Here is the Floroquinolone FDA Black Box Warning!

FDA BLACK BOX

The Food and Drug Administration imposed the government's most urgent safety warning on Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and many other flouroquinolone antibiotics. The FDA orders a prominent "black box" warning and the development of new literature for patients emphasizing the risks. The most prominent risk is tendon rupture causing long term disability, possibly permanent.

This is an important first step to ensuring these antibiotics are only used when the patient faces a potential fatal outcome, and only after the use of all other antibiotics have been ruled out. This is not due to the probability of risk, but rather severity.

To those who have been affected, prognosis is normally not good. There is no cure. Often repeat exposure through food and water cause a continual never ending cycle of symptoms. Many victims face the fact that their lives have been completely destroyed. Many face loss of job and income, some face breakup of the family. Some have even committed suicide because of the pain inflicted by these drugs.

Unfortunately, physicians currently give these prescriptions out like candy. To emphasize the ignorance of physicians, Cipro is often prescribed post-op for tendon repair surgery. The physician will often prescribe a drug known to cause tendon rupture as a preventive to infection after tendon repair surgery. There is an obvious neglect on the part of the physicians who simply do not known the potential dangers of the drugs they prescribe. So where is the breakdown of information? Unfortunately many physicians mistakenly rely on pharmaceutical drug reps to point out any potential side effects rather than investigating it themselves. Further implicating the physicians, they accept gifts from drug companies and in return will prescribe unnecessary and dangerous substances. Drug Reps, paid on commission, find themselves making more sales by not disclosing the dangers, or make light of potential side effects. Making the problem worse, the drug manufactures trivialize and distort the potential risks.

A pending U.S. Senate bill would require drug companies to report gifts to doctors of more than $25. New York State's legislature plans to hold hearings this year on the relationship between doctors and drug companies. One congressional critic has even compared the drug industry with the tobacco industry, and Senator John McCain has called drug makers the "bad guys."

Antibiotics known as flouroquinolones have been associated with some or all of the following adverse drug reactions:

Tendonitis, Tendon Rupture, Tendon, Ligament, Joint and Muscle Damage

Vision Damage, Hearing Loss, Taste Perversion

Peripheral Neuropathy (Tingling, burning sensation)

Insomnia, Nightmares, Anxiety Attacks, Depersonalization, Cognitive Disorders

Brain, Heart, Liver, Kidney, Pancreas, Blood and Endocrine Disorders

Severe Psychotic Reactions, Suicidal Thoughts or Actions

Gastrointestinal Damage

Compounding the problem, there are numerous drugs which should not be taken in combination with this class of antibiotics. There are increased risks of injury when they are taken in combination with corticosteroids (e.g.: Prednisone, Flovent, Nasarel, Azmacort, Advair Disku, Methylprednisolone Dospak, Elocon Cream, Desoximetasone Cream, and Sterapred) and when taken in combinations with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (e.g.: Motrin, Pamprin, Aleve, Advil, and Ibuprofen, among others). Physicians are frequently not aware of these contraindications and prescribe dangerous combinations of drugs which cause severe injuries to their patients. Physicians may also not be able to identify that their patient is suffering an adverse reaction and instruct them to continue to take more of the antibiotic resulting in very serious and perhaps preventable injuries.

Post Cipro Poisoning Regime

Below you will find a list of things that I have done to combat my Cipro Poisoning. It has been two and a half years since my last poisoning and while my feet and legs are much improved, I am currently having issues in my arms and hands.

Are these new issues relate? or not?

I am NOT a doctor, these are just what I am trying. A lot of what I will be eating and taking are to remove as much as the toxin as I can. He suggested that I eat 1 cup of mixed brussel sprouts and broccoli and 1 whole red beet everyday. These should be steamed and the red beet should be steamed whole. It is the "red" in the beet that is supposed to thin the bile from the liver that can become thicker after Cipro poisoning.

In addition to those veggies I am "drinking" Green Vibrance. It has 25 billion probiotics per dose. It is also used for detoxification.

I am taking 3-4 Magnesium Malate (1250mg) per day, 2000mg of Vitamin C per day, 1 tablet 4 times a day on an empty stomach (be sure to eventually wean yourself down to a normal dose if you take this much Vitamin C). Bromelain, 2 capsules, 4 times a day between meals. Fibrozym, 3 tablets in the morning. Vitamin D and Calcium. These are all in addition to my "regular" everyday vitamins!

