The Achilles tendon seems to be the most commonly affected by the use of these antibiotics, but it can involve any of the tendons in your body. It affects both young and old people with reported ages ranging between 18 to 91 years. Here's a video I did about this:.
All of these types of fluoroquinolones have been shown to affect tendons:. In short, fluoroquinolones interfere with your collagen turnover in your tendons. All the cells in our bodies, including our collagen fibres in our tendons, are constantly renewing — old ones are being absorbed and replaced by new healthy ones. These antibiotics seem to stop the body from forming new collagen fibres. You may notice that I'm using the word tendinitis in this article rather than tendinopathy and that's because fluoroquinolones do seem to cause quite a dramatic inflammatory reaction in the tendons with reports of red, hot and swollen Achilles tendons.
There are also reports of sudden rupture without any preceding symptoms. For some patients symptoms of tendon pain has been reported to start as soon as 2 hours after the first dose while other patients were only affected 6 months after they had already stopped taking the medication.
Tendon loading sports: When we do tendon loading sports like running and jumping our Achilles tendons develops micro-trauma. This is normal. After every exercise session the body repairs this micro-trauma and as a result your tendon becomes stronger. It is therefore essential that you are vigilant to any possible tendon pain that occurs, as it could be a sign of fluoroquinolone-caused tendonitis.
Even with the risk of tendon rupture rising only from 1 in , to 1 in 25,, the FDA considers these numbers to merit their serious announcement. As of July 26, , makers of fluoroquinolones have been advised of their need to create new Medication Guides for their products.
In addition, the FDA has recommended the need to amend the prescribing information for these antibiotics. If you think you have antibiotics-related tendinitis or a tendon injury, visit an orthopedist. Article written by: Rob Williams, MD. Telephone: Call Us Now! Click to call. Coastal Orthopedics Blog. What are the signs of a tendon rupture? If you have been diagnosed with a bacterial infection often in the kidney, sinus, or lungs and you have been taking Cipro, Levaquin, or any other of this type of broad-spectrum antibiotic, your chances of developing tendonitis or tendon ruptures increases if you are also: Over the age of 60 Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis Taking corticosteroids for inflammation, particularly for asthma A heart, lung, or kidney transplant recipient What should I do if I take Fluoroquinolones and develop tendon problems?
If you suspect you are experiencing a fluoroquinolone-related issue with a tendon, do the following immediately: Stop taking any Cipro or other fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Stop exercising the affected area, and if possible, stop using it completely.
For example, if your Achilles tendon becomes inflamed, avoid walking and standing. Contact your doctor, who will make the medical decision whether your condition merits continued use of this class of antibiotic. He or she may prescribe a different type of antibiotic for your condition. Cephalexin with no reported effect on metalloprotease activity had an equal or greater risk than levofloxacin; so we question whether metalloprotease activity has any relevance to observed associations with tendon rupture.
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk. Featured Issue Featured Supplements. Related CE. View More CE. Related Content.
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