Questions About Levaquin Side Effects

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Nocturniscope

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There are various articles on the net telling about the side effects of a antibiotic type called QUINOLONES (Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin, Noroxin, etc.). The list of side effects include bodywide fasciculations that persist for years as well as tremors, jerks, pain and numbness. After reading the article I found a semi used box of Levaquin on my Bathroom and I remembered taking this drug to treat a throat infection I had six months ago (this is when I started to fasciculate like crazy). I am starting to think my problems where caused by this drug and I want to know if you had taken some of the listed antibiotics recentily.
 
Search the archives on this site with the drug Levaquin and you will see many of my older posts. This has been my theory all along. I dont think it is just a coincidence that my symptoms began 4 months after taking this antibiotic. I recall when taking it for a couple of weeks that it felt as if I had body wide soarness and stiffness. My joints would crackle like I was an old man. Most of all though, the bottoms of my feet felt as if I walked a 1000 miles the night before. When my twithing started it began with a single eyelid twitch that lasted about 4 months before spreading everywhere in my body. Send me a message or email so maybe we can compare stories and health history. Hope to hear from you.
 
I dont remember how long was my treatment with levaquin, I did not take it for too much time (maybe 2, 3 pills). But I can remember my fasciculations and index finger tremors and pain started after I took this drug. It is 4 months now I am on this mess, I am not worse nor I am better than I was 4 months ago. Clean EMG, Normal neurologic examination (2 doctors). I think it is so much of a coicidence I have this fasciculations and that I have taken this drug. Before taken it, I had no problems with my muscles, no pain on my hand, no finger tremors.I read that this drugs are now considered for prescription only as second line agent after more secure drugs fail. I had only a throat infection that probally would be solved if left alone.I read that this drug can cause fasciculations, tremors, pain, numbness, vision problems. I read that it can even kill a person.I read that the symtoms can last many years after you stopped taking the drug and that the problems can appear even if you taken only a single pill.
 
By what mechanism is it thought that these drugs cause twitching? I never took these drugs but wonder if the drug is directly causing the symptoms or does it trigger an immune response.
 
It's possible that the antibiotics kill all the bacteria in your body, and then you wind up with intruder bacteria moving in and taking over, ala candida or yeast infections. That would definitely be one suspect in body-wide twitching, and one which has been brought up many many times on this site.
 
Does Zithromax (Z-Pak) fit in the Quinolones category? I just took a five-day course of this 10 days ago for a sinus infection and started having body-wide aches (mainly in my legs), fatigue and much more muscle twitching than normal. I've been going on BFS for 8 years now and it seems like the only times I get flare-ups are when I get sick or have dental work done (no longer have the numbing agent for cavities, which seems to help big-time). In this case, it sure seems like the Zithromax had a direct correlation to this recent flare-up...diotz2
 
I took only 2 pills and because of it I am in doubt if my problems where caused by these drugs, but for you that took 20, 30 pills, I think there is no doubt your problems where caused by it. The good news is that it is not ALS and with time you will probally get better, provide you never take this venom again.
 
Researchers suspect that this drugs can cause a vasculitis that prive the pripheral nerves from blood and damage them causing all the nerve symptoms (fasciculations, pain, parestesia) and other problems.
 
I have been following this post with interest because I actually had an allergice reaction to levaquin a short while before all of this started. However, I also suffer from cramps, which are way more of a problem for me than the twitches. Has your research shoen that levaquin can cause cramping? I
 
I believe that my bfs is a direct result of the quinolone ab cipro. I started fasciculating within one week of completing a rx of cipro. At one point, I was an expert on all things fq, but that has been a very long time ago. At some point, the cause becomes less important than the fact that BFS is benign. The biggest difference between those members that took fq antibiotic and others with bfs is usually the other sxs that the ab's cause like severe muscle/joint pain, tendon pains, parenthesis, and many others. If you search this forum for cipro, levaquin, quinolone, fluoroquinolone, avelox you will find many people that have noted a direct relation.Fq's are definitely not the cause for everyone with bfs, but I truly believe they are for some of us.Take care,Gary
 
I get the cramping too but mostly on the bottom of my feet. When I lay down after being on my feet, I can feel the insteps of my feet twitching like a popcorn machine. Then slowly, my big toe will angle downward and so the cramp begins. I can usually offset the cramp by stretching my foot or by standing up putting weight on the foot. But if I do nothing...OUCH!!! I have an appointment with Dr. Tahmoush in New Jersey at the end of this month. He specializes in Neuromuscular diseases and I believe is the Doctor responsible for coining the phrase "CFS" cramp fasiculation syndrome. I will inquire about the antibiotics when I visit him and let you know his theory.
 
I am now with the pain on my index finger. It hurts all day,but there are times when it gets worse. It hurts me much more than the fasciculations. My finger is strong and agile but when I apply force with it, it starts to twitch like crazy. I fill as if one of its muscles don't relax at normal speed after I contract them, causing extreme disconfort. My fasciculations are totally random (sometimes I get hotspots). There are days when I fasciculate like crazy (100, 200 times) and there are days when I hardly fasciculate at all (1, 2 times). Yesterday I was on a bad day (fasciculated the entire day) and today I fasciculated 2 times only.If it was not for the disconfort, twitches, pain on my index finger, that problem would be so much easier to cope. I hope it gets better with time.
 
Jersey Devil,I am also from the garden state. thanks for your reply about the cramping, I too mostly get them on the arches of my feet. I would love to hear how your appt goes. good luck
 

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