I was “poisoned” by Levaquin -- resulting in acute tendinitis...

I was “poisoned” by Levaquin -- resulting in acute tendinitis in both Achilles tendons. Background: I am a healthy, athletic male in his mid-50s who has never had an Achilles tendon problem. In early July 2008, my doctor (general practitioner) prescribed Levaquin for an infection. I took the medication for 14 days, as prescribed. Sudden onset of acute tendinitis in my Achilles tendons occurred near the end of the medication period. The tendinitis occurred in both Achilles tendons simultaneously. Nothing related to my lifestyle would have caused the tendinitis. Symptoms: Symptoms included the following at one time or another: 1. aching 2. sharp pain 3. feeling of heat/burning 4. tightness 5. pins and needles in small areas (micro tears?) 6. weakness at rear/base of each heal. 7. When I woke-up each morning my tendons and the back of my heal pads felt sore, weak and tight. At the height of the problems, I had extreme difficultly walking and negotiating stairs, and I thought there was a risk that my tendons would detach from my heal bone. Doctors’ Advice: My general practitioner’s and my podiatrist’s advice was to: (a) not run, cycle, hike or otherwise exercise my legs in any manner other than easy walking and swimming, (b) gently stretch, (c) take ibuprofen, (d) ice regularly, and (e) use heal lift shoe inserts made by my podiatrist. Their advice was based on the view that the damage that was done is more like damage cause by an injury than damage caused by an insidious drug. My readings on the subject indicate that little is known about the mechanisms behind this fluoroquinolone-specific toxicity. It is believed that the tendon’s collagen fibers become disorganized and infiltrated with small blood vessels -- resulting in weakness. And there are no specific treatment plans for this problem. After 2 months of living with these symptoms, I decided to change course. My Approach to Healing: Because I never believed my pain was the result of inflammation, I stopped icing and taking ibuprofen. Because stretching seemed to further weaken the tendon and set me back, I stopped stretching. Because I believe that the body heals itself best when used, I started cycling at an easy pace. I then worked-my-way-up to cycling more aggressively, and to walking in the neighborhood. That’s where I am today. Two days ago I had my first day without discomfort in 3 months. Yet, I have a long way to go. I am not yet hiking or running. It’s a slow healing process with occasional setbacks when I push my tendons a bit harder than I should, Given the progress I have made, I am hopeful for a full or nearly-full recovery in another few months. Other things I have done in the past month: 1. Taken L-Lysine (1000mg daily), which is believed to aid collagen formation. 2. Taken Magnesium (250mg daily), which some believe may help leech the fluoroquinolone molecules from the tissues because of the affinity of these antibiotics for minerals. 3. Taken Fish oil pills (3000mg daily), which improves circulation 4. Used a heating pad, which improves circulation 5. Started regular Acupuncture (first time for me), which improves circulation What you can do: 1, Be easy on your tendons until you get a handle on the problem. Don’t over-use tendons when they are in a weakened state. 2. “Listen” to your body and take steps you think best to help the healing process. 3. Tell your friends to beware of potential side effects from fluoroquinolones. 4. File a MedWatch report with the FDA at fda.gov. 5. Share your findings/advice on this forum. Good Luck