Comments on: Cipro and Levaquin tendon ruptures continue to cause problems

By: Humaira

Humaira — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:21:27 +0000

I was put on Levaquin 750mg once per day for 7 days and am currently on Cipro 500mg twice per day for 7 days. I didn’t know that the pain I am feeling was because of these medications. I have awful headaches and it feels as though someone is prying my joints apart with a screwdriver. When I wake up in the morning or try to walk after sitting for a while it feels like all of the bones in my feet are so brittle that they are going to shatter into a million pieces. I have 4 days to go but I think I will stop taking it now and hope my persistant UTI doesn’t come back.

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:28:28 +0000

I’m shocked to read these stories. I took have just finished a course of Levaquin 750 mg for a bad kidney infection. About three days after starting the treatment, I could hardly walk! Even today, after finishing 14 days of this drug, I still CANNOT walk well – going up stairs is torture, going DOWN stairs is torture. My legs, ankles, knees, elbows, arms and hands are in bad pain. I hate doctors and I only go if pain s too bad to tolerate and natural remedies don’t take care of symptoms. I totally regret visiting my doctor and taking Levaquin. No side effects were discussed, of course. I just was told it was a powerful antibiotic that would cure my kidney infection.

DOCTORS need to me more proactive and warn patients of this particular side effect, which can be potentially devastating. Three weeks ago, I was an active 46-year old woman, and today I feel like my 102-year old grandmother.

Even my husband has commented on my complaints. I’m able to take a lot of pain (what woman can’t?), but THIS particular pain is truly debilitating.

How long does this side effect last? Is this a permanent condition? I’ve only been off the drug two days, but I don’t feel any better. Have been popping aspirin every 4-6 hours just to get through the day and prescribed pain killers at night just to be able to sleep. This pain is never-ending and vicious.

By: Sheila

Sheila — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:58:27 +0000

I was prescribed Levaquin 500 mg on September 25th 2009 for 7 days. I had light headaches and some dizzyness, but took it at night , so I would be in bed and would be able to sleep it off. However after 5 days, my right knee became so painful out of no where. I can barely walk. I am limping big time and hunched over due to the pain. It is very hard for me to straighten my leg when it is bent or to bend my leg when it is straight. The pain is so severe even when I am trying to sleep. I tried putting a pillow under my leg but it does not help. Laying on my side does not help. It has so far been 5 days of severe pain, and I am just wondering if there is anything that can help, so I can get on with my life. I’m 58 years old and I cannot fuction right now. I don’t know what to do about my work..

By: BRAD

BRAD — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:52:06 +0000

I’M CONVINCED THAT I TOO AM A VICTIM OF PRESCRIBED CIPRO.
I TOOK THE DRUG FOR TWO WEEKS AS ORDERED. I SUFFERED FROM
JOINT PAIN, MUSCLE PAIN AND NUMBNESS IN MY FINGERS, ALONG
WITH SEVERE PAIN OF MY LEFT HEEL. MY HEEL PAIN IS CONTINUOUS
AND HAS BEEN FOR MONTHS ALONG WITH NUMBNESS IN MY FINGERS. I COMPLAINED TO MY DOCTOR AND HIS NURSE BUT BOTH INSISTED IT WAS NOT THE CIPRO. I’M A BIG STRONG MAN WITH A HIGH THRESHOLD FOR PAIN BUT AFTER READING ALL THESE TESTIMONIES OF SIMILAR AFFECTS ON OTHERS, IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES. IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT THERE IS NO HOPE OF THIS PAIN EVER GOING AWAY. ONE OTHER FACTOR I FAILED TO MENTION IS MY TEETH. I’VED BEEN BLESSED WITH WHITE HEALTHY TEETH BUT RECENTLY WAS TOLD BY MY DENTIST THAT FOR SOME REASON MY BODY IS CREATING ACID THAT IS EATING AWAY AT MY ENAMEL.
AT TIMES WHEN I BRUSH MY TEETH THE TOOTHPASTE DOES NOT SUDS UP AT ALL. I HAD MY BLOOD TESTED AND THE RESULTS WERE
EXTREMELY GOOD ACCORDING TO THE LAB. I WAS AFRAID I WAS PRODUCING TOO MUCH URIC ACID AND POSSIBLY HAD GOUT. NO
GOUT AND NO ANSWERS. THE ONLY COMMON DENOMINATOR HAS BEEN CIPRO IN MY OPINION. HAD I BEEN TOLD THESE SYMPTONS I WOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN CIPRO.

