Very well done and explained. I had a horrible reaction to Cipro 11 years ago. Destroyed many tendons in my body and I was in an electric wheelchair for years. Thankfully I'm able to walk again but will never be the same. Wish there was more awareness of this. Glad you're helping to get the word out.
@@omarsus7197 I wish I had an easy answer for you. I'm not sure any of the "quick fixes" did ANYthing (tried dozens of supplements, diets, etc.). Honestly I think mostly time, rest and luck were the three things. Once I got about 50% back I was able to ease into some light physical therapy. It took about 2-3 years to even stop getting worse. I'm now well over a decade out and still do daily phys therapy to just maintain normal activities.
Doctors didn't warn me, nobody warned me of not exercising while taking Cipro, and I developed plantar fasciitis, and now about 4 months later I've started having pain in my sholders elbows and wrists and also my arm muscles are sore as well as the palm of my hands.
I was prescribe cipro by a vietnamiese doctor at clinica del sol, at Houston tx for a cebaceous cyst, now I have neurologyst issues and alot of pain all over my body.
My life has been unending pain and hell for 6 years since being given Cipro I didn't need for infection I didn't have. When it seems you've improved things get worse no matter how strict a diet, what supplements, whatever I do. I'm back at square one and I'm really about out of hope. Doctors act like you're crazy or drop you as a patient when you try to get help for this. 😐😔
I take 50mg of amitriptyline a day for the pain- and this does help massively- speak to your doctor to get on these if you aren’t already on medication, you may need a higher dosage, depending on how effective they are for you, these take about 2 weeks to kick in - secondly, cut out caffeine ASAP- for some reason caffeine will bring on the pain- cut out nicotine and alcohol- nicotine has the same effect as caffeine and alcohol will put you in pain the following day- like a hangover from hell. Consider taking an antihistamine daily as i have to because cheese and nuts for some reason brings on the pain but the antihistamine cancels it out. Supplement wise, i take a 20,000 IU vitamin d tablet daily with a vitamin K2 tablet- Cipro knocked all the vitamin d out of my body, I’m now at a healthy level with my vitamin d- vitamin K2 helps with the absorption of vitamin d. I also take a daily vitamin B2 supplement and a magnesium supplement- as high dosage as you can buy… This hopefully should help you. FYI amitriptyline is an effective nerve pain killer, it used to be used as an antidepressant- be warned though they make you sleepy so take before you go to bed and expect to put on a little weight whilst on them
Im in the UK. My GP prescribed me Ciprofloxacin as a first line antibiotic for epididymitis (which it turned out i didnt have!). I'm 64 years old, and now have issues with the tendons at the back of my knees. My GP didnt say anything about dangerous side-effects, and neither did the dispensing chemist who issued the tablets to me. All this happened this year - 2023 - so it appears that the message still isn't getting through.
I was prescribed cipro 2 1/2 years ago for a urinary tract infection, and I'm still dealing with achilles issues. It also caused me to have heart palpitations and an abnormal heart rhythm. My heart palpitations are much better now, but I'm still struggling with achilles pain. I consider myself fortunate though, because many have died from aortic dissections and other complication because of these horrible antibiotics!
@@wj8678 I'm sorry you have suffered so much. It makes me wonder if you would have been better off having the UTI untreated. A UTI goes away by itself eventually, right?
@@totallyraw1313 I've never had one go away on its own. Left untreated the infection can spread to your kidneys and wreak havoc! I've had a couple UTI's since then, and the antibiotic they have me worked just fine. Cipro should never be used for such a basic common infection...it's supposed to be used as a last resort when all else fails. Doctors are more aware now, and med school students are even learning about fluoroquinolone toxicity in school!
@W J Traditional Chinese medicine can successfully treat UTI's. I'm not convinced that EVERYONE who has a UTI will have it spread. Maybe in some cases, this is true, but not in every individual. I think it largely depends on the overall health of the individual. Taking any antibiotic damages the immune system, so I think in people who have taken antibiotics in the past, cipro may be necessary.
Excellent video. I 've got Levofloxacin 250x2 per day for 20 days and I played badminton on day 21. And once a week for 2 weeks. I started feeling pain in the back of my heel. So I guess mine is fluoroquinolone induced Archilles tendonitis. Thank you for your very informative videos.
I got prescribed this and it came with a packet warning of danger to tendons, after reading it I was like, nope, I ain't even going to test it, give me something else. I also did further research and it has a black box label from the fda. If even the corrupt fda is issuing a warning, I mean that right there is enough to make me not take it.
SAME.. was prescribed them yesterday and I’m not even risking it.. I hope my doctor with prescribe something else otherwise I’m going with a holistic approach
I am 73 years old and when I was 69 I took levafloxin for 5 days for bronchiole infection. Within a few days I could barely walk. In the four years since it happened I have gained weight (from lack of exercise) making it even harder to walk. Before this happened I was able to go on a hike. Now I cannot even walk through a large grocery store. I swam for exercise for awhile but I am highly allergic to the chlorine in pools. And, I don’t have a bicycle. However, recently I have found that taking collagen with bone broth and using good quality turmeric and black pepper helps. Still, if I can’t afford the bone broth etc. for a few days the pain returns and I feel like it just isn’t going to get better or ever completely go away. I’m trying not to be discouraged. I long for the day that I will be able to walk for exercise and lose the 40 or 50 pounds I’ve gained. I especially have trouble on uneven ground and feel my ankle bones have no cushion. My ankles are most damaged and even standing for more than a few minutes is painful. Thank you for this video. I plan to add more vitamin C to what I am doing now that I have seen it.
