| Key to ratings for levaquin: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
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| 4 | Bronchitis and Sinus Infection | Somewhat queezy, but basically all antibiotics do that to me. A little difficulty sleeping, but I can deal with that. | I started taking Levaquin on January 1st. I have taken 3 doses. I feel much better. | F | 25 | 3 days | 1/3/2010 | 1 | bronchial infection | Insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks | Beginning 1/5/09 I took 1 - 500 mg tablet of Levaquin once/day for 5 days and stopped because of the symptoms which lasted until 12/21/09 during which time I tried different herbal remedies and teas the best of which were GABA Calm tablets and Tension Tamer Tea but nothing allevitated the symptoms totally. I slept for 1-2 hrs. at most at one time and was always anxious; the feeling was indescribable; I thought I was losing my mind. I began taking 25 mg. of Sertraline, the generic of Zoloft, on 10/21/09 and began to notice reduction of symptoms within a month and by 12/21/09 the symptoms were gone. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to seek medical help, but I was very leary of taking any type of medication after the Levaquin. I had mentioned it to the doctor who had prescribed the Levaquin and he told me there was no way the Levaquin could have caused the symptoms. I then found a new doctor and when I explained the reason I was there he said his brother had the same reaction to Levaquin only much worse. I thank God every day for directing me to this doctor and for making me well again because life was not worth living. The only good thing from this whole experience is that I realize how wonderful my life is now and what a wonderful husband I have who was so supportive during all of this. | F | 59 | 5 days | 1/3/2010 | 1 | Sinus infection and uti | severe anxiety and depression. joint stiffness. | I am not sure if this drug affects everyone similarly. It did seem to get rid of the uti immediately and the sinus infection is better, but the side effects were not worth the cure. | F | 37 | 4 days | 1/3/2010 | 5 | pneumonia | NO side effects | IMPORTANT! ! ! I believe I didn’t experience any side effects because I took pro-biotics immediately after completing the antibiotic prescription. I was very sick with pneumonia, 104 temp, extreme body aches, couldn’t sleep. Within 18 hours of my first dose I felt so much better, normal temp, no aches and that night I did not get night sweats. I took it for the full course, and after I was done I took high quality Kefir and cultured raw vegetables from the health food store, these replenish the good bacteria that are required in your digestive tract, antibiotics can kill everything and I find it very beneficial to reintroduce the pro-biotics to restore balance especially after a course of anti-biotics. I also did light exercise after I got better which I think helped minimize any side effects that others talked about. | M | 42 | 7 days | 1/2/2010 | 1 | chronic sinus infection | The first dose made it difficult to sleep, my heart felt like it was racing. I felt anxious all day also, this did not subside until I stopped taking it. Stomach upset was very bothersome. Headache was also extreme. The worse part is that now, 3 months later I have extreme pain in my right achilles that hits especially in the middle of the night. Painful to touch and appears swollen. Not so bad during the day...Makes me wonder if it is okay to run during the day, since I am an athlete and never had any pain in my achilles EVER! I am afraid I might tear it or something. I work with an MD that said you can get the side effects months after taking it. I really wish I had checked with him before I took it. Also, I have talked to others who experienced the same tendon pain and swelling. Don't ever take it if you have a choice. I had to due to allergies to other meds. This medication definitely needs to be taken off the market!!!!! Why is is being used??? | F | 40 | 5 days | 1/2/2010 | 1 | Ear Infection | Anxiety, obsessive thoughts, trouble focusing, sleeplessness, dizziness, tremors and a general jittery feeling. | Got the perscription from a urgent-care type walk-in clinic. Gave up on the daily dose of 750 mg after 4 days. Went to see my regular doctor and she put it on my "do not use" list. When she checked her drug manual, the second most reported side-effect was listed as CNS (central nervous system) stimulation. I think this is one of those medications that is fine for certain people but bad news for others. My wife took it a couple of years ago with no problems. I think it is probably not for anyone who has a history of anxiety or depression, and there should be more warnings about this. Overall I would NOT recommend this medication. | M | 55 | 4 days | 12/31/2009 | 5 | Sinus Infection | Stomach discomfort | LOVE Levaquin. Never had an issue with it and it clears up my symptioms in about 2-3 days. I was taking 750mg once a day for 10 days. It is very stong medication and should be taken with food and lots of water. If you follow the directions and aren't so focused on the side effects, you will be fine. | F | 26 | 10 days | 12/30/2009 | 1 | pneumonia | I was given Levaquin in the ER for pneumonia. About 1 1/2 hours after taking it I experienced what seemed like a panic attack. I had shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, nervousness, diarrhea, etc. I did not sleep for over 2 days-even though I tried. I felt like I had adrenaline pumping through me. | Do not take! | F | 31 | 1 days | 12/29/2009 | 1 | bronchitis | Felt like my head would pop off from my blood pressure. Couldn't sleep at all. Confusion, EXTREMELY emotional about 3 hours into each dose, distraught, suicidal. Moderate to severe joint pain in hips and legs. Exhaustion, not much relief. This stuff should not be on the market. It's harder on a boy than just having bronchitis. I am back to work, but feel like I have been through the wringer with this medication. | I already have joint pain on a semi-regular basis, but this stuff made it 10X worse. I can't believe my doctor would give this to me knowing that I already have trouble that way. For all the unpleasant side effects, I had the sense that my illness was not improving, but staying as it was when I started taking the medication. | F | 40 | 5 days | 12/28/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | I took Levaquin b/c other antibiotics did not work or made my stomach upset. Within 12 hours of taking Levaquin, I got a debilitating migraine and my knees felt sore. I thought the pain was from working out b/c I am very active and athletic. I have never had knee pain before. After 12 days, I can hardly walk. I am stopping today, despite a chronic sinus infection. | My doctor didn't mention this possible side effect. It scares me that this pain may last up to a year or more. I would never take this again or recommend to anyone. | F | 34 | 12 days | 12/28/2009 | 1 | sinus infrection | pins and needles and numbness in hands and feet for four hours. Agitation, Light-headed, dizziness, nausea, tremors in legs for four hours. Started one hour after ingestion. | 750 mg. pill. SCARY | F | 55 | 1 days | 12/28/2009 | 5 | bladder infection | none | I am 73 years old and am allergic to penicillin. As far as I'm concerned this drug was a miracle. I had been treated for UTI's for about 7 years on an almost monthly basis and this drug not only cured my UTI, it cured a skin bacteria I had been fighting, and cleared my sinuses. All should be in tune to your body and if something doesn't feel right at the beginning, then do not continue with the drug. I took the levaquin for 5 days at 500 mg. | F | 73 | 5 days | 12/27/2009 | 1 | bronchitis | severe joint and muscle pain, especially in my knees . Couldn't walk for 3 days . It felt like my muscles were trying to get out of my skin . | This medication should not be given to anyone . It is poison . I will never ever take it again. | F | 55 | 10 days | 12/27/2009 | 1 | bronchitis | all of my muscles and every joint in my body hurt so bad that I couldn't even walk . Confused and forgot a lot.Hopefully I make a full recovery , if not I will contact an attorney . | I don't recommend this drug to anyone . | F | 54 | 10 days | 12/27/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | I