So I'm just starting this stuff for bart, and I've
heard a bunch of horror stories about tendon damage.
How common is this and with what degree of strain
does it ususally occur? I'm a cello major, and
on a typical day spend about 5 hours playing my
instrument (this is quite tzxing on the tendons,
a TON of my musician friend have had tendonitis).
Any other string players here that have taken this med?
Oh, and also, how long have some of you with
bart/dementia
had to treat before you saw substantial
improvements in your cognition?
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I don't play a string instrument, but I do take Levaquin.
I have had no problems with tendons, just herxes! I don't know what percentage of people have tendon problems .... I'd just watch for it.
I lift weights and do the elliptical regularly, and did before I started the med. I'm thinking that you should keep an awareness of the possibility, practice as you normally do, and stop practicing if you have trouble (until you talk to your LLMD).
Did you ask your LLMD about this?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I'm on it now for a sinus infection. A friend told me today to take PLENTY of magnesium/calcium [esp mg] while on it. It is supposed to protect your tendons.
Posted by LymeCFIDSMCS (Member # 13573) on :
I went off of Cipro due to tendon pain. For awhile magnesium and arnica gel helped, but then the pain got worse. It's still pretty bad (a week after stopping Cipro).
I think I would be pretty wary of taking the risk if I were a musician. I went to a college with a famous conservatory and the musicians I knew were constantly battling strain injuries, often tendonitis, and that was without the impact of a drug known to cause tendon problems.
You might want to go straight for the Rifampin.
Posted by lymeflox (Member # 10543) on :
The main problem with levaquin is not tendinitis. It is a very toxic antibiotic that cause 95% of the same symptoms that a lyme does like all sort of neuroapthies, brain injuries, heart abnormalities, vision damage, and so on. After taking levaquin you will never know again which symptoms of yours are due to the floxing and which to the antibiotic. On top of that it does cause tendon damage to all people that take it. In this forum it has been published the studies that have studied the tendons of healthy volunteers that have taken levaquin. ALL (100%) had injured their tendons when they were studied with diagnosing tools, although only some were symptomatic, that is to say, felt pain and limitations. This means exactly that the damage on the tendons is guaranteed and that only depending on your physical demands and personal condition, you might feel the injury.
Sin fall 2004 all package inserts of these antibiotics say that they cause IRREVERSIBLE NERVE DAMAGE (stated more subtly, due to the pressure of pharma : "may cause nerve damage and an irreversible condition, bla, bla".....).
A short dose for a few days can be little dangerous but lyme sufferers take fairly large doses for long periods, so it is extremely risky to take any fluoroquinolone antibiotic in your case.
Taking magnesium and calcium during the treatment does not protect at all. Magnesium and calcium interfere with the absortion of levaquin, so if you take magnesium and calcium you will not get the therapeutic (active, useful) dose of levaquin prescribed by your doctor. It is ilogical to take levaquin and magnesium. In that case it would be clever to take a lower dose of levaquin and no magnesium, because the effect would be the same. It is only advised to take magnesium and calcium while on levaquin if a blood analysis shows a deficiency in magnesium prior to taking levaquin, and in that case, levaquin and magnesium should be taken a few hours apart, to avoid chelation (interference with absortion). Long treatments or large doses of levaquin impair people for life. I recommend you to visit these sites: People taking levaquin = www.medicalnewstoday www.medications.com To learn about the real facts about levaquin= www.fluoroquinolones.org To obtain the best and most comprehensive data about levaquin= www.fqresearch.com
In any case, if you decide to take levaquin, I wish you do not have any problem and get better of your lyme soon.
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
I was on Levaquin for about 3 months with no tendon problems. I am not a string player, so I can't give advice on that. My doctor told me to be careful with lifting and anything strenuous. So I really held back with yoga while on it.
I would talk to your doctor though. Since you are a cello player, you may need a different course of treatment for bart.
Posted by MusicMan (Member # 11966) on :
Hello Adam!
Just a fellow musician here.
Wishing you all the best.
No, I don't take that drug but I really bang on my keys and that ended up giving me a frozen shoulder. That meant no playing.
So watch yourself closely.
Steve
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
**"It is only advised to take magnesium and calcium while on levaquin if a blood analysis shows a deficiency in magnesium prior to taking levaquin, and in that case, levaquin and magnesium should be taken a few hours apart, to avoid chelation (interference with absortion)."**
Nearly all Lyme patients are deficient in magnesium.
Posted by heiwalove (Member # 6467) on :
how are you still in music school while treating/dealing with lyme??
wow. i'm impressed.
i'm a NEC (boston) dropout myself, and a fellow string player (violin). when i'm sick, playing is really, really difficult, as is finding the motivation to play/practice in the first place.
anyway, no advice on levaquin, though i've heard it's a tough one and can be dangerous. so watch potential side effects and don't dismiss them as a herx.
good luck, and be careful!
(i had two bouts of severe tendonitis pre-lyme, so i know it's nothing to fool around with.)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)