I'm so upset because I began taking Levaquin 4 days ago and was beginning to see some progress in knocking down this sinus infection.
It's the first drug that's really made a difference.
BUT...My sciatic nerve pain has escalated to be something I can't and don't think I should ignore!
I'm not taking another pill until I speak to my dr's nurse tomorrow. I dont' know what med they can replace this with that will WORK.
I've already taken Biaxin, Avelox, Cipro, amoxicillin, augmentin, and doryx. None helped at all except the Cipro, but then it stopped working for me.
Avelox helped but caused heart problems. What else is there???
Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :
I don't know. I have no experience with sciatic pain. I understand it ain't no picnic.
Tell us what the doctor's nurse says.
As ever, hang in there ...
Daise
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
It can be horrendous.
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Lymetoo,
Any chance the sinus infection is actually from yeast and not bacteria?
Maybe a medication that would dry out the sinuses would help? Like a decongestant or mucinex. It might help whatever abx you try work better.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Well, it was cultured. Staph and pseudomonas were found.
Been using Mucinex for 4 months, except for when I used prescription Certuss for a month.
Does anyone know if all quinolones are prone to cause nerve damage?
Posted by lymeflox (Member # 10543) on :
lymetoo:
Yes, all fluoroquinolones do cause nerve damage, sometimes not enough to be felt and many times it becomes very symptomatic.
The package insert of the fluoroquinolones says: "Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage): "Rare cases of sensory or sensor motor axonal polyneuropathy affecting small and or large axons resulting in paresthesias, hypoaesthesias, dysesthesias, and weakness have been reported in patients taking quinolones. Therapy should be discontinued if the patient experiences symptoms of neuropathy including pain, burning, tingling, numbness and or weakness or is found to have deficits in light touch, pain, temperature, position sense, vibratory sensation, and or motor strength in order to prevent the development of an irreversible condition."
The problem is that whereas tha package insert says "rare" it is actually frequent.
All fluoroquinolones are very toxic on the nervous systems (central, peripheral, autonomic).
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
Smart to stop and check with Dr. I developed the sciatic pain too, and it just progressed and got worse. Started in tailbone area, wrapped around thigh, then calf, then down to my toes. Had to go to physical therapy to try and straighten it all out. (which is ironic because stretching made it worse).
Hope you feel better soon!
Posted by tailz (Member # 10014) on :
That's what happened to me on mino - I could hear my ears draining - finally, and I thought we'd finally found the right drug. But then it stopped working.
I'm scared to death to take Levaquin or Cipro, and those were two that always helped.
The pain can be excruciating. I have no idea what to tell you except I only lasted about a week on mino - I didn't even call my doctor. Hope you feel better soon.
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
hey tutu,
did the dr run a sensitivity test on the culture to see what abx it was suseptable too?
I feel for you I had a sore throat and draining sinuses, for 8 months, kept trying different antibiotics, and then i found an ENT and he put me on claritin, and an abx(i will look and see which one that was)
I didnt fare well on levaquin, i thought i was dying on it, i handled cipro much better, but fear it now.
Posted by bejoy (Member # 11129) on :
Craniosacral therapy can really help with sciatica, although I know this is a symptom, and you want to get to the cause.
Any chance the Xango in your nasal wash is actually feeding the bacteria? I know it's great stuff for boosting the immune system, but I wonder if it works better systemically than topically.
Sorry you are going through this. I hope you get some relief soon.
Posted by catalysT (Member # 10786) on :
I haven't been able to breathe properly out of my nostrils since I can remember. The only drug that actually cleared it was avelox, but since I was only on it for 4 days it came back.
HOWEVER, recently I figure out a miracle treatment for my sinuses. I saw/read about the use of xylitol nasal spray, but the commercial one was way too expensive when I could just as easily make it myself.
Anyway, heres what I used: I emptied out a saline nasal mister, and rinsed it. I then filled it with distilled water(you could probably use spring instead though). Dumped in quite a bit of xylitol, about uh, maybe 2-3 teaspoons or so? Then I put in one drop of grapefruit seed extract (to act as a preservative, the same thing is in the commercial one). I'd imagine the grapefruit seed extract helps too. Note I used NO salt or sodium bicarb or anything else.
Anyway, I just use that mister a few times a day, and cover the other nostril and inhale real good. Xylitol apparently inhibits the bacterial adhesion to membranes, and acts to reduce bacteria in the nostrils. The one study I said, claimed that it may work by partially by reducing sodium in the nostrils.
Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend trying that, you may have to experiment with the concentration of xylitol to the solution since I just dumped a bunch in without measuring. It's amazing to finally be able to breathe through both nostrils!
I also discontinued my allergy medicine (claritin). ;]
I love cranial sacral. May have to spend the money on that again just for my sanity.
Posted by Soleilpie (Member # 8481) on :
If I remember correctly, Dr. B said something like compared with the general public Lyme patients tend to experience more tendon issues w/ fluoroquinolones because he theorized that it may stem from inadequate magnesium levels that many Lyme patients experience. I could be wrong about that though. I'd have to watch his dvd presentation on Bartonella again.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Well, I'm back on Cipro and the sciatic nerve has settled down quite a bit. Whew!
Dr is ordering some kind of nasal irrigation thing that will deliver abx directly into my sinuses.
Gee, why didn't he do that a month ago? Posted by tdtid (Member # 10276) on :
Lymetoo,
Wow, you have been through quite a bit with that one. I've wondered about the difference between Levaquin vs cipro and had thought they were pretty similar. But glad to hear you are having better success with the cipro since it sounds miserable.
Feel better!
Cathy
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
Have you tried:
lying on your back bending your knees up & raising your calves parallel to the floor, arms extended to your sides
then bending the knees left while pressing down on your thigh with the left hand
& then repeating on the right and alternating slowly several times?
Also slow side-to-side lunges to try to pop the sacro-illiac into place?
That used to help me sometimes, so did chiropractic. Though your sciatica may be from a different cause than a pinched nerve.
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