Did Fluoroquinolones Cause Major Fatigue?

If you can relate to that title, you are in the right place. My journey of struggling with chronic fatigue started on day one after my prescription of Cipro and lasted for many years until I put the pieces of the mitochondrial puzzle together. For me, my day started with energy but the brain fog, lack of clarity, and severe fatigue kept me stuck. So I dove deeper into mitochondrial function and the epigenetic factors powering some of my body’s decisions.

If you are suffering from daily fatigue and lack of energy I want to let you know about a specific gene SNP (Single-nucleotide polymorphism) that you may have blocked and opening up this pathway will flood your cells with the energy they need to thrive. Did you know there’s a gene that actually limits your ability to make cellular energy? Trust me this isn’t your fault however if you do nothing about it then maybe we can point the finger. But do not fret about it because in the next few minutes you will learn how to test, discover and resolve that issue.

Genetic Clogged Pipes

So a quick review of some key terms I am going to use here so skim over it so you know what these terms mean

SNP (Single nucleotide polymorphisms), frequently called SNPs (pronounced “snips”), are the most common type of genetic variation among people. Each SNP represents a difference in a single DNA building block, called a nucleotide. So imagine your DNA code replaced with a variant at one place limiting its ability to perform its function

Epigenetic: Epigenetics is the study of how the environment and other factors can change the way that genes are expressed.

Your genetic code is exclusively yours and yes you inherit some from mom and dad but you have your own unique code too. The problem is when you get Epigenetic changes to your code and it happens, like a-lot. So where do these changes come from you ask? Well the toxic environment or the food you eat. Moreover that same toxic world we live in we’ve created toxic drugs called Fluoroquinolones. Those antibiotics, and many other drugs, have the affinity to turn on and off particular genes. See a great article on the topic here by Floxie Hope founder Lisa.

There are ways to turn important key genes back on after taking these drugs. With time using key nutrients you can turn back time, unclog those genetic pathways and get your energy back. Let’s look at one genetic pathway that many floxies have clogged and see how we can unclog the pipes so to speak. Check out the recommendations page for a book on genetics and how to fix SNPs. If you want to see more about the effects of FQs on DNA check out our other article here.

G6PD Enzyme

Have you ever heard of any floxie talking about NAD and how it helps energy? To sum up cellular (mitochondrial) energy production we need NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) let’s think of this as the spark and that helps to produce ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) this is the gas so to speak. The mitochondria need NAD however if you have a clogged G6PD enzyme then your ability to make NAD as and end product of its enzymatic function well then you are getting more and more fatigue, shortness of breath, anemia and oxidative stress(1).

The G6PD enzyme (2) G6PD codes for the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which helps protect the cell from oxidative damage. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is an enzyme which supplies energy to cells and is encoded for by the G6PD gene. G6PD forms part of the pentose phosphate pathway, which is ultimately responsible for maintaining levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). Do not worry about the NADPH part as that through other chemical reactions in the body get turned into NAD. But first I want to let you know how to test to see if you have an issue with the SNP and the steps studies are showing on how to fix it.

Testing My Gene’s Have Never Been Easier

Nowadays, you can get almost any test online. To find out your genetics check our recommendations page for a few genetic tests or use a test like 23 & Me. From there once your test results come in you will need to export your raw dna data from the test company. You should be able to contact them to learn how to do this. Then upload your data into a program like genetic genie, stratagene or my favorite MTHFRsupport.com (owned by a floxie) and get your results. You can also get a blood test (see below) of the G6PD pathway but I do not think it is a valuable tool compared to genetic markers.

Now, look at your results and find the G6PD results or look for its code rs1050828. Once there you are going to look for the variant. Most companies label them as yellow (meaning one pathway variant) or red (a double whammy). Once you know your results that will give you a clear answer that this genetic pathway is clogged and your body is not making NAD (the spark) leaving your cells deficient. If you have any blockage here you may want to work with a practitioner to help facilitate ways to open this pathway back up. My other site Healthopsy also has some more in-depth videos on genes and how to fix them too.

Could There Be A Quick Fix?

Of course there is and I am going to tell you how to open up that gene based on peer reviewed studies and science. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is responsible for the first step in the pentose phosphate pathway, a series of chemical reactions that convert glucose (a type of sugar found in most carbohydrates) to another sugar, ribose-5-phosphate. Ribose-5-phosphate is an important component of nucleotides, which are the building blocks of DNA and its chemical cousin RNA (3). So this enzyme needs to convert sugar to NAD, then to cellular energy in simple terms.

So if you have a genetic variant limiting your conversion from glucose to energy studies are showing in clinical trials that using a supplement called D-Ribose will alleviate symptoms. D-Ribose is a 5 carbon sugar and its 5-phosphate ester is typically produced from glucose by the pentose phosphate pathway. In at least some archaea, alternative pathways have been identified (4). Since I had two variants in the G6PD I started to take supplemental D-Ribose per my doctors recommendation to start to open up this pathway. After a few weeks I had noticeable increases in energy and clarity. Of course I have no idea if my prescription of Cipro caused this issue for me but I suspect it did. You can also find a study on the effects of antibiotics and the G6PD enzyme here.

Closing thoughts

I enjoy finding out more about my health and how to fix it. However no one should have to deal with debilitating fatigue and if you can just test and fix these issues then why not? Over the years I have discovered a lot about my health but more importantly the effects of the drug on my genetics, body and mind. I hope this information has helped you and as always I feel you should find a doctor who understands this issue and can be apart of your healing. I know there are great doctors out there and Ive had the pleasure of speaking with them. Keep moving towards your healing journey.