Achilles tendon - sore after 2 days' worth of ciprofloxacin?!

I think the key words in your post are "prolonged use". It seems to me that two days of it is not prolonged use, so it is probably not the antibiotic.

Have you been to your GP? Taking a few antibiotics is not a hanging offence, I am sure you will be forgiven, and you will get the achilles tendon problem sorted out.

Why take an antibiotic for a tummy bug ? these bugs work through the system and probably a short dose of Imodium would do the trick.

I had badly swollen Achilles tendons as a result of steroid treatment and found that the best thing I could do was to exercise them. I did the exercises before I got up in the morning and often while sitting in a chair. You will probably find some examples on Youtube. They worked for me.

harrigran, normally I wouldn't dream of taking antibiotics but we were in a B&B in France, not at home, and it was highly unpleasant and antisocial. Apparently advice is not to use Immodium with a stomach bug as it can prolong symptoms (I take it for tummy probs caused by anxiety but nothing else).

And to cap it all now, I've 'done' my back in - was doing lots of housework the other day after getting home from holiday, and felt a muscle 'go' - since when I've been in a lot of pain, using heatpad, taking ibuprofen which doesn't help and generally feeling sorry for myself. I've had this before so I know it will eventually go, but we'd planned to meet DD2 and GD in Canterbury on Sunday and now I can't go - and we haven't seen them for weeks. They will probably come to us instead but I feel such a pathetic wimp and my mood's plummeted a lot today because I can't do anything.

I'm back on the 5/2 diet though - my weight's really gone up a lot (probably doesn't help the back muscles either, or the Achilles tendon). Struggling to keep to it - my antidepressant medication makes me hungry all the time!

Do not share your medicine with other people. It may not be suitable for them and may harm them.

From the patient information leaflet for Ciprofloxacin.

I agree with Harri. You would have got better within 24 hours anyway.
The problem of antibiotic resistance is a real one and is why doctors are reluctant to prescribe them unnecessarily.

Rowantree I was so sorry to hear about this. It happened to me in January after I was near to coming down with pneumonia. I have had sore achilles tendons since then but after 3 weeks of not being able to walk at all it gradually got better. Now 5 months have passed and the right leg still hurts occasionally but I can walk OK but not a really long walk (several km)

After the trials of suffering this I am glad to be able to walk at all without intense pain. Women of our age should not be given this antibiotic! there have been enough articles - and those specially for doctors- about it.
Well its done now. Try to get to a good physiotherapist.
You can PM me if you want.
I'll pass on all i have found out about what helps etc.

Rowantree, I had the same thing happen to me while travelling through France. I spent one entire night in the bathroom but it was over in 24 hours. I urge you not to take antibiotics for a self limiting condition, when you really need them they may not work.

Cipro is an extremely effective anti-b for certsin infections and one that many doctors " keep in reserve" rather than use as a first broad spectrum AB. We have a one week supply for emergency use if DH has a liver infection and we are unable to get to an A&E because he goes into septic shock. However I cannot see why an AB would cause what you describe so I am

Rowantree are you sure the 5.2 diet is right for you? Wouldn't you be better of just trying to stick to about 1500 cals a day, each day? I don't know your age, but I don't think that 5.2 diet is good for older people.

Jinglbells - I did well on it until I started taking mirtazapine. DH and I do it together. I don't think there's any evidence that it's not advisable for older people, as far as I know. Doing it twice a week is as much as I can manage - trying to stick to 1500 cals each day wouldn't work for me at all. I am struggling with this, but it's better than nothing and I'm hoping to change my medication over the next few months in the hope that the weight gain can be reversed.
Soutra - Cipro is known to cause Achilles tendon probs in some people and with prolonged use. I didn't expect any affects after just 2 days. Normally I would let nature run its course (so to speak) but I was in a terrible state as I have a total horror of being ill away from home and especially abroad - anxiety which gets almost out of control. That was why I decided to try the cipro, but I was in such a panic - and hideously embarrassed at having to try and clean the bed sheet because I didn't quite 'make it' to the loo - that I completely forgot about/blanked possible side-effects.