"Did Levaquin Cause my Tendonitis"?

November 1, 2008, 05:00:00AM. By Jane Mundy

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Hollister CA: "When I was in hospital for a total knee replacement (TKR) I developed a lung infection and was given the antibiotic Levaquin," says Linda. "Three hours later my daughter visited and I told her my neck was itching. She saw that my whole back had broken out in hives—now I know that I can never take Levaquin again." Hives was the least of Linda's concerns; she believes her tendonitis was caused by taking Levaquin.

At the time, Linda didn't know that she was given Levaquin and they couldn't give her anything for the itching and irritation. "When I was released from the hospital, and 3 weeks into my physical therapy I developed severe tendonitis and knee crunching (crepitus) and had to discontinue therapy," she says. "Unfortunately, the treatment for tendonitis is ultrasound but I cannot do that because of my TKR—the replacement piece would be damaged by the ultrasound.

Now I am having severe pain on the outside of my left knee. I went back to the doctor and he told me the ligaments on the left side of my knee need to be stretched—apparently they are too short. My kneecap has shifted and a piece of the plastic has broken off inside my knee, causing swelling and pain. Looks like I will have to go under the knife again—I need orthoscopic surgery to repair it.

I have an appointment on November 4th for follow-up and at that time the decision will be made, whether or not to have further surgery. Only with surgery will the damage become apparent because it doesn't show up with regular x-rays; neither do I know how much Levaquin is to blame. But I was reading an article about the side effects of this drug and it seems coincidental that this has now happened to me. I was doing OK up until I had problems with the tendonitis in my knee.

This is my second surgery on the same knee within 6 years and it is the first time I have suffered from tendonitis. And it is the first time—that I am aware of—that I was given Levaquin."

It is likely that Linda' tendonitis was caused by Levaquin: as of October 2008, at least 33 tendon rupture lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson and their popular antibiotic. And the number of lawsuits are growing as lawyers follow up on complaints against Levaquin, which belongs to the class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones.

To date, 30 lawsuits have been transferred to a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in the District of Minnesota and more suits have been filed in other state courts, associating Levaquin with tendon toxicity and an increased risk of tendon ruptures, most frequently involving the Achilles tendon.

If you have suffered any of these symptoms after taking Levaquin, you may want to seek legal help. After Linda discusses with her surgeon in November whether or not Levaquin could have been responsible for her tendonitis, Linda will know if she needs to file a lawsuit.

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