experienced extreme pain in both my achilles tendons after a day of taking Levaquin. I could hardly walk. The the pain spread to my arm, which could barely hold a thing. My hips also began to hurt so badly, I could barely walk. I also had bad knee pain. This was not what I had expected to have happen from an antibiotic, however, the sinus infection went away. | I will never take this drug again. It has been over a week since stopping this drug. I do not feel much better pain wise and do not know if I will ever be able to work as freely again. I sure hope I get well soon. It is funny that the sinus infection went away rather quickly, but this joint pain, etc. keeps on keeping on. | F | 57 | 7 days | 12/25/2009 | 1 | sinusitis | sudden, debilatating pain in all the little joints of my hands, on day seven. feels like what i imagine rheumatoid arthritis might feel. i had no previous joint pain. i stopped treatment immediately...now it is day 10 and my feet and knees are hurting as well. hoping it will fade soon. | F | 45 | 7 days | 12/25/2009 | 1 | Urinary Tract Infection | -migraine (ocular and then headache) -extreme stomach pain -heart burn that doesn't go away with antacids -nausea and vomiting -insomnia -rapid pounding heart rate -sweating | I had all of these side effects after my second dose - after just a few hours of taking it. I had the absolute worst night of my life, starting with an ocular migraine where I thought I was going blind, to an extreme headache and finally throwing up all night. Do not take this drug. | F | 21 | 2 days | 12/24/2009 | 1 | Bronchitis, followed by sinusitis | I was initially prescribed this drug for bronchitis after another antibiotic didn't work. I started to experience extreme fatigue, insomnia (even after taking Ambian CR) and severe pain in my back. The pain felt like extreme bruising and a sever burning session but I thought it was from a cupping treatment I received in Asia. About 3 weeks later I contracted sinusitis and was prescribed Levaquin again. Just like the last time, I am feeling extreme fatigue and back pain! I am also feeling pain in my knees and I have never had that. I am an athlete and can't seem to find the energy to even climb the stairs. I stopped taking this after reading similar reports. This drug is bad! | F | 45 | 7 days | 12/23/2009 | 1 | Contaminated with Serratia | Both knees, left ankle and left shoulder are very painful. Prior to this drug, these areas never had any problems...in 47 yrs. My hips are starting to be painful, laying on either side at night has become dreadful. Nausea, constant fatigue. I never used to take naps, now my eyes close often during the day, waking up to find an hour sometimes 2 has gone by. My taste-buds and sense of smell are completely off. Foods/drinks I used to like I can't stand the sight of right now. I am easily agitated. Nervousness. I sometimes feel like I am in a haze of some sort but I can't really describe it. | I was taking 750mg from Nov. 12th, to yesterday, December 22nd. Once a day, everyday. Yes, a very long period of ingesting this medicine. But I had a very serious bacteria. Started with being contaminated with Serratia, then found in a 2nd culture that I also had pseudomonas aeruginosa, then a 3rd culture found Staph. All from surgeries. While it may have killed the bacteria in my body, it also killed my spirit, what used to be a very high-energy life that I lead. I am still recouperating but this is ridiculous. I can only pray that something will change, because this is not right. | F | 47 | 41 days | 12/23/2009 | 2 | Bronchitis | nausea, dizziness and on the 7th day I developed vaginal bleeding. Had to undergo an internal sonogram and am waiting for the results from my ob-gyn. I am 70 yrs old and do not have periods. | I still have a cough. This medication should be taken off the market. | F | 70 | 7 days | 12/22/2009 | 1 | SINUS INFECTION / BRONCHITIS | dizziness, headache, constipation, extreme fatique, loss of ability to think clearly and make quick decisions. Loss of appetite, deep extreme cough | Didn't seem to do much to help with the infection. As an asthema patient I found the need to use my rescue inhaler actually increased. On my way to the doctor now for follow-up. WILL NEVER USE THIS AGAIN! | F | 50 | 6 days | 12/22/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | severe pain ankles, feet, shoulders, wrists - ridiculous. | never had problems with any of these joint areas before taking Levaquin. I can't walk or type or really do anything for any length of time. It has been 2 weeks since I stopped taking the medication. I have stopped getting worse but am not getting better. great that fda issued a warning, but would be nice if someone cared enough to figure out why this happens to healthy people and what to do about it! I feel like i am dying, but have been assured by blood tests that I am not. guess I need to wait it out and hope to get better. | F | 29 | 7 days | 12/22/2009 | 1 | Sinus | Severe body pain - muscle & joint Noticed the pain about 7-10 days into treatment. Can barely move. | I had no idea this drug was causing these effects, but I am drinking alot of water to flush it out of my system. | F | 54 | 20 days | 12/21/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | dizziness, nausea, severe muscle cramps in the thigh at night, insomnia, fatigue,vaginitis, headaches, dreaming a lot | I have taken Levaquin twice for sinusitis five days the first time and three days the second time. When I took it last month, I had severe nausea, dizzziness and fainted. I had no idea what caused this problem. I was rushed to the Emergency Room and I told the doctors that i had began taken Levaquin prescribed by my doctor. They ran several test but they never associated it to Levaquin. I took the five day dosage, however I was still having issues with my sinuses. The doctor stated that she would give me another round of Levaquin for two weeks this time. I started taking the Levaquin on Dec. 18, 2009 and I experienced headaches and severe pain in my thighs when I go to bed at night and trouble sleeping. I mentioned it to the doctor and she told me to prop my legs on a pillow and she would like to run bloodwork on Dec. 21, 2009 to check my potassium level. I decided to look on the internet before going to the doctor tomorrow to see if anyone else experienced similar side effects. After reading some of the side effects from others, i definitely believe the medication is causing these issues so I deciced not to take any more. I have never experienced this type of pain before in my legs or thighs. I believe this drug needs to be taken off the market. | F | 41 | 3 days | 12/20/2009 | 1 | Epididymitis | Severe tendon, muscle, and joint pain. Eye damage. Skin sensitivities. Swollen internal organs. Permanent peripheral neuropapthy and severe CNS issues. Too many other ADR's to list in detail here. | Had an athlete's metabolism with no health concerns prior to taking this medicine. I was given 750mgs for 21 days and was told by the doctors that it is safe and well tolerated. I discuss my experiences with Levaquin at www.myquinstory.info | M | 46 | 21 days | 12/19/2009 | 1 | Torn rectum from colonscopy | TWO 500mg does - Immediate shakes in voice and extremities, fogginess that felt like I was on the outside looking in. Almost hallucinate feeling. Pressure in ears that made it seem like sound was traveling at very slow rate... Major panic attacks that clonazopam did not help. Overall inner agitation. Did I mention severe shakes... Totally drugged feeling and not in touch with reality. Head not clear enough to write all syptoms. Bad nightmare during waking hours. | I would never take this again! | F | 47 | 2 days | 12/18/2009 | 1 | sinusitus-5 surgeries | Body pain, spinning, blurred vision | My vision declined rapidly!!! It's so extreme and rapid that I'm sure it's not the usual aging process. PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU'VE EXPERIENCED THIS, THE DOCTOR'S ARE TELLING ME IT CAN'T BE. I think the timing is too significant. | F | 47 | 15 times | 12/17/2009 | 1 | Bronchitis | I took one pill (500mg) and started feeling odd within about 15 minutes. Over the course of the next 4 hours, my tendons started to feel stiff to the point that I no longer felt comfortable moving