Cipro & Levaquin can cause tendinitis & tendon ruptures
On top of all the other side effects caused by heavy duty, broad spectrum antibiotics like Cipro & Levaquin, I recently learned they can also cause tendinitis and ruptured tendons.
FDA ORDERS BLACK BOX WARNINGS ON CIPRO & OTHER FLUOROQUINOLONES: THESE DRUGS MAY RUPTURE TENDONS
“Federal regulators are ordering new warnings on Cipro and similar antibiotics because of increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture. The new warnings apply to fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics that includes the popular drug Cipro….
“The warning applies to drugs of the fluoroquinolone class, including Cipro, Cipro XR, Proquin XR, Levaquin, Floxin, Noroxin, Avelox, Factive, and marketed generics….
“Most of the tendinitis and tendon ruptures affect the Achilles tendon, behind the ankle. But the agency has also received report of tendinitis and ruptures in the shoulder and hand. Tendons connect muscle to bone.
“Officials also say they are adding new warnings cautioning that patients over 60, those taking corticosteroids, and those who’ve undergone heart, lung, or kidney transplants are also at increased risk of tendon rupture or tendinitis if they take fluoroquinolones.
“Researchers don’t know exactly what fluoroquinolones do that promotes tendon rupturing. Theories suggest the drug may impede collagen formation or interrupt blood supply in joints …
“… Patients taking the drugs should tell their doctors immediately if they experience soreness or inflammation in muscles or tendons and that they should not exercise affected joints….”
– (Zwillich, WebMD, 2008)
COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF CIPRO
Abdominal pain
Abnormal liver function tests
Agitation
Anxiety
Bleeding easily
Blurred vision
Bruising easily
Burning in the eyes
Confusion
Dark colored urine
Diarrhea, watery or bloody diarrhea
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Fainting
Fast or pounding heartbeat
Fever
Hallucinations
Headache
Insomnia
Nausea/vomiting
Nervousness
Nightmares
Numbness
Pain behind the eyes
Pale or yellow skin
Rash
Ringing in the ears
Seizures or convulsions
Skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling
Sleep problems (insomnia or nightmares)
Sore throat
Stiffness
Stomach upset
Sudden pain
Swelling of the face or tongue
Tenderness
Tingling
Unusual pain anywhere in the body
Unusual thoughts or behaviors
Urinating less than usual or not at all
Vaginal itching or discharge
Weakness
“This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. “
– Cunha, RxList, 5/14/2018
MORE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS OF CIPRO
These are listed as “serious and otherwise important adverse drug reactions” of Cipro, some “disabling and potentially irreversible”:
Tendinitis and Tendon Rupture
Peripheral Neuropathy
Central Nervous System Effects
Exacerbation of Myasthenia Gravis
Other Serious and Sometimes Fatal Adverse Reactions
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Hepatotoxicity
Serious Adverse Reactions with Concomitant Theophylline
Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea
Prolongation of the QT Interval
Musculoskeletal Disorders in Pediatric Patients
Photosensitivity/Phototoxicity
Development of Drug Resistant Bacteria
– (Cunha, RxList, 5/14/2018)
CONDITIONS TREATED WITH CIPRO
You can see from the following WebMD list of conditions treated with Cipro that this broad spectrum antibiotic is commonly used to combat a wide variety of established bacterial infections and is sometimes even given prophylactically :
intestine infection due to the Shigella bacteria
Intestinal Infection due to Campylobacter
Traveler’s Diarrhea
Acute Maxillary Sinus M. Catarrhalis Bacteria Infection
Pneumonia caused by Proteus Bacteria
Urinary Tract Infection caused by Klebsiella Bacteria
Infection of the Prostate Gland caused by Proteus
Continuous Bacterial Inflammation of the Prostate Gland
Skin Infection
Bone Infection caused by Enterobacter
Lower Respiratory Tract Infection
Complicated Peritonitis caused by E. Coli
Abscess Within the Abdomen
Infection of Urinary Tract due to Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Urinary Tract Infection caused by Serratia
