Free-floating, often severe, anxiety is a common symptom of fluoroquinolone toxicity.
Fluoroquinolones thoroughly mess up GABA neurotransmitters, and GABA “plays the principal role in reducing neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system.” Here are a few articles that describe how fluoroquinolones negatively affect GABA – Article 1, Article 2, Article 3.
To put what fluoroquinolones do to GABA neurotransmitters into a framework, they basically throw people into protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal. People who have gone through benzodiazepine withdrawal at any time in life should NEVER take a fluoroquinolone. See “Benzodiazepine tolerance, dependency, and withdrawal syndromes and interactions with fluoroquinolone antimicrobials” for more information about how fluoroquinolones affect people who have a history of benzodiazepine use and withdrawal.
The things that help people through protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal may be helpful for floxies too. GABA neurotransmitters and receptors have been iatrogenically damaged by both drugs, and they need to heal. From what I understand, the Ashton Manual has a lot of good information in it about healing from benzodiazepine withdrawal. Support sites like www.benzobuddies.org may also be helpful.
A very interesting review of supplements to treat anxiety (specifically benzodiazepine induced anxiety, but the advice is applicable to floxies too) can be found through this link –
http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/54028-treating-anxiety-safely-effectively/
Additionally, Ruth has researched and written extensively about fluoroquinolone induced anxiety and I suggest reading her story – https://floxiehope.com/ruths-story-cipro-toxicity/ and listening to her podcast – https://floxiehope.com/2015/01/07/the-floxie-hope-podcast-episode-6-ruth-young/. She also wrote some very interesting and insightful comments on my story starting about June 9, 2015 – https://floxiehope.com/lisas-recovery-story-cipro-toxicity/comment-page-13/#comments.
Ruth mentions supplementing uridine in her story:
I also have found that uridine works really well when I get that horrible insomnia and nothing else is helping. Uridine has it’s own receptors in the brain, so maybe it is a way floxies can bypass GABA receptor damage. I cannot prevent a relapse with it. I take it after the relapse starts, 500-750 mg with a fish oil capsule to help it work better. It’s something to have in reserve for those times you just want to crawl out of your own skin and you need to get some rest. Taking it every day did nothing for me. It has to be timed just right, at the moment that every time I’m starting to fall asleep symptoms are getting more intense and now I’m standing there by my bed with my skin just burning, knowing I am not going to sleep. A couple uridine and I’m out within thirty minutes.
It has recently come to my attention that uridine helps to reduce epileptic seizures and that increases free GABA, thus it has a calming influence. I have found it to be useful.
The things that helped me to get through cipro-induced anxiety are: 1. Acupuncture, 2. Meditation, 3. Stress reduction – especially flox related stress – that meant getting off the internet.
I went through a recent period of pain that induced anxiety. Kava helped me a lot. The longecity article recommends against kava, and I think that their concerns are valid. It is only for short-term use and it probably isn’t best for people who have had a history of benzo withdrawal. Personally, I’ve never had a benzo and I only needed to use kava for a short period of time. It was a life-saver during the time I used it. Be careful with it though.
There is a vicious cycle when it comes to fluoroquinolone toxicity symptoms and anxiety. Fluoroquinolone toxicity symptoms lead to stress and anxiety (it’s a pretty reasonable to be stressed and anxious when you’re suddenly in pain, you can’t move but when you do you tear tendons, you lose your memory, and suffer from chronic insomnia – to name just a few symptoms of fluoroquinolone toxicity), stress and anxiety negatively affect the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and lead to dysautonomia, ANS damage leads to more fluoroquinolone toxicity symptoms, which leads to more stress, and so on, and so on.
I don’t think that fluoroquinolone toxicity is “just” anxiety, but I do think that anxiety makes every symptom of fluoroquinolone toxicity worse. I also think that there is nothing to be trivialized about anxiety. It’s not a choice. It’s the central and autonomic nervous systems going completely hay-wire, and both stress and anxiety can lead to serious health problems.
