The People's Pharmacy® with Joe and Terry Graedon

I have taken Levaquin 500 mg tablets for 11 days (until 2 days ago) against pneumonia.

I have developed severe pain in my achilles tendons (mostly on the left side ). I can hardly walk in the morning. Not having had any problems before I could not figure whatever could be the reason for this problem, especially since I have been doing stretching exercises for years.

My wife and I both have Chronic Lyme disease. Levaquin is one of the medicines given orally and by IV to treat Lyme and other tick-borne co-infections. Several people that we have spoken with personally have taken Levaquin and experienced serious tendon problems.

My wife has a tendon that has split (per MRI results), and she was told it was probably from taking the Levaquin. She is disabled at this point and we have found nothing to help reverse the situation. I have also read about tendon problems from use of Levaquin on several forums related to Lyme disease.

I was diagnosed in an emergency room with pneumonia after some mysterious symptoms that included blood pressure over 200 and pulse of 110 with sputum containing blood. I was given a prescription for Levaquin for the "pneumonia."

After two days, there was tremendous swelling of my right arm and left leg.

There was acute weakness and pain of the left Achilles tendon. My left leg bothers me to this day--about 8 months later.

I was in doubt about the pneumonia diagnosis to begin with, and still am. Doubly in doubt about the prescription, since I have never been allergic or had any reaction to drugs in 85 years.

I have had a prostate problem for years. I was often given Cipro or Levaquin for frequent kidney infections. I was also prescribed Levaquin after two prostate surgeries.

During this period I noticed I was having pains in my knees that kept getting worse, but I did not associate them with the use of the two drugs. Following one particularly painful bout, I found it necessary to use a cane to walk from the parking lot to work. I even consulted an orthopedic doctor who recommended surgery. However, after an MRI, he said I could probably put it off until my 60s, about 5 years away.

I still have knee pain off and on, but I have discovered that if I stay away from Levaquin and Cipro my problem is not as bad. I blame these two medications for the acute pain I have experienced in the past.

I just finished taking Levaquin for 10 days for a sinus infection. After the 5th day I noticed extreme pain in my muscles through my entire body. I just finish my 10th pill 3 days ago and am still in extreme pain. I feel like I'm an 80 year old woman in a 34 year old's body.

This is very interesting information as I am suffering from achilles bursitis which is inflammation of the achilles tendon. I've suffered from this condition for a couple years. I've taken Levaquin several different times for sinus infections because it helped me more than other antibiotics. I'll never take it again after reading this.

I have had shoulder and upper arm pains and stiffness since being on a 750 mg dose of levaquin for five days. That was about a month ago. Still have symptoms. Want to know if anything can be done to help with the healing process. I have started glucosomine sulfate. Don't know if that will help or hurt.
Thanks.

I am a doctor, and I took Levaquin 750 mg for 5 days to treat a bacterial bronchial infection. Subsequently, I
noticed a tightness in my left Achilles tendon which hampered my ability to walk normally.

Two days later, I felt a similar, but less intense, sensation in my right Achilles tendon. Three days later, I woke up with a severely swollen left ankle and I could barely walk.

An MRI of the ankle showed a severe tendino-pathy and a completely severed Achilles tendon. I underwent repair of the tendon with a pigskin graft; then, over six weeks in a wheelchair in a non-weight bearing cast.

The cast is off and I am currently on partial-weight bearing with a walker. It's a slow and arduous process.

I was on Levaquin for a sinus infection for two weeks. After the first week, I noticed that both my shoulders ached and I had some numbness in my leg, arm & hand, but it didn't occur to me that this drug was the cause. I hadn't noticed the joint side effect listed on the drug info because it was buried amongst a host of others towards the bottom. I started to feel joint achiness in my entire body, from my fingers to my toes, especially in my knees and shoulders. It continued to progress after I had finished the full dose of the drug.

About one month later, my knees are still stiff, my shoulders ache and feel weak, and I still feel achy/week all over, on and off. The pain is enough to keep me up some nights. After doing more research, I'm pretty positive that Levaquin is responsible for the havoc created in my body.

The frustrating part is that I haven't seen any information that tells me that this is going to be temporary or what I can take to counteract the antibiotic effects. I don't believe that this is a rare side effect. This drug should be recalled! How many people will have to experience this before that will happen? I am a 48 yr. old active female, but feel about 70! Can anyone help?

I think I have suffered the side effects of Levaquin... After being treated for pneumonia & bronchitis both, I was prescribed 500 mg of Levaquin once a day. After the 6th day/dose, I had terrible pain in the soft part of my left ankle, and my ankle got very swollen. Then soon after, the pain started shooting up my leg and swelling also started up my leg.

I went back to the doctor and they did 5 x-rays and an ultrasound, and I was told no problem was found that the doctors could see. Two doctors that observed me were very stumped as to why this was occuring. I was told that if it gets red or worse to come back in & they would do an MRI.

I asked the doctor if this would be a reaction to the Levaquin, and the doctors didn't believe it was related & that would be very rare if it was at all! But they did have me stop taking the drug, and I had 4 pills left...

