Cipro and Levaquin Can Cause Tendon Rupture and Other Side Effects

[Nelson Vergel]

The panel convened to assess if the current labels effectively explain the upsides and downsides of taking fluoroquinolones to treat sinus infections, urinary-tract infections (UTIs), and bronchitis that aggravates existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

These antibiotics belong to the fluoroquinolones family:

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)

Levofloxacin (Levaquin)

Macrolide

Ofloxacin (Floxin, Ocuflox)

Cephalosporin

Current labeling has warnings about risks for tendonitis, tendon rupture, central nervous system effects, peripheral neuropathy, among others, according toMedscape Medical News. But panel members called for stronger wording on the labels.

Association between tendon ruptures and use of fluoroquinolone, and other oral antibiotics: a 10-year retrospective study of 1 million US senior Medicare beneficiaries - PubMed

In our study, fluoroquinolones as a class were not associated with the increased risk of tendon ruptures. Neither ciprofloxacin nor moxifloxacin exhibited any risk for tendon ruptures. Levofloxacin did exhibit significant increased risk. Cephalexin with no reported effect on metalloprotease...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[torrential]

Heed the heads-up: These drugs are dangerous.

Two years ago I was given levaquin for pneumonia. (Before that I had gone several years without any antibiotics.) In a day massive leg pain and impenetrable insomnia kicked in. Couldn't walk, couldn't sleep. Doctor and nurse said "it's normal." Stayed with it for three days, read up, then contacted another doctor who understood the severity of the side effects and changed the rx.

To top it off, the pneumonia did not respond to the levaquin. I had managed to catch a drug resistant pneumonia. Thanks, overprescribers.

 

[CoastWatcher]

I fell ill with pneumonia a year ago, was prescribed Levaquin by a walk-in clinic doctor (my own doctor was out of town), and immediately experienced the terrible muscle cramping torrential described. I lasted two days, was switched to another antibiotic and came through it. It is a miserable drug.