Levaquin and lupus

My name is Heather I am now 32 years old I took levaquin when i was 29. After i took levaquin I went on a roller coaster ride I have yet to be able to get off of. First when i took it I had the worst night mares i have ever had only to wake up to a splitting headache and a very sore body. took another one the next day same reaction.I figured it was the bronchitis that was causing the problem. on the third day i was worse still I could hardly move. I stopped taking the drug. after another two days i felt better. two weeks later I was out with my father and he noticed a rash on my legs. I was also starting to get little blood blisters. I started to become concerned and the next day after going to the zoo with my family i came home and my legs were swollen three times there normal size and very sore. I put them up just to find the felt like play dough had been stuffed in to them and I had blood blisters the size of pencil erasers. I made an appointment to see the doctor. he said and i Quote " Heather I have No idea what the Hell you have" he sent me to a specialist. between the time of my first appointment and the appointment with the specialist my legs stopped working from the hips down i was 90% paralyzed (not spelled right ) they just wouldn't work right. My ten year old daughter was helping me get to the bathroom. I was soooo sick i had a headache all the time couldn't eat or sleep and when i did it was only for a few hours I couldn't move very well and to get up out of bed hurt so bad i almost fell every morning. by the time i had gotten to the specialist I had gone to the E.R. three times for the pain.and the last time was because my toes stopped moving altogether. at the appointment the doctor ran all kinds of tests checking me for everything from S.T.D.s (which i have been happily married for years) to Lupus. I felt Like and 80 year old Lady And like i said i was only 29. after the extensive tests and everything coming back normal the doctor put me on a steriod. for 4 months i was told i had to take prednisone After the first dose i could move again I still hurt but i could move.But now i had the side effect from that. i was gaining weight like it was going out of style, but at least i could move. after the 4 months things seemed normal kinda. I could move but if i sit still to long my legs go numb not fall sleep go completely numb even if i am standing to long. I am still afraid that i will wake up again feeling like i did that Fall three years ago. I still have problems but im not sure they are tied in but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. I only took three Pills of Levaquin three years ago!!!! How long does this stuff hang on really??????

I have had a "Lupus" like and "MS" like nervous/arthritic pain since I took Levaquin, have been through lots of tests, Lumbar Punctures, and blood tests, and MRI. Interesting....

I am taking Levaquin one time a day, 500 mg. for diverticultis. I have fibromyalgia so attributed symptoms of EXTREME FATIGUE to that but this is fatigue like I've never known. I can't do much of anything. I don't work outside the home so will just deal with it if it cures my infection. I'm using sleep meds too...but that could be fibromyalgia kicking in too. But fatigue is much worse. I hope it kills those bad bacteria!

I saw my family doctor on May 16th for a new onset UTI. I hadn't had one of these in about 8 years but I knew how bad they could get if you didn't get them treated right away. I did the over the counter URISTAT for 2 days until I got an appointment. After doing the UA dipstick, they confirmed my UTI because of the high leukocytes and gave me sample packets of LEVAQUIN 500 mg. b.i.d. for 5 days. I went home thinking, "Hey, this will be easy and I will feel great in a few days." I WAS NEVER SO WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!! I took my first dose that evening and went to bed. I woke up the next morning with a headache so bad that I almost passed out when I lifted my head off the pillow. The UTI went away after a few days, but the migraine stayed for over 2 weeks. The left side of my neck felt like I had been hit from behind with a baseball bat and my scalp became so sore from the pain that I couldn't even use a blow dryer on my hair. I made 2 more trips back to the doctor complaining of the horrible migraine headaches, light sensitivity, neck pain and joint pain. He put me on IMITREX, PROPANOLOL, APAP, and FLEXERIL to control the migraines. I MAXED OUT THE DAILY DOSAGE ON THESE MEDS EVERY DAY WITH NO RELIEF! I went back to the doctor again and he decided to run some lab tests. The next day, my headache had started to get better but I noticed a lump under my left armpit (large pea size) and that I had significant joint pain in my right middle and index finger. My middle finger would hardly bend in the mornings when I got up and the stiffness in my neck was still there. Later that day on my way out for a mini vacation with my family, my doctor called to tell me that my ANA had come back positive and he wanted to send me to a Rheumatologist to rule out things like LUPUS, RA, etc. Needless to say, I was totally freaked out for the remainder of my trip until I went back to the doctor to review my ANA Titer. My titer was high at 1:160, but he keeps telling me not to worry because this happens all of the time and an ANA and high titer is not definitive. I want to also note that one of my friends and my husband have also had very similar experiences. She was convinced by the physicians that she had Lymphoma because of her ANA and titer and my husband was certain that he had RA. Both are negative!
I am still concerned about all of this even though I am feeling better and it may be that I have permanent side effects from this. I was a totally healthy person and there was nothing going on besides a UTI until the LEVAQUIN was introduced. It has been almost a month since I took this drug and the things I have been reading online are horrible. I am sure that I will never take one of these antibiotics again. My advice to anyone else is to READ< READ> READ! There are some excellent websites out there and of coures the blogs are great for information from other patients. A good site for information about positive ANA's is:
http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/fana.asp
Also, read up on LEVAQUIN and the other FLUOROQUINOLONES. I did not know that these are the drugs that will be used to treat people in the event of a biological war. It's pretty scary....

