Levaquin side effects – tendons

[Jo Peterson]

I took Levaquin for a sore throat. I was supposed to take it for 7 days but after 5 days my knees, legs, and shoulders hurt too bad. This is 3 weeks later and I am still in severe pain, day and night. I can barely walk. I pray this pain goes away. The doctor gave me an Rx for pain meds and they help until they wear off. I am misable. I am 64 years old.... I don't know how much more pain I can take. Jo - Richmond, Tx

[Alicia Gracey]

I was bitten by a spider possibly brown recluse at the school where I teach and developed a baseball size lump on my stomach with tentacles heading outward. I was given a shot and put on 2 rounds of Levaquin, if it grew any more I wuld have been hospitalized. The spider bite & sores over my body went away, but I became pregnant at 40 even though I was taking the pill. I developed tendonitis in both of my ankles and severe pain in my tailbone. I could barely walk at times. During my pregnancy I developed gestational diabetes which I did not have my first pregnancy. I felt lots of aches and pains during this pregnancy. Everything seemed to be going okay besides the achilles tendons. I miscarried at 7 1/2 months. Then the pain returned and could no longer be blamed on the pregnancy. Finally, after 2 years a chiropractor helped relieve th pain. We still did not know that the cause was possibly Levaquin until I was prescribed it again, wiht instant pain , loss of balance, memory problems and I was sent to see if I had MS., nnope. I went back to the chiropractor, but develooped arthritis in both hips and tailbone. I have 3 problems with my heart including problems with the heart rate. I am on 3 meds for that. Now 4 years later I am again seeing a neurologist for bulging diks in my back and tial bone paine, that shoots downmy left leg. My hips hurt and causes walking to be difficult. The wight I had lost to a size 14 has all been put bak on. I hurt all of the time. If it has causeme this much pain could it have caused the death of my son Timothty? I am now young at hert with a boy that is old beyond its years.

[Alicia Gracey]

Sorry about the spelling, I could not see what I was typing until it was posted. There are many typos that I wanted to fix.

[tahunt63]

I've been on Levaquin, both by mouth and intravenously for the past 8 months for the treatment of a brown recluse spider bite. I complained to my doctors about muscle pain, expecially in my knees, and they said it was related to the bite. Now as I research it further, I know it is related to the levaquin. Unfortunately, when you receive it IV, you don't get any warnings of potential side effects. My hands are always swollen and stiff, I can't bend my left knee, and my legs ache 24/7. I really wish my docs knew more about this med before giving it to me. I pray every day that it goes away!!

[cheryl barkley]

I have constant pain and even after talking with my doctor over the anitbiotic treatments, there is no agreement that leviquin caused my problems. I dont see it being removed from the market. You have to make sure your not taking it! It comes in different names. Check before you fill it. Better yet, ask when you are handed the script.

[Gorg]

Levaquin can cause side effects that may be serious or even cause death. If you get any of the following serious side effects, get medical help right away

http://www.sideeffectsguide.org/levaquin-side...

[erin]

I am a 46 year old woman who had to do a 7 day 500 mg 1X daily of Levaquin. This is my second floxing as I can not take any other antibiotics. This toxic result was much worse than the last but I'm much more "in the know" this time. No NSaids, no cortisone, no supermarket meat which is full of floxins. All beef sent to slaughter is floxed 3 days before being sent to market and those of us who have been poisoned knows that it is not a standard antibiotic that is out of the system in 3 days. Meats filled with this poison is one of the reasons that Staph and MRSA is so prevalent today, we are creating resistance by consuming it continually through meat.
I am in my 3rd month of recovery and wanted to share what has made my central nervous system damage and peripheral neuropathy damage. Benadryl (1X 25 mg pill) at night has helped the CNS damage. I had this idea when I read that Benadryl is used for Parkinsons patients to relieve shaking symptoms. I was shaking all throughout the day, much better now. I began a protein supplement called Bluebonnet. This is found at health food stores and is nothing more than whey from milk. It has no sugar or additives. The protein helps to rebuild the muscle lost to the poison. It has 2 amino acids that repaired many of the peripheral neuropathy symptoms (painful skin, burning, twitches, spasms, shooting electrical shocks). This happened over night, a flat out miracle. I am also thinking clearer as well. I wish you luck. Stay positive.

