Suffering Cipro's Side Effects

Perryville, MDSophia's urologist first prescribed Cipro last October when she was diagnosed with kidney stones and again after she had surgery. But the pain she experienced back then was minor compared to what she is suffering now--Achilles tendonitis.

"I was still bleeding about three weeks after surgery so my urologist treated me with another round of Cipro," says Sophia. The antibiotic seemed to work; Sophia returned to work and resumed her active life.

But shortly afterward, for no apparent reason, she had a shooting pain in her left foot when she walked. "The pain was in my heel, right under the arch and it seemed to be getting worse," says Sophia, "but I tried to push it out of my mind." Three weeks later—around the end of March—she couldn't ignore the pain anymore.

"I was coming down the stairwell at work and missed a few steps because of the way I was walking and landed on my left foot," she says. "I called a podiatrist and she ordered an MRI—it showed Achilles tendonitis. She fitted me with a Cam Walker Boot and told me to take it easy…

About four weeks later my podiatrist advised me to get a second opinion because my foot wasn't getting any better, so I saw a doctor this time and had another MRI on July 12th.

At the time I had no idea how this could have happened. It couldn't have happened by any kind of trauma. I don't do anything strenuous, just causal walking. Then a few weeks ago I saw an ad on the Internet about Cipro and its link to tendonitis. I was shocked but in a way relieved: It just clicked—I couldn't figure out how my tendon was damaged but now I know. And all this time I thought it was a string of bad luck—kidney stones, infection and torn tendon.

I don't know if I will ever trust pharmaceuticals again. I trust that a drug will make me feel better; I trust my doctor who writes the prescription. So far I haven't talked to my doctors about Cipro because I am losing my trust in them.

I certainly won't be taking Cipro again or anything else in that class of medications [fluoroquinolones]. I have no idea how an antibiotic can do this to tendons but I am leery of taking another antibiotic, period. Coincidentally, my husband was in hospital last week and he was given Cipro so now I am worried about him; I wanted to tell the doctors not to give him this med but at the same time he has a nasty infection. But will Cipro affect him later like it did to me? My husband has to see his doctor next week and at that time we will ask for an alternative medicine.

As for me, I can't even walk—I've been ordered to stay off my foot for six weeks and then will I start physical therapy. I just hope it heals and I don't need surgery."

Sophia is one of many people who have suffered from Cipro's side effects. Victims of the 2001 anthrax attacks still have health problems due to Cipro—an antiobitic that was supposed to treat and prevent deadly anthrax infections. One sufferer, John Angell, worked on Capitol Hill as staff director for Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) when the anthrax attacks occurred. Although Angell wasn't diagnosed with anthrax, he was treated with Cipro as a precaution, to prevent infection. But just days later, he reported terrible pain in both his Achilles tendons to the Wall Street Journal. Eventually he had to change jobs and today Angell walks with a cane.

In July the FDA asked the manufacturers of fluorquinolones, including Cipro, to issue a black box warning. Unfortunately the warning didn't come soon enough for victims like Sophia and John Angell and many more sufferers.