The Pain of Levaquin

Chicago, ILFor patients taking the antibiotic Levaquin, the cure may be worse than the disease. The problem is that Levaquin side effects can be incredibly painful, requiring surgery. Such side effects include torn tendons and ligaments. Patients who have suffered those complications following the use of Levaquin are now investigating lawsuits against the maker of the antibiotic, alleging they were not adequately warned about its risks.

Marla P. (not her real name) says she had a sinus infection and was waiting for an operation when she was started on Levaquin. It took only 3 days for her to suffer a serious complication.

"The day before my family was coming to town, I was walking across my backyard," Marla says. "I heard my Achilles tendon pop. I didn't know what was going on at the time. The next day, I went in for my check-up for the sinus surgery. I was sitting in the waiting room with my foot in my lap, rubbing it. The doctor came in and asked what was going on. I told him that my heel popped and I couldn't walk on it--my daughter had to help me get into his office. He said, 'Marla, it's the Levaquin.'

"He had seen this once before when he was in his training, so he knew immediately that it was the Levaquin. Apparently a week after I was there, the Levaquin representative came to his office and the nurses told me the doctor was ranting and raving and screaming that the product should be taken off the market.

"Anyhow, after I saw him, I went across the hall to the orthopedic surgeon to set up an operation. The orthopedic surgeon told me I had a torn Achilles tendon. Meanwhile, I had to have a port-a-cath with Cipro because I could no longer take the Levaquin, but the PIC line caused a blood clot that could have killed me.

"About a week later, my right shoulder hurt [Marla had surgery a year before for a spur in her right shoulder]. I couldn't lift that arm and the shoulder was very sore. It was painful. The orthopedic surgeon said that my tendon had ruptured. I saw my ear, nose and throat doctor and he said, 'Marla, it was the Levaquin.'

"I had the shoulder operated on and the foot surgery was put aside for a while, with my foot in a cast in the meantime. Following the shoulder operation, I sat in a chair for a long time while my shoulder was healing. My foot healed at the same time, which they said couldn't happen. It has a large bump at the back. I can walk, now, but the whole thing has affected my foot.

"I have arthritis in my feet. The tendon problem has changed my gait and caused the bunion in my foot to grow worse. I have to have a foot operation in which 3 bones will be broken to reset the foot. I don't have strength in my right arm. My right side is different. When I was laying in bed the other night, I tried to lift the alarm clock to the table beside me, but I couldn't do it and had to use both hands. I have general weakness in my right side. I don't know how much Levaquin has harmed me.

"I now suffer from insomnia, restless leg syndrome, an essential tremor on my right side, depression, nightmares and peripheral neuropathy. My balance has been affected and I have hearing loss in my right ear and vision problems in that eye, which may be related to the sinus infection or to the Levaquin.

"They [the makers of Levaquin] knew this could happen because this happened before and they were sued. Of course, I picked up my medication and they didn't tell me anything about it except that it was an antibiotic. I read the insert, which is like any other insert. It said this could happen but was very, very rare. Sure it's rare, until it happens to you. I just feel it shouldn't be given at all. Levaquin should have been taken off the market the first time they were sued. If it had been, this would not have happened to me or to the hundreds of others it happened to.

"I haven't received compensation for this and I will have problems for the rest of my life. I don't walk properly and I have to have another operation on my foot. My husband and I were both retired, now he is back to work because of the medical costs. I'm not even the worst case--I've read about others and their stories are heartbreaking.

"My advice to others is to sue quickly. I'm not the only person out there going through this. People need to be more cautions--be very careful about medication and find out statistics before taking any drug. If you have taken it and had a problem, get a lawyer. Hunt for one day and night if you have to."