Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability (FQAD) by Stefan Pieper

I became aware of the book Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability by Stefan Pieper just this year. As you may know, I too suffered from the effects of a drug in this class, called Ciprofloxacin. This class of drugs can alter one’s life just after one dose, and I am appreciative that there are books like this that any doctor, patient or those harmed can understand how these drugs can do harm a person.

The book Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability by Stefan Pieper highlights many of the issues surrounding this class of drugs in the following topics;

1. Introduction to FQAD
2. FQAD and oxidative stress | mitochondrial toxicity
3. FQAD and musculoskeletal damage | collagen disorders
4. FQAD and neurotoxicity | peripheral neuropathy |
5. FQAD and neuropsychiatric adverse effects
6. Diagnostic criteria
7. Practical experience

The book’s author is Stefan Pieper a practicing doctor in Lake Constance, Germany wrote the book from his own clinical experience. As you may know, Fluoroquinolones are a worldwide prescription medication eve though there is a black box warning which you can learn more about in this article.

I would like to thank Dr Pieper for his contribution to the community (Floxie and medical) in highlighting some key points to Fluoroquinolone toxicity and for some Fluoroquinolone associated disability. Did you know about this book or Dr Pieper? If not, I would like to let you know a bit more about the author.

Who is Dr Stefan Pieper

Dr Pieper is a doctor specializing in general medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture and rescue medicine. In his practice in Konstanz, he treats patients with damage caused by fluoroquinolone from all over Germany. He wrote the first German-language work on pathogenesis and therapy

In his practice he too noticed the harmful effects of drugs like Cipro on patients that came to him for help. Like so many of us who suffer, it is hard to get a doctor to believe your symptoms were from an antibiotic. In this blog, you will learn more about how doctors just don’t get it.

Fluoroquinolone disability is real, and I have seen it so many times, just like Dr Peiper has too. I applaud Dr Peiper for going against medical idealism and pharmaceutical companies in this well-read book

Words From The Author Dr Stefan Pieper

Dear Jason, dear members of floxiehope,

Thank you for your kind invitation to comment on the subject of fluoroquinolone poisonings, FQAD, and the publication of my book last year in the Anglo-American market.

First of all, I am somewhat disillusioned with the little progress that is being made in this area. There still is an enormous ignorance towards the subject, there are still – at least in Europe – no attempts on the part of the health authorities to establish the disease in any form as a fixed entity in order to give those affected more security.

Furthermore, since the publication of my book, I unfortunately do not see any real improvements or innovations, neither in diagnostic nor in therapeutic terms. Only the possibility of conventional medical confirmation of the severe neuropathic symptoms and the associated autonomic neuropathy by securing the diagnosis “small-fibre neuropathy” by means of skin biopsy is a ray of hope. Here I see an 80% rate in my patients with neuropathic symptoms! We are currently in the process of publishing these data in German-speaking countries.

In order to give as many primary care physicians and sufferers as possible the opportunity to inform themselves quickly and comprehensively about the subject, I decided to write a small book about it after years of treating FQAD in over 500 patients. It was so successful on the German-speaking market that I wrote an expanded English version last year. A few weeks ago, Springer-Nature-Verlag assured me that they will offer the book at a more acceptable price in the future. I very much hope that this will be successful, because the book can really be of help in many situations, be it when talking to a treating physician, when dealing with the authorities or in court, or as your own source of information.

In my book, I have tried to describe not only the medical aspects but also the desolate social situation of most FQAD patients and their eternal struggle against the entrenched medical institutions. It is terrible that in such rich countries as Germany or the US these people fall by the wayside and are not helped. I think that is the real scandal. No cancer patient, no multiple sclerosis patient and also no Long Covid patient stands so alone in our systems and has to fight and struggle through this mess without help from outside as the affected people with FQAD.

I have to admit that sometimes I am almost ready to give it all up. But that is not an option, we have to keep our positive thinking!

In this sense I greet you all, say get better soon for those affected and much courage and strength for them and also for the therapists.

With warmest greetings from Lake Constance in Germany,

Yours,

Dr. Stefan Pieper

My thoughts on the book Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability by Stefan Pieper

Understanding the effects of Fluoroquinolone antibiotics can be daunting. I do commend and applaud Dr Pieper’s book about Fluoroquinolone toxicity as and easy to understand read through. The book breaks down the main principles of the effects from drugs like Cipro or Levaquin. I would like to highlight some of my favorite topics in the book in hopes that you too will put this book up and enjoy the valuable content.

The first chapter of the book focuses on mitochondrial damage from oxidative stress. This is by far the most important thing to understand with the effects of this class of drugs. If you do not already know, the mitochondria run everything in your body. So if they are not working correctly, neither are you. Dr Pieper really does a good job at explaining what happens and how to help turn the mitochondria from dysfunctional to functional.

Chapter two really highlights the common issues around the damage to muscles and tendons. I, personally, have this issue and I assume you may too. This problem in my opinion is what leaves many disabled if not corrected early on. In this chapter, he addresses common complainants of patients suffering the effects of Achilles tendon ruptures from Fluoroquinolones and other musculoskeletal issues and how to help them.

Chapter three and four really address the drug’s affinity to wreak havoc on the nervous system. This issue created from Fluoroquinolones was half the reason why we have a black box warning. The nervous system is delicate, and these chapters give all the relevant information on the GABA system and also dives deep into the central nervous system (CNS) affects. For some insomnia can be a huge issue because of these negative influences. 

The final important piece Dr Pieper contributes to the medical establishment is diagnostic criteria. The book gives charts with symptoms for practitioners to recognize their patient may be suffering the effects of the drug. These charts help make understanding how to diagnose and ultimately treat the effects of the drugs.

Conclusion | Will This Book About FQAD Help You?

I, personally, feel the book has relevance and also factual information that anyone who is suffering from Fluoroquinolone toxicity should review. As a health coach, I help people understand what happened to their body to get from a healthy point to a not so healthy point. In Dr Pieper’s book he does an impressive job explaining the fundamentals of Fluoroquinolone toxicity and what you can do to help yourself with the same practices, supplements and treatments that have worked with over 500 patients he has helped.