Quinolone Safety and Efficacy,

[kouli]

went to the ER 6 months ago with severe abdomen pain and diarrhea, after a CT scan and some blood tests they diagnosed me with intestinal infection and gave me a levaquin pill to take and 9 days worth prescription.I took all of them, during that time I only experienced some dizziness and headace which I attributed to my lack of sleep. But few weeks later I started having all kind of problems, began with shoulder pain, then my knees hurt and finally I am having skin problems (very dry itchy skin)each new day bring new problem. what really pisses me off is that the stool culture results that came a week later revealed NO infection..

[cherylkansas130]

Nick Voulgaris wrote:

Ignorant doctors, mishandled patients. I have given Levaquin and avelox to some of my patients. Then one day i had the bad luck of takin it my self. 2 weeks of cipro were enough to end my medical carreer. I am disabled at the moment. Endless pain for months, loss of vision, adrenal damage, joint aches and burns. The list is endless. Every morning i wake up and consider suicide. Thats the kind of man Cipro has turned me into

Hey Nick you hang in there! I started having the levaquin problems in 1999 when I was 42. I am 52 and have learned to live with the bouts I get as a result of taking that drug multiple times. I went through alot of tests and was still given the drug when I caught a cold to prevent pnemonia. I have pain everyday but I learn to live with it! When I get sick or stressed out I get pain in both legs and hips for the better part of a week and then it calms down. I do take painkillers and hate doing so. I dont know if I could go without them but I do not abuse them. My doctor has suggusted uping the pain meds but I am getting by on what I have. If the bouts become any worse I am sure I will be on a pain patch and do not want to yet. Live life to the fullest and make yourself get up and move!

[Ella Belle]

I took this medicine for simple UTI (big mistake, doctor). I was given 500 mg. The day after I took the first pill I had an excruciating headache and eye pain in my left eye. I called the Dr. who told me to halve the dose. By the third day of treatment, my knees started to ache. I knew something was wrong. I took a total of 750 mg. Over the next few days my joints swelled and start cracking with every movement. My muscles started to hurt. I started getting tingling, cold sensations running up and down my legs. For the past week (I'm now on day 12 since I stopped the meds), I have woken up every night with painful dry eyes at 3 a.m. Insomnia is a huge problem. I am hobbling around, hoping nothing will tear.

Two weeks ago, before taking this medicine, I was going to the gym FOUR times a week and dancing socially on weekends. I ran around after my two young kids. I don't know how long this will last and I'm getting scared about it. Finally, even though these are all listed as possible adverse effects, they are indeed somewhat rare. This means that most likely your doctor has never seen them and won't know how to help you, if she even recognizes the source of the pain.

I urge you---UNLESS YOU ARE ON YOUR DEATHBED AND ALL OTHER OPTIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED, DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG!!!!!!!!!!

[Freudian Slip]

Levaquin and other flouroquinolones should be prescribed only as a last resort to save someone's life. Why? This class of antibiotics can and often causes severe long lasting damage. I was given 750mgs of Levaquin for 21 days in 2007 for epididymitis. Even though there were other treatment options available I was told it was safe and well tolerated by my doctor. It changed my life forever. To date, I have suffered many damages. I talk about it at www.myquinstory.info