Levaquin and Tremors: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "Only gave a 1 rating because I couldn't rate it a '0'! One pill was all I needed to be convinced that I had legal rights to sue the doctor for attempted murder by prescribing this lethal drug. I usually have a lung infection once a year, and they usually give me Cephalexin, and it clears up in 5-7 days. But this drug, Levaquin, is so bad. After just one dose, my entire body ached, my fingers and toes locked up, and I had the jitters all night long, and had to detox with milk thistle and TMG. I'm seriously thinking about suing! My advice, 'Don't take it!!!' or you will have tendon, liver, kidney, and nerve problems for the rest of your life, it can also cause death."

• Anonymous
• November 20, 2009

For Urinary Tract Infection "I am a 27-year-old woman and was prescribed Levaquin 500 mg for 7 days (by my OB-GYN for a suspected UTI post-surgery-I had a D and C). I hardly ever have UTIs. My Levaquin, with insurance, was $55. I do not take pharmaceutical drugs regularly, but I figured since this was post-surgery, I should do as the doctor says. I read the drug pamphlet before taking the pill. On day 3 of taking Levaquin, I started muscle twitching in my right middle toe. I researched reviews of this drug on the internet and stopped immediately."

• Anonymous
• November 26, 2011

For Sinusitis "After being sick for three months and experiencing everything from lung atelectasis to confusion, bleeding nose, and extreme headaches, my doctor put me on Levaquin. It is midday on day three of taking 500 mg once a day. I feel a little lightheaded, and my hands are shaky, but I am starting to feel a bit better. Shaky hands and lightheadedness are nothing compared to pleurisy, collapsed lung, and bleeding infected sinuses. Recommended."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2015

For Bronchitis "After one 500 mg dose of this drug, I began having a racing heart and my muscles twitching from head to toe, severe dizziness, and nausea. This progressed to my ankle and knee joints cracking/popping upon walking, shoulder hurting, toe and finger pain, and now, the next day, nerve pain in my occipital region on the back of my head. I began reading and started high doses of magnesium/transdermal mag spray, TONS of water, high doses of vitamin C, juicing, and homemade bone broth with rest for my joints. This medicine apparently severely depletes the body of magnesium, damages mitochondria, and prevents new tendon cells from being formed. I hope what I'm doing counteracts any long-term damage and I'm highly upset it was prescribed with black box warnings!"

• Anonymous
• April 24, 2009

For Sinusitis "I was prescribed Levaquin for acute sinusitis, and I had a horrible experience after only the first dose. My arms, hands, and ankles were tingling, and my knees hurt. I got extremely cold and was shaking uncontrollably. It was then I read the 10-page 'black label warnings' that the pharmacist gave me. This drug will do severe damage to your tendons, and after only one dose, I was feeling the effects. My joints kept popping non-stop with everything I did - walk, type, etc. My joints ached as well. My DR immediately switched me to another drug. The literature claims people can blow out their tendons rather easily, even months after taking the medicine. Not worth the risk of future joint damage when there are other drugs out there."

• Anonymous
• November 25, 2010

For Bronchitis "I was prescribed Levaquin for bronchitis and sinusitis. I have terrible dreams that wake me up every couple of hours, so I'm so tired during the day. Also noticed numbness and shaking in my fingers. Made my skin and sinuses very dry. A little dizzy in the mornings, but that might be due to the lack of quality sleep. Hardly an appetite at all, and the headaches are horrible. But it does seem to be breaking up all the mucus in my chest and head. Finally, I feel some relief after 2 months of being sick!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2014

For Sinusitis "I have taken Levaquin many times for my sinuses and have had 2 sinus surgeries. I am currently on my 38th day of 750 mg and have 11 more days to go of taking it. We are doing this for so long as a last resort before doing surgery again. I cannot tell that it is doing much good this go around. It does not allow me to rest well, so I take it in the morning, but I can honestly say that I am over the vomiting daily because of it. It also gives me the shakes and just a very bad overall feeling until lunch or so."