around. I am an athlete, so I am very concerned about doing any type of damage to any of my tendons or ligaments. I got in bed and slept flat on my back, trying not to move much. 2 hours later I was coughing up mucus and could not sleep. I took some Benedryl, two tablespoons of activated charcoal (helps get toxins out - I felt like i had been poisoned) and went back to sleep. Today I feel much better. | I called my doctor and he told me to stop taking it. I think it knocked out the sickness to some extent - but it made me feel so terrible. I am still a little bit stiff today. I am still coughing, but not as much, and the coughs are more productive. | F | 29 | 1 days | 12/17/2009 | 3 | sinus | extreme insomnia . i am 34 never ever had so much trouble going to bed. its 4 am and i can't fall sleep | i had taken levaquin in the past and i ahve been experiencing pain in my knees and joints specially ankle. I am horrified reading the reviews and feel so depressed for allowing to put this medication in me | M | 34 | 1 days | 12/16/2009 | 2 | Sinusitis | I took Levofloxacin, in Asia, it is traded under the brand CRAVIT. I took 500 mg tablet once a day and the doctor prescribed me for 20 days. The morning after I took it, the rash had run over my body for 5 days. Also, I feel pain on my left wrist tendon on the day 5-7 after I took it. The good thing was that my nose infection was dramatically decreased. | This is a very strong medicine which must be used with YOUR CAUTION !! Most of the time, it is prescribed after Amoxicilin and Clarithromycin fail to get rid of the bacteria in your body. High risk, high return. You must make sure that you are willing to take risk for using Levofloxacin. The reward of using it is the outcome that Amoxicilin or Clarithromycin cannot offer. | M | 29 | 1 days | 12/7/2009 | 1 | prostatitis | insomnia, rapid heartbeat, intracranial pressure, extreme agitation, depression, panic attacks, paranoia, eye floaters, light sensitivity in both eyes, suicidal ideation, cognitive impairment | Symptoms were rapid in onset, extreme, multi-organ, too numerous & puzzling to list in their entirety, baffling, "other worldly." First symptom was strange & unsettling dream several hours after first dose @500mg, which was followed next day by mild pain in leg calves. Symptoms have improved over 19 months, but sleep impairment and intracranial pressure behind eyes is the worst. Very debilitating. Comparable to driving on an icy highway at 150mph in an open air convertible with no brakes, no advance tutoring by convertible mfg, and with the unmistakable sense that big pharma's marketing rep who supplied you with the keys to the convertible knew in advance that you might be taking the ride of your life, but took no steps to warn you! Unconscionable. You can be sure the levaquin mfg has received nasty feedback from tens upon thousands of disaffected consumers' that not all is well with their Frankenstein creation. Caveat emptor. We'll never know how many consumers flat-out died or became so incapacitated following levaquin ingestion that they cannot register a complaint. If you follow the internet threads, you will become astounded by the frequently-cited damage caused by fluouroquinolone antibiotics including levaquin and cipro. See http://www.fqresearch.org which estimates that ADRs can show up weeks or even months after initial dosage. The time lapse between dosing and adverse reactions may be so long that many sufferers do not attribute their ADR | M | 63 | 3 days | 12/7/2009 | 1 | Pneumonia | I have been experiencing body aches, I noticed today the 5th day that when I got up from my desk at work I could barely walk. My knees are swollen and my left achilles is extremely painful. I remember reading about tendon swelling but I've NEVER experienced a reaction like this. I also have a rash on both of my lower calve area. I'm going to call my Dr tomorrow and find out what my next step is. | F | 39 | 5 days | 12/7/2009 | 3 | Suspected uti before surgery | Was scheduled for a ovarian cyst removal, arrived at hospital for surgery, had a fever of 101.5... blood count to high for surgery so doc sends me home with possible UTI and to take levaquin.. Urine clears up but now i have rectal bleeding! UGH! that whole area 'down there' is itching and slight bleeding, cant sleep,cant sit to long everything is annoying! Also i constantly have to urinate. Not sure if this is what caused it but only drug i have taken and diet hasnt changed. | My urine was cloudy and had a strange "not so urine" smell to it but the meds cleared it up but now constantly in the bathroom and it hurts to dispose anything. Hope this helps and wish i knew. Also for six pills once a day $40 bucks???? really and thats with my insurance. | F | 22 | 6 days | 12/5/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | My first symptoms were tightness and pain behind my knees. I did not read the drug side effect insert (how many of us do that?) until I had taken Levaquin for 7 days. I have been off the drug for 3 weeks and the symptoms have worsened. I now have pain and swelling in my left calf. What should I do? I am terrified after reading all of the comments. | Do NOT take this drug! I can't imagine why it is still on the market. | F | 59 | 7 days | 12/5/2009 | 1 | sinus infectionf | horrible exhaustion, and pain in neck, back,lower back down legs! | I'm sorry I gave this one a chance!If you are an athlete especially...which I"m a runner.. I was afraid to run when I heard about the tendons. thing.. but I thought I was getting the flu or something with all the pains. then read more into the side effects..and WOW.. I'm glad I stopped taking it and really hope things get back to normal this is awful.. I can barely sit! This drug should NOT be on the market! | F | 42 | 11 days | 12/4/2009 | 1 | H1N1/Pneumonia | Extreme vomiting, increased anxiety/panic attacks, nervousness, extreme pain in right knee | I would never take this drug again! Was hospitalized for H1N1/pneumonia and was given this drug intervenously. Couldn't sleep, was restless all the time, had weird thoughts, wanted to hurt myself to make the anxiety go away. | F | 44 | 5 days | 12/4/2009 | 1 | pneumonia | soreness on lower back calf | Took two doses, and on the morning after the second one had pain in achilles tendon area. Thought maybe it was psychological bc I read the side effects, but now believe that it is really there. Called Dr. and got Rx changed to Zpack. | F | 43 | 2 days | 12/3/2009 | 1 | sinusitis | shoulder pain, knee pain, calf pain, extreme insomnia, nervousness this started after about 5 days on pill | after reading all the comments, I'm scared! | F | 61 | 8 days | 12/1/2009 | 1 | Colon Virus | 750 mg. Now I walk like I am 80 years old. I had taken this for 7 days and noticed I was limping around the 4th day, but attributed it to sleeping "crooked". Continued to take it and woke up this morning and can't walk. I was in tears. This is not a medication that I EVER would take again. I think the FDA needs to know about how crippling this is. I am going to my regular Board Certified Internal Medicine specialist and asking him some questions. I wonder if I will ever get better | F | 48 | 7 days | 11/28/2009 | 1 | Colon Infection | Severe joint and muscle pain. Started a few days after I finished taking the meds. I had IV in hospital for 3 days and 500 milligrams for 10 days. Felt like I had run a marathon. | My neck is very stiff. My shoulders ache all the time. My joints in fingers are very painful. I wake every night with one or both hands asleep. I feel like I am 100 years old. Do not feel like doing things. Just want my life back. | F | 51 | 11/24/2009 | 1 | Pnuemonia | Took 20 days of levaquin for a very resistant pnuemonia, 5 years ago. Horrible pain throughout my body, especially my back, hips and hands. Fatigue; loss of sensation throughout, most severe in hands and feet; muscle pain and weakness; numbness, burning and neuropathic pain from my right elbow to my fingertip and both feet. I returned to my Dr. several times and was diagnosed with: depression, fibromyalgia, lupus, lupus- like syndrome, post infective arthritis, and, my all time favorite, pychosomatic pain. I am just now hearing about the side effects of levaquin. I am a healthy, very active person. For about a year and a half after taking