By the time I am through sucking down all of these pills and eating those veggies, I think I might just explode!

He also suggested epsom salt baths and light massage. Movement , especially in a pool, and to not push to the point of damage. He also pressed on tendon connections and did something like spreading the muscle tissue. None of this was painful.

Today is day 12, since the side effects began. Last night was the first night that I did not wake up in the middle of the night an hour or two BEFORE I could take Ibuprofen. I actually woke up one hour AFTER I was supposed to take it. I am taking 600mg every 6 hours. My "other" Dr. recommended that as it IS an anti-inflammatory. It helps me tremendously. I seem to be moving a bit faster, at the moment! Hoping for a good day.

Floroquinolones; Bad News!

Antibiotics are important drugs, often restoring health and even saving lives. But like all drugs, they can have unwanted and serious side effects, some of which may not become apparent until many thousands of patients have been treated.

Such is the case with an important class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. The best known are Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin). In 2010, Levaquin was the best-selling antibiotic in the United States.

But by last year it was also the subject of more than 2,000 lawsuits from patients who had suffered severe reactions after taking it.

Part of the problem is that fluoroquinolones are often inappropriately prescribed. Instead of being reserved for use against serious, perhaps life-threatening bacterial infections like hospital-acquired pneumonia, these antibiotics are frequently prescribed for sinusitis, bronchitis, earaches and other ailments that may resolve on their own or can be treated with less potent drugs or nondrug remedies — or are caused by viruses, which are not susceptible to antibiotics.

In an interview, Mahyar Etminan, a pharmacological epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia, said the drugs were overused “by lazy doctors who are trying to kill a fly with an automatic weapon.”

Dr. Etminan directed a study published in April in The Journal of the American Medical Association showing that the risk of suffering a potentially blinding retinal detachment was nearly fivefold higher among current users of fluoroquinolones, compared with nonusers. In another study submitted for publication, he documented a significantly increased risk of acute kidney failure among users of these drugs.

The conditions Dr. Etminan has studied are relatively easy to research because they result in hospitalizations with diagnoses that are computerized and tracked in databases. Far more challenging to study are the array of diffuse, confusing symptoms suffered by fluoroquinolone users like Lloyd Balch, a 33-year-old Manhattan resident and Web site manager for City College of New York.

In an interview, Mr. Balch said he was healthy until April 20, when a fever and cough prompted him to see a doctor. Nothing was heard through a stethoscope, but a chest X-ray indicated a mild case of pneumonia, and he was given Levaquin. Although he had heard of problems with Levaquin and asked the doctor if he might take a different antibiotic, he was told Levaquin was the drug he needed.

After just one dose, he developed widespread pain and weakness. He called to report this reaction, but was told to take the next dose. But the next pill, he said, “eviscerated” him, causing pain in all his joints and vision problems.

Debilitating Side Effects

In addition to being unable to walk uphill, climb stairs or see clearly, his symptoms included dry eyes, mouth and skin; ringing in his ears; delayed urination; uncontrollable shaking; burning pain in his eyes and feet; occasional tingling in his hands and feet; heart palpitations; and muscle spasms in his back and around his eyes. Though Mr. Balch’s reaction is unusual, doctors who have studied the side effects of fluoroquinolones say others have suffered similar symptoms.

Three and a half months after he took that second pill, these symptoms persist, and none of the many doctors of different specialties he has consulted has been able to help. Mr. Balch is now working with a physical therapist, but in a phone consultation with Dr. David Flockhart, an expert in fluoroquinolone side effects at the Indiana University School of Medicine, he was told it could take a year for his symptoms to resolve, if they ever do disappear completely.

Guidelines by the American Thoracic Society state that fluoroquinolones should not be used as a first-line treatment for community-acquired pneumonia; it recommends that doxycycline or a macrolide be tried first. Mr. Balch didn’t know this, or he might have fought harder to get a different antibiotic.

Adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones may occur almost anywhere in the body. In addition to occasional unwanted effects on the musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, the drugs in rare cases can seriously injure the central nervous system (causing “brain fog,” depression, hallucinations and psychotic reactions), the heart, liver, skin (painful, disfiguring rashes and phototoxicity), the gastrointestinal system (nausea and diarrhea), hearing and blood sugar metabolism.

The rising use of these potent drugs has also been blamed for increases in two very serious, hard-to-treat infections: antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (known as MRSA) and severe diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile. One study found that fluoroquinolones were responsible for 55 percent of C. difficile infections at one hospital in Quebec.

Fluoroquinolones carry a “black box” warning mandated by the Food and Drug Administration that tells doctors of the link to tendinitis and tendon rupture and, more recently, about the drugs’ ability to block neuromuscular activity. But consumers don’t see these highlighted alerts, and patients are rarely informed of the risks by prescribing doctors. Mr. Balch said he was never told about the black-box warnings.

Lack of Long-Term Studies

No one knows how often serious adverse reactions occur. The F.D.A.’s reporting system for adverse effects is believed to capture only about 10 percent of them. Complicating the problem is that, unlike retinal detachments that were linked only to current or very recent use of a fluoroquinolone, the drugs’ adverse effects on other systems can show up weeks or months after the treatment ends; in such cases, patients’ symptoms may never be associated with prior fluoroquinolone therapy.

No long-term studies have been done among former users of these antibiotics. Fibromyalgia-like symptoms have been associated with fluoroquinolones, and some experts suggest that some cases of fibromyalgia may result from treatment with a fluoroquinolone.

A half-dozen fluoroquinolones have been taken off the market because of unjustifiable risks of adverse effects. Those that remain are undeniably important drugs, when used appropriately. But doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have expressed concern that too often fluoroquinolones are prescribed unnecessarily as a “one size fits all” remedy without considering their suitability for different patients.

Experts caution against giving these drugs to certain patients who face higher than average risks of bad reactions — children under age 18, adults over 60, and pregnant and nursing women — unless there is no effective alternative. The risk of adverse effects is also higher among people with liver disease and those taking corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

When an antibiotic is prescribed, it is wise to ask what the drug is and whether it is necessary, what side effects to be alert for, whether there are effective alternatives, when to expect the diagnosed condition to resolve, and when to call if something unexpected happens or recovery seems delayed.

At the same time, when an antibiotic is appropriately prescribed, it is extremely important to take the full prescription as directed and not to stop treatment when the patient simply begins to feel better.

A version of this article appeared in print on 09/11/2012, on page D7 of the NewYork edition with the headline: A Cure That Can Be Worse Than the Illness.

Hospital Tips!

If you or anyone you know and love should end up in a hospital bed; here are a few tips to help make your stay more comfortable.

First and foremost is when you are in your room, close your door! There are many reasons to keep your door closed both night and day. The most important one is that it is so much quieter; you and your visitors are allowed peace and privacy. You can escape from the hustle and bustle that is going on around you; and at night you can actually get some sleep. The other critical reason for keeping your door closed is that unless you WANT to be a fish in a fish bowl, you will protect yourself, not only from the other patients’ stares as they are doing their laps, but from all of the other patients’ visitors as well, not to mention the plethora of  hospital employees that continually roam the halls.

Let me just tell you what I saw on my daily jaunts around the nurses’ station; there were several very elderly people, some falling out of chairs, others’ lying in their beds with their heads dangling and their moths’ open; almost always alone. It was very depressing and sad. Then there were the screamers, which every time you walked by they would scream out in pain. Yes, I know I screamed when I had my bone marrow biopsy, but my door WAS closed! One of my favorites was the guy that had his bed sitting straight up; he had his shirt off, his covers down and he thought that he was “all that, and then some”, it was hysterical, he would look you straight in the eye and grin when you walked by. Rather, creepy! Sometimes you would witness a patient with a full room of visitors and often you witnessed patients hobbling to the bathroom with their rear ends sticking out of there hospital gowns. So unless you want to become part of the entertainment; I would suggest closing your door. And yes, you can train the hospital staff to close it behind them when they leave; it just takes a few reminders per shift.

Second important tip is to be really nice to the hospital staff. You are at their mercy! This trickles right down the chain of command and gets you two egg croissants when you ask for them. If you are nice to them, they answer your call button on the first buzz.

