seemed to be incompetent, they kept me in the dark, didn't really discuss what could be wrong and weren't willing overall to help me be healthy. In short their actions show me that all they wanted to do was treat the symptoms rather than the underlying cause. Its been 8 months since I took the ciproflaxin and my health is deteriorating rapidly, i switched insurance and have been seeing a new doctor with not much luck.
 

Response 86

1.  Sherry

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Podiatrist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:Joint pain, skin coming off in big amounts on bottom of both feet, itchy spells

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: Said to stop taking Levaquine and symptoms would go away.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Not really

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? Don't know

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Bone infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Yes

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Website

15. What made you log unto the site? Looking for information on side effects of this drug

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: What do I do now? How do I know I'm not damaged for life?

 

Response 87

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Star Fire

2. Drug prescribed: Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)  ER doctor - separate internist, my regular doctor, refused to change Rx despite my fears

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:  Ha! Do you have a blank novel? Um.... What DON'T I have. Typing it out kind of makes me relive it. Let's go from head to toe.

Early on, I had (day two) hallucinations in a tactile way. I kept feeling things on me that were not there. I had memories that I knew did not happen. But could not figure out why I kept having those images in my head. They were vivid. I called them waking nightmares. This distressed me. But due to the symptoms themselves maybe - I did not realise at that time it was the Cipro already acting in me. By the next day my left hand was tremoring. I then began to wonder if it was the Cipro. I told someone close to me about that. They were not too concerned. (But what did they know about it?) So I kept taking it. I had tried getting my regular Dr. to Rx me something else even before I took the Cipro. Because I had read some warnings online. I had not found the fqresearch.org website or I would've never taken them. I wanted to ask someone about all this but there was no one to ask. (This is still prior to taking the Cipro) I told myself well no one said anything about LASTING effects so I will just stop taking it if I have any reactions. Besides - again no one would Rx me anything different. So I tried to calm my own fears, told myself the Dr's scoffing at my concerns meant that I was being a big baby, and so forth. That is after all how I was being treated.

Biggest mistake I may ever make was not listening to my intuition on this. So by day 5 I was unable to walk much at all. My legs kept wobbling out from under me. My ankles were lit up in pain. I finally got hold of another doctor and he Rx something else for me. Ok? So fast forward one week later. I thought the worst was behind me. I was relaxing, not worried about anything, when suddenly my heart started thumping and racing. It was so hard another person could SEE it moving through my shirt. And felt, and was amazed how rapid my heart beat was. I don't know how rapid but I'd guess over 100 beats per minute.

The next month or so is a blur now, because so much happened. At times I'd have strange things happen like my legs would not stop kicking. My vision blurred and I could barely speak. My tongue felt thick and my words slurred. (I don't drink) My hands and fingers began to feel very weak and did not do as I 'told' them to do. In the following months, I (who usually never went to doctors) saw a neurologist, and other specialists, who nicely or rudely, all told me it could not be the Cipro and to see a shrink. I will go into that more later though. I see there is a space here just for that issue.

I could not stand on my tiptoes for months. I tried to do that because I noticed my feet were not bending as normal. I walked like my feet were stiff as boards. It was as if the tendons inside them gave up. It is very hard to describe and no doubt partly why doctors looked at me so strangely. My array of symptoms was so diverse, and unusual, and all together, made it sound I'm sure, like I was just a crackpot.  I only wish.

The anxiety, depression, and FEAR absolute dread and fear, were extreme. I cannot describe how extreme. It was as if whatever normally mediates feelings of fear was just gone. GONE. I could not watch anything on tv that moved too quickly or was too bright or noisy. Cartoons come to mind. No way I could watch those. Music videos, anything scary or suspenseful on Tv. I had anxiety attacks out of nowhere, just lying in bed. I kept family on the phone for hours on end. I was desperate. THe minutes felt longer than I could've imagined was possible. Think of the scariest thing you can imagine. Now imagine it is right next to you. For months. And on top of that you can't sleep and it doesn't go away. That's what this felt like. I haven't taken this stuff but from what I hear of it I might say this is like the worst ACID trip you could ever take. The absolute terror cannot be overstated.

Thankfully... with much prayer or luck, that went away in time. I still feel more quick to anger and more quick to stress than ever before. I am not the same "me" I was before taking the Cipro. But at least, despite my sleep schedule being messed up extremely, at least now I can sleep at all. Even if it is at odd hours or daytime. Having that rest sometimes is so restorative and I am very grateful for the sleep I can get. Usually it's not deep or restful... and if I have hours of daylight I'm not used to it changes again (harder to sleep), but, it is better than it was. And it WAS so bad that I felt desperate. Nothing I took helped really, by the way. I tried one or two Ambien pills, etc., but nothing helped, if anything, it seemed to rebound on me to make things even worse.  Finally I decided, I will just let my body heal itself as much as it can. Taking things only seemed to delay or even worsen that process. And I mean, did I want to put money in the pockets of big pharma anyway?

Ok, what other symptoms... constipation, off and on, but, at times it's been so severe I was afraid of blockages and almost went to the ER. I mean, totally impacted. A lot of times my BM is so dry... it falls apart. It is very weird. My eyes are continually very dry. Sometimes they itch. I tihnk that is a possible infection so then I drink even more water and put gel on them (just lube gel). I cannot wear contacts any more. So I look old before my time. I have gained weight from being in bed so much, and eating soft foods, like starches, etc. For months I was unable to hold a toothbrush due to the pains in my hands and weakness and loss of function. So my teeth have cavities in them now and are yellowed and the enamel is etched. BUT I am afraid to go to the dentist due to what the pain injections might do to me. Or that they might not work.

One day several months after Cipro, bright blue and purple veins appeared all over my body. In ropes and strands. They do not stick out but are very visible. They don't hurt but sometimes I do have burning/flushing under the skin. I dont know if that is due to nerves or veins though. NO way to really tell. The very visible veins, even in my face, are things usually seen in someone, oh, 80? So that mortifies me in a way. I try not to look at myself in the mirror.

My vision keeps getting worse. I got a new prescription after Cipro and already I have to strain at times to read things well or quickly.   I hope it will not continue to worsen. I wory about eye infections due to the decreased moisture I know it's easier to get infected or injured. I try not to rub them.

I have carpal tunnel like feelings in my wrists. I did not have that before. For almost a year I could not type or hold a pen well. First the pain and loss of function, then the pain began to slowly slowly decrease, BUt the loss of functino is still not 100 percent well. But for many months it felt as if my hands were being shredded by knives. Or had been all day.

I found it hard to sit up for months. It was as if whatever normally holds muscles together, wasn't any more. So it felt as if the weight of my own body was prying me apart inside. Searing intense pains and a feeling of 'ripping'. So I would lie still in bed most of the time. My eyes hurt badly at times. It hurt to even glance at a light bulb sideways. I would feel a sudden stabbing pain in both eyes. Literally as if stabbed. It was horrendous. I could not really go out in the daytime or if I did I had to wait until the sun was not so bright and wear dark glasses. I still don't know why that happened. The regular eye exam person did not see anything when she (of course, haha) looked into my pupils with a VERY BRIGHT LIGHT. ha. Doesn't THAT make sense. She was nice about it but OUCH.