this medication, I was barely able to move. To this day, the right side of my body feels like I had a stroke because of the weekness and I have approximately 40% of the feeling in my hands and feet (when they aren't burning, that is). The majority of the pain is gone but my hands still hurt terribly. I drop things and stumble all the time but | Think carefully before taking this medication. I will never take another medication without researching all side effects. | F | 38 | 20 days | 11/24/2009 | 1 | Sinusitis | Dizziness, nausea, panic attacks, insomnia, brain fog. | Just three days this medicine nearly sent me to the hospital. I got 3-4 panic attacks in 30 minutes, had a rapid heart beat, was very incoherent and fatigued beyond belief. DO NOT take this drug. Too many people have been killed or crippled by it. There are cheaper safer alternatives. Don't let your doc convince you to take it again as mine tried. It's your life and health. | F | 22 | 3 days | 11/23/2009 | 1 | Bronchitis | After taking Levaquin for 7 days I started feeling Muscle pain and fatigue. At first I thought I was getting worse but then I started thinking it was the drug. I went back to the Dr. he drew some blood and prescribed me another week of the drug. At this point I was in a lot of pain. I had run out of the first rx and not filled the second. Just one day off the drug I felt a difference so I called my Dr. and told him I wasn't going to take it anymore and to give me something else. He had gotten my bloodwork back and my liver enzymes were off the charts. He asked me to come back in. My labs had been drawn the month before for routine yearly labs and they were normal. After 2 weeks off the drug my enzymes went back to normal but I can't get rid of the muscle aches! He put me on an anti-inflammatory for 30 days and it helped a little. It has now been 4 months and by the end of the day my muscles in my legs and the joints in my hips hurt so bad I can hardly climb the stairs to go t | Don't take the drug! | F | 50 | 7 days | 11/22/2009 | 1 | e. coli infection in kidneys | hallucinations (while taking it), long-term chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, cognitive impairment and dozens of other randomly-occurring symptoms | This medication has cost me what could have been the most productive years of my life. I took it for two days over 8 years ago, and went from a basically healthy person to an exhausted person in chronic pain, which has gotten a little better over time, but not much. The serious, permanent side effects of Levaquin have been established for years. Why is it still on the market? Perhaps having the drug companies fund the FDA isn't such a good idea. I've spent some part of every day for 8 years trying to find out what happened to me, and today I finally found the answer. This type of information should be a little easier to find, wouldn't you think? Man, am I upset! | M | 48 | 2 days | 11/20/2009 | 1 | Cyst on Back | Quick onset headache/migraine, dizziness, light-headed, diahrea, weakness. | I would definitely recommend taking a weaker antibiotic first, and only take these in severe conditions. | M | 28 | 1 days | 11/19/2009 | 1 | pneumonia | severe stomach cramps and nausea; fatigue; trouble sleeping | F | 50 | 5 days | 11/16/2009 | 1 | Skin infection | Extreme pain in both shoulders and both biceps. Pain in finger joints. Indigestion, explosive diarrhea, dizziness and fogginess. | I will never take this antibiotic again! I have been off the drug for 4 days and still no relief from the pain and indigestion. | F | 55 | 7 days | 11/13/2009 | 1 | Pneumonia | My mother was the patient taking the medication. She is bedridden as I type. I received a call at work today that my mother had fallen out of bed and was in severe pain. Her legs were shaking, she was near tears. She told me she thought it was these pills. She only took 4 of the 500 milligrams. I looked them up and her symptoms all matched. I feel terribly guilty that I did not look this stuff up earlier and I let her take this poison. | You just assume there is a level of protection from the government, you know? Why in GOD's name does the FDA allow levaquin to be sold, or in this case given away as samples? Johnson and Johnson, the FDA and some quack have destroyed my mother's quality of life. My they all burn in hell. | M | 40 | 4 days | 11/13/2009 | 1 | UTI | Severe tendon pain , nightmares , insomnia ,ear-ringing and sound sensitivity , HELP !!! I took a month ago and just now feeling the effects ..... | Pure poison , take at your own risk !! Read these stories , they are all true !! Go to FQvictims.Org. to see the destruction they cause , wished I had earlier !! | M | 22 | 5 days | 11/12/2009 | 4 | pneumonia | my dosage is 500 mg daily; no adverse side affects; at this point I feel better but still have a bad cough; also taking generic mucinex (20mg dextromethorphan, 400 mg guaifenesin) 3 times a day; no other drugs at this time but prior to diagnosis was taking tylenol for fever and delsym for cough | I read the documentation from the pharmacy before taking this and was on the lookout for the slightest adverse reaction. Looks like it can have some very serious side affects. I'm supposed to take it for 14 days. | F | 50 | 3 days | 11/11/2009 | 1 | Bronchitis | After the day 5,I could not open and close my hands without it hurting and it was swollen. I could not walk without limping because my legs and entire body hurt. I am still itching after two months and my my hands still hurt. This medicine should be taken off the shelf. Definitely poison.!!!!Do Not Take this Levaquin!!!!Warning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 | F | 42 | 5 days | 11/11/2009 | 1 | Abscess | Taking 750mg Levaquin x7 days given as samples by my doctor so no label or side effects explanation attached. Severe insomnia, left knee swelling and pain, difficulty walking, feeling of detatchment and nervousness. I just found this site today after taking my last dose. I want to go and throw up the last poison pill in my stomach! | I'm really unhappy and scared as I was basically a healthy individual, physically active but now I can't even climb stairs without holding on to the rail for dear life. I want my life back! I'm praying these side effects will diminish, not sure where to turn. I don't want to get my MD in trouble, but he did give me a handful of sample blister packs so I had no idea what the side effects were. | F | 44 | 7 days | 11/10/2009 | 5 | Chronic bronchitis | Lethargy, aching arms, stiff neck, insomnia | I was given a 5 day course of the 750 mg. This after zithromax didn't help me for a big bad sinus infection and bronchitis. After a few days was feeling so much better. | F | 43 | 5 days | 11/9/2009 | 1 | Prostatitis | Disabling tendon, muscle, and joint pain and weakness all over my body, lasting 6 weeks so far. Major difficulty walking or standing, or doing any normal activities. Sudden, obvious increase in joints popping and cracking. Brief auditory hallucination. Generalized itching. | One 500mg dose of this dangerous drug attacked every tendon, from my jaw to my toes. Please, don't risk taking this or any other fluoroquinolone if there is ANY other, safer alternative. Fluoroquinolones have been shown in several studies to be TOXIC to tendon cells. If you do take it, STOP and tell your doctor immediately if you notice ANY joint, tendon, or muscle pain, or nervous system effects. Many people take this without problems, but be aware that it absolutely can CRIPPLE you with one dose, as it did me. I could not walk or stand for more than a couple minutes for several weeks. Six weeks later I am still extremely limited and in pain. A well-respected doctor who is knowlegeable of these reactions said my recovery could take 8-10 MONTHS. Also, realize that even Rx nasal sprays can be STERIODS, which will increase your chances of tendon side effects. Neither I nor my family will take this again unless it is do-or-die. Even then, I am not sure I would choose enduring months or more of disability and pain from taking this drug. | M | 35 | 1 days | 11/6/2009 | 1 | suspected pneumonia | nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, hand and arm tingling, muscle fatigue, confusion, headache, shoulder pain, popping noises in my feet, unsteady feeling when I walk. NONE of