23 yr old athlete crippled after one dose

by Matt
(Washington, D.C.)

I'm generally jittery about taking medications so after my sudden and severe reaction to ONE dose of cipro 500mg I stopped. This happened one week ago. 1.5 hours after taking the pill, my body went into uncontrollable spasms / convulsions of muscle twitching and tensing --almost went to ER but the spasms began to subside.

I took benadryl for good measure and went to sleep. I woke up feeling completely obliterated. Could not walk for a day, thighs, calves and feet were very weak. Shoulders, facial and neck muscles also very sore. Could not lift arms past my shoulders. Over the next few days, things got a little better and I could almost walk normally again.

However, after about 3 days, progress has hit a plateau. I am still very weak --Cannot drive a car or even stand for more than 20 minutes, cannot walk for more than 5 blocks. Calves, thighs, feet and shoulders are particularly weak. Hands, wrists also in bad shape.

Oddly, I haven't really noticed anything with Achilles tendon. It has now been a week since this happened and I feel devastated by all of the stuff that I've read about it. I'm very fearful that this is now a lifelong thing.

My history: Up until now I have gone for runs every morning and also frequently rowed and played soccer. Physical activity is crucial for my mental fortitude and since I have been cut off I have been very stressed / tense / anxious. I've never had a serious muscle injury before, never broken a bone. I also took one week's worth of Levaquin 3 years ago to get over pneumonia with no symptoms at all. I CANNOT BELIEVE that I can go from being an uninjured, avid athlete, in the prime age to be physically active (23), to feeling like a 90-year-old because of ONE PILL. I want my life back.

I am begging for any advice. My doctor has completely dismissed this and doesn't believe cipro causes what I've experienced. He chalked it up to an allergic reaction (that I'm still recovering from a week later?).

Since my progress hit a plateau I have been particularly worried about never being able to do exercise again. I completely reformed my diet to be heavy on fruits (focus on oranges, blueberries and pineapples), vegetables (focus on spinach, bell peppers, broccoli), nuts (almonds, peanuts), and yogurt. I have been drinking chicken / beef stock. Still don't see anything happening. What can I do? Please help.