Cipro Tendon Lawsuit -- Should I Contact A Lawfirm?

[USMCsilver]

My father is in the medical field. He informed me of this the other day.

As many know, I ruptured my distal bicep tendon (tendon popped off my ulna (or radius, whichever it's attached to) and supposedly, Cipro has been linked to such injuries). I had to have the tendon reattached by screwing back into place and having the bone roughed up. I've been okay since, but it still hurts periodically (when lifting kinda heavy stuff). Honestly, it sucks, but hey, what's a guy to do, right?

I took Cipro for many, MANY years as a child. I had strep throat for about 11 months out of the year up until the age of about 15 when I got my tonsils removed. Since then, I've been set...

Many of the years had been treated at Shaw USAF base. Dad says records are tucked away somewhere, so I could probably get access to those if needed. The rest of my records should be at an office here in town.

I'm allergic to penicillin and erythromycin, so I could never kick the infection. Cipro was prescribed time and time again, due to the fact, back then, it was about the best thing available.

So, GT braintrust, should I contact someone? Google "Cipro lawsuit" and you'll get more info than you'll care to read.

[12131]

Any doctor who prescribes Cipro for Strep throat should not be allowed to practice medicine.

[USMCsilver]

Any doctor who prescribes Cipro for Strep throat should not be allowed to practice medicine.

I'm guessing we were in the years of 1986-1995.

[12131]

Cipro was never approved for use in children.

[Lone_Wolfe]

Any chance there's a class-action you can join?

[Glock 19 God]

So, GT braintrust, should I contact someone? Google "Cipro lawsuit" and you'll get more info than you'll care to read.

Absofrickenlutely!

[USMCsilver]

Any chance there's a class-action you can join?

I just Googled it tonight. Dad told me about it over a week ago, and I just thought about it.

I've got about 5 hours tomorrow before work, and I'm gonna read into it some more. As of yet, I have not seen a class-action suit.

Let me set something straight -- I'm not a sue-happy American. However, if harm has been done, and that harm can be linked to an actual cause, and that harm can cause me pain/suffering/etc. for the rest of my life, then I feel like I'm entitled to something. I'd never jump on ANY lawsuit bandwagon just for the helluvit.

[MDT]

Quinolones (Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox) are not routinely rx'd to kids. Having said that, the drug class has been implicated in tendon rupture. Usually it is the elderly or other factors that increase the likelihood. You may or may not have a case.

[USMCsilver]

Also, let me ask you folks familar with the legal world a hypothetical question.

Say I go through with this. Say my employer somehow, someway finds out I did just that.

Let's say, I get $100,000.00 (rediculous, I know) from a lawsuit. Could my employer sue me to pay back everything they gave me -- i.e. the medical bills, surgery, compensation while I was out of work, and Workman's Comp settlement?

[Lone_Wolfe]

That's a damb good question to ask your lawyer.



I would sure want to know.....

[USMCsilver]

delete.

[DocBuckeye]

Go for it.

Oh... just don't ever get sick ever again during your lifetime.

Enjoy your lottery winnings.

[USMCsilver]

Go for it.

Oh... just don't ever get sick ever again during your lifetime.

Enjoy your lottery winnings.

Sorry, but I don't get the part in red. :dunno:

[bamf]

I may be wrong but cipro is relatively new class of antibiotic, I don't believe it was around in 80's or even early 90's.

Also cipro is not indicated for the treatment of strep throat. Are you sure it was cipro?


Edit:

Cipro wasn't even approved till April 1998

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=89248

[USMCsilver]

I may be wrong but cipro is relatively new class of antibiotic, I don't believe it was around in 80's or even early 90's.

Also cipro is not indicated for the treatment of strep throat. Are you sure it was cipro?

EDIT -- Just checked Wikipedia -- there are many footnotes dated in 1986, so that probably means it existed then.

Well, my dad said I was on it many, many times. Maybe it wasn't for the strep...I honestly don't recall. That's what I thought he was referring to.

Guess I had better check into that a bit more before I call anyone.

I DO KNOW that I have used it due to me not being able to take penicillin and erythromycin over the years. Again, maybe it wasn't the strep. Guess I'll ask my dad if he remembers when/what for and then check my medical records here in town. My mom worked at the place, and I know all the ladies in the office, as well as the doctor on a personal level, so going in and diggin' through my records won't be a problem.

[bamf]

Definitely check up on what you were taking...I certainly could be wrong about the approval date.

I am wrong, it was approved in 1987...if you really think you have a case, get more info.

[*ASH*]

just make sure when you sue them to get ready and say it's on cuzzzzzzz :wavey: then you will win :cool::whistling:

[RenoF250]

I say NO. Cipro is a good drug that has been around for some time. It has helped many people as it's makers intended it to. If they knew it caused problems and hide them or pushed it where the risk was not warranted then I would say yes.

My wife required IV antibiotics that can ruin your hearing but if they did not exist she probably would have died, should we sue??

