Here is a link to FDA report statistics on Levaquin:

http://www.drugcite.com/?q=Levaquin

You can click on a category and it will expand.

You can look up other drugs too like Cipro and Avelox and compare.

Keep in mind these are only culled from Medwatch reports, and most doctors (about 90%+ do not make reports as a rule.)
Doctors are very skittish about drug reactions and backpedal quite a bit and will not often criticize another doctor either!

Wiki's sites often give side effects in more detail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levofloxacin

I am very sorry this happened to you.

Look up JesseM's posts in members list and read his accounts.
He is the first person to come here claiming his doctor said it would reverse. Time will tell on that. I have him trying some things and they seem to help. But he still has "bad days" or flares.

Hi worried
 

MrsD is correct. I took levaquin for a 6 month ear infection. After this 3 tendons gave way spontaniously in my ankle, along with PN, after cysts developed, and surgery... I had no injury to the ankle, yet this occured. This happened about 5 months after the use of levaquin. I don't have any explaination other than my suspicion that it was the drug I took. Doctors say no, that I injured myself somehow.
I hope that in your case the pain resolves and that you find a compassionate doctor willing to treat you the best possible way. ginnie

Thanks for the support and I hope things get better for you as well, but I can't help but think it's only going to get a lot worse. And frankly it's unbearable right now already.

Hi worried
 

Hi worried, get a good pain doctor, and start with B12. I am alot better than a year ago, so this can get better. I was in a wheelchair for awhile, and now I am walking better. I do take medications for the PN when it gets bad. Also have lidocane patches, bio-freeze. There are also compounds that help with pain that have Ketamine in it. I have used all these things to help. I sure hope that you can get better too. ginnie:hug:

I'm not sure how old you are and it doesn't make it any better, but being 27 and in the supposed prime of my life, this is a heavy blow that is crippling me already. I know there is no playbook on what symptoms anyone gets or how bad they are, but I tend to think the worst. I really try to avoid medicine and the one time I trust someone with it, this happens. I don't know if it is possible that there is another cause, but I hope so.

How long did you take the medicine? (7 days here).

When did symptoms begin? (numbness about 3 weeks after. Full blown numbness and burning about 1.5 months)


I'm a little, not much, hopeful having talked to the pharmacist about the medicine. He said it wouldn't still be in my system this far from when I took it and if I didn't have any problems when I took it, I wouldn't be having them now. I'm hoping he is right and maybe this is something else.....but I'm thinking you might say you had no symptoms at first too ginnie (praying you don't!).

Hi Worried
 

I took levaquin for one month, for that darn ear infection. This was after several rounds of other toxic antibiotics(3 months). I had gone to a disease specialist as I couldn't kick the ear infection. I hear you about being young and this happening. I had my first auto immune disease at 29 years old. I now have 5 and I am 61 years old. It has been a rocky road most of my life.
I do think that the PN can get better. It all depends on a good physician. I go see a physiatrist, who specializes in pain first. This type of doctor treats the whole person, rather than just one symptom after the other. She has helped me alot. I can also relate to the age issue, as I was angry when it happened to me at a young age. I had two little ones to care for. I know it is hard to look on the best side of things. In fact I had counciling, and still do at times to be able to cope better. I don't always do very good with my own oceans of emotions that follow illness and pain. I do relate to you, and I care. Wish I had some magic formula to ease your way. ginnie:hug:

There are reports of damage from one dose of these drugs.

Stephen Fried wrote a book about fluoroquinolone damage. His wife has permanent epilepsy from one dose of Floxin (given to her for a urinary tract infection). (this is the parent molecule that Levaquin is derived from).

The book is called Bitter Pills.
Oprah's TV producer had a problem with it too. I saw that show that she did on drug reactions many years ago.

http://www.stephenfried.com/bitter-pills/

I bought and read this book when it came out. It was and still is an eye opener!

There at one time were many fluoroquinolone drugs, but some of them turned out to be very toxic and have been removed from the market. Omniflox lasted about 2 weeks on the shelves.
Tequin was removed from sale in 2008. Many of the me-too fluoroquinolones are gone today, due to toxicity.

This lists more that were removed from sale.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse...uoroquinolones
and explains the risks in more detail.

Cipro has been the least toxic (but that is a relative statement), however during that anthrax scare after 9/11, Dr. Cohen was one doctor who got Cipro cancelled as a first line drug for exposure. There was a panic for it for short while and people taking it for "nothing" really, and getting exposed to the tendon damage and neurotoxicity etc.

Dear WorriedinOhio, Why did you come to the MS board?
Are you and your Doc suspecting MS? I do know, now, not
to take the ABs mentioned, especially if you have MS. I was
on Cipro for a bladder infection and was allergic to it, so got
off of it right away (thank heavens).

Take a deep breath and talk to your PCP about this to see If
he/she can get you in to see a Neuro, preferably a MS specialist,
any sooner, If not, then I would go to the ER for help and
evaluation.

Try not to worry too much as it only makes symptoms worse.

Good wishes.:hug:

Hi MrsD
 

It really does tick me off that doctors prescribe all those meds that are toxic, and never tell us one darn thing about them. I know something happened to me, as a result of this medication. I never hurt myself, and my ankle tendons failed. How can that happen, and how can they say there is no connection????
I will have this awful stuff for the rest of my life. I was on Cipro for that ear infection as well before I took the levaquin. Keep posting the good articles that teach people about this possibility, so that noone else has to go through this. ginnie:hug: