*The following is an individual’s story of surviving fluoroquinolone toxicity. It is not medical advice. Please see the disclaimer at the bottom of the story. Thank you, and please be cautious with all treatments.
Hello, folks. I’m posting to let you know that there is indeed hope and healing–even after the worst floxing.
I was floxed in July 2013 after taking 2 Cipro pills.
I could barely walk. In fact, I couldn’t walk without a cane or crutches for close to 3 months. There were a few times when I needed a wheelchair to get around the mall, for example.
Side effects were awful, immediate, and ever-changing:
• Neuropathy in hands and feet
• Partial paralysis of my left toes
• Joint popping and crackling
• Severe fatigue
• Vertigo
• Excruciating pain in both Achilles
• Plantar fasciitis
• Dental pain/jaw pain
• TMJ symptoms
• Loss of muscle tone. It felt like my stomach, intestines, and liver were going to fall out if I leaned forward.
• Joint deterioration. It felt like my thumbs were going to fall off.
• Arthritis in both hands
• Severely dry eyes
• Insomnia
• Palpitations
• Waves of anxiety and despair
After I was floxed, I joined this very Facebook group (but mostly just lurked). Someone in this group—and forgive me, I don’t recall who—posted a link to Dr. Terry Wahls’ TED talk about how she treated her MS with intense nutritional therapy.
I figured that if Dr. Wahls was able to reverse her MS symptoms, I might be able to do the same thing.
Long story short: it worked. It took time, but it worked. I followed her diet and supplemented with CoQ10, magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and fish oil. I’d been on a strict gluten-free diet for over 10 years—my husband has celiac disease—so adopting her diet was actually quite easy for me. (Going gluten-free might be the biggest challenge for some folks, but it’s essential, I think.)
As of this writing, I’ll say that I’m between 95 and 100 percent better. The only lingering issues are occasional neuropathy in my hands upon waking—it gets better in about 15 minutes—and occasional joint popping.
But! I’m able to run again, able to lift weights again, able to do pretty much everything I did before being floxed. I’m here to say that you can get better. It’ll take some work, but you will get better.
Note from Lisa – If you purchase The Wahls Protocol through THIS LINK, a portion of the proceeds will go to The Quinolone Vigilance Foundation. Thanks!
** The story above is truthful, accurate and told to the best of the ability of the writer. It is not intended as medical advice. No person who submits his or her story, nor the people associated with Floxie Hope, diagnoses or treats any illness. The story above should not be substituted for professionally provided medical advice. Please consult your doctor before trying anything that has been mentioned in this story, or in any other story on this site. Please also note that people have varying responses to the treatments mentioned in each story. What helps one person may not help, and may even hurt, another person. It is important that you understand that supplements, IVs, essential oils, and all other treatments, effect people differently depending on the millions of variables that make each of us unique. Please use appropriate caution and prudence, and get professional medical advice.
Wow. Thanks for sharing. I took two cipro pills 7 weeks ago and have identical symptoms. I am working very hard toward recovery and am thrilled for you. I look forward to some normalcy.
how long will it take .My husband has been given cipro on 3 occasions but on the third he only took about 2 days worth. He has had a bad time of it over the last two years. He last took cipro in early sept. Just wondering how long the Achilles tendon will take to heal and the connective tissue in his hands and feet. They feel like they are bone touching bone and sharp shooting pains
I took 200 cipros and haven’t walked in 15 months from athlete to wheelchair I want to know this healing process
How do you know that Cipro is the culprit rather than the condition that Cipro was to treat. I took ten days of 500 mg/cipro per day to treat a corneal ulcer. now I have severe dry eye and other annoyances.
What does being ‘floxed’ mean. I have not heard of Cipro, and wonder if it goes by another name in Australia. I have many of the symptoms you mention.
