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John
9 years ago
I was floxed 3 1/2 hrs ago and a huge change in my lifestyle is my sensitivity to the sun, as far as skin is concerned. I CANNOT go outside without sunscreen. My skin took on a pinkish yellowish look. I’m fair skinned but was always out in the sun and didn’t tan easily. Now, if I’m out even 10minutes I get sun burned.. It sucks, I’ve had to alter my way of life, my care free attitude about being outside and what I wear. With that said life has gone on. In the last 3 years I’ve been able to travel with my family, I live in so cal and often take my kids to the beach early in the day in the summer time. I swim with my kids in the evenings and and I do my own yard work late in the evenings. I still go out in the sun but with EXTREME caution and at certain times of the day. I use long sleeve shirts when I know I’ll be out during the day. Part of recovery and healing, I’ve found, is adapting. I know it’s tough. It’s weird, but I accept I’m altered. As long As I am able to, I will enjoy life with my family and thank god they are ok. It’s strange how this toxicity linger on years later even. With time, my sensitivity has gotten progressively worse.
Jen
9 years ago
Has anyone tried colostrum supplements? Any insight/feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!
John
9 years ago
Hi all,
I was curious if anyone has heard from or about the “cipro is poison” guy. His site was one of the 1st i came across when i was floxed. He mentioned he was floxed in 09, 6 yrs ago, and was wondering if hes made any sort of recovery or progress. Im curious about floxed victims over the 5 yr mark if theyve made recovery and have healed so much that they are back to functioning close to normal? Its brutal how this stuff messes with your cells long after its out of your system. Ive had drs tell me that, yes fq’s can cause all my symptoms, but ususally during or shortly after taking the fq, as opposed to years later. The floxiehope community has helped me in many more ways than the drs ive seen during my ordeal.
mike
9 years ago
John,
My story is A LOT like yours. I too was floxed Dec 2011 with Cipro. I had a few symptoms but nothing too severe. In 2012 I was doing my normal activities like hiking Estes Park with a 40 pound pack on and playing hockey 3 times a week no problems. In 2013 all hell broke loose with my joints, eyes, skin, ringing in the ears etc and in 2014 it progressively got worse. It has pretty much leveled off now it seems. The brain fog for me is horrific though. That seems to have gotten worse and hasn’t improved.
It seems like we are in the same boat here. You mentioned:
“knees, shoulders, hands, hips, and even my toes hurt.”
I have the same problems…. even my left toe pops and hurts along with my thumbs.
No more Estes park… no more doing a lot of things I used to. I think I am going to try glutathione and vit C IV’s and possibly PRP or prolotherapy for my joints.
Hope you improve……
Jason
9 years ago
Mike and John, thank you sharing, and sorry to hear you guys are still suffering so many years later. As I sit here suffering my own little minor “relapse”, I do find these stories highly discouraging, but appreciate the details and truth about just what is possible being shared.
I do find both your stories a little surprising in the way that both of you were quite active mid way through your journeys, like running 3 times a week or playing hockey and hiking for what I interpret quite a long time with very little ill effects, no relapse etc, and then only ‘much’ later you both seem to have had a relapse of sorts (although John mentions never really being symptom-free).
Other than trying to detox the junk out and the important supplements for that and many other things needed to help our damaged bodies try to recover, I would just like to stress about acidity and inflammation, both very negative affects caused by this drug that in turn, cause their own very negative effects. I have made some comments about this on this page and the last one or two, as both of these can cause pain like you are both describing (or at the very least make it worse), brain fog, joint issues, tendonitis, sore muscles, and much more. So what I am finding helps me A LOT is alkalizing with things; through diet, Baking Soda, lemon chlorophyll water, Apple Cider Vinegar, lots of minerals, Magnesium baths. I do all these things to try and cut out acidity which itself can cause inflammation or cause it to get worse. Then there are a few other things you can do directly to reduce inflammation as well, the biggest one helping me (and only reason I can play any sports at all right now, otherwise joints would be falling apart and tendons a mess etc, Mike my thumbs feel like they will fall off at times) is avoiding heat/hot water and doing cold water/ice treatments which really shut it off. Shutting off inflammation helps keep joints free from pain, helps them not to crack all the time, deteriorate, etc and same goes for muscles and tendons (less the cracking). I hope you guys try some of these things and find they help, they definitely help me.
mike
9 years ago
Daniela,
I saw a rheumatologist who said he’s seen about 12 patients that have been floxed. He said that the joints become dry. He recommended Vitamin C, flaxseed oil and glucosamine. He said these MIGHT help….. that some people can rehydrate that way.
Linda Livingston
9 years ago
wow Mike—you hit the jackpot with rheumatologists! I saw two—one was aware of cipro side effects but had no idea how to treat, and the other basically said I was crazy and cipro can’t do all that (and asked if I had contacted the manufacturer!)
Ray Miller
9 years ago
Hi Lisa and the Floxiehope Community. Thank you for your excellent website.
I’m Ray and I’m from London, UK (sorry about the rhyming couplet).
