JD2016’s AchillesBlog

Comment by beanie

May 5, 2016 @ 10:01 pm

Hi JD, I’m really sorry to hear that your tendon problems have been caused by Cipro. I have seen pictures of peoples tendons completely degenerating from the stuff and it is alarming that this drug is still prescribed. I read up on it, and the reason your tendon degenerates is because Cipro actually causes DNA changes in the bacteria it’s supposed to be killing, but your mitochondria can also be affected. Our tendon cells don’t get replaced or regenerate as often as other cells, so those cells with broken mitochondria that aren’t functioning correctly could remain for a while. I can’t find any information about exactly how long.

Anyway, I understand your concern and if I were you I would be just as concerned. You need to strengthen your “good” achilles that is starting to hurt, because if it’s starting to hurt then you most probably have micro-tears and the first signs of tendinitus and damage in the tendon. There are ways to strengthen tendons that have been proven with research. I wrote about it in one of my posts (achillesblog.com/beanie/2016/02/07/research-on-strengthening-the-achilles-tendon-and-calves/ - I also included some links at the end of the post).

Consult with your PT, but if I were you I would start doing these eccentric exercises on your good leg. When you start make sure not to lift up to tiptoes with only your good leg, use a step or support to get you there before you lower on that good leg. Lifting on the good leg is concentric and might hurt that good achilles, but lowering slowly is eccentric and although it may hurt a little it apparently encourages regeneration of the tendon tissue, making them stronger.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best and good luck!

Comment by mibball

May 6, 2016 @ 9:04 am

Both of my PTs have told me the literature shows eccentric heel raises build tendon (Achilles) strength the best. The soreness you’re feeling in your uninjured tendon is pretty normal, but you shouldn’t have pain. Otherwise a healthy diet (one preferably on the protein-heavy and vitamin-rich side), tendon stimulation/loading, and adequate rest should do the trick.

Comment by Stuart

May 7, 2016 @ 3:43 pm

There is one other exercise that can help and also a treatment available at some clinics. The exercise is to put a theraband under your foot. Stand on it and hold the other end in your hand. Pull on the band so your toes curl up and then push down with your toes. This does nothing for the AT but it helps the surrounding muscles etc. which aid the strength of the entire area. The other thing is some radial shock wave therapy but I would wait for a while before you go there. It is new and some say it does nothing but that combined with new orthotics sorted out the tendonititis in my good AT. You could say it was the orthotics but I did not wear them all the time but I would recommend you get some soft sole orthotics made up once you have recovered. I also agree with the others (Hi Beanie). Most of us get sore in the other tendon while recovering. The fear of rupturing it stays with you for some time and the studies have shown you are more likely to rupture the other one once you have ruptured the AT. But when you crunch the numbers the risk is still low. Most people are one leg dominant so it could be you tend to push off or work your left leg more causing it to be more stressed. Cipro is a concern though but I am not sure the effects are permanent so in time it may not be a concern. I will leave that to the cipro experts here. There are two ways to tell if a problem exists and one is having a look inside. The other is an MRI but that may be difficult to arrange or you may have to pay big for it. Again I agree with Beanie to wait before you start any strengthening (apart from the exercise I described)as you need to be healed properly on the left side. It is unlikely you will rupture it without doing something explosive and you are not at that stage yet.

Comment by JD2016

May 15, 2016 @ 12:31 pm

Beanie,

Thank you so much for all the advice. I’ve been doing everything you told me to, and I’m feeling less pain in the good AT. Unfortunately, I feel a bit defeated at times because I know the damage is already done, and there’s not a ton I can do to reverse it. All I can do is try to stay positive and hope that my body can fight against this poison. Here’s an interesting video I’ve found related to the fight against Cipro and other fluoroquinolones. http://www.abcactionnews.com/money/consumer/taking-action-for-you/fda-announces-warnings-for-most-commonly-prescribed-antibiotics-levaquin-and-cipro

Thanks for the support,
JD

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Comment by JD2016

May 15, 2016 @ 12:32 pm

mibball,

Thanks for the advice. I’m feeling less pain in the good one now.

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Comment by JD2016

May 15, 2016 @ 12:43 pm

Stuart,

Thank you so much for your detailed advice. It has really helped me feel better in the good AT, and the overwhelming support from people on this site has helped my mental state as well. I’ve never had soft sole orthotics before. Did you just order them offline, or did you go to a store to be measured for them? Also, what kind of tennis shoes do you recommend? I am currently wearing Mizunos because that’s what I’ve worn my entire volleyball career before I had any of these problems.

Thanks,
JD

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Comment by Stuart

May 15, 2016 @ 2:32 pm

Soft orthotics are made by a physio or podiatrist to suit your foot and correct any gate or stance problems. They can be put in most shoes simply by removing the insert already there. Off the shelf are never as good but you can go that way. They also offer some cushioning. Hard orthotics are as the name says. Not flexible and made from a hard compound. I use Brooks or ASICS shoes but Muzuno may be OK. The test for a shoe is how and where it bend. It should bend only at the ball of the foot and not have too much flex or twist at all. They are generally described as motion control shoes.