<"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/avelox-tendon-rupture">Avelox is one of several fluoroquinolone antibiotics that have been associated with severe tendon injuries, including tendon rupture and tendonitis. Like the fluoroquinolones Levaquin and Cipro, the Avelox label bears a black box warning – the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) strong safety alert – highlighting the risk of tendon ruptures and tendonitis.
Avelox tendon injuries can involve the Achilles heel, shoulder, hand, bicep or thumb. Symptoms of an Avelox tendon rupture or tendonitis include:
• a snap or pop in a tendon area
• bruising right after an injury in a tendon area
• unable to move the affected area or bear weight
Anyone who is taking Avelox should contact their doctor immediately if they experience any of these symptoms. Such patients should rest and avoid physical exercise until the physician has examined the affected tendons. Ruptured tendons may require surgical repair.
Avelox tendon injuries can occur while taking the antibiotic, or months after a prescription has been finished. The risk of experiencing an Avelox tendon rupture or tendonitis is greatest for people over 60, those who are taking corticosteroids, or anyone who has undergone a heart, lung or kidney transplant. However, Avelox tendon ruptures and tendonitis have happened in people who have none of these risk factors.
Fluoroquinolones like Levaquin and Avelox are the largest subset of quinolones, a family of broad-spectrum antibiotics. They are used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, including acute sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Fluoroquinolone use may result in other rare but severe and even life-threatening side effects. Patients or their caregivers should immediately contact the patient’s physician if the patient experiences any of the following signs or symptoms:
• swelling of the throat and/or face
• difficulty swallowing
• shortness of breath
• rapid heartbeat
• tingling in the toes or fingers
• hives or itching
• loss of consciousness
