Unbelievable Arm Pain after Taking Cipro

by Tom
(Silver City)

My regular doctor had a couple of week back-up and I couldn't wait that long. I went to an emergency center and was diagnosed with a UTI. The nurse had a prescription for Cipro written up and asked me to take one before I left. We stopped by a pharmacy and filled the prescription. Two a day for ten days. This was on Thursday. Sunday my right arm started hurting. I did not sleep very well that night.

By Monday morning, I could not move my arm. I have absolutely no use of my right arm. (I am right handed) It was locked in place with the elbow bent at about 20 degree angle. Every time I would try to move my arm, it felt like some was sticking a knife in my elbow and twisting it around. I lived with this till Wednesday when I went back to the emergency room. This time, a PA checked out my arm. He tried to blame the pain on gout, which I don't have. Then it was arthritis, then doing something physical to stress it. The only thing I had done was take Alleve for the pain and the Cipro. I was never told of the black box warning!

He gave me a new prescription for Bactrim. I threw out the Cipro. Just a side note, when I was younger, I would get migraines on a regular basis. The pain in my elbow was 10 times worst than a migraine. Its been over a week and I am down to taking Alieve twice a day and the pain stays tolerable. I still have the bend at the elbow and not much use. I can lift it a little higher.

I am a 62 year old male in pretty decent shape.