Ciprofloxacin - any thoughts from the medics here?

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DoricQuine Dec 2017 10:09am, 29 Dec 2017 3,762 posts	0 DoricQuine I'm looking for some advice, reassurance, kick up the for being silly or whatever please! I had a bladder infection just before Christmas and was started on Nitrofurantoin and sample sent off. The surgery called me this week to say I needed another course but when I picked it up I discovered it was Ciprofloxacin that had been prescribed and frankly I'm scared to take them because of the reported risks of tendon damage. I have spoken with my GP this morning and she has reluctantly given me a longer course of Nitrofurantoin but can't see any problem in me taking Cipro as she has not encountered any problems in 20 years of her career. My problem being that I have sat in the surgery with another GP, who runs, and he has refused to prescribe it to me because of the risks! I should add I'm allergic to penicillin and septrin, so limited in what I can take and know I need to treat this infection but I'm struggling to know what to do. I'm only just beginning to enjoy my running again after a pretty crap year
plodding hippo Dec 2017 10:11am, 29 Dec 2017 50,974 posts	0 plodding hippo Thats a pretty rare side effect. I use buckets of cipro for our renal patients
Diogenes Dec 2017 10:21am, 29 Dec 2017 25,668 posts	0 Diogenes Not claiming to be a medical person, but It’s what all our prostate and bladder men get given. Some are still young enough to be active, we had a ‘triathlete’ the other day. Surely a short course would have a minimal risk?
Velociraptor Dec 2017 10:23am, 29 Dec 2017 37,391 posts	0 Velociraptor Tendon rupture due to ciprofloxacin in someone who isn't elderly and isn't also on steroid treatment is extremely rare and I've never seen a case. Personally, if I had a urine infection resistant to other antibiotics I wouldn't hesitate to take it, and I've prescribed it for a family member.
HellsBells Dec 2017 10:51am, 29 Dec 2017 23,307 posts	0 HellsBells I've seen two cases this year after never having seen it before. Both in elderly patients on long term steroids with multiple other conditions and taking long courses of cipro. For a short term course for uti, I wouldn't hesitate to use it
DoricQuine Dec 2017 11:59am, 29 Dec 2017 3,764 posts	0 DoricQuine Thanks for all your input. I've just called to cancel the other prescription and will go with the Cipro. Still a bit nervous about it and I think I might just scrap my running plans for over the weekend. I had planned on parkrun Saturday, another 5k fun run on Sunday and NYD parkrun double on Monday
plodding hippo Dec 2017 12:14pm, 29 Dec 2017 50,975 posts	0 plodding hippo Cipro is sucha great antibiotic, it should kick your UTI into touch rather swiftly. See how ya feel
DoricQuine Dec 2017 12:48pm, 29 Dec 2017 3,765 posts	0 DoricQuine Thanks ph, no idea where this UTI came from as I have been clear for months now and have usually been able to pinpoint the cause.