I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling to this extent. I'm glad that you found the video useful but it is also interesting that you have first hand experience of the usefulness of callagen. xm
Exactly the same thing happened to me. Given Fluoroquinolones before and after orthopaedic surgery in August 2021, I have not been able to walk since because of Achilles Tendon inflammation. The hospital team forced me to continue taking these dreadful antibiotics despite my protestations and despite being instantly covered from head to foot in large, itchy, persistant over several weeks, purple skin patches. Tardively allergic to Penicillen, maybe this was their only urgent antibiotic choice left for a Pasteurella. Still waiting for their answer to that question.
@@sammyanne7873 So sorry to hear that you were also affected. My doctor refused to admit the medication was the cause of my problem and said I had just developed arthritis, even though an X-Ray showed one of the tendons had detached along with a small bone. He believed this was just an injury that I had suffered. I have not improved to a point where I can walk very long but it’s less painful than it was.
@@sammyanne7873 It makes me so sad to read these reports. My brother had a ruptured Achilles tendon because of these antibiotics. The second day I was taking them, many years later, it occurred to me that my tendon was feeling tender and I put the whole thing together. I quit taking it. But I still have thickening and soreness in that tendon. I'm so sorry for your situation 😔. If anybody puts together a class action suit, I'll be glad to weigh in.
There has been a class action lawsuit going on since around 2005ish. I was floxxed and disabled from it in 2018 but there are so many involved in the class action suit that I found no attorney involved in the case who will take any more clients unless they experience the aortic aneurysm as that is a much newer case and Black Box warning on the label. @@vanniegrace
II am 60 yrs old. I have had chronic plantar fasciitis for 10 years, but I had it under control and managed the pain. I took Cipro for a possible prostate infection. After 2 days, ridiculous achilles and foot pain. Stopped taking it. One month later really flaring up. Can barely walk.
Thank you SO MUCH for doing a video about this very important topic! The vast majority of doctors KNOWINGLY lie and deny that this is a problem (I believe it has to do with liability - if someone is returning to them injured after taking the antibiotic they prescribed, to acknowledge it would be to acknowledge they had a hand in hurting the patient, and that can be very problematic legally if they didn't warn the patient ahead of time.) And there are many PT's that simply do not know about this yet, despite it being documented in medical literature for over 15 years. In addition to about 6-8 months of neruopathy and a severe histamine reaction, fluorqouinolones tore my Achilles and peroneal tendons to shreds. Not full ruptures, but split longitudal micro tears all throughout the tissues. Made them resemble swiss cheese and a frayed piece of string cheese basically. They are solely responsible for all my foot problems today 3 years later. I'm doing a lot better but I had to have all those tendons fixed surgery, I developed bone spurs, and now metatarsalgia during rehab. Still dealing with the metatarsalgia but I can finally walk about a mile without rest and about 5,000 steps in a day if I push myself. These drugs should be reserved for the intensive care wing of a hospital and the patient should be given full informed consent that the result can be worse than the condition it's treating! And word to the wise, proceed with caution with NSAIDS as they can potentiate a neurological reaction, but even more so DO NOT TAKE corticsteroids concurrently with FQ's or for several months after administration. You are stacking two drugs that cause tendon degeneration and weakness. The result isn't doubling the risk of tendon rupture, the medical literature says the risk increases 46 fold. So if you had an 0.5% chance to rupture on just Cipro, it's now a 23% chance to rupture while you're taking Prednisone with it.
@@TreatMyAchilles Thanks again, and to any floxies suffering out there that might read this, it does get better for a lot of us. But you have to be patient because it takes a long time. I'd say to any floxed people who are dealing with severe tendon injuries, who are at least 6-12 months out and are at their wits end, to consider surgery. I am so glad I did. But make sure you find the right doctor who respects your allergies and who, most importantly, accepts and acknowledges the fluoroquinolone caused your issue. If they refuse to accept that, the relationship is terminated. Tendon surgeries have come a very long way in the last 20 years. They use an allograft from a cadaver/donor tissue, which serves as a scaffold, and you will birth new collagen over the next 6-12 months (surgery and the accompanying major inflammatory response is the ONLY thing that's ever worked for me for a tendon/ligament injury, I failed 100% of conservative care every time.) I've had an 80% pain reduction and a 50% functional improvement and that number will keep slowly going up for me. I'm probably looking at a 75-80% improvement in 5 years (currently at about 50% at 3 years). Equally as important as finding a good doctor is finding a good PT. I had two PT's that did not respect my pace and was made so much worse I required other surgeries. Finally on the 3rd attempt I found an amazing PT who was wonderful and got me back on my feet at my own very slow pace. Do not be afraid to advocate for yourselves!
Thanks for this video! I'm sure this is how I got tendonitis in my achilles heel and other random places. I'm not a jock. I took Cipro for an eye infection after I scratched it in a freak accident. I didn't even take it orally, it was in the form of eye drops.
I’m now realizing that Cipro combined with prednisone and my hypothyroidism has kept me debilitated for about 15 years now. I have been worked up for every autoimmune disease. I’ve gained 100 lbs. This drug has robbed me of my marriage, my life, my career. I am feeling devastated and hopeless. Every time I get a respiratory infection and UTI which I swear are a result of this drug’s effects they prescribe more Cipro. (I am allergic to sulfa). Please if anyone sees this comment and has recovered, tell me what you have done. I am losing hope and that is not the kind of person I am.
I was in the same boat. Taking prednisone because of a Multiple Sclerosis issue, then suspected UTI, Cipro…2 pills and I tore one Achilles and seriously damaged the other. It took me several years to recover, and that was only a partial recovery. Unfortunately there was no magic in the recovery. Lots of staying off my feet (even a period in a wheelchair), some physical therapy. And then I reinjured the previously torn Achilles recently by just walking up a hill. IE those things are still very damaged a decade later. Very best of luck to you as you deal with this.