these symptoms were present BEFORE taking this medication. | My doctor doesn't think my symptoms are caused by this drug but I refuse to take any more of it. I react swiftly to drugs and I am very in tune with my body. The types of pains I am experiencing, I have never felt with any other infection. I was feeling 95% better when I was prescribed this medicine. He wanted me to take it as a just in case measure after having so much trouble with my asthma after probable swine flu two and a half weeks ago. I was still coughing up phlegm, but the cough was getting better and the amount of discharge from my lungs was becoming less and less. This medicine made me feel very ill... like I was coming down with the flu all over again. I took this medicine just 24 hours ago. I am not taking any more. I still feel nauseous and weak. I will never take Levaquin again. (I was only on the 500 mg dose.) | F | 33 | 1 days | 11/6/2009 | 1 | pneumonia | It has been nearly 11 months now since I took Levaquin. A week into it I developed severe knee pain, as if I had a bad muscle strain. It developed rapidly into such severe pain that I couldn't walk for days. Now, 11 months later, I still have the severe pain whenever I walk and I can't handle steps or hills. The orthopedic doc xrayed again today. Have avascular necrosis of the femoral head, along with osteoarthritis in the knee. Happened, literally, overnight while on the Levaquin. Now I will be facing surgery and hope that saves the knee. | F | 62 | 10 days | 11/5/2009 | 1 | Prostatitis | complete physical exhaustion, body aches, sore tendons, numb lips, pain behind eyeballs, general loss of focus. | BTW I am a real person that doubted taking this drug after warnings from my parents and reading so much on internet. I opted to try sulfates for my prostatitis after initially being prescribed 500 mg levaquin for 21 days. It did not work so I figured I would give this drug a chance and play Russian Roullete in hopes I would not be affected like all these other people I read about. I was wrong, I tried to weather the storm as a point of pride but after 16 days I quit. Yesterday on my day off I could barely get out of bed and it felt like my eyeballs were going to pop out of socket. Dealing with this drug is far worse than dealing with the pain I took it for. I am going to choose another doctor. I feel like the Hippocratic Oath in this day and age has become a joke and doctors are becoming no better than ambulance chasing lawyers out for a cheap buck. | M | 37 | 16 days | 11/4/2009 | 1 | infected toe | I had terrible knee pain which eventually went away. The more significant problems that are still with me are tennis elbow in the left elbow and a torn right shoulder rotator cuff. I felt the elbow pull when lifting a half full bag of trash and the right shoulder tore when I was startled and turned around quickly. Neither of these injuries should have happened. I had never has any problem with these two joints. The orthopedic surgeon wanted to do surgery on the shoulder right away but I stalled for a month and then he said that I might not need surgery. However, I think it is getting worse now. | LEVAQUIN IS POSION. Do not use it for other than a life threatening situation where there is no alternative. Also, CVS in June 2009 did not give me the FDA mandated medication guide. This drug was prescribed for me by a podiatrist (not a M.D.) who I went to because my doctor was away. When I called him he did not seem to know about all the recent controversy surrounding this drug. Even though the information is out there, I fell through the cracks. I didn't notice the new warning section at the top of the regular CVS paper and CVS never gave me the medication guide that is mostly about tendon problems. One CVS pharmacist I talked to at another CVS didn't think there was a FDA mandated medication guide for Levaquin. They appear to be relying on their computer system to spit these things out as needed and hopefully someone will put it in your bag. Knowing what I know now, if I was a pharmacist I would personally put it in the bag and personally point it out to the patient. I would have noticed the guide and stopped taking the drug at the first sign of pain. | M | 59 | 7 days | 11/2/2009 | 2 | urinary tract infection | I was on 750 mg dose for 8 days. NASTY metallic taste in mouth is still there a week after stopping. Also, the infection went away, but I've been lethargic and still have some lightheadedness | M | 52 | 8 days | 10/31/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | insomnia, numbness,vaginitis, severe back and neck pain, extreme fatigue, tendonitis was exacerbated, no appetite, fogginess, forgetfulness....and then some. | I would never take Levaquin again. It has debilitated me and I can only hope that it is temporary. | M | 58 | 2 days | 10/31/2009 | 3 | Bronchitis | Muscle pain, dizzyness, trouble sleeping. | Muscle pain has continued now for 5 days past stopping the drug. | M | 49 | 10 days | 10/30/2009 | 1 | UTI | Severe incessant itching all over my body, tingling of hands and feet, very bad itching on my palms and soles of my feet. Large hives all over my body. Edema and tingling of hands and feet. | This drug should be banned! I took the first round of this drug about 1 year ago for a typical UTI. I had no noticeable side effects. I recently had another UTI (get them rarely - about 1 a year or every other year), so my doctor prescribed the same treatment. Luckily I only had 2 doses of 500 mg each time. The reaction I had started approx. 1 week after finishing the 2nd round. For no apparent reason, I started itching everyehere on my body - my back, my front, my rear, my legs, and most noticeably my palms and soles of my feet. I itched for hours every night! The itching was very bad at night. I developed a rash, very bad hives, and most recently the latest side affect is edema of my hands and ankles and feet. The swelling causes my hands to go numb or tingle/burn. The itching is unbelievable and embarrassing and I already had to miss work. To be sure this was a true allergic reaction I visited a dermotologist because at the time I did not equate these sypmtoms with Levaquin. He immediately recognized this as such and prescribed a heavy dose of anti-histamine to quell the itch, and an oral steroid. I should know better than to just take a drug without reading all about it first. I normally do my homework but trusted my doctor's judgement. | F | 44 | 2 days | 10/23/2009 | 1 | Sinus Infection | Seriously fast pulse, high blood pressure, dizzy, hallucinations, panic, strange and frightening drugged feeling. These came on about ten minutes after taking Levaquin. Also had difficulty concentrating and insomnia. I was on 500 MG and only took two doses and threw them out. It took three days to get back to normal. In the three days after taking Levaquin I still felt extremly drugged and drowsy and two days after taking it I experienced an upset in my intestines. | I would suggest that no one take this drug. I felt as if I'd consumed some type of poison. After seeing the side effects and the black box warning from the FDA I'd only take this medicine again if it were a life and death situation. | M | 26 | 2 days | 10/23/2009 | 2 | Sinus Infection | DOSAGE: 500mg once a day for 10 days DAY 1: Developed a horrible headache, had trouble sleeping. DAY 2: Legs (mainly thighs) are very sore, like I had done a hard core work out. It hurts just to walk and my legs are weak, its hard to get in and out of a chair! I am a very healthy, active person and I normally run 3 miles a day and my legs are never sore, so this is ridiculous. RESULT: Stopping medication on Day 2. | F | 34 | 2 days | 10/22/2009 | 1 | bacterial infection | Painful tendonitis and a tendon in my ankle popped. Not fun. It seemed to be getting better but from time to time I get painful stiffness. I found the website LevaquinBlog.com and it lists some pretty useful information and articles. Hope this helps others. | M | 31 | 5 days | 10/22/2009 | 1 | suspecial bronchitis | Severe long-term headache, dizziness, unstable feeling. | M | 34 | 5 days | 10/21/2009 | 1 | Pneumonia | combative, nonresponsive, hallucinations | my mother stroke vicitim who was diagnosed with dementia was given Levanquin for pneumonia in ER. She started being combative to her home