Levaquin 500mg
my sinus infection didnt go away w/ standard antibiotics, so my DR put me on what he termed the "sledgehammer antiobiotic", Levaquin 500mg, one time daily for 10 days. i am currently in day 7 (3 more once daily doses to go to fini****).
about 4 - 5 days into it, i started experiencing fairly significant flank pain (im thinking kidneys). ive been taking tylenol which mitigates it, but i just wondered if anyone else experienced that while taking it.
about 4 - 5 days into it, i started experiencing fairly significant flank pain (im thinking kidneys). ive been taking tylenol which mitigates it, but i just wondered if anyone else experienced that while taking it.
I have taken levaquin about a few dozen times for sinus infections over the years and a few times for complicated bladder infections and never had flank pain as a result from the drug.
If you have significant flank pain, you need to get checked out - we are at risk for kidney stones but due to high oxylate levels, dehydration and there are many other possibiltes. Do you take topamax? they cause kidney stones also? are you taking calcium carbonate instead of calcium citrate? carbonate causes kidney stones. You need a CT of your ab and pelvis but no oral or IV constast. I just had one the other day - constrast blocks kidney stones. some stones can be seen on xrays but nott all of them
If you have significant flank pain, you need to get checked out - we are at risk for kidney stones but due to high oxylate levels, dehydration and there are many other possibiltes. Do you take topamax? they cause kidney stones also? are you taking calcium carbonate instead of calcium citrate? carbonate causes kidney stones. You need a CT of your ab and pelvis but no oral or IV constast. I just had one the other day - constrast blocks kidney stones. some stones can be seen on xrays but nott all of them
i asked the pharmacist this weekend. he asked about hydration too since levaquin can cause "crystalization of urine" (whatever that is) - but i could float most places i drink so much, usually around 150 oz of non-carbonated, non-caffienated fluids per day.
i dont take topamax. the only other thing im "on" besides my regular RNY vitamins - multi, extra b complex, b sublingual, calcium citrate (never carbonate since its useless for us) - is the diflucan
i have NO other symptoms associated with crystalization of urine or kidney stones or anything. my urine output is normal, no pain when trying to urinate, no funky color/smell, etc. literally EVERYTHING is completely normal but for this flank pain.
i dont take topamax. the only other thing im "on" besides my regular RNY vitamins - multi, extra b complex, b sublingual, calcium citrate (never carbonate since its useless for us) - is the diflucan
i have NO other symptoms associated with crystalization of urine or kidney stones or anything. my urine output is normal, no pain when trying to urinate, no funky color/smell, etc. literally EVERYTHING is completely normal but for this flank pain.
that is part of what I listed - dehydration (or lack of hydration ) causing crystalization of the urine (kidney stones) - I sure wish they would english with patients. Not all of understand medical terms.
It is imperitive that we drink atleast 60-80 ounces of fluids per day and when you are on an antibiotic, you need to drink even more. 150 ounces is alot and should certainly be enough but it needs to be no caffeine in the count - for every 16 ounces of caffeine - you need to add another 8 ounces of non caffeine.
My next question - I herniated a disc recently and thought it was weird that I had no back pain, just the hip pain and it was radiating really bad down the leg but my back didnt hurt at all but I did have right sided flank pain. I didnt think anything of that since that is where my residual kidney stones are. Well, the last few weeks the flank pain got worse and I saw my urologist so just to be sure, she sent me for a CT and amazingly, the stones are almost gone - so, the "FLANK PAIN" that I have been feeling is actually pain from my herniated disc since it has hernated to the right side and it is a disc in the upper lumbar region. When I had my epidural last week, that was the exact spot it hurt the next day adn the same spot the bandaid was. Now about 5 days later the pain is goine
SO, after all that - my question is - do you have actual back problems - arthritis or disc troubles? That could be the problems and you dont realize it. If not, you should go to your PCP and let them know - if it isn't your back, flank pain should be checked out. Maybe a simple urinaysis to check for blood and protein is usually the first test for stones. If positive, then they usually do a CT and KUB - xray of the kidneys/ ureters and bladder.
as far as your supplements - what about carbonyl iron with vitamin C, dry vitamin D3, ? THese are all essential. I dont want to get personal, but how long have you been on the difflucan? I also take it periodically periodically get yeast in urine but it is dangerous to take long term - it is very toxic on the liver. My doctors usually give it to me for 10 days or 2 weeks at a time which is usually enough to erraticate it temporarily but unfortunately it seems to come back. I wish I could take it longer but they wont give it to me. I am going to go to a different doctor to see if I can get a prescription for a little longer or atleast refills when I feel it coming back - I get really back diarhea and sure enough my next urinalysis come back positive for yeast - very strange.