If the urine sample was sent to lab and grew an unusually bacteria that can’t be treated by any other antibiotics or uti has not responded to other antibiotics first.
@@LEN33322thank you for your response.. my doctor prescribed them without trying other antibiotics first and before the culture came back.. I got a call back from the clinic stating that the culture came back clear and I can disregard the meds she prescribed.. I’m so thankful that I never started taking them!
This is what I got after going to an emergency clinic. I was given one then and took it for 3 days before quitting, started with joints aching, then muscle aches, and on the 4th morning I would have taken it I was feeling a buzzing tingling in my hands and feet before I stopped taking it. 2 days after stopping I am having some Achilles type pain in my feet.
I woke up with tendon pain after taking Levaquin for 2 days, 1 each day. Luckily I was aware of the threat because my brother had a ruptured Achilles tendon because of these antibiotics 😢. Two weeks later I'm still having pain. Will try exercises and collagen/ vitamin c.
The pain has improved, and it doesn't feel threatening anymore. But it is twice as thick as the other one. And it is always slightly tender. Thanks for asking. Hope yours gets better 👍
Hi, i tool levofloxacin 9 days, i had pain on first day left achilles, but doc said to continue , after 9 days , and i work as a massage therapist on the floor, so i use to stand from sitting on the floor so easy, two feet together. But now pain on the quads tendons. Cant squat less than 100 degrees, had to help myself to get up from the toilet sit with my hands. And off work 5 days.. Taking magnesium, omega 3, vit E, l carnitin, collagen... how long will i be handicap... So i will have to avoid squats 6 months, and be carefull to stand from sitting on the floor?
Hi Nathalie, I can't really say for how long you'll take to recover but yes, you will have to be very careful with your movements. You don't have to avoid squats for 6 months - they can be useful but done at the right level. I would suggest that you consult a physio who is experienced in dealing with this, because you will benefit a lot more from tailored advice that is specific for what you need. xm
@@luvfitall Was the orthopedic able to help? Wondering because I'm recently dealing with some pain too and have had trouble finding anything that helps.
What if I consume collagen as a supplement, will the body use it to heal tendons? Or the antibiotic prevent that process? I only took 2 pills and feel ankle pain so i switched to another antibiotic immediately. Can 2 pills (500 mg each) have enough damage ?😢
There are cases where even 1 dose caused trouble but if you stopped it immediately that is good. If you've stopped the antibiotic and take the collagen, then it will help but I don't know if it would do much if you take the 2 together.
I'm not that familiar with other types of antibiotics but I know some of them can give a reaction although it's not very common. The FDA website may give you more info on this.
I need your help I'm a 62 year-old male that was prescribed cpro now my achilles both of them are in agonizing pain constantly my doctor doesn't believe Cipro could do that I feel like it's affected my nervous system as well do you have any recommendations
I find your doctor's reaction very puzzling and alarming since it is a very well-known side effect and it can affect your nervous system and several other systems as well. I have discussed treatment of Cipro related tendonitis in this video th-cam.com/video/Ie5ecLZgQak/w-d-xo.html but you will have to find advice about the other symptoms - is it possible to get a second opinion from a different doctor who may be able to help you better than your current one?
@@TreatMyAchilles I think you're right it's time for a new PCP it seems like it's throwing a dart on a bunch of names and see which one sticks would you have any advice for finding a good primary care physician I have Aetna HMO
Hi, I just turned 60 in April. In Oct 2018 I was floxxed (that’s what it’s being called) by generic Avelox after 3 pills (one per day) when I woke with severe bilateral achilles pain and barely able to walk. My girlfriend is a nurse and told me to check the insert and sure enough, I found a black box warning describing these effects. Within two weeks I was unable to walk and both epicondyle tendons were extremely painful. After a month or two and after getting into AFO braces I was able to walk again but it’s still very painful and there are days I’m either stuck in bed or in a wheelchair. Over time I’ve had MRI’s and ultrasounds of these affected tendons and all show serious damage, similar to what others have described as shredded, micro tears, bone spurs, lumps of tendon tissue, etc. It’s now been 5 years and I am in full-time AFO braces and I wear hinged elbow braces on both arms to reduce the chance of rupture and lessen the pain while moving around. In addition, I suffer with severe neuropathy in my feet and numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. Some days are better than others and there have been times I thought I was finally getting better only to have a flare-up/relapse which I’ve now learned is common to those of us afflicted with this. I have found that the majority of doctors are unaware or don’t believe this information. I’ve spent 4.5 years researching this, calling the FDA twice who has actually labeled it as FQAD (Fluoroquinolone-Associated Disability), contacted doctors from other countries, and talking with many military doctors. Several military doctors who worked overseas are very aware of this because it’s prescribed to troops on a regular basis to protect against anthrax poisoning and for those who contract VD’s. I’ve been told that hundreds if not thousands have been discharged from the military due to tendon, nerve, heart, and even mental disorders caused by fluoroquinolones but not documented as such. I now go to all doctor visits armed with the historical FDA reports, numerous studies done by different universities in several countries, and of course the drugs own label which confirms these issues via black box warnings. It’s amazing to me that most of the doctors I’ve seen and spoken with disregard all this information. Urologists prescribe Cipro constantly in the USA and two urologists I’ve seen refused to even look at the papers saying, I’ve never seen it and I prescribe this every day. I explain that if anything, people go to their primary MD days or weeks later for this pain and it’s likely called a strain or sprain and as it worsens they are sent to PT where sometimes a rupture occurs but nobody ever tracks it back to the urologist who prescribed the medication and therefor many people are deemed “crazy” because doctors can’t find anything wrong and don’t understand what happened nor do they know the specific tests they must perform to correctly diagnose this issue. I have recently found a doctor in Germany who has been working with fluoroquinolone damaged patients since early 2000’s and is making major advancements, is working with a university and other doctors to try and get peer reviewed studies and ultimately treatment for this. Search TH-cam for Stefan Pieper fluoroquinolone and you will find his 3-part interview. I bought two copies of his book. One for myself and one to let doctors borrow as I try to get this information out to those who deny it’s existence or say it’s so rare that it’s not worth spending time on. The book is $30 and fairly small so you can get the kindle version for around $4…which I also bought to have available at all times. His book covers diagnosis, treatment, pathology, the damage to mitochondrial DNA….everything he’s learned so far and all he’s doing to get this information out to the world. He also explains why tests come up negative even by neurologists because only small fiber neuropathy tests will show the nerve damage and those tests are either too expensive, unavailable, or even the neurologist doesn’t know much about those tests. It’s up to all of us to learn and share as much as possible and provide fact-based medical proof to our doctors. This book is full of medical references as to where the information comes from outside of just his own practice and studies. I highly recommend it but check out the free TH-cam video’s as they provide a lot of information.
