I had a suspected UTI and was given a prescription for CIPRO (was not tested for UTI). After taking seven days of CIPRO, I still had symptoms of UTI and was given a prescription for LEVAQUIN. I had taken the first pill, no problems. I took the second pill and went to bed. I was up and out of bed within five minutes with extreme pain in my wrists. The tendons were pulling so hard I thought they were going to bust. I was in the ER ten minutes later, no testing of any kind was done. I informed ER physician of what I had taken. He (Dr. Carver) said you have carpel tunnel, see a surgeon on Monday. I told him I had not been doing anything for carpel tunnel pain and from what I knew about carpel tunnel it does not appear with that pain intensity in five minutes. He offered me a prescription for oxycodone which I did not have filled. The next morning after a night of hell in pain, I got up and put my previous day together. The only thing different was LEVAQUIN. I went to the pharmacy and asked for all information they had on LEVAQUIN. Right there at the top “possible tendon rupture” … this was not at the top of the paper that came with my prescription.
My life has never been the same. I have no life. The tendon problems moved to my feet, ankles. Within a week a had neuropathy in my feet so bad I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t take the pain. The neuropathy spread to my hands that week. Back to the physician, he gave me oxycodone. A year later, neuropathy ruled my life and I had spent most of the year in bed. I was sick all the time. My shoulders froze up. My primary care physician hospitalized me, the neuropathy pain was out of control, I had been sick for a year with total exhaustion (for no reason), and now my shoulders froze and I couldn’t hold a glass.
She had x-rays of my neck taken, I had six severely herniated discs. I had never had problems with my neck. I had previous xrays showing nothing wrong with my neck. C3,C4,C5,C6,C7 She could find nothing else wrong with me other than the pain in my feet, swelling in my feet and hands 24/7, and my newly herniated discs. After a few days, I was sent home with a follow-up appointment in three weeks, aqua therapy for my neck (six months), and she continued the oxycodone my other physician had been writing scripts for. She passed away.
My other physician keep writing oxycodone prescriptions for the next three years until he retired. I had been a patient for many years, he knew I was terrified of addiction, but I couldn’t take the pain. For the next three years, I was sick all the time, in bed 24/7, often couldn’t get to the shower. No more walks in the park, no more walking down the block, no more vacations, no more driving, no more making plans, NO MORE LIFE. The pain, exhaustion, and general sickness ruled my life.
My husband had been doing all household chores besides fulltime job. He is very patient, more so than I am at this point. I had a new PCP and she referred me to a pain management specialist, he has treated me for neuropathy.
Two years ago (2013) I read about CIPRO and LEVAQUIN and the lives they were destroying. It was like reading my own life story.
So It’s been 5 1/2 years of miserable pain, years in bed, lost vacations, missed weddings, missed EVERYTHING because I could barely walk, was sick with who knows what, couldn’t wear shoes on my hugely swollen feet as it made the pain worse.
I’ve lost my family and friends, except for my husband. No one else wants to be around a sick person that no one knows why I’m sick. If they haven’t been POISONED with CIPRO and LEVAQUIN how could they understand???
I’ve just found a new physician that will work with me on detoxing my body from what these FDA ALLOWED PRESCRIPTIONS have poisoned me with. I don’t expect to get better. I was poisoned for three years before I knew what was wrong with me and it took two more years to find a physician that believed me. By now, I’ve met THOUSANDS of people like me online that have been poisoned with these antibiotics.
I’ve read the report where the European physicians new in 1991 that CIPRO was poisoning their patients and requested the US maker at least put a BLACK BOX WARNING on the prescriptions. The unethical testing the US company had their sister company prepare. But, we all know it was all about MONEY!!! CIPRO WAS A MONEY MAKER.
For those that have taken their lives after being poisoned from these antibiotics, those of us that struggle each day searching for a cure, I write this letter. There are many other symptoms, illnesses, but then you know about those!!!!
I hate BIG PHARMA, FDA, the people that lobby to keep these antibiotics on the market and prescribed for simple things. I wouldn’t take another one for a life threatening illness. But then I have no life!!! I know it could be worse, I see it in other people.
I do hope that you and your children are poisoned with these antibiotics so you will believe these stories. How else will they be removed from the market?????? I have no compassion for you. You have taken my life from me.

Remember me!! when your children are sick for years and in unbearable pain (that there is no physical reason for)…but, oh they were given CIPRO, LEVAQUIN, OR AVELOX.

REMEMBER ME!! I can’t forget you, I’m 57 and my life has been over for almost six years thanks to you.

REMEMBER ME!!

Terry L.