| 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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| 5 | Sinus infection | Acid indigestion and diarrhea. weight loss. | It certainly worked for me; the sinus infection was cleared in about 2 days. I was prescribed 750mg daily for 5 days. My only complaint is the digestive woes it caused, however OTC meds for those cleared that right up. I was worried about joint pain, as I already have tendonitis, but never experienced any. | M | 35 | 5 days | 1/4/2010 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 5 | Chronic bronchitis, pneumonia | It is the only drug that really works on my respiratory infections. Yes, it does cause some nausea and bloating but most antibiotics do. I've had it in an IV but usually 500mg a day. I have taken it on and off for ten years. | F | 71 | 8/1/2009 | 5 | kidney infection and bronchitis | insomnia, stomach upset | This is my second time with Levaquin and both times it had me feeling better within 48 hours, after feeling like I was going to die before. I'm allergic to penicillin but have no negative reaction to Levaquin other than the mentioned mild side effects. | F | 60 | 10 days | 7/11/2009 | 5 | sinus infection | Only slept 3-hours last night and feel gittery this morning. | I fought a sinus infection, with over the counter meds for 7-days before going to doctor. Prescribed Levaquin, took a sample at the Dr. Office, and before I got to the pharmacy, my ears were cleared up. This morning the painful pressure in my face and jaws are gone, still have a slight headache but nothing compared to the pain yesterday. | M | 29 | 2 days | 6/26/2009 | 5 | pneumonia | none- worked wonders 750 0n my 5th day feel wonderful with no side effects. | F | 44 | 5 days | 6/17/2009 | 5 | Sinus Infection | Slight nausea and diarrhea the first 3 days. Nothing intolerable. | I had been through 2 Z-Paks and had found no relief from my sinus infection. The Levaquin did the trick in about 4 days. I finished the prescribed course 500mg for 10 days. I question some of the reviews about people feeling so sick or achy from the medication. You're ill, you should have been sick and achy before taking the medication anyway. Has anyone considered that your aches and nausea may be related to your illness? | F | 27 | 10 days | 6/15/2009 | 5 | severe upper resperatory infection | two rotator cuff tears, both achilles tendons have micro-tears, possible tears in my left hip I have had two shoulder surgeries and suffer from the pain in my knees and hip everyday. not to mention the nagging back pain, and the loss of flexibility I have lost. | Levequin may be great for those suffering from alergy induced sinus infections as I am if they are NOT athletes. Athletes will need to find something else to help with infections in my opinion if they do not want to end their career. | M | 60 | 10 days | 5/6/2009 | 5 | Pneumonia | tiredness, some dizziness | Worked great and after 2nd day of taking it- felt much better. | F | 42 | 7 days | 5/2/2009 | 5 | Sinus infection | None | Love this drug! No side effects and I am feeling 100% better after having taken the drug for only a short period of time. This really worked for me. | M | 35 | 5 days | 4/28/2009 | 5 | tooth infection | None | EXCELLENT DRUG. I had tried 3 other drugs for my infection before this. It worked within 1 day. | F | 44 | 5 days | 3/4/2009 | 5 | sinusitis/middle ear infection | 1st day sleeplessness | Stuff worked in 2 days, tho I had to take it for 5. 750mg once a day. Amazingly, all the whiners on this board got internetitis and had , stupendously, every side effect symptom ever known. Fact is, this stuff works as advertised, and quickly. Yeah, you'll have fevers, BECAUSE YOU'RE SICK, otherwise you wouldn't be taking this, and yes, you'll get tendonitis because you feel better 2 days later and decide your 50 year old body should play fag football in the park on sunday and YES! If you're a woman you'll have every known mental/physical side effect ever attributed to any drug ever, and then you'll be on bedrest for 40 days and still feel effects 6 months later, BUT, if you're like the other 99% of us, you'll feel better in two days and if you complete your regimen you'll completely obliterate your infection. Don't pay attention to the whiners...get well instead. | M | 42 | 5 days | 3/4/2009 | 5 | Sinus Infection | I did not feel as well rested and woke up several times during the night. I also coincidntly developed Right sided ear pain and a sore throat on the Right. Not sure if this is related to the sinus infection. | Note: My doctor put me on steroids and Levaquin. I noticed on the information sheet that came with Levaquin that to use caution when using Levaquin with steroids. I decided to take the prednisone (steroid) first for 16 days which opened me up but I had yellow drainage from my nose so then I started the Levaquin. The results are immediate. My nose seems much better. I'm not sure if the sore throat and ear ache are from Levaquin or a secondary infection. | M | 39 | 5 days | 1/28/2009 | 5 | Mycoplasma (walking) pneumonia | None noticed. | I took 500 mg. of Levaquin for a case of walking pneumonia. I did not notice any ill effects. The drug works almost overnight. I was feeling better after one day - markedly better after 3. | F | 44 | 10 days | 1/11/2009 | 5 | coughing up cannon balls | mild muscle pain maybe tendon | this medicine rocks!!! I have been allergic to so many antibiotics it's not funny.this is the mothership of all drugs ,blows congestion apart like a good game of astroids. Listen people all medicine is poison..period.you do what you have to do to get better,penicillin almost killed me as a kid it grew mold on my tongue and closed my throat.WTF ..all of this stuff has risk.stop whining and suffer if you dont want to take it dont.otc drugs kill more people then you realise because it's readily available and used irresponsibily.so what..you had a bad dream..grab some hot choc and call it a night.I have bad dreams on greasy pizza.any pain I have experienced has always disappeared shortly after stopping the med.I was on cipro for 90 days and lived to write this.Bottom line it works and you've been warned of the risk.read all the warnings on all the other medications you take I bet you'll have a mental episode about them also you paranoid freaks. I would take this again and again | M | 40 | 3 months | 1/2/2009 | 5 | diverticulitis | depression | I took this for 10 days with Flagyl. However, the flagyl was HORRIBLE, made me very sick so my doctor