PS I also had weird painless bruises all over and recently developed mild tinnitus which waxes and wanes –
Are these toxicity signs too? Glad of any info thanks 🙂
Not sure if my first query went through – briefly thank you for this helpful site – I wonder if flagyl and doxycycline and augmentin combo could do this same toxification? Treated for supposed throat and chest infection I developed neuro symptoms (anxiety, akathisia, muscle pain, muscle wasting, weight loss, brain fog, insomnia, joint cracking, head and earache, shooting eye pains, blurred vision and IBS) as well as a sudden menopause – severe hot flashes, night sweats and total amennorhoea – I’m 53 and was very active. Improving with time, walking, meditation, self-CBT and no medication except supplements and a modified Wahls diet ( I need some additional starch in the form of brown rice and bananas to avoid serotonin- depletion depression) – glad of any info, thanks again for your kindness and diligence with this project to support others 🙂
I just talked to friend, who (she ) took over 500 (yes, five hundred) pills of quinolones. She ruptured her tendon last year during mild level sport. Also she has sth called ” fibred muscle”. She also had neuropathy and lots of nightmares when she was taking the quinolones.
She is probably the one who is most able to tolerate quilonones that I ever know in person.
I just told her about quinolone toxicity. After reading, she told me her problem might be related to quinolones.
Everyone is different. But it looks to be very sure that everyone will be affected by quinolones once he or she has taken much enough. And people recover in different speeds.
Hi Renee,
I was floxed 2 weeks ago. I was given Cipro to treat a UTI that I didn’t even have. I am so happy to have found this website for support. I have acted immediately to treat my symptoms. I am lucky to be able to walk. The NP on my right foot can act up but I do my best to just get through it. I know I have a long way to go. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that no new symptoms surface.
So far its been:
Pain in joints, arms, hands, legs, fingers, shoulder, feet, toes,lower back
GI issues
Vey Dry Eyes
Tightness on my head
Dry Mouth
Anxiety
Since I am new to all this. I wanted some guidance with these questions:
1, What helped with the dry eyes? Did they improve with time? I visited the eye doctor today
and he said that I have scratches along my corneas from the Cipro. I was having trouble reading email on my computer due to the brightness. He advised me to purchase some eye drops to help moisten them. I live in New Mexico which in itself is already a dry state. I have been using the humidifier at night and using warm compresses.
2. I’ve cleaned up my diet to organic foods. No sugar or caffeine. Any other suggestions to clean up the gut? I do take a probiotic and drink plenty of water with lemon. I’ve already lost 6 pounds in two weeks and do not need to lose any more.
For my anxiety I do acupuncture and mindfulness. Sometimes a wave of depression hits since I can no longer run or exercise like I use to. Most of my time has been spent visiting doctors and alternative health centers for treatment. I also did the glutathione injection.
I know I have to stay positive. I have a younger daughter who keeps me fighting to get through this horrible time. I have faith and believe that I will get better.
What level of the Wahls protocol were you on i.e grain free/paleo, paleo plus etc. how long did it take for recover? How long were you ill before you started the wahls protocol?
i wud go to the level three as quickly as possible. no grains, def not gluten, no diet drinks of any kinds, no dairy except possibly raw, pastured, cultured fullfat dairy, no eggs if you dont tolerate them…otherwise, pastured eggs are very high in nutrients. these things are super important. so is fermented codliver n high vitamin butter oil.
my heart goes out to ppl WRECKED by Big Pharma n their accomplices, the MDs.
Which phAse of the diet are you following. I can follow the second level but honestly don?t think I could do the third phase.
Thank you all very much ! I have ms and have benefitted TREMENDOUSLY by Dr wahls paleo! In addition I had a hair analysis done which told me which vitamins and minerals I was deficient in . I also had my many metal fillings changed to bio identical fillings . Heavy metal detox isn’t fun but I feel better every week ! I will be in the USA for four months . I am no longer up to date with common knowledge so truly appreciate all of your sharing ! Through good food , exercise, a few vitamins and minerals , faith and humor I hope we can all regain our health ????
Thank you so much Lisa for your story and link to the Wahl protocol but also for taking the time to answer questions and educate others. My sister and I both have Lyme disease and she unknowingly took 180 Cipro pills. The Dr never warned us this could cause problems and as we have a herxing reaction to antibiotics, it was easy to confuse the herxing with the Cipro damage. She is bedridden now and in great pain however the symptom that bothers her the most are pseudo auditory hallucinations… pseudo as she is no schizophrenic and hears noises inside her head not outside is No one is telling her to get a knife (I hope 🙂 ) but she hears loud jackhammers, gongs, music, screaming, …a variety of mostly unpleasant noises, at least 5 at a time competing for attention. Have you heard of anyone else with this and if so,, how did they get rid of it???? Thanks for any help you can give us.