I really hope this helps and if you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
It is imperitive that we drink atleast 60-80 ounces of fluids per day and when you are on an antibiotic, you need to drink even more. 150 ounces is alot and should certainly be enough but it needs to be no caffeine in the count - for every 16 ounces of caffeine - you need to add another 8 ounces of non caffeine.
My next question - I herniated a disc recently and thought it was weird that I had no back pain, just the hip pain and it was radiating really bad down the leg but my back didnt hurt at all but I did have right sided flank pain. I didnt think anything of that since that is where my residual kidney stones are. Well, the last few weeks the flank pain got worse and I saw my urologist so just to be sure, she sent me for a CT and amazingly, the stones are almost gone - so, the "FLANK PAIN" that I have been feeling is actually pain from my herniated disc since it has hernated to the right side and it is a disc in the upper lumbar region. When I had my epidural last week, that was the exact spot it hurt the next day adn the same spot the bandaid was. Now about 5 days later the pain is goine
SO, after all that - my question is - do you have actual back problems - arthritis or disc troubles? That could be the problems and you dont realize it. If not, you should go to your PCP and let them know - if it isn't your back, flank pain should be checked out. Maybe a simple urinaysis to check for blood and protein is usually the first test for stones. If positive, then they usually do a CT and KUB - xray of the kidneys/ ureters and bladder.
as far as your supplements - what about carbonyl iron with vitamin C, dry vitamin D3, ? THese are all essential. I dont want to get personal, but how long have you been on the difflucan? I also take it periodically periodically get yeast in urine but it is dangerous to take long term - it is very toxic on the liver. My doctors usually give it to me for 10 days or 2 weeks at a time which is usually enough to erraticate it temporarily but unfortunately it seems to come back. I wish I could take it longer but they wont give it to me. I am going to go to a different doctor to see if I can get a prescription for a little longer or atleast refills when I feel it coming back - I get really back diarhea and sure enough my next urinalysis come back positive for yeast - very strange.
I really hope this helps and if you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
thanks for responding & dont worry about getting personal (i think we all pretty much give up that right regarding our medical issues when we sign on here & talk about them in front of god & everybody LOL)
i only drink non-carbonated, non-caffinated beverages. when i have (only 2 times so far in my post-RNY life) been caught where i "had" to drink coffee w/ caffeine in it, i did what i have always heard is the proper way to "allot" for caffeine with regards to hydration (RNY or normal non-WLS person) - for every ounce of "caffinated" beverage i drink, i subtract an ounce of fluid off whatever other fluid i had that day & dont count the caffeinated beverage in my total at all. example:
140 ounces water
8 ounces caff coffee
my total for that day's fluids would be 132 (140 oz - 8 oz) because my research regarding hydration says never count carbonated or caffinated beverages towards your fluid for the day AND since they are both diuretics (they make u pee more) to actually count them AGAINST your fluid for the day . some people may say that's over-compensating, but i dont have to worry that im not getting enough that way, so it works for me. but i digress.
i have no back problems at all (that i know of - i dont do heavy lifting or have a strenuous job or anything like that)
i used to be on prescription iron a couple of years ago when i got anemic for a little while, but i started having side effects (severe lethargy - which believe it or not can be a side effect of iron supplements) so i was taken off it. my iron levels have been great without it since then, so i never went back on it.
i dont take dry vitamin D3, but my bloodwork (part of which specifically draws the D3 level) is fine. i used to do a D vitamin (my surgeon prescribed it) for the first year or so post-op, but stopped it and my levels have stayed great without it. (my diet is pretty healthy though.)