changed the flagyl, but I still took the levaquin. I felt better in just a couple days. | F | 35 | 10 days | 12/29/2008 | 5 | sinus infection | absolutely none - and I work out all the time | M | 40 | 7 days | 12/4/2008 | 5 | UTI's often | I have UTI's at the drop of a hat due to several urology issues and it clears the infection every time I develop one - bacterial included. I do have some swelling of the ankles and a blah feeling but nothing extreme. This year alone, I have had to take the 750 mg for 7 days about 10 times either for UTI or pneumonia - (asthma and copd)- it does cause night sweats some but usually not bad - I think it is a wonderful drug as some other drugs will not work for me anymore due to constanct infections. I have less side effects with Levaquin than I do Cipro but the cost of Levaquin is just CRAZY - thank God I get samples most usually as they are approximately $10.00 a pill AFTER my insurance pays their portion. | I take my 750 dose after lunch and cut it in 4 pieces and drink a ton of water getting the pieces down........lots of water and liquids while on this med.... | F | 62 | 12/2/2008 | 5 | Upper respiritory infection. | A little dizziness. Uncoordinated and feel strange, but then again I AM sick! | 750mg for 7 days. I'm on day 3 right now. I felt the infection clearing late last night. My stomach is having some gurgles, so I will be buying some yogurt. Take it with food, drinks LOTS of fluids, and stay away from Nsaid drugs (read the info sheet). They only give this medication when you're sick and you're gonna feel weird, so get some rest and don't let all of the negative posts bother you. | M | 35 | 3 days | 11/7/2008 | 5 | Uterine infection | None at all. | I have taken this drug before and have never had any of the awful side effects that people have listed here. | F | 33 | 10 days | 10/23/2008 | 5 | UTI | I have had zero side effects with Levaquin | Levaquin is the only thing that works for my UTIs. I get them often. I have tried Bactrim and Cipro, but my UTIs usually return within six weeks with these meds. Levaquin cures it and I am UTI free for three to four years at a time. | 44 | 3 days | 10/22/2008 | 5 | UTI | I am allergic to everything usually! I had a really bad UTI this time, and this worked great! It cleared up my skin on my face too! I had a little acne and its gone now! I highly recommend this! ***** excellente | F | 29 | 9 days | 8/26/2008 | 5 | Prostate Infection | Mild dizziness about an hour after ingestion, clears up about an hour or two later. | I have had 3 prostate infections (they are not pleasant) and Levaquin cleared up the most serious symptoms of fever and achiness in about 48 hours. Another 24 - 48 hours until the frequent urination urge clears. Since the prostate does not absorb antibiotics well, you need to stay on this medicine for 28 days to completely clear the infection. | M | 49 | 28 days | 8/26/2008 | 5 | Sinus infection, strep throat | I am very sensitive/allergic to quite a bit of med's ( amxocicillin, sulfa, SSRI's). I had no side effects or ill reactions to this medicine. It worked great!! | F | 25 | 10 days | 8/15/2008 | 5 | ear infection | No side effects whatsoever after a 10-day course. I looked at this website before taking my first dose, and I was apprehensive and was expecting the worst. But I experienced no side effects, and my ear infection quickly went away and I immediately started feeling better. | I did follow my doctor's advice and took probiotics along with this drug. I also have always taken vitamin and mineral supplements daily. Maybe that helped avert side effects. | F | 61 | 10 days | 7/30/2008 | 5 | sinus infection | depression, lethargy, weakness | I took this several years ago for prostatitis. The side effects were pretty terrible but subsided after 2 weeks of stopping treatment. I recently had a sinus infection and my ENT prescribe it. I remembered the adverse reactions but decided to take it anyways. I get very depressed, restless, and worse of all very letharguc. I decided to put a 5 as a rating because it seems there are a lot of positive comments that sound like drug sales rep masquerading as consumers and saying that this drug is a god send. I fear that people might just read the very enthusiastic comments and decide to take it. And yes, the very enthusiastic comments are fictitious...think about it, if you were a regular patient whose infection went away and was back to normal, would you be trying to post a comment online...these are drug reps!!!! I am not a looney nor have I had adverse reactions with any other drugs | M | 35 | 14 days | 6/25/2008 | 5 | relapsing Lyme or Bartonella? | Don't confuse side effects with vigorous die off responses. Die off reponses mean it is working!!! Most die offs (herx) from a new antibiotic start at around the 3rd day of rx and this did also. This was a hum dinger...hadn't herxed like this since the early yrs of rx. | 2.5 weeks into what is supposed to be a 3 month regimine. Day 3-6: R side abdomen swelling/discofort & what felt like swollen kidney (punch sensitive) then that eased and Day 7-11 more familiar herx symptoms occured: flu like feeling, stabbing pains & other pains in small linear segments in all the old areas that were affected particularly on R side: R leg, R abd, R chest wall, R arm, R wrist (fingers & toes) R neck (R swollen tender submandibular glands) R jaw, R ear, R temple....now all feeling much improved after die off...glands back to normal. Now sort of feeling tender & bruised in all areas where die off symptoms (acute burning & stabbing) occured. | F | 64 | 2.5 weeks | 6/22/2008 | 5 | UTI | none | I did get a yeast infection right away form taking this, but most antibiotics do that to me. | F | 47 | 5 days | 6/8/2008 | 5 | tree bark in hand | None.. however did get a yeast infection, but that often happens while taking antibiotics. | fell and got a large piece of bark in hand. after initial piece removed and finished 5 days of treatment on another antibiotic, hand swelled up and absess started. started on levaquin and then had surgeon remove some remaining pieces. Then had to leave wound open (no scab) for 10 days while other small pieces "worked" themselves out. drug stopped initial infection and further infections while all this was going on. had NO side effects mentioned in previous posts -- previous antibiotic gave me terrible stomach cramps, but this one didn't. would take this again if need be. did get a yeast infection, but that's fairly typical with taking antibiotics for a long period of time. | F | 55 | 10 days | 5/3/2008 | 5 | recurring bronchitis | None. | This is my second time on Levaquin 750mg for a 5 day course of treatment. It is FANTASTIC! I am an asthmatic who must be on an antibiotic with a viral infection in the 20% chance that I shall develop a secondary bacterial infection. I also have chronic sinuitis that responds to Levaquin after two doses. I am grateful to America's pharmaceutical researchers who develop and discover life-saving drugs for the entire world. | F | 57 | 2 days | 3/4/2008 | 5 | sinus infection & bronchitis | a little abdominal pain | first I was given augmentin than the doctor switched me to this one which is finally working. | F | 46 | 2 days | 2/15/2008 | 5 | Severe Throat Infection | No Side effects | Levaquin has saved the day for me many times truly a lifesaver. | M | 73 | 10 days | 2/9/2008 | 5 | Sinus infection | None | I began reading the many negative postings this evening about Levaquin and thought with alarm "Oh my gosh, I'm on my third day of 550 mg daily dosage! When are these horrible side effects going to happen to me?" Then I remembered that I have taken Levaquin in the past with no bad side effects and it knocked out the infection too. So I looked up some other medications on AskPatient.com that I have taken before with no significant side effects to see what the postings for those drugs are. I even looked up over-the-counter Tylenol and sure enough, a significant number of the postings for each medication are negative with dire warnings not to take that particular medicine. I have no doubt that many of the people who had awful things to say about the drugs truly suffered from the symptom they stated, but I am not convinced it was from that particular drug in each and every case. I also suspect that the previous doom postings created a ripple effect of panic, and the next poster | M | 49 | 3 days | 2/8/2008 | 5 | UTI | NONE | This was the 4th antibiotic I was prescribed for a recurrent UTI. It was the only one that worked and I had NO side effects. Unfortunately, I read these comments before I took my first dose and was terrified. However, I had no side effects, not even nausea, which is something I experienced with 2 of my other antibiotic perscriptions for this UTI. | F | 21 | 3 days | 1/19/2008 | 5 | Sinus infection | A bit of fatigue, which is probably because I am always sick when I take it - ha,ha. Sometimes I feel like I forgot to ask for decaf' coffee a couple hours after I take it, but, otherwise, this drug never bothers me at all! :-) | I am VERY thankful for Levaquin. I have taken it a number of times. Every other antibiotic I have ever taken has made me sick to my stomach, but Levaquin doesn't bother my stomach AT ALL. And I start feeling great after a couple days. Very effective drug. | F | 35 | 5 days | 12/10/2007 | 5 | sinus infection | none | The day day i felt better, i would tkae again. | M | 35 | 10 days | 12/7/2007 | 5 | Pneumonia | A few days of insomnia, sore/stiff joints in my fingers. | I took 750mg/day for 5 days. It cleared up my pneumonia and the relatively minor side effects resolved once I was done with the medication. | F | 42 | 5 days | 11/26/2007 | 5 | bronchitis | second pill 750 mg after two hours hives covered my whole body itching so bad. called 911 sent to hospital in ambulance blood pressure 179/104 given epi beynadrel another shot and oxygen | was ordered to never take again.told i was lucky i made it. never so scared in my life. now on z pack,prednisone,and anxiety medication.think twice before using! | F | 52 | 2 days | 11/22/2007 | 5 | urinary tract infection | Insomnia | This drug worked great! I had a terrible uti with severe pain & this drug worked almost immediately. The only bad thing about it was the lack of sleep I was getting. It gave me terrible insomnia, but other than that I think the drug is wonderful! | F | 34 | 7 days | 9/6/2007 | 5 | 4 Week Ongoing Sinus Infection | No muscus drainage, severe headaches, low-grade recurring fever, nausea. | Was diagnosed 4 weeks ago with a bad sinus infection & was given Augmentin/875mg/2x day/10 days AND steriods. I'm on week 4 and NOTHING! Steam treatments, Neti pot treatments, Muscenex--NOTHING. Had to take a Darvocet for the pain & severe headaches and remembered my Levaquin from another infection I had. When you're in pain, you'll try anything--so I took it and I'll be damn--my sinuses are draining after just 3 hours of taking it. Everybody's chemistry is different--my chemistry agrees with Levaquin. | F | 47 | 1 times | 8/7/2007 | 5 | pneumonia | none | felt much better within days | M | 66 | 7 days | 8/4/2007 | 5 | sinus infection | None. | I was prescribed Levaquin when, after being on a weaker antibiotic for an ear infection, I instead developed a severe sinus infection. Levaquin knocked it out quickly, allowing me to get back to my normal activities (including an out-of-state flight for business purposes shortly after I started treatment). | F | 34 | 10 days | 7/11/2007 | 5 | painful cough, infection worsening | These 3 effets were only for first couple days: Sweet metalic taste in mouth. Felt strange for a couple hours after my afternoon dose. Didn't sleep well the first couple nights, as I was still coughing from the infection. The last several days I had whiteish film on my tongue. I brushed it off with toothbrush. | I don't know why my doc gave me such a strong RX, and I was worried from what I read on this web site. Almost switched to another antibiotic, but decided not to. After a few days on Levaquin 500mg?, I had no side effects, and I felt better everyday. After 6 of 10 doses, I had periodontal surgery on my gums, and would have had to go on antibiotics for that, so since I was already taking one, it worked out great. I would have no problem taking this antibiotic again, as it was fine for me. I was very careful to follow instructions, and didn't take other meds while on it. That is, until the surgery. Then I had some Ibuprofen, and started anti-imflamatory "Etodolac." No problems with either. Also, I made sure to eat yogurt, as well as take "Udo's Choice" "Super 8 Hi-Potency Probiotic" and "Super 5 Lozenge Probiotic." It's been 3 days since my last dose of Levaquin, and I feel good. I'm a person who doesn't like to take any meds, but I took this cuz th | F | 50 | 10 days | 6/19/2007 | 5 | pneumonia | insomnia...only major bad side effect.. took 1 a day for l0 days... 500 mil.......Levaquin cured my pneumonia. | now, one day off of Levaquin: still get tired immediately after light activity...still need