Winston-Salem, NCPhoebe took the prescribed dose of Cipro ( a ten-day treatment) in early 2008 for a sinus infection. It cleared up the infection but caused horrible and likely irreparable side effects. "I want to see this drug taken off the market," says Phoebe. "I think it is hurting a lot of people and severely affecting the lives of older people like me".
Just a few days after she finished Cipro, Phoebe woke up one morning and could barely get out of bed." My wrist was swollen and painful and my right leg and hip was excruciating," says Phoebe. "It seemed like I hurt everywhere; what is even more strange is that I never had joint pain before. I ended up going to the doctor and he thought I had rheumatoid arthritis (RA). But how could I get RA overnight? He prescribed prednisone but I was back in his office a few weeks later. I couldn't lift my arms above my shoulders, nothing had improved. My main problem was my wrist: it was extremely swollen and painful—I couldn't even use it.
He ordered more blood tests and sent me home with another prescription—the prednisone was driving crazy, it made me nervous and edgy. On my next visit I was given an injection of cortisone for my swollen wrist and the swelling finally subsided.
I blame Cipro for all these ailments because later on I took Levaquin for some other infection. At that time I was getting ready to go to California to see my sister, she was having surgery and I wanted to be by her side. But the morning after I had the first dose of Levaquin I woke up to the same symptoms all over again, so I had to cancel my trip. That was really agonizing.
Cipro and Levaquin: Ruptured Tendon?
I was never told that I had a ruptured tendon but I am sure that is what I have in my wrist. And I don't understand why it never went away. I talked to my doctor about Cipro and Levaquin and its association with all my joint problems; I told him that I likely had a ruptured tendon but he didn't think these antibiotic drugs would cause the damage. But even now I still have pain in my right leg and hip and when I get up and try to walk I am stiff.
I looked up these drugs on the Internet to see if there were any side effects. I was surprised: I read about a man who had similar symptoms and he couldn't even work. It ruined his life. I am worried because I live alone; I was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to care for myself when my wrist was so bad. Thank goodness it is better but I really have a hard time walking. My right leg is weak and hurts and I look like a robot when I do walk. I even have a limp. Strangely, sometimes my feet feel different, like they don't want to bend.
A lawyer said I need to have a diagnosis of a ruptured or torn tendon to pursue a lawsuit but I don't know if it will show up now, more than a year later. In hindsight, I wish I had insisted on further tests, to show torn or ruptured tendons. One day when I was leaving the doctor's office he said nonchalantly that I didn't have RA, but he still didn't know what was wrong with me. I don't know if they were trying to negate the fact that they gave me a bad drug."
Phoebe's misdiagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is cause for concern: how many other people, particularly the elderly, have been misdiagnosed? And getting the wrong medications? If you have taken Cipro, Levaquin or Avelox and have suffered side effects similar to Phoebe, insist on getting tests—you may have torn or ruptured tendons. And you may qualify for a lawsuit.