posted
I've been taking Levaquin for about a week. On about the 4th/5th day. I experienced what I thought was arthritic Lyme. Then today it is full blown pain in my fingers, knees, elbows, ankles, neck, wrists, you name it.
Since you've all been through it before, what do I stop? Do I keep going as I want to force myself to get through what ever pain I have to, to get rid of this awful disease.
I am calling my doc tomorrow. I started Rifampin today...what can I expect with that?
I guess my question is, is this tendon pain something that will be permanent or temporary. I'm so tired of wondering what's normal and what's not. :|
Thanks for being there for me.
-------------------- ~*~Lyme POW~*~
I will escape. Posts: 100 | From n/a | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
It can be permanent if you continue taking the Levaquin.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
Angelica
Unregistered
posted
Please try and read up on Levaquin it cause tendon problems and let your doctor know that it is doing it to you.
Do a search for Levaquin on this board.
I hope you feel better and there are other drugs you can take instead for bartonella that might be safer. You do not want your tendons to rupture.
IP: Logged |
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
i gave it a month and just couldn't take it anymore. i could barely walk, so i gave it up.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
I had terrible tendon pain on Levaquin about a week into taking it. Couldn't walk up stairs, really had a hard time walking at all.
Switched antibiotics, and it went away completely in about a month. I have read that it can be permanent, so it's definitely not something you want to "tough it out" with.
Posts: 306 | From Brownsville, PA | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
I've had Achilles Tendon pain and weakness for well over two years from two weeks of Levaquin. I had to walk with a cane for months. I eventually thought it had healed, but it came back and I cannot walk up or down hills anymore.
I had developed tiny spots of pain on both heels on Levaquin and stopped the drug, but the pain and weakness continued.
With Levaquin and Cipro, the tendon damage can continue even after you stop the drug. That is what happened with me. You can look it up on Rxlist.com or Drugs.com, etc.
My boyfriend was recently put on Cipro for a non-Lyme infection and developed pain in his legs and I told him to stop immediately and tell the doctor. The pain went away about three days after he stopped.
Keep you magnesium levels up and call your doctor immediately.
I was on Rifampin for a long time. It can be a challenging drug for some of us, including me. I had very bad Bartonella herxes on it, yet I don't have Lyme herxes. So perhaps what you are experiencing today throughout your body is also due to Rifampin.However, I would still alert your doctor immediately to discuss which areas might be tendons - such as calves of legs, Achilles Tendons, shoulder blades, etc.
Why are you on both Rifampin and Levaquin? Usually it's one or the other for Bartonella. Rifampin is often combined with Doxycycline or Zithromycin for Bartonella.
Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
| IP: Logged |
Rianna
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11038
posted
Why are you on Rifampin and Levaquin together I was told that is an absolute NO NO?
Posts: 1172 | From UK | Registered: Jan 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
My llmd said to! They always write such vague instructions and I also get concerned because on both of those drugs, I read about how bad it is for your liver, and I was on the antiyeast med (can't remember the name Dyflucan? The one that's hard on your liver supposedly) along with it.
They weren't getting labs drawn to ensure my safety. He said he would at 6 weeks. Now, when I was on iv, he did have the home hospice people check my functions every week...so that was good.
But I had to drop him. For lots of reasons, I call myself a Christian, but for a doctor to suggest me to go to a healing service instead of being more positive about my treatment, really bugs me. He always seems frustrated because I had to take a benzo to help with the horrible neck tension and stabbing pains in my neck and face.
They are a Christian office and I felt for him to ask me to not take ANYTHING for pain was out of line. He said that since I wasn't cured of Lyme, or made no real improvements, that it was an "addiction to benzos!" that was causing my pain.
I don't know how many times I have told him. I started having these horrible pains BEFORE I took benzos, so it has nothing to do with it.
Now I'm only down to 600 bucks for my llmd fund. . I don't know what to do now. I'm currently off both meds. I'm taking a break for a while. The iv really started to seem to make a small difference right at the end, he pulled the plug and so did my insurance.
Oh, well, I'm rambling. Again. Thanks for the input everyone. You are all I have now since I've dropped my llmd.
-------------------- ~*~Lyme POW~*~
I will escape. Posts: 100 | From n/a | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
I agree with Rianna! Do not take both Rifamon and Levaquin together unless you do not want to be able to function! Some Dr's may sa it is ok but htey do not realise how bad it canmak you feel!!! I was on Levaquin did horrible only lasted 11 days and could not walk! No one wants to be like that!
