What Exactly Causes Tendon Rupture from Levaquin Use?
Levaquin side effects have been reported since the 80’s, and the mechanism of damage is poorly understood. Tendon rupture and tendon damage are a known significant danger. The medical community seems to consider the benefit greater than the risk. I wonder…do scientists and researchers really not know exactly how and why the Levaquin antibiotic causes tendons to get damaged so quickly? That’s scarey. It seems that cytotoxicity from the Levaquin medication causes inhibition of fibroblast proliferation. This means that the cells that constantly produce the cellular matrix of tendons lessen or stop producing. This means that the constant breakdown of tissue is no longer being replaced. The pathologic mechanisms responsible for Levaquin induced tendonopathy seem to be multifactorial. Studies have implicated ischemic, toxic, and matrix-degrading processes. Certainly, part of the cytotoxic effects could be from Levaquine somehow blocking tendon tissue from absorbing nutrients and/or oxygen.
