This site was started to give hope for healing to those suffering from fluoroquinolone toxicity. Stories of healing and recovery are shared on www.floxiehope.com so that the people who are going through the destruction done by fluoroquinolones that we refer to as “floxing” (as one Floxie noted, it’s cuter than calling it disability brought on by a chemotherapeutic drugs masquerading as antibiotics) can see that others have recovered – and so that they can learn lessons from those who have gone through fluoroquinolone toxicity and healed.
More than the lessons and techniques used for recovery though, I think that the important thing that the stories convey is hope – hope that recovery is possible. Recovery happened for the people who have shared their stories on floxie hope – so there is reason to hope that you will recover too. Sarah, Bill, Crystal, Ruth, Sharon, Brian, Keri and all of the other people who have shared their stories on floxiehope have recovered. If they can do it, so can you. There is hope in knowing that other people have emerged from this horrible toxicity syndrome. And HOPE, I believe, is healing. It helps to believe that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. It helps to know that it’s possible for the spiral of ill-health, and new, scary symptoms, to come to an end; and that recovery and a return to health is possible.
None of the effects of fluoroquinolones on the body or brain are “in your head” or a choice, but, with that said, the mind is a powerful thing. Having hope, and faith that this will pass, and that your health will improve, is important and powerful. HOPE is healing.
In many of the posts on this site, and articles linked to through this site, I have strayed from a message of hope for healing/recovery. I have posted essays that are angry, fearful, questioning and/or accusing, not hopeful. Some of these posts/essays have scared many of you. Some of them have probably pissed you off. Some of them have probably made you feel less hopeful about the prospects for your future health.
Understandably, I have gotten push-back from people in response to those posts. People have said, “I thought this site was supposed to be about HOPE, not ____” (fill in the blank with any scary, intimidating fluoroquinolone related topic). I’ve been thinking about the sentiment that they have expressed a lot lately, and these are my thoughts:
First, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for inducing fear and/or pissing you off. The fact that fluoroquinolones do really horrible things to cells, and that I am really angry at Bayer, J&J, the FDA, doctors, pharmacists and everyone else responsible for this mess, does not detract in any way from the fact that people can, and do, recover from fluoroquinolone toxicity. If it’s helpful, please skip my downer posts and just read the stories on this site. The stories are reason for optimism and hope. They are stories of perseverance, strength, optimism through adversity and healing. They are meant to convey HOPE for healing.
Second – I’m going to defend myself a bit – I think that the scary and/or intimidating topics are hopeful – they’re just hopeful in a different way. They’re not about hope for healing or recovery, but they are about hope for other things – like information, justice, answers, and stopping this insane system that allows mineral chelating, mitochondria destroying, multi-symptom chronic illness inducing chemicals to be given to people to treat urinary tract infections.
The way that things are now is not okay. Systems are broken and people are getting hurt by those broken systems.
I HOPE that the absurdity of people needlessly being hurt by fluoroquinolones is realized – by everyone.
I HOPE that doctors start realizing that the people who come into their offices with multi-symptom, chronic, mysterious ailments after a course of fluoroquinolone antibiotics are suffering from fluoroquinolone toxicity. I HOPE that they realize that these reactions are not as rare as they have been led to believe. I HOPE that they think twice about prescribing fluoroquinolones again after they recognize fluoroquinolone toxicity in their patients. I HOPE that the information on this, and other FQ toxicity related sites, gives them the information that they need to see that fluoroquinolones are dangerous drugs.
I HOPE that people gain information from this site with which they can become empowered. I HOPE that the articles and posts on here give you the information that you need to understand what is going on in your body. I HOPE that you are able to take the information that you gather from this site and share it with your doctors, friends, family, etc. I HOPE that they are able to gain understanding of what you are going through from reading about fluoroquinolone toxicity.
I HOPE that the FDA quits being inept and more tightly regulates fluoroquinolones and other dangerous drugs.
I HOPE that we all gain answers to the question of, What in the world is going on in my floxed body??? I HOPE that I (or other people) am able to gather up the articles and information that is necessary to answer that question. And, with that information, I HOPE that a protocol is established that helps people to heal from fluoroquinolone toxicity.