That pain has mostly improved. But I stilil have to be careful. I try ot keep the light 'even' in the room. If I am not aware and forget to do that, then soon I have pains again. And dryness and a feeling of sand in my eyes. I have to keep my glasses clean or the straining my eyes do, causes black spots to appear. They are faint though which I am grateful for.

I have tendon problems to this day, in my wrists and ankles and feet especially. They hurt and my ankles tendons often feel about to snap. I try to be very careful. Exercising heartily is probably out. Jumping or running certainly is. WHich means i may never lose this extra poundage. I try not to think about things like that. I try to do what I can do 'today' and not think about tomorrow. This is the opposite of how I used to be which was dynamic and goal seeking.

My ovaries shut down completely. I have hormone tests to prove this, before and after Cipro. It was so unusual of a level for my age that the test was run many times but it came out the same. I only know that because I noticed the note jotted down by someone at the lab. No doctor has interpreted all this for me. Not really. Some were at least kind, though. Thankfully.

I have vertical ripples up my arms that look like a zipper. I dont know what caused that unless carrying something before my tissue healed. I have no idea though. I only did that once, because I had to. It was not even heavy. Before I took Cipro I would carry 5 bags of groceries at once with no problem. Now I dont know what will happen to me next.

There are chunks missing out of my arms and legs, below the skin. That is the only way I can put it. It is like part of the tissues died. I can wear clothes to cover most of it and it is not AS visible unless the light hits it just right; then it looks quite shocking. My lower arms even have what a chiropractor (who I didn't end up seeing) termed as "scooped out muscles". The muscles in parts are just gone. That is how it APPEARS anyway. I have not been to a doctor in some time for tests. Why? They can't tell me a thing.

And even if or when something is very out of order they just shrug and they may say it kindly but they cannot help me.

Well you get the picture. Oh also early on, for the better part of hte first year, I could not get enough water. I drank almost non stop. If I had to drive far to see a doctor or something and could not drink as much due to not stopping to use a bathroom, then, I'd get extremely dehydrated and my feet would swell. Again things that happen to 80 yr olds. But despite feeling parched ALL the time, no doctor would so much as give me an IV of fluids. The most any of them did was offer yet another pill for off label usage. I was offered some type of BP med, and Neurontin and Zyprexa. Thankfully I refused all those.

Vitamins even caused me symptoms which REALLY got strange looks from others so I learned not to tell people that. But it is the truth. I reacted badly to chicken that was SUPPOSEDLY organic. My mouth swelled, my tongue swelled, and at the end of it I had lost a lot of collagen in my lips. That again is a reason I am mortified at my reflection. I do not look like ME any more. That plus the weight gain and loss of collagen elsewhere means I am older, saggier and heavier now. Before Cipro I was always told I look so young for my age.

Well I better answer the rest of the questions.


5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

One doctor laughed at me. Most of them told me to see a shrink. The report two of them wrote was very disheartening. Despite saying I "might" have this or that but did not (which makes no sense), they also wrote that I had a bad childhood and things like that. I wondered why they asked me so many psychological questions at the time, but, they said they were trying to help me, and I was so desperate for any help I went along with anything they wanted to do. But they would not perform a bone scan, or MRI, or sonogram or things that might actually tell PHYSICALLY what is wrong... And althoguh my blood tests were abnormal - they could not pin down a specific illness except 'fibromyalgia' the catchall so they decided I must be crazy. Nice. Now they could dismiss me. One even laughed and mocked the idea that anyone is sick from FQ drugs. He even read the Yahoo group (probably one or two letters) and mocked THAT.

One Dr. wanted me to take Zyprexa to sleep. When I informed him that a class action suit was pending for it giving people diabetes he screamed at me. He screamed that I just wanted to look everytihng up online and if I did not take it he would not be my doctor any more. I cried. He must have felt bad later because a week later he left two messages on my machine, saying I could come in after all if I wanted to. But I never phoned back.   That was shocking to me that he'd treat my concerns that way. Especially after I had been made ill by Rx drugs. I am happy I did not give in that time (it was not an emergency like when I had to take Cipro). I see ads for the class action suit against Zyprexa on Tv all the time. I wonder if he has seen those ads and if he regrets trying to force me to take it. I doubt he even remembers any of this, though.

Only ONE doctor so much as looked it up in his PDR. Then he got real quiet. But there was nothing he coudl do to help me eitiher. No one knows what this syndrome is or what causes it (I dont mean the catalyst but I mean what THAT does to us exactly and how to stop it).

The other doctors I saw (maybe 5 to 7? I don't know offhand) only one was kind. The other was kind of baffled but when I told him some think we shoudl see shrinks (by we I mean Cipro sufferers) he said well that's not a bad idea. he had given me an EMG but it showed as normal. A neurologist later told me that it has to be done at 6 to 8 wks after the injury. OR it will not show up. So my first EMG was way too soon and the later one was too late.

I never phoned back my original doctor. I try not to use that type of language. Anyway he's so much a narcissist and so sneering that (sorry I can't think of words I want, oftentimes, still) he would only jeer at me anyway. I wonder what they will do when the class action suit happens as I know it will one day, if it takes 20 yrs or more. I bet they will not even remember us.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

NO. NOt at all. And I got no sheet with it. Just a very short list of very minor possible side effects. Even those scared me. I also said "isn't this an anthrax drug? Do I really need this for a colon problem?" She would not even answer me. So I phoned my regular PCP next day I think - he did not even want to discuss it but when he did, he laughed at me, and said sarcastic things. He said there are NO side effects from Cipro and he "prescribes it all the time". He absolutely refused to change the Rx which I was begging him to do. I did not have a Dr relationship with anyone else so I could not ask anyone else to Rx anything... I did not think of calling the Dr. on call to see if he would (since he had no vanity stake in telling me what to do) until later. By then it was too late. I had been on Cipro five days.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?

I never told him of the ADR. He would have jeered at me at best. Or hung up for fear he'd be sued, more likely. Evne though I am not the lawsuit type. BUt I bet he would not talk to me once I said Cipro did this. And there is not enough phone time in teh world to list it all for him anyway. I daydreamed a couople times about printing out Dr. reports and mailing it to him. BUt he would just roll his eyes and toss it in the trash. Much like the other Dr. did later about Zyprexa. As soon as they hear hte word internet they jeer. BUT I was speaking of lawyer websites and doctor reports on the internet, and newspaper articles. It did not matter to them.

My story is much like everyone else's. No doctor would help me and those who would, could not.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

Ha. NO. I even told THEM what I was reading online and they LAUGHED literally LAUGHED. Well the one did (if you mean before I took it). The other, the ER doctor, would not reply at all. Even the very short side effects list she gave me on some print out of THEIRS, sounded bad enough that I did not want to take it. I think they gave me drugs as a safety anyway. I did not even have a bacterial infection. Just colon inflammation of some type.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

Again.... NO. When I tried to I was either stonewalled or ignored.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

Yes, I had a mild UTI, and colon inflammation wrongly diagnosed as diverticulitis. The ER doctor had not even read the CaT scan report correctly. I got that report later and it did not say I had it. Just that it was a possible early sign. So why was I given such a strong pill?!? In such a high dose? A UTI can be treated with cranberry juice. She never answered me as to why she wanted me to take Cipro either. I asked her twice "but isn't this an anthrax drug"?