[Kathleen Schneider]

I am 42 years old. And have always been active. Walking,hiking,etc.July-2009 I fell from a ladder crushing my heal.Had plate and 11 screws and cadaver bone put in. After surgery and therapy I was doing very well. No pain or limp. I got sick in February 2010 and the doctor put me on high doses of levaquin. I started having foot and ankle pain. Also the achilles tendon hurt really bad. I mentioned to my doctor that My surgeon had said this drug could weaken my tendons. I mentioned this to my family doctor and he switched me to Cipero in March. Since I have had constant pain,and difficulty walking.I have been sent back to therapy for instructions to do at home and been fitted for an Arizona Boot Brace. This problem is only getting worse! I used to walk miles a day now I barely make it a 8 hour shift and then I cant walk the next day! Kathleen Schneider Nokomis,il.

[Carol]

I took 4 doses of levaquin and my knees were in pain and popping. I have numbness in my hands. It's been 12 days since my last dose and my side effects seem to be subsiding. I love to excercise but I'm afraid.
I was sick with pnumonia and didn't read the potential side effects, my dr did not inform me ( I would have asked for another drug), and the phamasist says they are covered because of the literature they hand out. I don't agree. Peole have to band together and fight for what's right. This drug should be used with caution not as a 1st line antibiotic.
I kept my literature and I don't see the black box warning. I was not properly informed.

[Chels]

i took levaquin in august when we werent sure exactly what was wrong with me after a miscarriage. The doctor (my ob gyn) told me it was a really good drug and that i needed to take it. i had told him that i was allergic to cipro which is a sister drug to levaquin but he still insisted i take it. So i started taking it for about 7 days and went to see him again complaining of back and knee pain, i told him i was taking over the counter pain relievers and he said that was fine and the pain was probably just because my body had been threw a miscarriage trauma. So i continued taking it the last few days. im a very active person so i was working out with lots of jumping activities. Well when i was trying to figure out what was wrong with me i looked up levaquin only to find out that he was suppose to by law warn me about these side effects and risks. im really not the law suit type i just wanted my health back. i went to my family physician who prescribed me naproxen and so muscle relaxer to help me sleep at night. at the time i was only 22 years old and felt like my body was broken. it started in August of 2010 and i finally was almost back to normal by December of 2010. well now its the end of February 2011 and its back! i thought i was over this but i wake up and my knees hurt to walk on then the next day my back is aching i really dont want to take months to recover again, and what if this keeps happening?? i just want my life back the miscarriage was hard enough to get over along with hardly being able to move. i have a 3 year old i cant live being handicapped like this. i really hate levaquin and will now research every drug before i take it. oh and also when he told me it was ok to take over the counter pain pills with it he was wrong. it says no NSAIDS which is another word for aleve or ibprofen. really learned my lesson, you cant trust every doctor. i have heard about cortisone shots but i cant afford them i dont have insurance. ill just have to wait this out again.if theres anyone who has had this reoccur does it every permanently go away

[Laszlo]

I'm a 38 year old male prescribed a 7 day 500 mg 1X daily of Levaquin for what I believe was a prostate infection or possibly a UTI. After reading so many horror stories on this forum, I wanted to chime in with my experience.

The pharmacist suggested that if I took the medication with food and experienced nausea to take it without food. I interpreted this as "Risk of nausea if Levaquin taken with food", so I never did. I made sure not to eat 2 hours before or 2 hours after my dose.

My instruction sheet recommended drinking plenty of fluids, so for the first several days on the medication, I drank like a fish. Not sure but this might have helped dilute the medication.

I have yet to experience any side effects from Levaquin. No insomnia, no weird dreams, no Achilles tendon or joint stiffness.

I abstained from exercise, alcohol or crazy foods while on Levaquin. In spite of going to work, I tried to take it as easy as possible so my body could fight off my infection and heal. Take your health seriously, everyone. You are not indestructible and there is no such thing as a magic pill with zero side effects.

My advice: if you experience any serious discomfort after starting a new medication, stop taking it immediately. See your doctor and ask for an alternative. It is your body. Listen to it and take responsibility for your own health. And take horror stories you read on the Internet with a grain of salt. No two people have the same physiology.