I HOPE that we all gain justice. I HOPE that Baron & Budd, or any other law firm that brings a suit against Bayer and Johnson & Johnson for the damage that their drugs have done to people, wins and that all victims of fluoroquinolones are adequately compensated for their pain and suffering. I HOPE that the lawyers generally stop pussy-footing around with lawsuits for individual symptoms and start bringing lawsuits against FQ producing corporations for inducing multi-symptom, chronic illness in victims. Because that’s the truth – it’s what’s happening. I HOPE that the top executives and scientists at the corrupt pharmaceutical and big-ag companies that are poisoining us all are charged with, and found guilty of, crimes against humanity. I HOPE that justice is served – in every way possible.
I HOPE that all of the people and institutions that are supposed to be keeping the pharmaceutical industry in check (the FDA, the media, the justice system, conscientious doctors, etc.) – who are currently failing – start DOING THEIR JOBS.
And of course, still, I HOPE for your healing. I HOPE for your recovery. And I HOPE for the continued wellness of those who have healed.
This site is about HOPE. It’s about HOPE for change in just about every area to do with fluoroquinolone toxicity. It’s about HOPE for individual change – mainly the healing kind. And it’s about HOPE for institutional change. I HOPE it comes soon – because too many people are getting hurt by cipro/ciprofloxacin, levaquin/levofloxacin, avelox/moxifloxacin and floxin/ofloxacin. It’s not okay. It needs to change. I HOPE it changes.
Lisa,
I don’t think you need to feel badly about sharing the scary truth too. I noticed that the doctor who poisoned me seemed to take a “well, great everything is all right now” attitude as soon as I started to get better. She was so sure I was just all back to normal that she told me to quit taking magnesium, because I was healed. Terrible advice. I have had to convince her that although my tendon healed, my muscle tone returned to normal and I can hike up and down bluffs with relative ease this does not mean that I am 100% healed. I look so good, my blood pressure is great, I’m losing weight– she can’t see the CNS damage that remains. It’s mild, inconvenient, and not debilitating. But it’s not ok that ANY of it happened and the fact that I made a quick recovery does not make it all right. Is it all right I basically went to hell since I didn’t stay there very long? She doesn’t get how serious my reaction to Cipro really was nor does she understand that there may be permanent or near permanent changes to my autonomic nervous system. My new doctor was very clear about what a great job I did researching and healing myself, but also pulled no punches on the fact that the remaining CNS damage might not resolve 100%.
It’s great to share stories of healing, but it’s also right to keep pointing out just how dangerous these drugs really are. It makes the stories of healing all the more wonderful and inspiring. There are people who beat the odds. There are people who walked through the fire of FQ toxicity and emerged basically unscathed, finding the physical, mental and emotional strength to recover and go on with their lives.
But I’d hate for others to be like my former doctor to see only that side of it and say, “Well, everything’s all right then. They got better.” It’s not all right. I live in fear of this happening to me again. I live in fear of those I love being floxed. If FQ’s were pulled from the market entirely I’d have one less thing to be worried about, and believe me, it is a big worry to me. Too many people get floxed again because when you say you had a reaction to an FQ the doctors just don’t take it seriously. There is no other class of drugs that if you say you have a sensitivity to it doctors will still use it topically on you or even put it in your IV. The medical community is so convinced that Cipro is safe and we floxies are all insane that they may blindly do terrible harm to us, not perceiving the very real danger.
I guess some people coming to this site for hope and healing may need to just focus on the stories of courage and recovery. But many of us want to know more about what happened to our bodies and we want justice. We need to keep screaming that these drugs are dangerous and need to be banned. We can do that while at the same time lifting up those who have recovered. I think this site does both things very well.
Hi Lisa,
Hi I was given Levaquin 750mg for pneumonia in the beginning of November. I am a Teacher. I have been in so much pain it has been difficult to function everyday things. My right knee is hurting and I walk up three igjts of stairs everyday at school which has been challenging. My left shoulder is really bad!!! It feels like someone is trying to yank my arm off. It has pulling pain. It goes to sleep and it gets horrible muscle spasms. I have a history of cancer and fibromyalgia so I am not knew to pain. Finding out that this drug is chemo is insane!!!! Who prescribes chemo without the patients knowledge. They call it antibiotic so you think penicillin not chemo. That is an issue for me I have had cancer. I want this drug off the market. I will write to my legislators about it. I was at ERnwhen I was prescribed this. But my
Regular Dr gave me steroids right after the Levaquin. I am not sure if I have a rotator cuff tear or if it is nerve damage or both. I am currently doing water therapy. Thank you for helping! You will be blessed for doing this. Debbie
Can it cause herniated discs?