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?

Not really, they said the urine test confirmed a UTI but not what kind of UTI.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

They never told me! They told me I had diverticulitis (patently untrue and I knew that... way too young and no trouble eating seeds, etc.) and I saw on the print out that I had a UTI also, which was likely the main source of pain (which today seems like NOTHING after all Cipro put me through!!). But not which tihng the pills were for, or why those pills.   THey also gave me Flagyl with it. I did not have diarrhea! Why give me Flagyl. When I told my PCP I'd ratehr take Flagyl only if he woudl not change the Cipro Rx, he said that could kill me. FALSE but I did not know it then.

OH and my PCP also LIED and said - he had seen the CAT scan and that I had an abcess in my intestine. Flat out LIE. I didn't. BUT that worked and scared me into taking the Cipro, as I know an abcess there can be deadly. When I much later found out that it was a manipulative lie, I had many mixed emotions inside.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?

NO. It did not treat any of my presenting symptoms and did not help the pain in my stomach. Nothing. I still felt sick. Even the flared up skin where my IV had gone in did not go away. Not until I began another antibiotic after stopping the Cipro. Cipro did not help me one little bit.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

Google.

15. What made you log unto the site?

All hell was breaking loose in my body. Worse than poison. It was more like poison and my muscles being shredded. And 10,000 other things.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

Yes, of course, although it also always freaks me out and depresses me to go there. Maybe the entry page being a BIT less info all on one page, or maybe having a type of place to go and talk or some sort of hopeful message somewhere would help ease that, but it's your site. But also I hear people telling me they feel overwhelmed by that page and they read nothing. These are people I know who I have asked to go to the site so they can know what I am giong through. I woudl rather see people's quotes from their own stories on the entry page, then the page divided into clear sections that you could click on one at a time.

Just so that the intake of info is more manageable. It feels like it hits me all in the face at once. And as you know stress is one of the things we deal with anyway.

Right now I dont know ahead of time if I am clicking on a Dr. report, report in someone's own words, newspaper story, etc. I wish instead of a lot of scary links it had sections for newspaper articles, sections for 'in their own words', sections 'for physicians who doubt', etc., etc. And that last section would have reports from other doctors, since I tihnk they would not listen to anything else. At least that was my experience.

I cannot get family to read it as they are laypersons and put off by too much meidcal lingo and too dire of a sound to things. Maybe if you eased the reader into the site more gradually. They would come back again out of curiosity etc. But all at once it is too much. Those who know, relive it, and those who don't, run away.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

For the FQ victims in a freaking out stage, how about a phone number they can call, even if it is a recorded message. Just to hear a human voice that says, this is real, others have had htis happen, and you are not NOT crazy.

The worst thing about this illness, for me, isn't the pain, isn't the stroke-like effects on my brain, isn't the change in my lifestyle, isn't the murky future. The worst thing for me is that no one believes us.

Best luck with your mission to rid the world of these poisons.
 

Response 90

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. RDMjolnir

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin 500mg 1 tablet daily

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist,
general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Infectious Disease Specialist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Sleeplessness, joint pain, fatigue

5. Physician's reaction to your concerns: Cannot get through to my doctor

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? He only taked to me about nausea/diarrhea.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Was put through to a pharmacist

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may
experience? None

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? Yes, I am being given the drug in a Prophylatic manner to try to prevent an infection

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? No

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? A recurrent cellulitis, secondary to Primary Lymphedema

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
Other than the infection going away no

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Internet research on side effects

15. What made you log unto the site? I'm in a lot of pain and discomfort

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I am following up with another Doctor
 

Response 91

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. OUCH

2. Drug prescribed:Levaquin and Ciprofloxian

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) ENT, FAMILY DOCTOR/GP

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Pain/stiffness in joints. Particularly bad in knee joints. Aching legs.and shoulders. Pain in in front of knees more than behind.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: GP seemed to be unimpressed. ENT doctor told me to stop Levaquin, but later prescribed Cipro, which causes same problem for me. Another specialist that I mentioned it to seemed worried and didn't feel I should chance taking the meds.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? one was somewhat skeptical I think, another was concerned.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? NO!

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? NO!

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? YES

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Unsure

14. How did you find the research site? Looked for info on the Quinolones and Floxins

15. What made you log unto the site? Interested in subject matter due to my problems with taking Cipro and Levaquiin.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes, I felt i was not the only person experiencing side effects. I don't think these side effects are 'rare' as described in literature.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have  I think these medications are frightening. It is very disarming to have such serious side effects and I doubt that you are getting all the actual information as some people may have gotten very ill and some people may have simply quit taking it and not said so to their doctor.

Response 92

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Troid

2. Drug prescribed: Tequin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) ENT

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: blurry dim vision in one eye

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: not sure, clueless

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? no

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? no

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?no

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Sinus occlusion

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? limited

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Searching for answers to this malady.

15. What made you log unto the site? To get help, answers

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I hope these drugs are taken off the market.
 

Response 93

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Lynn

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)Walk in

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: loss of hair body pain comes and goes i get sick just by a sick person walks past me. Really bad Gerds

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: he didn't care so i found a new DR and the first thing he is if i had lupus

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?dont know

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? my new DR yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? NO

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? xray was wrong then the DR never looked at the spit test

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Upper Respiratory infection.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? NO

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? from another site

15. What made you log unto the site? to let every body i can know this drug can kill and almost did ME

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? some what

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

I want to see this drug no longer in use and the CO to pay the med. bills for the ones who are still having trouble from it. Its been almost 5 years and I'm still not right.the same for others.
 

Response 96

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Guitar Lady 1014

2. Drug prescribed: Avelox

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Internal Medicine

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: There are so many, it's hard to find a place to start. I took the one and only pill on March 14, 2006. The pill was taken at 2 pm that day and by 6 that evening, I was having a deep gnawing pain in the palms of my hands. The muscles in my calves hurt too but I thought it was from working that day. By the next day, I had all petechiae all over my lower legs and feet. I went to the doctor's office and she freaked out thinking I had leukemia and it all came to light as a coincidence to taking this medicine. but it wasn't that. This was from the medicine.

My symptoms got worse and worse over the next few weeks to the point that the petechiae now was a full blown raised rash and itched incessantly. From my knees to my feet, I couldn't stop the itch. I was prescribed Atarax, took benedryl, used non itching sprays, you name it, I tried it but to no avail. That was the worst part of this for skin discomfort.

Other symptoms included joint and muscle pains everywhre... arms, hands, wrists, knees, hips and my back. both side of my rib cage hurt at times making it hard to take a deep breath. I had persistant fevers during this whole thing as well as a sore throat and very sore sinuses with constant blood when blowing my nose. I still have that today, some 8 weeks later.

