posted
I started IV levaquin yesterday at the doctor's office. I have weird neuro symptoms to begin with, but after the infusion I looked like I was having a seizure. I still was awake and alert and had voluntary muscle control, but every time I moved it was like my nerve cells were firing a hundred times more that they needed to. I even had involuntary movements while at rest.
They gave me some ativan in the office and that calmed my nerve firing down a little bit, but i still had a lot of trouble last night and today with spasming muscles- especially when I move around.
The doctor said this was all from die off, and didn't seem too concerned. He started me on some seizure meds, and I am of antibiotics for the next 3 weeks. I guess this is plausible, but I have read that levaquin can lower the seizure threshold in people.
Anybody have any similar problems?
By the way the levaquin is for bart and i am on week 12 of IV antibiotics, after 6 months of orals.
Posts: 24 | From Oxford, NC | Registered: Oct 2005
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char
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8315
posted
Levaquin can be very helpful. But it can have very serious side effects.
I have investigated as my daughter and I have taken it. She IV, and I took it orally. I discontinued due to tendon pain. Levaquin can cause permanent tendon and nerve damage. I do not remember seizures, but it could be....
I strikes me as VERY strange that your dr. is not taking your reaction seriously on the one hand, but then he is adding anti-seizure meds on the other.
Are you seeing a real LLMD? No offense here. I remember you from previous posts looking for infectious disease dr for IV in your area.
posted
What you are describing sounds very similar to hubby's responses to antibiotics, herbs, colloidal silver -- the things that work for him.
While doing IV Rocephin and also more recently doing IV Primaxin -- usually had to disconnect one or more times each IV to administer IV Ativan.
Hubby tried 5 or 6 seizure meds which had no or very little effect. Was actually on Depakote during IV Ativan treatment. Some EEG's have been abnormal, but no seizure spikes.
Suggest you increase COQ10 to 400mg (minimum) and add Resveratrol (Japanese knotweed source) and as many other antioxidants as you can afford. And equally important -- phosphatidylcholine.
If the first dose of IV meds caused this problem I would not be surprised if this continues throughout your treatment.
Hubby has resumed Babesia treatment (Day 20 now) and actually that seems to be doing more to help with seizure-like episodes than anything he has ever done.
If the tremors are action tremors -- activated by movement -- then the phosphatidylcholine is probably the most important supplement. Toxins are probably blocking the nerve receptors and interfering with the signals -- choline can help reverse this.
Also, IV glutathione may or may not be of some benefit. Same applies to IV Vitamin C and IV Magnesium.
Oral Rifampin for Bart actually made hubby's tremors/myoclonus much much worse. Went from 20% of the time to 80% of the time. What finally reversed this was IV Phosphatidylcholine -- the Kane protocol.
He had taken oral Levaquin for 3 months a couple of years ago and that did nothing for him -- was just like water pills -- no herx or anything. Maybe the IV Levaquin is really getting across into the brain and bart is more of a problem for you than Lyme.
Hope you can figure out a way to minimize these symptoms so you can get through treatment.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Thanks to both of you for your help. I am seeing a LLMD, and he says he has seen this response before. I have trouble with garbled speech, tremors, and trouble walking all of the time, and I have had an extensive neuro work up already. This seizure-like stuff was new for me, though.
When I herx, I often babble when I try to talk. i know what I want to say, but it comes out sounding like I speak another language. This happened during my episode yesterday also. Maybe it is all stems from the same mechanism. I am not sure what to call it though- I guess myoclonus, or a myoclonic seizure is appropriate.
Pysically, I am getting along OK. I have energy for a few hours on most days. I have trouble reading and writing some of the time, but i do what I can.
I continue to be a "weirdo" even at my LLMD office, which is rather large.
Posts: 24 | From Oxford, NC | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Hubby has the speech problems as well. But usually only when he has his seizure-like spells. Sometimes he says the wrong word -- he actually has a whole vocabulary of words I have learned to identify --
for example the fireplace man is a former LLMD whose address was Fireplace Springs Road. And I am always the night nurse -- he can't remember my name and will argue that he isn't married.
Or sometimes it just sounds like baby talk and I can't make any sense out of it at all. This goes away within 5 -10 minutes after the IV Ativan unless he has a "real" seizure -- then could last for a few hours. Thankfully these only happen a few times a year now although the seizure-like episodes occur 3 -4 times daily.
Hubby's symptoms started as Parkinsonian tremor and progressed/changed over time. Now he has less tremors and more seizure-like episodes. Actually the trigger that changed things for him was beginning treatment -- no treatment and no diagnosis for 1 1/2 years. Then started herbal treatment which triggered "real" seizures which resolved into current seizure-like episodes.
Glad you are doing ok.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
When I first started taking levaquin and doxy about a month ago, I had a weird experience while cooking dinner.
I was alone in the kitchen and I came out of a trance like state.
I found that I had my hand on the knob to the oven, and had turned it on, and also, as I came to, my head turned toward the sound of the disposal running empty with no water turned on.
I realized I had been unaware of my actions and some time had elapsed.
I later thought this to be an absence seizure with automatic behaviors of turning on the disposal and the oven in quick succession.
I have no past history of nor risk factors for a seizure disorder.
The PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) states:
"Convulsions have been reported in patients receiving quinolone antibiotics including Levaquin."
So maybe that's it. The PDR doesn't say to stop the drug if this happens, but it does caution about driving.
posted
levaquin has alot of side effects...I wonder if there is a safer antibiotic you can take like mino?I dont recommend levaquin or any of the others in its group..when I took cipro I got als like syndrome..talk to your doc... eric
Posts: 593 | From long island ny | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
WHOA!! Your from NC. Holy cricky, and the trail of information just keeps on getting thicker!!!
Wow!! Please email me, We need to talk. I have a lot of experience with what you are going through!
Posts: 559 | From Cary, NC | Registered: May 2006
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