Comments on: Cipro and Levaquin lawsuit filed by consumer group due to poor warnings about risk of tendon injury

By: Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:44:16 +0000

I was recently given free samples of Levaquin so I didnt have any warning info. I have a disease that effects my muscles and I have been on steroids for many years for it. After 5 days of the Levaquin
I am having so much trouble walking. I didnt know what it was till I searched Levaquin online. I hit my already weak muscles in my Achilles heel in both legs. And after reading more info on here I am worried this
might not get better.. what if anything can you do for this? I saw an orthopedic doctor but he sort of snickered at me because I had diagnoised my own problem on the internet but he gave me no info on as what to do for my legs. He just said they were not torn just irritated and sore.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:40:36 +0000

A few years ago I was given Levaquin and my joints started feeling very tender and it was difficult to move. Afetr several days of this, I couldn’t get out of bed at all…family had to come over and dress me to get me to the doctor. I had developed Serum Sickness due to this medication and it enflamed every single joint in my body to the point that had I not gone in to see my doctor that day, I could have died.

By: mary

mary — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:55:52 +0000

In 2/2002 I was prescribed Cipro for a spider bite. I worked at a large animal Vet clinic. Within the year I had to quit, I could not hold anything for very long due to numbness and pain. Now I can’t even hold the phone. I had to change my profession due to lack of strength. No money to pay for surgery, I had no idea that Cipro may be the cause!

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:03:28 +0000

Hello. I have taken Levaquin and Cipro on only two (my recollection) occasions between 2001 and 2002/3. Since then I have had tendonitus for the first time in 2004 which will not completely go away and two instances of Costochondritis which I had never ever had before. I repeat neither condition had ever happened to me. Both are becoming chronic and that is inhibiting both my exercise routines like weights and yoga and hobbies like martial arts. I was told that both injuries were from unknown causes (neither were said to be caused by weights or punching), which if true is fine - such is life, but if there’s a chance that those idiotic drugs caused them then ‘d love to punish the companies that pushed them. Could it really be true that there’s a legitimate reason to blame those two drugs for my rather weird and stupidly painful onset of bicep tendon and carteledge inflamations

By: brad

brad — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:03:17 +0000

I took Cipro for a prostate infection 2 years ago. Later I had weakness in my legs. I went to a neurologists for treatment. I told the neurologist about CIPRO as a drug I had taken. The neurologist did not catch this, I went through MRI’s of the brain, legs, and a blood flow study of my legs. Nothing was found. In 6 months my symptoms have lessened and I quit seeing the neurologist. I then got another infection and took CIPRO and wham, it hit hard, legs and arms. I put two and two together and looked at the internet and realized this was my cause. Today, I have left over weakness in my legs and arms, it is not causing any ambulatory problems, but it does not feel good, and has reduced the quality of my life.

By: Adrienne

Adrienne — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:04:06 +0000

I have been suffering for a long time with bladder infections and had been treated for this conditionby the stretching of my uretha tube so as to enable me to completely empty the bladder of urine when I went to the bathroom. After each treatment I was given an antibiotic to prevent further infection. Most of the time the antibiotic was either Cipro or Levaquin and thereafter each time I called my Urologist with complaints of pain upon urination was given Cipro to take. I have been operated on my right foot for a ruptured posterior tendon, had my right foot reconstructed after it collapsed after the operaton and thereafter a couple of months later had to have a third operaton on the same heel and foot due to a problem with my achilles tendon. I also have been diagnosed with a torn roto cuff of my right arm and in 2001 was disagnosed with Parkinsons Disease. There is no histoy in my family of this conditon ever before existing. After all the operations and physical therapy I have been left with a right foot which has endured much pain and numbness and is like having a dead foot from all the trauma all due to the weakness of the tendons in my foot. I wonder if Cipro and Levaquin have made my Golden Years turn to brass since I cannot walk or function normally without the use of a cane, walker or medication.

By: Janese

Janese — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:25:15 +0000

I was given a prescription for levaquin back in 2004 for pneumonia. I didn’t know anything about tendon problems. In the last 4 years I developed bursitis, tendonitis in my upper arms and shoulders. I could barely use my left arm and I had pain in my left shoulder. I wasn’t diagnosed until this year in February. I didn’t know what it was. I had a shot of cortisone and I can now lift my left arm. But I still have pain in my right shoulder and upper left arm. I wish I had known.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:56:57 +0000

I was prescribed Cipro for a UTI. Two days after starting the Cipro I woke up one morning having intense lower back and groin pain. When it didn’t subside I called the Dr thinking maybe the UTI had turned into a kidney infection. They called me back saying they weren’t sure what was going on but wanted me to get on another antibiotic-Macrobid, which I will start tomorrow. In the meantime, my back pain is getting worse by the day, it still travels into my groin area and down into my legs, and I am now experiencing neck pain and stiffness as well. I toss and turn all night trying to get “comfortable”, with no luck. OTC pain meds do NOTHING for the pain, a hitting pad is the closest I come to relief, and it’s NOT relief, just allows me to fall asleep at night, at least for a little while. I am calling the doctor first thing tomorrow, I’m printing this page out and taking it to him. I am truly hoping these affects aren’t permanant. I had never taken Cipro before this, and sites like this one have just confirmed my belief that the Cipro caused all the pain I’m in. I am educating everyone I know about these drugs. I am only 27, have two kids and husband, I should be up and active with them, like I used to be, not taking *heating pad breaks* every few mins just to function. This is sad, and rediculous. What is wrong with the world today-oh yeah, GREED, that’s what’s wrong.