By: kim

kim — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:31:32 +0000

severe tendonitis and tendon tear in foot due to cipro taken in 2003

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:22:58 +0000

I am sure you must be inundated with emails. I have taken Levaquin for pneamonia and infections and the last time I took levaquin I got welts on my arm and did not take it anymore. But after taking it, for years I have been in pain. It is very hard to walk on my heels especially in the morning. It takes me an hour to be able to walk without really severe pain. I have had tendonitis in the side of my foot this March and then in my hip. This was severe pain where I could barely walk. I had to have steroid shots.

My mother took levaquin this February and now her hands and feet and ankles are paining terribly. Her hands and her ankles have swollen up terribly. I do not know if this is related

By: Barbara

Barbara — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:00:28 +0000

I was prescribed cipro while on vacation in July 2008 for cellulitis in my right caf & leg. I took it for just 10 days, followed by additional antibiotics when I returned to my regular doctor for follow-up. Shortly after (within weeks) I began having a lot of pain in my right shoulder. It continued to worsen and I saw an orthopedist who had an MRI done which confirmed that I had a torn rotator cuff. I had surgery in Jan. 2009 to repair it. Six weeks later (the very day I was released from physical therapy for the shoulder surgery) I slipped on cobble stones at work and twisted my ankle. Within a few days a knot formed along my Achilles tendon and I went to the doctor who gave me a cortisone injection that didn’t help at all. I again went to the doctor who advised that I see an orthopedist who was concerned that it may rupture and ordered an MRI. Before the MRI could be scheduled, the tnedon ruptured and I spent 10-1/2 weeks in a cast, followed by 3 weeks in a boot and physical therapy. During the 3rd week of therapy, while I was at physical therapy, the tendon ruptured again and I have just had surgery 5 days ago and am repeating the series of casts, etc. It’s looking to my like the cipro started this whole series of events that have robbed me of a year of my life so far. I have been off work for months already and doubt that I will be back to work before the end of the year.

By: Lynda

Lynda — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:45:05 +0000

I have been suffering with pain in my neck left shoulder, arm, hip and leg for several months after taking cipro. Seemed to be getting better, then I had diverticulitis so of course I was put on cipro again. Pain is starting all over again especially in my left shoulder and arm. It is so bad that I can’t work don’t know how I am going to make it if I don’t get on disability. NO more Cipro for me. Thank God I found this informative website.

By: Dirk

Dirk — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:32:08 +0000

I cannot thank you enough for this site. Just yesterday I was prescribed Cipro for a nagging UTI which seemed to only partially get better with Doxycycline HYC. After only 3 Cipro pills I am stopping!! And will never take Cipro again. I take responsibility for rushing back to my doctor at the emergency care clinic and asking ‘now what’ after the Doxycycline was finished–we Americans are so quick to want the next candy pill with more strength! So even though my initial urinalysis showed no dangerous / STD bacteria present, because I was still urinating too frequently my doc suggested Cipro. I trusted him and took the first pill last night–I got a terrible headache, woke up promptly at 3:30 AM and had trouble returning to sleep. Got up this morning, took the 2nd pill and by early afternoon, was so tired and aching I had to lay down for 1.5 hrs..I felt miserable. Then this afternoon, after taking my 3rd pill, that’s when I began to feel occasional tingling in my joints, hot pain in my knee capsules, continuing low-grade ache to my head, the feeling that my esophagus was shrinking, etc….. EVERYTHING you guys all have reported. I got on the internet and thank God I found your site. After 2 hrs of my own research and the testimony of so many people, including tons of once-healthy, athletic persons whose lives have been destroyed irreparably by Cipro, I took my healthcare into my own hands, called my pharmacist and said ‘I’m finished touching Cipro…never again will I take it.’. This drug is more toxic than anything I’ve ever taken, and the way my body has begun to react in only 24 hrs, it is obvious that the drug co’s are playing with fire on this compound. We as people must stand up and take action, and educate our doctors. I am taking some info. into him tomorrow, telling him i will be on a strict cranberry juice and kidney/liver tea detox program for the next few weeks to see if these ‘natural’ methods might help me rid my system of the bacteria. In any case, I refuse to use Cipro ever again and hope that many more people will read these pages before ingesting any or too much of this dangerous drug. dirk 48-yr old sporty, and very healthy guy who wants to stay that way!

