Resolved question:
Recently spent 3 weeks touring India. On last day in India, I contracted traveler's diarrhea. After one day of suffering TD and taking Immodium with no effect, I started on cipro and continued taking it twice a day for 10 days.
After I returned home and while still on cipro, I went to a pilates class. The day after the class, I suffered a painful backache that lasted 5 days and disrupted daily activities and sleep. The day after the class, I completed the 10 day course of cipro. I tried small doses of ibuprofen and later naproxen sodium to ease the pain, with no effect.
Thinking it was just a coincidence due to being away on travel and feeling better one week later, I attended another pilates class but took it easy by stopping 3/4 of the way through and then stretching hips and legs. That night I experienced painful spasms in both legs, and the following day, I had constant and extremely painful spasms in quads, inner hamstring and knee of right leg. For the past 4 days I have been taking 500 mg of naproxen sodium twice a day, wrapping the leg for compression, applying ice and elevating when possible. I have been unable to sleep or do normal daily activities because the pain is so great and unrelieved. It has been getting better incrementally, but never having experienced this before, I'm worried I've done something wrong. This is not normal exercise soreness.
Should I see a doctor and what kind? Or am I being a ninny?
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Orthopedic Surgeon
Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
I understand your concern.
Both the times you took pilates class, you ended up developing back pain once, followed by severe leg pain the next time.
What kind of activities did you do in the pilates class?
Since it is slowly getting better it confirms the muscle related pain. As of now, you need to avoid Pilates class or any strenuous activities. Have you recovered from diarrhea completely?
Hope this was helpful,
Regards.
Thanks for your reply.
All pilates activities involved using the reformer, nothing I haven't done before for three years and found beneficial. I have been advised to avoid pilates by my instructor, and now by you, so I will do that until completely healed. When I start back up, I will do private sessions and go very slow to get back into it. [It is my main source of exercise and was doing it 3 times a week before my trip.] I am concerned that perhaps the cipro is the cause of my problem because this is so unusual for me.
Diarrhea completely went away after being on cipro about 8-9 days.
Hello,
No ciprofloxacin in fact, is a very safe drug and I definitely did not cause the issues you faced.
Kindly avoid the pilates class as of now.
If the pain recurs even without the pilates class, please revert back.
Wish you good health!
Regards.
It was reassuring that cipro did not cause my problem, but the pain continues and it has been 10 days now. Wish I had been able to receive advice from a sports medicine or some other specialist because the GP did not tell me much I didn't know already.
Hello,
This query has been reassigned to our Orthopaedician. Kindly review his reply.
'I have read your query with diligence.It looks from your history that you did suffer from diarrhoea & treated it with ciprofloxacin.
At present, you are suffering from spasm at body muscles after slight workout. Most probably this problem has developed due to workout after illness.This can be added by taking ciprofloxacin.In some cases, ciprofloxacin causes temporary muscle weakness.There may be mild electrolyte imbalances which may also had lead to muscle weakness.
At present you may have a electrolyte estimation which includes estimation of serum potassium,chloride & potassium.Electrolyte weakness does also lead to muscle weakness.At present you should avoid exercises & take some supplements to overcome your weakness,these supplements should include multivitamins ,minerals & others.
Hope this was helpful,
Regards.