How Effective is Levaquin & What are it’s Side Effects?

Levaquin or levofloxacin can cause tearing or swelling of the tendon mainly in older people who are above 60 years of age and also in those who have heart, kidney lung transplant and in those who takes steroid medication.

Levaquin is also known as levofloxacin that is an antibiotic fluoroquinolone. This primary purpose of levaquin or levofloxacin is to effectively fight against bacteria in the body.
Levaquin or levofloxacin is used for the effective treatment of several bacterial infections of the bladder, kidney, sinuses, skin and even prostate. Levaquin or levofloxacin is also used for the effective treatment of bacterial infections that causes pneumonia and bronchitis and also to treat anthrax exposed to people.

Levaquin or levofloxacin also can cause high side effects such as severe irreversible serious disabling. It is important to know that this medicine levaquin or levofloxacin must be used only to treat those conditions which cannot be treated with regular antibiotic.

If you have any of these symptoms or conditions you must stop taking levaquin or levofloxacin and get immediate help. The symptoms are stiffness, bruising, swelling, sudden pain, tenderness or even join movement problems. You must rest your joint until you get assistance from healthcare providers.

If you are suffering from any muscle disorder, do not take levaquin or levofloxacin. You must inform your doctor if you have ever had a history of myasthenia gravis.

Levaquin or levofloxacin should not be taken if you are allergic to fluoroquinolones such as norfloxacin, ofloxacin, moxiloxacin, gemifloxacin, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin.

You must tell your physician if you have any of these conditions to make sure this medicine is safe for your body:

• Kidney or liver disease
• Heart rhythm disorder (mainly if medicines are taken to treat the condition)
• Slow heartbeats
• Bone problems, tendon problems
• Joint problems (mainly in children), arthritis
• Family or personal history of long QT syndrome
• Diabetes (mainly if you are taking medicines or insulin to treat the condition)
• Nerve disorder
• Hypokalemia (low potassium levels in blood)
• Seizure disorder or history of epilepsy
• Usage of blood thinner (Jantoven, Coumadin, warfarin) and have Prothrombin or INR time tests

Levaquin or levofloxacin can cause tearing or swelling of your tendon which is the fiber that connects muscles and bones mainly in the heel Achilles tendon. In most cases this happens with prolonged treatment or after months of stopping the medicine. This problem is most common in older people who are above 60 years of age, or if you have lung, heart, kidney transplant or if you take steroid medications.

Levaquin or levofloxacin should not be given to children without doctor’s knowledge. Children are more likely to have joint and tendon problems taking this medicine
If you are planning to become pregnant or pregnant at the time of treatment inform your doctor as it is unknown if the medicine could harm the child.

Tell your doctor if you are feeding a baby because levaquin or levofloxacin can pass through breast milk to the child.

Levaquin or levofloxacin has to be taken only as prescribed by the physician and also follow the instructions correctly on the label. It is dangerous to take levaquin or levofloxacin in smaller or larger amount than prescribed or to taking it when no longer needed.

Levaquin or levofloxacin has to be taken at the same time of the day, every day with water. You must have lot of fluids while taking levaquin or levofloxacin to let your kidneys function well.

• These levaquin or levofloxacin tablets can be taken with or without food
• The oral solution can be taken on empty stomach (otherwise of 1-2 Horus after meal)
• You must use a special dose-medicine cup or measuring spoon or special syringe provided to measure levaquin or levofloxacin. If you do not have any of the above measuring objects you can ask one to your pharmacist.
• Levaquin or levofloxacin has to be taken until the complete course gets over. The symptoms you face will improve drastically prior to clearing the infection in the body. Do not skip dosages as it will increase risk of the infection resistant to the medicine. Levaquin or levofloxacin cannot be used to treat any viral infections such as common cold or flu.
• Even if anyone else has same symptoms as you, do not share levaquin or levofloxacin with anyone (mainly children)
• If you are taking a urine test, you must inform the laboratory staff about your dosage of Levaquin as it will give false positive drug screening test.

If you have any of these side effects or symptoms, get immediate medical assistance, swelling of tongue, face, throat, lips, difficulty in breathing, hives, increased heart rate, earlier signs of skin rash, hives.

Levaquin or levofloxacin can cause tearing or swelling of your tendon. It can also cause severe and permanent nerve damage.

If you have any of these severe side effects of levaquin or levofloxacin you must stop taking the medicine and get immediate medical assistance:

• Bloody or watery diarrhea, severe stomach pain
• Seizure (convulsions)
• Sudden weakness, mouth sores, chills, ill feeling, easy bleeding or bruising, swollen glands, sore throat, fever
• Difficulty in breathing
• Muscle weakness
• Severe dizziness, headache with chest pain, pounding or fast heartbeats

Severe skin reactions – severe skin paint which is followed by purple or red skin rash that later spreads to the upper body and face causing peeling and blistering

High blood pressure inside the skull – dizziness, severe headaches, vision problems, nausea, pain behind eyes, ringing in ears

Behavior or mood changes – nightmares, hallucinations, feeling restless, suicidal thoughts, confusion, depression, feeling anxious, paranoia, insomnia, tremors

Signs of nerve problems – light touch, burning pain, tingling, numbness, more sensitive to too cold or hot temperature, sense of body temperature

Tendon ruptures symptoms – Bruising, movement problems, sudden pain, and tenderness, popping or snapping sounds in the joint, stiffness. It is important to rest your joint until medical help is given

Liver symptoms – Jaundice (yellowing of eyes or skin), clay colored stools, loss of appetite, upper stomach pain, dark urine

Here are the other common side effects of levaquin or levofloxacin:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Constipation, nausea, diarrhea are also side effects of levaquin or levofloxacin.

It is important to tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking at the moment, so your doctor will determine which one to stop or start, mainly Theophylline
Diuretic or “water pill”

Medication for heart rhythm – dronedarone, dofetilide, disopyramide, quinidine, procainamide, amiodarone, sotalol.

Mental illness and depression medications – clomipramine, amitriptylline, nortriptyline, imipramine, iloperidone, desipramine.

Non steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) – naproxen (Aleve), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), meloxicam, aspirin, celecoxib, indomethacin, diclofenac.