I’m a relatively fit and healthy 59 years old, but now vigilant for the onset of FQ ADRs
because of early, mild signs I’ve felt so far. Here is my story, as concise as possible…
I embarked on a prostate cancer investigation in early January this year, had two biopsies
and was given the all-clear :-). After the second biopsy I had to be catheterised because the
prostate swells and this is standard practise against urine retention. Three weeks later
the catheter was removed and I could urinate OK. The following day, when I had my biopsy
results(!), a catheter-related UTI started and I was prescribed 7 days of cipro 2 x 500mg in the
ER (A&E over here). This UTI was very scary as it caused epididymo-orchitis and the swelling
was alarming. My course of cipro was subsequently extended to three weeks in A&E, because
of the severity of the swelling and I had no idea about the sinister nature of ciprofloxacin and
its FQ cousins. I trusted the medics and was relaxed about the cipro because I knew it was
commonly used and so had no suspicions about it. I’m allergic to penicillin, so I didn’t think
I had any choice anyway. Then…..I started reading up online whilst taking them…..
More later as I have to stop now.
Best wishes,
Ray
Ray Miller
9 years ago
Hi Linda, thanks very much for your early reply 🙂
I deliberately kept my first posting concise because there is actually a tapestry of events that
unfolded from the beginning that would’ve led me to brain dump way too much information
otherwise. The bitter irony is of course that I was let off the cancer hook only to be probably
left dangling on the cipro hook. Some of what I’ve been feeling could be related to prolonged
and intense stress but, if so, I think it’s that the stress has amplified the cipro effects but not
mimicked them. Before I describe the symptoms so far, I wanted to say I very much appreciate
your advice about early detoxing, but I feel nervous about the idea of IV drips from a naturopath.
I don’t know if that’s available in the UK anyway and I’m concerned about infection control if done
outside the hospital environment. I’m brand new to this situation and I’m trying to adjust and gauge
where I might be going with this. I’m frightened. I had a new life in development and the cipro might
jeopardise it.
Most of my symptoms began the day I took my last cipro tablet, but there was one episode
five days into the course. I had a couple of sandwiches and a decaff instant coffee in a supermarket
prior to shopping. I’d had a pressure headache from the lower back of the head, which I blamed
on hunger, and I had decaff because of the cipro. I then started to navigate the store and everything
was “swimming”. I had a distorted sense of movement about people in the store and I felt like everyone
was jumping out of aisles with their trolleys and they were getting in my way. I was able to shop and
drive home, but it freaked me out. The feeling resolved once I’d been home for a while. I put it down
to impaired metabolism of the tannins and theophylline in the coffee because of the cipro. I was already
mildly sensitive to tannins from tea and coffee, especially without food.
It’s now the tenth day since my final tablet and the symptoms began back then.
I had enlarged, over-toned lower legs. They weren’t swollen as such: the muscles appeared overdeveloped
and too firm. I am a club-level cyclist with well-developed legs, but this was something else, especially as I
hadn’t able to ride regularly during the five-month-long prostate saga. They returned to normal the next day
or the day after. I’ve had mild leg tendon tightness and occasional mild aches. I’ve been able to walk a
long way, as usual, but did so with caution. I have feelings of light headedness and pressure from the back
of the head. I play electric guitar to a fairly advanced level and I’ve felt clumsy and trembly doing this.
I play in a gigging band, so I dread the cipro screwing that up!
I’ve had sporadic nerve “pin-pricks” in my legs and arms and skin-level numbness in my feet.
I already had mild neuropathy, however, from wear and tear in the lower back, but this seems a bit different.
I’ve lost some weight after the last few days too, from 80kg to 77.7kg. This is more likely from the extra
worry about the cipro than the cipro itself.
Now, here’s the OTHER side of the symptom story, which probably has contributed significantly because of
stress. I’ve had a persistent viral cough since March, when I had a bad cold. It has worn me down to some
extent. I think I acquired a secondary viral chest infection three days ago and I’ve been toughing it out by
staying indoors. I’m seeing my GP (“primary care physician” 😉 ) tomorrow to ask for a chest X-ray and throat
exam. I freely admit I am one of life’s great worriers (not warriors) and I have been under horrendous stress
from the prostate episode. It wasn’t just the investigation itself, but the problems I had in getting our healthcare
system (NHS) to do the right thing by me, to avoid unnecessary problems. The worst of this was having the
catheter and managing it safely with the “help” of the System. The icing on the cake was the, ahem, swelling
when I was at the finish line. You couldn’t make it up!
In closing for now, I’m staying vigilant and being careful with myself. It may just be worry to some extent.
I am studying the advice on Floxiehope and elsewhere, and my first baby remedial steps are a
calcium/magnesium supplement and probiotics. I already eat a healthy conventional diet with lots of
fruit and veg, no alcohol, no smoking.
Sorry about the brain dump I tried to avoid!
Ray
Ray Miller
9 years ago
Sorry about the erratic line spacing above. I copied and pasted my posting from MS Notepad, but I made some of the text lines too long.