Third tip would be items of comfort; have someone bring you your own pillow, slippers, socks,  robe and jammies. You will be much more comfortable in your own clothing and resting your head on your own pillow. Ear plugs and an eye mask are essential; Desert Regional Hospital actually gives them to their patients.

Other items of comfort might include Charmin toilet paper, soft Kleenex, Chap Stick and lotion, a hairbrush or comb,  snacks that are available when you are hungry and an electric hot pot that you can either make tea or coffee, or heat up that cold soup from lunch when you are ready to eat it. A notebook and pen are also nice to have so that you can jot down questions when you think of them. A large folder or envelope is helpful in keeping all of the papers that you will be receiving organized.  A bag that holds all of these things and hangs on the side of your bed is great, too.

Taking antibiotics ruptured my tendon: The hidden dangers of everyday drugs we assume are harmless

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Taking antibiotics ruptured my tendon: The hidden dangers of everyday drugs we assume are harmless

By JO WATERS

Last updated at 3:43 AM on 7th February 2012

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'The pain was so sharp I felt like I'd been shot or kicked,' said Judy Thomas

When Judy Thomas was prescribed a strong antibiotic to shift her chest infection, she didn’t think twice about it. 

‘It was a few days before Christmas and I was just relieved to get something before the holidays,’ says Judy, 59, a housewife from Ferndown, Dorset.

‘It was a high dose of 500mg of ciprofloxacin twice a day for five days. My GP didn’t mention any possible side-effects.’

Three days later, Judy woke up with an all-pervading tight feeling in the backs of both calves.

‘I could barely walk; I thought the tendon was going to snap,’ she recalls. 

‘Ten days later, when I was standing making tea in the kitchen, something did seem to snap in the back of my left calf. 

'The pain was so sharp I felt like I’d been shot or kicked, and I blacked out for a few seconds. Afterwards, I was in excruciating pain.’

Next day, she went to A&E with her husband, Geoff, 64, and her left leg was put in plaster because doctors suspected a ruptured Achilles tendon. 

‘I was baffled because I hadn’t been doing any exercise and it’s something I thought you only got with running or sport,’ says Judy.

‘It was my sister Sally, a retired nurse, who Googled it later that evening and discovered tendon rupture can be a side-effect of taking ciprofloxacin. 

'Imagine my horror when this was confirmed by my GP the next day.’

It can take six months on average to get back to normal activities after an Achilles tendon rupture, but in some cases much longer. A month after taking ciprofloxican Judy is still incapacitated. 

‘I’ve been left unable to walk properly,’ she says. ‘I can’t bear weight on it and have been confined to the house.

'Now I’m terrified the tendon in my right leg will rupture, too, as the doctor I saw in A&E said it was showing signs of severe damage. 

‘I’ve got pins and needles in my left arm and shoulder, too, which started at the same time. I’m worried this is also connected to the antibiotics, and might be permanent.’ 

One in six of all prescriptions in the UK is for antibiotics, with the drugs given for everything from ear infections to sore throats. 

But what many patients don’t realise is that like all drugs, antibiotics can cause side-effects.

Amoxicillin, the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the UK, can cause rashes and diarrhoea, but also nausea, wheezing, itching and a swollen tongue. 

One in six of all prescriptions in the UK is for antibiotics, with the drugs given for everything from ear infections to sore throats

Another antibiotic, Flucloxacillin, can cause diarrhoea and nausea, and in rarer cases breathing difficulties, jaundice, bruising and abdominal pain. 

And erythromycin, used to treat middle ear and throat infections, cannot only cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and a rash, but less commonly temporary deafness, skin blisters, jaundice and fever.

‘There’s been a perception that antibiotics are a bit like vitamins in that it won’t do the patient any harm to take them, even if it’s not absolutely certain they do have an infection,’ says Dr Kieran Hand, consultant pharmacist at Southampton General Hospital and a spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. 

‘We are realising antibiotics are not completely harmless, and prescribing them is not a decision to be taken lightly.’

This is particularly true for a class of powerful broad spectrum antibiotics called fluoroquinolones, which include ciprofloxacin (the drug Judy was prescribed), levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin and norfloxacin. 

