I have to start levaquin or rifampin along with doxy sometime next week. I'm in the middle of graduate school, job hunting, and interviewing with the top recruiters in my profession.

Also, my LLMD is being dropped by my insurance company in two months, which means I have to do all my consults by phone. In other words, I don't have many chances to get this right.

I've been looking through the search engine for discussions of this. Many of the posters have disappeared from the board, or praised treatments which then went on to fail for them. Others list terrifying side effects which could ruin whatever professional reputation I have. Still others had problems with lev or rif, but eventually reveal they had other serious problems besides Lyme/bart, such as depression, etc.

I haven't started treatment for bart yet, but I did talk to someone that said they had success with doxy and levaquin. They took doxy for 2 months and then added levaquin for 3 more months.Bart was gone after that. The levaquin did cause some side effects though. I think rifampin is tough also. How long does your Dr think it will take to get rid of bart?

We went through the same thing trying to make our treatment decision. There is a total dearth of information about why and under what circumstances these abx have severe adverse effects.

All I can tell you is that the hubby did OK on 2 months of levaquin with zith - some soreness, but nothing dire physically or mentally. Was extremely tired, but that's been going on for years. Fatigue didn't get noticeably worse. He took a ton of glucosamine sulfate/chrondroitin while taking levaquin; don't knwo if that helped prevent the tendon damage.

He did have an allergic reaction to Septra, which he was supposed to be on for 2 months following the levaquin. But we were watching for it and caught it early, so no serious harm done. The doc put him on Ketek instead of the Septra -- but I don't know what bona fides Ketek has for bart. So far so good on the Ketek. We're both taking Samento.

Haven't completed the course of meds for bart, so haven't done the follow up tests to see if it all worked. But he's doing better, having had almost a year on bicillin, finished babs tx, and done 3 months of bart treatment (more to come). He is generally in a good mood, has more energy (still not a lot, but can get through a whole day without a nap} and is clearer headed than he was.

Sorry I can't tell you anything more definitive.

Rifampin has the reputation for being really rough. It was not that bad for me except for really bad headaches.

Levaquin was pretty easy to take, except you have to watch out for problems with the tendons. If money is an issue go with the rifampin, it is on old drug and does not cost much. One month of levaquine will be about $400.

I found Doxy hard on the stomach... realy hard, in fact harder than any of the other abx out there.

Depending on how sick you are you might want to plan around the symptom flair that might occur. Ie at about 4 days after you start and about 4 weeks after you start (results may vary). Again depending on what your symptoms are and how bad they are the flairs might only last a couple of days but may be there all the time. You can always back off on the dose if you need to. On my first round (I went straight to IV) I had to do this because of a snow storm. It was only a sngle missed dose but it casues the symtoms to abate for the next day.

In terms of effect, Levaquin provided no improvement except to eliminate my stinky sweat. It no longer smell like onions??? Night sweats also abated during this time but they returned as soon as I stopped.

Rifampin did have positive effects on clarity of thought and hearing but resulted in terrible headaches at times.

Doxy did not do anything for me, I had to go back to IV ceftriaxone.

Please excuse my grousing. I'm just your typical stressed out Lymie, and very nervous after reading all archives on the quinolone antibiotics. Plus it's been a while since I've called around to different LLMDs, and found out what they charge for an initial visit.

Levaquin Oral
Active Ingredients: Levofloxacin Oral
Representative Names: Levaquin Oral
Available Product Images:

What are levofloxacin tablets?
What should my health care professional know before I take levofloxacin?
How should I take this medicine?
What if I miss a dose?
What drug(s) may interact with levofloxacin?
What side effects may I notice from taking levofloxacin?
What should I watch for while taking levofloxacin?
Where can I keep my medicine?

What are levofloxacin tablets? (Back to top)
LEVOFLOXACIN (Levaquin�) is an antibiotic. Levofloxacin kills certain bacteria or stops their growth. It is used to treat urinary tract, prostate, skin, sinus and lung infections, as well as other infections. Generic levofloxacin tablets are not yet available.

What should my health care professional know before I take levofloxacin? (Back to top)
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
*dehydration
*kidney disease
*seizures (convulsions)
*stomach problems (especially colitis)
*stroke
*an unusual or allergic reaction to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, foods, dyes, or preservatives
*pregnant or trying to get pregnant
*breast-feeding

How should I take this medicine? (Back to top)
Take levofloxacin tablets by mouth with or without food. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow tablets whole with a full glass of water. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Finish the full course prescribed by your prescriber or health care professional even if you think your condition is better. Do not stop taking except on your prescriber's advice.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.

