The following was written by Barbara Arnold and published in a magazine aimed toward ex-pats living in Spain. When Barbara sent it to me she said, “If it saves one person from taking this poison, then I will be happy. I am trying to get it translated to Spanish so I can send it to the Spanish papers here.
I urge every floxie that is well enough to try and get articles published in any magazine local paper etc. It’s certainly helped me focus my anger in a positive way, and maybe eventually it will become better known about.”
I also encourage all of my floxie friends to write something like what Barbara wrote below. It is important to focus your anger in a positive way, and it is even healing. Writing, advocating, and helping others through this mess have been vital parts of my healing process. I suspect that those things can be healing for other people as well, and I encourage each of my floxie friends to write, advocate, and help others in whatever way you feel comfortable.
Thank you, Barbara, for speaking out and passionately advocating for those in medicine to think about the Hippocratic Oath when they prescribe fluoroquinolones!
FIRST DO NO HARM – Written by Barbara Arnold.
Before Doctor can practice they have to take “The Hippocratic oath”, First do no harm. Unfortunately harm is being done to hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of people across the world by Doctors prescribing antibiotics from a group called FLUOROQUINOLONES.
For me, it all started nearly 2 years ago when I went to the Doctor with bronchitis. I had no idea then that my life was about to change, in the most awful drastic way possible and that for the next two years to date I would still be suffering from the debilitating side effects from ciprofloxacin an antibiotic from the group called FLUOROQUINOLONES. At the same time I was given cortisone injections the result of which was like a bomb going off in my body. It started with searing pain in my Achilles tendons, at the time I stupidly believed that it was caused by changing my high heeled shoes to low heels and then walking to far. I had no idea that my body was being POISONED by a treatment for a simple thing like Bronchitis. I had great difficulty walking but I believed it would soon get better. HOW WRONG I WAS.
I had mentioned to the nurse who was administrating the cortisone injection that I was having trouble walking, and did he think it was anything to do with the injections. He told me it couldn’t be as cortisone is an anti-inflammatory. At this point I did not connect the dots. I later found out these drugs are contra indicated to anyone over 60yrs and even worse especially alongside cortisone injections. Fluoroquinolones leach magnesium from the cells and as you get older you have less magnesium to begin with. The pain got worse to the point I ruptured a tendon causing a bruise the size of “England” on the inside of my right leg and I could barely walk a few yards. At the same time I started to get Chronoc Fatigue to the point where I could hardly keep my eyes open. I had dizziness and balance problems.
For the next three months and many visits to my Doctor, I eventually saw a Rheumatologist who diagnosed my condition as “side effects of ciprofloxacin”.
From that point onwards I started to do my own research on Fluoroquinolones. The results were MIND BLOWING I found out that these antibiotics were being used for simple bladder infections, bronchitis and sinus infections. This was the equivalent of using a sledge hammer to kill a fly. There are many other safer antibiotics that could be used without the devastating side effects that can be caused by Fluoroqinolones. I was told I was a RARE CASE and that my Doctor had never heard of this before. Unfortunately this is totally untrue, as the symptoms of fluoroquine poisoning are vast and in some people the reaction does not occur until months later. Therefore a lot of misdiagnosis is going on. Here are some of the symptoms that can occur but are not limited to, weeks or even months later.
MUSCULOSKELETAL DAMAGE WITH DEGENERATION OF CARTILAGE AND TENDONS. DAMAGE TO THE MITOCHONDRIA (the power cells that give us energy} DETATCHED RETINAS, NEURO PROBLEMS, ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACKS. PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IE, BURNING, DAMAGED NERVES,, PAIN, OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN MAMMALIAN CELLS, CELL DEATH, INSOMNIA, DIFFICULTY BREATHING, PALPITATIONS, SKIN RASH, VOMITING, HIVES LOSS OF MUSCLE STRENGTH, BRAIN FOG. These are just a few of fluoroquinolone poisoning symptoms. There are many many more.
As things got worse I had to result to using a wheelchair as it was extremely painful to walk. As well as the pain, my legs felt like I was dragging along lead weights. During the months that followed I had various blood tests which showed NOTHING apart from high ferritin levels. I was referred to another Rheumatologist who treated me more or less with contempt as no test she did showed anything wrong. I had learned that there was a BLACK BOX WARNING in America about this group of antibiotics and when I told her about this, that the Black Box Warning is the highest warning you can get in America, she scoffed at me and declared “This is Spain not America.” This kind of arrogance and ignorance is allowing others to suffer in the most devastating ways. Subsequently, some 18 months later, the Food and Drug Administration has just issued an advisory to ALL DOCTORS IN THE UNITED STATES, to cease using these dangerous drugs to all patients unless it is a life or death situation.
I have spent thousands of pounds in natural supplements trying to cure myself as Doctors do not have any answers. However there are some Doctors willing to listen now as they or some-one in their family have been effected. by this group of chemotherapy drugs. YES they are chemo drugs because they destroy good cells as well as bad. They do damage down to the very DNA and in some people they leave permanent nerve damage. I am presently seeing an integrative Doctor who is also a Medical Doctor. He is in Marbella and I have to travel 5 hours to see him. I have no choice if I want to recover. The medical health care system here poisoned me and now I have to heal myself with all the costs that, that incurs.