Peter
9 years ago
I hope everyone is doing well or better. Stopping in to read some comments as my two-year anniversary of taking the medicine is only five days away. I am far from feeling better and continue to notice additional signs of rapid aging, like the number of white hairs increasing quickly and sudden and strong crow’s feet near my eyes that have never been there before.
Such is life I suppose. If anyone is finding something working, let me know, else I’ll skim the posts for some hope. I really can’t agree with time healing this process. I think it’s destroying me a little more each day.
Karla
9 years ago
Hello Everyone,
Two months post floxed. I just got over a cough which I think was bronchitis but never confirmed it with any doctor. I went to urgent care over the weekend thinking that I had fliuid in my left ear since it feels like that. The doctor said that there was no fluid and that my ears looked really clean, very little to no wax. I assume the culprit is Cipro. Just when I was dealing with the dryness of my eyes. Now I have pressure, popping and a full sensation in my left ear. Anyone experienced this? The doctor said that if it doesn’t improve, I can be referred to an ENT.
Thanks 🙂
Matt Yeates
9 years ago
On April 6, 2015 I was admitted to the hospital for treatment and surgery for diverticulitis. I am 46 years old and am healthy and fit and exercise 5 to 6 days a week. I am extremely active and own and operate two busy restaurants. After being diagnosed with a perforation due to diverticulitis, I was on IV Cipro for 6 days and oral Cipro for 4 days. The day after I finished the Cipro prescription, my family noticed that I was acting very strangely and took me to the ER where I was diagnosed with “transient global amnesia”. The ER doctors told me it was not related to my surgery and generally these types of events occur due to a traumatic event. I was not particularly traumatized by my surgery since I’ve had many surgeries in the past for knee repairs, shoulder surgery, etc. but I figured that I obviously had experienced some underlying trauma due to the surgery. The amnesia did recede within 12 hours, but I was left in what I can only describe as a dream-like state. My wife and family began to notice a dramatic change in my personality. I became disconnected, narcissistic, combative and dissociative – all behaviors that are not typical for me. Over the next few weeks things continued to deteriorate with periods of both mania and severe depression. After dragging me back to the surgeon, primary care physician and a neurologist (and a full series of tests that came back normal), my wife was forced to take me to a psychiatric hospital where I admitted myself for treatment. I experienced severe psychosis and was in the hospital for two full weeks being treated with Haldol and Ativan. I made some improvement after the first 5 days, but as soon as the Haldol was reduced, the psychosis returned. My wife spent countless hours researching what might have caused the psychosis because I had no previous history of anxiety, depression or mental illness. There was speculation by the hospital psychiatrist that it was related to the anesthesia used during the surgery. This didn’t fit though because cases of psychosis after surgery all presented just after the surgery and this was 8 days post surgery. My wife finally made a connection between the amnesia and a terrible red rash all over my back on the same day that I went to the ER for the amnesia and it clicked for her that it was probably a response to a medication. The only medication I had taken was the Cipro. Once the words “cipro” and “psychosis” were entered into a google search together, the answer was clear.
After two weeks in the psychiatric unit, I was stable enough to return home, although I returned home a changed man. My hands were constantly clenched, I shuffled like an old man and I could barely speak because of uncontrollable contractions of my tongue and over-production of saliva that made me drool constantly. While I was still in the psychiatric unit my wife had been searching for a doctor who knew anything about toxic psychosis induced by Cipro and found that the surgeon, primary care physician nor the psychiatrists were aware of such a possible side effect and so had no idea how to treat the condition. Although other case studies indicated that Haldol was NOT a good treatment option for toxic psychosis due to Cipro poisoning, that is what was given to me because it is the standard protocol for severe psychosis. My wife found a psychiatrist who was willing to listen to my story and who wanted to work with me to find a better solution without side effects like Haldol. We met with this psychiatrist within 48 hours after my discharge and he prescribed me with 40 mg of Latuda to replace the Haldol and then a beta blocker (Propranolol 20 mg) to help with side effects of Latuda (feeling antsy). Within 24 hours, my condition was 50% improved. Within 48 hours, I was at about 95%. After one week of 40 mg of Latuda, the psychiatrist reduced my dosage to 20 mg. I have now been taking just 20 mg of Latuda daily and am doing very well. I finally feel clear and do not have other side effects. I will be working with my psychiatrist to continue to reduce my Latuda to see if I can eventually taper off completely.
Although I feel very fortunate that medication has been effective to help combat toxic psychosis for me, I want to tell my story so that others who experience these side effects know that they are not alone and that there is treatment that can help.
Psychiatrist Dr Peter Breggin has actually been inside the Drug companies, he has seen the withheld information on these drugs, & knows what he is talking about. My experience happens to SO many people, Former drug rep Gwen Olsens experience of the psychotropic drugs is also very similar to mine . Please take to the time to watch these videos & please share these videos far & wide It is SO important that people become aware of this situation. I cannot state this fact strongly enough.
