This site is to give HOPE to those who are suffering from Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome as a result of being poisoned by fluoroquinolone antibiotics – Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Floxin, etc. It contains stories of healing.
Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and all other fluoroquinolones are dangerous drugs that can have devastating effects that cumulatively I’ll refer to as Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome or Floxing. Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome/Floxing includes damage to connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, cartilage, fascia, etc.) throughout the body, damage to the nervous systems (central, peripheral and autonomic), and more. The damage done by fluoroquinolone antibiotics can destroy a person’s quality of life or even kill them. Certainly, there is a time and a place for drugs with dangerous side effects. If you find yourself in a septic shock induced coma, fluoroquinolones may save your life. Unfortunately, these drugs are not being reserved for life or death situations. People are being prescribed them for urinary tract infections, suspected prostate infections, upper respiratory infections, as a prophylactic for travelers’ diarrhea, ear infections, pink eye, etc. Thousands of people have suffered needlessly from the devastating effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, when another, safer antibiotic could have, and should have, been used.
The damage done by fluoroquinolones is largely unacknowledged by the medical establishment and an accurate diagnosis, compensation and relief are difficult to come by. There is no known cure for Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome/Floxing. However, many people continue to LIVE after being poisoned by fluroquinolones. They find healing, recovery, perseverance, compassion and hope. These are their stories.
This site is meant to give hope for healing to those who are adversely effected by fluoroquinolones. It is no way meant to disregard the pain of those who are chronically suffering from the horrifying effects of Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox or the other fluoroquinolones. There are people who don’t recover. Their stories are real and they matter. There are also people who are able to recover and I share their stories with the hope that they inspire others, or at least give hope that recovery is possible.
Here is a New York Times article about the dangers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics – http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/popular-antibiotics-may-carry-serious-side-effects/?_r=0 – more news stories, research papers and other resources can be found on the “Links and Resources” page.
Here is a Facebook group that is a great resource for those going through Fluoroquinolone Toxicity – https://www.facebook.com/groups/floxies/
Featured post – I’m floxed. Now what?
The Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Solution Ebook has helped many Floxies to recover, including Daniel, Cindy and Ruth. As a bonus, you will also receive The Floxie Food Guide – a book of diet guidelines to help you through fluoroquinolone toxicity:
Hello guys, how’re you doing? I hope well.
I was thinking about soemthing I wanted to share with you : since all of us have been affected and damaged by FQs, but each one to a different extent, and there’re many different kinds of FQs, I’d like to understand if there’s one or more of them more dangerous than the others. Of course all FQs are terrible and potentially lethal, but is, for example, Cipro worse than Avelox or Avelox worse than Levaquin? and so on…It would be interseting to understand this subtle difference. In mu case, I was permanently damaged by Prulifloxacin.
This is an interesting question, the most prescribed FQs are Cipro and Levaquin, however the doses are not directly comparable as approx. 1000mg of Cipro = 750mg of Levaquin. I recall reading (might be the flox report) that Levaquin has approx. 2 x the therapeutic value of Cipro, therefore on this basis Levaquin for a comparable prescription might have more potential for adverse effects
It is my understanding that Leviqiun is a revved up and remade version of Ofloxacin. The basic formula for Ofloxacin was used and to it were added 2 of the fluoride molecules where it originally had only one. It is said that the reason for doubling the fluoride was to make the antibiotic more effective against both gram positive and gram negative pathogens. Because of the amount of fluoride Leviquin contains I would say it is probably at the top of the list when it comes to the nasty side/after effects. So many of them have been either never allowed to come to market or were removed when they found how toxic they were.
If you type in chemistry of: Cipro & Levaquin you will see that both had only ONE molecule of F in the 6th position. Levaquin is no longer on the market and probably caused so much more damage because it was “vitamin L ” used IV at every hospital in USA for decades. They bought it in bulk and charged insurance top dollar and it killed pretty much everything including your life. I have had Cipro oral 4 times, Levaquin IV & oral and Gemifloxin finished me off. No connection made because there were no warnings. Thought I was losing my mind. By the time it [brand name Factive 7] came on market they had MOVED the F to the 8th position which caused more side effects mostly related to hallucinations, light sensitivity and severe skin rashes. I had them all . I turned PURPLE from head to toe [no warnings of any kind] FOR THIRTY DAYS! Neuropathy became so bad I could no longer ride my competition horses nor could I sleep. Tendon pain & gut disbosis, and losing many teeth from periodontal ligaments dying too. This all happened THIRTY years ago; the good news is I am still here; still fighting; but it ain’t been easy.
Stay vigilant though; even though 22 of the 29 FQs have been discontinued they have at least 5-6 new ones [with F in 8th position] coming to market. Hint the only thing that relieves my pain without narcotics is Kratom [buy online less that $1 a day] and Black Bear Hydroxy b-12 keeps PN and plantar fascitis at bay. I try to get as much Mg in me as I can too. Epsom salt baths & oil help leg pain.
85% of anesthesia is high dose fluorine so if you need surgery ask for propofol. For longer surgeries they can use titration pump. Versed [benzodiazapene with F] alone has 91 ppm of F which is 23X MDC that EPA allows. Good luck clearing that if you are older or damaged.
Caws………. Thanks. It is information like this that is needed by the floxie community. Just speaking basically Levaquin is a revved up version of Ofloxacin. Levofloxacin is a potentially toxic compound. You damned sure won’t hear a doctor explaining it to you.
Thnaks CAWS. Can you explain to me what 6th and 8th position mean?
About Benzodiazepines, A few weeks ago, I was prescribed Clonazepam, for my chronic pelvic pain. It helped a little with the pain, but since the first dosage, I wasn’t feeling good overall. Always tired, which is kinda weird if you think about it, I could sleep a little more, but the next morning I was more tired than usual. Then I felt depressed, nervous…I also noticed that, as I was expecting, after a little, the prescribed dosage, wasn’t working anymore, and if I wanted it to keep working, I should keep increasing the dosage. After 2 weeks I gave it up. I didn’t want to become a junkie. It was about 2 weeks ago since i discontinued the treatment, and after a couple of days of feeling not so well, I started to feel better again.
Tomorrow I have an appointment, with another doctor, to talk about medical cannabis. She will probably prescribe it to me. Let’s see if it helps.
Thanks Jim and Don…yeah, I too remember someone here on Floxie Hope, saying something about Levaquin being the nastiest of the bunch…
Hello All…
Has anyone had an adverse reaction to Famotidine…(Pepcid)? I took it a few days ago and it flared my joint pain considerably:(
Hello all,
help me. I’m Flux 4 years ago, I took one pill from Avalux and suffered from severe palpitations for the first year, and now I suffer from 171 beats of palpitations of my heart. Are there solutions? Do I have a heart condition or panic? Do panic my heart rate today 171?
Pank attack or somthing wrong ?
Any help 😦
Hello all,
help me. I’m Flux 4 years ago, I took one pill from Avalux and suffered from severe palpitations for the first year, and now I suffer from 171 beats of palpitations of my heart. Are there solutions? Do I have a heart condition or panic? Do panic my heart rate today 171?
Is the problem Neuropathy when standing up my heart beat frightening and pain in the nerves of the limbs
Pank attack or somthing wrong ?
Any help 😦
Hello Faisal,
have you undergo through any medical tests and diagnosis? I was severely floxed also, but if medical tests do not show a clear problem, I try to reduce anxiety myself without medical drugs and continue with supplementing body and clean eating. Because putting ourselves in idea of being floxed always, makes our bodies more stressed.
For anxiety, I can recommend magnesium, a good brand “Intelligent Labs”. I stopped caffeine, tea, not smoking, not taking alcohol, no fast food, no sugar, no gluten. I have seen positive results from this diet also.
Regards,
Selcem
Faisal Alkhaldi……….. I agree with Selecem on all the things mentioned and especially the need for magnesium. Do your research on magnesium and you will find that it contributes to over 300 of the body’s functions. It is also seriously depleted by Fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Fluoroquinolines are very hard on the body’s stores of magnesium. Magnesium is a relaxant and it helps all the muscles of the body to relax. Including the heart. It is widely said that because magnesium has been depleted from the soil that nearly everyone (who does not supplement with magnesium) is deficient in magnesium. Bottom line…….. Magnesium is VERY important to balancing out the body.
Dr. Carolyn Dean is one who has spent much of her professional career on magnesium. The web site https://drcarolyndean.com/start-here/
Re pain in the limbs. Topical application of Magnesium Oil will definitely relax the muscles which in turn mitigates the pain. I use it regularly for back pain and leg cramps. The relief is not long lasting but Magnesium Oil can be reapplied as often as desired. It is readily absorbed in just a few minutes.
Re the panic attacks. They are hell! One must learn to recognize them for what they are and do the things that will help to calm you until they pass. Do a Google search on “panic attacks” and get a better understanding of them and how to deal with them.
You are not alone with your problems. Many of us deal with them daily. You must figure out (through investigation by Google research) what may work for you. Good suggestions are out there but one must sift through a lot of stuff to come up wit them.
To A. Coleman… Have you investigated https://aculief.com/ ? The Aculief principle is based on Chinese acupressure. There is an acupressure point in the soft tissue between the thumb and first finger. When pressure is put on this area it helps headaches. It is also touted for helping other things too. Look into it. You might find that it would help. The idea seems kind of funky but seems to work.
Hi everybody,
Tomorrow will be my 5th year Floxiversary!!
I have been posting on my floxiversary every year. Last year I posted that I anticipated writing a recovery story by the time of my 5th floxiversary; unfortunately that is not what I am doing.
I suffered my second most severe relapse in December of 2019. Around Christmas I was starting to think that my journey might have an end in site; but then I had a relapse that saw my headaches and brain fog get much worse and saw a return of sore lymph nodes (a symptom that had been gone for over a year) come back in February 2020. I also suffered a torn meniscus in my left knee about the same time. While this might not be totally fluoroquinolone related I am sure that I was in a vulnerable state and my recovery has been slowed by my FQ status.
In the last year I have continued to see very slow improvement in my digestive problems (digestive problems along with other neurological problems are my major floxie issues). I am now almost completely free of heartburn and stomach discomfort is absent about 80% of the time. My lymph node issue is nearly resolved – for the second time. And most importantly I have started having some days where I don’t experience much brain fog / headaches.
I have even had a few days in the last two months that I would rate as feeling normal. So, I am trending overall in the right direction, but progress is so very, very slow. I wish I could say that I anticipate writing a recovery story by the 6th year floxiversary; but given my relapses as I near healing and my very slow recovery rate I now believe it will be a bit longer than that. I will not write my healing story until I have been “normal” at least 90% of the time for the previous 6 months. While I don’t anticipate another relapse; I’m going to make sure I don’t post a healing story then suffer one.
I still deal with tinitus and neuropathy. The neuropathy in my feet has gotten to the point where I only notice it if I wear uncomfortable shoes or put lots of pressure on my feet (I always get neuropathy for an hour or so after I work out for example unless all I do is yoga or mild weight lifting). The weird cold sensation I have in my lower legs is clearly related to Magnesium and Epsom salt baths and Mg oil sprays make it better. I take lots of Mg threonate and Mg glycinate but it must be getting used up in other areas of my body or not being absorbed and my legs need the external sources of Mg. I still have a bit of an issue with anxiety where I have issues for a week or so then go for a month without. I have been using a liposomal form of GABA when I get a panic attack and it has been helping BTW.
While my headaches and brain fog have gotten much better they are still the primary issue affecting my life most days. I almost always have a portion of the day now that is free of these issues; and have had about 15% of all days be mostly free of problems for the last two months. I also still have weird issues with my neck and I think all of this is tied together to some aspect. I suspect a tiny Cerebral Spinal Fluid leak in my neck is a strong possibility. I also note that my fatigue is much worse when my brain fog is worse.
I still suffer from insomnia. I fall asleep easily but wake up in the middle of the night and can’t return to sleep. Until the last six or so months I averaged about 6 hours of sleep a night. That is up to 7 now and while I still tend to wake up most nights that has shifted to around 4 AM giving me around 6 solid hours of sleep most nights.
In the last year I have found two supplements that have really helped. Thorne – RF Curcumin with resvaratol has helped my neck and knees. It takes a long time to act (probably 1 to 2 months) and I only realized it was helping when I stopped and suffered renewed problems then resumed and they were alleviated. The other is the liposomal GABA from Quicksilver that seems to help my anxiety / panic attacks. (I added it to try to hep the insomnia; but it didn’t help there.)
I expect I will be able to write a healing blog some day. I do get discouraged from time to time; but I am still changing and in the large season compared to season sense it is for the better. I appreciate the support of the folks on Floxie Hope and hope you are all doing well in your healing journey too. Let’s all hope that the next floxiversary is associated with a healing story post!
Thanks for updating us with your progress and what has helped you; sorry your 5 year anniversary doesn’t bring better news. Sorry about the insomnia too; that might be the very worst of all health problems. Someone just recommended Trazodone to me for depression: it’s also used off-label for insomnia. If high doses of magnesium at night before bed don’t help your insomnia, this might be worth trying.
Some quick update guys, My Anxiety has increased after supplementing with MSM a Sulphur based compound, I think many people have genetic variations that makes them weak at dealing with Sulphur. I have also learned that the bodies PH level SIGNIFICANTLY impacts anxiety, the amygdala responds to higher acidity levels and neurons fire more rapidly causing anxiety, Try avoiding high Sulphur foods and supplements.
Some other TIPS.
1 – TREAT THE ANXIETY don’t wait – GET HELP in the form of a SGB block, watch the 60 minute interview on a stellate ganglion block for PTSD/Anxiety many of us dealing with live changing consequences of the plosion we were given are suffering from some form of anxiety or trauma disorder. PLEASE try and get an SGB injection done, Dr Lipov is the best, he also conducts he used both a lidocaine solution and for SEVERE PTSD he even conducts a ”radiofrequency (RF) ablation of Stellate ganglion region (SG) ”.
2 – Zinc is the MASTER ORGANISER – take it you are likely deficient and it helps in calming the excited neurons.
Hi all,
I became a Floxie three years back but learned how to overcome it using supplements and diet changes. I have been Floxie free for about a month and am restoring the damage at a steady pace. I have to recover from the financial ruin next.
I think everyone can get past being a Floxie in about a year. The first thing to do is to chemically remove all toxins. It takes two treatments. First remove the Fluroquinolones with Sturated Epsom salt foot soaks. 15 minutes a day for four days is required. Second take a daily tonic of Borax solution , one ounce. 2 teaspoons in a quart of water.
I look forward to your results and questions.
John Taylor – The Healthy Truth
Magnesium Oil……… It is magnesium chloride and distilled or clean filtered water. DO NOT underestimate the power of it when it comes to relieving muscle cramps. Muscle cramps anywhere on the body. Just spray it on and let it absorb into the skin. One can make it into a roll on by using an old roll on bottle. Just drill a hole near the top and fill it with Mag Oil. Cover the hole with a piece of tape. It works and it is cheap. Try it.