Skin Infection due to Klebsiella Bacteria
Acute Maxillary Sinus H. Influenzae Bacteria Infection
Complicated Peritonitis caused by Proteus Bacteria
Bacterial Infection of Kidney due to E. Coli Organism
Bladder Infection caused by E. Coli
Urinary Tract Infection due to E. Coli Bacteria
Infection of the Urinary Tract caused by Proteus Bacteria
Skin Infection due to Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria
Skin Infection due to Streptococcus Pyogenes Bacteria
Skin Infection due to Enterobacter Bacteria
Pneumonia caused by Bacteria
Infection Within the Abdomen
Urinary Tract Infection due to Staphylococcus Epidermidis
Skin Infection due to E. Coli Bacteria
Skin Infection due to Citrobacter Bacteria
Infection of Bone
Prevention of Plague Following Exposure to Plague
Bacterial Pneumonia caused by Klebsiella
Staphylococcus Saprophyticus Infection of Urinary Tract
Infection of the Prostate Gland caused by E. Coli
Skin Infection due to Proteus Bacteria
Skin Infection due to Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Bacteria
Skin Infection due to Providencia Bacteria
Infection of a Joint caused by Serratia Bacteria
Treatment to Prevent Anthrax following Exposure to Disease
Pneumonia due to the Bacteria Haemophilus Parainfluenzae
Pneumonia caused by E. Coli Bacteria
Infection of Urinary Tract due to Providencia Species
Urinary Tract Infection caused by Citrobacter
Skin Infection caused by Morganella Morganii
Joint Infection caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Bacteria
Bone Infection caused by Serratia Bacteria
Pneumonia caused by the Bacteria Enterobacter
Complicated Peritonitis caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Complicated Peritonitis caused by Klebsiella Bacteria
Bladder Infection caused by Staphylococcus
Infection of the Urinary Tract caused by Enterococcus
Joint Infection caused by Enterobacter Species Bacteria
Infection of a Joint
Diarrhea caused by E. Coli Bacteria
Bacterial Urinary Tract Infection
Typhoid Fever
Diarrhea caused by a Bacteria
Plague
Acute Maxillary Sinus S. Pneumoniae Bacteria Infection
Pneumonia caused by the Bacteria Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Bacterial Pneumonia caused by Haemophilus Influenzae
Pneumonia caused by Gram-Negative Bacteria
Bronchitis caused by the Bacteria Moraxella Catarrhalis
Complicated Peritonitis caused by Bacteroides Bacteria
Infection of Urinary Tract due to Enterobacter Cloacae
Urinary Tract Infection caused by Morganella Morganii
Skin Infection due to Staphylococcus Epidermidis Bacteria
Bone Infection caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Short-Term Infection with Diarrhea
Discomfort & Weight Loss
Diverticulitis
Diabetic Foot Infection
chancroid
Heart Valve Infection caused by Haemophilus
Pneumonia caused by the Bacteria Anthrax
Cystic Fibrosis and Infection from Pseudomonas Bacteria
Bacterial Stomach or Intestine Infection caused by Anthrax
Infection of the Brain or Spinal Cord caused by Anthrax
Urinary Tract Infection Prevention
Skin Infection caused by Anthrax
Treatment to Prevent Traveler’s Diarrhea
Treatment to Prevent Meningococcal Meningitis
Presumed Infection in Neutropenic Patient With Fever
– (WebMD, 2018)
LEVAQUIN
The uses, potential side effects and warnings for Levaquin are similar to those for Cipro. See Levaquin (RxList, 2018A) if you want to check it out specifically.
FDA SAYS TO USE FLUOROQUINOLONES ONLY AS A DRUG OF LAST RESORT
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) posted this warning on July 27 2016:
“According to a July 26 FDA Drug Safety Communication … these medications have been associated with disabling and potentially permanent side effects involving tendons, muscles and/or joints, as well as peripheral nerves and the central nervous system. Some patients may even experience more than one such adverse effect.
“Therefore, said FDA officials, fluoroquinolones should be used in patients with acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS), acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (ABECB) or uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) only when no other treatment options are available, “because the risk of these serious side effects generally outweighs the benefits in these patients.”