Just under a million prescriptions for these drugs were given out in the UK in 2010 for conditions such as chest infections and urinary tract and gastro-intestinal infections.

Some of the alarming side-effects listed for fluoroquinolines include inflamed or ruptured tendon, chest pain, rapid heart beat, black outs, swelling, hot flushes, sweating, pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) and tinnitus. 

It’s only the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics that have been linked with tendon problems and other muscolo-skeletal issues.

These may start immediately after taking the drugs, or months later. 

As a result, doctors and patients often fail to make the link with the antibiotics.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the UK’s drug safety watchdog, received reports of 2,269 ‘suspected’ adverse reactions associated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including 67 deaths, since January 2000. 

Four years ago, concern about the potential side-effects led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration telling manufacturers to add a ‘black box’ warning to fluoroquinolones. 

This is the most serious warning, short of pulling a drug from the market, and indicates that it carries a significant risk of serious or life-threatening adverse events. 

In the UK, the British National Formulary, a prescribing guide for doctors and pharmacists, added a specific warning about fluoroquinolones in 2009, stating they should be used ‘with caution’ in patients over 60, those taking corticosteroids, and patients with a history of epilepsy or tendon disorders.

But Judy says she had none of these risk factors. 

Nor did Rebecca Robinson, a 44-year-old self-employed hairdresser from Bristol, who was prescribed five courses of ciprofloxacin over a 12-month period after developing cystitis and then a kidney infection in 2006.

Five years later, she is still suffering persistent lower leg pain and other unexplained symptoms, including pain and burning in her lower legs, cervical dystonia (neck spasms), tinnitus and muscle twitching — some of which are recognised side-effects of ciprofloxacin. 

‘The reaction started immediately after the first dose: I felt giddiness, back pain and needed to pass urine frequently,’ she says. 

‘But it felt just like the kidney infection coming back, so I was prescribed more of the drugs. 

‘I’d never felt right since I took those antibiotics but doctors told me there was no connection. 

'After three years of tests and no answers, I went online and discovered there were thousands of other people who had taken ciprofloxacin and had similar side-effects to me.

'I have lost half my customers as I have balance problems and find it difficult to stand for long periods. 

'I’ve never claimed any disability benefits and always worked to support myself, but what happens if I get worse? 

Doctors stress that we must finish a course of antibiotics and don’t mention adverse reactions, so people continue taking the drugs, not realising they are causing them damage.

Philip Howard, consultant pharmacist and a specialist in antibiotics, says although ciprofloxacin has been around for 25 years, it’s only in the past ten years that more side-effects have emerged.

‘When ciprofloxacin was first introduced, it was one of the first broad spectrum antibiotics which could be given as a tablet, so patients didn’t need to stay in hospital. 

'That was a major advantage but also came to be one of its major failings, because it then was over-prescribed.

‘As with all drugs, the rarer side-effects sometimes don’t become apparent until large numbers of people have been treated with them.’

He says there are few reasons why ciprofloxacin should still be prescribed by a GP except where there is no alternative, such as where the patient has an allergy to penicillin or where other antibiotics haven’t worked.

‘There is this assumption that antibiotics have no side-effects, but all drugs carry risks. I’d say that unless you need treatment, don’t take them.’

Neal Patel, pharmacist with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, says serious side-effects from antibiotics are rare, but patients should be aware of the risks.

‘If patients notice anything untoward while taking antibiotics they should seek advice from their GP or pharmacist as soon as possible.’

A spokesman for Bayer, manufacturer of ciprofloxacin, said the drug has been used in millions of patients worldwide and has a well-established safety profile.

It added: ‘The product information includes information about tendinitis and tendon rupture, which are recognised but very rare adverse drug reactions.’

Judy Thomas, though, remains convinced ciprofloxacin is the most likely explanation for her ruptured Achilles tendon and pins and needles.

‘I feel very strongly that there should be more prominent warnings on patient information leaflets,’ she says. 

‘Antibiotics are something that all of us take without thinking, but we all need to be aware that they have risks as well as benefits.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2097415/Taking-antibiotics-ruptured-tendon-The-hidden-dangers-everyday-drugs-assume-harmless.html#ixzz1lvz7dbpO

Cipro Poisoning Sucks!

