Brian

Summary

Name: Brian
Email: briandraver@yahoo.com
State or Country of residence: New Jersey
Sex: Male
Age: 35
Quinolone taken: Levaquin
Reason for the Quinolone: Suspected Throat Infection (was given 2 samples)
Was a safer antibiotic tried first? : No
How long did you take the Quinolone for? : 2 Samples
How long ago did you take the Quinolone?: 6 months
How much have you recovered as of now?: 60%
How often do you relapse or cycle?: Every 2 weeks
Does your doctor agree the Quinolone is the cause of your problems?: No
Do you have a history of seizures or neurological problems?: No

Please list anything your doctor did that helped in your recovery: Zip

What has helped you in your recovery?: I take chelated magnesium, calcium, multivitamins, valerian root, melatonin (for insomnia), and Omega 3and 6 Oils (combined)

Brian's Story

I am deeply disappointed at the medical industry for allowing this POISON FROM HELL DRUG to even be on the market. My heart goes out to all of you in this forum, as well as other forums, and also the people that have been poisoned and do not have a computer or do not have internet services and therefore are left out of all this information. Doctors, either by ignorance (unjustifiable by all means), Denial, or fear to be SUED, TRY TO TELL US THAT IT'S ALL IN OUR HEAD!!!. The pharmaceutical companies are making MAD MONEY poisoning us and then turning around and giving us an array of other drugs to treat "What's in our heads", to keep making more MONEY. I bet anything that THEY KNOW ABOUT IT, and choose to ignore it. One day though, WE WILL have our revenge. As I read the postings here and all other websites, all of us feel that we have been given a poison that only God knows how long will stay in our bodies. I, like you, experienced psychotic side effects as well from taking Levaquin 5+ months ago, and this is the time that I am still suffering from some of them. When I took the Levaquin (2X 500mg) back in April, I didn't notice anything right away, except that I was losing my sleep day by day. 7 days later ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. This is the List of side effects I experienced:

Tightness in throat (choking)
Reflux from stomach got all the way to my throat and burned it! SEVERE INSOMNIA (still have it) Disorientation Depersonalization Severe nervousness (still have it) better about 20% Noise Sensitivity (still have it) better about 50% Depersonalization (Didn't feel myself for good 3 1/2 months) better about 80% Foggy brain (better about 85%) Severe Anxiety Attacks (better about 80%) Panic Attacks (better about 80%) Shoulder pain still have it Hip pain (comes and goes) Back pain (still have it) Neck pain, feel like something ruptured in right side of neck (still have it) Vivid Nightmares (whenever I managed to sleep a few hours) GONE! Allergies (Never Had allergies in MY LIFE)!!! now I sneeze every day! DEPRESSION (better about 70%) Cold Sweats GONE! Sunburn Sensations on skin (felt like I was sun bathing all the time) GONE!

Confusion GONE!

Delusional GONE!

Unable to concentrate (had to get out of school during the term) Better, 70% Tremors (started after 3 1/2 months) Still have them) Tingling sensations (started after 3 1/2 months on legs, arms, back) still have them Shaking (started after 3 1/2 months) still have it TERRIBLE MUSCLE TWITCHING (all over my body) still have it badly. Eye Floaters (dots, lines, weblike, it's horrible!) Pinching Needles sensations (feels like someone stabs me with a needle in different parts of my body)

I had all kind of tests done to rule out anything else, and even my ANA blood test came back positive suggesting LUPUS!!!, I had these tests before and never came back positive. I will not for the life of me take a medication without knowing the side effects, and even then, I am reluctant to take anything until my body gets rid of all these symptoms caused by the Levaquin. Doctors either DO NOT BELIEVE that Levaquin causes all these symptoms, they don't want to be sued, or they are just simply IGNORANT for not reading the information about these drugs.

Throughout this ordeal, my family was being understanding in the beginning but after a while they start to doubt about it. I have managed to work only because I work in an office otherwise I wouldn't have been able to. I also took 3 weeks off work and used up much of my sick leave for diagnostic and doctor visits. This has been the most horrifying experience of my life. Hopefully one day we will not only HEAL but the pharmaceutical companies will get their share of our pain.

Take care all and keep your spirits up.

Last Updated 11/04/04