“‘Fluoroquinolones have risks and benefits that should be considered very carefully,’ said Edward Cox, M.D., director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in (a news release). ‘It’s important that both health care providers and patients are aware of both the risks and benefits of fluoroquinolones and make an informed decision about their use.’
“The agency has revised the boxed warning for all drugs in this class of antibiotics to reflect these serious safety concerns. Those drugs are:
moxifloxacin (Avelox)
ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
ciprofloxacin extended-release (Cipro extended-release)
gemifloxacin (Factive)
levofloxacin (Levaquin) and
ofloxacin (Ofloxacin generic brand)….
Specific events reported include:
tendinitis and tendon rupture,
muscle pain or weakness,
joint pain and/or joint swelling,
peripheral neuropathy, and
central nervous system effects (e.g., psychosis, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts).
“Effects can begin within hours of starting the medications, but they may not be seen until after weeks of treatment. Patients should be advised to discontinue the drugs immediately if they experience any serious adverse effects.
“The benefits of fluoroquinolones continue to outweigh the risks when used for certain serious bacterial infections (e.g., pneumonia, intra-abdominal infections) and the FDA says it is appropriate for them to remain available as a therapeutic option in such cases.” – (AAFP, 2016) & (FDA, 2016)
FOLLOW AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY REGIMEN IF YOU NEED TO TAKE ONE OF THESE ANTIBIOTICS
Since antibiotics target the good (probiotic) bacteria in and on the body right along with their intended target, harmful bacteria, also be sure to take lots of the probiotic yeast, Sacharomyces boulardii, to protect your gut microbiome from being overrun by pathogenic bacteria anytime you’re given a course of antibiotics. This includes antibiotics you receive unbeknownst to you in your IV along with the anesthetic during surgeries. And remember that you can talk with your surgeon about exactly which antibiotic you’ll be given during surgery and why.
Sacharomyces boulardii is a probiotic YEAST, not a bacterium, so is not targeted by antiBIOTICS and can act as a place holder in your gut microbiome to fill up the space created when an antibiotic kills off your good bacteria.
See this earlier post for more information on Sacharomyces boulardii.
Dr Gabrielle Francis, who alerted me to the tendinitis and tendon rupture warnings for Cipro and Levaquin, recommends following this anti-inflammatory regimen during and for at least three months after a course of one of these antibiotics has been finished:
GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE (integrative Therapeutics) – to lubricate and strengthen tendons, build and support joint cartilage: 1 at breakfast/1 at dinner
BIOINFLAMAX (Nutra BioGenesis) – to maintain a healthy inflammatory response in joint and muscles: 2 at breakfast/2 at dinner
MAGNESIUM MALATE (Designs for Health or Integrative Therapeutics) – to protect joints and muscles: 1 at breakfast/1 at dinner
OSTEOFORCE SUPREME (Designs for Health) – to support bone health: 1 at breakfast/1 at dinner For more information on these supplements (benefits, ingredients list, side effects, interactions), see:
Glucosamine Sulfate BioInflamax What Are the Benefits of Magnesium Malate? and Magnesium Malate OsteoForce Supreme
In addition, Dr Francis recommends having a detoxifying smoothie for breakfast to keep your body strong while taking antibiotics. This is her version, the Detox Smoothie Bundle. Drink the detox smoothie in the AM and take the antibiotic in the PM.
Visit Dr Francis’s website, The Herban Alchemist, if you want to read more about her.
ARE THESE DANGEROUS ANTIBIOTICS GIVEN TO FACTORY FARMED ANIMALS?
Yes.
“The federal government must crackdown on the use of antibiotics such as cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones within the nation’s meat industry because of the threat that antibiotic resistance poses to public health, says one of the government’s leading veterinary drug safety officials.” (Webster, 2008) Regions that produce the most pork and chicken also use the most antibiotics on farms. Hot spots around the world include the Midwest in the U.S., southern Brazil, and China’s Sichuan province. Yellow indicates low levels of drug use in livestock; orange and light red are moderate levels; and dark red is high levels.
