FDA Warns About Cipro, Other Antibiotics

i just got an rx for leviquin the first dose my entire body felt like rigormortis was setting in my whole body ached for the first 12 hrs then i felt great i took my second pill today
not as achey id hate to be walking and have my muscles rip apart how scary is that

It's very rare. Ive taken alot of it and I'm fine. I wouldn't worry about it.

I was very happy to see Robert Bazel's story about tendon rupture on the news this evening. In November of last year I was prescribed Levaquin and suffered a partial achilles tendon tear while still on the Levaquin. I spent 8 weeks in a cast and just finished months of physical therapy. Hopefully the black box warning will increase awareness about this potential side effect.

Itook Cipro for a week and suffered the most severe pains in my thigh and legs and shoulder blade that I have ever experience. After a week I took my self off of it even though It was prescribed for a month. Imagine where I would have been. I told my doctor that there was no question in my mind that the drug had caused me some damage and he said, "I'm not buying it!!" I was also given one dose of Levaquin the day of my emergency visit.

Cipro has saved my son's life, repeatedly, when he has had pulmonary (lung) infections and resultant hemorrhages (lots of blood not a little). This miracle drug I am very thankful for. This kind of nonsense - of people being bitter over the side effects of a medication that SAVES others' lives - shows how spoiled and mean spirited some people are. If people are able to rupture a tendoon while on this very strong medication, than perhaps they did not need Cipro in the first place and it should be reserved for the patients who need it the most and wouldn't complain if their lives were saved but had side effects. By the way, every drug has side effects - both positive and negative. So does alcohol...but I bet you don't go and sue the company that makes the alcohol because it made you drunk and stupid!

I realized 4 yrs ago that Levaquin could cause tendon rupture...orthapedic doctors are aware of it & explained it as they were repairing my foot. Recovery is slow and painful. My family doc. did not believe me when I told him...maybe now more will know about it. There are many side effects no one mentions.

This explains alot. Since I am allergic to most antibiotics, my doctors prescribe Cipro for sinus and resperatory infections. I have taken Cipro since pre-anthrax scares and had only minor side effects. Then one day I was walking up the side walk and my leg suddenly went snap, pop with a searing pain down the front of my leg. I could still walk on it, but with much pain for about a week. It still bothers me, some days more than others. Since I'm on a transplant list, my doctor won't correct it until after the transplant. Until now, I couldn't figure what caused the tendon to pop, now I know. I had never been told about this side effect.

i would like to know how it causes these ruptures does it tighten the muscle to snapping point ? does it attack the cartilige tearing the tendon from the bone? will a muscle relaxer help answers is what i want believe me just the facts at least it doesnt cause unexplained bleeding of the anus . it doesnt does it?

Five weeks ago, I took Cipro for a bladder infection. The same day I finished the course, I twisted my foot and suffered a Jones fracture, a break of the 5th metatarsal bone in the foot. The doctor said the tendon was stretched and pulled the bone out of place. I was in a cast for the past 4 weeks, and the doc says another 2 months of recovery. Could there be a connection between the Cipro and the tendon that caused my injury?

I recently had surgery in June, 2008. I was treated with intravenous Levaquin at the hospital for almost 3 days. When released, I was given a 5 day supply of Levaquin to take at home. I am experiencing thigh pain. I have gone back to the surgeon and my primary doctor. I felt my pain was due to the Levaquin. Side effects were described in pamphlet distributed by CVS. Nobody believes me. Now, I see this report. I need to know more information. Can you help me?

Zakkismom wrote:

Cipro has saved my son's life, repeatedly, when he has had pulmonary (lung) infections and resultant hemorrhages (lots of blood not a little). This miracle drug I am very thankful for. This kind of nonsense - of people being bitter over the side effects of a medication that SAVES others' lives - shows how spoiled and mean spirited some people are. If people are able to rupture a tendoon while on this very strong medication, than perhaps they did not need Cipro in the first place and it should be reserved for the patients who need it the most and wouldn't complain if their lives were saved but had side effects. By the way, every drug has side effects - both positive and negative. So does alcohol...but I bet you don't go and sue the company that makes the alcohol because it made you drunk and stupid!

you are ignorant to what you are talking about calling it "nonsense".. these drugs put me in months of rehab because of the tendon problems they gave me. The doctors were completely ignorant of the connection and do NOT warn anyone of the possibility of this side effect. Most people do not want these drugs taken off the market because yes, they can be very beneficial. But doctors need to warn patients that they can have these side effects. These side effects don't target "people who don't need to be on the drug", they can happen to anyone!!!