By: Terri

Terri — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:59:40 +0000

I have been on and off cipro and Levaquin for years and after reading all this, I now know what all my joint pain must be from. I just thought being in your 40’s , that this is the way we are supposed to feel. I have had such horrible joint pain in my shoulders, elbows, wrists back, and especially knees and feet for the last 8 years for many different things such as chronic bronchitis, allergies, ear and respitory infections and other things. I was on cipro and levaquin most of the time along with avelox. There was a time about 5 years ago that I had problems with respitory infections and I practically lived on Levaquin and cipro. For the last several years my joint pain got increasingly worse and I have never been able to figure out why i feel so horrible. I’m in pain sitting here writing this, i”m used to having this pain and have learned to live with it for several years, taking tylenol when it gets really bad, just to get through the day. Here we trust our Dr’s and take what they prescribe because they are told it’s safe!!! How safe are We , and how safe are our children. I’m so glad just to know that it’s not because I’m in my 40’s , and that there is a cause!

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:29:03 +0000

I took Levaquin for a sinus infection. When I was done taking the prescribed dosage, my elbow hurt so bad I couldn’t even lift my cup of coffee! My Dr diagnosed it as tennis elbow. I did not connect my pain to Levaquin until I saw an add on TV. I did not physically injure my elbow so why else would it hurt so bad? Too coincidental for me. It still hurts today. I hope the pain does go away

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:25:10 +0000

To put it bluntly, Levaquin has ruined both of my knees, predominantly the right one. After taking only a 5 pack dose in about 4 days, at the end of March, “08, my knees are absolutely killing me. They are constantly in pain, sometimes the pain being extremely bad. It is very hard to bend them to sit, or stand back up. They hurt lying down. Over-the-counter pain pills are doing no good. Getting a good nights sleep is gone, too. I am scheduled to go to a pain center, so I’ll see what can be done to improve the quality of my life. I also took Cipro in July “08, but after only taking 4 pills, I quit because it caused bad pain in the backs of both legs. That cleared up, but it still may have contributed to the knee pain I already had.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:50:52 +0000

I keep reading these stories, understanding the pain most of you have gone through.
I only took Cipro for 10 days. I had a minor surgery and then left for Thailand for a month. I immidiately started taking Cipro to prevent possible infection to the area. Immediately I started having joint pain in my wrists. I blamed it on a rough Thai massage. But 10 days later, the pain was much worse… having spread to my knees, ankles, every joint in my fingers, my lower back, shoulders. I could not get out of bed for three days. I was laying alone in Thailand without my family thinking I was dying. Why should a 23 year old be in so much pain?? I came to my own conclusion that it must have been the Cipro after reading on the internet.
The severe pain passed, but I feel that I am still affected by the short dose. Since then I have visited a rheumatoligist and been diagnosed with “mixed connective tissue disorder”. I few months ago I hurt my back and am still hurting. I have a hard time not blaming that on Cipro also.
I also remember taking Levaquin about 8 or 10 years ago and fainting on my way to the bathroom one night.
These meds should not be taken.

By: Frances

Frances — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:36:30 +0000

Sinus infection April 5, 2008. Rx for Cipro - 2 weeks. Allergy doctor
doing labs said she wanted me on Levaquin instead and gave me that and prednizone. In three days I sat like a zombie for an hour or more at
a time without realizing it. I could barely move, could not lift my arms from my side and just shuffle to wherever - mostly the bed or sofa. I could not sleep or rest in any position and hurt something terrible. At 2am one morning I got out the papers from the pharmacy, realizing it
was not just sick from sinus and everything I was experincing was
on the papers in some way. I had to take one hand and push the
other arm out from my side. Under each arm was a large lump and
my tendons were strutted unbelievably. I called the doctor at 8am
and was told I couldn’t possibly be that sick. I faxed the info to them
and was told not to take any more (which I had not) and it should be
out of my system in 48 hrs. If not see another doctor. I, too, was
rather brushed off, it was embarrasing to say the least, to be in such
pain, in such a state and doctors would not acknowledge the pain
and situation I was in. I still am in my right side. It seemed to settle in

By: Alexsa

Alexsa — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:52:08 +0000

My rotator cuff tore while taken cipro.