I fully understand that Doctors do the best they can and cannot be expected to know the side effects of every drug they prescribe, but this group of drugs are completely different as they are one of the most dangerous drugs on the market, It was the responsibility of the health representatives to inform Doctors of this. They were negligent in their duty of care and because of that I, and many other’s have been sentenced to years of suffering. This has been known about since the 1970’s. The attitude of the pharmaceutical companies beggars belief. It is only now with the event of the world-wide web that this is becoming common knowledge If you think you have been effected by any of these drugs go to www.floxiehope.com. There is a mine of information there from fellow sufferers and Doctors who are now beginning to take notice. I urge every-one that reads this to be very very careful that you are not prescribed any antibiotic from this group namely ….CIPROFLOXACIN, LEVAQUIN/LEVOFLOXACIN, AVELOX/MOXIFLOXACIN OR FLOXIN/OFLOXACIN.
To conclude, not everyone that takes these drugs suffers the side effects initially but eventually maybe years later this has been known to happen. There are likely genetic factors that make some people more susceptible to suffer adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones than others. Human bodies are complex and how a drug reacts in a human body is difficult to predict. I just wish Doctors took their “Hippocratic Oath” more seriously and FIRST DO NO HARM.
Thanks. Well done. It has been reported that some naturopaths are not aware that floxed bodies need careful and low doses of anything. High doses of anything natural can be dangerous.
Hi Barbara, you ROCK! Thank you for taking time to write this and with such attention to detail. Most of all, time has healed me and, eventually, I was able to begin walking for exercise and got back to my normal activities. Actually, I wasn’t exercising much before Levaquin, so I guess it was the catalyst for me now living my healthiest life ever.
I am so glad you are taking the time to educate people in Spain. We still have a lot of work to do here in the US as far as doctors being aware and taking responsibility for what they prescribe. The more we talk and share, the fewer people who will have to suffer what so many of us have.
I appreciate you!!!
Interestingly, I have written a book—whether it will ever be published or not is questionable—entitled “Floxed: First do No Harm”. I am glad (and shocked) your rheumatolgoist said it was from the Cipro. Out of a dozen doctors I saw, most said “couldn’t be the Cipro” and one said it was related to only ONE of my thirty or so side effects.Hope you get it translated. The damage from these toxins needs to be known around the world, and those who were aware and continued to market for financial greed need to be brought to justice.
Well done Barbara. I’ve got a very similar story to you and live in the UK. I’ve yet to meet a doctor who had admitted that ciprofloxacin did this to me. I’ve tried contacting media people, the MHRA but nothing. The only response I’ve had so far was from a local pharmacist who replied to my email.
Thank you, Barbara, for your important article on fluoroquinolones. I am 74 and still suffering from the severe side effects of the ciprofloxacin prescribed to me by a physician assistant on March 13, 2015. I had no infection at all; the culture came back negative a few days later on March 17, 2015. Pure negligence. Those five 500mg pills of the ten prescribed to me have taken me from being an advanced dancer with an active lifestyle to becoming virtually housebound, on some days, bedbound. Whenever I have the occasion to interact with anyone – anywhere, I briefly tell them my story. I stress to them that under no circumstances are they to accept fluoroquinolones – it will destroy their lives. It is unimportant to mention the exception – being close to death is it. So if some good has come of this, it is that I am saving lives from the tortuous existence caused by fluoroquinolones; that is my new mission in life.
Hi Guys,
Thankyou all for your kind words……., Tammyrenzi ……I got a huge lump in my throat when you said …”I Rock”
It’s very difficult to make people listen and understand all about fluroquinolones, and can be very frustrating at times, because “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it ”
The thing is, if people know of the danger’s they can make an informed choice. If they then decide to take the chance, it’s up to them, unlike we floxies who had no choice.
As far as trying to get it “out there” this to can be frustrating, but don’t give up no matter how hard it is, because “someone somwhere” will eventually publish, there are lots of “womens” magazines who do human interest stories who may be interested. I have just been told “First Do No Harm” will be printed in a local Costa’s paper, but she want’s to write it in the 3rd person as a human interest story and although I think it’s more important in THE PUBLIC INTEREST who cares if it get’s out there
Martin…..I have sent my story to “Despatches” on Channel 4 British TV a week ago, no answer as yet, not surprised about that. However I am resending it again this week, perhaps you might consider doing the same thing. I generally attatch the latest FDA’s warning to all my correspondence for an extra kick. We have a saying here in Spain “poco poco” little by little. Nothing worth while is ever easy but just keep going.
Just to let you all know I am 73years young (don’t ‘look it) ha ha and this September it will be two years since I was floxed. I am at a stage now where my life is manageable. I still get peripheral neuropathy but a lot less. My energy levels are improving all the time. I have just sent for some “LIPID REPLACEMENT THERAPY” NT The research on it looks hopeful as it helps repair the mitochondria. I was taking about 14 or 15 suppliments, most of which were from the protocol in Kerri Knox’s book, but as nothing was moving forward much, I decided to only take suppliments that support and help heal the mitochondria. LISOMAL GLUTATHIONE with NAC as a precurser is another supp I take.
I have to say although I have had many setbacks, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Now my message to you all is ….if at 74years I can improve to a point where life is quite good so can you.
One word of WARNING though. I had a NERVE CONDUCTION TEST a couple of months ago and it caused a MASSIVE flare up of peripheral neuropathy. So be careful guys.
My love and best hopes for your healing,
Big Hugs,
Barbara
I felt like I was reading about what I went through when I read this posting. I almost want to use it as it is spot on. Only a few added symptoms would be added. I feel like kicking the door of the medicine profession down altogether. God Bless and help us all. Thanks to all that apply to the cause.
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