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FDA Issues Warning on Cipro and Similar Antibiotics

washtimes.com — Federal drug safety officials have imposed the government's most urgent warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics, citing risks that they can cause tendon ruptures, a serious injury that leaves some patients incapacitated.

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Crackerpat, on 07/08/2008, -6/+6I just saw something on the news while I was at lunch today.
industryfinest, on 07/08/2008, -5/+6WOW, This is crazy. Great article NewsFeed!!!
philostrato, on 07/08/2008, -2/+6yeah, great article for sure
Stryker412, on 07/08/2008, -0/+20THANK GOD!! I was on Cipro last year and had very bad tendon pain in my knees and no one could figure out what it was. The nurse thought I was crazy until I started doing my own research on Cipro and it's side effects. I'm glad others are now being warned.
- Stroggoth, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2It is worse than this too; I had a reaction to cipro with another drug (doxycycline) that left me with real and permanent nerve damage. Tequin, a close relative of cipro, was pulled from the market for causing diabetes. Levaquin, another close relative, causes other bad side effects.
  
  These drugs might work, but never mix them with ANY other drug, and be aware that cipro will alter your body function for up to a year after you take it. Cipro is also cumulative over time, so if you take multiple courses, you can build up worse side effects.
  - MaryMarge, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1or you can just not take the pills and keep the syphillis!
  - Stroggoth, on 07/12/2008, -1/+0OR you can take a different drug! One that won't cripple you for life. BTW, it is unfortunate that you have syphillis, better get that treated.
JakeAndersyn, on 07/09/2008, -6/+1Ay yi yi! Now I'll have to retrofit my nuclear bomb shelter!
skiCO, on 07/09/2008, -2/+5Traveling through Asia right now with a huge stash of Cipro... this is relevant to my interests. Although, I think I'll still take it if I end up ***** my brains out after eating whatever the ***** that was on a stick last night.

Fortunately, the street food hasnt made me sick at all yet (5 months in) so the cipro just sits there unused.
- billyvnilly, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3research probiotics. They work. We use them in the hospital to hopefully reduce infection with C. difficile, a nasty diarrhea causing bug.
- ISurfTooMuch, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2If you do take it, make sure you also eat yogurt that contains live cultures. Cipro will kill many beneficial bacteria in your digestive system, and that will send you running for the toilet as bad as some tainted food will. The yogurt will reintroduce these bacteria and help you recover faster.
  
  And I can vouch for this advice. I just finished a round of Cipro, and getting to the bathroom last Saturday was an adventure. I made it, but it was close...VERY close.
PapaZit, on 07/09/2008, -4/+10I'm not shocked.

I'm currently reading "Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs" by Melody Peterson and the it's disgusting how these companies operate, many times without any regulation or punishment. I guarantee that the FDA knew the harm it could cause for a while, the company for years but puts profits over the health and safety of the public. I was always skeptical of prescription pills, but this book confirms how corrupt the business has become.

She was on Bill Moyers a few months ago, good interview.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05162008/watch2. ...
- MellerTime, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4Umm... if the FDA knew all this time, shouldn't we really be mad at them, since they're the ones that are supposed to be keeping the "big evil drug companies" in line? The drug companies are doing what all companies do - trying to sell products, the FDA are the ones that are supposed to be watching out for us consumers. Isn't it really more their fault if a dangerous drug makes it on the market?
  - PapaZit, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2The FDA will very often suppress information to not cause "harm" to the company, also consider that every regulatory department in the government has been debilitated in the past 30 years, especially in the past 8, with administrators of these agencies who are past or future members of the industry that they are supposed to regulate.
    
    The drug companies will frequently suppress research that does not put their products in a positive light. It's completely unethical to do so in the name of profits, and their is no justification for it, when deaths are caused by relentless avarice. It's the fault of both weak regulatory agencies, as well as the corporations. Companies should not knowingly sell products that don't work as well as they advertise or even work worse than a placebo and potentially more harmful that what it's worth, while maintaining sky-high prices for these drugs. I forget the exact statistic, but over 90% of doctors in this country are on the payroll of one or more pharmaceutical company to promote their products, or to fill out scripts. The public's well-being should be the first priority for the health-care industry, not maximizing profits.
- mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1Ya life was so much better before modern medicine came around, right?
- beauley, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1The pharmaceuticals basically own the airwaves[MSM], so if there is anything important you should know...you won't know it.
  Here are some ways you can protest.
  and Fight for Health Freedom
  
  http://www.nationalhealthfreedom.org/nhfa/protect_ ...
  
  http://www.nationalhealthfreedom.org/
  
  Latest on what's happening...
  Vitamin/Mineral Supplement Laws...
  