Does tendon rupture happen during taking the medicine or sometime after finising the medicine?

I took cipro weeks ago and I have felt thigh pain these days.

What an odd side effect.

I have been on Cipro for way over a week, I have been perscribed( 2 )500 ml tabs twice a day, a 1000 mil a day. I am cocerned with all this Cipro I was perscribed. I will not finish the medication after reading this. So would I have sighns of any problems by now? If you have any info please post. Thank you

This really isn't news. Quinolones are rarely prescribed for children for this very reason.

kathy wrote:

Does tendon rupture happen during taking the medicine or sometime after finising the medicine?
I took cipro weeks ago and I have felt thigh pain these days.

Kathy,

I'm not sure, I was currently on this medication, I stopped taking it as of tonight, however after taking (17) 500 ml twice a day. Please post if you find out any more information far as the symptoms or how long does it take to develope symptoms. Thank you

Zakkismom wrote:

Cipro has saved my son's life, repeatedly, when he has had pulmonary (lung) infections and resultant hemorrhages (lots of blood not a little). This miracle drug I am very thankful for. This kind of nonsense - of people being bitter over the side effects of a medication that SAVES others' lives - shows how spoiled and mean spirited some people are. If people are able to rupture a tendoon while on this very strong medication, than perhaps they did not need Cipro in the first place and it should be reserved for the patients who need it the most and wouldn't complain if their lives were saved but had side effects. By the way, every drug has side effects - both positive and negative. So does alcohol...but I bet you don't go and sue the company that makes the alcohol because it made you drunk and stupid!

You are misunderstanding the informaion about tendon ruptures. It does not happen when people are exercising. It occurs spontaneously and the people most at risk are those on steroids or who have a history of tendonitis in the past. I too have a serious medical condition that affects my lungs and I just woke up with the pain in my achilles tendon. As far as people suing, sometimes in the corporate world money is the way to affecting change. Don't be angry with the people suffering from this, be glad that heightened awareness will benefit us all in the long run. Achilles tendon ruptures can be quite serious and can cause permanent disability and the number of people affected by this may be greater than was known and this black box warning will increase awareness.

I had a SEVERE reaction to antiobiotics 9 months ago. I am still struggling with several very uncomfortable side effects and related health issues which I am certain
are directly related to at least two of these antibiotics. Cipro was one of the antibiotics I was prescribed for a UTI. When I became so ill, I investigated the drugs I was prescribed. What I read about "Quinolones" and individuals having longlasting and often debilitating side effects has convinced me not to ever take that classification of drugs again. In hindsight, what I took to "heal" me almost "killed" me. I recently underwent a cystoscopy and refused a pre-procedure prophylactic dose of cipro. I was then offered another Quinolone- No Thank You. I agreed to take amoxacillin which I knew I had taken previously without harmful side effects. I am required to take a pre-procedure antibiotic due to joint replacements. Why has'nt the FDA posted this warning long before so many people have been harmed? I am an RN with 27 years experience in my field and am disheartened and more than anxious about the efficacy and SAFETY of the drugs millions of people are prescribed every single day. I have little to no confidence in the huge beauracratic watchdog group (FDA) entrusted with monitoring our food and drugs. Forget about the pharmaceutical empire driven solely by profit. How sad.

I have seen these quinolones cripple and weaken so many of my patients. Yes, they get rid of their uti's and uri's, but what a price to pay with the side effects. They seen to have severe cumulative effects. My own daughter didn't walk for 3 months, had seizures...what a nightmare. All because of these damn "floxins". I think we should start RN's against quinolones. Strange Bayer made more millions with cipro after the anthrax scare.

49ravens wrote:

Five weeks ago, I took Cipro for a bladder infection. The same day I finished the course, I twisted my foot and suffered a Jones fracture, a break of the 5th metatarsal bone in the foot. The doctor said the tendon was stretched and pulled the bone out of place. I was in a cast for the past 4 weeks, and the doc says another 2 months of recovery. Could there be a connection between the Cipro and the tendon that caused my injury?

Could it be some neuropathy from the drug caused you to twist your foot?