Then we switched to Rifamoin and I started at normal dose of 600 mgs, 300 2xday! It was toooooo much! I backed off all together! Then restarted once the pain went away and only one dose a day for a week then upped it to two doses!!! Only you know your body! Whenever I have bad experiences with medicine I stop, recoup and start back slowly!!! It is bad enough we have to suffer form the syomptoms form this disease let alone the horrible symptoms form the medicine!! I wish you the best of luck! We are behind you and here if you have any questions!!!
Take Care, Onmyway
Posts: 131 | From Georgia | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
If I even started even started to have an adr on Levaquin, I'd go off ASAP.
I wouldn't take it while having tendon pain, that's for sure.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
Alv
Unregistered
posted
I took it for the the 3rd time.I stoped it the 2 times due to pain could not walk at ALL.Barely could go upstar.
But b/c Muscle testing showed that this was my prefered drug , I decided to go for it as I was already in 11 months DOXY , rifampin , and azithro and even tried 1200mg rifampin -but my body said NO MORE RIFAMPIN and I was not getting better.
Nothing could go deeper in my BONE.So I gave it another try again for the second time.Again pain , heavy legs , felt toxic ...and was drugging my feet upstars.
Stoped again due to A HUGE HERX in my heart.YES I thought I could not breath ,and my ribs would hurt if I had to breath.As Stubborn as I was and wanted badly this drug to work ( and DR B said you need to take it until you feel improvement) continued.
I TRUSTED my ND ..stoped it for the moment and continued on HH capsules and rifampin ....but in 1 month when I got better , I muscle tested again.STILL said LEVAQUIN even 750 mg ...woww.....
So went for it this time but only 500mg ( after 17 months -of chasing bart with everything ) ...so After I reached a 15 HH capsules a day ..probably I was able to deal with it.I started again .This time from DOXY in MINO 400mg.
Again strugled with MINO and levaquin the 4 rth month ( 3rd times trying to use it with my willpower and insisted to my LLLMD to restart it even though I had tendonitis).On the 4rth month I reached the point that had no more deep pain in my hips ...but I continued.
Than my hands stoped hurting .THAN my wrist stoped hurting , than my shoulders .
Right after I reached the full dosages LEVAQUIN and 400 mg MINO-diziness , vertigo , severe frontal lobe enchephalitis stoped.From total full blown enchephalitis ended up on just a part on the right side.My hips got stronger and my shoulder relaxed.
No need to do adjustment anymore.LAST WEEK of the 5 th month it was a turning for me.THIS TIME I met my Doctor and Said NO MORE LEVAQUIN as MY BODY said NO NEED FOR IT-so the job was done and it was exactly when I changed for better.FOR ME was the best thing.EVEN though I STREESS that was the taughest thing I DID.
I have used MEGA DOSAGES for everything .....but levaquin stoped the DEEP PAIN that I HAD for 12 years FROM HEAD TO TOE .My digestive track issues stoped b/c of it.I had some problems b/c of yeast a couple of weeks but INCREASED The PROBIOTICS on megadoses and everything was normalized.FINALY I gained all the weight I lost from muscle wasting.
I am enjoying food more than ever.AGAIN I suffered from it from the day one...but I went for it as I had no choice if I wanted to get better.Today I was outside painting the walls of my house.I recall that I have been 3 years on living hell and HERXING.
IP: Logged |
Rianna
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11038
posted
My husband did 5 months of Levaquin with lyme treatment and his bart symptoms totally dissapeared, his doctor said I now want you to do Rifampin as even though you feel well we have to be sure, he started rifampin and his bart symptoms came back with avengence so he now has to stay on that for some time and then his doc said when you feel better on that we will do levaquin again.
Apparantly is hides out in tissue etc and when you think it is gone it can come back in a few months so as with lyme his LLMD makes sure it has gone by treating with different combo;s to see if it really has.
posted
hopeandhealth I so hope you can get some more help and funding for your treatment and health. Sorry about your LLMD being so weird and your insurance company being such jerks. I hope things get better for you!
Wow having to treat bart so many times and having to hit it with so many different drugs and rounds of drugs sounds overly exhausting not to mention scary to me. I still have to do something about my bart but I am not sure what....
IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
. I don't know what to do now. I'm currently off both meds. I'm taking a break for a while. The iv really started to seem to make a small difference right at the end, he pulled the plug and so did my insurance. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Thanks for the input everyone. You are all I have now since I've dropped my llmd.
Printer-friendly view of this topic