Levaquin for Pneumonia User Reviews (Page 2)

• PJI...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2017

"Age 63. I developed pneumonia from a respiratory infection passed on from my wife, the school teacher. Once a day, Levaquin knocked out the pneumonia in 5 days, and an X-ray on day 7 showed my lungs were clear. On day 9, I developed tendonitis in my shoulder replacement that had been in place for 3 years. I was prescribed a high-power NSAID by the orthopedic surgeon. After 3 weeks, I turned out fine."

• Non...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2016

"750 mg dosage for five days apparently cleared pneumonia, but now, six weeks later, I still feel some side effects of pain and swelling in ankles and feet that immobilized me immediately after taking. Additional side effects included internal bleeding in the ankle area, black toes, areas of skin on the lower leg showing bruise-like areas. Difficulty walking due to stiff and painful joints in feet and ankles."

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2013

"Adverse reaction to Levaquin. Extreme numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes, ongoing dry mouth. First prescribed a few years ago for an infection. After complaining about the numbness, I was told to discard them and given another antibiotic. Went in this time for pneumonia and was given a tablet before I realized this was the same medication I had an adverse reaction to before. Experiencing the same reaction after only one tablet, it's now 3 days later."

• Cha...
• September 15, 2016

"I started having trouble about 1 month after I finished my prescription. I have severe joint pain from my hips down. I was a very active person, walking 6-7 miles a day, now I barely get 2 because my feet and knees hurt so bad."

• Fra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2019

"The doc prescribed Levaquin for pneumonia. After the sixth pill, I was no better but a lot worse. Had him run a lipid profile and my lipids were off the charts! The doc was scared, me too. Put me in a Z Pack and all was well in a couple of days."

• tid...
• February 8, 2010

"I have been using this drug for 5 days. I have pneumonia and bronchitis. My cough is better, and I am beginning to cough up mucus. My only problem is that I am very tired and want to sleep a lot. I have 5 more days, and we will see."

• kre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 20, 2016

"I was being treated for pneumonia. Levaquin seems to be knocking down the pneumonia after two rounds of another antibiotic seemed ineffective. I'm now 8 days out from my last dose and feel awful. The joint pain is horrific. I used to exercise, don't know if I will ever be able again. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG. If your insurance allows, opt for hospital care."

• Liz...
• October 25, 2015

"Levaquin seems to be the only antibiotic that actually helped clear up my lungs. It is just very unfortunate that it has such awful side effects. I contracted a yeast infection after 2 days. The medication made me an absolute insomniac! There was no way to sleep, which made things worse. I am willing to deal with these side effects to get better, but it's certainly not for those who don't want to deal with possibly getting worse before they get better. I am 23."

• Wic...
• September 7, 2016

"Prescribed Levaquin for 5 days. 5 to 10 days after completing the medication, which killed the pneumonia, I started to have joint pain. Now, over two months after taking this medication, I am pretty much disabled. I have what is now called fluoroquinolone-induced tendinopathy in my shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles. I also suffer from neurological changes that affect my sense of touch, and I feel like I am suffering from mild electric shocks all over my body. I wish I would not have been given this antibiotic. It has slowly destroyed my quality of life."

• Deb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2018

"I have read all the bad reviews, and I can honestly say this is a miracle drug. My only problem has been the inability to sleep... and believe me, when you are sick with pneumonia, you want to sleep. I end up probably taking too much melatonin and nighttime over-the-counter pills that helped with the sleep. I really wish I could take a much-needed nap. The drug has made me feel so much better and very quickly!"

• twi...
• January 29, 2018

"Let me start by saying when I was prescribed this med, the reviews on here scared the stuffing out of me. I had been on other antibiotics for pneumonia for about a week, and they did nothing. Dr. wanted something stronger and gave me rx for Levaquin, plus oral steroids and an inhaler. The only side effect I noticed was it was hard to sleep (restless/jumpy), this could have been from the steroids also. I had no nausea or dizziness. No joint pain, etc., that a lot of the reviewers have noted. I did expect to feel better sooner rather than later with this strong antibiotic, however, it did take the full 10 days and a few more to really start feeling better. I was happy with the outcome (and not needing to be in the hospital). I would not hesitate to take this medicine again. I had a clear chest X-ray on the 10th day. Levaquin did its job."

• Anonymous
• May 6, 2017

"Although the Levaquin did help my pneumonia symptoms, the side effects were terrible! I discontinued after 6 days, but still have side effects 3 weeks later! Severe foot pain, muscle spasms, unusual bleeding, bruising, along with thinning of the skin. I have purple blood spots all over, and my skin will tear with the slightest nick. The pain was up one entire leg but started in my foot. My foot hurts 24 hours a day with a burning feeling that does not respond to massage therapy. Pain pills are only minimally effective. I would never take it again. Also causes insomnia."

• Min...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2016

"Hospitalized with fever. Took it for 3 days. Doctor couldn't find out where or what type of bacteria I had. This medicine is definitely the highest form of antibiotic for bacteria or infected by anthrax. Leaves a bad, foul, nasty taste in your mouth and when you blow your nose. Made me so sick to my stomach, it made me cough up bad-tasting phlegm and gag at the same time. Doctors need to really take this medicine more seriously. I refuse to take any more of this crap."