At this time, all of mysymptoms have subsided but on occasion, when I walk long distances, my leg muscles hurt... when they hurt, I get the petechiae like condition again and it looks like blood under my skin. My feet and legs hurt too when I walk. I'm seriously ready for all of this to go away any time soon.....

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: He just kept saying, "this just has to run it's course." blah blah blah.... all crap to me. He has only done blood work twice in the 8 weeks of this and it's always been with good results. They were mainly looking for leukemia, I guess.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? Not at all...he kept saying, "Ive never seen a reaction this severe"

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No, he seems in the dark about this reaction and how severe it could be

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? no, just wrote it out for a sinus infection

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? no

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? a persistant sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? no, but I only took one pill and got the first of the side effects

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? I put "avelox, adverse reaction" into my browser

15. What made you log unto the site? looking for like reactions and hopefully some encouraging words about how long this lasts...it's been 8 weeks for me now

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? no one had the same thing that bothers me the most... the petechiae that has turned into a horrible skin rash

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: If anyone in your family is told to take Levaquin and has no reaction, that doesn't mean they won't have a problem with Avelox... it happened to me. I won't let any of my boys take Avelox... I hope no one else does. I think the drug companies make super pills that doctors used to treat minor illnesses and we get overmedicated. I felt like dying and I bet many other's have too
 

Response 97

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.   Ferdawg

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Internist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Ruptured Achilles Tendon

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: That I was probably less than 1% of the patients who experienced this adverse reactin and that he was palnning to continue prescribing this drug to his patients becasue it still is quite effective.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? never commented

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Sinus Infection and Bronchitis

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?  Infection did clear up

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Wanted to see how many other victims were out there - internet research

15. What made you log unto the site? See #14 above

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?  Yes - supported my opinion that we have all been victimized.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:  Someone should take responsibility for the adverse reactions people are having from this drug. Someone should get the message out to the rest of the population that this drug can have very serious side effects and casue much pain a suffering much worse that the actual initial problem. For me it is still suffering and pain I had surgery was out of work for 2 months and am still spending tons of money on physical therapy 3 times per week. I may never recoever 100%.

Response 98

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.  butterfly

2. Drug prescribed:  Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)  Nurse Practioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:  depression/leg pain/shoulder pain/joints popping/gasto upset

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:  had no comment when I wrote about initial reaction when I stopped it...which was psychosis, difficulty breathing, throat closing

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?  No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?  n/a

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?  only the insert.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?  no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?  yes - i thought it was an infection from a tooth

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?  no

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?  discomfort on right side of head...ear fluid.  had taken another antibiotic that had helped...told the doc i thought i had a tooth infection and was going to the dentist as soon as i could get in.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?  none

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?  internet searching

15. What made you log unto the site?  i feel so bad.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?  yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:  thanks for the site...
 

Response 100

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Muscleshurt

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin.

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)  Family practice/Internal medicine.

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Muscle and joint pain, mostly in my legs and knees, and severe pain in the bones of my feet.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:  Initially stopped the levaquin. Later on, said that my symptoms were not from the levaquin and he could not find a cause for them.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?  Not initially, but in a followup visit, we spoke about the reported spontaneous tendon rupture reports, but he said those were rare.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?  I wouldn't go so far to say that he wouldn't admit it, but he said that he didn't see how it could be from the drug, since it should have subsided after I stopped the drug... which the symptom did not... they did not subside after I stopped the drug. I have spoke to him since then, and told him that I still have the symptoms and he doesn't know what is causing them.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?  No.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?  No.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?  I don't think so. I have recurrent sinus infections, and I think that the drug is used for this?

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?  No. As I said, I have recurrent sinus infections and when I run a fever and do not get better... and keep getting worse, then my doctor prescirbed something. He will not prescribe an antibiotic until my condition warrants it.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?  Sinus infection, not resolving, and getting worse.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?  Yes. The fever subsided and my sinuses began to drain and I began to feel like I was getting over the sinus infection.  However, then the other symptoms began and I felt awful. He told me to stop the drug at that time.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?  Since no one seems to know why my muscles and joints still ache, and the gout tests and other arthritis tests have come back negative, I began to look for answers my self. I was previously a VERY active person with no joint pain. My feet never hurt and my legs never ached. I did not have the tingling and burning in my feet and lower legs that I now have. I am scared that these symptoms will not go away! And it has been over a year since they began.

15. What made you log unto the site?  I want answers. I want relief.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?  Yes.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:  Do you have any evidence to show that these symptoms will go away?

Response 101

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name:
a257

2. Drug prescribed:
Ciprobay (Bayer Corporation)

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)
Specialist (Urologist)

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
noise, loud beep in ears
pressure in the ears
hearing loss for high frequency sounds
neck stiffness
loss of vertical balance
feeling of heat or burning in hands
numbiness of hands
dizziness
feeling sleepy
loss of focus for tasks
pain in joints
body joints being 'loose', making sound when flexing hands or legs

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
5a) From primary Physician: None (I haven't seen him after prescription - a common practice in Poland, when you meet private doctors)
5b) From another Physician, that was consulted after Adverse Reaction began: Total disbelief

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?
No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
No, never

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
No, never

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
No, It was prescribed for approved use

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
No, never

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
Minor urological infection (prostate gland irritation)

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
Minor infections dissapeared for 5 years, then returned again

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
Search in Websearch engine (Altavista.com) for Adverse Reaction Ciprobay

15. What made you log unto the site?
Wanting to share my personal experience. Wanting someone to believe for a first time the story of my Ciprobay problems. Search if there is cure for noise in the ears. Wanting to help someone.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
Yest, it was.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
a) The site is of a great value. It deserves to have separate sections of interest, like separate pages or links. Now all the information is on one page, hard to find.
b) I still would like to donate. If not this site, then the foundation that will push for ban of those medicines. Donations should be allowed.
c) Sections with links to other people or organisations fighting for victims of those drugs should be more exposed. Together we have the power to change things. Let's push in so many places as possible.

Thank you with all my heart.
A.

Response 102

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. - PSM-Jr.

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) - General Ofice by PA

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Intially swelling of joints, sweats, headaches, sleeplessness after taking 750mg for 3 days then discontinued. Not three days after last dosed taken add'l events included severs muscle cramp under right arm pit, muscular neck pain and musclee weakness in legs

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: Stop taking and prescriber another antibotic, which I haven't started taking.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? - NO!

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? - Not exactly, but why would they prescribed another drug!

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? - NO!

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?-No, there really wasn't a reason for me to take this drub, because my symptoms included fevers, which they siad it was likely viral which the Levaquin wouldn't help anyway.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? See #9 above!

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? No!

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?-Fevers & achiness, very little upper respitory - but my asthma was getting worse!

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? - Don't know's, I would rather still be sick than in pain!

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? - Web Search on Yahoo!

15. What made you log unto the site? - Wanted to get more info & do something about it so other people don't suffer!

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? - Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: It's amazing that a drug with this many known side effects is still prescribed, at least without a discussion with the patient on it's effects - since I really didn't need it- I was takiing it as a precaution! Thanks but NO thanks, it isn't worth it!

