Levaquin Side Effects Anyone?

Hi @covidstinks2023
Sorry to hear about your terrible nerve pain and your fibromyalgia. You have my vote that levaquin caused the new pains. Like you said, you know your body and know things changed.

7 years ago, I took both levaquin and flagyl together for diverticulitis for just 7 days and lost my ability to taste and smell forever. I also did research on those meds after taking them and discovered they can both cause nerve damage of various kinds so it was either one or both of those meds that did it. I sure regret taking them. You don't realize how much joy food and drink add to life until you can't taste them. It's also hard to choke down tasteless food. Smell is not only for pleasure, but it's a safety system to detect smoke, gas leaks, spoiled food, etc. That's gone and I live alone so I can't count on anyone else to smell something dangerous. My neurologist told me my nerve damage is permanent and my taste and smell won't return. Hopefully, your nerve damage is just temporary and the nerves will regenerate. Nerve regeneration can take a few months.

I have a rare hereditary neuropathy and my nerves are missing some of the myelin sheath making them vulnerable to damage so I'm sure that made me predisposed to this. My face stayed numb for 9 months after dental work one time. I think the injection hit a nerve, but it regenerated so there is hope for you!!!

I also am missing some key liver enzymes needed to properly metabolize most meds so they tend to stay in my system, become toxic, have terrible side effects and not even be effective. That made a bad result more likely for me. Like you said, only a low percentage of people experience nerve damage. I'm betting those people have liver enzyme issues or pre-x neuropathy. Hopefully, you can take a milder antibiotic for future infections. Prayers for you.

@covidstinks2023 sorry to hear what you are experiencing. I do not personally have experience with the drug but I have known a few who have been on it long term and it doesn't appear to have helped them but rather cause more issues for them.

I do know that the class of drugs that Levaquin falls in (fluoroquinolones) can cause more issues for a person. For me, if I have an infection and a doctor recommends one of these drugs I say no. I tell them to put me on the old school antibotics. It works just as good to me with far less issues.

Hopefully someone with more experience than me can provide some information.

Take care.

@californiazebra thanks for sharing your experience with those drugs. I'm sorry you have permanent damage from it. I've done the same so many times (take a med and thing look up stuff after) and have regretted that so many times that now I have to look them up first and discuss with a doc or pharmacist.

I have a rare neuro genetic thing too and also diverticulitis. I had prior knowledge of drugs like Levaquin and also refuse it. Basically, any drug that is in the class of fluoroquinolones I stay away from 100 percent of the time. I really do not think that class is a good set of drugs for anyone...but they have their use cases I suppose.

I did not accept Flagyl either because that has been known to cause achille tendon issues. Multiple docs have told me of patients having issues with their achilles rupturing while taking it. Since I already have achille issues likely an effect from this neuro disease I chose to stay away from it too. Basically now if I take a trip to the ER for a diverticulitis flare they pump me with fentanyl and let me rest.

I took it for upper respiratory infection about a yr ago. Several months later I was gardening and my bicep tendon tore if was a freak thing and really psinful took months to feel better.

@covidstinks2023 @mayoscout @californiazebra
Hello, I know this was posted a while ago and I’m not sure if you will read this. I’m 21 and I had to take the same medication due to a scratch that got infected from coral. I took it for 4 days (even though it was prescribed for 2 weeks) once a day, and by day four I ended up having to go to the er. It caused muscle pain in my thighs, knees, and calves, and as well as my arms. Along side that I couldn’t even walk from the pain, and my legs felt super heavy. Also my hands felt so weak and it was difficult to even curl my toes. My hand, and toe problems have seemed to get better but, after researching this medication and seeing that it only affected 14% of people and sometimes causing permanent nerve damage, I wanted to see if you also had a hard time walking/heavy legs feeling as well? It’s been like this for a week and continuing and just wanted to see if anyone had the same side effects as I have. (Also I no longer have the infection so I know the side effects were caused from the medication)

Thank you if you get this and reply.

@unicorn44
I’m so sorry you have also had a bad reaction to this medicine. I didn’t have pain, just the loss of taste and smell forever (took the meds 9 years ago). I will never take any neuro-toxic meds again. I have a hereditary neuropathy that makes my nerves more susceptible to damage. I also have some genetic issues with insufficient liver enzymes needed to metabolize a lot of meds so they stay in my system too long and become toxic. I’ve had a lot of severe adverse reactions and damage from other meds too. I hope what you’re experiencing is just temporary. I know how upsetting it is. If we only knew before taking those meds, right? 🙏❤️

@californiazebra, Thank you for your kind response. I pray that you regain your taste and
smell. Blessings & Prayers....

@unicorn44, Thankfully my side effects went away. I didn't have the issue with walking or
my legs feeling heavy....just pain in my muscles, joints and tendons.

I pray you regain what you lost from this medication. Blessings....

floxed in 2013. not warned by the prescribing doctor, of course. i had a sinus infection.

after taking the drug, i experienced excruciating pain. dissociation. felt like i was being tortured.

called the doctor's nurse, she told me they saw this all of the time, and to take ibuprofen.

an uphill and exhausting battle. all of this, from a drug that was overprescribed for a sinus infection.

13 years later, i've lost my health, my career in architecture, and am at wit's end.

i just had a biopsy for small fiber neuropathy last week.

the medical establishment and the legal establishment have been gaslighting me the entire time. this drug is widely used and very profitable for big pharma. the generic drug manufacturers rigged the system.

i am a shell of my former self.

@unicorn44 INFURIATING to me this drug is still being prescribed. i had the same reaction...13 years ago. i hope you recover. i never did. lost my health completely.

Oh my goodness, so many of you have frightening stories about Levaquin. I am so sorry!
I must be the fortunate one that has not had any side effects from the medication…….so far.
Levaquin seems to be the only antibiotic that targets infection in my lungs. Fortunately, I only needed a prescription for it a few times, over a number of years. Blessings to all of you!