to just lay in bed....waiting to catch up on sleep! | F | 66 | 10 days | 6/9/2007 | 5 | pneumonia | none | To the poster 3 posts down, how do you diagnose yourself with a "nearly ruptured tendon"?!? That's ridiculous. You people are neurotic. Just take the medicine the doctor prescribes and stop googling everything. When you read a thousand people claiming to have all these side effects, naturally you're going to convince yourself you have them too. You read the side effects on this site about how RARELY (less than 1%) levaquin can cause tendon rupture and all of a sudden you think you have that. Wake up, illness cause joint pain. It's not your tendon "nearly" rupturing. | M | 10 days | 6/9/2007 | 5 | sinusitis and bronchitis | sun-sensitivity (mild). heavy, sluggish feeling about 2-4 hours after taking it (problem solved with Motrin). | This drug helped me out a lot. I had already taken a complete Z-pak which barely touched the sinusitis. The Levaquin had me back on my feet again in a couple of days. The side effects were extremely mild compared to the benefits. Oh, also I have SVT and a transient Mitral Valve Prolapse. Levaquin did not seem to affect either one. | F | 33 | 10 days | 5/30/2007 | 5 | Kidney infection | None! | I love this drug. It cured two separate kidney infections I had, and I had no side effects whatsoever. It doesn't even upset my stomach a little. This is the only antibiotic I've ever taken that caused no side effects. | M | 34 | 7 days | 5/17/2007 | 5 | Sinusitis | I took Levaquin for 6 weeks for chronic sinusitis. Cured the sinuses while I was on it but the infection came back shortly after I stopped the drug, and ended up having to have surgery. I did not have any side effects with Levaquin and have taken it multiple times for varying treatment courses. | I am a M.D. who has prescribed Levaquin for sinusitis and URIs. Thus far, I have had only one patient who has had a negative reaction (tendonitis). I will continue to prescribe this medication when indicated, but with instructions to discontinue immediately if side effects develop. Unfortunately, all drugs have side effects and we clearly are better off with them than without. Our life expectancy is so much higher since the development of antibiotics. But, as with any medicine or herbal product, there is always a risk of an adverse reaction. There are many people who are allergic to peanuts and some have died eating them, but that doesn't mean we should pull peanut butter off the shelves. | F | 40 | 56 days | 5/12/2007 | 5 | sinus infection | none. doctor told me not to take too late in the afternoon because it could cause insomnia | best drug I ever took. no side effects. clears up infection with no problems. even had a beer some nights while on 500 mg. a day. | F | 55 | 5 days | 5/3/2007 | 5 | Ear infection | metallic taste in mouth, waking up frequently | So far so good. I think the majority of people read these reviews and freak themselves out. It definitely is a strong antibiotic, but that's what I needed as I've been struggling with vertigo for almost a month from an ear infection and it is virtually gone now. If I notice any problems as I continue my dosage, I will report it here. | M | 31 | 3 days | 4/25/2007 | 5 | infection in lungs | F | 58 | 5 days | 3/24/2007 | 5 | Pilonidal Cyst | none | Anyone who has to deal with pilonidal cysts knows that just about any side effect is worth not having to go through the rigamarole of the painful drainage followed by weeks of changing dressings twice a day. Levaquin knocks out the infection before I get to that point--it's been a godsend for me. I do eat a lot of yogurt to prevent yeast infections or other side effects. | F | 39 | 10 days | 3/16/2007 | 5 | uti/bladder/kidney stone | No side effects | I wrote the review below and noticed it got cut off so this is just to complete the review. I was saying my husband had been on Levaquin for 2 or 3 days with no problems when his mother called very concerned because she had read some pretty terrible stories about it and she urged him to look up these sites and quit taking the Levaquin. He did read them but since he had not had any problems/symptoms for the few days he had been taking it he kept taking the Levaquin for the complete 10days dosage of 750mg once per day for his pneumonia and he never experienced any problems and it was very effective in clearing up his pneumonia. He has never reacted to medication ever but I have (see review below) so I was leary about taking it but I never reacted to it either. We both had positive experiences with Levaquin. | F | 42 | 10 days | 3/5/2007 | 5 | UTI/Bladder infection/Kidney Stone | No side effects at all!!! | No problems for me or my husband. I just finished a 10 day dose of Levaquin 250mg 1 per day. I experienced NO side effects at all. I was very concerned because I had read all the problems on this board and other boards and in the past I have had severe reactions to sulfa and Macrodantin also codiene and vicodin. I get hives and horrible swelling and severe respitory distress. I had no reaction at all with Levaquin. I was prescribed Levaquin for a uti/bladder infection that did not go away after a 10 day dose of Cipro 1000mg per day. It turns out the reason it did not go away with the Cipro was because I actually have a kidney stone and until I pass that the uti will not completely go away (the Cipro did knock the infection down considerably! hence the low dose of Levaquin). I was first alerted to the possible side effects of Levaquin back in November 2006 when my husband was prescribed a 750mg 10 day dosage for pneumonia. He had been taking it for 2 or 3 days with no problems wh | F | 42 | 10 days | 3/3/2007 | 5 | Pnumonia | Insomnia, crazy thoughts and nightmares (the few minutes I could sleep), dry mouth, legcramps, random muscle twitching, inabilty to use my fingers correctly, diarrrhea, severe nausea, (couldn't even keep water down) Severe stomach pain and feeling like you feel when you realize your car is going to crash just before it does. Anxiety | The drug did seem to knock out the pnumonia. My side effects became worse after completing a seven day course of 750 mg once a day. Trying to find out if there is a way to flush this from my system. I was satisfied with getting rid of the pnumonia, but will never Levaquin again, or any other floroquinolones. Scary for me. | M | 48 | 7 days | 2/24/2007 | 5 | Acute bronchitis | nausea, diarhea, insomnia, metallic taste in mouth | I'm on day 3 of a 10 day dose (500mg/1x). Made the mistake of taking