Thanks Lisa! I’m hopeful with time that it will get better 🙂
Mike L.
9 years ago
I’m a 38 year-old male in reasonably good shape. I was “floxed” last December after taking Cipro for ~10 days. About 2 days after I stopped taking it I developed debilitating cramps in my legs to the point where I couldn’t walk very well at all. As with many other folks, my doctors could not have been less helpful and even advised taking NSAIDs. Fortunately I was able to find this article which helped explain what might be going on: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934148210011950
This began to resolve itself in early January (~4 weeks later) which was a huge relief, I could not exercise 100% for a few more weeks but by mid February I was back “in the game” so to speak. That being said as the cramping subsided I began noticing peripheral neuropathy causing random numbness, pains, and “crawling” sensations. This got worse for about a month or two. At this point I was looking for all the articles I could find for someone to explain what was happening to me and more importantly, what I could do about it. Here was what I did:
1.) Began eating according to the Wahl’s protocol – can’t say this helped with the issue at hand but I dropped 15 pounds and the chronic migraines I had been living with for over 10 years dissappeared (I have only had two in 6 months and was able to pinpoint the trigger).
2.) Began supplementing with an Omega Complex, Mulit, and Magnesium. Ionic Magnesium seemed to calm things down a bit, but did not get them to go away.
3.) Continued to exercise, this was challenging as hard exercise felt great at the time but always lead to worse symptoms the next day.
4.) I had finally read enough to hypothesize that my issues might be mitochondrial so I began looking into what could help on that front. There were a few articles supporting each other out there but here are two worth sharing:
• http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2010/2/Reverse-Mitochondrial-Damage/Page-03
• http://www.smart-publications.com/articles/restore-mitochondrial-function-with-acetyl-l-carnitine-ALC-and-lipoic-
5.) Finally met with a neurologist and discussed my theory. He knew nothing about FTS but recommended CoQ10 if it was a mitochondrial issue which he said was consistent with my symptoms. I was already taking this but in a lower dose.
Given all that I recently started supplementing with Ubiquinol(CoQ10), ALC, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. I had bought choline but stopped that one as it seemed to make thigns worse (I am going to re-add it in next week to test that out). I am continuing with the omega complex and the multi. This seemed to help considerably, albeit this could just be time doing it’s thing.
Six months out I still have symptoms but feel a lot better. Things get worse if I get sleep deprived or take on a lot of caffeine (one usually leads to the other) but I am not terrified that I have MS or something worse (ALS). If you’re on here because you just got “floxed” try to take it in stride and take some comfort in the fact that most folks do recover, it just takes a long time. The worst part about the whole ordeal was the thought that I was permanently damaged or had triggered a progressive downward spiral. This lead to a lot of extra stress, which also worsens my symptoms.
Well Hello everyone. It has been a little while since I posted on here. My Floxing has had its ups and downs. I can walk now with the aid of a cane. I still use my walker occasionally.
I had a bad bout and was sent to the hospital. Was diagnosed with Crohn’s. It really almost did me in. I got through the 11 days in the HP and looked like I was getting better.
My GI doc wants me to take Imuran. Which makes me throw up everytime. next thing is Humara. Which I won’t do. So after a few relapses and diet changes I think I hit a brick wall, has anyone else who was floxed developed Crohn’s?
Mike
Jason
9 years ago
Hi all. I’ve suggested these two products before, but now Mercola has combined them both into one supplement and just posted a good article on it so I thought I would re-share some info on it which is particularly important for newly Floxed people.
“Spirulina – In My Opinion, Nature’s Nearly ‘Perfect’ Whole Food, Green from chlorophyll… blue from phycocyanin… and orange from carotenoids… all collecting and passing along the sun’s energy and supporting your healthy, normal growth”
Much has been written about Spirulina, among its many benefits is its strong ability to help the body detox unwanted toxins by “soaking them up”. As he says, you need to be very careful about the source and where you buy it, because it is so “absorbent” it can already come laden with toxins if you are not careful and buying it from a good source.
—-
Astaxanthin – Mercola is a huge advocate of this Antioxidant and for good reason, take a look at how it compares to other antioxidants:
“Truly the “King” of the carotenoids, astaxanthin’s ability to scavenge free radicals in your body* is up to…
550 times more powerful than vitamin E
65 times more powerful than vitamin C
54 times more powerful than beta-carotene
5 times more powerful than lutein”
Why is this important for a Floxie, especially a newly floxed one? Because the Fluoroquinolone drugs are HIGHLY toxic and all these toxins are roaming around doing all kinds of damage in the body including to the very important DNA among other things. As you can see here, Astaxanthin can really help prevent some of this damage.
“The combination of spirulina and astaxanthin as a “brain and body superfood” may help provide…
Brain health support*
Oxidative stress support*
Eye health support*
Cardiovascular support*
Immune function support*
Support for a healthy immune response*
Seasonal comfort support*
Detoxification support*”
—
I believe this is a new product for Mercola, and a very very good one from what I can see. I used both of these products separately and believe both helped me greatly, so having them both combined into one to me makes it a super powerful supplement and one of the most important out there to a Floxie.