By: Anna r.

Anna r. — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:56:46 +0000

I am 21 years old. I had my first labrum repair in 2004, due to chronic dislocations of my shoulders. We related this injury to sports. In 2006 I was reaching into my backseat to grab something and my repaired shoulder dislocated. A month ago it dislocated for the 9th time since my 1st surgery while I was swimming with my daughter. 2 weeks ago I had my 2nd shoulder surgery which involved a labrum repair and a doubling over and screwing down of all my tendons which were basically like fruit by the foot. My other shoulder which has not been operated on has dislocated twice while I was sleeping. I was told I prob have some genetic disorder where my ligaments do not attach properly to my bones blah blah no testing was done to prove this. Two weeks post op I stumble across this levaquin cipro mess and I am wondering if my traumatic injuries and surgeries could be linked to the many times I have been prescribed this class of antibiotics for various infections. I would really appreciate some advice/giudance on how to further investigate to see if I may be reimbursed for the trauma I have endured from an early age.

By: k.spurlock

k.spurlock — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:17:52 +0000

I was put on Cipro 500mg twice a day for 10 days for a UTI. I kept telling my doctor i was getting no better and hurt all over and was told to keep taking the medication. Now i have pain in my legs, pain in my wrists and my back and soreness everyday, pressue in my head, rining in my ears, and pressure over my ears. I have also been experincing a spaced out feeling. I developed C-difficule while taking the medication, and candida. I have been unablt to work for 2 months. I have lost 30 pounds and have been treated for severe dehydration of couple of times. I developed extreme nervousness and shakiness also. I also have headaches everyday. Any ideas out there im 32 years old and would like to get back to living. Thanks for any suggestions?

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:01:25 +0000

I took Levaquin in December and Jan of 2008/2009 which was prescribed to me by a Dr. who was treating me for double pnemonia.I noticed after taking Leviquin for a week (750 mg 4 times a day) it was hard for me to walk.I never related or even thought that the drug that I was taking for pnemonia would cause my “legs” (of all things,) to hurt.
What really caught my eye in reading about Levaquin is that last week when I was getting out of the bed and as my right foot touched the floor, something popped and made a snapping sound in my right calf.The pain was so bad that I began to sweat, felt as I would faint ,got hot and cold chills.The pain was VERY bad. I finally got ahold of myself and layed down in the bed again.My hubby brought me 2 muscle relaxers ,ice pack and an ace bandage.
I was not able to walk on my right leg for 3 days and on the 4th day I could put some pressure on it.I have a huge bruise on my calf where what ever it was snapped..I also took Levaquin and I truly believe that this odd occurrence that happend was caused by the drug Levaquin.
My body is not the same after taking Levaquin.I think that alot of investagation should go into researching this drug and the side effects that people are having from taking it. People should know the side effects that their body will possibly go through by taking this drug BEFORE it is prescribed to them by a licensed physician.

By: Sky

Sky — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:08:05 +0000

I was put on Levaquin for 30 days to see if my prostate was infected due to a high psa. Within a month after finishing the course of treatment my archilles heel becgn to hurt and a short time afterwards my knee popped above the knee cap and I have been limping around since. While an MRI has determined a small miniscus tear in the opposite part of the leg from the ligament, I believe it was always there and the knee damage is the result of Levaquin. I had read the manufacturers counter indications but was unaware of the extent of any potential for these problems, Coincidenally, my wife had been put on Cipro for a numb foot and had her plantar faciatis tear. We are now both limping around together.

By: kimberly

kimberly — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:12:11 +0000

WOW! I was pumped full of these medications for what doctors assumed were continuing UTI’s.
Came to find out my condition was something more serious than just a UTI.
But for 10 years I took this medicine over and over and over again until underlying problem was discovered.
I was walking in parking lot of a business and stumbled over trash/bottle and suffered a severe tendon rupture, had months of therapy, then surgery and have really never recovered.
Could never understand how a simple Misstep could have lead to such a severe injury… well NOW I know.
Would have been nice if my doctor would have drawn a parallel between the two.