Doctors are reckless with Levaquin

by Amanda Dentinger
(Hagerstown, Maryland)

I went to the hospital on July 13th 2012, and was diagnosed with a kidney infection. I was hospitalized for 4 days and given 1500mg daily of Levofloxin by IV.


I was sent home from the hospital with an additional 7 days of Levofloxin 750mg daily. After coming home, the pain began intensely (it could have been there earlier, but I was on morphine in the hospital).

I saw my primary care (physician assistant) 3 days after discharge (7 days into treatment) and told her that I was experiencing severe joint pain in all of my fingers, in my right elbow where my IV was located, my knees, my wrists and my ankles. I had a horrible yeast infection and was experiencing nausea, loose bowels and vaginal irritation.

She told me that my infection was so bad (the original kidney infection) that she wanted me to tough it out and finish the remaining 4 days.

The following Monday morning, after finishing 11 days on Levofloxin, I called my primary care physician and explained what was going on, and that my symptoms were getting worse. My knees were giving out by the end of the day, my knees were popping constantly, I could not get rid of the yeast infection. I could not write or type. I could not lift a bag of groceries or carry my purse with my right arm. I felt like I had been run over by a bus.

She told me to take 400 mg of advil 3 times a day and drink 8 oz of water hourly, and call her back in three days. I did all of this, and kept getting worse. I started waking up every morning confused, thinking that I had missed work. I monitored my pulse at work and noticed that it was 20 or 30 beats more than usual, I felt anxiety and helplessness.

I called my primary physician back after 3 days and told her that I was worse, not better. She told me that this was the first time that she had ever had a patient that had a reaction of this sort.

She said that it was technically her fault, because after re-reading my chart, the physician's assistant should have taken me off of the medication when I complained of the pain originally.

She referred me to a rheumotologist, asked me to ask any of the doctors I work with if they had any other ideas, and told me that she would pray for me. That night I was in so much pain that I went to the emergency room where I demanded they do my bloodwork. The rheumotologist cannot see me until August 29th. I have an elevated sed rate, and a magnesium deficiency.

I was given a shot of Toradol, sent home with 60 mg of prednisone (which I did not take after looking it up because now I trust no one) and told to go to Johns Hopkins. I have 5 children, I go to school full time, and I am a nurse who works three 12 hour days in a row and am on my feet the entire time. I am PISSED!

They had my urine cultures, and blood cultures at the hospital and could have put me on another anti-biotic that was not a broad based one. Why was
I on it for 11 DAYS for goodness sake, and at such a high dose?

NONE of these doctors seem to even know what the potential side effects of the medicine are, and I felt like the Emergency room doctor was even being a tad condescending with me, like it was all in my head. I just want to get back to normal, my life is busy enough without constant pain. I am disappointed in myself for not knowing about the potential horrible side effects of this medication, but I did not have time to look it up while being admitted.

If it is a black box warning drug why in the world do these doctors be so CLUELESS?



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Joshua Answers:

Hi Amanda.

I'm sorry to hear all that.

Unfortunately, the only way we the people and the hospital industry will ever let go of their belief and faith in the 'magic' of antibiotics....is as more and more people get hurt by them (Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones specifically) and the rise of antibiotic resistant strains of infection.

It's just as unfortunate that you're VERY unlikely to meet a doctor that knows how or why you've been damaged by Levaquin and Levofloxacin.

And it's totally unlikely that you'll meet a doctor that has any plan of treatment for you that will be in any way effective.

Levaquin Tendonitis is NOT regular Tendonitis. Not even close.

See: What Is Tendonitis

And you have a much broader spectrum of Levaquin side effects.


You are magnesium deficient. Hospital medicine won't give you enough unless you make them (or know someone that will provide high enough doses of Magnesium IV to make a difference. Plus, hospital magnesium tests don't test the right thing, so if your test results show you're low, then you are LOW.

Levaquin depletes the body of magnesium. Thus many of the symptoms, and part of the mechanism of how fluoroquinolones throw your body SO FAR OUT OF WHACK, and likely in your case, a continuing fast or slow downward spiral.

I HIGHLY suggest that you get The Levaquin Tendonitis Solution ebook and get on the Forum you get access to with it. Perhaps the doctor that jacked you up will be inclined to order some nutritional IV treatments for you.

For the record, your doctor admitting it's her fault is the first I've ever heard of a doctor uttering anything close to those words. Despite her lack of knowledge and unwillingness to spend ten minutes a month looking at current research on the drugs she gives out, that's a plus in her favor.


CONTINUED IN FIRST COMMENT



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Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
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Comments for Doctors are reckless with Levaquin

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Aug 06, 2012
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Joshua Responds to Doctors are reckless with Levaquin
by: The Tendonitis Expert

I hate to say it, but a rheumatologist has nothing for you. As your doctor admitted, she's got nothing to help you either other than prayer. Go ahead and ask any other doctors you talk to...gotta do due dilligence, and I'd be interested to hear their responses.

And from a mental standpoint, you may or may not want to get an MRI. You know you hurt. Your brain doesn't need to SEE anything. (I wish I had never seen the MRI of my ruptured L5-S1 disc).

And even if there is some damage to any particular structure, that damage is the least of your worries. Any damage is just a symptom. You want to go after the CAUSE.

You have some work (that requires patience) ahead of you. Get the ebook and get on the forum. You're going to learn a lot, and as I said, it's going to take some work on your part. There is no magic pill to fix this. And time and rest isn't going to fix it either.