ive actually never had diflucan in my LIFE until about 3 weeks ago. i got what i suspect is a candida yeast infection in my armpits (yes, it can happen there). i have actually never had a vaginal yeast infection in my life - so i didnt know what it felt like. when the itching in my armpits got intolerable, i started researching what it could be online (since i had NO other symptoms & no visible rash & im a very clean person - i had no clue). i had the DR call me in diflucan for that & took 3 tablets (at which time the armpit itch went away). now being on the regular antibiotic (which didnt work to get rid of the sinus infection), then being put on levaquin 500 mg per day, i worried it would come back so had them give me another Rx of diflucan to take with it. (i took 1 pill, then waited 2 days, then took 1 more, then waited 3 days, then took the last of the 3 diflucan pills.) so i had 3 pills 3 days in a row about a month ago. then i had these 3 pills spread out like that (the last of which i took either sunday or monday i forget).
and it may BE the diflucan that caused the pain (in which case it will surely go away now since im not taking it). i wouldnt know since ive never had it before that 2 - 3 weeks ago. BUT they did give me 1 refill on the diflucan since im on a full 10 days of the levaquin & i DO plan to refill it as soon as i completely finish (in 2 days) the levaquin since my armpits are still itching. but i want to be totally off the antibiotic before i take the refill of diflucan so i can be sure it will work!
i only drink non-carbonated, non-caffinated beverages. when i have (only 2 times so far in my post-RNY life) been caught where i "had" to drink coffee w/ caffeine in it, i did what i have always heard is the proper way to "allot" for caffeine with regards to hydration (RNY or normal non-WLS person) - for every ounce of "caffinated" beverage i drink, i subtract an ounce of fluid off whatever other fluid i had that day & dont count the caffeinated beverage in my total at all. example:
140 ounces water
8 ounces caff coffee
my total for that day's fluids would be 132 (140 oz - 8 oz) because my research regarding hydration says never count carbonated or caffinated beverages towards your fluid for the day AND since they are both diuretics (they make u pee more) to actually count them AGAINST your fluid for the day . some people may say that's over-compensating, but i dont have to worry that im not getting enough that way, so it works for me. but i digress.
i have no back problems at all (that i know of - i dont do heavy lifting or have a strenuous job or anything like that)
i used to be on prescription iron a couple of years ago when i got anemic for a little while, but i started having side effects (severe lethargy - which believe it or not can be a side effect of iron supplements) so i was taken off it. my iron levels have been great without it since then, so i never went back on it.
i dont take dry vitamin D3, but my bloodwork (part of which specifically draws the D3 level) is fine. i used to do a D vitamin (my surgeon prescribed it) for the first year or so post-op, but stopped it and my levels have stayed great without it. (my diet is pretty healthy though.)
ive actually never had diflucan in my LIFE until about 3 weeks ago. i got what i suspect is a candida yeast infection in my armpits (yes, it can happen there). i have actually never had a vaginal yeast infection in my life - so i didnt know what it felt like. when the itching in my armpits got intolerable, i started researching what it could be online (since i had NO other symptoms & no visible rash & im a very clean person - i had no clue). i had the DR call me in diflucan for that & took 3 tablets (at which time the armpit itch went away). now being on the regular antibiotic (which didnt work to get rid of the sinus infection), then being put on levaquin 500 mg per day, i worried it would come back so had them give me another Rx of diflucan to take with it. (i took 1 pill, then waited 2 days, then took 1 more, then waited 3 days, then took the last of the 3 diflucan pills.) so i had 3 pills 3 days in a row about a month ago. then i had these 3 pills spread out like that (the last of which i took either sunday or monday i forget).
and it may BE the diflucan that caused the pain (in which case it will surely go away now since im not taking it). i wouldnt know since ive never had it before that 2 - 3 weeks ago. BUT they did give me 1 refill on the diflucan since im on a full 10 days of the levaquin & i DO plan to refill it as soon as i completely finish (in 2 days) the levaquin since my armpits are still itching. but i want to be totally off the antibiotic before i take the refill of diflucan so i can be sure it will work!