BPC 157 has not been tested and researched properly in humans. This means that we don't know how safe it is to take for anyone. I know it is being hailed as a wonder drug by especially the gym community but I would not touch it.
@@derfalke90 which experts? The ones that gave you Cipro in the first place? Or do you mean people who don't use or recommend anything unless it has been FDA approved? Cipro is FDA approved. "researched properly" is an ambiguous term when it comes to anything resulting from Fluoroquinolone Toxicity. No one knows everything and we are a large community of hundreds of thousands of people who are disabled, when previously fine. No one has yet to find specific healing information from these drugs. Its really an individual matter, as proven by all the conversations on private groups.
Is that k to walk if you have Tendonitis? I took Cipro and got my side effects after a week .. now I feel I have pain in tendons .. should I do bed rest most time ? Walking is okie during these period ?
You don't need bed rest but you should limit your walking so it doesn't cause a big increase in your pain and stiffness. It can help to wear shoes with a heel or heel-lift inserts - you can find more information about how to treat this type of tendonitis here: th-cam.com/video/Ie5ecLZgQak/w-d-xo.html
Hello, I'd like to know how you get patients related to this tendinopathy? Do doctors send them to you for rehabilitation right away or do they give the patients some recommendations like you do and then send them to you after few months? I read a paper about 2 stage therapy as in wait for toxicity to reduce for 11 weeks then do weight bearing exercises and gradually increase the work capacity. I am asking this because I am fresh out of 7 days use of cipro. I used 1 dose of corticosteroids at the start then discontinued after severe side effects. I'm usually pretty active (33yo male) but now I have to be really careful. I also want to know what can you offer me professionally apart from what you said here if I purchase your services online?
In your case we would have to really carefully look at all your activities and how we can structure things to allow your tendons to recover. The main issue with cipro is that it slows your collagen production dramatically so it is a much more careful process than normal rehab. You're welcome to email us if you want to discuss this further. contact@treatmyachilles.com
Has anyone ever recovered from this ? All I see is negativity and never any success stories of people making a healthy recovery Would be interesting to know
I have had several patients recover fully from this. The problem with the internet is that it is mostly people who are suffering and not really in a good place that tend to comment more so the evidence is usually skewed and looks bad. People who recover don't really comment since they just go on with their lives and focus on other things.
The majority of people recover; statistics are on your side. Factors that contribute to this are age and underlying conditions like autoimmune diseases, long-term infections, genetic disorders, nutrient deficiencies, etc.
@@kittyscat1674 I don't know, but if running forms a very important part of someone's life, a ruptured achilles tendon or chronic tendinopathy that prevents you from running is worse than any type of disease.
Yes it most certainly can be. That’s why antibiotics aren’t all bad and can definitely be life saver. From Wikipedia “Sepsis will prove fatal in approximately 24.4% of people, and septic shock will prove fatal in 34.7% of people within 30 days (32.2% and 38.5% after 90 days)”
Very well done and explained. I had a horrible reaction to Cipro 11 years ago. Destroyed many tendons in my body and I was in an electric wheelchair for years. Thankfully I'm able to walk again but will never be the same. Wish there was more awareness of this. Glad you're helping to get the word out.
Thanks for sharing!
How did you recover?
@@omarsus7197 I wish I had an easy answer for you. I'm not sure any of the "quick fixes" did ANYthing (tried dozens of supplements, diets, etc.). Honestly I think mostly time, rest and luck were the three things. Once I got about 50% back I was able to ease into some light physical therapy. It took about 2-3 years to even stop getting worse. I'm now well over a decade out and still do daily phys therapy to just maintain normal activities.
Doctors didn't warn me, nobody warned me of not exercising while taking Cipro, and I developed plantar fasciitis, and now about 4 months later I've started having pain in my sholders elbows and wrists and also my arm muscles are sore as well as the palm of my hands.
Exactly the same.. blew both my shoulders, plantar fasciitis and ever other ache and pain you can thing of 😡 never been the same since 😡
I was prescribe cipro by a vietnamiese doctor at clinica del sol, at Houston tx for a cebaceous cyst, now I have neurologyst issues and alot of pain all over my body.
I’m in the same boat.