I was floxed 3 1/2 hrs ago and a huge change in my lifestyle is my sensitivity to the sun, as far as skin is concerned. I CANNOT go outside without sunscreen. My skin took on a pinkish yellowish look. I’m fair skinned but was always out in the sun and didn’t tan easily. Now, if I’m out even 10minutes I get sun burned.. It sucks, I’ve had to alter my way of life, my care free attitude about being outside and what I wear. With that said life has gone on. In the last 3 years I’ve been able to travel with my family, I live in so cal and often take my kids to the beach early in the day in the summer time. I swim with my kids in the evenings and and I do my own yard work late in the evenings. I still go out in the sun but with EXTREME caution and at certain times of the day. I use long sleeve shirts when I know I’ll be out during the day. Part of recovery and healing, I’ve found, is adapting. I know it’s tough. It’s weird, but I accept I’m altered. As long As I am able to, I will enjoy life with my family and thank god they are ok. It’s strange how this toxicity linger on years later even. With time, my sensitivity has gotten progressively worse.
Has anyone tried colostrum supplements? Any insight/feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi all,
I was curious if anyone has heard from or about the “cipro is poison” guy. His site was one of the 1st i came across when i was floxed. He mentioned he was floxed in 09, 6 yrs ago, and was wondering if hes made any sort of recovery or progress. Im curious about floxed victims over the 5 yr mark if theyve made recovery and have healed so much that they are back to functioning close to normal? Its brutal how this stuff messes with your cells long after its out of your system. Ive had drs tell me that, yes fq’s can cause all my symptoms, but ususally during or shortly after taking the fq, as opposed to years later. The floxiehope community has helped me in many more ways than the drs ive seen during my ordeal.
John,
My story is A LOT like yours. I too was floxed Dec 2011 with Cipro. I had a few symptoms but nothing too severe. In 2012 I was doing my normal activities like hiking Estes Park with a 40 pound pack on and playing hockey 3 times a week no problems. In 2013 all hell broke loose with my joints, eyes, skin, ringing in the ears etc and in 2014 it progressively got worse. It has pretty much leveled off now it seems. The brain fog for me is horrific though. That seems to have gotten worse and hasn’t improved.
It seems like we are in the same boat here. You mentioned:
“knees, shoulders, hands, hips, and even my toes hurt.”
I have the same problems…. even my left toe pops and hurts along with my thumbs.
No more Estes park… no more doing a lot of things I used to. I think I am going to try glutathione and vit C IV’s and possibly PRP or prolotherapy for my joints.
Hope you improve……
Mike and John, thank you sharing, and sorry to hear you guys are still suffering so many years later. As I sit here suffering my own little minor “relapse”, I do find these stories highly discouraging, but appreciate the details and truth about just what is possible being shared.
I do find both your stories a little surprising in the way that both of you were quite active mid way through your journeys, like running 3 times a week or playing hockey and hiking for what I interpret quite a long time with very little ill effects, no relapse etc, and then only ‘much’ later you both seem to have had a relapse of sorts (although John mentions never really being symptom-free).
Other than trying to detox the junk out and the important supplements for that and many other things needed to help our damaged bodies try to recover, I would just like to stress about acidity and inflammation, both very negative affects caused by this drug that in turn, cause their own very negative effects. I have made some comments about this on this page and the last one or two, as both of these can cause pain like you are both describing (or at the very least make it worse), brain fog, joint issues, tendonitis, sore muscles, and much more. So what I am finding helps me A LOT is alkalizing with things; through diet, Baking Soda, lemon chlorophyll water, Apple Cider Vinegar, lots of minerals, Magnesium baths. I do all these things to try and cut out acidity which itself can cause inflammation or cause it to get worse. Then there are a few other things you can do directly to reduce inflammation as well, the biggest one helping me (and only reason I can play any sports at all right now, otherwise joints would be falling apart and tendons a mess etc, Mike my thumbs feel like they will fall off at times) is avoiding heat/hot water and doing cold water/ice treatments which really shut it off. Shutting off inflammation helps keep joints free from pain, helps them not to crack all the time, deteriorate, etc and same goes for muscles and tendons (less the cracking). I hope you guys try some of these things and find they help, they definitely help me.
Daniela,
I saw a rheumatologist who said he’s seen about 12 patients that have been floxed. He said that the joints become dry. He recommended Vitamin C, flaxseed oil and glucosamine. He said these MIGHT help….. that some people can rehydrate that way.
wow Mike—you hit the jackpot with rheumatologists! I saw two—one was aware of cipro side effects but had no idea how to treat, and the other basically said I was crazy and cipro can’t do all that (and asked if I had contacted the manufacturer!)
Hi Lisa and the Floxiehope Community. Thank you for your excellent website.
I’m Ray and I’m from London, UK (sorry about the rhyming couplet).