  http://www.iahf.com/20050726.html
Mard, on 07/09/2008, -4/+2Rupturing a tendon sounds ***** PAINFUL AS *****. I black out just thinking about how painful that would be. Is it my imagination? Is a ruptured tendon less painful than it sounds?
DeadeyeDick, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2I've taken Levaquin twice and have had a ***** up hip and shoulder ever since! Not saying I'm sure this is what happened, but I haven't been able to figure out how a 24 year old active guy gets shoulder and hip pain like this. They feel sprained all the time. Good knowledge going forward.
DystopiaNoir, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2I am allergic to sulfa-based drugs so Cipro and its ilk are what I'm primarily given whenever I need antibiotics. I've never experienced a problem (although they're not kidding when they say do not take with caffeine - i can feel pain in my stomach with each swallow if I drink a soda immediately after taking one). Too bad for the people who found out the hard way, though.
- AnonBuffalo, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Cipro with caffeine? WTF?
  
  The only interaction it has with caffeine is it decreases the clearance of it; IE your coffee stays in your a bit longer or acts more potently.
  
  Taken from clinical pharmacology:
  Some quinolones, including ciprofloxacin, can inhibit the hepatic clearance of caffeine [5496], which is commonly found in beverages (e.g., coffee, green tea [6531], other teas, and colas), some over-the-counter medications, and dietary supplements (e.g., guarana [4679]). Some quinolone antibiotics may also inhibit the hepatic clearance of theobromine which is commonly found in teas and chocolate. Enoxacin and, to a lesser extent, ciprofloxacin, grepafloxacin, levofloxacin, and norfloxacin decrease the clearance of caffeine. The effect of ciprofloxacin is less than that of enoxacin but more significant than that of norfloxacin.
  
  Stop spewing crap on dig that you don't know about.
lordmike, on 07/09/2008, -5/+3Cipro is poison.. I took 4 days worth 4 years ago, and I am still living with the permanent nerve damage it caused me. It also permanently damaged my hearing. I live in pain every day from that evil, toxic drug... Doctors, especially urologists, hand it out like candy... it's a very strong, third line antibiotic, that should be only used in a hospital setting... many people have been damaged by this terrible drug... there is even a support group on Yahoo... it can take years to recover if ever.

I wish I could go back in time and never take that poison... Amazing how the FDA just lets this stuff slide for so many years... This reported side effect has been known about for YEARS!
- Stroggoth, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1lordmike: I have permanent nerve damage from it too! Send me a private msg, I'd be interested to hear your story.
- 10scott10, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3there is a warning about nerve damage on the box. thats why people were ***** when during the antrax scare, they all bought cipro. they were cheaper and safer anti-anthrax drugs. it was simply a newer and wider-spectrum anti-biotic.
  
  however, i ahve used cipro and was fine. it was for a bad infection that wouldn't go away, and it cleared it up.
  there is a reason why these products are on the market. it is becuase they help far more people than they hurt, when used properly
  - masterofshadows, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I also have used cipro, i was never informed of the side effects. However i never experienced any either so either I am lucky or the odds of this happening are being overblown
- beauley, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1One must remember that: The only purpose of the DRUG industry is "Profit". The patient/consumer is not even on their radar screens.
  Ways to Protest and Fight for:
  Health Freedom
  http://www.nationalhealthfreedom.org/nhfa/protect_ ...
  http://www.nationalhealthfreedom.org/
  
  Latest on what's happening
  Vitamin/Mineral Supplement Laws...
  http://www.iahf.com/20050726.html
  
  Ron Paul bill H.R. 2117 "Health Freedom Protection Act"
  http://www.citizens.org/action-alerts/take-action- ... eintroduced
RobotCitizen, on 07/09/2008, -4/+13Here come the histrionics. OMG teh evul meds! News flash: ALL medications have side effects. Even aspirin and tylenol. The risk of tendon rupture is 1 in 100,000. That's small, and it's old news. Quinolones are useful meds and they aren't going anywhere.

Of course, if you don't want side effects, please never go to a doctor again. Ever. Treat yourself with your probiotics, and chi machines, and crystals, and magnets, and whatever other childish nonsense you imagine works.
- mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -0/+110/10, would read again.
ronjohn, on 07/09/2008, -3/+1Cool, new date-rape drug!
Elderon, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7It's still a very useful antibiotic. The problem, is as others have said - doctors are writing scripts for this stuff like candy. I'd rather have tendon pain/problems than be dead, but there are other antibiotics that can and should be used first if possible.
Also it helps if you think of antibiotics like pesticides but for inside the body. Usually they kill what they are supposed to but sometimes not.
suprememilo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7Cipro or anthrax/meningitis is it really that hard of a decision?
ISurfTooMuch, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I'm trying to see how this is news, since I just came off a round of Cipro and read in the drug information sheet that tendon ruptures could happen.

