I haven't posted in some time due to more jaw surgery but want to add that I am still suffering a great deal with tendon/joint issues in ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders and spine.

    I took Levaquin in December 1998 and several periods of Cipro in 1999 thru some of the 8 oral surgeries.  I have osteonecrosis of the jaws and have now lost all teeth and am learning how to deal with full dentures.  Am currently awaiting the results of the last 7 teeth/bone biopsies.

    I was on a 3 month trial of Lovenox in 2000 which didn't seem to help with the pain.  Lovenox is a low molecular weight injectable heparin.   In July 2001, however, I started oral Coumadin with the goal of getting my INR to 2.5.  I have clotting disorders, unknown prior to the first jaw surgery. 

These clotting disorders contributed to the death of the jaw bone.  The higher the INR (on a scale of 1-5) the longer it takes your blood to form a clot.  Lovenox can stop a clot from forming as well as break down existing clots; Coumadin (warfarin) can not break down a clot once it forms.

    The purpose of this post is to tell you the oral anti-coagulation has greatly helped my joint/tendon pain.  What a surprise!  Most swelling is totally gone.  It comes back if the INR falls under 2.5.  I know this sounds radical.  Coumadin in its worst form is rat poison...so I hope that tells you how much pain I have been in since 1999 to be willing to injest this drug....but I also have to tell you it has helped.

    Your doctors will tell you they have never heard of this and maybe it is something none of you want to try.  If you do, you need to find a really good research-oriented hematologist (I found one at a cancer center) and ask them to do all the blood tests they know of for if a person clots too fast.  Most folks don't have this done until they have suffered a heart attack or stroke...or had a really hard time conceiving for children.  If it turns out you have some of these clotting disorders, trying an anti-coagulant might help with the pain. 

    The hemmy I found told me that he didn't know anything about how my clotting disorders affect bone and tendons...but he didn't need too.  He says I should be anti-coagulated for life just from a vascular point of view.  How long did it take me to find someone willing to look at my health from this angle?  2 years.  I wish you luck.

    I will never, ever, take another quinolone antibiotic unless I am at death's door.