I’m a relatively fit and healthy 59 years old, but now vigilant for the onset of FQ ADRs
because of early, mild signs I’ve felt so far. Here is my story, as concise as possible…
I embarked on a prostate cancer investigation in early January this year, had two biopsies
and was given the all-clear :-). After the second biopsy I had to be catheterised because the
prostate swells and this is standard practise against urine retention. Three weeks later
the catheter was removed and I could urinate OK. The following day, when I had my biopsy
results(!), a catheter-related UTI started and I was prescribed 7 days of cipro 2 x 500mg in the
ER (A&E over here). This UTI was very scary as it caused epididymo-orchitis and the swelling
was alarming. My course of cipro was subsequently extended to three weeks in A&E, because
of the severity of the swelling and I had no idea about the sinister nature of ciprofloxacin and
its FQ cousins. I trusted the medics and was relaxed about the cipro because I knew it was
commonly used and so had no suspicions about it. I’m allergic to penicillin, so I didn’t think
I had any choice anyway. Then…..I started reading up online whilst taking them…..
More later as I have to stop now.
Best wishes,
Ray
Hi Linda, thanks very much for your early reply 🙂
I deliberately kept my first posting concise because there is actually a tapestry of events that
unfolded from the beginning that would’ve led me to brain dump way too much information
otherwise. The bitter irony is of course that I was let off the cancer hook only to be probably
left dangling on the cipro hook. Some of what I’ve been feeling could be related to prolonged
and intense stress but, if so, I think it’s that the stress has amplified the cipro effects but not
mimicked them. Before I describe the symptoms so far, I wanted to say I very much appreciate
your advice about early detoxing, but I feel nervous about the idea of IV drips from a naturopath.
I don’t know if that’s available in the UK anyway and I’m concerned about infection control if done
outside the hospital environment. I’m brand new to this situation and I’m trying to adjust and gauge
where I might be going with this. I’m frightened. I had a new life in development and the cipro might
jeopardise it.
Most of my symptoms began the day I took my last cipro tablet, but there was one episode
five days into the course. I had a couple of sandwiches and a decaff instant coffee in a supermarket
prior to shopping. I’d had a pressure headache from the lower back of the head, which I blamed
on hunger, and I had decaff because of the cipro. I then started to navigate the store and everything
was “swimming”. I had a distorted sense of movement about people in the store and I felt like everyone
was jumping out of aisles with their trolleys and they were getting in my way. I was able to shop and
drive home, but it freaked me out. The feeling resolved once I’d been home for a while. I put it down
to impaired metabolism of the tannins and theophylline in the coffee because of the cipro. I was already
mildly sensitive to tannins from tea and coffee, especially without food.
It’s now the tenth day since my final tablet and the symptoms began back then.
I had enlarged, over-toned lower legs. They weren’t swollen as such: the muscles appeared overdeveloped
and too firm. I am a club-level cyclist with well-developed legs, but this was something else, especially as I
hadn’t able to ride regularly during the five-month-long prostate saga. They returned to normal the next day
or the day after. I’ve had mild leg tendon tightness and occasional mild aches. I’ve been able to walk a
long way, as usual, but did so with caution. I have feelings of light headedness and pressure from the back
of the head. I play electric guitar to a fairly advanced level and I’ve felt clumsy and trembly doing this.
I play in a gigging band, so I dread the cipro screwing that up!
I’ve had sporadic nerve “pin-pricks” in my legs and arms and skin-level numbness in my feet.
I already had mild neuropathy, however, from wear and tear in the lower back, but this seems a bit different.
I’ve lost some weight after the last few days too, from 80kg to 77.7kg. This is more likely from the extra
worry about the cipro than the cipro itself.
Now, here’s the OTHER side of the symptom story, which probably has contributed significantly because of
stress. I’ve had a persistent viral cough since March, when I had a bad cold. It has worn me down to some
extent. I think I acquired a secondary viral chest infection three days ago and I’ve been toughing it out by
staying indoors. I’m seeing my GP (“primary care physician” 😉 ) tomorrow to ask for a chest X-ray and throat
exam. I freely admit I am one of life’s great worriers (not warriors) and I have been under horrendous stress
from the prostate episode. It wasn’t just the investigation itself, but the problems I had in getting our healthcare
system (NHS) to do the right thing by me, to avoid unnecessary problems. The worst of this was having the
catheter and managing it safely with the “help” of the System. The icing on the cake was the, ahem, swelling
when I was at the finish line. You couldn’t make it up!
In closing for now, I’m staying vigilant and being careful with myself. It may just be worry to some extent.
I am studying the advice on Floxiehope and elsewhere, and my first baby remedial steps are a
calcium/magnesium supplement and probiotics. I already eat a healthy conventional diet with lots of
fruit and veg, no alcohol, no smoking.
Sorry about the brain dump I tried to avoid!
Ray
Sorry about the erratic line spacing above. I copied and pasted my posting from MS Notepad, but I made some of the text lines too long.