My life has been unending pain and hell for 6 years since being given Cipro I didn't need for infection I didn't have. When it seems you've improved things get worse no matter how strict a diet, what supplements, whatever I do. I'm back at square one and I'm really about out of hope. Doctors act like you're crazy or drop you as a patient when you try to get help for this. 😐😔
For how long did you take cipro?
Did you have an injection of cipro or only oral?
Dr. Ghalili poisoned by fluoroquinoles
I take 50mg of amitriptyline a day for the pain- and this does help massively- speak to your doctor to get on these if you aren’t already on medication, you may need a higher dosage, depending on how effective they are for you, these take about 2 weeks to kick in - secondly, cut out caffeine ASAP- for some reason caffeine will bring on the pain- cut out nicotine and alcohol- nicotine has the same effect as caffeine and alcohol will put you in pain the following day- like a hangover from hell. Consider taking an antihistamine daily as i have to because cheese and nuts for some reason brings on the pain but the antihistamine cancels it out. Supplement wise, i take a 20,000 IU vitamin d tablet daily with a vitamin K2 tablet- Cipro knocked all the vitamin d out of my body, I’m now at a healthy level with my vitamin d- vitamin K2 helps with the absorption of vitamin d. I also take a daily vitamin B2 supplement and a magnesium supplement- as high dosage as you can buy… This hopefully should help you. FYI amitriptyline is an effective nerve pain killer, it used to be used as an antidepressant- be warned though they make you sleepy so take before you go to bed and expect to put on a little weight whilst on them
Im in the UK. My GP prescribed me Ciprofloxacin as a first line antibiotic for epididymitis (which it turned out i didnt have!). I'm 64 years old, and now have issues with the tendons at the back of my knees. My GP didnt say anything about dangerous side-effects, and neither did the dispensing chemist who issued the tablets to me. All this happened this year - 2023 - so it appears that the message still isn't getting through.
Same has happened to me in uk
This is unacceptable. Someone needs to be held accountable for this. You can ruin an otherwise healthy person's entire life with this stuff.
I was prescribed cipro 2 1/2 years ago for a urinary tract infection, and I'm still dealing with achilles issues. It also caused me to have heart palpitations and an abnormal heart rhythm. My heart palpitations are much better now, but I'm still struggling with achilles pain. I consider myself fortunate though, because many have died from aortic dissections and other complication because of these horrible antibiotics!
For how long did you take cipro?
@@totallyraw1313 5-7 days. This happened twice 6 months apart. It wasn't until the second prescription that I started to connect the dots.
@@wj8678 I'm sorry you have suffered so much. It makes me wonder if you would have been better off having the UTI untreated. A UTI goes away by itself eventually, right?
@@totallyraw1313 I've never had one go away on its own. Left untreated the infection can spread to your kidneys and wreak havoc! I've had a couple UTI's since then, and the antibiotic they have me worked just fine. Cipro should never be used for such a basic common infection...it's supposed to be used as a last resort when all else fails. Doctors are more aware now, and med school students are even learning about fluoroquinolone toxicity in school!
@W J Traditional Chinese medicine can successfully treat UTI's. I'm not convinced that EVERYONE who has a UTI will have it spread. Maybe in some cases, this is true, but not in every individual. I think it largely depends on the overall health of the individual. Taking any antibiotic damages the immune system, so I think in people who have taken antibiotics in the past, cipro may be necessary.
Excellent video. I 've got Levofloxacin 250x2 per day for 20 days and I played badminton on day 21. And once a week for 2 weeks. I started feeling pain in the back of my heel. So I guess mine is fluoroquinolone induced Archilles tendonitis. Thank you for your very informative videos.
I got prescribed this and it came with a packet warning of danger to tendons, after reading it I was like, nope, I ain't even going to test it, give me something else. I also did further research and it has a black box label from the fda. If even the corrupt fda is issuing a warning, I mean that right there is enough to make me not take it.
SAME.. was prescribed them yesterday and I’m not even risking it.. I hope my doctor with prescribe something else otherwise I’m going with a holistic approach
I am 73 years old and when I was 69 I took levafloxin for 5 days for bronchiole infection. Within a few days I could barely walk. In the four years since it happened I have gained weight (from lack of exercise) making it even harder to walk. Before this happened I was able to go on a hike. Now I cannot even walk through a large grocery store. I swam for exercise for awhile but I am highly allergic to the chlorine in pools. And, I don’t have a bicycle. However, recently I have found that taking collagen with bone broth and using good quality turmeric and black pepper helps. Still, if I can’t afford the bone broth etc. for a few days the pain returns and I feel like it just isn’t going to get better or ever completely go away. I’m trying not to be discouraged. I long for the day that I will be able to walk for exercise and lose the 40 or 50 pounds I’ve gained. I especially have trouble on uneven ground and feel my ankle bones have no cushion. My ankles are most damaged and even standing for more than a few minutes is painful. Thank you for this video. I plan to add more vitamin C to what I am doing now that I have seen it.
I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling to this extent. I'm glad that you found the video useful but it is also interesting that you have first hand experience of the usefulness of callagen. xm
Exactly the same thing happened to me. Given Fluoroquinolones before and after orthopaedic surgery in August 2021, I have not been able to walk since because of Achilles Tendon inflammation. The hospital team forced me to continue taking these dreadful antibiotics despite my protestations and despite being instantly covered from head to foot in large, itchy, persistant over several weeks, purple skin patches. Tardively allergic to Penicillen, maybe this was their only urgent antibiotic choice left for a Pasteurella. Still waiting for their answer to that question.
@@sammyanne7873 So sorry to hear that you were also affected. My doctor refused to admit the medication was the cause of my problem and said I had just developed arthritis, even though an X-Ray showed one of the tendons had detached along with a small bone. He believed this was just an injury that I had suffered. I have not improved to a point where I can walk very long but it’s less painful than it was.