I know that anxiety makes you not want to do these things, but I also suggest trying really hard to do the simple things that make you healthy and happy. Sleep plenty. Enjoy your food. Laugh a lot. Be social. Hang out with a pet and/or children. Those things are healthy and they are healing. They’re easier said than done, but they’re certainly worth a try.
In my opinion, it’s imperative for floxies to get stress and anxiety symptoms under control. Neither stress nor anxiety are easy things to control, and, like I said earlier, it’s not a choice – it’s GABA neurotransmitter damage – but anything that can be done to reduce stress and anxiety will help the GABA neurotransmitters to heal, and will help the ANS and CNS to normalize.
Fluoroquinolone induced anxiety can be crawl-out-of-your-skin horrible, but it does get better. Hang in there, my friends.
INSOMNIA
Going to post this here as I don’t think there is a separate post for it and it is very related to anxiety, and some of the same things work to alleviate both.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026605_fluoride_fluorides_detox.html
This article shares some important tips (references are not great in it, though, very incomplete) on using Iodine and Borax to chelate Fluoride from the body. The one thing this article incorrectly omits is the importance of taking Antioxidants in any detox
The other important thing it points out is how it screws up the Pineal Gland (much like the Thyroid Gland) which screws up Melatonin production which causes Insomnia, this is well documented. So its at least a double whammy here, having the Pineal Gland screwed over AND having Gaba/Glutamate balance thrown off.
I had very bad Insomnia at the beginning (I already had some pre-Flox too) and I
took lots of Melatonin along with a few other things and they all helped a lot, BUT ONLY BECAUSE I TOOK MANY THINGS ALL AT ONCE. I have to stress this point, because any Floxies who think taking one or two things is going to curb Floxie Insomnia are sadly mistaken, this is a severe infliction, and thus severe measures need to be taken, high amounts of MANY supplements to try and counter the gross imbalances created by the Drug. (including robbing MAG, which is relaxing to system, so triple whammy, and probably more)
So I am very sure I would have got a LOT less sleep without these things I took, and only because I took about TEN things total did they probably help. I tried taking less, and would have to get up after an hour and take something else, etc etc until I eventually learned that a LOT of stuff in large amounts was the only way I could get sleep when the Insomnia was at its worst, then I was able to slowly taper the amounts downward as I healed. Here is some of the things I took, probably in order of importance (sometimes several of them would be included in one supplement)
– Magnesium definitely – it is calming, take LOTS and good forms!!!
– Melatonin
– Gaba & L-Theanine (by countering Glutamate the tired and wired type of Insomnia)
– Cherry Tart juice (Melatonin, I took this ON TOP of Melatonin supplements)
Notice those are addressing root causes, then I also used more things as well:
– Valerian Root
– 5-htp
– L-Theanine
– Passion Flower
– Hyland’s Calms Forte (homeopathy)
– Lavender aromatherapy
– Lemon Balm
– Hops
– Catnip Herb
Here are 18 things total for Insomnia, many I have listed already but a couple more here: http://everydayroots.com/sleep-remedies
Some of these things are bandaid fixes, some address the root causes, of course without knowing your own root cause its hard to treat it properly, I listed 3 possible and probable ones above, however there are many more possibilities, like: Other Neural Transmitter imbalances (Amino Acid’s can help) and other Hormone imbalances, both very common in today’s society and even more common amongst Floxies. Insomnia can also be caused by Electrolyte and Mineral imbalances, but for any of these additional things without knowing which deficiencies and imbalances someone has it is impossible to recommend anything.
In my case the Sodium Bicarbonate I was taking for Acidic issues was causing me Insomnia (even pre-Flox I just didn’t know then), once I realized and cut way back on it and started balancing other Electrolytes and Minerals it helped a lot.
Love the analogy–performs as a Trojan Horse to carry aluminum across the blood brain barrier. They mention tamarind which I had read about before, but found very difficult to find (for tea). And again one thing no mentioned is (and much easier to find) Brazil nuts in moderation—only one or two a day. Happy New Year Jason.
Yes they have an affinity for each other, similar to ALA and Mercury in this sense
Happy New Year to you as well!