Thanks Julia for leaving a post on my behalf. Yes, I took 180 doses as with injections of amoxicillin as a treatment for advanced chronic Lyme, Bartonella. My left arm felt like taut strings on a guitar, if I tried to move my pillow or reach for bedside glass of water the pain kept shooting up my arm over & over. I could not raise it, 3-4 yrs later at 75%. I was never forewarned, I thought I was being brave enduring the “die off herxing effect” of toxins. No, I was continuing to injure myself horribly with no clue it was an oral antibiotic, I never should have taken.
The Lyme doctor in Seattle told me in a lecherous manner to take magnesium, I’d have tendonitis for a long time. That was the least of it.
I tried to go on IV antibiotics, I’d tried for many years to get & finally was able thru a ND. I discovered I could not tolerate ANY ANTIBIOTIC, the burn thru my system was horrific. Peripheral neuropathy, as if my whole body, even in my tongue has gone to sleep. Really nasty nerve pain, esp in my left foot.
It doesn’t end there. I have terrible auditory hallucinations. All the time. 3-4 at the same time, I am not exaggerating. I took Ciprofloxacin in 2011, it has made me wish I could go back to having 12 years of hard Lyme, Bartonella & Babesia which was difficult with pain esp arthritis.
I haven’t been on any treatment – Ciprofloxacin swallowed all my hopes for ever getting well. The complications are beyond any doctor’s expertise, esp the auditory hallucinations 24/7, I fear going out of my mind. Needless to say, this Dr just abandoned me, probably fearful of a law suit. My pain specialist, nor the neurologist who ran many tests (reduced uptake) nor my GP know how to treat pseudo auditory hallucinations. It’s not tinnitus though I do try various white noises & sounds but even that causes a competitive reaction.
Finally the FDA has put out a more serious RISK, DO NOT prescribe but not one doctor nor nd knew about Ciprofloxacin (levaquin, there’s a 3rd), I told them to read the FDA alert.
I have been told the Lyme Dr in Seattle is STILL prescribing Ciprofloxacin to Lyme patients, who like myself, will think it’s the herxing experience, not the drug.
Thank you so much Lisa for your story and link to the Wahl protocol but also for taking the time to answer questions and educate others. My sister and I both have Lyme disease and she unknowingly took 180 Cipro pills. The Dr never warned us this could cause problems and as we have a herxing reaction to antibiotics, it was easy to confuse the herxing with the Cipro damage. She is bedridden now and in great pain however the symptom that bothers her the most are pseudo auditory hallucinations… pseudo as she is no schizophrenic and hears noises inside her head not outside is No one is telling her to get a knife (I hope 🙂 ) but she hears loud jackhammers, gongs, music, screaming, …a variety of mostly unpleasant noises, at least 5 at a time competing for attention. Have you heard of anyone else with this and if aso,, how did they get rid of it???? Thanks for any help you can give us.
Oops some how my first post copied and posted again, sorry! Thanks so much Lisa for taking the time to write out all those wonderful suggestions and links; I know we will find some very important and useful info in them. Thanks for all you are doing 🙂
I took cipro in 2012 for a UTI and two weeks later was at work and my right arm went numb and I’ve been battling with severe burning and nerve pain down both arms and hands for two and a half years now as of just a few weeks ago now I have nerve pain. Going down my legs as well we have battled trying to find the reason why I’m having this nerve issue on top of it I’ve been diagnosed with severe adrenal insufficiency and major thyroid issues starting to think that there is a link to this cipro.
Sorry I cannot access Dr Wahls video/talk. What shall I do.
Hello!
I m 31 years old and I m into all that. It s been seven months. I have recently developped a severe ankle arthritis and had to have a punction done. My ankle is still very painful. Has anybody gone through arthritis ? Swallowed and red articulation? I notice that Renee talks about hands arthritis. What can I do? Thanks a lot for helping me.
Sophie