So, I guess there are two things bothering me today:

1. Cipro poisoning SUCKS! I know that I should be grateful for the improvements that I have made, and I AM however, I am still so irritated that my body has been so compromised by Cipro. The fact that they continually dispense this drug without informing the patient of the potential side effects is criminal!

Of course, my small improvement of being able to slightly bend my toes caused me to test my limits and try to walk and dance like a normal person. That would be USING my toes and pushing off with my toes as opposed to walking and dancing on my heels. That unfortunately led to a bit of a toe injury on my right foot, yup, the BIG TOE! Ugh, wonder how long it will take that to heal?

2. I hate the inflammation underneath the skin that causes the skin itself to be so tender that you don't want to sit or lie on it. The back of my thighs are killing me today, thank God it seems to be an intermittent side effect. It is so strange because een the slightest touch makes them feel as tough they are on fire! It has been long 5 months now.

So that being said, I hope those of you that have never been effected by Cipro, Levaquinn, Avelox, or any other floroquinolone, take my advice and steer clear of this poison! For those of you in the same boat or worse off, my best wishes to you and I hope you are having one of those "good" days!

Floroquinolones Destroyed My Mother's Life!

My Beautiful Mother!

While recently reviewing my mother’s medical history, due to the ulcers on her leg, I am 100% convinced that floroquinlones have destroyed the past eighteen years of her life. Eighteen years ago my mother suffered from a torn rotator cuff. I thought that it was odd that she had a torn rotator cuff since she did not ever “overuse” her shoulders. She did not golf; play tennis or regularly life heavy objects. She was fit and in great shape. I chalked it up to a fluke. Shortly after she had surgery on her right shoulder, her left rotator cuff tore requiring a second surgery.

No one found this odd except for me. When she returned twice more for additional tears in each of her rotator cuffs, I was appalled at the lack of interest as to “why” my mother suffered from four torn rotator cuffs, which required surgery. I had no idea “why” it happened; I just knew that it was not “normal” and that there must be a “reason.”

As my mother’s shoulders continued to heal, she began to suffer from an all over the body pain and achiness that would not subside and could not be controlled with medication. She saw doctor after doctor and they treated her with many drugs including mass doses of cortisone. She was monitored closely while on the cortisone (prednisone) and was eventually weaned from mass doses, to a therapeutic dose after suffering from the side effects from the mass amounts of cortisone that she had been given.

Since she was in such chronic and excruciating pain, the doctors continued to try medications and remedies, including intravenous Remicade (Humira). She was “loosely diagnosed with first, Fibromyalgia and them poly-myalgia-rheumatic. Yes, they were convinced that she had an auto-immune disease and Rheumatic Arthritis. She was often in so much pain that I would hear here crying and chanting, in private, praying for relief from the pain.

I remember her trying to describe the pain, in her feet, to me. She said that they felt as though they were on fire; like she was walking on broken glass; that even the air hurt her feet so badly that she could hardly breathe. It wasn’t until I suffered the same pain in my feet ,that I realized that what she was describing was floroquinolone poisoning.

I immediately asked her if she had taken Cipro; of course she had, many, many times; and Levaquinn and Avelox, for years and years. I expressed my theory and of course was met with doubt. She cannot even fathom that it is possible that her entire condition was not only caused by floroquinolones, but exasperated by the continual usage of them, combined with her cortisone treatment.

It was the ulcers on leg that led me to her medical records and the confirmation that she has been prescribed all of these antibiotics throughout this slow and painful destruction of her life. I am 100% convinced that this has been the cause of all of her pain and suffering. I literally took 6 bottles of Levaquinn out of her medicine cabinet the last time that I was there. I have called her doctor and told him of my suspicions. After almost causing her death, from a near heart attack while on Avelox, they have finally listed floroquinolones as an “allergy” on her chart.

I do not know how I will ever “prove” all of this, but what I do know, is that it is a crime that not once, has a medical professional ever even considered that her rapid and painful deterioration might have been caused by one of their “cures.” The over use of these drugs, is criminal.

I was very lucky that it only took me one ruptured tendon in my foot and 15 months of rehabilitation from crippling pain to realize that my conditions were due to Cipro, so fortunately I will not suffer her fate. I am so infuriated that it has stolen my mother's life and I shall continue with my crusade to warn others. 