@@sammyanne7873 It makes me so sad to read these reports. My brother had a ruptured Achilles tendon because of these antibiotics. The second day I was taking them, many years later, it occurred to me that my tendon was feeling tender and I put the whole thing together. I quit taking it. But I still have thickening and soreness in that tendon. I'm so sorry for your situation 😔. If anybody puts together a class action suit, I'll be glad to weigh in.
There has been a class action lawsuit going on since around 2005ish. I was floxxed and disabled from it in 2018 but there are so many involved in the class action suit that I found no attorney involved in the case who will take any more clients unless they experience the aortic aneurysm as that is a much newer case and Black Box warning on the label. @@vanniegrace
II am 60 yrs old. I have had chronic plantar fasciitis for 10 years, but I had it under control and managed the pain. I took Cipro for a possible prostate infection. After 2 days, ridiculous achilles and foot pain. Stopped taking it. One month later really flaring up. Can barely walk.
Thank you SO MUCH for doing a video about this very important topic! The vast majority of doctors KNOWINGLY lie and deny that this is a problem (I believe it has to do with liability - if someone is returning to them injured after taking the antibiotic they prescribed, to acknowledge it would be to acknowledge they had a hand in hurting the patient, and that can be very problematic legally if they didn't warn the patient ahead of time.) And there are many PT's that simply do not know about this yet, despite it being documented in medical literature for over 15 years. In addition to about 6-8 months of neruopathy and a severe histamine reaction, fluorqouinolones tore my Achilles and peroneal tendons to shreds. Not full ruptures, but split longitudal micro tears all throughout the tissues. Made them resemble swiss cheese and a frayed piece of string cheese basically. They are solely responsible for all my foot problems today 3 years later. I'm doing a lot better but I had to have all those tendons fixed surgery, I developed bone spurs, and now metatarsalgia during rehab. Still dealing with the metatarsalgia but I can finally walk about a mile without rest and about 5,000 steps in a day if I push myself. These drugs should be reserved for the intensive care wing of a hospital and the patient should be given full informed consent that the result can be worse than the condition it's treating! And word to the wise, proceed with caution with NSAIDS as they can potentiate a neurological reaction, but even more so DO NOT TAKE corticsteroids concurrently with FQ's or for several months after administration. You are stacking two drugs that cause tendon degeneration and weakness. The result isn't doubling the risk of tendon rupture, the medical literature says the risk increases 46 fold. So if you had an 0.5% chance to rupture on just Cipro, it's now a 23% chance to rupture while you're taking Prednisone with it.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience - it is really valuable to hear from people who have experienced this themselves.
@@TreatMyAchilles Thanks again, and to any floxies suffering out there that might read this, it does get better for a lot of us. But you have to be patient because it takes a long time. I'd say to any floxed people who are dealing with severe tendon injuries, who are at least 6-12 months out and are at their wits end, to consider surgery. I am so glad I did. But make sure you find the right doctor who respects your allergies and who, most importantly, accepts and acknowledges the fluoroquinolone caused your issue. If they refuse to accept that, the relationship is terminated. Tendon surgeries have come a very long way in the last 20 years. They use an allograft from a cadaver/donor tissue, which serves as a scaffold, and you will birth new collagen over the next 6-12 months (surgery and the accompanying major inflammatory response is the ONLY thing that's ever worked for me for a tendon/ligament injury, I failed 100% of conservative care every time.) I've had an 80% pain reduction and a 50% functional improvement and that number will keep slowly going up for me. I'm probably looking at a 75-80% improvement in 5 years (currently at about 50% at 3 years). Equally as important as finding a good doctor is finding a good PT. I had two PT's that did not respect my pace and was made so much worse I required other surgeries. Finally on the 3rd attempt I found an amazing PT who was wonderful and got me back on my feet at my own very slow pace. Do not be afraid to advocate for yourselves!
@@crispycruiser4654thank you for this :( currently 4 months in
Thanks for this video! I'm sure this is how I got tendonitis in my achilles heel and other random places. I'm not a jock. I took Cipro for an eye infection after I scratched it in a freak accident. I didn't even take it orally, it was in the form of eye drops.
Thanks for watching!
2 days of antibiotics and I just ruptured my Achilles’ tendon playing basketball. Didn’t know it could be possible
😱😣
Is it happen without any inflammation before the rupture, crazy
I’m now realizing that Cipro combined with prednisone and my hypothyroidism has kept me debilitated for about 15 years now. I have been worked up for every autoimmune disease. I’ve gained 100 lbs. This drug has robbed me of my marriage, my life, my career. I am feeling devastated and hopeless. Every time I get a respiratory infection and UTI which I swear are a result of this drug’s effects they prescribe more Cipro. (I am allergic to sulfa). Please if anyone sees this comment and has recovered, tell me what you have done. I am losing hope and that is not the kind of person I am.
I was in the same boat. Taking prednisone because of a Multiple Sclerosis issue, then suspected UTI, Cipro…2 pills and I tore one Achilles and seriously damaged the other. It took me several years to recover, and that was only a partial recovery. Unfortunately there was no magic in the recovery. Lots of staying off my feet (even a period in a wheelchair), some physical therapy. And then I reinjured the previously torn Achilles recently by just walking up a hill. IE those things are still very damaged a decade later. Very best of luck to you as you deal with this.
Curious why a doctor would jump straight to using this as an antibiotic for a UTI rather than something else?
If the urine sample was sent to lab and grew an unusually bacteria that can’t be treated by any other antibiotics or uti has not responded to other antibiotics first.
