Cipro and joints

I took cipro for a uti and 3 weeks later developed tendinitis in my shoulders, feet, and elbows and am pretty much crippled. Its been a month already since I got it and none of my joints have gotten better and ive been taking anti infalmmatories and herbal remedies and resting all the time. Im 19 years old and all my joints crack and i feel like im 80 years old. do not take it may work well but has terrible side effects that makes it not worth it to take unless you really need to and is a matter of life or death. ive gotten terrible depression from this as im a normally athletic swimmer and feel the need to exercise to be sane. I never had tendinitis problems before. its ruined my life.

I had back surgery in July and caught two infections from the hospital, Staph and pseudonymous. I had a picc-line put in and was put on Cipro oraly and Ancef. I got Steven Johnson syndrome from the Cipro and almost died. I looked like a burn victim and swelled from head to toe that was three weeks ago. They pulled me off the Ancef and Cipro. It took a week of me running 103 + temps and the dr. kept telling me its a virous until the rash showed up and my tongue swelled and private parts and throat started to swell shut before they decided to admit me. Then once all that was done and they figured it out they put me on impernem to kill both infections. They pulled my picc-last week and put me on Doxycycline. I have done my research and know that the two are related I asked my dr. what the chances were of a reaction again he told me less then 1%. Ha! I am seeing an infectious disease dr. by the way. Since I started the Doxycycline last Thursday I have developed hives I called the dr. and was told they are not worried about it because I am not running a 101 temp and I am not swelling, plus they don't even know if the Pseudonymous is cured. What do I do? If I go off the antibiotics I will die and if I stay on them I am probably going to die. My joints hurt all the time now and I am only 31. Do I look for a new dr.? Can someone please help me? This is the only website I have found so far where people have had the same reactions as me. These antibiotics are dangerous they need to be taken off the shelf. Thank you and good luck to everyone who is struggling with this.

Dear Medications.com:
I cannot thank you enough for this site. Just yesterday I was prescribed Cipro for a nagging UTI which seemed to only partially get better with Doxycycline HYC. After only 3 Cipro pills I am stopping!! And will never take Cipro again. I take responsibility for rushing back to my doctor at the emergency care clinic and asking 'now what' after the Doxycycline was finished--we Americans are so quick to want the next candy pill with more strength! So even though my initial urinalysis showed no dangerous / STD bacteria present, because I was still urinating too frequently my doc suggested Cipro. I trusted him and took the first pill last night--I got a terrible headache, woke up promptly at 3:30 AM and had trouble returning to sleep. Got up this morning, took the 2nd pill and by early afternoon, was so tired and aching I had to lay down for 1.5 hrs..I felt miserable. Then this afternoon, after taking my 3rd pill, that's when I began to feel occasional tingling in my joints, hot pain in my knee capsules, continuing low-grade ache to my head, the feeling that my esophagus was shrinking, etc..... EVERYTHING you guys all have reported.

I got on the internet and thank God I found your site. After 2 hrs of my own research and the testimony of so many people, including tons of once-healthy, athletic persons whose lives have been destroyed irreparably by Cipro, I took my healthcare into my own hands, called my pharmacist and said 'I'm finished touching Cipro...never again will I take it.'.

This drug is more toxic than anything I've ever taken, and the way my body has begun to react in only 24 hrs, it is obvious that the drug co's are playing with fire on this compound. We as people must stand up and take action, and educate our doctors. I am taking some info. into him tomorrow, telling him i will be on a strict cranberry juice and kidney/liver tea detox program for the next few weeks to see if these 'natural' methods might help me rid my system of the bacteria.

In any case, I refuse to use Cipro ever again and hope that many more people will read these pages before ingesting any or too much of this dangerous drug.

d. r.
48-yr old sporty, and very healthy guy who wants to stay that way!

i took cipro for a UTI over 10 years ago and have had floaters, neuropathy, tingling, and numbness in my hands and feet ever since then. it was not until THIS YEAR that i stumbled upon information on the internet about CIPRO and its side effects. but immediately following my use of the drug i went to a doctor who insisted i had carpal tunnel and i asked then why is it in my feet? then a neurologist who found nothing and patted me on my little college girl head, told me it was "just stress," and prescribed me narcotics to calm me down. i threw the prescription in the garbage on the way out of his office... then was tested for diabetes and briefly thought i might have MS. eventually, after many docs finding nothing and my family thinking i was a total hypochondriac, i just decided to ignore the symptoms. pain in my joints, floaters in my eyes, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. after years i figured if i wasn't dying from whatever it was and it wasn't getting any worse, then i would just live with it. one day when it was particularly uncomfortable i did an internet search and came up with CIPRO info. there was a class action law suit at one time because right around the time i took CIPRO, it was a new drug and had not been sufficiently clinically tested. there's no recourse for me now, but i feel better having solved the mystery.

i am appalled to see so many people still suffering in 2008 and this drug still being prescribed. i'm sorry you're all going through this. i tell everyone i know not to ever take this drug. i feel lucky to be still functioning. i am very healthy, just have the annoyance of these symptoms that never go away.

I was given Cipro 500mg twice daily for a UTI. After 4 days on the medication I developed severe joint and tendon pain. Every joint in my body was in pain! I have called the doctor and they had me stop taking the medication. I continue to have pain in my joints. By the end of the day, my knees are killing me! Will this ever go away. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow, I am so upset over this, I am in my mid-30's and am feeling like I am 80! I am a grade 1 teacher and have 3 young kids at home, I hope things will get better!