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Anyone been poisoned by Levaquin

  • Thread starter swords
  • Start date
My mom picked up the same cough/flu that I picked up from my dad but she didn't get over it. So I finally talked her into going to her regular doctor (who knows her medical history)and she perscribed this Levaquin antibiotic. It has pretty much destroyed my mothers mind overnight. She can't comprehend what she's reading anymore, and has no short term memory, can not sleep. I went to take her out today and she was clutching my arm to keep walking upright and by the time I had driven to our destination she began to throw up. Of course I ran her to the doctors and we saw a different guy. I'm making sure she doesn't get hold of any more of it and doesn't try and take the new stuff he gave her today until we see her regular "doctor" in the morning.

Seems doctors are handing this Levaquin  out like pez candy from my research online. It's very bad stuff, if your doctor tries to give it to you refuse!

Has anyone here or your relatives ever been poisoned by this stuff? Did you/your relatives regain mental faculties to full capacity? How long did it take? I'm glad she only took one dose of the poop!

I'd hate to be that doctor in the morning... I'll do my best not to make the 11 oclock news!
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Holy CRAP!

Sounds like all of the "floxies" are pretty dangerous.

Here's an interesting link

I hope I DO see you on the 11 oclock news- somebody needs to SUE these .... folks.

So people here know, some of the more popular Fluoroquinolones include the following:

Ciprofloxacin - (Cipro), Levofloxacin - (Levaquin), Ofloxacin – (Floxin), Moxifloxacin – (Avelox), and Gatifloxacin –(Tequin).

Muscle wasting, CNS problems, joint and tendon problems... holy MOLEY.

I hope somebody hits these "people" with a class action lawsuit! People should go to the link I provided and sign the petition.

Congress, the FDA, these drug companies, and the idiot doctors who throw out antibiotics in general ALL need to get the message.

Josh, I hope your mother will get better soon. This sounds like some nasty stuff.
mad.gif
 
I've got a list of questions ready and I'm thinking of brining my old interview recorder (from when I used to interview bands and such) to tape what the doctor has to say to my questions. Maybe she won't talk straight if she knows the tape is rolling...?

What I can't understand is the sickness my mom has is likely viral (cold/flu) and not bacterial which is what Levaquin fights (does nothing for viral). I've located a number of lawyer sites with forms already setup for Levaquin complaints some are so overloaded they no longer accept levaquin complaints! If you type "Levaquin reaction" into google, you'll never be done reading. Stay away and remember this name if you ever get it prescribed.

I probably couldn't have poisoned her more myself if I had made a salad out of Datura leaves-the side effects are the same!
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That site you marked is great, thanks! I will give the doctor the address but I bet she won't look at it.
 
I'm really sorry to hear about your Mom.  That's awful!  
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The only one of those drugs I've had is Cipro and I had no adverse reactions.  But I was also quite ill with a bacterial infection.

I hope you do make the news and get the word spread about these drugs.  Maybe you should call Dateline.

BTW...I sent out a brief email to a few friends and family to give them a heads up about this. It was just to say "be cautious about these drugs." In this case, I'd rather be safe than sorry. At least these people will know to be very careful and talk to their doctor if they ever are prescribed any of those medicines. Josh...maybe you will have saved a life with your post!
smile.gif
 
are those side effect common? how can they have FDA approval?

are they permanent?
 
why are they approved? thats easy. Docs used to hand out antibiotics like candy, even though they knew they did nothing for the cold or flu but they made the patient feel better because they were doing something about being sick. now we have a ton of very drug resistant bugs out there. we NEED drugs like Cipro because nothing else is working on some bugs. its either deal with drugs that might have nasty side effects or let some of the bacteria kill ppl.

swords this isnt directed twords you. if your mom had a cold or the flu the doc SHOULD NOT have given here a drug to fight bacteria. good luck with whatever route you decide to take and i hope your mom gets better
 
I'm hoping they are not permanent.

The speed/frequency with which the FDA approves drugs is directly based on the donations for research given to them by the drugs manufacturer (on a drug by drug basis). This donation is said to "increase the speed of approval" which normally takes 5+ years of research with conventional drug approval whereas these new drugs that are being approved every day are approved in mere months while the public bears the brunt of the "research" flaws. Basically it amounts to drug companies bribing the FDA to allow their new/untested products on the market but of course, the FDA denies that this is equatable with bribery.
 
no doubt thats true swords but its equally true that we are having a hard time staying ahead of the drug resistant bugs. now is not the time for debate though, focus your energy on your mom, thats where it needs to be right now.
 