I agree with the caffeine beverages but there is nothing wrong with caronation other than recent post ops have trouble drinking them due to pain from the bubble. They dont cause dehydration.
You need to be really careful not taking any iron or vitamin D - do you have any copies of your labs? If not, do yourself and me a favor and call your doctor the one that did your last set of labs and ask for a copy. Many times our doctors tell us all is fine when in fact we aren't. As post ops, we need to be at optimal levels not just borderline which our doctors will tell us we are fine when we are borderline = that can be very dangerous for us due to our malabsorbtion.
Most prescription irons have the wrong type of iron with not enough vitamin C to absorb it properly anded other things in it that aren't needed for us. The iron in them are usually very harsh on the stomach which can cause severe stomach pain, constipation in addition to us not being able to absorb it. It is more likely that the lethargy that you felt is from lack of iron and possibly other vitamins or minerals rather than too much iron. IT is possible that at the same time you could have had low B12, hypothyroid, low vitamin D - these can all cause severe fatigue, even lethargy. If you are borderline in all of these at the same time, you could be at risk.
Vitamin D- the range is 30-100 which we want to be up at around 80-100 to be protected from osteoporosis and other diseases. It is very important to have a good D level. Unfortunately, most doctors tell us that our levels are fine when we go barely above 30. This is a big problem for us - our bones can survive with vitamin D levels of 30. With our malabsorbtion, we need much higher levels to protect our bones. This is why we must take a minimum of 1500-2000mg of calcium citrate per day and depending on your D level - high doses of vitamin D. 75% of the population is vitamin D deficient and the obese population is even higher. It is also recommended for all of us to get PTH levels drawn with our calcium and D to see how the bones are doing and have a baseline DEXA scan at 1 year out and then yearly if osteopenia or osteoporosis is diagnosed or else every 2 years. This is essential for your bone health.
for the itching - I hate to say this doesnt sound like candida - candida is a yeast infection and you would see some redness and probably white stuff. Yes, the armpits is a possible place due to moisture but if there is no obvious rash or white stuff - it isn't candida - you would need to culture it to be sure. I get it in my urine and I know because it is cultured. People get yeast in the vagina and they know from the cottage cheese like growth.
Treating with diflucan is supposed to be used - for vaginal infections - 1 pill - 100mg and that is it. For urine yeast infections - only that are cultured positive (can be very serious) are either 100mg for 14 days, some take 200mg for 10 days.
Taking a pill every few days, I am not quite sure what that is supposed to do - if you are taking it to work - you need to take the entire prescription - taking it and then stopping, and then starting and then stopping only gives what ever it is a chance to multiply.
I really recommend you going to a dermatologist to see what it is. There are alot of different types of itching conditions that it could be - it could just be an irritation from a new detergent - are you using a new antiperspirant? I remember years ago, I had terrible itching and it turned out I was allergic to the roll - on I was using. This is actually a really good option - you might want to change brands or buy an unscented one to see if that helps.
You need to be really careful not taking any iron or vitamin D - do you have any copies of your labs? If not, do yourself and me a favor and call your doctor the one that did your last set of labs and ask for a copy. Many times our doctors tell us all is fine when in fact we aren't. As post ops, we need to be at optimal levels not just borderline which our doctors will tell us we are fine when we are borderline = that can be very dangerous for us due to our malabsorbtion.
Most prescription irons have the wrong type of iron with not enough vitamin C to absorb it properly anded other things in it that aren't needed for us. The iron in them are usually very harsh on the stomach which can cause severe stomach pain, constipation in addition to us not being able to absorb it. It is more likely that the lethargy that you felt is from lack of iron and possibly other vitamins or minerals rather than too much iron. IT is possible that at the same time you could have had low B12, hypothyroid, low vitamin D - these can all cause severe fatigue, even lethargy. If you are borderline in all of these at the same time, you could be at risk.