Jason. I am 4 months into being floxed and my biggest issue is GABA receptor damage. You mentioned in this post about taking as many supplements as possible for insomnia. I am in a bind and would like your advice. I had a bad reaction to a half of a mg of melatonin! Heart rate went up, severe anxiety, didn’t sleep all night and the next day developed severe tinnitus. Before that I had insomnia but that melatonin reaction made it severe!! It is 4 weeks later and I am still battling insomnia, sudden wake ups at 4-4:30 and tinnitus that keeps me awake. I had the same reaction to half a pill of LTheanine! I am worried about my GABA receptors healing but I understand in most cases they do? Do you know how long on the average they take to repair?? I did not and do not take benzos. I am taking about 500-600 mgs of angstrom mag a day. Most of my physical symptoms are improving but I am hoping for GABA repair soon. Any suggestions???
HI Dee I do not check these forums anymore sorry. I have a couple of clients who reacted similarly to Melatonin, one common reason is when Cortisol is too low it can make many many supplements hard to tolerate, in your case it sounds like Adrenaline shot up to try and compensate.
Floxing is a complicated matter in an already extremely complicated body, many many things can be done but it is very hard to give any kind of targeted accurate helpful advice just in forums, there are too many variables from person to person and only by properly accessing these for someone can good advice be given.
People that want that kind of help from an expert on Floxing and much more can find more about me and my contact info in the 2nd comment under this article: https://floxiehope.com/2015/10/12/im-floxed-now-what/
I’m not sure if I have mentioned it yet, or not, but of course a destroyed GUT will lead to Anxiety (and Brain Fog, and 100 other issues).
Pretty sure I have not posted this thread before, and it looks useful, this is a HUGE topic actually which could have its own article and another 60 comments under it:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/the-wonders-of-prebiotics.6740/
There are 4 pages of comments there, the main idea of course is not just take Probiotics, but to feed them and the other good ones HOPEFULLY remaining (Reading a lot about this, some permanent biome damage seems to be very likely, especially with something like the Quins) with Prebiotics:
“I am getting pretty good results from taking high doses of PREBIOTICS, two or three times a day (along with some probiotics), and also cutting out most of the sugar from my diet.
This prebiotic regimen has GREATLY reduced my anxiety levels, and and has also improved my mood (less depression), my brain fog, and increased my ability to concentrate. There are improvements in my energy levels as well. I believe that PREBIOTICS are much better than PROBIOTICS.”
As anyone who reads a bit there, and in other places will see, many people end up with a negative reaction, if they take a lot of Prebiotics. I believe this is because too many of the good bacteria are indeed “missing”, and too many bad ones are in their place, like in the Small Intestine where they don’t belong, AKA SIBO, a root cause of IBS and other like Gut issues. So instead of feeding the “good guys”, you end up feeding the “bad guys”, and end up with Gas, Bloating, etc etc
This is a good short article showing the importance of Methylation in things like Anxiety
http://mthfr.net/overmethylation-and-undermethylation-case-study/2012/06/27/
One more here also talking about Histaimine http://carriagehousemedicine.com/services/ease-anxiety-depression/
And then a really good comprehensive one here:
http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/03/21/undermethylation-vs-overmethylation-causes-symptoms-treatments/
Here are a few anti-anxiety tips – http://kellybroganmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BetterThanXanaxKellyBroganMD.pdf
Of those 3 tips, I would recommend that number 2 be avoided by Floxies for the many reasons I have posted above
I should also mention that tip 3 of 3 needs to be done in MODERATION only. I see too many Floxies making the mistake of trying to get too much of a good thing, and even taking these baths everyday, which can CAUSE more issues than it solves
For those who struggle with insomnia and/or anxiety, this may be helpful.
“Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) being both carminative and antispasmodic, is active specifically on that part of the vagus nerve which may interfere with the harmonious functioning of the heart and the stomach. Recent experiments at the University of Heidelberg have confirmed that the action of the volatile oil begins within the limbic system of the brain and subsequently operates directly upon the vagus nerve and all of the organs that are innervated by it. Accordingly, neurasthenia (complete nervous prostration), migraine, and nervous gastropathy are amenable to its healing power.”
