Springville, MOThree years ago Janice was flown to hospital with a severe infection and high fever. She was treated with the antibiotic Levaquin and just days later, she was ready to go home. But because of Levaquin, her ordeal hadn't even begun.
After a few days recovering at home, she started to get other problems. "I was talking with my doctor in California and said I didn't feel good; I was itchy all over," says Janice. "He asked me what drugs I was taking and when I mentioned Levaquin he told me to stop taking it immediately—I'd taken enough. About one week later both my thumbs hurt and they were swollen. I assumed it was because of all the IV I'd had in the back of my hands.
"I started to exercise but my entire hands hurt and both shoulders had sharp pains, especially when I tried to lift anything. And I couldn't sleep without pain pills. But I just assumed my shoulder hurt because of my neck--from being in a hospital bed for so long. Next it was my left foot—a sharp pain, like someone was stabbing me. And it woke me up at night--I didn't get much sleep during this entire time.
Then I thought it must have been carpal tunnel surgery that I had a few months ago acting up. My doctored ordered an MRI on my left hand. Boom, it showed the tendon ruptured or torn. Then she ordered an MRI on my right hand and right shoulder. Bam—ruptured tendons there too. My shoulder was hanging on by a thread and my left shoulder wasn't much better—ruptured. I kept taking more pain killers.
My doctor had just read about Levaquin and Cipro's side effects in a medical journal and told me the damage caused by these fluoroquinolone drugs. I couldn't believe it. Then I went online and started collecting data. A doctor has a website for victims of pharmaceutical drugs. One section is about Levaquin and Cipro and people have even died!
I had surgery September 30, 2006 on my right shoulder. They put a titanium pin in the bone and that left me out of commission—it took a year to recover. After that I had an MRI on my left foot—it showed a possible tendon tear but it's more difficult to find a tear in the foot. Meanwhile my thumbs hurt so bad I saw a hand specialist and he determined I had arthritis. I'd never had arthritis. I asked him about the tendons and he confirmed they were torn.
Why don't doctors research these drugs before they prescribe them? However, my new doctor told me they were getting ready to black-box Levaquin and Cipro—he knew this drug was to blame for all my injuries.
I was active before this drug did a number on me. I used to do stuff and take care of the farm. It's like it sucked the life right out of me. Sometimes the pain gets so bad at night—I'm tired all the time and in the morning I often wake up in spasms—I wake my husband up screaming in pain. There is longevity in my family and no arthritis, but I sure don't want to live to be even 70 with the pain I'm enduring.
Some doctors will just think I am too old or something else is causing it. I was 60 when this happened and it's certainly put a damper on my retirement.
And it isn't about time doctors knew about these horrible side effects? They never told me of Levaquin's side effects in the hospital. Patient Bill of Rights be damned! They don't tell you anything, especially when you go into emergency. And I am on Medicare (Medi-care-less) so it's even worse.
I got a call from the LawyersandSettlements lawyer and it looks like I will go forward with a lawsuit-- if I am within the statute of limitations. I want this story told. And I suspect it has done even more damage. When I read about other people it was heartbreaking but at the same time it helped me a lot, knowing what is causing damaged tendons, knowing I am not alone."