Well, I took Levaquin 500 once a day for 14 days for an inflamed lower bowel. It cured that. But, I got a blood test back today saying I am positive in my ANA pattern? Also states it is "A nucleolar pattern is associated with systemic sclerosis." Probably Drug induced Lupus.

My symptoms have been painful joints, muscle weakness to the nth degree pain and weakness in shoulders, panic attacks, fainting spells, headaches, finger pain! Depression, happy, depression, happy. Strong, weak.

My next step is to go to a specialist (Rheumatoid)

I'm leaving for Costa Rica for 6 days. I am going to be positive and get over this! I hope nothing happens over there. I will not let it get me!

Was given iv levaquin in hospital for pneumonia (sat night). Oral the next day. The following day (monday) all the joints in my body started to ache. Hard to move. Especially ankle. Dr said stop antibiotic. Ankle and joints sore all week. Friday I had a huge pop in my ankle. Large bruise and swelling. Turned out to be a second degree sprain with ruptured blood vessel. Caused by levoguin. It has been 13 days since the pop, ankle still popping, swelling will not go down. Does anyone know how long this drug lasts in your body?

Im not wanting to scare any of you, but my reaction to this family of antibiotics happened in Spring 2002. I took one dose of this quinolone antibiotic for a sinus infection and was in the ER four hours later. After taking the medication, I felt very fatigued and lay down on the couch, I woke up a few minutes later feeling like I was falling, and my heart sustained 170+ beats per minute heart palpitations for several hours. The last thing I remember was calling 911 because I was home alone and knew something awful was happening. The ENT's said that they had never seen anything like it. I experienced horrific anxiety attacks for weeks afterward. Keep in mind I had been a very healthy gal before and had never experienced any type of health problems. I now see a rheumatologist, a neurologist and a gastroenterologist. I have been diagnosed with MCTD (Multiple connective tissue disorder) a Lupus like illness. My neurologist says that my central nervous system was damaged in the reaction as well. He also says that physicians are grossly misinformed about this family of antibiotics, and in his opinion, anyone who prescribes them for anything less than a life threatening condition is committing medical malpractice. I agree wholeheartedly since my life will never be the same.

I took Levaquin in March of 2004, for a spider bite. I had a 5 day dose pack. After the 2nd pill, I started having nightmares (I usually never remember my dreams), but attributed them to the spider bite. By the time I finished the meds, I had swollen hands, almost fell over when I got out of bed one morning, as I have no sense of balance, was having nighttime chills, along with many other things. Three and 1/2 years later, I have had to make my rings bigger, and my muscle pain still exists. I believe it is getting worse. I have been tested for Lupus, RA, and other autoimmune diseases, all neg. I still have an abnormally low platelet count which stated shortly after the levaquin too. I am thinking of contacting a lawyer, as this drug needs to be taken off of the market.

I WAS a very healty 45 year old. I walked/ran 3.5 miles a day and did weight training 3 x a week. Ate healthy. No medicines at all, never sick. Had a mild sinus infection and hot flashes followed by freezing that we thought might be from the sinus infection. Dr. gave me Levaquin. Within a couple of days, I felt like both of my hamstrings were pulled and could barely walk. Bear in mind, that I had not been excercizing due to work circumstances. I had a shaky feeling inside that you could sort of see in my fingers. Anxiety. Depression. Mild nausea. Fatigue. A month later, still having the hot flashes and freezing and worse than ever (seems like constant), doctor thought the sinus infection hadn't cleared up so he prescribed cipro - 15 days 500 mg along with a steroid. Everything got even worse. Rash on my hand/arm the first or second day that I blew off as from an ant bite. Nightmares the first 3 nights. Hot flashes often accompanied by racing heartbeat, sometimes slight chest pain if the hot flashes came one right after the other. As I write this I am dripping in sweat. Headache. Also, all my joints started, and continue to hurt. Knees, ankles, even fingers and toes. I've never had arthritis, but I imagine this is what it would feel like if you had it in your entire body. Also, I feel STARVING right AFTER I eat. A relative emailed me a scanned copy of her pharmacy's warnings for levaquin and it mentions hypoglycemia and lists many of these symptoms. (not the muscle ones)
My dr. is attributing most of it to 'anxiety' but I didn't have the anxiety until after the meds and the symptoms.
He did a host of bloodwork to rule out infection, lupus, hormone problems, thyroid, etc and they all came back normal.

