Years ago, when I was taking a fairly long course of hardcore antibiotics for a sinus infection, I noticed that my Achilles tendons would pop where they attached to the bone. I wasn’t sure what to make of it until I stumbled across a study noting that tendon injuries were higher in athletes who had recently taken antibiotics. When I mentioned this to my doctor, he looked at me like I was delusional.
Now the Food and Drug Administration has ordered makers of fluoroquinolone drugs — like Cipro, Levaquin, and Floxin — to add a “black box” warning that they can cause tendon ruptures.