*The following is an individual’s story of surviving fluoroquinolone toxicity. It is not medical advice. Please see the disclaimer at the bottom of the story. Thank you, and please be cautious with all treatments.
I want to tell my story of recovery that was a little different from all I read here on the site.
It all started in January 2016 with a persistent throat infection where the doctor in my city prescribed me a course of Levaquin (Levofloxacin) 750mg once daily for 5 days with prednisone for an allergy in my airway. With the second tablet started to realize I was getting anxious, depressive and could not understand what was happening, and could not sleep at night. The next day I woke up worse, anxiety and depression, fear were almost uncontrollable, so I tried the doctor who had passed me the antibiotic and told her what was happening, he told me that the antibiotic was not to blame for what I was feeling and told me to finish the course of it. Still not knowing the side effects of fluoroquinolones, I finished the course with a lot of suffering.
The days went by and I realized that I had not returned to be the same as before, although I was very lucky to have had no other side effects such as nerve problems, neuropathies and tendon problems. My nights sleep was horrible, I had lost interest in everything, was afraid to do the simplest things that I used to love and had no control of my own emotions until I looked on the fluoroquinolones and my world fell with everything I read, I thought I was doomed to live side effects for life.
In February I sought a medical psychiatrist who prescribed me an antidepressant (Escitalopram). It made my anxiety much worse and gave up using it. I started researching and found that using a benzodiazepine also could only delay my recovery then dropped out of conventional medicine and looked into gentle healing methods.
I cut alcoholic beverages, caffeine and tried to keep away from sugar. As I sought acupuncture and yoga to help me endure the side effects until gradually they were becoming less intense. Over the months I started to have good days where I could do pretty much everything that I liked to do before Levaquin, and others where the symptoms were back and I could not do anything, just trying to distract me until the day could pass and that the best days were back. During this time also I avoided any kind of allopathic medicine, especially NSAIDS and steroids. I also took several tests and they all came back normal, including vitamins and minerals. The things that helped me at that time were: exercise (I ask to carefully those who have tendon problems and nerves) breathing exercises, which help a lot in anxiety, reading, yoga, religion (spirituality) is wedded to God me It helped immensely to go through this whole situation that was by far one of the hardest I ever had in my entire life. I tried to let my body recover alone because I thought so would be the best way to get full recovery, without haste, without despair, even seeing that I had horrible days where my mind was going down hill and that it was difficult to believe any recovery.
Well now I’m almost 6 months out and I can say that I am not fully recovered, but I’m on the road today still feel anxiety and occasional fear, I still have some bad days, but I know I will get there. I can now sleep well, I am eating well, I do exercises and I am almost back to all that I liked before. I hope next year be able to return to my studies I had to stop because of problems related to the antibiotic. Stress can be terrible for people who are seeking recovery. Try to look for something to make you well, look for something that brings relief for all those months I tried many things that could help me get some relief in my symptoms, and without realizing I was recovering. I wish you all a great recovery, have calm, have faith and above all do not despair, there is no miracle cure for the problem, I think the best cure is time. Avoid taking everything you read on the internet because what may be good for one may not be for others. Any questions or concerns will be here to help them.
** The story above is truthful, accurate and told to the best of the ability of the writer. It is not intended as medical advice. No person who submits his or her story, nor the people associated with Floxie Hope, diagnoses or treats any illness. The story above should not be substituted for professionally provided medical advice. Please consult your doctor before trying anything that has been mentioned in this story, or in any other story on this site. Please also note that people have varying responses to the treatments mentioned in each story. What helps one person may not help, and may even hurt, another person. It is important that you understand that supplements, IVs, essential oils, and all other treatments, affect people differently depending on the millions of variables that make each of us unique. Please use appropriate caution and prudence, and get professional medical advice.
Hi everyone. 27 year old male here. I was prescribed 500 mg levaquin for ten days for chronic sinutis. After the third dose I started feeling like my tendons in my wrist were weak and hurting. I then went on to read if this could be the medicine doing this to me, and was horrified by what I read. I called the doc the next day, and she said stop taking the levaquin immediately. I did and thought because I had only taken three I wouldn’t be in the trenches long. But Christ was I wrong. Both physical and mental effects. Tendons in both wrists, shoulders, knees, and ankles are hurting bad. Not excruciating, but notably bad. And I’m afraid to exercise and weight lift again.
Saturday night I went to a bar (piss poor choice I know) because a good friend of mine was home from California for Christmas. I, for no reason at all, just started to have a complete anxiety attack at the bar after three beers to the point where I had to leave the bar and go for a 20 minute walk just to be able to go back in to sip on water for the rest of the night. I also feel like I’m highly sensitive to sound, like every clank of a class and every bass drops hits me like an elephant on the chest.
I’ll also be overwhelmed by malaise and fatigue. I’ll be fine throughout the day, and just out of nowhere this weakness hits and I’m out for the count. I don’t know if this partially due to the remaining affects from my sinus infection because i do still feel like I have a sinus headache. But I’m scared shitless.