it with lots of water as directed, but neglected to eat anything. Not a good idea. I became extremely nauseous. My fault. Took my first dose at 9pm. Also not a good idea. Didn't sleep a wink. Moved dosage to 7am, and woke up three or four times last night, but that's way better than no sleep at all. Yesterday discovered that diarhea is yet another side effect from this drug. Thank goodness it's the weekend. Lastly, I have a very strong metallic taste in my mouth that no amount of brushing or Listerine seems to help. I certainly can't say Levaquin doesn't work, but I can definitely say that I won't be taking it again. There are other antibiotics out there that work much better for me when treating acute bronchitis. Even Amoxycilin only makes me naseous. This one has way too many side effects for my system. My recomendation is, if it's an option for you, try something else first. | F | 42 | 10 days | 2/24/2007 | 5 | mycoplasma pneumoniae | I was placed on Ceftin, Biaxin and Levaquin and Prednisone...all at the same time! Had a breathing problem along with a sinus infection...only the Combient enhaler worked and you can't use that long term. I had been sick off & on since September...voice hoarse..was thinking that this old, past smoker Maybe had the big C. Internist sent me to pulminoligist who determined after long, complete history that I may not have asthma, COPD or the big C but a long time, bacterial infection. He said he had to prove it and took blood and placed me on all the above. If he was correct I would be a new women! So at this point I was a happy gal...but miserable that first week..not sleeping, disoriented, flu like symptoms,tummy rumblings, etc,etc. After someone suggested spacing the pills, it was a bit better. It has been 11 days since I stopped taking all the pills but Biaxin. Noticed my heart racing and still shakey...two days ago found a huge red mark under my armpit, hot and sore. And the | I must say, no inhaler is a first! I have needed one ever since my first case of Bronchitis in the early 90's. Now I am clear, my breathing is fine and I don't seem to need any. I also forgot to tell the Dr that I have had three different bouts of what I think were boils, on my breasts...no Dr. could ever explain why they were appearing or how to get rid of them! They come from a bacterial infection, I just found from surfing the net...I didn't even know that! So would I take these drugs again...as long as these symptoms go away and nothing further happens...Yes! | F | 68 | 20 days | 2/5/2007 | 5 | ear, sinus, upper respiriatory inf. | Have taken several times before and no side affects as of yet due to the fact that I have not found a medication that I am alergic to yet. | for some of the people on here I am sorry you cant take Levaquin becouse of the side affects, but that is with any drug. I just happen to be able to take just about anything so far. So for me levaquin is a god send it knocks just about every infection I have had out some times I wonder why the doctor I go to always prescribes amoxicillin to me because I know and he knows that the only thing it does for me is keep the infection in check and does nothing to get rid of it but he tries. SO DONT KNOCK THE DRUG BECAUSE OF SIDE AFFECTS THEY ARE A RISK WITH ANY DRUG YOU TAKE TRY READING THE PHARMACY INSERT THAT THE PHARMISIST GIVES YOU DUHHHHHHHHHHH. | M | 29 | 10 days | 2/2/2007 | 5 | bronchitis | This drug made me feel better within 24 hrs. I thought I imagined it until reading the boards. First few days I had no side effects. Then the body aches began along with pain in top of my head. Every joint hurts and my spine as well. One knee is very bad, ankle swollen. When I walk at times it feels like I have to push myself to keep going, weakness may be setting in. I also have MS though, so it's a real catch-22 for me. I haven't called the doctor yet as I didn't think they were drug related. Although I have arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc., I wondered if the drug could be the problem. | After reading this board, I am checking with my doctor and may discontinue (I finished day 7) if I don't get him. I hate the side effects but feeling better so much faster is a BIG help for me. I'm not sure what is the worse of two evils? Bronchitis going into pneumonia or Levaquin's side effects??? | F | 58 | 7 days | 1/12/2007 | 5 | Bladder infections and Sinus infect | I didn't have any. | Levaquin has been the best med for bladder infection that I have ever taken. I have battled bladder infections for over 30 years. Most meds I had to take for 10 to 14 days for the severety of my infections. Levaquin clears them in 3 days! | F | 53 | 1 years | 1/9/2007 | 5 | sinus infection | Mild diarrhea | I’m feeling substantially better with only 3 doses. | M | 43 | 3 days | 1/4/2007 | 5 | throat infection (non-strep) | Horrible stomach cramps, lightheadedness, dizziness, feelings of anxiety and, jitteriness. The symptoms lasted for hours after dosage. | Throat pain is subsiding, but I have placed a call to my doctor to request switch to azithromycin, which never resulted in these side effects. The reviews/warnings of levaquin (patient and medical) are dauntingly negative. This may be an option for a resistant infection but seems like huge overkill for a first course treatment for an allergy-related throat infection. | F | 39 | 2 days | 12/28/2006 | 5 | Severe strep throat | Insomnia that appeared to worsen over the course of the prescription; headache, stiff neck, anxiety (final exams may have had something to do with this as well) | I have been on this drug before and it is a miracle. After taking one 500 mg pill, my symptoms disappeared completely. I have never been on a medication that has been so efficient! | F | 19 | 6 days | 12/17/2006 | 5 | sinus infection | none that I know of.....one small hive maybe -- thought I may be having some throat itching today and was worried I was becoming allergic, so I checked this site. | I have taken levaquin at least 15-20 times over the last several years. It is the ONLY antibiotic that I am NOT allergic to (for now). It cures my infections quickly, and other than maybe some diarhea I am always back to my old self within a few days. | F | 36 | 10 days | 12/10/2006 | 5 | Possible UTI | Had no side effects until day 3. I woke up in SEVER pain. It felt like my whole body had been hit by a truck. Every joint in my body hurt (with the acception of my toes, wrists and ankles) it has been like this for three days. I went to the perscribing doctor and she is sending