Helpful Suggestions Post Cipro Poisoning

Yesterday I saw Dr Leland Carrol, he is a chiropractic Kinesiologist He has studied extensively to learn alternative healing techniques to help patients with their individual needs. My only and I say that in jest, problems are muscle, joint and tendon pain in my legs.

I will share the regimen that he has suggested to me. I am NOT a doctor, these are just what I am trying. A lot of what I will be eating and taking are to remove as much as the toxin as I can. He suggested that I eat 1 cup of mixed brussel sprouts and broccoli and 1 whole red beet everyday. These should be steamed and the red beet should be steamed whole. It is the "red" in the beet that is supposed to thin the bile from the liver that can become thicker after Cipro poisoning.

In addition to those veggies I am "drinking" Green Vibrance. It has 25 billion probiotics per dose. It is also used for detoxification.

I am taking 3-4 Magnesium Malate (1250mg) per day, 2000mg of Vitamin C per day, 1 tablet 4 times a day on an empty stomach (be sure to eventually wean yourself down to a normal dose if you take this much Vitamin C). Bromelain, 2 capsules, 4 times a day between meals. Fibrozym, 3 tablets in the morning. Vitamin D and Calcium. These are all in addition to my "regular" everyday vitamins!

By the time I am through sucking down all of these pills and eating those veggies, I think I might just explode!

He also suggested epsom salt baths and light massage. Movement , especially in a pool, and to not push to the point of damage. He also pressed on tendon connections and did something like spreading the muscle tissue. None of this was painful.

Today is day 12, since the side effects began. Last night was the first night that I did not wake up in the middle of the night an hour or two BEFORE I could take Ibuprofen. I actually woke up one hour AFTER I was supposed to take it. I am taking 600mg every 6 hours. My "other" Dr. recommended that as it IS an anti-inflammatory. It helps me tremendously. I seem to be moving a bit faster, at the moment! Hoping for a good day.

Dancers': Beware of the Antibiotic Cipro

I am writing this article based on my own personal experience. I am hoping to bring awareness of the side effects of the antibiotic Cipro or Ciprofloxin. I understand that Levoquin and Avelox have the same side effects.

I will preface this article with the knowledge that I have been dancing regularly, 4-5 times a week for 3 years and that dancing is not a new activity for me.

On April 16th, 2010 I started taking Cipro for a bladder infection. On April 17th, 2010 we taught a 4 1/2 hour dance workshop, something we do every other weekend. On April 18th, 2010 I could barely walk. Upon getting out of bed, my feet felt as though I were walking on razor blades and the joints, muscles and tendon in my legs were in excruciating pain. As the day progressed, the pain remained and I was puzzled as to how the workshop could possibly be responsible for my inability to walk. I continued taking Cipro.
On April 19th, 2010 I awoke with the same pain, plus additional hip pain. I just kept thinking that something was really odd and that this leg pain could not possibly be from dancing. That evening I started getting sharp, stabbing pains in my left leg. I began to wonder if I could possibly have a blood clot, so I went to the internet to look up the side effects of Cipro. While I was pleased to realize I didn't have a blood clot, I was appalled that my muscle, joint and tendon pain was a side effect of Cipro. I stopped taking the drug immediately and contacted my doctor and two pharmacists.

My doctor was shocked and claims he has never seen this side effect and offers no management, treatment or prognosis. The pharmacists are more aware but have a "it might get better, it might not " attitude. After hours of research I have found that Cipro has landed many in wheelchairs and walking with canes. It can hit your body while taking it or months later. For some it seems that the side effects reverse themselves as soon as the medication is out of their bodies, for others the suffering lingers for years. You can develop symptoms months after you stop taking the drug. If you have or have had unexplained muscle, joint and tendon pain, or ruptured tendons or been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis and have taken Cipro, be sure to alert your Dr. and never take it again.

I believe that the percentage of incidences that the drug companies report are way understated. It occurred to me, after this episode, that one year ago I suffered from a popped tendon in my right foot. It took 7 months for that injury to heal. I confirmed the dates and sure enough, I was on Cipro when the injury occurred. I never put 2 and 2 together to make the correlation of the injury as a side effect to the antibiotic. I know know differently and have reported my side effects to the drug manufacturer and the FDA.

