Posts Tagged ‘ Tendon Rupture ’

Prescription Hell: When Curing Your Ill Causes More Ills

August 4th, 2011. By AbiK

True Story: I saw a comment from a reader here at LawyersandSettlements.com who had gone to the doctor to get some help for his acne. While there, the doctor noticed that this guy’s hair was starting to thin. Long story short, the guy walked out of the doctor’s office with a prescription for Propecia. He now claims he suffers sexual side effects (like erectile dysfunction and impotence). Oh, and btw, he still had his acne.

It got me thinking…

I’m not a glass-half-empty type, but it’s easy to see how, with prescription drugs, one can envision a worst-case-scenario downward spiral of things—especially given the potential side effects with some drugs that are on the market.

So then I started thinking, what if…

What if a guy goes to the doctor for acne. What could happen based on which drugs he’s been prescribed and what the side effects of those drugs could be? The graphic above depicts “The Snake Pit” (classic movie if you haven’t seen it) version of taking prescription upon prescription. A modern day Dante’s “Inferno”. Only in this little vignette, no one emerges from hell in their attempt to mitigate (via new prescriptions) the snowball effect of increasingly negative side effects.

Here’s how this plays out.

(Note, yes, it’s hypothetical, assumes various doctors/specialists involved, and yes, assumes worst case and/or rare scenarios…but still, it could happen. And before you get on me for Accutane being off the market, the drug isotretinoin is still alive and kicking…)

A guy goes to the doctor for acne. He’s given Accutane (isotretinoin). A possible side effect of Accutane is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). To treat the IBD, he’s given Cipro (antibiotic) and Prednisone (corticosteroid). Cipro has been linked to tendon rupture. Reported, though rare, side effects of Prednisone can include high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Assuming his luck is nil, he experiences these side effects and is given Lisinopril (ACE inhibitor) to combat the high blood pressure, and Fosamax to help combat the osteoporosis.

As we know, Lisinopril has been linked to liver damage (or worse, liver failure). And Fosamax has been under fire for femur fractures. Which, outside of pain meds—which have their own set of side effects—requires another form of medical intervention (surgery). So we come to a “STOP” on that path.

But between the Accutane and the Lisinopril, he begins to experience some hair loss as well—a rare side effect of both drugs, and he’s Mr. Unlucky. So next up, Propecia. Propecia side effects include sexual dyfunction. And he finds himself having some “issues” on the love-making front. Well, there’s a drug for that—Viagra! But let’s face it, between hair loss, sexual dysfunction, a broken thigh bone, a ruptured tendon, high blood pressure and some bowel problems, is it any wonder this guy’s now depressed? So, it’s time for some SSRI’s—like Prozac. And Prozac’s been linked to suicidal behavior.

And, with that, I guess it’s another “STOP”.

Tags: Accutane, Cipro, Depression, femur fracture, Fosamax, Hair Loss, IBD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Isotretinoin, Lisinopril, Osteoporosis, Prednisone, Propecia, Prozac, Sexual Dysfunction, SSRI, Tendon Rupture, Viagra
Posted in Drugs/Medical | 1 Comment »

An Internet Community for Avelox Sufferers

July 21st, 2009. By LucyC

Have you suffered an adverse event such as tendon rupture, from taking Avelox? Or any other of the myriad of side effects it’s associated with? If so, you may already be aware of the online community that exists to support people who have suffered or are still suffering from flouroquinolone adverse events.

Sifting through the information available on the internet about Avelox was an educational experience for me. I had no idea this community existed. And it seems as if it’s necessary. While there have been reports of tendon ruptures associated with the drug, it’s not exactly mainstream news. Nevertheless, it seems like pretty serious stuff.

For example, on the website fqvictims.org, several people have posted information about their experience with Avelox adverse events. One man described his problems this way, “Severe pain from left hip through left foot, left leg from mid-calf to foot reddened, severe burning pain in tendons, muscle spasms, depersonalization, anxiety, panic, increasingly severe CNS symptoms with floaters in my eyes which are very dense and almost curtain-like along with anxiety and insomnia which requires three 3 mg melatonin at bedtime, severe photophobia.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Avelox, Tendon Rupture
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Personal Injury | 2 Comments »

Number of Cipro Tendon Rupture Victims—Anyone’s Guess?

June 30th, 2009. By janem

It is estimated that one in every ten people will take a fluoroquinolone antibiotic during the course of their lifetime, and chances are it would either be Cipro or Levaquin, the two big blockbuster drugs. Take this statistic, add the fact that the FDA says less than 10 percent of all drug side effects ever get reported to their agency, and throw in the equation that many US troops were given Cipro, chances are countless people have suffered tendon tears and ruptures from these drugs. And according to Cipro patients writing online, Cipro’s adverse events are not as rare as the drug manufacturer—Bayer—would have the public believe.

 

And let’s not forget the Anthrax scare in 2001—if you recall, the antidote to have on hand and the drug that became the media darling during that scare was none other than Cipro. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Cipro, Levaquin, Tendon Rupture
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Emerging Issues | 2 Comments »