I hope everyone is doing well or better. Stopping in to read some comments as my two-year anniversary of taking the medicine is only five days away. I am far from feeling better and continue to notice additional signs of rapid aging, like the number of white hairs increasing quickly and sudden and strong crow’s feet near my eyes that have never been there before.
Such is life I suppose. If anyone is finding something working, let me know, else I’ll skim the posts for some hope. I really can’t agree with time healing this process. I think it’s destroying me a little more each day.
Hello Everyone,
Two months post floxed. I just got over a cough which I think was bronchitis but never confirmed it with any doctor. I went to urgent care over the weekend thinking that I had fliuid in my left ear since it feels like that. The doctor said that there was no fluid and that my ears looked really clean, very little to no wax. I assume the culprit is Cipro. Just when I was dealing with the dryness of my eyes. Now I have pressure, popping and a full sensation in my left ear. Anyone experienced this? The doctor said that if it doesn’t improve, I can be referred to an ENT.
Thanks 🙂
On April 6, 2015 I was admitted to the hospital for treatment and surgery for diverticulitis. I am 46 years old and am healthy and fit and exercise 5 to 6 days a week. I am extremely active and own and operate two busy restaurants. After being diagnosed with a perforation due to diverticulitis, I was on IV Cipro for 6 days and oral Cipro for 4 days. The day after I finished the Cipro prescription, my family noticed that I was acting very strangely and took me to the ER where I was diagnosed with “transient global amnesia”. The ER doctors told me it was not related to my surgery and generally these types of events occur due to a traumatic event. I was not particularly traumatized by my surgery since I’ve had many surgeries in the past for knee repairs, shoulder surgery, etc. but I figured that I obviously had experienced some underlying trauma due to the surgery. The amnesia did recede within 12 hours, but I was left in what I can only describe as a dream-like state. My wife and family began to notice a dramatic change in my personality. I became disconnected, narcissistic, combative and dissociative – all behaviors that are not typical for me. Over the next few weeks things continued to deteriorate with periods of both mania and severe depression. After dragging me back to the surgeon, primary care physician and a neurologist (and a full series of tests that came back normal), my wife was forced to take me to a psychiatric hospital where I admitted myself for treatment. I experienced severe psychosis and was in the hospital for two full weeks being treated with Haldol and Ativan. I made some improvement after the first 5 days, but as soon as the Haldol was reduced, the psychosis returned. My wife spent countless hours researching what might have caused the psychosis because I had no previous history of anxiety, depression or mental illness. There was speculation by the hospital psychiatrist that it was related to the anesthesia used during the surgery. This didn’t fit though because cases of psychosis after surgery all presented just after the surgery and this was 8 days post surgery. My wife finally made a connection between the amnesia and a terrible red rash all over my back on the same day that I went to the ER for the amnesia and it clicked for her that it was probably a response to a medication. The only medication I had taken was the Cipro. Once the words “cipro” and “psychosis” were entered into a google search together, the answer was clear.
After two weeks in the psychiatric unit, I was stable enough to return home, although I returned home a changed man. My hands were constantly clenched, I shuffled like an old man and I could barely speak because of uncontrollable contractions of my tongue and over-production of saliva that made me drool constantly. While I was still in the psychiatric unit my wife had been searching for a doctor who knew anything about toxic psychosis induced by Cipro and found that the surgeon, primary care physician nor the psychiatrists were aware of such a possible side effect and so had no idea how to treat the condition. Although other case studies indicated that Haldol was NOT a good treatment option for toxic psychosis due to Cipro poisoning, that is what was given to me because it is the standard protocol for severe psychosis. My wife found a psychiatrist who was willing to listen to my story and who wanted to work with me to find a better solution without side effects like Haldol. We met with this psychiatrist within 48 hours after my discharge and he prescribed me with 40 mg of Latuda to replace the Haldol and then a beta blocker (Propranolol 20 mg) to help with side effects of Latuda (feeling antsy). Within 24 hours, my condition was 50% improved. Within 48 hours, I was at about 95%. After one week of 40 mg of Latuda, the psychiatrist reduced my dosage to 20 mg. I have now been taking just 20 mg of Latuda daily and am doing very well. I finally feel clear and do not have other side effects. I will be working with my psychiatrist to continue to reduce my Latuda to see if I can eventually taper off completely.
Although I feel very fortunate that medication has been effective to help combat toxic psychosis for me, I want to tell my story so that others who experience these side effects know that they are not alone and that there is treatment that can help.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdo601sRKNc70BA5MV51kS-Mr6ypsvd1F
Psychiatrist Dr Peter Breggin has actually been inside the Drug companies, he has seen the withheld information on these drugs, & knows what he is talking about. My experience happens to SO many people, Former drug rep Gwen Olsens experience of the psychotropic drugs is also very similar to mine . Please take to the time to watch these videos & please share these videos far & wide It is SO important that people become aware of this situation. I cannot state this fact strongly enough.
