Tendonitis After Avelox

by Pamela
(New York)

I was very sick over the X-mas holiday Dec '10/Jan '11 with acute mastoiditis, sinus and ear infection with burst ear drum and hearing loss and was put on 5 days of IV Avelox therapy as an inpatient...which number one---taxed my liver and gave me extremely elevated liver enzymes.

Now number two-- over the last six weeks I've been experiencing tendonitis, first in my left elbow(no injury or strain to explain the pain) and then both my shoulders, worse on the right than the left.

I can only associate this pain with the fact that I was on the IV Avelox therapy. I can barely lift anything with either arm and trying to turn over in bed, at night, is agony and often wakes me up from a sound sleep. Ibuprofen helps ease the pain slightly but not enough! Heat, ice, exercise,stretching and muscle rub(like BenGay) doesn't help either. Neither does soaking in a hot tub. I have read else where this drug can produce tendonitis and/or tendon rupture up to 3-6 months after therapy.

I am wondering what I can do? I contact my Orthopedic Dr and he states I should have 4-6 wks of physical therapy with ultrasound. What recourse do I have?

Thanks!