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

For Pneumonia "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
• September 18, 2009

For Sinusitis "I was prescribed Cephalexin for a 20-day course for a horrid sinus infection. I had a throbbing headache, lots of mucus, etc., but I wasn't feeling any better, so I was prescribed Levaquin. Within the first three days of using Levaquin, I felt incredibly tired; just weak, laying around all the time, and unable to sleep during the night. My eyes felt droopy all the time, I was dizzy standing up, my heart raced when I walked up the stairs, and finally, on my fourth day taking the medicine, I was startled. This had been going on for a couple of days, but my head and left shoulder started twitching consistently. I literally could not keep them still. I got worried and called the doctor and was told to stop the drug. I guess it was too powerful for me!"

• jef...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2022

For Streptococcal Infection "Took it twice, when I picked it up and later that evening. Went into shaking chills with pain starting in my neck and shoulders and spread all over to my joints, cramping my feet and hands. It pulled me up into a fetal position, and I was not able to straighten. Everything hurt for several days and developed a drunken walk that lasted weeks. That is from two doses. Never ever again."

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2017

For Bladder Infection "Last night I panicked from side effects from this antibiotic I'm taking for a UTI! The first couple of days I felt a tingling/electric feeling and muscle twitches all over my body, was restless, and woke a few times during the night. Tonight was my third dose, and the electric pins and needles/skin crawling feeling was intense and affected my entire body (I could feel it in my earlobes and my eyes!), muscle spasms and twitches, uncontrollable shaking, hard to get a deep breath, hard to swallow, hard to talk, my tongue felt fat, jaw clenching, stuttering, dry mouth, stiff calf muscles, the arches of my feet were twitching, my rib muscles were cramping, paranoia, hearing things, difficulty thinking. Hope no permanent damage! I'm a fit 29-year-old."

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2017

For Bladder Infection "Last night I panicked from side effects from this antibiotic I'm taking for a UTI! The first couple of days I felt a tingling/electric feeling and muscle twitches all over my body, was restless, and woke a few times during the night. Tonight was my third dose, and the electric pins and needles/skin crawling feeling was intense and affected my entire body (I could feel it in my earlobes and my eyes!), muscle spasms and twitches, uncontrollable shaking, hard to get a deep breath, hard to swallow, hard to talk, my tongue felt fat, jaw clenching, stuttering, dry mouth, stiff calf muscles, the arches of my feet were twitching, my rib muscles were cramping, paranoia, hearing things, difficulty thinking. Hope no permanent damage! I'm a fit 29-year-old."

• tri...
• December 15, 2016

For Bronchitis "I am only able to take Levaquin or Cipro due to allergies to other antibiotics. I normally only had 500 mg. This time, the doctor gave me 750 mg for ten days and added prednisone 20 mg, take three tablets daily for four days. I was feeling bad on the higher dose of Levaquin, but I need to get better being asthmatic. I stopped after the 7th day of antibiotics and stopped prednisone as well. Pains, burning, inflammation was horrible, confusion, rapid heartbeat, shaky legs. Can't move left arm well from shoulder to fingers, weakness, pain. Pain, discomfort in joints, muscles, bones. My kidneys and abdominal discomfort on and off with that. My physician said it could be the higher dosage plus, on October, I was on 500 mg. Says it tendonitis."

• jan...
• October 11, 2009

For Sinusitis "Seemed to clear up sinus infection, but side effects were scary. Had anxiety and felt very cold. Then the shaking started, mainly leg muscles. Was resolved after about an hour by taking Ativan. Blood pressure was very high the next few days - can't say for sure if that was related. Also had nosebleeds."

• Mel...
• February 28, 2009

For Sinusitis "Experienced hives and shaking after three days. I had to go to the ER, and they told me if I ever take it again, it could kill me. Interestingly, my mother is also allergic to Levaquin."