@@LEN33322thank you for your response.. my doctor prescribed them without trying other antibiotics first and before the culture came back.. I got a call back from the clinic stating that the culture came back clear and I can disregard the meds she prescribed.. I’m so thankful that I never started taking them!
This is what I got after going to an emergency clinic. I was given one then and took it for 3 days before quitting, started with joints aching, then muscle aches, and on the 4th morning I would have taken it I was feeling a buzzing tingling in my hands and feet before I stopped taking it. 2 days after stopping I am having some Achilles type pain in my feet.
I woke up with tendon pain after taking Levaquin for 2 days, 1 each day. Luckily I was aware of the threat because my brother had a ruptured Achilles tendon because of these antibiotics 😢. Two weeks later I'm still having pain. Will try exercises and collagen/ vitamin c.
How are u doing now
@@pedrovillavicencio8373 That Achilles tendon is thicker than the other one. It is somewhat tender, but it is not painful. Thank you for asking ☺️.
@@vanniegrace How is your achilles feeling now, 7 months later?
The pain has improved, and it doesn't feel threatening anymore. But it is twice as thick as the other one. And it is always slightly tender. Thanks for asking. Hope yours gets better 👍
Hey how is Your Achilles now?
@@vanniegrace
Im taking levofloxacin 500mg for 10 days im also taking cyclosporine for my aplastic anemia treatment
Hi, i tool levofloxacin 9 days, i had pain on first day left achilles, but doc said to continue , after 9 days , and i work as a massage therapist on the floor, so i use to stand from sitting on the floor so easy, two feet together. But now pain on the quads tendons. Cant squat less than 100 degrees, had to help myself to get up from the toilet sit with my hands. And off work 5 days..
Taking magnesium, omega 3, vit E, l carnitin, collagen... how long will i be handicap...
So i will have to avoid squats 6 months, and be carefull to stand from sitting on the floor?
Hi Nathalie, I can't really say for how long you'll take to recover but yes, you will have to be very careful with your movements. You don't have to avoid squats for 6 months - they can be useful but done at the right level. I would suggest that you consult a physio who is experienced in dealing with this, because you will benefit a lot more from tailored advice that is specific for what you need. xm
How did yours turn out a year later? The SAME THING is happening to me now and I am SO SCARED!! Going to orthepedics today!
How do you feel today?
@@luvfitall Was the orthopedic able to help? Wondering because I'm recently dealing with some pain too and have had trouble finding anything that helps.
How do You feel 3 years later?
What if I consume collagen as a supplement, will the body use it to heal tendons? Or the antibiotic prevent that process?
I only took 2 pills and feel ankle pain so i switched to another antibiotic immediately. Can 2 pills (500 mg each) have enough damage ?😢
There are cases where even 1 dose caused trouble but if you stopped it immediately that is good. If you've stopped the antibiotic and take the collagen, then it will help but I don't know if it would do much if you take the 2 together.
It’s not only fluoroquinalones! I got tendinitis from azithromycin. I’m a runner and it has been hell for eight months.
You're right - Fluoroquinalones are the most common but some people are also affected by others.
How are You now?
@@wojtekwozniczka492 better but still having achilles issues from time to time
Rather impressive how the medical establishment can ruin the lifes of millions of people without consequence.
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Can very long term Doxycycline use cause tendon issues as well??
I'm not that familiar with other types of antibiotics but I know some of them can give a reaction although it's not very common. The FDA website may give you more info on this.
I need your help I'm a 62 year-old male that was prescribed cpro now my achilles both of them are in agonizing pain constantly my doctor doesn't believe Cipro could do that I feel like it's affected my nervous system as well do you have any recommendations
I find your doctor's reaction very puzzling and alarming since it is a very well-known side effect and it can affect your nervous system and several other systems as well. I have discussed treatment of Cipro related tendonitis in this video th-cam.com/video/Ie5ecLZgQak/w-d-xo.html but you will have to find advice about the other symptoms - is it possible to get a second opinion from a different doctor who may be able to help you better than your current one?
@@TreatMyAchilles I think you're right it's time for a new PCP it seems like it's throwing a dart on a bunch of names and see which one sticks would you have any advice for finding a good primary care physician I have Aetna HMO
Hi, I just turned 60 in April. In Oct 2018 I was floxxed (that’s what it’s being called) by generic Avelox after 3 pills (one per day) when I woke with severe bilateral achilles pain and barely able to walk. My girlfriend is a nurse and told me to check the insert and sure enough, I found a black box warning describing these effects. Within two weeks I was unable to walk and both epicondyle tendons were extremely painful. After a month or two and after getting into AFO braces I was able to walk again but it’s still very painful and there are days I’m either stuck in bed or in a wheelchair. Over time I’ve had MRI’s and ultrasounds of these affected tendons and all show serious damage, similar to what others have described as shredded, micro tears, bone spurs, lumps of tendon tissue, etc. It’s now been 5 years and I am in full-time AFO braces and I wear hinged elbow braces on both arms to reduce the chance of rupture and lessen the pain while moving around. In addition, I suffer with severe neuropathy in my feet and numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. Some days are better than others and there have been times I thought I was finally getting better only to have a flare-up/relapse which I’ve now learned is common to those of us afflicted with this.
I have found that the majority of doctors are unaware or don’t believe this information. I’ve spent 4.5 years researching this, calling the FDA twice who has actually labeled it as FQAD (Fluoroquinolone-Associated Disability), contacted doctors from other countries, and talking with many military doctors. Several military doctors who worked overseas are very aware of this because it’s prescribed to troops on a regular basis to protect against anthrax poisoning and for those who contract VD’s. I’ve been told that hundreds if not thousands have been discharged from the military due to tendon, nerve, heart, and even mental disorders caused by fluoroquinolones but not documented as such.