I went for a physical in about September of 2000 because i was going to go back in the gym and workout.... Doctor said i was very healthy but did prescribe Levaquin for a small amout of Fluid on one lung he said showed up on an Xray... I think i took two maybe 3 of them but was sick the next day... He worked with me for the next 4 months trying to figure out what happend. Then i finally had to go to a specialist/Rheumatologist becuse i was loosing weight, tired and very tired, no appetite, sleepy etc... finally i was diagosied with Lupus Myositis (not sure about some of the spelling). Anyway i have been battleing with this from Sept. 2000 until now... August of 2007... I do pretty decent most of the time but am tired alot and cant do the things i did before... I am now 45 years old...

I was prescribed levaquin for for a respiratory infection. Instead of getting better I got worse. I was weak, began to have joint pain as well as the infection problems. I called my doctor after doing research on the internet. He told me to stop levaquin and to take advil. This didn't help. When I went back to him he tested me for lupus, ms, and RA. He eventually sent me to an arthritis specialist that I am still seeing 5 months later. Although she had never heard of these side effects until I explained them she has supported my concern that I have been suffering from an adverse reaction to the medication. I still suffer from joint pain and swelling as well as an acute burning pain in my thigh. The only treatment that I am receiving is steriod shots in my joints which do offer some relief. As I sit here tonight my leg is extremely painful. Will it ever go away or are we all doomed to suffer these ill effects the rest of our lives. I hurt... if anyone knows of a class action lawsuit please share the information.
Gypsy
52 yrs old

I was prescribed 750mg Levaquin for a sinus infection - having never taken this antibiotic before, and never having any allergic reactions to others I thought nothing of my 20 day prescription. After 7 days on this medication, I started feeling HORRIBLE - achy, flu like symptoms, and worst of all, every muscle, joint and tendon ached so badly that I had trouble walking at times. I had such bad nightmare on the 9th day of taking this, that I was afraid to attempt going back to sleep. After thinking all thoughts of bad things that could be happening to me (lupus, rapid onset of arthritis, etc.) I finally googled Levaquin and, fortunately came up with this site that showed others that had similar reactions to this terrible medication. After taking this for 11 days, I threw the remaining pills in the garbage and will never take this again. My only question is, when does this get out of your system where you will feel normal again? I have not taken this medication for eight days now and still my muscles, joints and tendons ache - at times, my body just feels flu like still. This is very frightening as I have never had a bad reaction to a medication and it is hard to believe that an antibiotic can wreak havoc on your muscular system such as this one has. Thank heavens for this website - I may have ended up taking Levaquin for the prescribed 20 days and who knows when these aches and pains would go away - they are far worse than the sinus infection!

Same joint pains as others have described. Terribly swollen knees(can't squat or walk without much pain), shoulder joints too painful to move in almost any direction, back of neck, shoulders painful, some pain in fingers, elbows, hips. Sleeping and dressing are very difficult. Trouble started after 1 week of taking Levaquin, did not connect it to the drug. Have been diagnosed with lupus and fibromyalgia but these pains are not like anything I have ever had. O was doing very well without taking any pain meds and exercising, walking 1 plus mile often. Now, it's been 4 days of this with little relief from rest, ice, heat etc. After researching, I'm worried. Waiting to hear from Dr. and vowing never to take another prescription without first researching.

