What would you do: levaquin antibiotic

[Onceuponatime]

I've had a head cold and got a sinus infection wich traveled to my ear and burst my eardrum over the weekend. Monday morning I went to urgent care and the doctor prescribed amoxicillin and made me an appointment with an ENT. The ENT seems to be the kind of doctor to use a cannon when a bullet will do. I ended up with multiple suggestions plus a prescription for Levaquin and ciprodex ear drops.

 

Yesterday, without thinking I took the first Levaquin. Later I looked it up to find out about side effects, reviews, etc. Now I'm scared witless. How bad would it be if I didn't take any more and just went back to the amoxicillin? I've only had 1 dose of the Levaquin.

 

What would you do?

[MomtoCandJ]

Finnish the amoxicillin, and use the ear drops. IF your infection doesn't clear up when finished with amoxicillin then go for the Levaquin ( or go back to a regular doctor for a higher dose of amoxicillin or something that doesn't have all the issues of Levaquin). Amoxicillin has always worked for my ear infections so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[DianeW88]

Levaquin is a perfectly safe abx. My dd takes it all the time for sinus infections, because nothing else works. Levaquin knocks her infection out quickly and it doesn't recur. She is also a professional ballet dancer, for whom the warning about tendon issues applies more stringently than to your average person. She has never had one issue with it. The tendon issues they're referring to happened at very high doses (as per all testing of drugs) and with puppies. Yes. Puppies. Not humans. So unless you're a puppy, you should be fine. Having said that, if you feel serious tendon pain, stop taking it. If you aren't experiencing any...you're good.

[melissad2]

Levaquin is a perfectly safe abx. My dd takes it all the time for sinus infections, because nothing else works. Levaquin knocks her infection out quickly and it doesn't recur. She is also a professional ballet dancer, for whom the warning about tendon issues applies more stringently than to your average person. She has never had one issue with it. The tendon issues they're referring to happened at very high doses (as per all testing of drugs) and with puppies. Yes. Puppies. Not humans. So unless you're a puppy, you should be fine. Having said that, if you feel serious tendon pain, stop taking it. If you aren't experiencing any...you're good.

 

 

:iagree:

[ktgrok]

I've had bad sinus infections and amoxicillin never touched them. Levaquin worked great multiple times. The only side effect I ever had was insomnia.

[Spryte]

I would listen to the ENT, and follow his/her instructions. You went to a specialist for a reason. :) The urgent care doc sent you to a specialist to get a more informed opinion - I'd run with that.

 

FWIW, I've taken Levaquin and developed tendon issues - but only after taking it long-term,and at a much higher dose than you'll be taking it to knock out an ear infection. Tendon issues don't happen over night, you'd have warning. And, really, I was on it for months before any problems. I think you'll be fine, and you'll feel much better.

 

Whatever you decide to do... Hope you feel better quickly!

[DianeW88]

The ENT is more likely to go for the big guns because he regularly sees the complications from undertreated sinus infections. Yours has already spread outside of your sinus cavity. That is serious. My neighbor died last year from an untreated sinus infection. It spread to his ear, to the bone surrounding his ear, and then to his brain. By that point, there was nothing doctors could do. He was 34 and left behind a wife and four young children. Sinus infections can be very serious. You were prescribed Levaquin because the specialist felt yours needed to be taken care of quickly. Penicillin isn't strong enough for an infection that's already spreading. The common side effects for Levaquin occur in less than 10% of the patients taking the drug. The serious side effects occur in less than 1% of the patients taking the drug. And because every single thing that happens to a person when they're on a drug study is considered a "side effect", it must be reported...whether or not the person's skin rash was due to the drug, or was an unknown food allergy...it's listed as a "side effect".

[Onceuponatime]

Thanks for the opinions. I guess I will stick with it for now. I'm not terribly fond of taking medicine to begin with, but Diane's last post convinced me. Death is not an alternative I'm willing to explore yet.

[Mommyof4ks]

With a burst eardrum I would follow the doc's instructions to the letter. Those are nothing to play with. When it happens to my son we were told that he could get a brain infection or go deaf if it did not heal properly, so I would want to clear up that infection ASAP.

 

ETA: I just read Diane's response. Much better explanation than mine! We take for granted that people just recover from little things like sinus infections, but that is not always the case.

[laundrycrisis]

Levaquin is a perfectly safe abx. My dd takes it all the time for sinus infections, because nothing else works. Levaquin knocks her infection out quickly and it doesn't recur. She is also a professional ballet dancer, for whom the warning about tendon issues applies more stringently than to your average person. She has never had one issue with it. The tendon issues they're referring to happened at very high doses (as per all testing of drugs) and with puppies. Yes. Puppies. Not humans. So unless you're a puppy, you should be fine. Having said that, if you feel serious tendon pain, stop taking it. If you aren't experiencing any...you're good.

 

 

It is safe for some, not for others. Before Thanksgiving, I was prescribed Cipro for a kidney infection. I stopped taking it after three days due to tendon inflammation. My first symptoms of this were not pain at all - it was a pleasant warm feeling in my arms. By day 3, my wrists hurt enough to keep me from sleeping at night. Even though I stopped the Cipro, the problem progressed for a while and I ended up with full-body tendon inflammation - everything hurt, especially around my hips, which have never hurt in my life. I went on a full detox diet and bunch of supplements. It still took two full months to get to be able to do things like go down the stairs without feeling my tendons reacting abnormally. I had to treat my body like it was very fragile during this entire time. Now it is April and I am still having problems around my ankles and feet, and there is not much I can do except be careful and support my body with a good diet and supplements. I had taken Levaquin many years before and had no problem, so I was surprised to have this reaction to Cipro.

