Marketed as Cipro, Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic prescribed to treat bacterial infections in the urinary tract, joints, stomach, lower respiratory tract, or the skin. Cirpo is currently manufactured by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and distributed by Schering Corporation.
In July 2008 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about Cipro reporting that Cipro, and other similar antibiotics, may increase the risk of tendon rupture and tendinitis. More recently, in August 2013, the FDA issued another safety communication notifying manufacturers they are required to update their packaging to “better describe the serious side effect of peripheral neuropathy.”
How Does It Work?
Cipro is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic which is used to successfully disrupt the DNA reproduction and cell division in certain types of bacteria.
Concerns About Cipro
Although Ciprofloxacin can successfully treat a variety of health conditions, it is not without risks. Common side-effects of this medication can include rashes, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Medical experts also warn of the risks of overuse, resulting in the ability of certain types of bacteria to develop resistance to the drug. Specifically, health officials have noted that resistant bacteria such as enterococci, Klebsiella pneumoniae (quinolone-resistant), and Streptococcus pyogenes have rapidly developed resistance capabilities.
In July 2008 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about Cipro reporting that Cipro, and other similar antibiotics, may increase the risk of tendon rupture and tendinitis. The warning also required the manufacturers of Cipro to include this new information on their Black Box warning label, the most significant warnings required by the FDA.
According to the FDA, this new warning was issued because the FDA has received reports about the risks of tendon issues associated with Cipro use. Other medications of the fluoroquinolone class which were required to add the warning include Cipro XR, Proquin XR, Levaquin, Noroxin, Avelox, Floxin, and generics.