*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.
The road to recovery.
I was first floxed in December of 2010 from a 6 day cocktail of flagyl and cipro. I had symptoms of food poisoning. I took two 500mg cipro a day and 3 flagyl a day for 6 days until I started feeling worse and having a pain in my left flank, rib area. I went to the ER and was told to stop the medication because my infection it was treating was gone. I was prescribed a 10 day course.
I Started feeling better the next day and felt fine about 4 days later.
In mid January I got a sinus infection, didn’t have any money to go to the doctor and could not afford to miss work again. I decided to take the cipro again as I had taken cipro for sinus infections before with no problem and had concluded that the pain I got in my flank previously was caused by the cocktail of cipro and flagyl together. I had 8 pills remaining, and decided to take one a day instead of two. On the 5th or 6th day I went to the ER in the middle of the night sick as I have ever been. I was having severe heart palpitations, tachycardia, high blood pressure, parastesia, racing thoughts, anxiety, diarrhea, throwing up, anorexia, suicidal thoughts, nightmares, lower back and flank pain, etc. They diagnosed me with low potassium and high calcium and despite me bringing the meds I was taking with me to the ER, they did not correlate it with the cipro. 8 visits to my doctor and 3 visits to the ER and no answers, all tests were normal except for low potassium once and high calcium once.
After about three weeks I found out about FQ toxicity. Another couple weeks of tests to rule out other possibilities (cancer, MS, ALS, lyme, diabetis, etc.)and I was convinced I was poisoned by cipro. Since then I have focused on healing.
Its now 4 and ½ months out from the second floxing and I am feeling much, much better.
I had mostly CNS symptoms the first 6 weeks (the worst was the suicidal thoughts and feeling’s of hopelessness), and then I got moderate tendonitis and other connective tissue related pains after that. The symptoms have cycled from the start. I felt good for one day the first two weeks, then 5 days the next two weeks, etc. My last cycle of symptoms was this weekend and was very mild and not debilitating, lasting only three days. It consisted of mild parastesia, some flank pain and a little anxiety and cold feeling in the mornings, loss of appetite, and slow digestion. I had been feeling very good for an entire 2 months before this, only having very mild tendonitis and pains that last only seconds. When I am feeling good I am 98% normal, and my cycles are improving significantly.
Things that may have helped me– Drinking a lot of water, Eating a lot of broccoli, carrots and eggs, salads, apple cider vinegar, Muscle Milk, Fish, Vit.C, magnesium citrate, calcium citrate, Vit.D, Fish oil, Probiotics, Epsom salt baths, meditation, low impact exercise (bicycling), sunlight, a good hobby (gardening), staying active.
Almost forgot, I stay away from the doctors, and I don’t do anything stressful to my body anymore, like CT scans, x-rays, blood tests, etc. I think those things were slowing my recovery.
I can remember many times looking back at the weeks and seriously wondering If I was getting better, I can remember thinking it was hopeless many times. It was easy to do considering I had never been sick longer than a few days at a time in my entire life. But now I know it is never hopeless.
The only constant in existence is CHANGE, nothing stays the same for long. Tomorrow will be different, something will change, it may be your mind, your body , the pain; something is going to change, and it will be different, and it will be BETTER as you learn to deal with the changes. Hang in there everyone, your going to make it threw this!
Update 3 years 7 months from second reaction.
I felt 100% healed for a full year, the period between 12 and 24 months. Two years after my reaction I suffered a severe relapse with new symptoms. The main symptom has been sensory neuropathy, at one point so bad I was wondering how much longer I could go on. The relapse was triggered by severe emotional stress caused by a divorce. It’s been a bit over a year and half since the relapse and things are doing much better now. I’m working full time, often overtime; manual labor, managing a wood shop. I lift 100lb+ pieces of wood all day, sometimes up to 10,000lbs of lifting a day. I lift weights, mountain bike, jog, jump, garden, work on cars, whatever I want. I’m not 100%, but it doesn’t hold me back at all! At one point I could barely walk up the stairs in my house and now some of my post floxy feats have included mountain biking 30 miles and running 5 miles in the snow. Don’t ever think you can not recover and have a normal life, you can!
** 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.
Thank you for youre story.
I also recovered from a 2010 floxing.zit took me approx 18 months to feel 98%.
Youre story has helped me because this year im also going through a pretty bad cycle after feeling great gor several years.
I believe mine is due to starting a workout program using weights and bands.
Ive never excersised before in my life so I think it was just to much.