Just in looking through amazon, the reviews on this are interesting – https://smile.amazon.com/Natures-Way-Melissa-Capsules-100-Count/dp/B00020HQU0/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1478573160&sr=8-3&keywords=Melissa+officinalis+%28Lemon+Balm%29
I have question. Does Fluoroquinolone depleted cortisol. Does cortisold Acetate administration could repair mitochondria?
Thanks
I have question. Does Fluoroquinolone depleted cortisol. Does cortisold Acetate administration could repair mitochondria?
Thanks
Actually I think the reverse is true. I believe cortisol levels often rise with fluoroquinolone toxicity. This is not a good thing. You do not want high cortisol levels. This is what happens when you are under a lot of stress. It is responsible fo the “fight or flight” we go into when we sense danger. Among other things, it suppresses immunity and when too high can effect the heart and inflammation.
Yes, getting Floxed can cause people to be in a chronic low Cortisol state, this is the most common situation, some people will go through a high Cortisol state as well, sometimes before the low state. Cortisol affects many bodily systems but not the Mitochondria from my memory, at least, not directly, someone with chronic low Cortisol will be affected in numerous ways that could effect the Mitochondria indirectly however.
For Mitochondria, see my comments under this article: https://floxiehope.com/2015/09/07/the-mitochondrial-link-fearless-parent-podcast-81/
Hi all. I took a 2-week course of Cipro in November 2016 and while I did not have an immediate toxic reaction, I developed tendinopathy in both knees in the months shortly after. After reading about the benefits of magnesium for FQ toxicity, I started taking 150 mg of mag. citrate. Shortly after this I experienced a severe reaction which included symptoms such as pounding heart, nausea, anxiety, dry mouth and dizziness. After 2 weeks I stopped the mag as I was still getting the symptoms. I am wondering whether taking the mag triggered some sort of detox reaction and the symptoms were caused by the FQ somehow having a new effect on me. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I really doubt it TIm. That is a VERY low dosage. At my worst, I was taking 800 mg. Magnesium is something you really NEED to take because flqs deplete it and it is needed for nerve function and so much more. What you are experience is sadly a normal pattern. When I was first floxed I had numbness in my fingers and toes and blurred vision and floaters. In the following weeks I experience excruciating back pain, popping in my joints and gut issues. In the weeks after THOSE I started gasping for breath, I dropped 36 pounds, and experienced pelvic area pain and pressure. All told, I ended up with over 30 side effects in the following months. Then two 1 1/2 years later I had torn meniscus (I think that was the popping I had experienced earlier, but my knees didn’t go out until then.) You need to go back on the mag an I would say at a much higher dose. While I took dozens of supplements, vitamin E was not one of them, however that is another one that Dr jay Cohen recommends taking right away. His book “How to Halt the Cipro and Levaquin Catastrophe: The Worst Medication Disaster in US History”) Also, while there is nothing wrong with mag citrate, it is one of the ones most likely to give you diarrhea in high doses. Good choices are mag orotate, mag threonate)
As for the tendinopathy in the knees, Cipro eat through connective tissue: collagen, ocular vitreous gel, muscle, etc) Since I did not want surgery (and long term prognosis after surgery on the knees is not great) and I definitely will never take any steroids again, I had prolozone injections in both knees. THis helps your own body repair itself. It takes at least 6 months for that to happen. So far so good! There is prolozone and prolotherapy and there is a difference between the two, but I am not exactly what.
Anyhow, I urge you to go back on the magnesium.
also be sure to be on a good multi-strained, 50 billion unit probiotic. The gut effects EVERYTHING, even things seemingly unrelated and this stuff just destroys the good gut microbiome. Avoid fluoride (in water too) and gmos as well as meats that are not organic (so you don’t accidentally get more antibiotics.) There are so many supplements that help with different aspects, if you scroll through older posts you will see what has helped others.