Aug 06, 2012
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Torn Rotator Cuff Tendons From Levaquin
by: Bobby

I was taking levaquin (I was given a sample pack so I did not get any warnings from a pharmacist), I was also prescribed a steroid at the same time. Apparently this creates a more dangerous situation.

About 10 days after taking the levaquin antibiotic I was working out, and ruptured both rotator cuffs. Within a month of taking this medication I had multiple symptoms of tendonitis around my mid-arm, and also into my fingers.

It has been about two years since taking this, and now I have tendon problems in my feet (plantar fasciitis), and into my achilles. I am early thirties, and have always been healthy and in shape.

The attorneys are telling me there is no medical proof that levaquin causes rotator cuff injuries or the tendonitis I have been experiencing since taking the drug even though I have never had issues with this before.

Angry is a word that is too light to describe how I feel about all this.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Bobby.

Angry is a good word.

It's not a very useful emotion for healing etc, but it's still a good word.

Especially when you consider the situation that allows a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical (Levaquin) that damages AT MINIMUM 3% of the people taking it to then have attorney's say that there's no proof that Levaquin causes tendon damage....even though that's the primary side effect on the warning label.

Various cousins of Levaquin have been taken off the market because statistically they caused unacceptable numbers if injury/side effects.


So now, all there is to do is learn about the Levaquin mechanism, why you have pain, and your best options of reversing the dynamic.

As I told Amanda, get the ebook and get on the forum. Another 2 years isn't likely to have anything get any better, as things are progressively getting worse.

There's reason things are getting worse. Like stepping on a landmine, the actual stepping on the mine isn't the problem, the problem is the mine exploding. It messes with your body.

Levaquin just pulls the pin/starts the detonation process.

(Sorry, I make up a lot of analogies, that may not be the best one.) Point being, the Levaquin is long gone from your system, but there's still (slow) explosion happening.



Aug 06, 2012
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Doctors are reckless with Levaquin
by: Marilyn

Amanda and Bobby,

Get the recommended ebook!! It will help you more as opposed to paying your co-pay to another clueless Dr.

Get your nutrition up, especially the Magnesium. The diet is important. My problem started mid Dec wih 750 Levaquin generic. I know your problems, Amanda, my wrists were damaged too. But because my pelvic girdle was also hit bad, I am on a walker and the pressure using the walker makes my wrists worse.

I wish you both the best of luck getting your health back.



Jan 22, 2013
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Doctor Said I should never have been given Levaquin antibiotic
by: ProbsAlready

Hi , it took three days before I was sick with severe side effects and popped my Achilles' tendon .

I stopped the drug two days ago and feel better sans the tendon problems through out my body. I already have a connective tissue disorder. The doctor on call gave it to me when the other antibiotic wasn't working.

My regular doc said that Levaquin should never have been prescribed for me, and was concerned. It has stopped my life. Sad thing is, I was almost recovered from an accident that took the quality of my life six years ago. Wow...I am still spinning


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Joshua Comments:

Hi PA.

You didn't leave an email address or check the notifications box, I hope you find this response.

What 'connective tissue disorder' did you already have?

What were you on antibiotics for that were then upgraded to Levaquin?

How many doses of Levaquin did you take?

What are the doctors currently recommending for you for this Levaquin toxicity side effects you're experiencing?





Apr 21, 2014
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My bout with Levaquin
by: Norma Stasi

March 25 entered hospital wth pneumonia. 2 days later sent home with generic form of Levaquin. 4 days later the tendons in back of my legs tightened up. 4 days later both legs swollen and black and blue. 28 days and i have to go downsteps one at a time as it pulls my tendon. Contacted hospital. Sorry you had problems but still best medicine . My personal doctor says it should be taken off market.






May 29, 2014
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Living in Hell after Levaquin for suspected Kidney Infection
by: Jessica C

I was recently prescribed Levaquin 250 mg x 10 days for a supposed kidney infection (ended up being clear). Anyway, I was not advised of any possible drug interactions and I was also on a new birth control and prozac.

A month later I am lying in bed after having done 20 vials of blood tests for everything under the sun and nothing has come back conclusive. In a month's time I have lost a ton of hair, developed a fungal infection on my toe, gums have receeded dramatically, mystery bruising on my knees, horrible stomach cramps, weight loss, and tendinitis in my thumb.

I feel like a cancer patient! The docs say it should be out of my system by now and that's not why I am feeling like this..

My next major appointment is with a gastroenterologist.

I can't believe this is happening to me. I have three children and a business I can't even take care of.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Jessica.

Yikes. That sounds horrible.

Do you mean that you were given Levaquin for what turned out to be NOT a kidney infection? Did you even have a bacterial infection?

That's strike one against your doctor(s). Reckless.


" Anyway, I was not advised of any possible drug interactions.." That's strike two. Granted, you problaby would have shrugged it off and continued, but MAYBE you would have thought twice and perhaps pushed the doctors to VERIFY that you had a bacterial infection.


"The docs say it should be out of my system by now and that's not why I am feeling like this.."
That's strike three. It IS out of your system, in approximately 3 days. But getting hit by Levaquin is sort of like getting hit by a car. After the car drives off, you're still in a world of hurt for a long time.

Levaquin massively depletes magnesium, can kill off mitochondria, attacks connective tissue, and can even damage dna in connective tissue.

It should be criminal that your doctor's don't know that. Really, they can't do ten minutes of researh online to try to help you?



Hopefully the gastroenterologist had something intelligent to say. The Levaquin definitely wiped out the good bugs in your gut (and set you up for a bad bugs overgrowth), which messes with your ability to absorb nutrients, digest, detox, etc.


So it's been a couple months since you submiteed this.

How are you now? Give me an update and we'll go from there.







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