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Levaquin Tendon Problems

Levaquin®-related tendon problems are a serious side effect suffered by hundreds of people who have taken this antibiotic for a bacterial infection. Levaquin (levofloxacin) was developed by the pharmaceutical giant Ortho-McNeil to treat infections such as those of the:

· lungs
· sinuses
· skin
· urinary tract

Tendon Injuries Linked to Levaquin
After Levaquin was approved by the FDA in 1996, its use increased steadily across the country, but reports of Levaquin-induced tendon problems started to be submitted to the FDA almost immediately. Today, the FDA's database of adverse drug events includes more than 250 cases of tendonitis, 260 cases of tendon ruptures, and 275 cases of other tendon disorders due to fluoroquinolone treatment.

Fully 60 percent of these reports followed treatment with Levaquin. In addition, many more cases of tendon injury have probably occurred, since the numbers reported to the FDA represent just a fraction of the actual instances.

Tendonitis and Tendon Ruptures
Tendonitis is a painful inflammation of a tendon, the fibrous cord that binds a muscle to a bone or other bodily structure. The human body contains many tendons: at the feet, heel (the Achilles tendon), knees, legs, arms, wrists, thumbs, shoulders, and neck. Tendons also help the eyes move.

Even worse are the spontaneous tendon ruptures that have been linked to Levaquin use. A tendon that has ruptured is one that has torn completely through. A ruptured tendon is usually extremely painful and causes an inability or difficulty in moving the body part served by the tendon. Surgical repair may be required to fix a ruptured tendon.

The FDA's Role
Although in 2004 the FDA required Levaquin packaging to include a warning about tendon damage, many health experts have noted that this warning is buried within a long list of potential side effects. In early 2008, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen filed a federal lawsuit to try to force the FDA to require a much more clear and severe warning about the risk of tendon problems presented by Levaquin and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Cipro®, Noroxin®, and Floxin®.

The Legal Rights of Levaquin Victims
Tendon problems are not a normal consequence of treatment with an antibiotic. Learn what you can do if you've suffered a tendon injury following Levaquin use.

More Levaquin-injury Resources