[DianeW88]

It is safe for some, not for others. Before Thanksgiving, I was prescribed Cipro for a kidney infection. I stopped taking it after three days due to tendon inflammation. My first symptoms of this were not pain at all - it was a pleasant warm feeling in my arms. By day 3, my wrists hurt enough to keep me from sleeping at night. Even though I stopped the Cipro, the problem progressed for a while and I ended up with full-body tendon inflammation - everything hurt, especially around my hips, which have never hurt in my life. I went on a full detox diet and bunch of supplements. It still took two full months to get to be able to do things like go down the stairs without feeling my tendons reacting abnormally. I had to treat my body like it was very fragile during this entire time. Now it is April and I am still having problems around my ankles and feet, and there is not much I can do except be careful and support my body with a good diet and supplements. I had taken Levaquin many years before and had no problem, so I was surprised to have this reaction to Cipro.

Cipro is in the same family as Levaquin, but they are not the same drug. That's probably why you had a reaction in one, but not the other. However, to be safe, you should not take any fluoroquinolone abx in the future. They are "big gun" antibiotics and not prescribed casually, but when they are prescribed, it is because the doctor feels the serious nature of the infection outweighs the small risk posed by potential antibiotic side effects. Of course, side effects do occur, and patients should be aware of them. Cipro is known for c-diff as its major side effect, but tendon problems can occur as well. However, serious side effects are still the exception, and not the rule, and people should not be overly worried about taking a drug prescribed by their doctor for a specific infection. Ask questions, be informed, and read the pamphlet that your pharmacy gives you stating all the side effects of a medication. But at the end of the day, understand that your physician felt that the seriousness of your infection warranted serious drugs to eradicate it. And AS ALWAYS....call your doctor with any concerns or questions you may have. Internet medical advice is sketchy at best, because even if the person answering your question is a medical professional, we have not examined you, nor do we know your health history or any conditions you may have that contraindicate taking a certain drug. Consulting with your doctor is the best way to ensure you are getting the most reliable medical advice.

[laundrycrisis]

Cipro is in the same family as Levaquin, but they are not the same drug. That's probably why you had a reaction in one, but not the other. However, to be safe, you should not take any fluoroquinolone abx in the future. They are "big gun" antibiotics and not prescribed casually, but when they are prescribed, it is because the doctor feels the serious nature of the infection outweighs the small risk posed by potential antibiotic side effects. Of course, side effects do occur, and patients should be aware of them. Cipro is known for c-diff as its major side effect, but tendon problems can occur as well. However, serious side effects are still the exception, and not the rule, and people should not be overly worried about taking a drug prescribed by their doctor for a specific infection. Ask questions, be informed, and read the pamphlet that your pharmacy gives you stating all the side effects of a medication. But at the end of the day, understand that your physician felt that the seriousness of your infection warranted serious drugs to eradicate it. And AS ALWAYS....call your doctor with any concerns or questions you may have. Internet medical advice is sketchy at best, because even if the person answering your question is a medical professional, we have not examined you, nor do we know your health history or any conditions you may have that contraindicate taking a certain drug. Consulting with your doctor is the best way to ensure you are getting the most reliable medical advice.

 

I think what bit me in the rear was not recognizing the initial signs of inflammation. I had read the insert - I was watching for pain, not pleasant warmth. The doctor had also not mentioned the side effects. Then, when I went back saying I needed a different antibiotic, he said that if my heels didn't hurt, I wasn't having a reaction to the cipro. Grrr. As if only our heels have tendons. Eventually those did hurt too, but that was not where it started.

[DianeW88]

 

I think what bit me in the rear was not recognizing the initial signs of inflammation. I had read the insert - I was watching for pain, not pleasant warmth. The doctor had also not mentioned the side effects. Then, when I went back saying I needed a different antibiotic, he said that if my heels didn't hurt, I wasn't having a reaction to the cipro. Grrr. As if only our heels have tendons. Eventually those did hurt too, but that was not where it started.

Wow, that stinks! And bad on your doctor for not discussing potential side effects and what to look for. Sometimes your pharmacist can be more of a help if you don't feel like your doctor is addressing your concerns. I always grill my pharmacist when I'm picking up a new prescription. Especially about taking the medication along with any others I may be on. Sometimes doctors don't know what else you're on if it was prescribed by a different physician...and that can be lethal in certain cases. I hope your tendons heal completely and you can live without pain. But definitely avoid ALL fluoroquinolone abx in the future. You should consider yourself "allergic" to them. Medical professionals will take that more seriously than "I had a bad reaction to one before". Sadly, that sometimes gets brushed aside.

[Butter]

I've taken Levaquin twice, both for bad respiratory infections. There are side effects possible, but it is a very good and safe antibiotic. There are potential side effects for all antibiotics. I'd finish the course.

[mom2samlibby]

I'm not a fan of Levaquin. I'll never take it again. I was extremely sick to my stomach, dizzy, and weird vision problems when I took it. I'd never experienced anything like that before.