[TMO]

I just wanted to give everyone a glimmer of hope.
I was prescribed 500 mg of Levaquin for 10 days for pneumonia my doctor thought I had.(Turns out I didn't have it or any other infection.) I took it for two days, then the tendons in the front of my legs, where they meet my foot, started hurting. I stopped taking the drug. I expected to start feeling better. But the next day, the pain was much worse, and my knee and hip started hurting also. I could barely walk to the mailbox. The next day, I was in a panic b/c the pain was even worse, I could only hobble a few feet at a time and now the pain was in my elbows and hands. I started perusing these websites only to see thousands of other sufferers, some saying they took only one or two doses and were nearly crippled years later. I started doing what some others said helped them. I started taking mass doses of Vitamin C, super B complex, alternated between taking a 250 mg magnesium supplement and milk of magnesia, and bought a handheld massager and started massaging my joints and muscles. Then I came across the following website: http://www.tendinosis.org/current.html and stopped everything but the B vitamins and massage.
The pain got progressively worse for the first five days I was off the drug. But, slowly, I started feeling better. It's been two weeks now since I stopped taking that poison, and I would say I'm 75% better. I still have pain in my joints, but I can walk normally. Distances, hills and stairs are still troublesome, but I believe I'll be better soon. I know when I scoured these websites, I was looking for people who got better, for some hope, a timeline for when this might go away. I just wanted to give some hope to those suffering that you could very well be better in two or three weeks. My pharmacist says he's seen several people who've had this side effect and the normal recovery time is two to four weeks. I hope that's true for all of our sakes.
My best advice: Rest up, massage, load up on B vitamins, try to walk a little every day and pray that the medical malpractice attorneys bankrupt the manufacturer so that this drug will not harm another soul.

[JP Hert]

33 year old overweight man. Durin colonoscopy removed numerous polyps therefore kept for recovery. Not sure yet if levaquin was given in the hospital (looking into it). Prescribed levaquin 500mg once daily. Pain in ankle began very next day after taking first pill. Now only 5 days in and pain is near unbearable. Walking is labored. I thought it was some form of gout due to the persistant nature of it, then noticed that last night I was alittle late taking my pill and pain was lessening. I took my pill as prescribed. And about 2 1/2 hours later the pain returned worse than ever. I found this forum and immediatly contacted my doctor to verify I can stop taking (I think I will stop regardless of what he says). If any advise is given to help with the pain or recovery is given, I'll repost with it and results.

[Hear you]

Thanks. I have a have had a bad prostate problem. It is there all the time, but sometime it is worse. It was making me sweat at night with groggy thinking and I was going to go to the ER. But late mother had some extra Levaquin, and I took it. It worked pretty quick, but my ankle started to hurt. I just read your comments and I am quitting on day 2. Thanks.

[Friends]

It does not matter if you were properly informed. It should not be called medicine.

[dumbfounded]

July 4th 2011 and I just finished Levaquin 500 mg 5 days and have been sick to death. Went back to doc today and he said not caused by Levaquin. What is our world coming to. It's only been two weeks and I am overdosing on vitamins and water hoping to recover from extreme fatigue, dizziness, headache, insomnia, calf spasms regularly, etc. etc. Oh God help all of us that fell into this trap
mary

[Ginger]

Brian wrote:

I am a 28 year old cyclist and marathon runner. I was biking 200 miles a week and running probably about 30. I don't own a car and try to bike everywhere I go. I love being outside and I being on my bike is so so so important to me.
Two weeks ago I was prescribed Levaquin for a staph infection. By day three my knees, ankles and achilles tendons have been so sore, and absolutely on fire. I have been off the bike since I started the meds, but I keep feeling a popping, slipping sensation where the achilles tendon connects to the heel. My doctor said this should clear up in a few days, but it hasn't.
I have Reynauds Disease, and my doctor thought that maybe the tension was due to the weather getting colder. But it's not. That shouldn't even be a factor.
I have a few days like today where I feel almost normal, save a little bit of tension in my left achilles tendon. But by night time I am literally hobbling home, convinced that my right achilles tendon is about to tear out of the bone. Then there are other days where I call someone to come pick me up and take me to work, because I doubt my ability to even walk far enough to catch the subway.
I need help. More than that I need hope.
I am having serious problems dealing with this, and nobody understands. They keep saying "don't worry, it'll get better" or "you just worry too much". They don't understand.
Does anybody know anything that can help?