After 10 days, my left ankle, toes and calf are still swollen and sore, and it is very painful to walk. The doctors also suggested steroids may be an alternative if I have to go back to the doctor if swelling doesn't go down! I am very tired all the time, have no energy at all, I wonder when or if the swelling will go down.

I just couldn't believe after reading all the side effects posted on this web page that people were experiencing the same thing I was!! I think they need to pull this drug off the market. I have never exeperienced any reaction from any drugs I've take before... and I do not regulary take any medication. I just want to warn people to be careful! Still recovering in Minnesota!

I WAS GIVEN THIS DRUG FOR A FOOT ULCER. AFTER BEING ON THIS DRUG, THE ACHILLES TENDON IN MY RIGHT LEG WAS RUPTURED. SEVEN YEARS LATER I AM STILL IN A WHEELCHAIR UNABLE TO WALK MORE THAN A FEW FEET.

Stay away from Levaquin!!!! I took it in December and my ankles are still swollen. My feet, ankles, and knee are always very sore and stiff. It has gotten worse, not better. My doctor gave me water pills to take down the swelling. I'm 7 days into the water pills, but it's not working.

I was given Levaquin for 7 days to combat pneumonia. I could not figure out why my tendons in each upper shoulder area pained me so.

When I went back to read the discharge papers I received from the emergency room, a closer look revealed this statement: "Rarely quinolones have been shown to cause tendon inflammation and even ruupture". The pain seems to be more severe at night, making it quite difficult to sleep.

I took three doses of 750 mg Levaquin on December 31st, January 1st and January 2nd. On January 5th I woke with horrendous pain in my right thigh and hip. My physician said it was in no way related to the drug/poison. It really hurt to walk, but after reading online the suffering that so many had gone through with this medicine, I felt lucky. Then... on January 14th I woke with excruciating right Achilles tendon pain, and three days later it was in both ankles. Of course I went to see my doctor, and he assured me this was not the drug's responsibility.

He is so ignorant. I am devastated. I feel like my life is destroyed. Can anyone please help me? How long will it take for this agony to pass? I am trying physical therapy and supportive measures to try to ease the pain, but nothing works. I can hardly walk. I am so terrified that one or both of these tendons will rupture. I am begging for some help from anyone.

I was prescribed Levaquin for a respiratory infection on 12/10/07. On the 10th and last day of the prescription, I noticed bilateral tenderness in my achilles tendons, more in my left than right. I used ice, NSAID, and rest to reduce the swelling. I finally gave in and saw a podiatrist on 1/25/08. He gave me a walking boot and scheduled an MRI. The results of the MRI showed a partial tear in the left achilles tendon. He confirmed that since I had no recent injuries, this was probably caused by the Levaquin.

I was told no surgery was needed, but I would need to wear a walking cast, and then physical therapy. I was never warned by the pharmacist or my ENT that this could even be a possible side effect. It seems to me that this should have been presented up front. I was definately told about the chance of nausea, vomiting, and all the other "normal" side effects of an antibiotic.

This has put such a terrible strain on my life. It's almost impossible to do my job. I am not supposed to spend more than an hour a day on my feet. My employer is graciously working around my condition, but frankly, this sucks. It hurts to walk or stand. As I read of the side effects others have experienced, I wonder if the recent stiffness in my hands and wrists might be associated too.

I really think this medication should be taken off the market. And... I think that doctors and pharmacists should research medications and their side effects more thoroughly before prescribing them. I don't think I can print the suggestions I have for the pharmaceutical companies. Thanks for listening.

I went through the horrors of a reaction to Levaquin last Sept.-Oct. 2007. I broke out in severe hives all over my arms, legs and back. I felt like I was being eaten alive by fire ants! There were a few on my neck, chest and face also. They actually got into the whites of my eyes. There were deep hives in the tendons of my feet that hurt so bad I could hardly walk or stand for more than a few minutes at a time.

I found tendon relief by taking 2 glucosamine (500 mg) & chondroitin (400mg) tablets plus 1 MSM (1000mg) tablet 3x daily. I also found a cream with the same thing by Nature's Plus. It was the only thing that I felt turned this reaction around.

So sorry for anyone going through this! Yes, I thought I was going to die, too. Hang in there, you are in my prayers.

I'm a 44 year-old-male. Very active in endurance sports. I was on Levaquin (750mm) for 6 days. Days 3,4,5 and 6 were very bad. Lots of joint pain in my knees and feet. I've been off of it for over a week now and still have trouble walking.

First, go to this site for very good info on this condition:
http://www.fluoroquinolones.org

Don't give up. Take control. This is your body. Nothing is as bad as sitting around waiting to be healed. Start with mild/gentle streching, hot/cold therapy, good diet, good sleep and positive outlook.

Good luck to us all.

We have been trying since 1999 to get "Black Box" warnings as well as "Dear Doctor" letters regarding this very common adverse reaction to the fluoroquinolone drugs without success. Public Citizen as well as the Attorney General of the State of Illinois had both filed petitions seeking this with the FDA, only to be ignored. In January of 2008 Public Citizen filed a lawsuit in Federal Court demanding the FDA review thier petition. Though required by law to do so the FDA chose instead not to repond properly to both petitions, and have been sued as a result of such malfeseance.

