Keep Banging that Drum

I wrote a post last night that I was frustrated with upon completion. It’s not that it isn’t good. It is good, and it will be published – probably next week – on Hormones Matter. It’s that I was saying a lot of the same stuff that I’ve said before – Fluoroquinolones are dangerous drugs that damage mitochondria, lead to massive amounts of oxidative stress and contribute to all sorts of multi-symptom, chronic, mysterious diseases. I’ve said it before. I’ve said it in multiple ways. I’ve been as loud and as clear as I can be.

I was annoyed with myself because I don’t particularly want to be repetitive.

I wonder though, other than annoying myself, is repetition really a problem? For most people, it takes multiple times of hearing a message for it to sink in.

The first time they hear about the dangers of fluoroquinolones they resist the message. They think something along the lines of, “What are you talking about???? Antibiotics don’t do that. There’s no way cipro, levaquin or avelox hurts people like that. You must be mistaken.”

The second time they hear about the dangers of fluoroquinolones they start to make sense of what you are telling them. They think something along the lines of, “I’ve heard about how destruction of the microbiome wreaks havoc on many areas of human health – does that have anything to do with this?”

The third time they hear it, they may start to make a connection between what you say and something that they’ve seen or heard. They may think or say something like, “My friend’s son had something similar happen to him, I wonder if he’s taken one of those drugs.”

The fourth time they hear it, they start to understand. They may think or say something like, “Mitochondria are the energy centers of cells. OF COURSE when you damage mitochondria with fluoroquinolones the result is a shut-down of multiple bodily systems and chronic disease. And did you know that mitochondria are ancient descendents of bacteria? The damage done to human mitochondria is the same as the damage done to bacteria – it totally makes sense!”

The fifth time they hear it, they think that fluoroquinolone toxicity is common knowledge and common sense. They say things like, “Everyone knows that ciprofloxacin is a dangerous drug that should only be used in life or death situations.” Or, “Mito-toxic drugs are leading to all sorts of chronic illnesses – I wouldn’t touch a fluoroquinolone with a ten-foot pole.”

At that point, you can consider them to be won over.

Changing minds. Informing people. Changing the world. Those things are what all this screaming is about. I don’t spend 40+ hours per week researching and writing about the dangers of fluoroquinolones because I don’t have anything else going on in my life (I do have a job, a few hobbies and friends). I spend time and energy working on this BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT! People are being needlessly hurt by these drugs that have been shown, over and over again, to be damaging to human cells. It’s something that is worth screaming about. So I’ll scream, over and over again, until people hear me.

To change the world, perhaps a bit of repetition is needed. Annoying myself is a necessary sacrifice. I’m pretty sure I can do that.

Help in spreading the word about how dangerous fluoroquinolones – cipro/ciprofloxacin, levaquin/levofloxacin, avelox/moxifloxacin, floxin/ofloxacin – are, is greatly appreciated! I know that it feels like your friends and family members think that you’re a kook when they’re in the phase of disbelief and resistance. But if you keep letting them know about how dangerous fluoroquinolones are, and how cipro, levaquin and/or avelox hurt you, eventually they’ll come around. Eventually they’ll believe you. Because you’re telling the truth. You have plenty of scientific studies on your side.

Keep screaming. I’ll keep writing. Eventually, we will get this changed.

“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”—Margaret Mead