Response 102

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Galveston church 1886

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Internist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: joint pain and medial meniscus tear of left knee,o steochondrosis dessicans of ankle, erythmema

:
5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: none yet

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? yes I was told there were very rare reports of tendon ruptures

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? none yet

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? no

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? msri due to spider bite , abscess.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? The abcess went away and I was spared a second surgery

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? I have just had knee and ankle surgery and believe the levaquin is the cause of my joint problems.

15. What made you log unto the site? Interest in others not using this drug.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 103

I came across your website while researching my 4 yr old daughter's recent diagnosis of "Subluxation of the Peroneal Tendon". 

My daughter has fought ear infections since she was 15 months old. She is on her second set of tubes and has taken Cipro to treat the ear infections on MANY occassions.

2 weeks ago her ankles started making this horrible popping noises.  I waited for a few days to see if it was something that might pass.  Obviously it didn't and I brought her to an orthopedist yesterday who diagnosed her with subluxation of the peroneal tendon in both ankles.  The doctor mentioned he had never seen it in both ankles nor in someone so young.  He said if she was an adult he would either do surgery or put her in a cast. His treatment plan for her: tell her to stop doing it. 

Response 104

I had sinus surgery in January 2005 and had been treated pre and post operatively with Levaquin. Even after surgery I experienced many infections and had Levaquin prescribed. I ended up taking 52 days of Levaquin total. I began having nose bleeds about 5-6 weeks post-op which were severe and sometimes lasted up to 45 minutes. Eventually my surgeon ordered coagulation studies on me which came back abnormal. I then had to see a hematologist who ordered tests for vonWillebrand’s disease. These all came back positive. I had had previous surgeries and two of those were cesarean sections and had had no problems.

Response 105

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
Chesterfield

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin 500 mg. x 10 days

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

First was ENT specialist; next was Patient First physicians Note, I did not notice any problems the second time when I took Levaquin for 5 days.

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Severe pain and aches in both legs; difficulty lifting feet due to weighted down and feelings of heaviness; extreme stiffness in both legs and inability to rise from sitting position unless pulling on to a counter or table, subsequently with diagnosed tendonitis in 3 places around knee and bursitis; ongoing swelling of knee 2 weeks after being off the Levaquin; continued pain and stiffness in both legs causing slow and stiff gait; horrible insomnia that is slowly abating; pain and burning in arches of both feet; burning sensations in both legs.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
I made appt. with my regular physician. He doubted the Levaquin could cause this. He diagnosed the tendonitis and bursitis and gave me Prednisone for 6 days.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No he did not.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?
I didn't push the issue. I just wanted relief so I could return to work.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?
Absolutely NONE.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
Neither of the 3 did so. My regular doctor was not one of those who prescribed the Levaquin.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?
Not that I was aware.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?
No it was not,

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
First time for severe sinus infection; second time for respiratory/bronchial problem; third time for pneumonia which ended up being viral but I continued med.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
first and second times but wonder if a less potent antiobiotic couldn't have been used first?

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
from internet site

15. What made you log unto the site?
wanting to know what happened to me, what can be done now, and how to help prevent others from enduring this unnecessarily

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
Physicians are using this extremely potent antibiotic as first line treatment instead of trying others first. They are giving absolutely no warnings about the side effects. My sister also experienced the neuropathy from Levaquin, however at the time neither of us attributed this to Levaquin, as who would imagine an antibiotic could cause this!

I filed a report with Med Watch 2 days ago, as advised by a pharmacist, who stated he was not aware of these severe symptoms. I asked a second pharmacist at a different store who said she had only heard a "rumor" about it.

Can't someone inform the doctors and pharmacists about this. Had I known these possible effects I certainly would not have taken it this last time for what may now be permanent problems!!! My fears are that I will never have a normal gait again, be able to go for long walks, or that the constant popping sound from my joints will result in more injury to my legs.
 

Response 106

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. lalaloveland

2. Drug prescribed: Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) GP

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Several weeks after completing 10 day supply, I developed severe diarrhea that lasted 6 weeks.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: She said the diarrhea was unrelated to the medication and investigated my gall bladder function with an ultrasound.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? don't think so

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? I had a severe UTI for at least 3weeks that she failed to interpret for 3 weeks

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Yes, the UTI cleared up.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Newsgroup was discussing side effects of Cipro and mentioned this site.

15. What made you log unto the site? I wanted to express my concern for my experience, in the hopes that something will be done to make sure others don't experience what I went thru.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: Thank you for gathering this info.
 

Response 107

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. "Bedridden"

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practitioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Ear, Nose & Throat

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: joint, tendon, muscle pain and severe swelling, (esp. knees & ankles), weakness, stiffness, lethargy, insomnia, vision problems, change of taste, anxiety, brain fog, confusion, poor memory, depersonalization, depression, irritable, peripheral neuropathies, burning on bottom of feet and heels at night, plantar fasciaitis, cold hands and feet, poor circulation in hands and feet, slow healing in hands and feet, dry eyes, dry mouth when sleeping,
burning eyes, dry skin, rashes on top of feet, heels and elbows, ringing in ears, twitching, spasms, numbness and tingling, pitted edema in legs and ankles, distended abdomen (like 9 months pregnant), weight gain, severe sweating in head, neck and face during sleep, shortness of breath, swollen face, dark circles under eyes, swollen red/purple eye lids, pale face, mouth sores, oral thrush, cold sores, biting inside of cheek(because it's so swollen?), blurred vision, palpitations, constipation, bloody stool,
sugar craving or no appetite at all, gas, frequent urination at night, thirsty at night, urinary retention, incomplete bladder voiding, brittle cracked nails, very sore and stiff in the morning, lightheadedness,
probably more but I can't remember!!!

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: Talked with his nurse first and she said she never heard of it and to go see my Primary Dr. My primary Dr. thought is was a Fibromyalgia flare so he prescribed pain medication. I went back to the Ear,Nose,Throat Dr. who prescribed it to me in the first place and he did not seem concerned. He stated the symptoms would stop when the medication got out of my system. Recommended a cleanse, drink lots of fluids and acidolphilus lactobacillus. Before I left he said, "That's funny I had another girl in today with the same symptoms to the same medication?"
I'm now seeing another Dr. nephrology/internal medicine and he said he has a patient who can't walk due to two ruptured Achilles tendons from Levaquin. Also, I asked my Pharmacist if he had ever heard of severe tendon and joint pain and he said yes and to tell my Dr. about it. All of these DR.s work in the same clinic, just different specialties

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? Not the prescribing DR

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? 1 no, 2 yes, nurse no, pharmacist yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? Told me not to take sudafed with it or I would be bouncing off the walls

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No, but he prescribed the Levaquin with Prednisone and called them "The Big Guns"

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? sinus infection, bronchitis, ear infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Yes, infection is gone

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Googled Levaquin on the web

15. What made you log unto the site? I was having so many debilitating symptoms after the use of Levaquin I was wondering if they were from the Levaquin or something else

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes, except I haven't found a cure yet

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: Most of what I read so far hasn't mentioned pitted edema, or severe abdominal swelling, actually my whole body is swelled up (water retention) and I gained 15 lbs in 20 days of taking it and I keep gaining more. Any ideas what this could be from??? And I haven't read the whole site yet, but is there anything you can do to stop this in the early stages? I quit taking it about 1 month ago.