care aides and family members. Did not recognize us, each time we gave her the medication. Asked her doctor about Levanquin and was told it was safe. We thought we were putting the medications to close together. Took her back to ER because we were sure the medication was the problem. The question was not answered. We missed a couple of days of a 7 day course when she went to the hospital and when we tried to space the drugs. Have decided not to continue the drug. She has only been home for a month since having the stroke and we are all adjusting to the challenges. The last thing we need is more diabilities. | F | 85 | 7 days | 10/18/2009 | 1 | My 91 yr. old mom was prescribed this medicine for UTI and possible other infections. She had multiple side effects: Vomiting, insomnia, monster water blisters on legs (she has venous stasis cellulitis), the previous sores on her legs and pressure sores on her fanny had healed up ... but Levaquin really messed her up with the water blisters and muscle weakness. She is having trouble getting back on her feet because of this muscle weakness. Only three weeks or so ago she was walking all the time with her walker and getting up and sitting down from a chair, bed, etc. Now it's this very bad muscle weakness and her appetite is very poor. NO, IT'S NOT ALL OLD AGE ... SHE WAS DOING FAIRLY WELL UNTIL LEVAQUIN and other antibiotics the doctors were feeding her over a period of a year. | I call this a DIABOLICAL ... OVERPOPULATION antibiotic that is meant to make people very sick and eventually kill them. You know doctors today ask if your loved one should have life-saving measures if they have a heart attack, etc. When you say, "Yes." and then we will go from there YOU GET THIS OVERPOPULATION LECTURE CRAP or they try to talk you out of life-saving measures. This is Las Vegas so I don't know if what I am hearing is peculiar to this city or if it's all over the country ... but I am SICK OF THIS LIBERAL GARBAGE. The doctors out there have a responsibility to make their patients well. The HMO's should just shut up and let the doctors do their jobs ... LIKEWISE THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BUZZ OFF WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH CARE. The doctors know what to do, period. | F | 91 | 1 weeks | 10/18/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | The day I took first 750mg pill, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, joint pain in all joints, racing heart, extremely nervous/anxious, massive headache, insomia only slept 2 hrs that night, thought I saw spiders when I closed my eyes that night, that night was shivering and teeth chattering under 3 blankets(was 80 degrees ouside). | Took 1 pill and stopped due to side effects. Next 2 days started to feel better was only having some muscle and joint pain, day 3 started to feel worse. Next 10 days all joints felt swollen,hurt, muscles felt weak and was having muscle spasms, was walking like I was elderly, had trouble sleeping. Day 10 started taking magnesium and vitamin B6. It helped alot! For me it took away some of the joint pain and relaxed my muscles. Day 12 went back to DR. who prescribed Levaquin. She took an EKG, urine sample and blood work. Will find out next week results. She told me I had a bad allergic reaction to Levaquin and for me to never take any floroquinoline again. Now on day 17 and last 4 days have felt normal with no side effects, although this afternoon my right knee and left ankle started hurting a little bit. I still continue to take magnesium and vitamin B6 and have been eating alot of lean protein, calcium, juice and fruit. It has helped during my recovery from Levaquin poisoning. I hope that I am done now with all side effects but know that many people have had ups and downs that have lasted for months off of 1 dose. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! The side effects are not worth it and last a long, long time after you have stopped taking it, even if it is just one dose. If you have a bad experience after taking Levaquin then you should not take any antibiotic in the floroquinoline family. File a MedWatch report with the FDA www.fda.gov hopefully one day it will be pulled from the market. | F | 35 | 1 days | 10/17/2009 | 1 | MRSA | Extreme muscle and tendon pain as well associated with exhaustion, memory loss, loss of appetite, etc..... | After taking two doses of Levaquin 500mg to treat MRSA in 2006 i experienced the most severe pain all over my body. My family rushed me to the emergency room, where they proceeded to make me feel like a psycho! I have been to four different doctors and explained that I feel that what i am experiencing all started from taking the Levaquin and no one will believe me or give me any kind of help or relief! I am unable to work and can barely do every day type things. I need help desperately and don't know where to turn! I am so depressed and miserable, i had an active well balanced life before this all happened and do not know how to continue feeling this awful! | F | 51 | 2 days | 10/17/2009 | 1 | prostate biopsy | Muscle and joint pain throughout-- in low back, hips, knees,shins, calves, ankles, feet,arms,and fingers, decreased appetite. | I took 10 days of cipro for a possible uti right before I started the levaquin so I had both of these right in a row. Symptoms really began about 2 weeks after the last dose and just kept getting worse. It is now over 2 months and, like everyone else here, I'm wondering when I will get some relief. Just saw an Integrative doctor who wrote out a supplement plan so I will see if that helps. | M | 58 | 5 days | 10/14/2009 | 1 | Severe pneumonia | Insomnia, depression, mild hallucinations, nausea, headaches, loss of appetite, (what looks like) sunburns on chest, burning sensation in hands tendons | Was not warned on any severity, currently taking. | F | 23 | 7 days | 10/14/2009 | 1 | Bladder Infection | Massive anxiety, disorientation, heart palpitations, mild hallucinations, crazy dreams and thoughts | Had to stop taking this mid-treatment. I had kicked a panic disorder about a year before taking this. Now I'm dealing with it again, and it's bullshit. After my experience and reading the experiences of others, I don't understand why this is even available. Scary stuff. | F | 23 | 5 days | 10/14/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | SEVERE AND I MEAN SEVERE TENDONITIS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS. I GET SINUS INFECTION ABOUT EVERY 3-4 MONTHS. I DID NOT PUT 2 AND 2 TOGETHER UNTIL I SWITCHED PHARMACIES AND GOT A ONE PAGE WARNING INSTEAD OR A 2 SENTENCE WARNING. I'VE BEEN TO 3 DIFFERENT DOCTORS ABOUT MY TENDONITIS AND NOT ONE OF THEM RELATED IT TO LEVAQUIN AND CIPRO. DOCTORS NEED TO BE EDUCATED! I WOULD JUST START TO GET OVER THE PAIN OF THE TENDONITIS AND THEN GET ANOTHER SINUS INFECTION. I'VE HAD TO CUT BACK TO PART TIME AT WORK. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR OWN CARE! HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID! | F | 62 | 4 years | 10/13/2009 | 1 | UTI | I took two doses for a mild UTI. The morning after taking the first pill, I awoke with a horrible, throbbing headache. I called my doctor, who suggested I halve the dose. By the third morning, I had developed joint stiffness, muscle pain, exhaustion, and a generalized heaviness in my limbs. Every time I walk, my feet joints crack, and I'm starting to get shooting pains on my shins. I stopped after two doses and am hoping that it will be okay. | This should be a drug of last resort---for people with life-threatening infections who don't mind sacrificing their athletic lifestyles and quality of life. | F | 38 | 2 days | 10/11/2009 | 1 | Kidney Infection | Severe tendon pain, pain everywhere....the back of my heels, my knees, hands, wrists, shoulders, hips, etc. | This is a terrible drug. I have taken two rounds......14 days each. I finished the medication two days ago and still am in so much pain....I will never take this medication again. | F | 46 | 28 days | 10/8/2009 | 3 | diverticulitis | I have severe foot pain and swelling and moving knee and hip pain after my dosage ended, came on suddenly. While on the medication I had insomnia, restless legs at night, violent nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, stomach pain and gas. | As I am