WARNING! Have to report that the Clarithromycin antibiotic has damaged my Achilles tendons!! So angry as my doctors know that I had the same problem when using the Fluoroquinolones.
Tendonitis is not shown on Clarithromycin as a possible side effect, but if you google it there's loads of research on it ... particularly with the over 60's and combining with prednisolone.
Not as bad (yet) as before but scared it's going to result in me being off my feet .. yet again.
Mx
Nearly 6 years ago!!
7 February 2012
"Taking antibiotics ruptured my tendon: The hidden dangers of everyday drugs we assume are harmless"
dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...
Interesting that the Daily Mail article says ...
"It’s only the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics that have been linked with tendon problems and other muscolo-skeletal issues.
"
Now they are finding out that this is, unfortunately, not true ...
How awful Michelle. Thanks for the warning but so sorry you inadvertently had to be the guinea pig who found it out for us. Hope it repairs asap.
Thank you. 
Clarithomycine side effect also not reported is Fast Deep Uncontrollable Breathing that lasts for 2 hours after taking the pill. I thought I was going to die. The hyperventilating altered the balance of my oxygen/CO2 levels in my blood so my whole body was affected. The most awful experience.
Oh my goodness! That must have been terrifying. Why do the doctors keep prescribing these drugs???
My GP wouldn't even acknowledge it had been a side effect because it's not written on the leaflet that comes in the box. He said I just keep having a panic attck every time I take them because I get worried about it.
100% SAMEEE EXPERIENCE WITH ME HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!
I had terrible episodes of panic attacks that went on for hours for three weeks after taking clarithromycine. I changed personality, couldn’t sleep, eat, relax, read... then symptoms just disappeared out of the blue. It was after s particularly bad flu episode so either the antibiotics or some kind of post viral infection on brain I reckon. It was like a switch in my brain. Very odd. GP put down on my notes it was psychological which it DEFiNITELY wasn’t.
If you’ve stopped it you should be ok in time. I strongly recommend physiotherapy, my Achilles were dreadful, I thought they were banjaxed, but several months of weekly physio worked wonders. I sympathise with how fed up you must be but it’s a bit unfair to blame your GP for what is a rare side effect in clarithromycin. You needed treatment, without which a chest infection could’ve turned into pneumonia, & all drugs carry a risk of side effects, some life-changing or even fatal.
That's true!
I was prescribed Clarithromycin for a resistant chest infection about 15 years ago and had tendonitis about 5 or 6 days after starting. It was documented as a possible side-effect, albeit a rare one. I wasn’t on steroids. It resolved fairly quickly.
Hope you feel more comfortable soon .S x
Thank you
Hello MichelleT51 .
Oh no. I am so sorry to hear this. I had tendonitis a few years ago. It was dreadful. I do commiserate. We really are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to medication. My skin bruises easily and my hair has thinned since being in Predisone. No doubt my bones are also brittle. 🙀😾 I hope you aren't in too much pain.
Take care. *Hugs*
Cas xx 👣💜
Hi Cas! Like you, my skin bruises at even the gentlest knock; my lower arms often look as though I've been beaten up! Nightmare in the summer here in Spain as I like to cover them up but it's so hot! Hair always thins too after a course of predisone - but a positive is that it grows back all wavy!! And yep! brittle bones as well, but my osteoporosis is hereditary so that doesn't help either.
But hey! lets all keep smiling! HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and Chom.
Lots of love, Michelle xxx
I have just finished my latest course of Clarithromycin yesterday, and the side effects I always experience is acute diorea, with hardly any warnings, which can be embarrassing to say the least, and when I rush to the loo, it takes at least 10 minutes to get my breath back. But as said above, its better than having to be rushed to A&E with pneumonia, etc.
As for Prednisolone, I have to take them regular, and my arms, back of my hands looks like I have been burnt or scalded, and can bleed with every little knock.
What makes me, to not feel sorry for myself, or why is this happening to ME, I think of all the young kids who live only a few years, with cancer or other horrible diseases.
So I try to enjoy life, as long I have left.......Amen
wow l was on this in hospital,l got really sic so l got off them.lots of side effects.
In future I shall do a lot more research before accepting any drug.
Mx
I have been suffering with a painful Achilles for 5 weeks now through taking Ciprafloxacin antibiotics. What is very annoying is the fact that the doctors do know of these side effects but still keep prescribing them! This Achilles is preventing me from exercising which is essential to keep my lungs working well.
Yes, it's very debilitating. Hope you get back to your exercising soon. I found that I can still do quite a bit of exercising whilst sitting. Mx
Thank you Michelle (That's my daughters name) - Haven't worked out how exercising whilst sitting will work my lungs so would love to learn about your exercises.
There are a lot of videos online ... I found this one useful but it may be too tame for you. I also use 2kg weights .... youtube.com/watch?v=nwxy9FL...
Hope that's of some help.
Mx
Thank you Michelle. No not too tame for me - with weights yes.
I meant it would be well worth while especially with weights. You sound a very fit young lady Michelle. Congratulations.
Many thanks for the compliments but to be honest I'm neither fit nor young!! I try hard to stay disciplined and do the exercises daily but don't always achieve it, and because of my need to be on oxygen when walking get very little other exercise. I've always been very good 'in theory'.
Mxx
You are also very inspirational Michelle - many thanks.
Strange - I’ve been on Clarithromycin as my emergency med for years with no ill effect but had a major tendon problem with ciprofloxacin ... what are our options? I seem to be allergic to penicillin ☹️
I'm happy to say that my tendonitis from Clarithromycin has got no worse and hopefully will clear up, but like with the Fluoroquinolones (I had Levofloxin) the damage can pop up anywhere years later.
Like you I had been led to believe (bad experience as a child) that I was allergic to Penicillin. After my problem with the Fluoroquinolones and the resulting limitations of antibiotics that I could be given, she sent me for allergy testing to find out for sure if I was allergic to Penicillin. The tests were extensive but came back that I am definitely not allergic. They pointed out that it's never a grey area .. you either are, and always have been, or you aren't, and never had been. It may have been that when I was a child I had a bad reaction, eg a rash, but not an allergy. It has now been removed officially from my medical notes.
Fluoroquinolones is shown on my medical notes as Severe Reaction ... it's not an allergy as such but a rare side effect probably caused by my being over 60 and taken with steroids.
So maybe you also need to find out for sure if you are allergic to Penicillin or not?
Good luck! M
Thanks MichelleT51. I’m not convinced I’m allergic to penicillin but my mother was so it is possible, I suppose. I did react badly to a penicillin based ab but suspect I wasn’t drinking enough liquid ...
Interesting about prednisolone interacting with some antibiotics ... I wonder how many docs actually check before prescribing ...
I’m not in a good place after a home visit from COPD nurse (not surgery based) Doctors surgery totally unhelpful and unresponsive - it’s disgusting and I will deal with it - but I’m too weak at moment.
Thanks again!
Jude X
I was always fine with penicillin until I needed a longer course when I was 23. I had a massive allergic reaction with rash, thrombocytopenia, severe leukopenia, brain inflammation etc etc which put me in ITU & I was told never to touch the stuff ever again.
Yes I have had Achilles problems with ciprofloxacin but haven't tried Clarithromycin. Seems no matter what we take there are always going to be other problems to contend with. As you say - what are our options?
Remember to steer clear of all the AB's with 'flox' in their name and don't let them prescribe you Clarithromycin either. 
Mx
Hello Michelle. I have same story with you about levaquin damage and Clarithromycin side effects. May i ask you whether you finished full box with Clarithromycin or you stopped due to pain? And does it recover faster compared to Levaquin?
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