Response 112

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.  sweetie

2. Drug prescribed:  Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)  I have had 4 doses of Cipro prescribe by either a GYN or a P.A.

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: 
gastro, tendon, neuro ...also some vision and hearing

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
" ...everyone reacts differently to medications. "

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?  No, absolutely not. IN fact, once I was so sick with gastro pain I went to the doctor and was told I had some food poisoning. I prescribed Cipro and sent to get a stool sample analyzed. The sample showed no food poisoning but I got sicker and sicker.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?  I have found only an Orthopedic that will admit that this medication may have caused this permenent problem that I am living with.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?  No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?  No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?  yes, once my GYN prescribed Cipro after I mentioned during my regular visit that I was making a trip to Mexico. I expressed that I was concerned about getting sick from the water there. He also prescribed a NSAID for tendonitis in my shoulder that had been hurting me since my last prescription of Cipro. He also prescribed an inhaler NSAID. According to what I have learned, I should not have been taking the drug in the sun, with ANY NSAID and certainly not to prevent me from getting sick in Mexico.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?  No

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?  1) upper respritory- 2) PID- 3) to prevent getting sick from the water in Mexico- 4) suspected food poison

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?  When I had the upper respritory infection I did get better. But I have had the same results from penicillian before.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?  researching online. I believe I had typed in the search... "tendonitis cipro"

15. What made you log unto the site?  searching for answers to my pain. And looking for SOMEONE that can help me validate that this medication caused it

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?  Absolutely. very very informative. I have passed this information on the my Ortho, Physical Therapist...etc

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:  I am concerned that this is never going to get better and in fact it seems in some ways that it is progressing. I have exhausted myself with trying to find a doctor to help me. I limped into the Ortho until I was begging him to help me. He sends me to a Rhematologist. He has tested me for nearly everything and I am still limping around nearly handicapped. When I express to him how concerned I am and that I am not getting better or getting answers... he sends me to a Neuro. He has me tested for MS and I have a total body shutdown. My limbs are tingling and my husband and I are frightened to death. But he still couldnt give me answers. It was right after then that I was given the last dose for the misdiagnosed food poisoning. it was then that I caught on to the link between the problems and the Cipro. I feel so stupid. I depended on the doctors to help me.

I do not know what to do. Furthermore... I dont know what I am going to do in the future. I fear I will be living with this pain in my hip for the rest of my life. Most days my elbows and shoulders are not as painful and the twinges in my other hip are only moderate, or maybe I just dont notice it as much because of the pain in my right hip. Nights are long and restless.I get this tingling, burning..or maybe its just like electrical thing down my side alll the way to my toes whenever I sit or lay down.

I am so frustrated. I am only 44 and I have been limping around on this hip and having this pain for years now and no one can help me. In fact, everytime I have been to the doctor I am only more frustrated than when I entered the office. I was happy, and generally healthy before this. I have been married for 3 1/2 years and can hardley have intercourse because of the pain I have . I have grandbabies now... and I can hardly play with them now beacuse of this pain that has taken over my life.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for caring.
 

Response 113

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. PROSPECTOR

2. Drug prescribed: Tequin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) INTERNIST

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: EXTREME JOINT PAIN THROUGHOUT BODY

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: HE HOSPITALIZED ME FOR THREE DAYS

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? NO

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? YES

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? NO

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? NO

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? THIRD BOUT OF BRONCHITIS WITHIN TWO MONTHS

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? NO

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? HUSBAND SEARCHED WEBSITE FOR FLUOROQUINOLONE

15. What made you log unto the site? MY HUSBAND WAS SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT MY REACTION.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? MOST DEFINITELY

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 114

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. BAILEY

2. Drug prescribed: LEVAQUIN AND CIPRO

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

GENERAL PRACTITIONER

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: I was prescribed Levaquin for a sinus infection. A few weeks later I developed what I believed to be a urinary tract infection. The doctor took a urine sample and reported "no growth", meaning there was no infection. He immediately prescribed Cipro. From the moment I started taking the Cipro, I have experienced (and still am experiencing) a range of symptoms. It started with urinary frequency, went to a severe burning and itching in my back (mostly on the right side) (The doctor claimed I pulled a muscle). From there I felt a swelling in the area of the liver and gall bladder, along with severe nausea. I am now experiencing severe bowel movements, along with shooting pains on my sides.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: He asked me if I was depressed, if other things were going on in my life.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes and I was told there was no infection

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? 1st - Sinus Infection (Levaquin) 2nd - Urinary tract problems (Cipro)

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? No

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? An article I read referenced this sight and strongly encouraged the reader to view it

15. What made you log unto the site? An article I read referenced this sight

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 115

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

fabricia

2. Drug prescribed:

Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

family doctor

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:

high blood pressure

increased dizziness

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

Haven't had my daughter talk to her yet.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

I don't remember.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible

Will let you know.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

Don't remember.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

Don't remember

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

No. I had bronchitis.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?

I don't remember.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

Bronchitis.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?

Apparently, as I got better.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

My daughter research fluoroquinolones on the Internet.

15. What made you log unto the site?

Research into fluoroquinolones.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

Potentially, since some of the patients have reported high blood pressure, which isn't listed in any of the adverse warnings from authoritative sources.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:fqresearch

My daughter (CDL) is typing this for me (CHL).
 

Response 116

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Sallal in Saline

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) D.O. general practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: shaking, plantar fascitis, burning feet, odd pain sensation in forearms, sweating, agitation, urgency, stupidity for about 3 weeks, memory loss, word finding difficulties, prolapsed uterus and bladder, muscle aches, tendon pain--many of these are still with me 4 years post 14 days of Levaquin

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: We thought I had Parkinson's Disease and I've been treated for it for 3.5 years.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No. But he did say I should avoid all quinalones in the future.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Did not discuss that.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? Sinus infection (I'd askd for keflex)

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? No

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Was never convinced that it helped

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Searching on Quinolones

15. What made you log unto the site? Interest

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: How to get it out of my system
 

Response 121

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use
your screen name or real name.

  BC

2. Drug prescribed: Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general
practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Urologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Leg, ankle, knee,
back, neck stiifness, muscle pain flu like.

5. Physician's reaction to your concerns: Changed Meds to Bactrim

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse
reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

I called the Doctors office with the symptoms.

His nurse took the info and said she had not heard of this  happening.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be
responsible?

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

Yes, from the drug  info given at the Pharmacy

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug? NO

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved
use)?NO

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial
infection?YES

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?Prostatitis

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?YES

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?Google

15. What made you log unto the site?Share with others

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?Yes but scarry

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

I was on the Cipro for 10 days before onset of the adverse reactions.

This is the first time I've experianced anything like this, even after
enduring

many months/years of antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease.
 