researching side effects of Levaquin on here, a commercial plays on CNN about people experiencing problems with tendon pain who have taken Levaquin to call 1-877-lawsuit. I hope these side effects go away soon! | F | 39 | 10 days | 10/6/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | To start, I had a left knee replacement in March 09. I was prescribed levaquin (500mg) in Augut 09. I had taken a river cruise in Chicago and did a lot of walking. At first I thought the pain was in my left knee but soon discovered the pain radiated up from my knee to my hip. I literally had to lift my leg with my hands to get in and out of the car, and was in extreme pain just walking short distances. To this day, if I fall asleep on my left hip, the pain always wakes me up. What I read on the internet was that it can cause tendon ruptures. Maybe it chose the one in my left leg because the leg was already compromised with the knee replacement. It's 2 months later, and I'm still not back to normal. But I hope I will get there. Some of the ratings do not sound very positive. | I think there should be more education out there for doctors. I don't believe mine knew of the side affects. There has to be other alternatives to this drug. I will say, though, it was starting to work great--wish I could have had one more week on it. | F | 64 | 7 days | 10/5/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | I was prescribed 750 mg of Levaquin for 5 days and 10 mg of Predisone twice a day for 5 days. My sinus infection was gone. I felt find while I taking the medications. After I finished the medications had a cold sore under my nose and painful lymph nodes under my jaw, back of my head and under my arms. I went back to the doctor and told him of my symptons. I'm currently taking a 5 day dose of | Valtrex (anti-viral medicine) for the cold sore under my nose. I also had headaches and pain in my shoulders. I would not recommend this antibiotic. | F | 51 | 5 days | 10/4/2009 | 1 | upper respiratory infection | Calf pain started a couple of days after ending treatment. I was a healthy runner, and it's been three weeks so far of being unable to do more than walk at a regular pace. Any exercise inflames the calf. I had taken steroids with the levaquin, which must have been part of the problem. Still, I would just stay away from this drug. If you are active, especially. | Also experienced some numbness in my arms, and sleep disruption after I stopped taking the drug. | F | 38 | 5 days | 10/3/2009 | 5 | sinus infection | At first it upset my stomach, but then I started taking it with yogurt and I was fine for the rest of the time. | While the warnings are scary it was a great drug and helped cure a sinus infection that two rounds of amoxicillin couldn't get rid of. | F | 35 | 10 days | 10/2/2009 | 1 | prostatitis & pelvic floor pain | insomnia, profuse sweating, night terrors, intracranial pressure, eye floaters, panic/anxiety attacks, depression, ringing-in-ears, dizziness, heart palpitations, seizures & suicidal ideation | Three 500mg levaquin pills precipitated a massive systems' breakdown that began with an uncharacteristic, early-evening nightmare and pain in my leg calves directly after having taken the first pill. Soon I experienced insomnia, cognitive deficit, paranoia, and decline in executive & multi-tasking capacity. These central nervous system (CNS) problems were accompanied by intracranial pressure, eye floaters, and narrowing peripheral vision. From time-to-time I became faint ("syncope") and nearly passed-out while sitting at my desk. Early-on I lost my language fluency and neither could maintain focus nor find the right words to complete a sentence. Mine was a wholesale body & mind breakdown. I suspect my genetic predisposition --- some defect on my DNA strands --- makes my constitution incompatible with fluourquinolones and led to a life-changing adverse drug reaction. Most galling are medical professionals who appear to be in total denial that an antibiotic pill could wreak such havoc. You might have thought I was speaking gibberish or Hindi, so utterly dismissive and disinterested were doctors when I approached them with my concerns that lie outside their comfort level. (Gee, you'd think that doctors associate thinking outside-the-box with a commensurate increase in their medical malpractice insurance premiums.) I hold responsible big pharma, deregulation and the FDA for a breakdown in the vetting, control, marketing and distribution of prescription drugs. | M | 62 | 3 days | 10/2/2009 | 1 | UTI infection in 2003 | My shoulders arms and hands became painful,numb and almost useless. It was determined to be perephial neurophy, I take pain meds, muscle relaxers. and live with it today 6 years later., | The side effects is NOT worth the cure. I will never take it again. | F | 60 | 10 days | 9/30/2009 | 2 | Sinus Infection | Small convulsions on first day, tingling arms (intermittent, both sides), increasing anxiety over five-day period ending in an anxiety attack. Neck pain and anxiety continued for several days after treatment ended. | I was prescribed 750 mg for 5 days (the new standard high-dosage treatment for sinusitis). Following the instructions on the warning label on the medication, I phoned my doctor's office on the second day about the tingling arms to see if I should continue treatment, and she told me to do so but to let her know if it got worse. I regret continuing the drug. While the tingling didn't get worse, I developed neck pain (probably due to increasing levels of anxiety) and ultimately had an anxiety attack. I became hyper-sensitive to caffeine and experienced bouts of anxiety-related sweating and tingling periodically for two weeks after ending the full course of treatment. I also had bad neck pain. I've never experienced this kind of extreme anxiety before so I strongly suspect it was caused by the drug. Thankfully, three weeks later the anxiety has stopped again (I hope for good!). | F | 42 | 5 days | 9/29/2009 | 1 | Strep Throat | Severe allergic reaction, full body hives and welts, burning rashes, eyelids and finger tips were raw and moist, anxiety, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, dizziness, weakness, severe fatigue, felt like spine was on fire, shooting "electric" pain in leg, back and head, joint pain, twitching, headaches, neck ache, hair loss, period stopped for 3 months, tingling and numbness in arms and legs, became hypersensitive to things I was not allergic to before (food, supplements), brain fog, memory trouble, mottled skin. | I took 2 pills a year ago and am only 85% recovered. This drug almost killed me and has made the last 12 months a nightmare. It should be pulled from the market. The doctors have been clueless as to how to help and have tested for everything. Advanced Allergy Therapeutics helped a lot with the hypersensitivity but not 100%. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helped with the brain fog. Continue to detox gently. | F | 45 | 2 days | 9/26/2009 | 1 | Sinus Infection/Bronchitis | Terrific headache. Burning sensation from throat to stomach. Horrible stomach pains, nausea, bloating, dizziness, and yellowing of the skin. | Will never take again!!! | F | 60 | 2 days | 9/24/2009 | 1 | antibiotic | feet dead (peripheral neuropathy? tests ongoing) cannot drive with shoes on as I cannot feel the pedals, pains in both kneees, legs, shoulder pains getting worse by the day, sleeplessness, confusion, strange cough, walking very difficult with cane, feel awful | Following successful knee replacement surgery, I fell and split open the incision. ER doctor sewed up and gave 1 Levoquin for infection and Rx for 7 more. Took 5 and told surgeon my feet had gone numb - asked if the surgery caused this and what it was. Told it sounded like peripheral neuropathy not caused by surgery, he changed the antiobiotic. Looked up PN and found it on the website of the manufucturer of Levaquin as a side effect. Also on consumer complaints. Mine are so similar. Is this reversible? Anyone know? My doctor says no and is taking tests now. Prognosis doesn't look good. HELP | F | 79 | 6 days | 9/23/2009 | 1 | Renal transplant - poss. infection | Severe Achilles tendonitis | Was taking 250mg/day. After about 3 days noticed pain in my Achilles tendons. A couple of days later could barely walk. Doc