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10 Things Your Primary Care Doctor Does That Should Make You Run for the Hills
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Dr Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California San Diego and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
FAST FACTS
Many of my patients have heard the FDA announcement about tendon ruptures, so I thought I would post an update on the story of the quinolone antibiotics.
What is the problem? Increased risk of tendon problems with fluoroquinolones has prompted the FDA to require makers of these antibiotics to include a boxed warning concerning an increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture.
Why the concern? A warning about the increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture in patients taking fluoroquinolones was previously added to the prescribing information for fluoroquinolones. However, recent evaluation of the medical literature and the post-marketing adverse event reports confirmed that serious reports of tendinitis and tendon rupture with the use of fluoroquinolones continue to be reported in similar or increased numbers.
What happens exactly? Tendinitis and tendon rupture associated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics most frequently involves the Achilles tendon.This risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture is further increased in patients older than 60 years, in kidney, heart, and lung transplant recipients, and with those using steroid therapy. Patients should be instructed to observe for signs and symptoms of tendon problems including tendon pain, swelling, and inflammation when they are prescribed fluoroquinolones.
What's a fluoroquinolone antibiotic?
1) ciprofloxacin (marketed as Cipro and generic ciprofloxacin)
2) gemifloxacin (marketed as Factive);
3) evofloxacin (marketed as Levaquin);
4) moxifloxacin (marketed as Avelox);
5) norfloxacin (marketed as Noroxin); and
6) ofloxacin (marketed as Floxin and generic ofloxacin).
Dr O.
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Displaying comments 18-1 of 18
Got a Question?
celabrex for the pain but I had no idea that taking these antibiotics might be the cause I'm going to make a doctors appiontment to find out.
Thank you
Pauline
at least 3 rounds a year, I haven't noticed any problems, except sometimes after
my first dose of Levaquin I may feel a little sick to my stomach, But I have run into
this over the years with many of meds , it goes away after a hour or so.
Brad, 51 w cf
Dr O.
there is no way in the world, that a drug should be going by TWO DIFFERENT NAMES.... this is marketing and trade mark issues, i understand that, but ONE DRUG, SHOULD HAVE ONE NAME....
ive heard about moxifloxacin being 'bad', but not specific information... had i known that moxi floxi, as its called in the hallways of the clinic i go to, if i'd known moxflox was AVELOX, i might have been able to avoid BEING SICK LIKE AN DOG IN A WAR-ZONE ALL SUMMER, (OR, PERHAPS PERMANENTLY)
YOU ALL REALISE THAT SOME OF THESE 'SIDE EFFECTS' CAN BE PERMANENT, INCLUDING THE DIARREAH?....
what is the life expectancy of someone with permanent acute diarreah..?
For those of you who took it in the past and had no problems there is no reason to think the problem (tendon rupture, tendinitis) will show up later...it usually declares itself during or shortly after the treatment with a quinolone antibiotic but this is evolving so Ill keep you posted
Dr O.
Another interesting fact about my case is I have fibro and suffer from bouts of tendonitis and the dr I saw had all my records on computer and never said a word!