Response 122

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

yokayo

2. Drug prescribed: Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) urologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: double vision which remains, and a feeling like my head was being pressurized from the inside.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: He switched me to Levaquin for he remainder of the three weeks.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? no

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? He said possibly but it was rare.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? no

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? not that I know of

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? no

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? to determine If I had prostatitis or not, i.e. IF my PSA was lowered as a result of the trail it would show that I did have an infection.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? not really

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? a goggle search for Cipro double-vision and lawsuit

15. What made you log unto the site? my google search

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? so far, yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I would like to know if there are any lawsuits against the manufacturer. My double vision has gone on and not gotten better since October 2004.
 

Response 123

. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT
use your screen name or real name. DLH25

2. Drug prescribed: Levaquin 750 mg, 5 daily doses

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist,
general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon,
etc.)
General Practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:
Weakness, dizziness which first occured on the first and second days of
being on Levaquin.
Two hours after taking the third dose I developed sudden severe anxiety
attacks, depression, shakiness, tension, inability to think clearly,
insomnia, heart palpatations, diarrhea, headache. It is now 2 days
after stopping the medication and I am still experiencing all of the
above symptoms.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
Stop taking the Levaquin. "It may take several days for the side
effects to resolve. Try to take a walk and keep busy and not think
about it."

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the
adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?
Did not act surprised by the symptoms.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be
responsible?
Yes.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may
experience?
No.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to
prescribing the drug?
No.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an
approved use)?
No.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial
infection?
No.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
Sinus infection.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?
My sinuses don't seem as congested. However, this is the least of my
concerns compared to the side effects I am experiencing. As I told my
doctor, I would rather suffer with a sinus infection every day of my
life that have anxiety attacks.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
Search online for information about Levaquin.

15. What made you log unto the site?
This drug's side effects are devastating. I am very very angry that
this drug is being prescribed.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
Yes.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
 

Response 124

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.    January 2006

2. Drug prescribed: Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)   internist after consult with specialist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Extreme pain, lose of leg function >9 months, fatigue, Dizzy, cognitive issues, balance issues, neuropathy, loose of feeling in mouth and nose area, unable to sleep, myoclonus became worse, in the beginning 1st 2 months after bladder issues, unable to communicate, seeing shadows during the day,

5. Physician's reaction to your concerns: Very concerned, unable to diagnose sent to a neurologist, 1st diagnosed as my back, I have mild stenosis- planned surgery. Then the neuropathy was in my hands. The diagnosis was changed to possible MS all test negative. The neurologist was keeping a watch on it. My cognitive issued cleared at 9 month I started my own research and found the information on cipro. The neurologist agreed it was the problem. The doctors wanted to pursue my lack of balance as my ears-all test were negative.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No, it was for a chronic E. coli infection. The only real concern was uremic syndrome.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? Yes when the information was presented to them.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? None. The decision was made 11 months after the dose. My primary doctors supported me, but did not know what was wrong.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Chronic Enterhemmoragic E coli

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Yes- I did not had diarrhea after.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? I spoke with a lawyer that advised my to find all the information out there.

15. What made you log unto the site? I was the kind of site I was looking for.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I am 48 It has been 1 year and 4 month since I took the Cipro. I think I am as good as it gets, whish is not always good. I have much pain and am afraid to take any medications.

Thank you

Response 125

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other
identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.
kms

2. Drug prescribed:levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example,
internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency
room physician, surgeon, etc.)podiatrist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this
drug:My symptoms have included generalized
tendinopathy. I was first
aware of my hand, wrists and elbows; right achilles
tendon. (I was
hopping on my right leg for the first few days after
my surgery on my
left foot.) I believe I started to be aware of
symptoms 1/9/06.
The symptoms progressed to include all of the joints
in my body
except for my left ankle and foot as it was well
protected. The last
of the symptoms were proximal including my spine and
jaw. I also
experienced severe fatigue i.e. unable to be vertical
for more than
15 minutes at a time, fatigue with daily activities of
bathing,
dressing. I slept a lot. Within 48 (1/13/06) hours
of stopping the
prescription and drinking large quantities of water
the severity of
the symptoms subsided, however I could still feel the
tendinopathy.
I was able to be up and vertical for most of the day
without fatigue.

1/14/06
The symptoms increased again, not as severe as the
acute onset,
however present throughout except for my jaw. I am
questioning if it
is because I did more as I started to feel better and
wonder if sub
normal activity actually was too much for my
compromised tendons.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:
supportive, encouraged my research, did his own

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge
concerning the adverse reactions associated with the
fluoroquinolones? yes

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug
could possibly be responsible?yes

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects
you may experience?no, not until after the fact

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit
discussion prior to prescribing the drug?
no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use
(meaning NOT an approved use)?
no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence
of a bacterial infection?
yes, however i was taking the levaquin after the
bacteria was negative, however i think it was
prescribed prophylactically due to concern for bone
infection s/p open wound in my foot

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?
see above

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this
drug?
none

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?
helpful, thank you

15. What made you log unto the site?
googled fluoroquinolone induced tendinopathy

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?
yes, quite

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:
i was prescribed 500 mg q 12 hours, the pharmacist
phoned the prescribing doctor and discussed such a
high dose, but it was deemed approp by the prescriber
 

Response 127

 1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. easter01

Response 129

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.scottrh oconnel

2. Drug prescribed:avelox

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc. after hours clinic

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: knee pain, tendonitis, eye floaters, temporary photophobia,

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: nothing we can do, didnt believe it.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? just told me if i get sore to stop taking it, but didnt describe the potential long term consequences

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? yes/but seemed skeptical

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? possible soreness

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? no

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? recurrent sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? sinus infection did not recur, but it was not clear whether i was having a relapse at that time or not. drug was given because i was feeling run down again after prior infection as prophylaxis to avoid recurrence; may not have been needed

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? google

15. What made you log unto the site? research to decide what to do when i started getting sore, i was still taking the drug until reading all of this information

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: the makers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics need to be sued; risks of these drugs outweigh the benefits; moreover physicians need to engage in a mandatory risk benefit discussion; i had no idea i was putting myself at risk for all these long term problems. Though I read the disclosure, I assumed that if anything occurred it would clear up when I stopped taking the drug.
 

Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.  drumbumsmom

Response 143

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. Notthesame

2. Drug prescribed: Avelox

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

P.A. -Physician's Assistant in GP's office

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Severe bi-lateral bicept pain within 1/2 hour after taking first dose, upper back spasms, hand pain, interrupted sleep due to arm pain, stabbing pain rt. thigh.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:"You're the first patient we've had that didn't like it. Guess some people like it and some people don't. Need to have venous ultrasound to R/O blood clot."

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? No.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? No.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? NONE. No patient literature, either. Given 1 sample dose at Drs office & prescription to fill. Took sample dose at pharmacy.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? No.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? Deep lacerations from non-rabid dog bite, lower right leg.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? Absolutely none. Took only one pill.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Did online search for "Avonex problems."