Yes, I'm going to be inquiring about that because the new stuff they gave her yesterday is also a bacterial antibiotic so I'm making sure she isn't using it.

AFAIK (from what she told me wed after returning from her initial visit) her doctor merely assumed she had Pneumonia -in the 100*F heatwave we've been having? Dr. only did a white cell count, no bacterial ID. Her chest x ray last night showed no signs of Pneumonia.
 
  • #10
ppl can get pneumonia any time of the year, its just more common in winter, just like the the flu and common cold are more common in the winter. kinda odd to diagnose pneumonia based on just a white blood cell count IIRC an xray is normally done but im no doc.
 
  • #11
I'll keep your mother in my prayers.

Take care.
 
  • #12
I appreciate your concern folks! Well, they did do the chest x ray yesterday (and never sent it off) when I rushed her in but this was already after she'd been poisoned by jumping headlong into dosing her with the middle strength dose 500 mg of a drug that is supposed to be used as a last resort before hospitalization.

I took her today to see her regular doctor and she fell down the last stair or two. I got her to the office and sure enough "I've never seen anyone react like this to Levaquin..." "Those people online have no idea what they're talking about..." after checking her little Ipod thing "Hmm, I guess the FDA does say this is bad for heart disease and diabetes (she has both) and causes mental distortion, dizziness and imbalance" so she obviously is a darn idiot who can't/won't do her own research on the garbage she's prescribing even when she has access to it. Since the office never sent the x rays off me and the doctor looked at them and there really isn't anything in her lungs compared with her chest x rays from years ago. A few strands more but nothing dramatic standing out one from the other.

She also told me that "It doesn't matter if I prescribe a bacterial anti-biotic for a viral infection, it works the same" and that's not what I've read. Now they'e doing blood tests to see if this Levaquin has destroyed her liver or kidneys. Comprehensive blood test I think she called it.

If she gets any worse I'm definately taking her to a different doctors office and making xeroxes of everything when I go and demand her medical records from these people. ahyuking unbelieveable.
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]She also told me that "It doesn't matter if I prescribe a bacterial anti-biotic for a viral infection, it works the same" and that's not what I've read.
well your right. bacterial infections are treated by antibiotics which kill the bacteria. anti-viral drugs on cover up or prevent the spread of the virus. a virus is a non-living thing therefore it cant be killed.
Alex
 
  • #14
it does not work the same. you need a new doc NOW and i would start seriously talking with a lawyer familiar with medical malpractice. im generally not one who is in favor of sueing someone but this screams gross negligence to me.
 
  • #15
hey swords yah mind if i run this by a couple lawyers i know.........not sure if it will be a great help to you as they are on the other side of the country but i might be able to scrounge up some free legal advise for you
 
  • #16
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]after checking her little Ipod thing "Hmm, I guess the FDA does say this is bad for heart disease and diabetes (she has both) and causes mental distortion, dizziness and imbalance"

THAT is just horrendous! I'm with Rattler...I'm not for being lawsuit-happy, but you can't have doctor's flippantly handing out Rxs and not really knowing the contraindications for them. I do believe that was negligent. If they don't know it offhand...then they need to quickly look it up on a computer, compare it to the patient's chart BEFORE prescribing something.

Geezzzzzzz.
 
  • #17
Sure Rattler I'd really be thankful for any input I could get. I don't know ziltch about lawyers or anything like that. I'm taking her to a hospital in the morning after I call and get the blood work if she's not improved. I can't believe this is all from one single dose.
 
  • #18
will do, not sure where their expertise in the law is but will see if they will look over what info you gave us here and see what they say.
 
  • #19
I'm hoping for the best for your mother too.  My wife was prescribed medication that blasted her too and recovered.  I was hoping it might make her stay obedient and respectful, but she went back to being the same person she was before.

I have a lot of respect for people in the medical profession, but Arrogance 101 & 102 need to be eliminated from the medical school curriculum.  My doctors must have slept through the classes, but it's obvious many others took detailed notes.

Doctors should have to jump through hoops before prescribing antibiotics of last resort because they are risky and we shouldn't unnecessarily deplete their effectiveness.  Since the AMA and pharmaceutical companies don't seem to be advocating for stricter controls, maybe their malpractice insurance costs will force them.
 
  • #20
Thanks Rattler!

Bruce Do you recall what meds she was given and how long it lasted?
 
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