You dont often read if these relapses after a few yrs so its helped me to keep focused.
Thank you and I’m so glad you are doing well.
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
I too had a severe initial reaction for the first 6 months, gradually I got better but have suffered less severe relapses for the last 4 years. One important thing that you illustrate is the powerful effect of mental stress on relapse/recovery. I find when I force myself to do things that are good for my body, instead of wallowing in self-pity, depression, doubt and fear, I feel immensely better afterwards. It’s about overcoming the mental obstacles to remain focused and actively pursuing health. May we all learn from our suffering and find hope and purpose in our future, take care and God Bless.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I too had been fine after my initial floxing (4 years to be exact). 2 months ago I started relapsing and have been getting worse since. I have not been able to find anyone else that had recovered after a long period of good health and relapse. This truly gives me hope. Thank you
me, too, i am heartened to see your story of recovery. i was left on iv cipro and flagyl for e-coli for over a week because it was during the holidays and the doctor did not come in until the following Monday. i’ve been sick for five years but and refloxed due to dental anesthesia two years ago. i have never recovered but some things do get better (chills are mostly gone, anxiety got better all of sudden last year) so there are signs that my body is able to recuperate to some extent. Avoid the doctors–and dentists! I just felt another tooth break but it’s mush for me and that’s ok.
What is the difference bewteen magnesium in chelated form and magnesium citrate?
Relapses may brought on from continued fluoride exposure from fluoridated water and dental products. Perhaps the acute fluoride exposure from fluoridated drugs predisposes you to lifelong concerns with any fluoride exposure for then on.
Jordan how r u doing now ? I also had a relapse after feeling 90 % better for 4 years.
Hi folks,
I too appear to be in the middle of a cycle / relapse. It has me worried.
I was floxed in July 2009 after a two week course of ofloxacin and a week long course of Cipro.
My main symptoms were nervous system excitation, skin irritation and tendon pain. After about 9 months of physio, it settled down. I have led a strong and active life since.
I spent much of my time hiking, long distances, heavy packs, the floxing was a distant memory. Back in June I hiked a 22 mile route over 10 mountains and 3000m of total
elevation in a single day. It was tough, but no more so than for any other fit young person.
Over the past four years or so since I’ve got into hiking I’ve been hiking for long, multi day trips with a heavy pack, running, lifting weights. I’ve been able to ramp up my
fitness when needed by walking long distances or training on the stairmaster.
Suddenly, for the past month or so, I’ve had aches in every joint in my body again. My feet, ankles, wrists, knees, elbows, shoulders – they all ache. My muscles twitch
sometimes. I’ve felt anxious, but I don’t know if that’s physiological or me naturally freaking out about the possibility of my live vanishing from under my feet.
I haven’t taken quinolones since my original 2009 incidents. The only antibiotic I’ve had recently was a two week course of amoxicillin for a chest infection which was over 2
months ago and caused no issues at the time. I’ve had numerous courses of amoxicillin since my floxing with no issue other than the occasional headache or spell of thrush.
Is it possible that my floxing has decided to return, after nearly 7 years of pain free vitality and vigour? This has me really worried, I was wondering if you could shed any
light on how I could tell if this was floxing related, or if perhaps it might be something else?
I’ve started taking probiotics, glutamine, vitamin d – just in case I have leaky gut or similar after the amoxicillin, but these things work slowly, and the symptoms have me
worried I might progressively lose my active lifestyle.
I had read somewhere once that over the course of seven years your body replaces every single cell. Then I do recall an old friend who was also floxed once telling me of a
husband and wife who both experienced a severe ADR seven years out. I’m extremely worried for myself, my wife and our future.
Ted, There is a flouroquinolone toxicity group in facebook, maybe you can join to find help
The only people who have even the remotest chance for recovery from cipro are the young; if you are not young you may as well just kiss your
ass goodbye.
Thank you for your story! I was floxed in 2016. I have been recovering and was going to post my story because I had come far enough that I thought I had hope to offer. I have lived with constant stress and tension for 9 months. The last five months of that I began experiencing a relapse. At first I thought it was impossible. Now I know it’s not. I needed the hope that I can get better again. Right now the pain depression and neuropathy is overwhelming. Thanks for hope.
Dear Brandon, I am Dan Jervis, the last one on the long list. Would you please consider sharing your story to CBS 60 Minutes? 60m@cbs.news,com
OUR STORIES NEED TO BE HEARD, Dan
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