Hi John,

First let me thank you for your work you are doing to get the word out about the dangers of Levaquin ( Levofloxacin ). I wish I had known about them 2 years ago. Things would be different now. I was given Levaquin 6 times in 10 months (1 in the hospital IV). The last time was last April. Also, let me say that some of these times were given by simply calling the doctor’s office and saying I thought I had a sinus infection or cold. Not long after I finished the Levaquin last April, my right knee started hurting. Went to the doctor and was told it was bursitis and needed a shot of cortizone. No problem, right? Two weeks later was getting ready to go to work and something popped in my right knee. The pain was so bad I had to have my husband and mother help me get ready and go to my doctor’s office. I had to stay in the truck while my husband went in and was told he was too busy to see me. Handed him an order for a MRI 5 days later. Headed to a walk in clinic. All they could do was help me control the pain until I could see my doctor in a week. Claimed they couldn’t see anything on the MRI. Go see an orthopedic. He couldn’t see anything, or so he said, except what he considered to be the start of cellulitis on my legs. Suffered for 2 1/2 months until I saw another orthopedic. His PA found a torn meniscus of the right knee. He was going to fix it but first he wanted to check the fluid in the knee for infection because of the legs. So while the needle is in the leg decided he would give me something for pain. Yes, it was another cortizone shot! Before I could have the knee fixed the next week, my right leg broke out in what looked like I had been scalded. Fought that for for almost 2 months until I was put in the hospital in October. The pain was almost unbearable. Finally was able to go home but not able to work. I am a hairdresser and I tried to work 3 half days and could hardly walk. Luckily in June I had applied to disability thinking there was no way I would be approved and I would have to fight for it. To my surprise they approved me with no problems at all. So I have had to give up my business and something I loved to do and fought to build up. End of story – no way. Infection stayed away about 2 weeks at the most and came back with a vengance. The end of January, my husband brought me to a military emergency room. I don’t remember too much of it because they had me pretty well knocked out. All I know is that they told me the military doctor was very worried about my heart and kidneys. He called around and finally found a hospital that would take me and had me transferred by ambulance. Another week’s stay with IV antibiotics and wound care and an infection specialist. Found out it was MRSA (staph aureus) and pseudononas type of infection. Released me home after begging after they put in a PICC line so I could receive antibiotics at home 2 times a day for almost 3 weeks then by mouth for a month. I’ve been about a week and a half off of them now and have my fingers crossed. My legs are permanently scarred from mid-calf to ankles and the skin is very hard. Also, have neuropathy in the right leg now. I believe Levaquin has done something to my heart, lungs and kidneys. The test results seem to point to that. The pain in the joints are at times unbearable. I’m under pain management. I feel no one can have that much infection in their body and not be harmed. I was over dosed on Levaquin for nonsense stuff which left me open to any infection that came along. I know it won’t get better. When I was still able to work I told all my clients to be careful of Levaquin and the other quinolones. I actually had a few who had taken it and had side effects. I told them to call their doctors and find out for sure if they took it and be careful of tendon ruptures. Also, document with pictures. I know I did. I took pictures every week showing my legs and the awful looking ulcers. Have spent a fortune in bandages and dressings. The draining was continueous and a lot of it.

Well, I’d better close for now. Thank you again for your work for us. Hopefully we will get justice for what has been taken away from us.