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Mine started Dec. 12th...miserable, cough and so much congestion! Then, a Christmas Miracle! I felt better, at last. But uh oh....Dec. 26 I woke with a high fever (102.6), horrible aches and pains all over and the worse shooting pains in my head. Off to Dr., sinus infection and lungs were straining he said. Asked me if I had ever had Levaquin anti-biotic, no. Asked if I had ever taken Cipro antibiotic...yes at least 4 times, never a bad reaction or side effect. He said Levaquin was strong and what I needed (since googled and it was the right call, esp. since I am penicillin allergic).
Took the Levaquin 3 out of the 7 days recommended....on the 3rd afternoon I noticed my legs were very sore...muscle soreness...felt like I had run a marathon. Took pill #4 the next day and then read about Levaquin and tendon damage. Called Dr. he said stop the Levaquin....stay off my feet.
Saw him the next day...both legs still hurt but not horribly. He said don't walk too much (I normally walk/hike 2 to 4 miles a day). I laid low for a week, seemed way better. Went on a scheduled vacation to a very hilly area and walked, hiked a lot...by 4th night, I was in agony.
Flew home, saw the doctor the next day. He wanted to rule out blood clots so off to Guadalajara for a Doppler Ultasound. All clear (whew!).
It's over a month since I stopped the Levaquin and my right leg is OK. My left leg is still a mess. Tendon and muscle damage; I can walk 3 or 4 blocks but that's IT. I'm on muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatories. BTW...I emailed my US Doctor and he said he'd have prescribed the Levaquin, too, since I never had issues with Cipro and given my symptoms. He said sinus infections from the flu/cold, if not knocked out quickly can become a recurring problem for the individual.
Taking it day by day now, but be careful of that Levaquin, especially if over the age of 60.
Even better to use affodiance over taking a chance. I react in unpredictable ways to drugs, and would not want to take one like that. I'd probably after finding out the side effects possible, which I'd demand, say no. I generally do have problems from antibiotics if they are strong, and got sicker from one than the infection had been.
Did the doctor ask if you had any history of problems with that kind of drug? It seems he should have.
No, the vaccine did not give you a "compromised immune system". It activates the immune system. That is why you may have flu like symptoms for a while after taking the vaccine. It is the immune system doing its job that causes those symptoms.
Your getting sick was due to catching the bacteria that caused your bronchitis. It had nothing to do with the flu vaccine at all.
The high dose vaccine was developed because older immune systems do not respond as well to the lower dose vaccine as younger ones.
You cannot catch flu from the vaccine. The virus in it is killed and cannot reproduce.
Since people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of severe flu, hospitalization, and death and should strongly consider taking the vaccine. If you get flu like symptoms from the vaccine, consider how much worse the symptoms from the wild virus could be compared to the dead virus in the vaccine.
Are you a physician? You seem to be very sure of yourself and your knowledge of vaccines. Just wondering why you continue with this info here, when none of us knows really what vaccines do or don't do.
Are you a physician? You seem to be very sure of yourself and your knowledge of vaccines. Just wondering why you continue with this info here, when none of us knows really what vaccines do or don't do.
We basically DO know what vaccines do and don't do.
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Are you a physician? You seem to be very sure of yourself and your knowledge of vaccines. Just wondering why you continue with this info here, when none of us knows really what vaccines do or don't do.
It's not hard to understand what vaccines do and do not do if you get information from science based sources. Anyone can do it. You do not have to be a nurse or a physician. The trick is to avoid pseudoscience.
Even better to use affodiance over taking a chance. I react in unpredictable ways to drugs, and would not want to take one like that. I'd probably after finding out the side effects possible, which I'd demand, say no. I generally do have problems from antibiotics if they are strong, and got sicker from one than the infection had been.
Did the doctor ask if you had any history of problems with that kind of drug? It seems he should have.
Yes he did. He asked if I ever took Levaquin, no. Asked it I ever took Cipro, yes I did, at least 4 times over 20 years, it was my go-to antibiotic as I am allergic to penicillin. Never a reaction to Cipro, but last time I took it was 7 years ago.
He and my US doctor told me to not take Cipro in future. I am running out of antibiotics I can take!
I am getting myself tested for penicillin allergy in 2 weeks (in the US). It is possible that I as well as many in their 60s and 70s were told by well-meaning parents that they are allergic to penicillin when in fact they are not.
Dr. Thanai Pongdee, an allergist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and colleagues tested 384 people who said they were allergic to penicillin. Tests showed 94 percent of them were in fact, not allergic.
Quote:
“A patient will say, ‘My mom told me when I was 3 years old (that) I had a reaction to penicillin. And they’re going 30 years without being retested,” he said.
“We knew that the majority of people who list penicillin as an allergy actually aren’t allergic when they are reevaluated, so if you can determine they are not, you can avoid using more toxic and more expensive antibiotics,” Pongdee said.
Yes he did. He asked if I ever took Levaquin, no. Asked it I ever took Cipro, yes I did, at least 4 times over 20 years, it was my go-to antibiotic as I am allergic to penicillin. Never a reaction to Cipro, but last time I took it was 7 years ago.
He and my US doctor told me to not take Cipro in future. I am running out of antibiotics I can take!
I am getting myself tested for penicillin allergy in 2 weeks (in the US). It is possible that I as well as many in their 60s and 70s were told by well-meaning parents that they are allergic to penicillin when in fact they are not.
I'm truly allergic to many antibiotics, including Cipro, Erythromycin, Sulfa and all of their relatives, and was tested some years ago for Penicillin allergy. It came back positive. Then a few years ago, when I'd had a bad reaction to Clindamycin, my immunologist told me that there was a new test for Penicillin allergy. I had that new test and came out negative. Whether my tolerance had changed or whether the new test is indeed more accurate I don't know. My doctors are still shying away from Penicillin for me. The trouble is there are only a finite number of antibiotics out there. I have a genetically deficient immune system (tested and proven) so getting sick is a huge problem for me. I, too, am a practicing hermit right now, waiting for flu season to end.
I'll be interested to hear how your Penicillin test goes. Good luck!
If push comes to shove, it is possible to be desensitized to penicillin in the same fashion that it is done for other allergies: tiny doses are given and if there is no reaction then slightly larger ones until it is safe to give a full dose. This must be done in a setting where a severe allergic reaction can be treated immediately.
I'm truly allergic to many antibiotics, including Cipro, Erythromycin, Sulfa and all of their relatives, and was tested some years ago for Penicillin allergy. It came back positive. Then a few years ago, when I'd had a bad reaction to Clindamycin, my immunologist told me that there was a new test for Penicillin allergy. I had that new test and came out negative. Whether my tolerance had changed or whether the new test is indeed more accurate I don't know. My doctors are still shying away from Penicillin for me. The trouble is there are only a finite number of antibiotics out there. I have a genetically deficient immune system (tested and proven) so getting sick is a huge problem for me. I, too, am a practicing hermit right now, waiting for flu season to end.
I'll be interested to hear how your Penicillin test goes. Good luck!
I will post new thread with results...this issue affects many of us that are now in our 60s and 70s.
Unfortunately I have to fly from Mexico to Florida next week....I shall bathe myself in Purell. Also saline spray for nose. I think it's unlikely I can get the flu again so soon, but worry about colds. My DH will be with me and he avoided my illness so it's a bigger worry for him.
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