Ciprofloxacin belongs to a group of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. It was first put together in a laboratory in the early 1980s, and contains a fluorine atom that boosts its bacteria-killing ability.
Unlike
some antibiotics, ciprofloxacin is pretty good at killing a bunch of
different bacteria. These include many of the microscopic nasties
responsible for infections of the lungs, intestines, skin, joints, and urinary tract.
As our blood carries it throughout our bodies,
ciprofloxacin can sometimes end up messing with our tendons. Tendons
are tough pieces of connective tissue that attach muscle to
bone. They're crucial to being able to move around, and are stretched
out as we flex or extend or what have you.
Taking
ciprofloxacin increases the risk of a tendon becoming inflamed and
breaking suddenly (rupturing). As you can imagine, having a tendon just
go and snap on you is an awful thing. It means experiencing pain, swelling, and difficulties in moving the affected body part. It's an uncommon side effect, but a severe one.
One
tendon known to occasionally tear in people taking ciprofloxacin is the
Achilles tendon in the ankle, which connects the muscles in the back of
the lower part of your leg to the heel bone. If you're particularly
unlucky, you can have both ankles go bust at the same time.
Tendon
severing can also occur when taking other fluoroquinolone antibiotics
such as levofloxacin (Levaquin) and moxifloxacin (Avelox).
No comments:
Post a comment