immediately pointed to the drug as the source and said I could stop taking as an infection was apparently not the cause of my kidney related issue. Almost 5 days since stopping the drug, I still have slight pain in the tendons and can walk well after a few steps. I personally would not take this med again although Doc says it's one of the best antibiotics now. | M | 53 | 7 days | 9/22/2009 | 1 | lung infection | Legs hurt terrible. No sleep for 5 nights. Took several days to wash out. | Now 8 mos later, after going thru several back test to find out nothing wrong with spine. We think this drug has and still causes severe leg pain at night. | M | 68 | 5 days | 9/19/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | terrible aching in my right arm. allergic reaction, face swelling, turning red, and hives. | This was not the ffirst time I took it but I now understand why I was so lethargic and in so much pain last time. I was teaching an realized something was wrong. I had to leave my class with someone and go to the school nurse for Benadryl and to call my doctor's office. They told me to stop taking it and take Benadryl. Now what am I to do about my energy level and the constant pain while teaching 3rd graders? | F | 38 | 3 days | 9/19/2009 | 1 | Sinus Infection | Insomnia, rapid heart beat, severe throbbing knee and leg pain | I took one dose of 750mg Levaquin, and within a couple of hours, my heart was rapidly beating, and I had burning pain in my knees and legs. I quickly discontinued the medication. This is quite possibly the worst medication I have ever taken. 24 hours after use, I still haven't slept and I am still in pain. STAY AWAY!!!!!! | F | 29 | 1 days | 9/17/2009 | 1 | sinus infection | hallucinations, exhaustion, leaden feeling in my legs, | I took one dose of this rat poison in the evening and wish I had never seen it. It made me hallucinate, and I kept having to tell myself, "This isn't real. This isn't real." When I woke up the next morning, I was barely able to move and walk. It's been 36 hours, and I'm still exhausted and can hardly move. I had to go to the ER because the side effects were so frightening. My mom had a similar experience on this medication. I don't intend to ever allow my kids to be prescribed this poison. STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG!!!!! | F | 35 | 1 days | 9/16/2009 | 1 | Sinusitis | pain and stiffness in knees | I was on a 500mg dose for 10 days. I was also prescribed a prescription eyedrop from the same family of antibiotics and a 20mg dose, 2x a day of Prednisone (corticosteriod) to help "boost" my immune system. within 3-4 days my knees were extremely stiff and I could hardly bend them. I had minimal stiffness in my neck as well but not enough to attribute it to the battery of medications I was taking. I discontinued the Prednisone and eyedrops on day 5 but continued with the Levaquin through day 9 at which point I quit altogether. It has been a week since discontinuing the treatment and my knees have not improved. I am now taking 1500mg/1200mg respectively of each Glucosomine/Chondroitin 2x a day in an effort to restore their elasticity and flexibility. It's wait and see now. My doctor is uncertain of origin of symptoms and can offer no long term prognosis. Hopefully the worst has passed and no further damage will come of it. | M | 37 | 10 days | 9/15/2009 | 1 | post surgery | I posted my story about three months ago. Seven months have now passed since I took Levaquin. I am now 90% recovered. It took 6 months of careful, and intense physical therapy AND crutches for BOTH of my Achilles tendons to regenerate and heal. I encourage anyone who is experiencing tendon problems from this drug to "get yourself into physical therapy" with a GOOD, KNOWLEDGEABLE therapist. Emory, in Atlanta, GA, has an imaging study underway exploring the damage that fluoroquinolones cause to the Achilles tendons. | F | 38 | 5 days | 9/15/2009 | 1 | Sinus Infection | I took a 10 day dose after two other antibiotics failed to cure the sinus infection. Started second dose and a couple of days after starting it my left leg got very tight. I was constantly stretching to stop the pain. I called the dr's office and they told me to continue taking it as it wasn't the medicine. I took it 5 more days and then found a sheet that was put in my last prescirption saying you could have tendonitis. In the meantime, two tendons under my 3rd and 4th toes on my left foot popped. Along with the pain was numbness which has continues since that time. It | It took a month for the tightness to go away but I continue to have numbness in my toes and in the ball of my foot. I don't know if this is a continuing side effect of the Levaquin or if it's something else. I now am on another antibiotic for sinus infection (6 months after the Levaquin problem) and so I am wondering if the numbness is being affected by the new antibiotic. Don't know if it will ever go away. My doctor said I was the first patient she had with the problem. | F | 65 | 17 days | 9/13/2009 | 1 | Pneumonia | Joint pains in hands, moved to knees | I am listing this rating on behalf of my daughter. Her joint pain is severe enough as to make it difficult for her to climb bus steps to ride bus to and from school. I was told that this was somewhat experimental, but that it was considered safe for her body weight. We were told to stop taking it and advise of any pain in her feet or ankles - she had none, and unfortunately other joint pain did not surface until the end of the 10 day course. We were not cautioned to avoid NSAIDS and she took ibuprofen concurrently - bottle says only that antacids or iron products should not be taken within 2 hours of this medicine. Levaquin was started whilst she was in hospital, and a 10 day prescription administered once released. | F | 12 | 11 days | 9/13/2009 | 1 | respiratory problems | My hand hurts so much and is swollen. I had extreme exhaustion and my bladder and bowel are screwed up big time..excessive bowel movements, etc. I would not recommend this drug to anyone, no matter what problem they have! I took this drug in June, 2009. My dog also had a problem and the vet recommened a drug in this same family of drugs and I told him absolutely I wasn't giving her that! He said to just try it and I said no way..then it will be too late...So everyone be careful what the vet is prescribing, also! KD | M | 67 | 9 days | 9/12/2009 | 1 | Torn rotator cuff, tendonitis in wrist, severe pain in front and arch of feet and insomnia. | I took a 10day course in March and again in Septermber of 2007. I assumed pain in joints was due to age, but in late 2008 I started hvg severe pain in shoulder joint. Had xrays and was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff. Then I started having severe pain in my wrist. The pain was so severe it would wake me up. My doctor had to give me a time released pain medication so that I could have pain relief all day long and be functional. Now if I sit for a while I have pain in my feet when I stand up. I'm ashamed to walk. IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE I TOOK THIS MEDICINE. I don't think the side effects are going to go away for me. Quite frankly I'm wondering if this drug can actualLY cause arthritis. The lawsuit is overlooking some other common side effects like pain in the feet unless it is the achilles tendon. This is not a medicine. It is a legal poison. I have contacted an attorney and I am curious to know what percentage of any recovered amount most attorneys are charging | F | 51 | 10 days | 9/12/2009 | 1 | UTI | Severe shoulder pain, upper arm, elbow and hand. Swollen Achilles tendons. Can't sleep. I have to lie on my back. 750 mg for 10 days. CT Scan, bone scan, and MRI. Going on for a month now. No relief from pain medication. Also, caused kidney problems with interaction with Diovan/HCTZ. Can't walk after driving in car. | F | 61 | 10 days | 9/8/2009 | 1 | curticle infection | swollen knee after seven daily doses--Dr.told me to start Benadryl--I am having an allergic reaction. We'll see how it is in morning after another dose...first two did nothing. | I was not advised of this side effect but DR. did not seem surprised when I told him---Pharmacist not surprised either. | F | 67 | 7 days | 9/8/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |