The floxie community is experiencing a baby boom. There are a lot of first-time moms and dads in the floxie community and I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS to all of them!
The babies that have recently been born to floxie moms and dads are healthy, happy and beautiful. They are blessings to their parents and the world.
When I first got floxed, I was concerned about how my fluoroquinolone toxicity reaction would affect any future offspring I might have. It’s a worry that a lot of people of child-bearing age have. I was comforted by people like Briean, who has had 2 healthy children post-flox. I hope that all floxies find comfort in the smiling faces of the babies who have recently been born to floxed moms and dads. So far, all of the kids of floxies seem to be healthy and unaffected by the fluoroquinolone toxicity of their parents. Whatever made us vulnerable to getting floxed, or changes to our bodies as a result of getting floxed, don’t seem to be hurting the next generation.
Of course, it’s impossible to tell how a person will end up, or how healthy she or he will be in the long run, when she or he is only 6 months old, but, so far so good, as far as the health of babies born to floxed parents goes.
I have written about my fears about the intergenerational effects of fluoroquinolones (it seems like a particularly horrible idea to give topoisomerase interrupting drugs to people of child-bearing age). But it should be noted that my fears about the potential intergenerational effects of fluoroquinolones are just fears at this point—they have not been validated by any studies of intergenerational effects of fluoroquinolones. I whole-heartedly think that studies should be done. But the anecdotal evidence of lots of healthy, smiling babies being born to floxed parents, that is available now, is worth a lot. I hope that the healthy babies grow into healthy children and healthy adults—presumably, they will.
Should you, or I, or anyone else who has been floxed, have kids? I don’t think that there is any reason why a past history of fluoroquinolone toxicity should be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to have kids, seeing as the babies who have been born to floxies are healthy. It should depend on whether or not this looks like something you want to sign up for:
Seriously? You do? Well, go for it then. 🙂
The knowledge that floxies have about gene SNPs, nutrition, antioxidants, etc. may even make their children more healthy than they would have been. Floxies know to avoid fluoroquinolones, and they will certainly never let their children get floxed. Avoiding fluoroquinolones is certainly a step in the direction of long-term health and happiness.
Again, CONGRATULATIONS to the floxie parents out there! Your babies are gorgeous! I hope that they live a long, happy, healthy, wonderful life and that they bring healing joy to your life! Give all your little ones a hug from me, and know that I wish them all the joy, love and health this world can bring.
Xoxo
-Lisa
I certainly hope you are right Lisa. Sadly, we just don’t know…especially in light of Joseph King’s article (“. The patient’s original genetic profile has been altered-mutated”)
Well, I am one of the floxies who is having children. My son is 16 days old and all seems good so far. My wife is very involved in the floxie community. She’s a member of several FQ Facebook groups and has written articles for Hormones Matter. For us, the decision was even more based on whether my health would cooperate enough to make parenthood feasible. Having a child while significantly floxed is a gamble in that way. You’re gambling on healing enough to be able to be a parent someday. My wife and I started this conversation about 16 months ago. At the time I was a 9 month floxie. We really believed I would get better. Maybe not perfect, but close enough. Now, at 25 months, that hasn’t happened as much as we hoped and expected. But I can’t imagine I will still feel the same way 2 years from now or on his first day of kindergarten. It HAS to get better.
I will say this. The experience of having a child- the excitement, the happiness, the awe- has certainly been dampened because I’m a floxie. It’s harder to be happy about things when you’re in chronic pain. Everything I experience now is filtered through the lens of pain. Happy moments aren’t nearly as happy as they used to be. On the other hand, I’ve been a more involved dad than I thought I’d be. My son has given me another reason to keep fighting.
After I was floxed (I don’t remember exactly which antibiotic I was given at 14, over 20 years ago, but that’s my guess of what happened to me based on symptoms of others), I lost the excitement of the thought of having children one day, and the desire to have children never returned. I’m thankful for that though, because though I’m extremely thankful for the health I do have and that I can take care of myself, it’s still a struggle for me, and I can’t imagine caring for children. I wouldn’t be the kind of mom they would deserve to have. I have a niece and nephew who I love dearly and have a lot of fun with, but they are a constant reminder of how thankful I feel that I’m not a mom! Though I don’t have the energy to be a full time mom, I am still able to give back to my family, friends, and community, and that’s what matters to me. I will also add for others reading who may feel the same that I’m an introvert. I have a small circle of very close friends, and that’s enough for me! If I did have a strong desire for children though, I would trust that desire and have faith that God would provide the energy needed! I think the desire is strongly not there for a reason. I am VERY happy to hear that these babies are all healthy and also that being floxed hasn’t kept those from the dream of being a parent.
Lisa- I am curious as to what is safe for delivery? Is an epidural safe? What about Pitocin? What should we be requesting if we have an emergency c-section? I can’t seem to find these answers anywhere and it is really stressing me out.
Happy to hear healthy babies are born to the flox community! I have also been blessed with two children post flox. However my children deal with multiple food allergies, severe eczema and hives. I know these conditions occur in families who have never had fluoroquinolones but I can’t help but suspect Cipro played a role in passing along compromised immune function as I also developed these conditions post flox. It has also been a struggle to keep up with them As I suffer with daily aches and pains. I pray the message continues to be spread about the dangers of these drugs!!
Hi
I am very concerned about this.
If the nature of our fluoroquinolones toxicity symptoms are permanent because they are rooted in the DNA being permanently modified..
Is not DNA transfered to progeniture?
Is this nit a fact?
I have no idea if being floxed affected my kids but they both have multiple food allergies, eczema and carry epipens. I know that many kids with this have parents who weren’t floxed but I do blame myself.
Ok but what about women who have been floxxed? Men getting another woman pregnant is completely different than a woman who has already had two kids then got severely floxxed and almost died and now thinking about getting pregnant again. Our bodies have to carry the child with our seriously damaged joints and serious lack of collagen and in my case I’m still suffering with gut dysbiosis which I’ve read can be very harmful to a fetus. I don’t believe there is enough research of make a clear designation as to whether it would be “safe” to get pregnant post flox.
I am worried about mitochondria-related diseases as I read that they often only appear when the children are older,eg 15 years old. Has anyone in the flox community experiences with older (!) children whose moms were floxed?
7 years after taking cipro I got pregnancy, easily. Now I’m 6 weeks pregnant and joint pains and skin itching came back. I dont know what to do 🙁