me to a rhumatologist and my othopedist. She said the Levaquin may have damaged my joints. | This cleared up my possible UTI (extreme burning, frequency, urgency) in three days. Other than the joint problems it worked great. | F | 16 | 5 days | 12/4/2006 | 5 | Possible UTI | Had no side effects until day 3. I woke up in SEVER pain. It felt like my whole body had been hit by a truck. Every joint in my body hurt (with the acception of my toes, wrists and ankles) it has been like this for three days. I went to the perscribing doctor and she is sending me to a rhumatologist and my othopedist. She said the Levaquin may have damaged my joints. | This cleared up my possible UTI (extreme burning, frequency, urgency) in three days. Other than the joint problems it worked great. | F | 16 | 5 days | 12/4/2006 | 5 | isolated sphenoiditis | I woke up in a panic. I was in the hospital and I don't remembersome of the time I was there but I had a strange feeling like my muscles were contracting and then they would relax again. I wondered if I had a seizure. I am a R.N. | This drug prevented me from having to have surgery and it might have saved my life. I had a sinus infection that was close to my corotid artery and optic nerve. The drug may have saved me from bleeding into my brain or being blind. | F | 33 | 14 days | 11/25/2006 | 5 | urinary tract infection | vaginal yeast infection | Although I don't like the side effect, in the first half hour or less of taking the drug, my urinary tract infection was cured! 1 pill of 500mg/day for 3 days. easy as anything. | F | 19 | 3 days | 11/15/2006 | 5 | Elbow Infection | None | I took 500 mg tablets of Levaquin 2 weeks ago for 7 days. The infection in my elbow has disappeared after the first 3 days of treatment. I finished the medicine. My elbow has mild soreness from time to time when I lean on it. This soreness probably due to overworking it during the infection and lack of rest, but no infection has appeared and I am quite satisfied with this medicine. | M | 42 | 7 days | 11/4/2006 | 5 | Sinus infections, giardia, ulcers, | I am allergic to just about every antibiotic EXCEPT Levaquin. My Dr.(Internist) has prescribed it for everything from chronic sinus infections to giardia/cryptosporidiosis to diverticulosis to ulcers. I'm a flight attendant and it took a long time to figure out what was making me sick. Don't ever drink COFFEE, TEA (water comes from tanks & doesn't boil) or WATER on an airplane and don't wash your hands in the lavatory. (The tanks never get cleaned and they have parasites - treatment used on the water doesn't kill parasites) Use Purell or Germ X instead.The tanks are full of parasites on every plane - every airline. Many flight attendants don't even know this. I was in/out of the hospital for 3 weeks before a Gastroenterologist diagnosed me and I hadn't been out of the country. I can't say enough for Levaquin! | Because I have a sensitive stomach anyway, I always take Levaquin with a meal and I drink a lot of water while taking it. | F | 46 | 2 weeks | 10/23/2006 | 5 | Ear and sinus infrections | body wide itching | About 45 minutes after first dose I undergo a period of 30-45 minutes of intense itching all over my body. After that, no side effects noted. What I DO notice, however, is how quickly I return to feeling "like my old self." I have suffered ear and sinus infections since I was a child (now 36) and this stuff lets me recover faster and more completely than any other antibiotic I have been prescribed. The hardest thing is convincing my Doctor to start here, and not run me through a course of Amoxicillin first, which just prolongs my misery. | M | 36 | 3 days | 10/22/2006 | 5 | bronchitis / sinus infection | dizzy, foggy feeling. After a few hours adverse feeling goes away. | Used this before and it helps | M | 67 | 7 days | 10/13/2006 | 5 | Possible Digestive Infection | NONE. After 2nd day, mucus and blood dissapeared from my stool. | I started reading this site after taking the first dose. So, obviously I got paranoid. Wife was on it also for her Sinus's. She and I both were fine. | M | 33 | 7 days | 10/8/2006 | 5 | Urinary Tract Infection | Started taking Levaquin 9-22-06. First hour I experienced a little "foggy" feeling in my head and as the second hour kicked in I felt like I was run down. By hour four, I was feeling more like myself again but this went on for the 3 days I took Levaquin. | This board really scared me! I didn't have a raging infection, but I did have one. I just had a lot of pressure and urgency to "go". I am in relatively good health and I haven't had a UTI in years. But, I am very sensitive to medication so I'm very stern with my doctor when ever he gives me meds. We decided that we'd take 500mg of Levaquin and cut them in half to equal 250mg. I took 1/2 a pill 1 time a day for 4 days. If I had taken 500mg instead, I'd probably have had a lot more side effects so talk to your doctor about dosing and drug interactions. If my doctor didn't listen to me, I'd fire him plain and simple. Believe me, I've done it before. You need to be proactive, informed and have open communications with your doctor. | F | 47 | 4 days | 9/27/2006 | 5 | sinus infection | Insomnia | Miracle! I was pretty apprehensive about taking Levaquin after visiting this site. But how many people really make it a point to post up positive messages anyway? I was on a 10 day cycle of Augmetin to clear up a nasty sinus infection. Two weeks later the infection made a comeback. So I was prescribed Levaquin. I went to check it out on the net just to see how it compares to Augmetin and I ran into this site with some pretty scary comments. So, I'm just here to say that after a 5 day cycle I feel great! I felt results within hours. I did suffer from some insomnia, but nothing so terrible that would cause problems for the following day. I could imagine some digestive issues. But from being on Augmetin, I learned to eat Dannon Activia yogurt while on the med and for a few days after the last dose. It does wonders! You can't expect to put a drug in you system and not feel altered in someway. Everyone is different. And yes, others have probably have less desirable experiences t | F | 24 | 5 days | 9/23/2006 | 5 | UTI | None. | Websites like this scared me enough to throw away Levaquin. It is important that I say that I have had NO side effects from taking it - but other people seem to have many and this should not be ignored. This is a strong drug and you should probably ask your doc for a milder antibiotic before taking the plunge. | M | 22 | 4 days | 9/7/2006 | 5 | Strep Throat | Insomnia. Don't take it before you go to bed. Duh. | This is a very good drug. Very easy to use and very effective. I've taken it several times and always feel improved within hours of taking it. It not doubt produces side effects. But all drugs do. Either take it or don't. It's no more or less dangerous than just about everything else. | M | 33 | 7 days | 9/5/2006 | 5 | Bacterial Pneumonia | Insomnia, diarrhea, stomach pain, headache | I'm really thankful for the drug because I took high dose Augmentin for five days with no reduction in fever or improvement of the pneumonia. 