If you eat meat made from factory-farmed animals, you’re also consuming a variety of antibiotics – possibly including fluoroquinones – in each juicy burger, serving of fried chicken, and side of bacon you enjoy.
Factory farmed animals (cows, pigs, chickens) are given fluoroquinones – among other antibiotics. (Doucleff, 2015) & (FDA, 2009). The 2009 FDA report lists 2 fluoroquinones and 47 other approved antibiotics for use on factory-farmed cows. You can see the report for yourself: Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals .
I was also trying to track down which antibiotics are known to be given to farm-raised fish in the US and elsewhere and found only these five that have been detected in aquacultured fish: oxytetracycline, 4-epioxytetracycline, sulfadimethoxine, ormetoprim, and virginiamycin. But, lest you think wild-caught seafood is antibiotic-free, oxytetracycline has also been detected in wild-caught shrimp from Mexico, perhaps from coastal pollution, sewage contamination, mislabeling, or cross-contamination during handling and processing. (Lueing, 2015)
And, in case you noted the dates of the articles and the report cited above and figure the FDA has surely fixed the problem by now, here’s a quote from a recently published article on the rise of antibiotic resistant illnesses:
“The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in the meat industry is contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistance in the U.S. and across the world. This serious public health issue is estimated to kill 10 million people a year worldwide by 2050. In the U.S., antibiotic-resistant infections cause over two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths each year, costing society between $55 billion to $70 billion each year.
“The majority of antibiotics in the U.S. are given to animals that are not sick; they are mixed into animals’ food and water to make them grow bigger or to prevent illness in cramped and unhealthy environments.” (As You Sow, 6/14/2018)
Many thanks to Dr Gabrielle Francis for alerting me to this situation and recommending the protocol of supplements to take during and after a course of Cipro or Levaquin as protection against tendon damage.
HOW LEVAQUIN TURNED RACHEL BRUMMERT INTO A PATIENT ADVOCATE
Almost immediately after I published this post, Christian John Lillis, Executive Director of The Peggy Lillis Foundation (Lillis, 2018), sent me this article his friend Rachel Brummert just posted on DrugWatch.com about the dozens of spontaneous tendon fractures she has experienced after taking Levaquin for a suspected sinus infection: Levaquin Turned Me into ‘Frankenwoman’. (Brummert, 8/24/2018)
These ghastly experiences motivated her to become a trained Patient Advocate through the National Center for Health Research and a trained Special Government Employee (SGE) through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She also works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on fluoroquinolone awareness communication campaigns.
Christian John Lillis and his brother Liam started The Peggy Lillis Foundation to fight Clostridium difficile by building a nationwide Clostridium difficile awareness movement that educates the public, empowers advocates, and shapes policy. Peggy Lillis, Christian and Liam’s mother, died at age 56 after having a root canal and being prescribed the antibiotic Clindamycin to treat a dental abscess. Seven days later she became septic and went into cardiac arrest from the massive C. diff infection that had taken over her colon. (Peggy Lillis Foundation, 2018)
“(Clindamycin) increases the risk of hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile colitis about fourfold.” (Wikipedia, 7/26/2018)
REFERENCES
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP.) (July 27, 2016). Use Fluoroquinolones Only as Drug of Last Resort for Some Infections. See: https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20160727fluoroquinolones.html
As You Sow. (6/14/2018). Antibiotics & Factory Farms. See: https://www.asyousow.org/our-work/environmental-health/antibiotics-factory-farms/
Brummert, R. (8/24/2018). Levaquin Turned Me into ‘Frankenwoman’. DrugWatch.com. See: https://www.drugwatch.com/beyond-side-effects/levaquin-turned-me-into-frankenwoman/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post-organic
Cunha, J.P. (5/14/2018). Cipro: Side Effects Center. RxList. See: https://www.rxlist.com/cipro-side-effects-drug-center.htm#overview
Doucleff, M. (2015). For The Love Of Pork: Antibiotic Use On Farms Skyrockets Worldwide. NPR. See: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/03/20/394064680/for-the-love-of-pork-antibiotic-use-on-farms-skyrockets-worldwide
FDA. (2009). SUMMARY REPORT on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals. Center for Veterinary Medicine. See: https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/ucm231851.pdf
FDA. (7/26/2016). FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA updates warnings for oral and injectable fluoroquinolone antibiotics due to disabling side effects. See: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm511530.htm
Francis, G. (2018). Personal communication.