Vitamin D- the range is 30-100 which we want to be up at around 80-100 to be protected from osteoporosis and other diseases. It is very important to have a good D level. Unfortunately, most doctors tell us that our levels are fine when we go barely above 30. This is a big problem for us - our bones can survive with vitamin D levels of 30. With our malabsorbtion, we need much higher levels to protect our bones. This is why we must take a minimum of 1500-2000mg of calcium citrate per day and depending on your D level - high doses of vitamin D. 75% of the population is vitamin D deficient and the obese population is even higher. It is also recommended for all of us to get PTH levels drawn with our calcium and D to see how the bones are doing and have a baseline DEXA scan at 1 year out and then yearly if osteopenia or osteoporosis is diagnosed or else every 2 years. This is essential for your bone health.
for the itching - I hate to say this doesnt sound like candida - candida is a yeast infection and you would see some redness and probably white stuff. Yes, the armpits is a possible place due to moisture but if there is no obvious rash or white stuff - it isn't candida - you would need to culture it to be sure. I get it in my urine and I know because it is cultured. People get yeast in the vagina and they know from the cottage cheese like growth.
Treating with diflucan is supposed to be used - for vaginal infections - 1 pill - 100mg and that is it. For urine yeast infections - only that are cultured positive (can be very serious) are either 100mg for 14 days, some take 200mg for 10 days.
Taking a pill every few days, I am not quite sure what that is supposed to do - if you are taking it to work - you need to take the entire prescription - taking it and then stopping, and then starting and then stopping only gives what ever it is a chance to multiply.
I really recommend you going to a dermatologist to see what it is. There are alot of different types of itching conditions that it could be - it could just be an irritation from a new detergent - are you using a new antiperspirant? I remember years ago, I had terrible itching and it turned out I was allergic to the roll - on I was using. This is actually a really good option - you might want to change brands or buy an unscented one to see if that helps.
regarding caffeine/carbonation/dehydration/diuretic
some researchers DO believe caffeinated beverages are a diuretic. since the majority of WLS post-ops that regain their weight had gone back on carbonated & caffeinated beverages, i err on the side of caution and drink neither. (i have drank 2 cups of caffeinated coffee in the 3 + years since my surgery, but i have never drank a carbonated beverage).
again, at 150 oz of fluid a day, hydration is NOT my problem.
regarding vitamins/deficiencies:
im no vitamin dummy - i have literally taught the class on vitamins to our WLS post-op support group a couple of times n the past bcause i did more research than pretty much anyone we know on vitamins (but u wouldnt know that about me on here unless u had been around when i posted regularly years ago).
i read (& used to have) a copy of the article the ASMBS put out a view years ago about what WLS surgeons RECOMMEND as opposed to what we should REALLY take. so i take 2000 mg of calcium a day (2 pills @ 500 mg total, 4 times daily, spread evenly throughout the day). again, i have more an education than a lot of post-ops. my vitamin levels are all good.
i do what i recommend other post-ops do, i ALWAYS get a copy of my labs sent to me, plug them into an excel spreadsheet & track my own vitamin levels so, in addition to my #s, i can track any upward or downward trends & prevent any deficiencies BEFORE they happen.
so i am POSITIVE that i am not deficient on anything. in addition to my regular bloodwork (which i have drawn every 3 months instead of 6 due to elevated liver enzymes my liver specialist wants to monitor), ive had a bone scan & my bones look great!
all my thyroid tests are also completely normal as well.
regarding the itching/yeast infection:
i saw the DR and the NP (at seperate times over the last month). they examined my armpits & listened to my symptoms. both prescribed diflucan. the itch went away 100% after being on the diflucan for just 24 hours. so evidence would suggest it is, in fact, a yeast infection since the treatment my DR prescirbed & gave me after examining me worked.
and actually, according to the research i did on my OWN regarding armpit itch w/ no visible rash, etc - candida came up as the prime suspect on MOST websites. if ull do ur research on candida, when u get a candida yeast infection in ur bowels/insides, it can manifest itself as horrendous itching ANYWHERE on the body with NO VISIBLE rash. so u r completely mistaken on the "you would see some redness and probably white stuff".
n actually diflucan can be used to treat ANY type yeast infection or even used as a preventative when taking high-dose antibiotics (which i currently am) to keep from getting a yeast infection. (both my DR & my own research shows this). (im a very PRO-ACTIVE patient who never blindly believes what ANY dr tells me until i research it for myself which i advise EVERYONE to do.)
