Levaquin Side Effect???

[MerryBerryMoose]

I have been on Levaquin for 4 days (out of 5) for possible UTI and this yesterday morning (with out warning) I woke up with this ungodly pain in all my joints (with the exception of my toes, wrists, and ankles). It feels like I overused them, but I have done nothing out of the ordinary. It also felt as if I had been hit my a bus, but given the fact I still have a pulse and am breathing...that theory is out. I have had a history of joint pain and had knee surgery on my L knee in Aug. but in regaurds to both of those facts, I have NEVER felt pain like this through out this many joints (with the exception of my post op knee surgery).

I went all day in a lot of pain, just lying down infront of the TV. Tried a hot shower but it did nothing. It didn't occur to me, until about ten minutes ago, that it might be the antibiotics. So I looked at the drug insert (for the first time since I had it filled) and one of the bad side effects was joint/tendon pain/rupture. So now I'm all anxious.

Does anyone think the Levaquin is causing the joint pain? Or could it be something else (though I am not sure what else it could be).

Thank you.
Gabby

[Mare]

You might try calling the pharmacist who filled the prescription for you. The pharmacist is probably more aware of side effects than the doctors. If not, try contacting the drug manufacturer directly. Goodluck, hope that you feel better soon.

[Katrina]

I would keep your doctor informed although my guess is if you mention the med side effect he wills uspect the med! :grouphug: I hope you feel better soon!!

[PlainJane]

It could be a side-effect but it could be a die off reaction from something like maybe Lyme disease. I know Levaquin is used for Lyme treatment and die-off reactions can start at about day 4 or so sometimes. The toxins accumulate as the bacteria die off and it can cause a lot of symptoms including pain.

However, it could just be a side-effect.
Oh I just checked a website and see that Levaquin is part of the fluroquinone family of antibiotics (Cipro, Floxin, etc). I d know when I was on Floxin I developed a lot of pain in my knees and I have heard of this happening to a number of other people too. For me the pain subsided when I went off the antibiotic. Hmmm don't know if I helped or confused you more (hope not!).

~plainjane

[peaceplease]

What odd timing you should post this. Did you see my post on Levaquin a few weeks ago? I was on it for a sinus infection. I had taken it fine back in Feb. 2006 for another sinus infection. About 3 or 4 weeks ago I was on it again, this time on day 5 I got terrible achiness in my feet, then I started to get tingling, like pins and needles in my feet. I also started getting muscle or nerve spasms in my feet. I still have the neurological stuff in my right foot, the left one is better, though not totally. The right foot still tingles and my toes are very very sensitive to cold or heat. I also developed a similar muscle type spasm feeling in my face on the left side between the jaw and chin. I googled all this and found a lot of data to support that Quinolones can really mess up your nerves/muscles/ joints/ tendons. There is a Quinolone Forum too in yahoo groups.
I have been VERY afraid I might have MS, but I never had any type of neurological stuff before taking this medication. I don't know if it is from the medication or something worse like MS and I am FREAKING OUT! I saw a Neurologist who I really disliked and if you can believe it he told me the tingling was from anxiety and taking too many big breaths like sighing! He made me breath in and out really fast in his office like 20 times to see if hyperventilating made the tingling worse, but it didn't so I don't know how he can say it is from sighing too often. Bizaar, he tried to reassure me I don't have MS, but I don't know what he was basing that on. I wasn't having the facial stuff when I saw him, that developed a few days after my appointment. I got him to test my B vitamins and do a Western Blot for Lyme, all of which was normal, though standard commercial lab tests for Lyme are very very inaccurate.

By the way, I have never heard of Levaquin as a drug of choice for treating Lyme bacteria... It is totally possible it is, I just haven't heard of it.

These reactions to Quinolones are supposed to go away when the medication is stopped according the MDs, but for some people they last awhile. I hope you will recover really really fast and feel better today.
I am in a very hard place in my life right now and don't know what to do.