Francis, G. (2018). Detox Smoothie Bundle. See: https://store.theherbanalchemist.com/collections/smoothie-bundles-1/products/zzzdet
Francis, G. (2018). The Herban Alchemist. See: http://theherbanalchemist.com
Hardin, J.R. (2014). Sacharomyces boulardii. See: https://www.allergiesandyourgut.com/post/saccharomyces-boulardii
Hutchins, M. (2017). What Are the Benefits of Magnesium Malate?. LiveStrong. See: https://www.livestrong.com/article/280804-what-are-the-benefits-of-magnesium-malate/
Lillis, C.J. (2018). Personal communication. Luening, E. (2015). Study identifies antibiotics in farm raised seafood. Aquaculture North America. See: https://www.aquaculturenorthamerica.com/research/survey-identifies-antibiotics-in-farm-raised-seafood-1559 Morgan, W.E. (2013). Tendon Rupture Related to Antibiotic Use: Fluoroquinolone induced tendon ruptures are a growing concern. See: http://drmorgan.info/clinicians-corner/tendon-rupture-related-to-antibiotic-use/
Peggy Lillis Foundation. (2016). See: https://peggyfoundation.org/about-plf/about-peggy/
Pure Formulas. (2018A). BioInflamax. See: https://www.pureformulas.com/bioinflammatory-plus-120-capsules-by-biogenesis-nutraceuticals.html
Pure Formulas. (2018 B). Magnesium Malate. See: https://www.pureformulas.com/magnesium-malate-chelate-240-tablets-by-designs-for-health.html
Pure Formulas. (2018 C). OsteoForce Supreme. See: https://www.pureformulas.com/osteoforce-supreme-180-capsules-by-designs-for-health.html
RxList. (2018 A). Levaquin. See: https://www.rxlist.com/levaquin-drug.htm
RxList (2018 B). Glucosamine Sulfate. See: https://www.rxlist.com/glucosamine_sulfate/supplements.htm#HowDoesItWork
WebMD. (2018). What Conditions does Cipro Treat? See: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1124-93/cipro-oral/ciprofloxacin-oral/details/list-conditions
Webster, P.C. (2008). Crackdown on factory farm drug use urged. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 184:1, E23–E24.
Wikipedia, 7/26/2018). Clindamycin. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clindamycin
Zwillich, T. (7/28/2008). FDA Warning: Cipro May Rupture Tendons: Agency Issues ‘Black Box’ Warning for Antibiotics Known as Fluroquinolones. WebMD. See: https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/news/20080708/fda-warning-cipro-may-rupture-tendons © Copyright 2018. Joan Rothchild Hardin. All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site or blog is intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Comments submitted prior to 8/25/2021
Wow! Thanks! This is a really good comprehensive article about FQs and the many ways they can harm people. The thing everyone needs to understand is that these adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are not even close to rare; they are happening all the time to people you know and maybe even to you. The problem is that the ADRs are usually delayed by months so no one makes the connection, not patients or their doctors. Even when we do figure it out, our doctors will tell us those reactions are incredibly rare as if that means that we can’t possibly be having one. Sadly, there are literally millions upon millions upon millions of
us but we are routinely misdiagnosed with lupus, fibro, ALS, Parkinson’s, MS, Gulf War Syndrome and any of hundreds of other WRONG conditions. The worse our problems are, the more it just has to be something else. We have found that it is incredibly difficult to convince a doctor that he or she destroyed your life and yet that is exactly what happened
to every single one of us. I urge everyone who reads this to google “fluoroquinolone toxicity” and “floxed” and follow where it goes. You need to know this info as doctors hand this stuff out like candy and are oblivious to the trail of bodies behind them. Please learn about this