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Consumer Reports has published several articles about the dangers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (including Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin, Floxin/ofloxacin, and a few others). Their help in getting the word out to their readers about the risks associated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics is greatly appreciated!

The picture above, from the August, 2016 print issue of Consumer Reports, states:

These potent antibiotics are often prescribed to treat bronchitis, sinus infections, and urinary tract infections. But drugs such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), and ofloxacin (Floxin) can cause irregular heartbeats, depression, nerve damage, ruptured tendons, seizures, and other serious side effects. The Food and Drug Administration issued an alert in May saying that fluoroquinolones should not be used to treat bronchitis, sinus infections, and UTIs, unless other options have not worked.

Avoid Problems. If your doctor suggests a fluoroquinolone, ask why. For sinus infections, you might need an antibiotic if your symptoms last more than a week or if you have a high fever, but the first option should be amoxicillin. For a UTI, fluoroquinolones are only necessary if the infection is resistant to other antibiotics or has spread to your kidneys. And they are necessary for chronic bronchitis only if you require hospitalization.

In Fluoroquinolones Are Too Risky for Common Infections: The FDA advises restricting use of popular antibiotics such as Cipro due to dangerous side effects, Consumer Reports notes that the FDA “is advising against prescribing fluoroquinolones, a group of antibiotics that includes drugs such as Cipro and Levaquin, to treat three common illnesses —bronchitis, sinus infections, and urinary tract infections.” The article also quotes Rachel Brummert, the Executive Director of the Quinolone Vigilance Foundation, and notes that her injuries from Levaquin include tendon ruptures and progressive nerve damage. The article also gives a guide of when to say no to fluoroquinolones. It’s an excellent article–please share it far and wide.

In Make Sure Your Doctor Prescribes the Right Antibiotic: There are safer, better options than fluoroquinolones and other frequently prescribed broad-spectrum drugs, the severe effects of fluoroquinolones are noted:

“For example, fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro and generic) and levofloxacin (Levaquin and generic)—which are frequently prescribed inappropriately for sinus infections in adults—can cause permanent and debilitating damage to muscles, tendons, and nerves.”

As the title of the article says, there are safer, better options than fluoroquinolones (in many situations).

In Surprising Remedy for Deadly Hospital Infections: New study suggests doctors cut back on antibiotics. Here’s what you need to know. it is noted that fluoroquinolone use can lead to c. diff infections:

“Research published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, shows that when doctors in U.K. hospitals cut back on prescribing Cipro, Levaquin, and other so-called fluoroquinolone antibiotics, the rate of deadly infections from the bacteria known as C. diff dropped a whopping 80 percent.”

Fluoroquinolones wipe out the good bacteria that keep c. diff bacteria suppressed. When those good bacteria are eliminated, c. diff infections can take over. C. diff infections can be deadly, and all healthcare professionals should take note of this (somewhat counterintuitive) study.

All of the articles linked to above also note that fluoroquinolone over-use is contributing to antibiotic resistance.

In Meds That Cause Blurred Vision, Hearing Loss, and More: Painkillers, antibiotics, and other common drugs can trigger surprising side effects Cipro is listed as a drug that can cause double vision.

In I Didn’t Know That Antibiotics Shouldn’t Always be Used to Treat Bronchitis, Mary H. describes how Levaquin (prescribed to treat bronchitis) led to Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which can be deadly.

All of these Consumer Reports articles are greatly appreciated, and I encourage you to read them, comment on them (where possible), and share them with your loved ones.

Consumer Reports has been a trusted source of information, and a strong advocate for consumer protection, since its founding in 1936. The articles linked-to above are from a highly respected source that is trusted by millions of people. It is a credible publication.

For a trusted and credible publication like Consumer Reports to be publishing information about the severe and varied health maladies that are associated with flouroquinolones is a huge step in the right direction. Their acknowledgement of the FDA’s updated warnings on fluoroquinolones, as well as the testimony of patients who have been hurt by fluoroquinolones, is appreciated immensely.

Thank you, Consumer Reports! Please keep it up, and hopefully other trusted news and consumer advocacy publications will follow suit.