Levaquin Bartonella, Borrelia, Syphillis, Organisms, Adverse Reaction
Posted over a year ago
Most of the "side effects" are die off responses (sometimes referred to as a herxheimer response similar to that which occurs when treating syphillis) from bartonella or borrelia. Levaquin is a potent intracellular antibiotic...where these and other ... more »
Most of the "side effects" are die off responses (sometimes referred to as a herxheimer response similar to that which occurs when treating syphillis) from bartonella or borrelia. Levaquin is a potent intracellular antibiotic...where these and other organisms can hide. These can be subclinical infections where (at this time) you are not even aware you are infected. If your "side effects" start around the 3rd day into your prescription...rejoice...and suffer for a while, you are killing something really bad.
Rosaria67 - From your post, I can probably assume you have not suffered from an adverse reaction. If you had, you would probably understand it a little better that it's long lasting damage that has been done.
Evergreen2u - I do know what I am talking about and I am not saying that all responses are die off, but that many of them are and the ones that start around the 3rd day of treatment are most likely to be die off responses.
I have chronic Lyme disease. I have had die off responses repeatedly in the past with other antibiotics...almost always starting around the 3rd day of a new course of antibiotics.
When I took Levaquin on day 3 my R abdomen lower & upper erupted in pain...my R kidney felt like it or something else in that area was swollen...I had punch tenderness in my back. (this had happened years before with my first macrolide) ....it scared the bejesus out of me ...both times. This time I kept taking the levaquin...on day 6 the abd. pain & swelling subsided. I also developed the more familiar flu like feeling with burning eyes and fatigue....and the burning pains and stabbing pains in segmental areas all over the place but mostly along my R side where they always were before (feet, legs, groin, chest, R arm, hand, shoulder, R subclavian area, R submandibular gland swelled & became more tender than ever, R jaw, ear, temple. Then it all subsided to duller bruised like pains. My initial symptoms that were keeping me from being functional...were gone. I am still on Levaquin...4wks into hopefully a 3 month course.
Look I herxed intensively, and intermittently for the first 2 yrs of my Lyme treatment and then less and less until I thought it was almost all gone. After a few years however the symptoms started creeping back: the old antibiotics no longer seemed to be working so I started on Levaquin. But although I had an intensive response to it, my herx time was less on the Levaquin than during the initial years of treatment. I presume because I had already had my bacterial load lessened thru years of other antibiotics.
I am also well aware that Levaquin (like other fluoraquinolones) is conducive to tendon rupture..its worst side effect that I know of.
Antileviquin - Yeah,I had a "die-off" response too. My bicep "died right off the bone". Worse yet, the complete distal tendon rupture was the most tolerable side effect (including the surgery to repair it).
I know what I'm talking about too..... this stuff is very dangerous. So go ahead and load the chamber and pull the trigger but if you do, pay for the damage out of your own pocket. OK?
Roseterry - Actually there are worst 'side-effects' than tendon rupture. I took a weeks worth of Levaquin and ended up with perminent Peripheral Neuropathy in my feet, legs, arms, & hands. It spread like wild fire, and it's just been about 1 year. Doctors say it's life time. Horendous pain! I'm on perminent drugs. Oh, I stand corrected, actually there is a worse side effect... death. There are those who have lost their lives! I for one would not ever take Levaquin if I'd known what it could do.
Antileviquin - I agree completely with roseterry. As I said, the tendon rupture was the least of the problems. The ongoing joint and tendon pain is terrible but the most horrific side effects for me were the psychological effects. They sent me to the ER twice and I really believed I was dying. To some extent, those effects still wax and wane today... more than a year and a half later.
I wish I had known. I would never have taken it either. I will do everything in my power to stop anyone I care about from taking it too.
Evergreen2u - But you see I had terrible linear burning pains & neck pains, tender submandibular gland and sore bottoms of feet, & neuropathies and thoracic nerve root involvement that influenced my entire abdominal wall...BEFORE taking the Levaquin. And even though I had been fighting this for a long time I was still relapsing when I went off my other antibioitics and getting really worse over the last year.
The Levaquin has given me back a level of wellness I have not had for a long time. And I had a very vigorous herx/die off response (worsen of all of my burning pains etc) to it for the first 2 weeks of treatment wherein, yes, you do feel like you are dying. I had a similar to, but more intense die off than previous herxes with other antibiotics. (my die off time would have been worse & longer if I had not been on all the other antibiotics first)
Yes, it has side effects like all of the fluoroquinolones do. But it also kicks some serious intercellular bacterial butt that other antibiotics can't reach. Maybe it should not be prescribed as randomly as it seems to be by ignorant doctors ....but reserved for people who know they have infection that can't be reached otherwise. Maybe doctors need to learn to recognize the die off response that usually starts around the 3rd day too.
Go read some of the Lyme disease lists to see how common and repeatable the die off response can be amongst people with occult, intercellular infections from bartonella, borrelia etc. Many of you would see your "side effects" listed over & over again...but redefined as die off responses.
I am not talking about the tendon ruptures ....which are an onerous side effect of fluoroquinolones. I am talking about those flu like feelings and linear burning sensations, stiff neck etc that are indicative of die off responses.
Antileviquin - You just don't get it, do you? We're all happy for you but for the numerous people who had their lives virtually ruined by this garbage (and the one ones that did die from it) I don't think they want to hear about the limited wonders of this drug. Nor do they want to hear about the drug reps and doctors pushing it on people for the common cold.
I'm glad your happy but there are many people who are not.
Taylor810 - I beleive you Evergreen. And to prove that your right I am sending you a 2 month supply of Levaquin 750mg to prove them wrong. I want you to write back and let us know what other die off symptoms you have . O,K.
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