What if I miss a dose? (Back to top)
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

What drug(s) may interact with levofloxacin? (Back to top)
*aluminum salts
*antacids
*arsenic trioxide
*astemizole
*bepridil
*calcium salts
*caffeine
*certain heart medications for irregular rhythm (e.g., amiodarone, disopyramide, dofetilide, ibutilide, quinidine, procainamide, sotalol)
*certain medicines for depression or mental problems (e.g., amoxapine, haloperidol, maprotiline, phenothiazines, risperidone, sertindole, ziprasidone)
*cimetidine
*cisapride
*clarithromycin
*cyclobenzaprine
*cyclosporine
*dairy products
*didanosine (ddI)
*dolasetron
*droperidol
*erythromycin
*levomethadyl
*iron (ferrous sulfate) preparations
*magnesium salicylate
*magnesium salts
*manganese
*medicines for diabetes
*multivitamins containing calcium, iron, manganese, or zinc
*NSAIDs such as Advil�, Aleve�, ibuprofen, Motrin�, naproxen
*pentamidine
*probucol
*retinoid products such as tretinoin (Retin-A�, Renova�) or isotretinoin (Accutan�)
*sevelamer
*sucralfate
*terfenadine
*theophylline
*troleandomycin
*warfarin
*zinc salts

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What side effects may I notice from taking levofloxacin? (Back to top)
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
Rare or uncommon:
*confusion
*difficulty breathing
*irregular heartbeat, palpitations or chest pain
*joint, muscle or tendon pain
*nightmares
*changes in your thought process
*redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
*seizures
*severe or watery diarrhea
*skin rash, itching
*swelling of the face or neck
*tremor or restlessness
*vision changes
*vomiting

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
*constipation or diarrhea
*difficulty sleeping
*dizziness or drowsiness
*headache
*intestinal gas or bloating
*nausea or stomach upset

What should I watch for while taking levofloxacin? (Back to top)
Tell your prescriber or health care professional if your symptoms do not improve in 2 to 3 days.

If you are a diabetic monitor your blood glucose carefully. If you get an unusual reaction stop taking levofloxacin and call your prescriber or health care professional for advice.

You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how levofloxacin affects you. To reduce the risk of dizzy or fainting spells, do not sit or stand up quickly, especially if you are an older patient.

Drink several glasses of water a day. Cut down on drinks that contain caffeine.

Antacids can stop levofloxacin from working. If you get an upset stomach and want to take an antacid, make sure it has been at least 2 hours since you last took levofloxacin, or at least 2 to 4 hours before your next dose.

Calcium, iron, and zinc preparations can also stop levofloxacin from working properly. Take calcium tablets, iron tablets, zinc tablets, or vitamins that contain calcium, iron, or zinc at least 2 hours before or two hours after levofloxacin.

Keep out of the sun, or wear protective clothing outdoors and use a sunscreen. Do not use sun lamps or sun tanning beds or booths.

If you notice pain or swelling of a tendon or around a joint, stop taking levofloxacin. Call your healthcare provider. Rest the affected area. Do not exercise or take levofloxacin until your healthcare provider tells you to do so.

If you are going to have surgery, tell your prescriber or health care professional that you are taking levofloxacin.

Where can I keep my medicine? (Back to top)
Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.

I took Levaquin with Augmentin for many months (I think 6 or so). I did have more pain in Levaquin, particularly in my hip and feet. But I'm significantly improved from where I was prior to the Levaquin.

From my understanding, the tendon damage with quinolines is not common. It's just that when it happens it's bad.

I did exercise while on the Levaquin, but stayed away from anything high impact and from weights. I did yoga fine.

Following my Rocephin IV, the doc wanted to try Levaquin which I did but experienced severe tendon pain and had to stop.

We later tried the third generation one Avelox, I had worse tendon reaction to that one.

I basically had no probs w/ Rifampin while on it but, didn't have the positive Bart test until after I had taken it for awhile for something else.

Bart test went negative after the Chloramphenicol IV I did.

Good luck w/ it all. I was still working full-time while doing all of this. It's rough stuff - finally had to give it all up and just be still!

Sherry

Just want to let you know--I'm on Day 2 of levaquin/doxy (after 3 months of mepron/ artemisinin for babesia, and 6 months of ketek/omnicef/flagyl) and it's working so fast it's hard to trust the results. Are there really abx out there that work in two days? Couldn't be.

Since then I've been on Cipro (1 1/2 months) and Factive (1 1/2 months) and both have helped me tremendously.

I must say that I have had some side effects from Factive, but they are tolerable. My biggest "side effect" complaint is some swelling in my ring finger joints.

I exercise regularly and have no tendon problems.

I haven't taken Rifampin yet.