I now go to all doctor visits armed with the historical FDA reports, numerous studies done by different universities in several countries, and of course the drugs own label which confirms these issues via black box warnings. It’s amazing to me that most of the doctors I’ve seen and spoken with disregard all this information. Urologists prescribe Cipro constantly in the USA and two urologists I’ve seen refused to even look at the papers saying, I’ve never seen it and I prescribe this every day. I explain that if anything, people go to their primary MD days or weeks later for this pain and it’s likely called a strain or sprain and as it worsens they are sent to PT where sometimes a rupture occurs but nobody ever tracks it back to the urologist who prescribed the medication and therefor many people are deemed “crazy” because doctors can’t find anything wrong and don’t understand what happened nor do they know the specific tests they must perform to correctly diagnose this issue.
I have recently found a doctor in Germany who has been working with fluoroquinolone damaged patients since early 2000’s and is making major advancements, is working with a university and other doctors to try and get peer reviewed studies and ultimately treatment for this. Search TH-cam for Stefan Pieper fluoroquinolone and you will find his 3-part interview. I bought two copies of his book. One for myself and one to let doctors borrow as I try to get this information out to those who deny it’s existence or say it’s so rare that it’s not worth spending time on. The book is $30 and fairly small so you can get the kindle version for around $4…which I also bought to have available at all times. His book covers diagnosis, treatment, pathology, the damage to mitochondrial DNA….everything he’s learned so far and all he’s doing to get this information out to the world. He also explains why tests come up negative even by neurologists because only small fiber neuropathy tests will show the nerve damage and those tests are either too expensive, unavailable, or even the neurologist doesn’t know much about those tests. It’s up to all of us to learn and share as much as possible and provide fact-based medical proof to our doctors. This book is full of medical references as to where the information comes from outside of just his own practice and studies. I highly recommend it but check out the free TH-cam video’s as they provide a lot of information.
How are You now?
@@Sober14me
is it good to take BPC 157 for Achiilis tendon after the issue of ciprofloxacin?
BPC 157 has not been tested and researched properly in humans. This means that we don't know how safe it is to take for anyone. I know it is being hailed as a wonder drug by especially the gym community but I would not touch it.
@@TreatMyAchilles if you wouldnt take it I wouldnt either. I trust the Experts
@@derfalke90 which experts? The ones that gave you Cipro in the first place? Or do you mean people who don't use or recommend anything unless it has been FDA approved? Cipro is FDA approved. "researched properly" is an ambiguous term when it comes to anything resulting from Fluoroquinolone Toxicity. No one knows everything and we are a large community of hundreds of thousands of people who are disabled, when previously fine. No one has yet to find specific healing information from these drugs. Its really an individual matter, as proven by all the conversations on private groups.
Is that k to walk if you have Tendonitis? I took Cipro and got my side effects after a week .. now I feel I have pain in tendons .. should I do bed rest most time ? Walking is okie during these period ?
You don't need bed rest but you should limit your walking so it doesn't cause a big increase in your pain and stiffness. It can help to wear shoes with a heel or heel-lift inserts - you can find more information about how to treat this type of tendonitis here: th-cam.com/video/Ie5ecLZgQak/w-d-xo.html
thank you so much@@TreatMyAchilles
How do You feel after 4 months?
@@priadenis
It’s k . Still I get pain . Just being conscious to jump and give weight
Hello, I'd like to know how you get patients related to this tendinopathy? Do doctors send them to you for rehabilitation right away or do they give the patients some recommendations like you do and then send them to you after few months?
I read a paper about 2 stage therapy as in wait for toxicity to reduce for 11 weeks then do weight bearing exercises and gradually increase the work capacity.
I am asking this because I am fresh out of 7 days use of cipro. I used 1 dose of corticosteroids at the start then discontinued after severe side effects. I'm usually pretty active (33yo male) but now I have to be really careful.
I also want to know what can you offer me professionally apart from what you said here if I purchase your services online?
In your case we would have to really carefully look at all your activities and how we can structure things to allow your tendons to recover. The main issue with cipro is that it slows your collagen production dramatically so it is a much more careful process than normal rehab. You're welcome to email us if you want to discuss this further. contact@treatmyachilles.com
@Treat My Achilles If it slows collagen production dramatically, does that mean it also ages the skin faster, like developing more wrinkles?
Has anyone ever recovered from this ? All I see is negativity and never any success stories of people making a healthy recovery
Would be interesting to know
I have had several patients recover fully from this. The problem with the internet is that it is mostly people who are suffering and not really in a good place that tend to comment more so the evidence is usually skewed and looks bad. People who recover don't really comment since they just go on with their lives and focus on other things.
The majority of people recover; statistics are on your side. Factors that contribute to this are age and underlying conditions like autoimmune diseases, long-term infections, genetic disorders, nutrient deficiencies, etc.
Like Playing Russian rullete.
I think I'd rather have an infection that this antibiotic is used to treat than take the antibiotic!
How about lyme disease brucellosis or bartonella.
@@kittyscat1674 I don't know, but if running forms a very important part of someone's life, a ruptured achilles tendon or chronic tendinopathy that prevents you from running is worse than any type of disease.
You wouldn’t if you got sepsis.
@@LEN33322 Is sepsis deadly?
Yes it most certainly can be. That’s why antibiotics aren’t all bad and can definitely be life saver. From Wikipedia “Sepsis will prove fatal in approximately 24.4% of people, and septic shock will prove fatal in 34.7% of people within 30 days (32.2% and 38.5% after 90 days)”