8 hours after my first dose of Levaquin 500(once per day), my fever was gone and I started to feel better. The side effects aren't pleasant, but worth it. | F | 38 | 3 days | 8/13/2006 | 5 | urinary tact infection | unsure, on too many other meds at this time. | F | 55 | 10 days | 7/31/2006 | 5 | CAP vs Bronchitis | Relief! | This stuff works great (The "Leva-Pack"). About 1 week after nearly drowning in the Gulf (And aspirating dirty sea water), I started hacking up thick green stuff, feeling fatigue, sweats, and generalized SOB. After taking Clarithromycin for almost 3 weeks (BID) with fair results, my Levapack put the final nails in this baby's coffin. My audible wheeze, weaknes, SOB are gone, I can take full breaths, and the quantity of secretions has vastly decreased and color normalizing to clear. I also suggest use of the "Flutter" valve as a mucus clearing device and breathing exercise. They can be purchased online. In retrospect, this may have been an aspiration pneumonia (Vs run of the mill community aquired pneumonia). | M | 38 | 7 days | 7/29/2006 | 5 | for a severe sinus infection | I am a physician who had a severe infection that did not respond to other antibiotics. Levaquin helped to get rid of infection. It took 5 weeks on Levaquin to fully recover, taking 500 mg twice a day. This is a very high dose and was given under the supervision of my physician. Levaquin is a very valuable medication and can be safely taken even at high doses. | I did have some moderate swelling and soreness of my left ankle which disappeared within a week after stopping Levaquin. This swelling began after I was on Levaquin for 3 weeks. I had no other side effects. I would highly recommend Levaquin only when other antibiotics are ineffective. Side effects from Levaquin disappear after stopping the medication in most people. | M | 67 | 35 days | 7/23/2006 | 5 | Sinus infection - !side effects! | Dizziness, lightheadedness, racing heart, insomnia, nausea. To the point where I simply cannot finish this course of antibiotics. Pretty scary. | First, let me explain that I am not in the least bit interested in suing anyone, and I am only taking the time to put a rating on this page to help others who might be experienceing the same thing. While this drug was very effective at fighting my sinus infection, the side effects are so severe that I can't finish the full 7 days course. I am waiting for a call back from my doctor so I can ask him if I need to go back in to see him for these scary side-effects, and to put me on something else. I have been experiencing the side effects since my first dose, and these people are telling the truth - it IS scary when you feel this way. I won't take this antibiotic again, and I am a little concerned about the long-term effects, if any. I hope to God I don't keep experiencing them myself, as others on this page have reported. Oddly enough, I came across this page when I was doing a little research just to see what the side effects were. I sure didn't expect to find what I have found. | F | 41 | 4 days | 7/19/2006 | 5 | UTI/Kidney Infection | None | The only thing that has gotten rid of my UTIs or Kidney Infections without hospitalization | F | 23 | 3 months | 6/13/2006 | 5 | UTI/Pyelo | Sleepy - have taken this before and that varies. I think it depends on how sick I am to start with. Have also taken it for chronic sinusitis (when I finally break down and go to the doctor). Some bloating, but minor. | I have to wear a Medic Alert bracelet b/c of my abx allergies, so all I've been able to take for many years are the quins (Cipro, Floxin, and now Levaquin). Cipro makes me feel like I have bugs crawling all over me, and Floxin hits me like a heavy CNS stimulant - I don't sleep the entire time I'm on it and I'm nearly hysterical with exhaustion by the time it's over. Floxin also gives me severe nightmares. Levaquin does none of this. And it works. And my yeast infections are even severe enough to warrant Diflucan afterwards. It really is a miracle drug for me. I've always taken in for 3-5 days, depending on the severity of the infection by the time I go to the doctor. I've read the negative reactions people have had to Levaquin and what I wish is that they would see that all meds pose a risk of allergic reaction or side effects. But it's not the same for everyone, so it's not fair to scare others. I got serum poisoning from tetracycline - an unusual reaction, but it works well | F | 41 | 5 days | 4/24/2006 | 5 | Vestibular Neuritis | Dizziness, mental fog, anxiety attacks, gas, sleepwalking, hypertension, non-productive cough | M | 30 | 5 days | 2/19/2006 | 5 | Respiratory infection | Mental fogginess, some mild diziness. | I've taken this medication twice for really bad chest infections. I was having a really hard time breathing from the infection. This medicine works quickly and cleared my problem both times. I was a little aprehensive after reading some of the ratings. I think if you're an anxious person and you read these you can send yourself into an anxiety attack. I have to admit as I was reading some of these I was in tears with laughter. Some of these posts are hysterical and can't possibly be related to the medication. Other than the mild effects I had no others. These went away once I completed my medication. | F | 35 | 10 days | 2/7/2006 | 5 | upper/lower respiratory infection | I'm a nurse who has had upper & lower respiratory infections for about a year. I had two 7 day courses of Levaquin a few weeks apart. The first course gave me no problems and I definitely felt better; the second course really seemed to actually "cure" me and I had two fabulous infection-free weeks (until the next head cold caused another upper and lower respiratory infection--yeah, I've got immunological issues). However, during the second course of Levaquin, I developed SEVERE joint pain. I was fortunate--there are many who have had much worse (and