This is pretty scary, I was recently on both of these (currently I'm on Cephalexin) but didn't experience the tendon soreness that leads to the ruptured tendon. My doctor didn't even warn me that this was even an issue, so it's probably a good idea that they add it to the label to let the user know.
The FDA's action came after the consumer group Public Citizen petitioned_and later sued_the agency for such warnings. Regulators took too long to act, complained Sidney Wolfe, head of the consumer group's health section. Many injuries "would have been prevented if patients and doctors had known a pain in the tendon is an early sign that leads to rupture," Wolfe said. Public Citizen's original petition was filed nearly two years ago.Who reads the prescribing literature? It's printed in tiny print that that you can't read unless you use a magnifying glass and it's written in medical jargon. And there's usually such a long list of potential problems that a tendon rupture would be lost in all the data you would have to remember.FDA officials pointed out that prescribing literature for the drug class already carried clear warnings of the risk of tendon rupture. They said the agency acted to emphasize the warnings because continued reports of injuries indicated that the message may not have gotten through to doctors and patients.
No, for big problems that are totally unrelated to the reason you're taking the medications, they need it on the label.
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I’m 38 yrs. Old. I was prescribed levaquin 500 MG for a sinus infection to take once per day for 21 days. The Allergist doctor said if your joints start aching, like in your knees call me and I'll change the prescription, don't try to work through it. I didn't think it to be a big deal. After a week into taking Levaquin my hand and arm would go numb in the middle of the night. I thought maybe I was sleeping on it for too long and it went numb. After about 4 more days my knees and lower back started aching and all the way up the back of my calf where the achillies tendon is ..is extremely tender. I called the doctor and asked to have the presciption changed. The doctor never told me the damage this drug can cause to your tendons. He just said if you have aching in your joints, like arthritis. What makes it worse is I went to see an ENT about 10 days after taking the medicine because my sinus' still didn't show signs of improving. I told the ENT that I was taking Levaquin. He said it was a good medicine and to keep taking it. Even after I wrote down and told him my elbow joints were aching, had numbness in hand and pain in back of leg. I haven't taken the medicine for 2 days but the pain up the back of my calf and aching in my knees has not improved.
I had 4 courses of Keflex / Cephalexin last year, and several months later experienced extreme tendinitis in both arms. Not more than 30 days later I ruptured my biceps tendon while picking up a computer.
As anyone heard of ruptures related to Keflex / Cephalexin?
If you have been or are currently using the Johnson & Johnson and Ortho-McNeil antibiotic Levaquin, you need to be aware that Levaquin has been linked to dozens of cases of serious tendon injuries and ruptures. This site has a lot of good information on the problem: http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/levaquin
I took levaquin for 3 weeks after having the flu. A few days after I stopped, i was feeling better so i went to the gym. I felt something pop on my arms. It turns out I ruptured the tendon in my right arm, and almost in the left arm too. I am now scheduled for surgery, all for taking a medication. I found out more on a blog about levaquin, levaquinblog.com that these drugs can actually do what the doctor said they did.
This is real scary stuff. Thanks for posting your experience. And James, that link has some real useful information on it.
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