I’ve always had some lingering anxiety but NOTHING like this. I was otherwise is decent health. Took and been taking Tylenol sinus, Zyrtec for allergies, mucinex 12 hour for
Medicine and biotin, vitamin C, magnesium 250 mg, and CoQ110 maximum dose for vitamin in take. It’s only been exactly a week today since my last dose, and I know this all sounds like small potatoes compared to the other horror stories I’ve read. But I’m still scared shitless and am desperately looking for advice and relatable discussion. I’m just praying this isn’t permanent.
Hey Aaron! Glad to see you’re doing better physically. I have to say physically speaking I don’t hurt as much before. My left wrist feels a bit tingly on the palm side, but overall the tendon pain is a lot better. Although, I haven’t been back to the gym yet so I guess we’ll see.
My anxiety is still messed up though. I’m terrified of having a soda even. My problem on top of the lingering pain is that the sinus problem I had that I was taking the levaquin for is back. My face feels really congested and my ears feel congested. Very sensitive to sound, and I think that’s why I feel so fatigued, lightheaded, and a big source of my anxiety in general. I have a dos pack of Methylprednisolone, but I’m scared to take that, even ten days later, because of the horror stories. I’m thinking of going to an urgent care and asking for another safer anti biotic but I have no idea if that’s even safe.
What have you been doing for your anxiety all this time? Any meds? I’ve been using probiotics and Gaba and it seems to help during the day. I’m just confused as to where to go next.
My biggest obstacle right now seems to be determining if my chronic Sinusitis is causing a lot of my symptoms or the levaquin. I have fatigue, I have congestion, I have headaches, but I had a lot of that before the levaquin. My anxiety is still full force, but I don’t know if that’s because I have anxiety about having anxiety, or if it’s still the drug. It’s a nightmare.
Physically, I’d say I feel 75% better tendon pain wise (but I have yet to go back to the gym, so I feel that’d be the real test). The burning has subsided a bit, but I still feel it significantly. Anyone relate to the burning thing? My appetite is still meh. I can eat, but I’ve lost all of my desire for pleasure eating. And again, I have no idea if this is due to the chronic sinutis or the aftermath of levaquin.
Today marks only the 2 week mark since my last dose. But in terms of my anxiety, it feels like one step forward and then two steps back. I can get through what I absolutely need to get through, and then that’s it. Does anyone recommend lexapro? I’m now starting to REALLY worry if this is all permanent now. :-/ after only 3 damn doses…
Marcella how are you feeling now? If you’re cured from the anxiety, how long did it ultimately take and what did you do?
Hey Im kinda having the same sytmoms as u alot of enxiety goen on n can’t take nothing at all or else my enxiety gets worst idk wat helps ? Can u call me at 6505097463
Taking lavaquin just caused me alot of stomitch issues I got h pylori can’t eat nothing idk wat to do ? What can help me I’m planning to see a natrual pathic doc anyone knows what can help me I’ve took lavaquin back in October n it really messed my body up n my stomitch but I can’t eat nothing it hard for me .
Wow, this story is so much similar to mine after pneumonia and Levaquin. I am a runner and had terrible tendonitis for a few months after going off the med. Got that under control, then I started having random panic attacks starting a few weeks after going off of Levaquin. At first, they were almost 30 days apart. That went on for 4 months, then they started becoming more frequent. I was having 3 or 4 per day. There was never any reason for them. I was not stressed at work, I live a pretty peaceful and happy life. Wife is wonderful, 3 boys doing well in college. One day, I had 11 panic attacks in one day. I went for a short run trying to stop them, but had 2 panic attacks during my run. So, after 18 months of panic attacks and depression, it was time to go to the Dr. I have no history of depression or panic attacks so it is more than just a coincidence. Dr. put me on some anti depressants indicating it was one of 3 possible things. Heart palpitations, anxiety and depression, or my lungs are not taking in enough oxygen and the body responds. Now I am just sleepy, unmotivated, in a daze. It worked though. I went 3 months without an episode. So, I tried to go off of the drug gradually over several months. But then the panic attacks came back with vengeance. I started having daily panic attacks. So, it took several weeks of pill popping to stop the panic attacks. I have tried several times to go off the anti depressant with the same result. I guess this will be my life from now on. Sleepy, in a daze, forgetful, unmotivated. Went back to Dr. to refill my meds. He said ‘now we know what it is. Anxiety. You will be taking this for the rest of your life.’. The thought of that really stinks.
I was prescribe This meds for severe asthma is has been my worst experience ever I go to the doctor and let them know is the antibiotic that is causing severe anxiety and they ignore me I just took 3 dose of 500mg but I have 5days with no sleep and palpitations muscle stress on the back and neck numbness cold sweat hot flash in chest and back i suffer anxiety and depression already but it was under control with serterline hopefully I will recover soon with faith
My white blood cell where elevated but no pneumonia
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I went from a happy and quite optimistic person who was taking classes in college to a depressed, anxious, panic fueled mess who had to drop college after taking this medication this past March! I’ve lost all interest in life, I’m so terribly depressed and hopeless, I’m tired and I am in such emotional pain all bc of this drug. I’m hoping that with time I will get better bc I don’t think I can go on like this. It’s awful! And had I know this drugs effects I would never ever have taken it, it has stolen my life and livelihood at the moment and I’ve had no relief since the day I started it. Your story gives me a glimmer of hope and I won’t give up trying to find myself again.
Hola Marcela, Finalmente en que fecha te curaste?
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