permanent) problems with Levaquin (and all the other quinolones). There are a lot of other forums on Levaquin/quinolones besides this one, and if you take the time to look for them, you will find that there are a lot of adverse side effects that have caused a lot of temporary and permanent problems for a lot of people. You'll also find that there are a lot of doctors calling for more restrictions on the use of quinolones | Oh, by the way, I'm not a hypochondriac nor am I seeking to sue anyone. And yes, you'll probably find a lot of people on this forum who have negative things to say about Levaquin (or quinolones in general). I don't think it's because these folks are "hypochondriacs" who have nothing better to do with their time than to log in to forums and complain about the drug they are taking. I think a lot of them are like me--their doc prescribed a drug that seems to be causing a lot of problems that are not included in the "adverse effects" section of the medical info they were given with the prescription. I got on-line to see if there were any others who were having severe problems like I was and, well, you know the rest of the story (all hail the power of the internet). QUINOLONES ARE NOT (AND SHOULD NOT EVER BE) THE FIRST DRUG USED FOR CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE TREATED WITH MEDS WITH FAR FEWER ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS. Save it for when you get malaria and are really desperate | F | 39 | 14 days | 2/6/2006 | 5 | Food Poisoning | Anxiety, aggravation, disassociation, nightmares, blurred vision, bad taste in mouth, tingling in fingers/toes/skin, muscle cramps/tremors | The comments on this page are listed in descending order by the Rating Number. So all the "happy, good" comments go to the top of the list. Scroll down to see the whole story. Ignore the drug company shills saying you're just a hypochondriac. This is a very powerful drug and shouldn't be taken lightly. I still have side effects a week after stopping the med. My wife and I were both given this for food poisoning, and both had all of the side effects listed. We both have a high tolerance for medications and are rarely bothered by side effects. | M | 46 | 3 days | 1/5/2006 | 5 | upper respiratory infection | I had a severe upper respitory (can't spell right now, not trying) infection (fever, feeling like I was dying of the flue, crying from being so miserable, and coughing) when I was prescribed this medicine. I started feeling better within about 4 days. Of course there were side effects, but what drug now adays has no side effects??? The options was to die with pnemonia or have nightmares, few leg pains, and little depression. Just understand that when you are taking this antibiotic that it is to save your life and to get you well. i work with people that are unhappy, hyperchondriacs (not spelled right and dont care) that blame and are looking to blame their life problems on something. Some in here are in lawsuits, THAT IS CLEAR. If you have a brain and can read between the lines here, there is good info. but dont let the ones in here scare you too bad, just remember that most are really exaggerating and looking for money in a lawsuit. And if you get their medical records they have prob | It has healed me with minimul side effects. Glad to be off it, but also glad to be "not sick" From someone who knows and understands that every medication on the shelf has a side effect. Even Pepto Bismal can have a side effect, like constipation. Try something different next time if it doesnt work for you the first time. | F | 39 | 10 days | 1/1/2006 | 5 | UTI not cured by Macrobid | SLight insomnia, flushed face at times | People who are considering taking Levaquin and are now scared to death after reading some of these nuts' comments - about half of these bozos are out to make a buck on a lawsuit. Thanks goodness I let my better sense prevail and took the drug. It worked beautifully and with less side effects than the antibiotic I had been on previously which did NOT work. Please talk to your pharmacist or other health care provider about Levaquin and do NOT let this forum make your decision. It's a well known fact that when people are unhappy they are out to broadcast it - that's why you see so many negative comments here. The satisfied people, like me, don't bother going on drug-rating forums! | F | 44 | 7 days | 11/3/2005 | 5 | Sinus Infection | Constant headache for 4 days straight, Pain in my knees when I would stand up,dizziness,head always swimming,jittery,loss of appetite, nausea | Have been taking 750mg for 6 days and I called the doctor and he told me to cut the dosage in half and take half in the morning and half at night. My headache isn't half as bad now. My sinuses are clearing a very little bit. I still have 8 more days to go on this stuff...please pray for me lol | F | 22 | 14 days | 10/12/2005 | 5 | Bartonella | Minor stimulant, minor headaches potentially due to lack of caffine | I was very nervous about taking this after reading some of these responses. So I asked my Dr. She has prescribed to over 200 patients with little to no side affects. I took 500mgd/day with no side affects. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned. There are other options, but this certainly worked wonders for me. | M | 34 | 15 days | 9/11/2005 | 5 | Community Acquired Pneumonia | Some restlessness and mental fog. Didn't drive car for a day until it cleared. My wife had the same problems (she also was sick with apparently same problem: Seems like a fair number of people in Tucson got persistent pneumonia-like problems this summer(!) - 2005). So maybe count this entry twice. | First tried Zithromax (5 days) w/o effect. Took the 750mg x 5 days | M | 55 | 5 days | 7/25/2005 | 5 | after surgery | 2 doses of 500mg and got skin rash, hives, burning, itching, had to visit ER for relief. Steriods made it worse | All of the drug companies and others posting about hypo tendencies etc can kiss my ass. This stuff almost killed me. | M | 53 | 2 days | 7/23/2005 | 5 | bad sinus infection | none | I had an almost crippling sinus infection. I took Levaquin and within an hour, I started feeling so much better. I couldn't believe how fast and well it worked. | F | 26 | 5 days | 6/8/2005 | 5 | DO NOT TAKE THIS POISON | VISIT FQVICTIMSDOTORG BEFORE CONSIDERING ENDANGERING YOUR HEALTH | SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE FOR THE REAL STORY ABOUT LEVAQUIN | M | 30 | 7 days | 5/8/2005 |
| 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. |