Antibiotic causing severe psychosis?

I had been on levofloxacin for ten days. Took the last one last night.

Saw my pdoc yesterday, and it was bad... couldn't talk... managed to write out everything beforehand and communicate that way. Talking about the actual stuff I've been seeing and hearing is terrifying. Don't want retribution...

I was looking up another side effect (edema) and saw that a possible (actual occurrence not documented) side effect is psychosis.

Has anyone had something like this? Like a regular medicine causing psych symptoms? Nobody warned me, even the pharmacy, that knows I take an antipsychotic...

My daughter is allergic to all sulfa-based antibiotics. The way she found out that she is allergic to the drug is because a sulfa-based antibiotic was prescribed to her. She took it as prescribed and immediately had an extremely frightening reaction to it. She became severely anxious, then panicky. It was bad. She was seriously freaking out, not like herself at all (she was in her mid-20's at the time). She was so frantic that she called me and said, Mom something is very wrong. She then called her doctor, who told her she was experiencing an allergic reaction, that she is allergic to sulfa drugs, and should never take them again.

So. What's happening to you could certainly be caused from the antibiotic.

Thanks for the response. This was actually the 4th course of antibiotics I've had for this sinus infection (or possibly series of). I've been sick since xmas, pretty much. First - azithromiacin, second - sulfameth (gave me blisters on my back, and in my mouth, so now listed as allergic), third - azithromiacin again, fourth - levofloxacin. Sort of feeling better physically, but the psychosis and anxiety are still really horrible and frightening. Started coughing worse today, but the sinus stuff has gotten better...

I'm sorry, it sounds like you're going through a rough time right now. There's an old-fashioned otc that can actually help with sinus problems, especially when you're trying to sleep. It's called Vick's Vapor Rub.

As for the psychosis and anxiety, are you seeing a psychiatrist?

I saw my pdoc Friday, and see my T on tomorrow. Friday, I wasn't really able to talk, out of fear. The psychosis is still bad, really bad, so I'm not sure how T will go tomorrow.

From www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (National Center of Biotechnology Information)

"A wide range of drugs can cause mental status changes. Fluoroquinolones are one among them and are underrecognised. The CNS side effects of levofloxacin like headache, dizziness, restlessness, tremor, insomnia, hallucinations, convulsions, anxiety and depression are well documented. We report a rare case of middle aged diabetic male admitted to hospital with multiple infections who developed acute psychosis following levofloxacin administration."

It explains proposed mechanism involved in the development these side effects seems to be related to the drug's ability to inhibit the binding of y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to the GABA receptors, leading to central nervous system (CNS) excitation.

The researcher then says: "Fluoroquinolones are widely used in the treatment of various infections; hence it is important to be aware of adverse effects of these drugs, which should be used for treatment only under close supervision."

Therefore, this drug should only be used in the case that you can be monitored whilst using it.