*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. 

Sharon’s Story

Following is Sharon’s story, as written by Sharon:

Hello, Friends. I was poisoned by Levaquin in February of 2010. I am happy to report that after 22 months, I have made a full recovery. I was given 10 500mg Levaquin pills for a suspected sinus infection. I was not cultured, just sent home with the Levaquin script and a script for Nasonex. The day immediately following the last Levaquin pill, I was overwhelmed with joint and tendon pain all over my body. I was barely able to walk. I had severe nausea, abdominal pain, pain in the sternum and chest, peripheral neuropathy, muscle weakness, extreme fatigue, vision problems, kidney pain, heart palpitations, and short-term memory problems. I was able to figure out right away (thanks to Google) that Levaquin had caused my symptoms. I was only taking one other medication at the time, which I had been taking for years without any problem.

The first 3 months of my reaction were the worst. I was out of work for two weeks, but had to return or I would have lost the job. At the beginning of month 4, additional issues arose. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and discovered a large, complex cyst on my ovary. I had to start taking Synthroid and 6 months later had to have the ovary and cyst removed. I only saw one doctor for the ADRs initially and he did not believe that Levaquin could cause long-term side effects. I walked out very angry and never looked back. From that point on I decided to focus on healing myself.

I tried a few supplements in the beginning but stopped taking them after about two months. They were not really helping with my symptoms. The one thing that helped me the most in the acute phase was Epsom salt baths. I soaked for 30 minutes every day for 3 months. They helped to ease my joint, tendon, and muscle pain, but most importantly, they helped me to RELAX. I was able to let go of my anger and focus on my recovery.

As the days and months went by, the pain gradually lessened and I was able to walk more normally. I no longer had to coast through my work days clenching my teeth. I was able to play with my son for longer periods of time. Even though I started feeling better, I did experience cycling of symptoms. I had 3 cycles during my recovery: one at 8 months, one at 12 months and the final one at 15 months. The first cycle lasted 6 weeks, the second lasted a month and the third lasted 2 weeks. Around the 14-month mark I started using whey protein powder twice a day and drank the juice of 1 lemon in water twice a day. The whey protein helped with my joint pain and the lemon juice took care of the kidney pain I had experienced for over a year. As of this writing, I no longer need to use the whey protein, but still drink the lemon juice (mostly because I like it) even though the kidney pain is gone.

The thing that helped in my recovery the most was simply the passage of time. I also maintained a positive attitude and never stopped believing that I would heal. There were no magic pills or quick fixes. I didn’t wait around to get better – I just kept living my life, despite the pain. I worked with pain, cleaned my house in pain, did laundry in pain, played with my son in pain, etc. I kept pushing myself to get out of bed every morning, no matter how much it hurt. I really believe this is why I recovered. I refused to be a victim.

The last thing I did in the final phase of my recovery was a candida diet. Eliminating sugar and all simple carbs from my diet allowed me to turn a corner in my recovery. I went from 90 percent recovered to 100 percent after eating that way for a month. As a side note, I was also put into early menopause because of Levaquin and had been experiencing menopausal symptoms from month 3. The candida diet also eliminated all of the symptoms associated with the menopause. I can finally say that today I am completely symptom-free.

This journey has changed me in many ways. I have discovered the power of gratitude. I no longer take things for granted. I am grateful for every second I have on this planet and continue to live each day as if it is the only day. Good or bad, it’s all good to me. I am just happy to be alive. Peace.

** 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.