the taking the pill every few days is what the prescription called for since it is supposed to be a preventative now. sometimes, people even in the hospital, are only given 1 diflucan pill to cure their yeast infections - so 1 every few days is supposed to prevent or at least mitigate a yeast infection. and yes lol, i took the entire prescription & as i have already said in my posts above, plan to get it refilled as soon as i finish the antibiotic.
if the yeast infection does not go away after my round of diflucan im going to do when i finish my antibiotic, i am going to see a dermatologist. unless i have had a rapid onset allergy to my soap, detergent or antiperspirant, it is not that since ive used the same products for over 20 years now with no trouble. but i know that can happen to people occassionally, so i had planned on visiting a dermatologist if the armpit itch didnt improve on the diflucan.
thanks
wen
some researchers DO believe caffeinated beverages are a diuretic. since the majority of WLS post-ops that regain their weight had gone back on carbonated & caffeinated beverages, i err on the side of caution and drink neither. (i have drank 2 cups of caffeinated coffee in the 3 + years since my surgery, but i have never drank a carbonated beverage).
again, at 150 oz of fluid a day, hydration is NOT my problem.
regarding vitamins/deficiencies:
im no vitamin dummy - i have literally taught the class on vitamins to our WLS post-op support group a couple of times n the past bcause i did more research than pretty much anyone we know on vitamins (but u wouldnt know that about me on here unless u had been around when i posted regularly years ago).
i read (& used to have) a copy of the article the ASMBS put out a view years ago about what WLS surgeons RECOMMEND as opposed to what we should REALLY take. so i take 2000 mg of calcium a day (2 pills @ 500 mg total, 4 times daily, spread evenly throughout the day). again, i have more an education than a lot of post-ops. my vitamin levels are all good.
i do what i recommend other post-ops do, i ALWAYS get a copy of my labs sent to me, plug them into an excel spreadsheet & track my own vitamin levels so, in addition to my #s, i can track any upward or downward trends & prevent any deficiencies BEFORE they happen.
so i am POSITIVE that i am not deficient on anything. in addition to my regular bloodwork (which i have drawn every 3 months instead of 6 due to elevated liver enzymes my liver specialist wants to monitor), ive had a bone scan & my bones look great!
all my thyroid tests are also completely normal as well.
regarding the itching/yeast infection:
i saw the DR and the NP (at seperate times over the last month). they examined my armpits & listened to my symptoms. both prescribed diflucan. the itch went away 100% after being on the diflucan for just 24 hours. so evidence would suggest it is, in fact, a yeast infection since the treatment my DR prescirbed & gave me after examining me worked.
and actually, according to the research i did on my OWN regarding armpit itch w/ no visible rash, etc - candida came up as the prime suspect on MOST websites. if ull do ur research on candida, when u get a candida yeast infection in ur bowels/insides, it can manifest itself as horrendous itching ANYWHERE on the body with NO VISIBLE rash. so u r completely mistaken on the "you would see some redness and probably white stuff".
n actually diflucan can be used to treat ANY type yeast infection or even used as a preventative when taking high-dose antibiotics (which i currently am) to keep from getting a yeast infection. (both my DR & my own research shows this). (im a very PRO-ACTIVE patient who never blindly believes what ANY dr tells me until i research it for myself which i advise EVERYONE to do.)
the taking the pill every few days is what the prescription called for since it is supposed to be a preventative now. sometimes, people even in the hospital, are only given 1 diflucan pill to cure their yeast infections - so 1 every few days is supposed to prevent or at least mitigate a yeast infection. and yes lol, i took the entire prescription & as i have already said in my posts above, plan to get it refilled as soon as i finish the antibiotic.
if the yeast infection does not go away after my round of diflucan im going to do when i finish my antibiotic, i am going to see a dermatologist. unless i have had a rapid onset allergy to my soap, detergent or antiperspirant, it is not that since ive used the same products for over 20 years now with no trouble. but i know that can happen to people occassionally, so i had planned on visiting a dermatologist if the armpit itch didnt improve on the diflucan.
thanks
wen
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