Cipro-Talk.com

Cipro Side Effects

Cipro, one of a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones, has been linked to several serious side effects such as tendon ruptures and tendon damage, a sometimes fatal skin disorder called Toxic Epidermal Necrosis, and various problems that affect the heart, kidneys and other organs.

Cipro side effects include:

• Tendon Rupture and Tendon Damage: In July 2008, the FDA directed the maker of Cipro to add a black box warning to the drug’s label about is association with tendon damage. The FDA said that Cipro and other fluoroquinolones had been associated with tendonitis and tendon ruptures. The risk is greatest for those over age 60, those on concomitant steroid therapy, and kidney, heart, and lung transplant recipients. The FDA warned that Cipro treatment should be stopped if a patient experiences pain or inflammation in a tendon (symptoms that may precede rupture of the tendon), or tendon rupture. Health care professionals were told to advise patients, at the first sign of tendon pain, swelling, or inflammation, to stop taking Cipro, to avoid exercise and use of the affected area, and to promptly contact their healthcare provider about changing their medication.

• Toxic Epidermal Necrosis (TENS): - also called Lyle’s Syndrome - is a life-threatening skin condition that is frequently induced by a reaction to medications. TENS affects many parts of the body, but it most severely affects the mucous membranes, such as the mouth and eyes. These severe symptoms are often preceded by 1 to 2 weeks of fever, and many victims at first believe they are suffering from a common upper respiratory tract infection. Those symptoms are followed by a rash which may be over large and varied parts of the body, and it is usually warm and appears red. In hours, the skin becomes painful and the epidermis can be easily peeled away from the underlying dermis. The mouth becomes blistered and eroded, making eating difficult and sometimes necessitating feeding via a tube through the nose or stomach. The eyes are affected, becoming swollen, crusted, and ulcerated. Victims of TENS often need to be treated in hospital burn units. In 2005, the label of Cipro was updated to include a warning about its association with TENS.

• Cardiovascular Side Effects: Cipro users have reported experiencing palpitation, heart flutter, and fainting. More serious cardiovascular side effects linked to Cipro include angina, heart attack ,cardiopulmonary arrest, and blood clot to the brain

• Central Nervous System Problems: A number of Cipro users have experienced nervousness, dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, insomnia, nightmares, hallucinations, manic attack, tremors, irritability, seizures, lethargy, drowsiness, weakness, no appetite, depression, numbness, depersonalization, ataxia ( lack of muscle coordination), agitation, confusion, delirium, toxic psychosis, muscle twitching, involuntary eye movements.

• Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Cipro has been linked to painful oral mucosa, thrush (oral fungal infection), intestinal perforation, G.I. bleeding, jaundice, difficulty swallowing, constipation, intestinal gas, and swelling of the pancreas.

• Musculoskelatal Problems: Joint stiffness, back pain, neck or chest pain, and gout flare-up have been associated with Cipro.

• Kidney/Urinary Problems: Some Cipro users have experienced kidney failure, urinary retention, urethral bleeding, acidosis, nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), increased urinary output and kidney stones.

• Respiratory Difficulties: Cipro has been associated with difficulty breathing, throat or lung swelling (edema), bronchial spasm, blood clot in the lung and nosebleed.

• Skin Hypersensitivity: In addition to TEN, some less serious skin problems have been caused by Cipro. These symptoms itching, rash, sensitivity to sunlight, flushing, chills, swelling of the blood vessels or lymph system, and swelling of the face, lips, neck, eyes, or hands. Cuticle candidiasis (yeast) and hyperpigmentation have also been seen among Cipro users.

• Other: Blurred or disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, seeing double, eye pain, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, and bad taste in the mouth are also experienced by some Cipro users. Treatment with this drug has also triggered the elevation of triglycerides and cholesterol. Some Cipro users have presented with blood and albumin in the urine, elevated serum potassium, glucose, and albumin. Anemia and agranulo-cytosis (a potentially fatal condition where the white blood cell count goes extremely low) has also been linked to the use of Cipro.

Despite these dangers, Cipro is one of the most widely prescribed antibiotics on the market. People taking Cipro should call their healthcare provider immediately if they experience any of the side effects associated with this drug.