running while on levaquin?

oldfatnslow wrote:

anyone have any bad experiences with running and levaquin? just started a 14 day regimen. Currently not running because of upper-respiratory infection. Assuming my health recovers and the meds work, M.D. advised me to not run for 2 wks after finishing the meds. I've read the warnings about tendon ruptures and became concerned about taking levaquin. Thanks for any responses.

Use it all the time. Stiff, but, unruptured. Doc's just covering their butt.

I've been on Levaquin several times, twice for five days and once for ten days.

Tendon rupture occurs very infrequently, in only 0.1% to 1% of clinical trials:

http://www.levaquin.com/sites/default/files/pdf/levaquin.pdf#zoom=100

I did easy training sessions of 30 to 60 minutes while on Levaquin and never had a problem with tendon rupture. Then again, nine-minute miles aren't likely to cause ruptures! It is not as if Levaquin dissolves tendons.

The greater concern is that if you're on an antibiotic as strong as Levaquin, you must have a fairly serious or resistant infection, which will itself challenge your immune system and make you much more tired. The more common side effects of Levaquin -- headache, insomnia, and digestive distress -- also make it harder to do workouts and recover from them.

Once the infection is mostly gone and the desire to run returns, easy running appears to be a fairly safe activity. Just don't let it exhaust you to the point that your immune system is compromised.

I've prescribed it many times and have taken it myself. You either have no problems with it or it ruins your life. There is actually a class action lawsuit against makers of that antibiotic class. A documentary is also in production reporting the adverse affects of levaquin type medications.

I took it and had no problems (ran and lifted weights while on it, no waiting period), but an associate of mine had a patient who ruptured his Achilles tendon while doing physical therapy consisting mostly of getting out of bed. I know of 2 patients that reacted with symptoms similar to toxic shock syndrome and ended up in the ICU (fortunately I was not the one that prescribed the medication).

Google levaquin or quinolone and side effects, class action, adverse reaction. "levaquin.com" is probably not an unbiased source of information.

Long story short. To cover YOUR ass don't run for 2 weeks after, otherwise the doc can say you were "noncompliant". Also stop the medication and call your doc if you feel "off" in any way.

i had pneumonia 3 weeks back and was prescribed that. I don't think that hurt my running, but my runs had been sucking probably because I wasn't completely over it.

I have taken Avelox which is in the same class of drugs (quinolone). I haven't had any tendon problems, but since taking it have developed a neuroma in my foot that never existed prior. My injury occurred approximately 8 weeks after the 10 day regimen. I have looked online and have found that quinolones have been connected with permanent nerve damage. I can't definitively say the Avelox caused my injury and will never be able to prove it. But I will say that if I was predisposed to a neuroma the medicine certainly accelerated the onset of the injury.

I had to take 3 months off, get a cortisone shot to lessen the pain, and do PT. On a positive note I am not angry with my neuroma and have found other enjoyable things in life outside running.

Unless you need immediate results in the near future, I would listen to your doctor and take the time off from running. Play it safe!