Tim, not a detox reaction, but I have seen many people have this kind of reaction to Magnesium unfortunately. This is too complicated to go into on a forum, see my post above on December 20, 2017 at 7:03 pm in reply to Dee for how this should be handled.
This question is for Jason or anyone who might know the answer. According to some of your earlier posts AI gather more GABA is a good thing yet Glutamine which ultimately helps produce more GABA is a bad thing. I don’t get it. I know there were scientific articles cited but I need it explained very simply. Glutamine is good for the gut and I would really like to take some but don’t want to sabotage my nervous system.
I don’t think I mentioned more Gaba being a bad thing, too much Glutamate is bad
As for Glutamine, the bottom line other than what was went into above is it can be beneficial to take for a few things but not everyone can tolerate it at any given time for a few reasons, so it will be trial and error like many supplements and even foods. Like with anything like this, start slow, low dose, no other new things for 3 days, see how it goes.
I find my worse ongoing symptom is depression I can’t seem to shake it despite now being 6 months post floxing, would this most likely be GABA related as well you think?
Do you have a lifetime for psychological Flox Damage? I am 14 Months postflox and the side effects were anxiety, dizziness and mild depression and this inner vibration. At the beginning there were panic attacks.
How long did your symptoms stay?
My psychological ones were severe..terrifying anxiety, paranoia, depression and I thought of suicide all day every day for months. The extreme anxiety hung around the longest. That lasted somewhere between one and 1 1/2 years. I know it’s very difficult to cope with, but it does get better. Some things that help n the moment: meditating (honestly, early on that was impossible); going for a walk. This really did help. It helps your body to switch from sympathetic to parasympathetic mode. The first is your “fight or flight” response, and comes in handy if you are being chased by a bear….but not good when there is no actual threat. Breathing exercises are also good for this. Inhale slowly to the count of four,and then exhale slowly for a count of 8. This also helps to put you into parasympathetic, which helps tamp down on the anxiety.
Thank you alot. God bless you!
I’ve been given a one-time-only dose of Valium to calm my anxiety and get some good sleep the night before a pain a management procedure, and I felt so good I didn’t need any the next morning prior to the procedure. It is disturbing, however, just how much better I felt…for the first time since my slow-withdrawal, I finally felt like I’d been restored to what was my personal ‘normal’, and even better…but, I shouldn’t need a Valium pill to feel normal again. I only wish a vitamin or mineral, or some other easily obtained supplement could give me the same effect!
I hear you! At my worst, when I was near-blind, gasping for breath, unable to walk without help, in excruciating pain—I had a crown come out. The thought of visiting a DDS at that point was absurd, but I had to. And since I was struggling so much just to breathe, I couldn’t imagine having to hold my mouth open. I got an RX for Xanax and it got me through. I prefer to never take any pharmaceuticals again, but you have to do what you have to do. (I also need it to fly, thanks to claustrophobia.) My feeling is if you need it on occasion, go for it.
If anxiety surrounding Cipro, it was because of the gaslighting and meanness of the doctors I went to with side effects as well as the lack of concern from my now ex-husband.
I was prescribed Cipro for prostrate infection for two weeks, twice a day 500mg pill. After the four day I had pain in back and legs , constipation, imsomnia, a burning feeling inside my body and tremors in my arms, a fog brain . I didn’t know what’s going on . Two days latter I was on ER with a misdiagnosed of depression.
Five months latter, I’m taking sleeping pills, pills for my constipation, pills for depression, my arms and legs are barely moving and I’m always tired. I was a healthy individual before Cipro. Doctors ran all kinds of tests and didin’t find anything wrong. I also lost about 18 pounds and I am always feeling cold…I’m very susceptible to cold weather…Cipro ruined my life.
You need to get off the pharmaceuticals. Find a good naturopath or integrative MD to help you. Wean yourself off the sleeping pills. For your gut…bone broth, a good probiotic, digestive enzymes, eat clean, lots of organic frutis and vegetables. For constipation, try psyillium husk. Avoid fluoridated anything including water.