Question
I was on levaquin for 8 days and awoke the same way with knee pain. By the next day I also had arm pain. It is a week later and the pain has not eased. My knees are both swollen. Anti inflammatory drugs seem to do nothing. Cold makes the pain worse. Having difficulty weight baring.Will this go away any time soon. Any recommendations for treatment?
Answer
Levaquin and the other quinolone antibiotics such as Cipro can cause a tendinitis and other soft tissue problems but do not cause a true arthritis. Thus your complaints of knee swelling is unusual for a reaction to levaquin. In addition, most cases of tendinitis occur after taking levaquin for prolonged periods of time and generally resolves a few weeks after stopping the medications. You may wish to see a rheumatologist if your symptoms continue.
