Tamara

*The following is an individual’s story of surviving fluoroquinolone toxicity. It is not medical advice. Please see the disclaimer at the bottom of the story. Thank you, and please be cautious with all treatments. 

Tamara’s Recovery Story – Cipro Toxicity

On February 4, 2014 I went to the hospital with pain in the flank of my back. Having had suspected kidney stones and a couple kidney infections in the past I knew to head to the doctor right away. When I got there, they did blood and urine tests but did not find anything. They gave me an iv with Ceftraxione (non FQ antibiotic) and sent me for an ultrasound the following morning.

The ultrasound showed nothing on either kidney or my bladder. When I went in to get these results the doctor was quite rude to me, and barely looked at me at all, but made a fateful decision to send me home with a prescription for Cipro. 500MG, 2 times a day for 5 days.

I went home and took the first pill that night and went to bed. In the morning I woke up and took the second pill. My right leg began to swell. I then began to look on the internet for adverse reaction symptoms. I had an allergic reaction to another antibiotic called Azythromycin a year and a half ago, so I wanted to find out what I was up against. What I found horrified me. I started hyperventilating, basically freaking out, big time. I called the hospital and told them I thought I was having a reaction to the Cipro and I had read on the internet what could happen and the nurse laughed at me…a lot of help that was. I stopped taking the Cipro after only those two pills.

Two days after this happened, I was to move to a different province of Canada, where I live. I had previously been a dancer since I was 3. I had danced professionally for 10 years at this point and had co-owned a performance artist agency for the last 4 years. 5 days before I was floxed I had signed over my co-ownership to my two partners and had intended to move and pursue a new passion of teaching a healing dance system called Wu Tao. I was to start my training for this right away. I went ahead with my move.

2 days after my move, so 4 days after being floxed, my leg began to swell so much I went to the local emergency room. They tested me for blood clots and nothing came back. I mentioned that I thought it was the antibiotic but was looked at like I was crazy.

I decided to do my own research and I implemented some things in the very beginning that I think may have to do with my fast recovery.

1)      DETOX DETOX DETOX! I began to drink a whole pot of Dragon Herbs Longevity Tea everyday for the first couple weeks. As I understand it this tea has saponins which help essentially “wash” your system. I had many detox symptoms from this. I also used the Dragon Herbs brand Schizandra and Goji tincture to help protect my liver during this time.

2)      DIET I had already eaten a mostly vegan diet but in the first few weeks I really cleaned up my diet. No processed foods, no sugar. As many fruits, vegetables that I could get into my system I did.

3)      No excess supplements. I did at the beginning take many supplements and I had pain over the area of my liver which led me to believe that my liver was being overworked trying to process so many toxins. I pulled back and only took what was absolutely necessary until I felt I had detoxed enough.

By about 3 weeks in, my leg was in such excruciating pain and so tight that I could not straighten my leg. Devastating for a dancer.

I met a naturopath who was trained in Myofascial Release. He began to treat my leg in the 3rd week of floxing. Slowly, over the next few weeks my leg began to release it’s iron grip.

At 7 weeks, I suffered a setback. I developed new symptoms. My left arm all of a sudden swelled up. I developed severe insomnia and panic attacks. I developed tremors, which did not stop all day and night, adding to the insomnia. I would get burning and shooting and electrical shock pains through my body.

I do believe there is some truth to the idea that the FQ’s get stuck in our tissues and as my naturopath was doing Myofascial Release he was releasing it into my system and causing other systems and processes to become affected.

It was at this point I started to add in other supplements again and I also started getting Gluathione IV’s from the naturopath.

Supplements I took:

1)      Probiotics

2)      Greens Supplements (Vege Greens but Greens+ is also good)

3)      Protein in the form of Vega shakes

4)      Magnesium pills and transdermal

5)      High high dose vitamin C 4000 mg a day

6)      CoQ10 and Omega 3-6-9

7)      B Complex Vitamins

Glutathione was my magic bullet though. After my first IV I began to be able to straighten my leg. After the second, all of my neurological symptoms such as tremors and insomnia and panic attacks went away COMPLETELY.

I did do some physio but it seemed to flare up my condition. I held off on the physiotherapy until just recently.

At 99 days into floxing, I started to WALK 🙂 I had been on crutches for the entire time, and I also was thankfully able to spend my entire floxing on bed rest. I think this made a big difference as well in how much my body was able to heal. If you can, take as much time to rest and let your body do it’s thing.

I am now at 106 days post floxing and  I’d say I’m 97% better. I have been able to walk for a week. Physio measured my Achilles tendon last week and it was at an 85 degree extension while my good leg was at a 100 degree extension. I have a slight limp and I still need to build muscle.

However, I am able to drink alcohol, eat whatever food I want at this point, and my leg does not flare up in pain or swelling anymore.

I am not dancing quite yet, but I do believe I will be VERY soon. For now, I have taken to hula hooping!

I believe I will make a full 100% recovery at around the 4 month mark post floxing.

Do not give up, keep a positive attitude, imagine healing for yourself and trust that your body knows how to fix this. You CAN get better!

 

** The story above is truthful, accurate and told to the best of the ability of the writer. It is not intended as medical advice. No person who submits his or her story, nor the people associated with Floxie Hope, diagnoses or treats any illness. The story above should not be substituted for professionally provided medical advice. Please consult your doctor before trying anything that has been mentioned in this story, or in any other story on this site. Please also note that people have varying responses to the treatments mentioned in each story. What helps one person may not help, and may even hurt, another person. It is important that you understand that supplements, IVs, essential oils, and all other treatments, effect people differently depending on the millions of variables that make each of us unique. Please use appropriate caution and prudence, and get professional medical advice.