We analyze the effect of photon recycling on up-conversion in a heterostructure device including a quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) integrated with a light emitting diode (LED). Such a QWIP-LED device converts middle infrared radiation into near infrared (NIR) or visible radiation (VIR) utilizing intersubband transitions in the QWIP and interband transitions in the LED. We show that the reabsorption of NIR/VIR photons in the QWIP can substantially affect the up-conversion of both uniform illuminations and infrared images. As demonstrated, this effect can cause a photonic breakdown associated with a positive feedback between the emission of NIR/VIR photons from the LED and the resulting photocurrent in the QWIP.