My name is Diane, and in March I was prescribed 7 days of Levaquin
(500mg)for a routine UTI in March. Sadly, the pharmacy filled it at
750mg (whole other issue) and on the 7th night I started suffering
anxious behavior, increased heart-rate, a burning sensation in my
entire body and was in the hospital. I’m still having many of these
same symptoms (I’ve been hospitalized twice) and now under the care of
a Neurologist. Has anyone else had these symptoms? If so, have they
gotten any better? It’s now been 4 months and I’m not getting any
better…..We’ve done some research (our daughter is in nursing school)
and a routine UTI should have been prescribed at 250mg….I’m
miserable, suffering depression and lack muscle strength. I’m a 46
year old female that walked 4 miles in 45 minutes every single day (and
I live in Michigan) and now if I can even complete 2 miles (if I can
finish) in that same time, it’s amazing…..Guess my biggest question
is, has anyone suffered these side effects and have they gotten better
over time?
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Hi Diane,
Wow you were given a double whammy with the Levaquin and then the pharmacy fills the prescription with a larger than prescribed dose. (SUE SUE SUE!)
I can’t tell you how long this will last, I’ve been dealing with this since Jan/Feb myself.
I took Levaquin 750 and 500mgs a day along with Prednisone for 2 weeks of that……..took all that for 5-6 WEEKS. It could have been 7 weeks because I was given weeks worth of samples of Levaquin (without prescribing information)
Have you filled out the FDA complaint form for the Levaquin and what has done to you?? (the link is in the file section and I have it set to send out to the group once a month) Please fill out that form, the more people that complain the better off we’ll be in the long run. If nothing else perhaps we’ll save someone else from enduring what we’re going through.
Have you had any tendonitis/tendon pain since this began?
Someone told me that the optimal time for a spontaneous tendon rupture is around 9 months out, which I’m fast approaching. I’ve also had intermittent tendonitis in my right shoulder, right elbow and right wrist. I’m pretty scared at the possibility of a tendon rupture.
I’ve also had joint/muscle pain and the burning sensation in my legs/feet that will not go away for nothing.
You’re very lucky that you have a neurologist that believes you and what happened to you……..trust me that is a lot of the battle, finding a Dr that BELIEVES you.
I don’t know if I suffer from depression related to this, its certainly possible but its also something I’ve fought for years due to another condition (an endocrine disorder)
I’m just plugging along, dealing with these issues without help. I’m being ignored by the prescribing Drs but I made the ear nose and throat doc put it in my medical records…….beyond that I’m just left hanging.
I think too that if I try to find a Dr to help me I’m going to end up going bankrupt because there simply isn’t anymore money after my normal monthly Drs appt and my monthly prescriptions for my back pain.
(spina bifida occulta w/back injuries)
Let’s see, I’m 7-8 months out since I started taking Levaquin and I’m still in pain. I don’t know how much longer its going to last or if it will ever go away.
It seems to have gotten somewhat better but hasn’t gone away altogether.
Please fill out the FDA complaint form. The better the paper trail the (hopefully) better off we’ll be.
Hang in there. I hope somebody else will give a little background on their pain and how long it has been for them.
Julie
Julie:
Thanks for the response…..at this point, my Neurologist is
running tests to eliminate all other diseases, etc. When I first
went to him last month, I told him about the Levaquin, and he acts
like he’s unsure if thats it…
I’ve undergone an MRI (nothing was shown) and tomorrow I go to
have EMG test to see if I have Lou Gehrig’s (ALS) disease and even
checking for MS eventually. Although I told the Dr. about the
Levaquin, he’s taking the “I’m going to rule out everything else
approach”……Then, and only then, will he think it’s probably side
effects. My family doc and a few pharmacists I’ve talked to believe
that it’s the Levaquin, and can only hope that the Neurologist sees
it too…My brother, who sits on a hospital board in St. Joe, MI got
me into see him and says he’s one of the best. Going to let him
run the tests, which we think will strengthen our case that it’s the
Levaquin side effects, and nothing else.
I spent 1 hour on the phone with the FDA filling out the form,
and we’ve discussed the situation with an attorney to see if we have
a case. Guess it’s not a matter of if, but who…the Dr (who
overprescribed dosage) the pharmacy (who filled it wrong) and/or the
manufacturer, who didn’t withdraw if from the market…..
Ironically, my sister in law was on it shortly after I was, and
she was complaining of tendon pain. We told her what we found out,
and she immediately stopped taking it…..I’m going to find out if
she filled out the FDA form too…..
Maybe the depression is just the fact that this drug has taken my
life away. I haven’t driven since March, and was going to look for
a job this summer. Obviously, if I can’t drive, I can’t work Not
only that, I have no energy and can’t function, so who’d hire me?
Our kids are almost grown (youngest is a senior in high school) and
I was ready to have a life outside the home…
Diane
BTW, I’m a Michigander too!
I was born in Ferndale, raised in Roscommon, Roscommon County…….I’m a 12 yr refugee ;o) and live near the coast of North Carolina.
Best part of living in NC……..NO SNOW, well other than the 2 inches we got nearly 2 years ago that melted the same day.
Where abouts in Michigan are you?
Julie
Please don’t discount the depression as being part of the Levaquin too. I’ve found many Levaquin sufferers that are finding depression to be an every day companion.
I can’t say for sure if it is a direct side effect or its related to what has been stolen from us…….at any rate, its there for many of us when it wasn’t before.
It sounds like you have a very good case against the pharmacy and the Dr. I hope someday we’ll all have a case against the manufacturer.
I can very much relate to your looking forward to having a LIFE after children. Mine are 26 and 23, long moved out so its just me and hubby. (and our foreign exchange student from China that arrives the 16th to spend the school year with us!! We’re looking forward to having her here!)
I cannot get a job outside of my home either. Luckily I’ve had a candle company that supplements our income between Sept-March, Christmas being my very busy season.
)
I don’t know HOW I’ll handle this Christmas other than I’m hoping to have some help via our exchange student daughter
Julie