If anything there should be a class action lawsuit against the cholesterol medications, they are trying to market them to everyone and their cat and they are very bad for your liver.

[kc8ykd]

Is this the same Cipro that's given to people who have been exposed to airborne Anthrax ?

[12131]

I may be wrong but cipro is relatively new class of antibiotic, I don't believe it was around in 80's or even early 90's.

Also cipro is not indicated for the treatment of strep throat. Are you sure it was cipro?


Edit:

Cipro wasn't even approved till April 1998

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=89248
1998? Nope. Check it. That was Cipro ear drops that was approved for external ear infection. The oral Cipro was used way way earlier than that, years earlier.

[12131]

Is this the same Cipro that's given to people who have been exposed to airborne Anthrax ?
.Yep.

[misskitty5077]

They can get your records if they want them.

I participated in a class action lawsuit against Paxil several years ago. Be ready for tons of paperwork. They asked if I had receipts. They also asked where I bought my meds at. That was enough information for them.

I take tons of Cipro. I might need to check into this...

[nursetim]

How long between your last dose of cipro and your tendon ruptured? I have not read the literature on it, so I can't say x weeks or months and there is a direct link. I'm not sure that they put this drug on the market knowing that this was going to happen to x number of people. I would not put it past big pharma. But I would also give the benefit of the doubt to them as well. Maybe I am a simp, but I would want to be real sure in my mind that cipro did in fact cause this and that the company knew about it and released it anyway without warning.

[Splanchnic]

The attitude that some have here really kills me. For a group of largely conservative people there sure is a "what can I get" attitude.

Let me get this straight. You had a chronic infection with strep during your childhood. An infection that can cause heart damage, joint disease, kidney failure and death if not treated. You are allergic to the two main CLASSES of antibiotics used to treat strep. Someone gave you Cipro. You are still alive. Now you tore a tendon much later in life (that you blamed on work and filed workers compensation) and you want to sue the drug maker?

Should you sue? NO. You should call them and thank the hundreds of scientists for dedicating years of their lives to make a new antibiotic that helped you.

What do you think happens when the scum-sucking lawyers file mountains of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies (and make millions)? Who really pays for it?

Do you wonder why drugs cost so much?

Do wonder why medical costs are sky-rocketing?

Do you wonder why pharm companies are not creating new antibiotics?

Sure, you may make a few bucks now (the lawyers will take most of it) but don't come crying to me in 10 years when you get a simple skin infection and it kills you because there aren't any new antibiotics.

[Splanchnic]

How long between your last dose of cipro and your tendon ruptured? I have not read the literature on it, so I can't say x weeks or months and there is a direct link. I'm not sure that they put this drug on the market knowing that this was going to happen to x number of people. I would not put it past big pharma. But I would also give the benefit of the doubt to them as well. Maybe I am a simp, but I would want to be real sure in my mind that cipro did in fact cause this and that the company knew about it and released it anyway without warning.

It's a known complication. It's also very rare. NO drug is without some complications. None. It's is a risk vs. benefit decision that the doctor makes. It's always that way.

In this case its "very unlikely risk of a non-life threatening complication" vs. "much higher likelihood of serious illness or death from infection." In this case, I'm taking the antibiotic.

[Jim in MI]

You USUALLY rupture something in a pretty short time frame after taking it.

You happened to take cipro as a kid. You happened to have torn a tendon. They may not be related.

[chuckman]

Common problem of thinking correlation equals causation. Agree with previous, one may not have led to the other. I think lawsuits are good if you are trying to collect for damages (i.e., lost pay, benefits, medical bills, etc), otherwise these lawsuits just make everyone pay more $$ eventually.

[nursetim]

When I punched in "cipro tendon rupture" the first half dozen sites were from the likes of law firms like Dewey, Cheatum and Howe. And even they say the outside limit is 6 months. In any of the reputable sites I failed to get a time frame.
Splanchnic makes a lot of sense. I'd be happy I was around. I am going through drug issues myself, not as bad as this, but annoying none the less. While I think I know the agent that caused the reaction, and has given me 1+ year of aggravation. I do not hold the drug maker responsible at all. Each one of us have a chemical makeup that is unique. The fact that the drug manufacturers can put out products with a small a side effect profile as they do is great. Let it go.

[zoyter2]

Yes, by all means, join a class action lawsuit. You and 5 zillion other people will get $1.89 and some lawfirm will get $9 billion.

You were a sickly child, allergic to everything and they gave you "about the best thing available" to treat you.

Those sick SOBs should be killed for what they did to you. :upeyes::upeyes::upeyes::upeyes::upeyes:






Damn, just damn.

[MDT]

Splanchnic, bravo! Thanks for that reply!

[kc8ykd]

I'd talk to a reputable attorney in the field dealing with the Cipro lawsuits and at least learn my options and what the requirements are. It never hurts to be informed.

Like misskitty pointed out, there could be a monumental amount of documentation required that would make it prohibitive to join, but at least you'd know by talking to someone.

Best of luck on whatever you decide to do,