15. What made you log unto the site? This site "Toxicity Report" in text synopsis.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: I have never taken any antibiotics in this group before & never will again. Now I know what MS patients must feel like re: muscle spasms & inability to use certain muscles. I feel certain it was this drug Avelox that caused these symptoms & I was not informed about interactions with Ibuprofen which I sometimes take. Avelox was given to me as an infection preventative

My concerns are that this medication is prescribed without adequate instructions, warning or follow-up and could potentially harm especially geriatric (or pediatric patients) who are already on often a complicated medication routine for a host of pre-existing problems.

Not only did I have a severe reaction to Avelox (and I challenge anyone to prove that it wasn't) I refuse to be seen by a practioner that dismissed my drug reaction concerns as 'maybe a blood clot.' I could move my fingers although I couldn't raise either arm AT ALL without SEVERE pain, my hands were painful & swollen.

(FYI - $680 and 4 days later, I have not heard the results of the ultrasound. And that's not the fault of the medication-I've thrown in the towel and am now looking into non-traditional medicine & therapies.)
 

Response 144

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name.

Troubles 3

2. Drug prescribed:

Cipro

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

College Nurse Practitioner

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:

In the 12 months since the drug was originally prescribed, I have endured: Hives for five days, extreme fatigue, severe headaches almost constantly, severe neck pain and muscle spasms that frequently completely incapacitate me, 4+ blood in the urine with no definable cause, frequent extreme blood pressures pain related up to 220/112 (my normal is about 130/80), rotating joint pain, depression, intermittent inability to remember the word I want to say, during spasms my heart rate has gone as high as 138/minute, adult onset Exotropia requiring eye surgery, rib pain, dizziness, loss of balance, multiple falls, chipped wrist, inability to walk the length of one block, inability to tolerate more than a 15 minute ride in a vehicle without severe pain and spasm, occasional fevers up to 104.6.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

The nurse practitioner referred me immediately to an internist and a nephrologist.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

NO

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?

No physician that I have seen appears to have any knowledge of the possibility that Cipro may have caused these problems. I was in pretty good health until the day before Thanksgiving, 2004. My life since Cipro has literally become a living hell for me and my family.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

No

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?

Yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

Ear infection.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?

NO

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

My sister-in-law.

15. What made you log unto the site?

Because the symptoms described almost mirror my current life.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

The use of this and related drugs must be immediately stopped if at all possible. I intend to give a printout of the information to all of my current doctors. If it will help even one person avoid this living hell, it will be well worth it!
 

Response 145

Response 148

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. ******

2. Drug prescribed: cipro - Aug 10, 2005, levaquin - August 29, 2005

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practitioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)Surgeon then Oncologist

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: during rounds of cipro, I had bad joint pain in my knees that are still acting up

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: They said they had never heard of that reaction

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? no

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? no

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? no

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? yes

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? 1st time cellulitus in left breast after tube procedure, second time to clear up troubling symptons still present.

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? I am not sure

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? researching levaquin

15. What made you log unto the site? concern about further damage to my muscles and joints

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: When I mentioned to my Oncologist the adverse reactions I had from Cipro, she gave me the levaquin and said that even though it had shared ingredients with cipro, I should be OK. I was diagnosed with degenerative disk disease in May or June, and these meds seem to exasperate the problems I have.
 

Response 149

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. *********

2. Drug prescribed:

Levaquin

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.)

Specialist - allergies

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug:

Three days after starting to take levaquin, I experienced a very rapid heart rate. I was terrified and drove to the emergency room. My heart rate was 168 and my blood pressure was really high (I don’t remember the exact reading). My heart rate would not come down, so the ER doctor said that they would have to stop my heart to make it start beating normal again. It worked but the cardiologist I saw a week after this episode said that I would need to take a blood pressure/heart rate medicine the rest of my life (I was only 40 years old when this happened)

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns:

The ER doctor and my family doctor said that this could not have been caused by levaquin. But two years after the first episode I was again prescribed levaquin and my heart rate started behaving abnormally again. It wasn't quite as bad as the first time, which I think was due to the medicine I am taking.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones?

No

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible?

No

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience?

No

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug?

No

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)?

I'm not sure. It was prescribed to me for sinus infection

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection?

I had a cat scan of my sinuses

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed?

Sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug?

No, I stopped taking it after my heart rate went crazy

14. How did you find the fqresearch site?

Searching the web for info

15. What made you log unto the site?

To see if other people experienced problems too.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you?

Yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have:

I already filled out a medwatch report.

 

Response 50

1. Unique Identifier (enter a unique name or other identifier: DO NOT use your screen name or real name. ********

2. Drug prescribed: CIPRO

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc.) Gynecologist for a urinary tract infection.

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: Severe numbness in feet and legs, and up to rear end and into genitals. The numbness has partially subsided, but not fully. I also experienced tingling in my feet and hands. The tingling in my hands still comes and goes. I became unable to go to the bathroom. I was nauseous, and experienced horrific headaches, anxiety, inability to sleep, and depression. I became suicidal. I ached, had a fever, and experienced weight loss because I lost my appetite.

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: The doctor told me that my reaction was not caused by Cipro. I had to bring in information from the internet to prove otherwise. I received the same reaction at the emergency room of the local hospital.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? Yes.

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? No.

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? No. I even asked the pharmacist and he did not tell me.

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? No.

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? No.

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? Yes.

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? UTI

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? NOOOO. Just a lot of heartache and continued worry over when or even if these symptoms will finally go away.

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? Just surfing the internet.

15. What made you log unto the site? Reaching the end of my rope.

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? Yes.

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: WHEN WILL I JUST GO BACK TO NORMAL. I took TWO pills. JUST TWO PILLS.
 

Response 151

1. Unique Identifier **********

2. Drug prescribed:avelox

3. Type of physician who prescribed the drug (example, internist, general practioner, specialist, emergency room physician, surgeon, etc. after hours clinic

4. Adverse Events you feel may be related to this drug: knee pain, tendonitis, eye floaters, temporary photophobia,

5. Physician’s reaction to your concerns: nothing we can do, didnt believe it.

6. Did your physician exhibit ANY prior knowledge concerning the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolones? just told me if i get sore to stop taking it, but didnt describe the potential long term consequences

7. Was your physician willing to admit that the drug could possibly be responsible? yes/but seemed skeptical

8. Where you given any advice as to what side effects you may experience? possible soreness

9. Did the physician enter into a risk/benefit discussion prior to prescribing the drug? no

10. Was the drug prescribed for "off label" use (meaning NOT an approved use)? no

11. Was testing done to confirm or deny the presence of a bacterial infection? no

12. What reason(s) was the drug prescribed? recurrent sinus infection

13. Did you receive any benefit from being on this drug? sinus infection did not recur, but it was not clear whether i was having a relapse at that time or not. drug was given because i was feeling run down again after prior infection as prophylaxis to avoid recurrence; may not have been needed

14. How did you find the fqresearch site? google

15. What made you log unto the site? research to decide what to do when i started getting sore, i was still taking the drug until reading all of this information

16. Was the information you found of any value to you? yes

17. Additional comments or concerns you may have: the makers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics need to be sued; risks of these drugs