Avelox and insurance

Took my first dose on Wednesday 11/12/08, and felt amazing. I could not believe how much better I felt when I got up Thursday morning. Took my second dose around lunch time, and noticed that by Thursday night I wasn't feeling too well. Had a hard time sleeping Thursday night as my legs were bothering me. Called the Dr. this morning, as I felt like I might be having some side effects. Wants to see me tomorrow to make sure I'm not having tendon problems. Legs feel weird...just a rubbery feeling, and some mild pain. Makes me feel like I have to move them. Also, felt jittery upon waking this morning. Can't sleep...wake up at 4:30am - 5:30am and can not get back to sleep. I just want to get well, and they give me a medicine that should not be prescribed unless other antibiotics have not worked, and then be supervised the entire time on the medicine. I am so mad, I can't see straight! Now I have to waste more time, going back to the Dr. (not my usual Dr. BTW...I had to go to a "walk in" clinic because I couldn't get into see my normal Dr. soon enough), so that he can tell me my legs are fine, and write me another stupid presciption! I've been dealing with trying to get some meds for almost a week now! CRAZY! Not to mention this crap is really expensive! $60 for 10 stinkin' pills. Would of been $160 if I didn't have insurance. That's a lot of money down the drain! Guess I'm glad I never took my 3rd dose of this stuff, or I might of done some serious damage! DO NOT TAKE THIS...IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK!!!!!!!!

I'm a 47 yr old male who has constant sinus problems and recently( 2 weeks ago)had a bad sinus infection. I exercise regularly and am in pretty good shape(or so I would like to think). I have never had a bad allergic reaction that I can remember to anything. I was given a 10 day supply of Avelox to clear it up as I was supposed to go in for a sinus operation tomorrow. While I was on the Avelox last time, I don't remember experiencing any significant problems and I wasn't the best patient. I doubled up on doses in the beginning figuring it would work faster, took it on a empty stomach, drank a few beers over the weekend, etc. I went off of it a week ago and then this week I started to feel some cold symptoms coming on. Then yesterday at my pre-op visit my ENT gave me 2 pills (1 per day) to take prior to the surgery to "be on the safe side". I took one at 5 PM last night on an empty stomach and headed off to martial arts class. By the time I got there 20 minutes later I was feeling funny. I tried to work out but I felt lightheaded and had severe stomach pains. Then I had a hard time catching my breath under the slightest exertion. I normally jog 2-3 miles a couple of times a week with no problems so I was concerned. I left class and barely made it home. The only reason I didn't have a full blown anxiety attack was because I have suffered with them for years and recently feel I have been able to control them better. When I got home I was beet red from head to toe and my wife wanted me to go to the ER. I realized that it was a reaction to the Avelox and basically rode it out but it took about 3-4 hrs before I felt better again. I'm still not right today and I canceled my surgery for tomorrow. Now the ENT doctor wants to put me on something else before the surgery and I'm wondering if that's going to cause any problems.

Prescribed avelox for sinus infection, 10 days worth, have taken 5 days, shortness of breath, weakness in limbs, gaseous stomach, Sinus infection feels a little better, but the shortness of breath has me a little worried. Anyone experiencing similar side effects to this medication?

A started taking Avelox Sept 18,2008. The first night I could not get warm. I was freezing. I took my temperature and it was 95.0. This is Sept. 21, 2008. I woke up with bad back pain with associated pain down my leg, anxiety, dizziness, my mouth is so dry I couldn't spit if I were on fire, neck pain and tendinitis type pain in my left elbow (always have it in the right elbow already). I have small bumps all over my hands and my skin, all over my body, is so dry it is peeling. I thought I had some severe illness and then found this and other sites about Avelox. I will NEVER take this crap again. I started with a sinus infection and ended up like this.

IMPORTANT: The reason I went on this pill is that my INSURANCE COMPANY would not pay for sinus surgery unless I was treated for a full month! WTF?

Don't take this medication unless the benefits out-weigh the risks! It is a "last ditch" kind of drug. Did it help my sinus infection? Yes, already, but I will not be taking the next dose.

I had a really bad case of strep throat because I thought it was a cold or flu and didn't go to the doctor for 12 days...but then I finally went because my throat hurt so bad and my glands were so swollen. I don't have insurance and maybe that's why the doctor gave me ten free samples of avelox right off the bat instead of just prescribing penicillin. I took the first dose and I would say my sore throat and swelling were 80% gone within the FIRST THIRTY MINUTES. So, definitely this is a very strong antibiotic compared to the Z-pak (zithromax) I've taken for bronchitis before. It's now day 4 and I have to say I am reluctant to take it for 10 days!! I haven't had any severe reactions, just bloating, diarrhea, dizziness, and some tiredness. And pretty strong nausea for the first hour, so I have been pushing the dose time from 9am to gradually later at night where I am not so sensitive. I am 33yrs old, healthy and eat well usually so I think my strong constitution has kept me from some of the more severe reactions I see above. HOWEVER, I do feel that it's a bit too strong! Surely there must be some way to lower the dosage of this antibiotic? I feel that it's worked well, but it just is too much like a SLEDGEHAMMER!

BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD! I took this drug today and thought i was going to die from a heart attack. I began getting palpitations and then it progressed into a full blown panic attack. Thank god I had some Xanax to bring down the side effects. But now I just feel out of it and foggy. I almost called 911, it was that bad. I felt like I couldn't breathe, like there was something standing on my chest. I called my doctor right away who said they had no other samples, that Avelox was the only thing they are really getting right now. That seems really odd to me that a drug like this is on the market with so much negative press and yet its all our physicians have on hand for people like me with no insurance. PLEASE DONT TAKE THIS DRUG, it is terrible...