As for not taking it with caffeine, this is true. It can magnify caffeine's effects, so one cup of coffee can feel like drinking several. For me, though, this is nothing compared to the hell I went through when I was prescribed Bactrim several years ago. The stuff kept me awake at all hours, and it wasn't at all pleasant.

But the main thing to know with any strong antibiotic is to eat yogurt containing live cultures during and after taking it. The drug will often kill beneficial bacteria in your GI tract, and that can cause some very unpleasant digestive issues that I probably don't need to mention in detail. The cultures in yogurt help get these bacteria reestablished and get your digestive system back in balance. If you want a name brand, Activia is one, but many stores sell their own brands that work just as well. Remember, yogurt is milk-based, so pay attention to the drug information sheet to see when you can and can't consume milk products (this applies to Cipro in particular).
pixelfishfood, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Both my mom and I have had terrible reactions to Cipro. I didn't have joint pain, but it made me incredibly dizzy. Because that happened, I've refused Cipro in favor of other antibiotics since then. Now that I read this, it seems that the bad reaction was a blessing in disguise, especially because I have had problems with my knees in the past.
- Stroggoth, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0>it made me incredibly dizzy
  
  Tendon and joint pain is mild compared to what cipro can do to you when you have a bad reaction. Your dizziness may be stage one of the nerve-damage that some of us have experienced. If it makes your head feel like a brick, nausea or you hear a ringing noise in your ears, STOP taking it and seek immediate medical attention. It only takes a few hours for the damage to be done. For most of us, it remains for the rest of your life.
StriderNemesis, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Guess that means I'll have to destroy my "in case of Anthrax attack" supply. Oh, well.
avesik, on 07/09/2008, -2/+0Know your news sources... A short BBC documentary on the owner of the Washington Times, Reverend Moon:

Moon: Emperor of the Universe
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mburr428, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I work in a hospital microbiology laboratory and cannot for the life of me see why doctors still prescribe this stuff. More than half of the organisms we test against it are resistant to it anyway. There are better alternatives to Cipro but they all have their side effects. You have two choices, take the drug, risk the potential side effects, and get well or don't take the drug and potentially die. Even a small dose of Tylenol can cause liver problems.
gkiltz, on 07/09/2008, -2/+0Hopefully, this will lead to doctors doing more research!
Every antibiotic has a "Spectrum" which is simply the types of bacteria it will work against!
As long as the particular infection you have falls within that spectrum, any antibiotic that will cover it is equally "powerful." That is, it will be equally effective in knocking out that particular bacteria. If the bacteria falls anywhere outside the antibiotic's spectrum, whether just outside, or nowhere close, the antibiotic will have no effect at all!
Most doctors take the lazy way out, and just prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic whether or not a narrower spectrum(and almost invariably older) antibiotic will cover it! In so doing, they cause resistant strains to crop up, subject the patient to side-effects the older, narrower spectrum antibiotic may not have, and cause the patient to have to pay for a newer, and therefore more expensive drug than they really need!

Now I'm not totally insensitive! I realize that there are patients that insist upon the newest, most "advanced" drug, whether there is any advantage or not, and most people expect to leave with a prescription. If they don't they will go around saying that the doctor "charged all that money and didn't do anything!" I realize this is a business, and you need to keep your customers, but you have to check that at the door when prescribing antibiotics!
Doctors, just do your research, and use what common sense you have!
beauley, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Ever since Louis Pasteur, whenever we got an earache as a child, strep throat, or other infection, we were usually given an antibiotic to make us better. As an adult, we learn that given all the benefits of this cure-all, there are some negative aspects of using antibiotics. Even now, as I have always been taught that Omega oils lubricate our inner mechanics, probiotics protect them from the deadly invaders.
http://www.healthmad.com/Medicine/Antibiotics-are- ...
Antibiotics, are They Cures or Silent Killers?
drewbee1981, on 07/10/2008, -0/+0i had to take cipro earlier this year. i had to stop taking it after it caused massive amounts of blood in my stool. this stuff has some bad side effects.
beauley, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1Today, the word is out. MSRA is the disease to watch for. When one gets the identifier symptoms, you visit your doctor or ER for an antibiotic, which, you hope will return you back to a normal human being.
http://www.healthmad.com/Alternative/Staph-Infecti ...
Staph Infection Protection with Simple Herbs and Spices
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FDA Issues Warning on Cipro and Similar Antibiotics

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