has anyone here taken levaquin?

[AmazingGrace]

I'm on it now and it's kicking my butt. I ache all over and m y chest hurts so bad like I've been punched.
the infection seems to have cleared up but i feel like my body is just bruied from head to toe. Is this a nromal side effect? Will it go away eventually?

 

[ChefBilly]

I took it once and two hours later was overcome by intense itching. The doctor said to stop taking it immediately. The itching lasted about four days or so.

 

[CathrynRose]

OKay - I read some horrible stuff about Levaquin and was super anal about not wanting it.

BUT I got a sinus infection that nothing else would touch. So I warned my co-workers that I was taking Levaquin and if my achilles-heel tendon burst, to please call an Ambulance. (no joke... Im a hypochondriac)

And within hours I felt better. So, now I prefer them to give it to me. But because its SO strong, they rarely do. But MAN it works.

I didnt have any side effects - but many many people do.

Check out : askapatient.com

http://askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20635&name=LEVAQUIN

Ummmm - Levaquin is in the same family as Cipro, which is used for Anthrax....that gives you an idea of it's strenth. It shouldnt be a fist line anti-biotic.

I should'a went to medical school. lololol

 

[LakeAriel]

I was prescribed this in August. I was flying to Disney the next day and had bronchitis and a sinus infection. The Dr said soemthing strong was indicated because sinus infections are hard to treat and I would be away. It started working on the infection right away. I felt better within three days with no apparent side effects. A week or so after I was finished I did start having unexplained "hot flashes". (not from menopause, that ship sailed long ago)
I am not certain, but think it may have been from the drug. It only lasted a couple of weeks so I would take it again, if needed.

Why was it prescribed for you? You sound like you have the flu...

 

[krcit]

My DH took it last year for pneumonia and the side effects were worse than the pneumonia. He only took 2 doses I think and was achy and lost about 8 lbs(if you know what I mean) He had stomach issues for about a week after just 2 doses

 

[yeartolate]

Your drug belongs to a class of drugs called fluoroquinolones. They are pretty nasty. LEvaqun as well as cipro and other drugs like them can cause many crappy side effects. A big one they are seeing s tendon rupture. But many others are possible.

 

[AmazingGrace]

Pneumonia and a sinus infection. I don't have fluey aches. it's more like I;ve been punched or bruised if that makes sense.

 

[disneynutt1225]

My DH took it last year for pneumonia and the side effects were worse than the pneumonia. He only took 2 doses I think and was achy and lost about 8 lbs(if you know what I mean) He had stomach issues for about a week after just 2 doses

You put that so eloquently! I had stomach issues too, and I took the full dose. I remember feeling like I was run over by a freight train. I had to take it for a variety of upper respiratory infection, sinus infection, etc. It works really well, but it sure does pack a punch.

 

[LakeAriel]

Scary..I guess I was lucky! I even asked the Dr because I didn't want side effects while in Disney..He said they were rare! Tendon rupture? I thought my hips and knees were hurting from all the walking, now I wonder...I took lots and lots of ibuprofen!

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

I took it for a sinus infection and it did the trick. Cured the sinus infection with no apparent side effects. It sure beat the heck out of the Biaxin which left the most GAWD-AWFUL taste in my mouth. So NOT fun at WDW because nothing tasted right the whole time I was there. Biaxin flavored Dole Whip anyone?

 

[disneynutt1225]

It sure beat the heck out of the Biaxin which left the most GAWD-AWFUL taste in my mouth.

Biaxin tastes very metallic. I hate that medicine.

 

[Pop Daddy]

I dont know what it is and I anit sick, but I want some

 

[RitaZ.]

It takes a while to recover from pneumonia, like weeks. The infection may be gone, but you will still feel tired. Did you have the pains before you started taking Levaquin?

I have pneumonia, too. I'm worn out. I can't take Levaquin. So, I was prescribed Biaxin first, then Augmentin. The Augmentin is working, but I'm still tired. I have to call my doctor tomorrow because now I have a sore throat, stuffy head and runny nose. I'm so tired of being sick. I have been at this for almost 4 weeks.

Take it easy and allow your body to rest.

 

[LUVMYTINK]

I just finished taking 10 days worth yesterday. About an hour after taking my first dose it felt like I got the flu (aches, fever, chills, trouble taking deep breaths, upset stomach, headaches). Felt like that for about 3 days, with each day feeling alittle better. I thought my body was just worn out from fighting the kidney infection that it couldn't handle fighting a flu bug, but after reading this thread maybe it wasn't the flu after all.

 

[CathrynRose]

Did you read that link I posted?

Make sure you do lots of water so it doesnt settle into your joints, etc.... flush it out.

 

[AmazingGrace]

Did you read that link I posted?

Make sure you do lots of water so it doesnt settle into your joints, etc.... flush it out.

Yikes, yes. Thankfully I haven't had some of those side effects. I've been drinking lots of water anyway because I'm so thirsty!

 

[Chuck S]

I've taken Cipro and Levaquin, and only had some mild aches for side effects. Mom took Avelox (the next generation of the Flouroquinolones) for pneumonia. She also had no major side effects.

A friend of ours was prescribed Cipro and had a major reaction; hives, redness, itching.

Like all meds, some folks can not tolerate this class of antibiotics, others do very well. And really, there is no way to know who will have a reaction until they take them. As another poster said, the doc advised me to drink lots of water while taking these drugs.

 

[tedhowe]

I was prescribed Levaquin as a post-op precaution by my urologist after a vasectomy two years ago.

I took two doses before I had a chance to talk to my sister, who is a physician. She said she'd NEVER heard of it being prescribed as a precaution - if anything was needed as a precaution for a vas, it would be a mild antibiotic.

The levaquin left a horrible metallic taste in my mouth and I had some pretty weird halucinations, I was sure I was hearing someone whispering to me... the next day after I was off the Levaquin, I realized that it was probably the levaquin making me hear voices.

The doctor did a fine job with the vasectomy, but I'm convinced he was getting a kick back from the drug companies for his prescriptions. Nothing I could find made a 3 week course of Levaquin without any active infection make sense - and neither did the 30 day supply of percoset he prescribed.

The percoset had its own issues, but the Levaquin made me angry because THAT's exactly the kind of irresponsible use of antibiotics that contributes to drug-resistant strains of bacteria becoming prominent.

 

[tiggersmom2]

My Orthodontist suffered a seizure (while driving) after taking Levaquin and I suffered from hives, swelling and dizziness after taking Cipro. I wouldn't take a drug from the fluoroquinolones again unless my life DID depend on it.....

 

[maelstrom]

Levaquin made me feel high (in the tired, lethargic, no-good way).