I had to take levaquin almost 6 years ago. I was misdiagnosed and then the DR keep me on the meds for 4days when I showed him the rash all over my body.He told my to go hame and take some benadrilafter being on it for 9days he then gave me some other meds.I went in every day for a week, and he kept giving me a new drug. i would even would tell him that i couldn't get out of bed to even take care of my kids. i can't stay awake to eat or drink any thing. then it got to the point that i couldn't take it any more. my body hurt so bad i couldn't stand. i walked bent over. went to the E. R there i was made to keep the same DR that gave me the meds Intel i got to go home. i was in only over night. i then went to the DR that gave me the levaquin in the first place and he was the one that told me i was misdiagnosed and that he was so sorry. Then I found a new DR and he did all kinds of test my liver was in larger I was yellow. my DR couldn't under stand why I was out of the hospital. Before I took levaquin I was lucky if I got sick once every 2 years. Now there is always something wrong with me. my lungs, my kidneys, even my back. I think I my have lupus and levaquin is what started it all my thyroid problems. first it was an overactive thyroid. Called Hyperthyroidism.
I had to do Radioiodine treatment. To kill my thyroid. now I have Hypothyroidism. (it don't work without meds) I have COPD. I also have trouble with my bones popping. even my hips when I move. Now I had to do dxa bone denesitomery test. My bones look thin.I have osteoposis. I'm only 36 years old and there is days I feel like I'm 100. it's getting to the point that I don't want to tell my DR things. Out of fear that he's going to think I'm crazy or something. There is not month that goes by that I'm not in to see him for something. If one of the kids get sick I will get it for sure. I'm also tried alot. i really believe all the things that are wrong with me is because of levaquin. there was a lot of things that was wrong at first. like loss of hair, couldn't take care of family, Rash, liver, fogginess, feel much worse in the morning when I getting out of bed. i'm sure there is a lot of other things I'm forgetting since I took it and now I have $70,000.00 in meds bills and they still don't know whats wrong with me. it's even hard for me to do things with my kids some days. I have good days and bad days. I spend a lot of time trying to find out whats wrong and how to fix it. I would like to find a way for levaquin to be taken off the market there is to many things that go wrong with it.

I'm 45 and I took Levaquin last Sept 2005 for a sinus infection. Within a day I started having strange side effects including heart racing, terrible insomnia, nightmares and anxiety feelings. After 2 or 3 sleepless nights and thinking I was crazy (like how could these side effects be coming from an antibiotic??), I got on the internet and read about other's similar experiences, and worse. I stopped taking Levaquin immediately, but not before awful knee pain started. It's now May, and my knees and right arch are so painful and I have a very hard time with normal activities. I'm not overweight so that is not causing my knee problems. There ought to be a class action lawsuit, I agree. Just saw my MD who ran lupus tests due to my knee joint swelling (kind of passed off my Levaquin concerns except to say they did find cartiliage damage in rabbit tests). Fortunately lupus tests were all negative as was knee xray. There's a lot I can't do due to the pain. I'm angry, and wondering when this will clear up! Don't take Levaquin unless it's life threatening!!

To all my other sufferers of this hell, I too have been thru this agony. This started on March 12,following an pnuemonia attack. My dr. prescribed leavquin because he felt that it would attack the virus better.I took the 750mg dosage for 10 days & actually started felling normal again. I returned to work without any side affects,doing everything that I always had. But then,out of the blue and 13 days later, I started feeling bad. Me being a truck driver,I experienced the leg cramps,joint popping,light headedness,shortness of breath & fatigue. I thought I went back to work too early after the pnuemonia .The next day I had body aches all over but I had a family function to attend so I went with the pain. 3 hours into the evening I got up to go to the restroom & this is were my hell has started. Lack of breath,dizziness,unable to walk & 20min. later,severe chills. We left the party & arrived home with the chills and 102 temperature. I thought I would sweat this out but I was wrong! I wound up going to ER where my body was off the charts,elavated vitals,severe chills & muscle aches. ER setup an IV and a monitor. BP was 177/117,pulse 107,wcbc was 19,oxygen/blood ratio was92. I recieved 2 pushups of dilonted and that supressed the chills & fever. 9 hours later I was sent home with a 104 temp,messed up vitals and was told to follow up with my Dr. Saw him 2 days later,told him that i was weak,nauseous & had a bad sore throat. He gave me tagamet,have a echograph for my heart,blood work& sent me home. 5 hours passed,then he says he wanted to admit me to hosp.for "observation".
The next morning I awoke in a sweat, my throat had completly closed and my sinuses had open causing me to gag on mucus. I was so bad that i could not swallow water,even small sips and my abdominal muscles were sore from from coughing. Needless to say,in brief,I have been tested for lupus, viral infection for sinus,lung,stomach,uti & prostate(complete with biopsy testing) and full xrays of legs & spine. My veins are collasped from all the blood draws(9)-"37 vials & counting", guess what...SO FAR EVERYTHING IS NEGATIVE!!! So it has been 7 weeks,instead of doing normal activities like walking the dog,yard work,sports,etc, I am walking with a cane,have shortness of breath,extreme cramping of my calf muscles,popping joints & lots of fatigue. Next set of tests are neuromuscular & to check for the "parvovirus"(I'm not a DOG!) but now the doc seems it is related to my dog of 12 years that stays at home & never leaves the yard. The dr & his collegues still wont admit that this is the "horrific side effects attributed to Levaquin", but we all know better,may we all strive to get well!

I was on my second round of a 10 day courses of Levoquin for diverticulitis. 5 days into my second round, I started to have an allergic reaction every evening from 8:30 ish to midnight-ish. It would start with a tingly painful tongue, then tongue feeling slightly swollen ,then slighlty swollen and numb, itchy lips and gums, then to the back of my throat and up my ears. My salvatory gland production increased, was slighlty nauseated and had a headache. Then 2 hours into the reaction, I began to get short of breathe and had a racing heart and palpiations. I currently take prendisone for Lupus so I'm sure this masked the allergy to some extent. I continued on the drug for another 5 days of these nightly reactions, elimainating other meds and foods I was eating in an attempt to figrer out what I allergic to, until I finally saw my doctor who immediately discontinued my leviquin. Because of my Lupus, I am always in chronic pain but since taking the levoquin, every single muslce in my body is extremely sore and tender, even my scalp. I've been off it for 3 days and on high doses of prednisone and my lips are still a bit sore and puffy feeling and my muscles still hurt but seems to be improving a little bit but not as much as I would have expected being on such high prednisone.

After two doses, 250 mg, of Levaquin, I could not move. Instead of going to work, I went to bed. Three days later, my husband took me to ER. The first guess was a stroke, because I was so disoriented and could not move. There were specialists all around me. I was tested for meningitis, lupus, West Nile, arthiritis, etc. I had severe body aches and muscle pain.I spent 1 1/2 weeks in the hospital, unable to function. Body pain, no appetite, fever/chills, twitches, weak, very tired. My legs hurt the worst - knees and especially calves. I had no idea what was going on around me. I was incoherent. The hospital staff had me finish the Levaquin prescription.

I spent the rest of the month in a rehabilitation unit learning how to eat, walk, tell time, write, and other mundane tasks. I have been off work since Oct. 7. Mentally, I'm doing ok now, but physically, I cannot walk without a cane. I cannot go up and down stairs. My knees are still a problem. Acid reflux is better. My wrists and hands are weak. If my leg is straight and I bend it, I get a burning pain in my knee ... when I am laying down. When I get up in the morning, my calves are so stiff that I cannot stand. I have to grab the furniture. My hips are weak and have lost bone density. I cannot drive yet. I still get tired easily.

I was normally a low blood pressure person with a heart rate in the 60's. Now, I am taking beta blockers. My blood pressure is beginning to come down, but my heart rate is still high for me, but safe.

The doctors were not familiar with the side effects of Levaquin. I had a sensory nueropathy before Levaquin, but was totally functional. My physician prescribed Levaquin for a sinus infection. She never would have prescribed Levaquin, if she had known that it could attack your central nervous system! (My nuerologist said that "something" recently attacked my central nervous system.) I printed out some of the experiences from this website to convince her to fill out an FDA report. I will follow through with a letter to the drug company and my congressmen. And, I have spent some time educating the medical professionals in our community. I have considered legal action, but I don't know how to go about it.

I have been going to physical therapy. Those therapists can do a lot without drugs. My coordination is improved. I even have exercises to improve my digestive tract. We worked on isolated muscles for two months. Now, I'm trying water therapy. I am not strong, but I have gained coordination.

Two other suggestions for temporary relief: 1) Use a vibrator on your calves in the morning, and 2) Wear support hose/socks.

I took levaquin almost two years ago for four days for a bladder infection, and I have had severe joint and muscle pain all over my body and especially in my neck, shoulders, and hands. I am still having problems, some days are worse than others, I was tested for rheumatoid arthritis and for lupus, and the doctor finally said that is was from the adverse reaction from the levaquin, I also have dry eyes, mouth sores, and nose sores. Does anyone have any answers?

I am on my last day of a 10 day prescription of levaquin 500 mg. I have hardly been able to move for about 5 days now. Every muscle in my boby aches and I have no energy. I was beginning to think I had Lupus or something horrible and decided to check the side effects of Levaquin. Hopefully this will all go away soon. I have to hold on to some kind of support with both hands to even bend down. This is ridiculous. They should take this off the market.

I would like to know what is the longest that anyone has been suffering from the side effects of Levaquin. I took it in May of 2001, and am still having problems. I was tested for arthritis, lupus, and just last week for MS. All were negative, but I still have the problems. Only one doctor thought that it might be from the levaquin but that don't think that it should have lasted this long.