• ksb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2015

"I was prescribed Levaquin for pneumonia. And yes, it treats pneumonia, but the nausea and overall feeling of stomach cramps and brain fogginess made me quit five days in. I had to work or at least talk to clients, and the way the Levaquin made me feel, I couldn't do that. I could barely talk to family, let alone friends, I felt so bad. I quit the Levaquin, but most likely will need another antibiotic because the lung rattling and the whistling noises when I breathe are back, but no fever yet. It absolutely was the Levaquin making me so sick to my stomach because when I don't take it, I don't have those symptoms."

• Win...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2022

"500 mg prescription, I took 1/2 a pill because I was cautious. Within 10 minutes, I started to become irritable, hot, and started taking off my clothes because I felt hot on my hands and feet (tops and bottoms). I felt like the heat was coming in waves, crawling over me. I looked at myself, and I looked sunburned. My throat started to tighten within another 5 minutes. My husband drove me to the ER, I had the window down and my head tilted up to try to breathe better. I sounded like a child with awful croup. My body was shaking, and the intake nurse didn't believe I was having an allergic reaction. She told me to calm down because I was 'hyperventilating.' The doctor comes in, takes one look at me, Benadryl, IV, and epinephrine and oxygen. The intake nurse says on the way out, 'I guess you were having a reaction.'"

• Anonymous
• March 26, 2020

"My mother was put on this when she entered the hospital and then to treat pneumonia in the home. She presented with insomnia, increased heart rate, and symptoms of dyskinesia. I was watching this drug, feeling like it was finishing off my mother. I had her taken off of it in 2 days. She was placed on Augmentin."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2018

"I was given a 5-day course of 750 mg tablets. While it was effective in treating the pneumonia, I did experience several of the side effects that others here have documented: nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia, lower back pain. Hopefully, now that I have completed the course, these effects will subside."

• Deb...
• February 11, 2014

"I had a high fever and was treated with Augmentin for a sinus infection, but it turned into pneumonia. I was given Levaquin for 14 days, 500 mg. It helped the pneumonia, but it is hard on your stomach, and I have now developed plantar fasciitis."

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2017

"This drug is garbage and should be taken off the market. I was hospitalized with pneumonia. The doctor prescribed it for me when I was released from the hospital. It has destroyed my appetite as well as my stomach. I can't sleep. I am nauseous every day. I have 2 more doses to take. I decided not to take them. I can't tolerate all the side effects."

• Del...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 12, 2018

"I'm on my 5th and final day of the Levofloxacin 750. I've never had anxiety issues or insomnia in my life, but from the moment I started, it began. What kept me going with this was I knew I needed it to clear up my infection. From the 2nd day on, my coughing and phlegm are at a bare minimum. So while it's working, it's dealing with being amped up, so to speak. The doc also has me on Prednisone 10 mg x2 a day, which just increases the feelings that I've dealt with. But for those of you out there, I tried Benadryl 1 tab at night since the 3rd night, and I was actually able to sleep these last couple of nights a little."

• TPe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 12, 2017

"Levaquin and its generic are fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The FDA has issued a black box warning-the most severe warning it can issue-on all fluoroquinolone antibiotics because they cause so many horrible, long-term side effects (like permanent tendonitis, vision problems, and more). Fluoroquinolones break down the mitochondria of cells, leading to cell death. This damage cannot be reversed."

• INe...
• December 24, 2015

"I have pneumonia in both lungs for the second time in 35 days. I was hospitalized this time though, so it's definitely worse than the first illness. The only side effect I've noticed is nausea. If I drink water quickly, I immediately feel the need to throw up. The problem is that I'm always thirsty. I am home now, thank goodness, still sick, but I have what I need. I left AMA because I've got four kids with Christmas on their brains. Hopefully, my pills will do the trick."

• Lev...
• November 19, 2017

"I was diagnosed with pneumonia and was given Levaquin 750 mg for 10 days. I'm on day 6, and every day I get fever, shivers, and chills, not to mention the extremely bad headaches! I'm going to let Levaquin go! I am going to throw the rest of the pills. I have no idea how they prescribe it!"

• Rnc...
• November 23, 2017

"I had pneumonia and had been sick for 2 weeks. The doctor had prescribed another antibiotic and steroids first. When I wasn't better, the doctor prescribed Levaquin. The first day was okay, just really tired. The second day I started having joint pain and my ribs were really hurting (not from coughing) and still really exhausted. By the third day I could barely walk because of my knees being so swollen and painful and hard to breathe because of the rib pain. Called the doctor and he said to get off of it and come in for blood tests. I have been off of it for almost 2 weeks and still can barely walk and the ribs are still really sore. After reading the rest of the stories, it makes me very angry that this drug and its family are still out there to harm people. Ridiculous!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2022

"Best to use. I tried amoxicillin, and it doesn't ever work. I would recommend taking this once a day, but before you go to bed only. It’s strong, but works the best. I had bronchitis and pneumonia. The first day, it works right away, but I take it before bed so I’m not drowsy in the day."