Visitors of this site who have an interest in the horrendous adverse reactions associated with this class are invited to log unto www.fqresearch.org where they will find well over 4000 medical journal entries, clinical studies, post marketing information, etc., the clearly document these severe and at time permanent reactions.

Personally I was both blinded (permanent double vision) and crippled (chronic tendonitis) by these drugs. That was over eight years ago. My life will NEVER be the same since then. There is not treatment available for the majority of these reactions.

Regards,

Mr. David T. Fuller
Director
Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Research Foundation
www.fqresearch.org

I took levaquin for 3 days for a bladder infection in Feb. 07. Had a lot of joint pain and muscle spasms. 10 months after taking it, I have tendonitis in both of my feet. I don't think this damage ever leaves us. I don't know if I will ever get better. Please let everyone know what poison this stuff is.

My wife has taken this for 4 days. Last night, I had to take her to the emergency room. Her feet, legs, and ankles are swollen, and she is in pain. The doctor refused to even discus this drug and its effects. Tomorrow, she goes back to the doctor that prescribed this. I don't know what to do. She's 39, and has never dealt with anything like this. On top of this, we have no insurance, and she's scared that this will devestate us. I don't care if I lose everything, I just want her to stop hurting. If anyone can give me any advice, I would greatly appreciate it. My prayers to all of you. Thank you.

I have taken Levaquin 500 mg for 4 of my 10 days of prescription and after reading this I'm done. I was fine up until this morning when I woke up with severe knee pain in both knees. So bad that I had to have help out of bed and into the shower. (the shower didn't help much by the way) Both knees have sharp pains in them making it almost impossible to walk. By the way, I'm only 27 and have never had knee problems.

I had an achilles rupture 10 days after taking Levaquin. This was followed by surgical repair. I had horrible tendon pain for several months until I contacted an MD in California that had done some research on this. He suggested high absorbtion (chelated) Magnesium. IT WORKS! 2-3 weeks later there was a significant improvement.

Note that Magnesium does not absorb easily so you need the Chelate. By the way, when I saw another MD for an unrelated problem, he asked why I noted on my chart "no levaquin". After I explained, he told me he had taken levaquin a few weeks earlier and could barely walk because of achilles pain. I told him about the magnesium and on a later visit, he told me that he had tried it and it worked for him also.

Add me to the list. I have Bartonella (a lyme co-infection) and one of the primary drugs to resolve is Levaquin. Day 3 into my treatment of 1x daily 500 mgs, I went for an easy jog---I'm a semi-competitive runner currently doing about 35 miles a week. 10 minutes into it, I had to stop due to tendon inflammation. I walked home and the leg continued to be sore all day. I iced it last night and it seems fine today.

Despite that I will discontinue taking Levaquin. Unfortunately it seemed like it was working for the Bartonella symptoms. I pray that my tendon isnt permanently damaged. Good luck to everyone.

Chris

About a mounth ago I was on an antibiotic call Cipro 250mg two a day for 7 days right after that I started complaining to my husband that my legs were hurting and felt sore clear down to my feet.Thought it would go away but it feels like my legs are just not right and my feet are cold too most of the time

I have a daughter who was put on this med over the weekend for a UTI 500mg twice a day thats quite alot more than I took after reading this site I will tell her to watch for swollen anclells or feet the sad thing is then its to late.

I took 500 mg levaquin for 10 days. I am 28 and my body ache is not going even a week after stopping the medicine. I am getting tired very easily and the muscle pain is not going away. How long does it take for the pain to go away ?

I developed severe levaquin-induced achilles tendonitis which included small tears and severe inflammation of the tendon. I needed 4 months of physical therapy to achieve a partial recovery. http://www.iamnoexpert.com/?p=42

The pain and inflammation waxed and waned for about a year, but it gets better in time. I read about using magnesium as suggested in a comment above, makes sense. I tried it but could not say how well it worked. I also had acupuncture which seemed to help a lot.

I got all the crap mentioned in this website after taking Levaquin 750 for 7 days for a sinus infection. 2 weeks later I still have trouble walking.

My husband David took Levaquin for pneumonia and Mrsa. He is now wheelchair-bound. The pain started in his neck, then moved to his shoulders and arms. Now it is in every joint and muscle. David has to have assistance with daily activities. We have gone to multiple doctors and until recently when he was hospitalized for a sprained ankle, no one would listen to our concerns.

I hope you have better luck with the doctors than we did. They all want to blame this on Fibromyalgia and RA. We have three kids and one income. We've lost our car and some other things. We're now selling personal property just to make it. Isnt it great how a medication can cure one thing and instantly put a 35 year old self-employed man in a wheelchair? I think the FDA needs to look at their standards for safe.

Just finished a 21-day prescription of Levaquin. Shoulder joint pain started about 10 days ago and now it is in knees. Dr. never told me about potential side effects. I am very upset and want to know what I can do to get rid of the pain and weakness.