Hey Brian---I'm really sorry and totally understand your pain. I'm older than you (60), but have been a very consistent runner for the last 40 years. 6 months ago, I was prescribed Levaquin for a URI and had terrible achilles pain just two days after starting the drug. I was training to run a half marathon at the time, but was unable to complete training due to progressive pain involving both the upper and lower insertions of the achilles. I can't tell you how much I miss putting my running clothes on and heading out for a carefree run. I crave running a hilly route through a local park, but as I'm sure you know, hills are a curse to achilles injuries. I tried PT, but it made the pain worse. Daily massage with a dixi cup made ice cube followed by soaking in ice water has helped, but the help is only temporary. The achilles pain has progressed to plantar fasciitis which is a big issue, since I'm a nurse who spends much of my 12 our shifts on my feet. I've been so proud of the fact that I ran smartly enough that I had never had a leg injury through the years, but now this. I'm angry as hell with the doctor who prescribed it and failed to warn me of the risks. She also gave me a steroid injection the same day, which, along with my age, put me in the highest risk category for Levaquin tendonitis. I'm in an area of nursing where I had never heard of it before, so was blissfully naive. If you're not back to sports, my heart goes out to you. If you are, I'm happy for you and hopeful for myself.
Best wishes for great health!

[Ginger]

TMO wrote:

I just wanted to give everyone a glimmer of hope.
I was prescribed 500 mg of Levaquin for 10 days for pneumonia my doctor thought I had.(Turns out I didn't have it or any other infection.) I took it for two days, then the tendons in the front of my legs, where they meet my foot, started hurting. I stopped taking the drug. I expected to start feeling better. But the next day, the pain was much worse, and my knee and hip started hurting also. I could barely walk to the mailbox. The next day, I was in a panic b/c the pain was even worse, I could only hobble a few feet at a time and now the pain was in my elbows and hands. I started perusing these websites only to see thousands of other sufferers, some saying they took only one or two doses and were nearly crippled years later. I started doing what some others said helped them. I started taking mass doses of Vitamin C, super B complex, alternated between taking a 250 mg magnesium supplement and milk of magnesia, and bought a handheld massager and started massaging my joints and muscles. Then I came across the following website: http://www.tendinosis.org/current.html and stopped everything but the B vitamins and massage.
The pain got progressively worse for the first five days I was off the drug. But, slowly, I started feeling better. It's been two weeks now since I stopped taking that poison, and I would say I'm 75% better. I still have pain in my joints, but I can walk normally. Distances, hills and stairs are still troublesome, but I believe I'll be better soon. I know when I scoured these websites, I was looking for people who got better, for some hope, a timeline for when this might go away. I just wanted to give some hope to those suffering that you could very well be better in two or three weeks. My pharmacist says he's seen several people who've had this side effect and the normal recovery time is two to four weeks. I hope that's true for all of our sakes.
My best advice: Rest up, massage, load up on B vitamins, try to walk a little every day and pray that the medical malpractice attorneys bankrupt the manufacturer so that this drug will not harm another soul.

Thanks for the attempt at providing hope. I sure do need it. It's been 6 months and I'm still suffering. Same things that you mentioned: hills, stairs, and for me, running any distances. How are you doing now? Better or still having pain?

[Chels]

i posted back in February and am now getting physical therapy for my knees and it defiantly is helping we found out that i have a bruise on the back of my knee cap the injury was caused when i was taking levaquin and now i have to strengthen my leg muscles with therapy exercises so if anyone is having knee problems because of the levaquin i saw and orthopedic doctor and he knew exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. there is hope its taken a year but im finally healing

[Ellie]

Chels wrote:

i posted back in February and am now getting physical therapy for my knees and it defiantly is helping we found out that i have a bruise on the back of my knee cap the injury was caused when i was taking levaquin and now i have to strengthen my leg muscles with therapy exercises so if anyone is having knee problems because of the levaquin i saw and orthopedic doctor and he knew exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. there is hope its taken a year but im finally healing

I am years out from my doses of this drug for diverticulitis...each 6 week stent on this drug was hell for my knees..to the point I was scared even of the dogs bump'en into me...I was dosed 3 or 4 times 6 weeks at a time
result...even off the drug the pain in my knees would wake me up at night and both were warm to touch and stiff...mri showed torn miniscus...have had right medial and lateral removed and yesterday stepped out of truck and the left lateral went out....this is years from taking this drug