https://youtu.be/XRuCR6ixH0I
Thanks Lisa! I’m hopeful with time that it will get better 🙂
I’m a 38 year-old male in reasonably good shape. I was “floxed” last December after taking Cipro for ~10 days. About 2 days after I stopped taking it I developed debilitating cramps in my legs to the point where I couldn’t walk very well at all. As with many other folks, my doctors could not have been less helpful and even advised taking NSAIDs. Fortunately I was able to find this article which helped explain what might be going on:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934148210011950
This began to resolve itself in early January (~4 weeks later) which was a huge relief, I could not exercise 100% for a few more weeks but by mid February I was back “in the game” so to speak. That being said as the cramping subsided I began noticing peripheral neuropathy causing random numbness, pains, and “crawling” sensations. This got worse for about a month or two. At this point I was looking for all the articles I could find for someone to explain what was happening to me and more importantly, what I could do about it. Here was what I did:
1.) Began eating according to the Wahl’s protocol – can’t say this helped with the issue at hand but I dropped 15 pounds and the chronic migraines I had been living with for over 10 years dissappeared (I have only had two in 6 months and was able to pinpoint the trigger).
2.) Began supplementing with an Omega Complex, Mulit, and Magnesium. Ionic Magnesium seemed to calm things down a bit, but did not get them to go away.
3.) Continued to exercise, this was challenging as hard exercise felt great at the time but always lead to worse symptoms the next day.
4.) I had finally read enough to hypothesize that my issues might be mitochondrial so I began looking into what could help on that front. There were a few articles supporting each other out there but here are two worth sharing:
• http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2010/2/Reverse-Mitochondrial-Damage/Page-03
• http://www.smart-publications.com/articles/restore-mitochondrial-function-with-acetyl-l-carnitine-ALC-and-lipoic-
5.) Finally met with a neurologist and discussed my theory. He knew nothing about FTS but recommended CoQ10 if it was a mitochondrial issue which he said was consistent with my symptoms. I was already taking this but in a lower dose.
Given all that I recently started supplementing with Ubiquinol(CoQ10), ALC, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. I had bought choline but stopped that one as it seemed to make thigns worse (I am going to re-add it in next week to test that out). I am continuing with the omega complex and the multi. This seemed to help considerably, albeit this could just be time doing it’s thing.
Six months out I still have symptoms but feel a lot better. Things get worse if I get sleep deprived or take on a lot of caffeine (one usually leads to the other) but I am not terrified that I have MS or something worse (ALS). If you’re on here because you just got “floxed” try to take it in stride and take some comfort in the fact that most folks do recover, it just takes a long time. The worst part about the whole ordeal was the thought that I was permanently damaged or had triggered a progressive downward spiral. This lead to a lot of extra stress, which also worsens my symptoms.
Has anyone had a high ccp after taking cipro
Well Hello everyone. It has been a little while since I posted on here. My Floxing has had its ups and downs. I can walk now with the aid of a cane. I still use my walker occasionally.
I had a bad bout and was sent to the hospital. Was diagnosed with Crohn’s. It really almost did me in. I got through the 11 days in the HP and looked like I was getting better.
My GI doc wants me to take Imuran. Which makes me throw up everytime. next thing is Humara. Which I won’t do. So after a few relapses and diet changes I think I hit a brick wall, has anyone else who was floxed developed Crohn’s?
Mike
Hi all. I’ve suggested these two products before, but now Mercola has combined them both into one supplement and just posted a good article on it so I thought I would re-share some info on it which is particularly important for newly Floxed people.
http://products.mercola.com/spirublue/
“Spirulina – In My Opinion, Nature’s Nearly ‘Perfect’ Whole Food, Green from chlorophyll… blue from phycocyanin… and orange from carotenoids… all collecting and passing along the sun’s energy and supporting your healthy, normal growth”
Much has been written about Spirulina, among its many benefits is its strong ability to help the body detox unwanted toxins by “soaking them up”. As he says, you need to be very careful about the source and where you buy it, because it is so “absorbent” it can already come laden with toxins if you are not careful and buying it from a good source.
—-
Astaxanthin – Mercola is a huge advocate of this Antioxidant and for good reason, take a look at how it compares to other antioxidants:
“Truly the “King” of the carotenoids, astaxanthin’s ability to scavenge free radicals in your body* is up to…
550 times more powerful than vitamin E
65 times more powerful than vitamin C
54 times more powerful than beta-carotene
5 times more powerful than lutein”
Why is this important for a Floxie, especially a newly floxed one? Because the Fluoroquinolone drugs are HIGHLY toxic and all these toxins are roaming around doing all kinds of damage in the body including to the very important DNA among other things. As you can see here, Astaxanthin can really help prevent some of this damage.
“The combination of spirulina and astaxanthin as a “brain and body superfood” may help provide…
Brain health support*
Oxidative stress support*
Eye health support*
Cardiovascular support*
Immune function support*
Support for a healthy immune response*
Seasonal comfort support*
Detoxification support*”
—
I believe this is a new product for Mercola, and a very very good one from what I can see. I used both of these products separately and believe both helped me greatly, so having them both combined into one to me makes it a super powerful supplement and one of the most important out there to a Floxie.