Health Fairs

Recently I was dropping my son off at the mall when I noticed a sign for a Health Fair. Being that I have interest in the health industry as a whole, for a whole list of different reasons, I decided to go in and check it out. What I found were a bazillion different vendors; all peddling their wares. Of course, “their” wares were all better than their neighbors’.

My question to all of the different vendors is, “How do I know that your product really is better than the one further down the aisle?” I suppose that anytime that you visit a health fair, you can expect to be inundated with information and advice. My advice to you is to take information only on the products that you truly are interested in. Once you get home, review the information promptly; as if you do not, it will likely end up in that pile. You know the pile; it’s the one where we all put the “stuff” that we intend to get to “someday.” I hate that pile and I hate the clutter. I am relatively certain that I have some pretty great information in that pile, but just looking at it is so overwhelming that I rarely get to it.

Anyway, the health fair was interesting and since I refrained from dragging home a whole bunch of literature, I will consider it a success!

Poisoned by Cipro; Now I am Unemployed!

So, just what does one do when their injuries stem from ingesting an antibiotic? I know many, many florquinolone sufferers that have lost their jobs due to the debilitating side effects from Cipro, Levaquinn or Avelox. I can relate with both the employer and the employee. It really sucks to have a great job and not be able to get out of bed in the morning; to suddenly be unable to walk or function like you did the day before.

Just how many days can you expect your employer to keep your job available for you when every medical professional that you consult gives you the same answer: “Gee, I have never seen this before and no, I do not have any idea how long it will last, or what I can do to help you.” How comforting do you suppose that is for your employer? He has a business to run and chances are that you were a crucial piece of that wheel.

Occupational health professionals must keep records of employee health information regarding workplace injuries and illnesses, but just how do they record a side effect? What is a side effect and how could that possibly prevent you from doing your job? How do you explain that one day you were perfectly healthy and mobile and now you can barely even walk? And how do you explain that there isn’t a doctor out there that has an answer?

So, here we are incapacitated, often under insured and now unemployed. Sure seems to me that someone ought to take some responsibility here. Floroquinolone toxicity SUCKS!

Living with Chronic Pain, Sucks!

Living with chronic pain does not only affect your body where the pain is located, it affects you entire life and well-being. It causes you to be chronically fatigued and often short tempered. It affects your ability to think clearly and to stay on task. Chronic pain robs your quality of life and can make you wonder whether or not your life is worth living.

I often wonder if a Pain Care Center, such as Pain Management NJ, would be able to help those of us that have been poisoned by a floroquinolone. Cipro, Levaquinn and Avelox have left thousands of people in constant chronic pain. If Pain Management NJ were able to help those of us in pain through their therapeutic treatment options, they could educate others on their methods thus helping the thousands of us that suffer from the muscle, joint and tendon pain that we all live with on a daily basis.

Pain Management NJ has helped many patients with neck and back pain due to injuries resulting from injury, deformity or degenerative conditions. Do you suppose that our muscle, joint and tendon pain and ruptures would be classified under the “degenerative conditions” category? Or, do you suppose that our pain is simply categorized as “other” with no help at all? I would like to hope that someday, someone, somewhere will have an answer or regime that will help all of us to regain our previously healthy lives.

Missing Cipro Victim

This post is a little different than any I have ever posted before. It regards an individual named "James" Romero from Gaithersburg, MD, that has visited my blog before, and like me was poisoned by Cipro. It seems that he has been missing since April, A friend of his posted the below comment on my blog.
I am just passing it along; feel free to either email me or leave a post if you have any pertinent information.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/04202011/damanew221203_32544.php




Dear All,
Sorry for all the pain and suffering that this medication has caused everyone. My best friend has suffered the same symptoms that all of you are reporting. He even actually posted a comment in this thread back in late 2010. Unfortunately he has gone missing since back in April 2011 and I was reaching out to this community to see if anyone has had any interaction with user James @ jer2rom@yahoo.com? His Mom, Dad, Sister, Fiancé, and all of us, are extremely worry about him and are pleading for any information that may lead us to finding him. If any of you had any communication with him, please reply back and I will be truly grateful!

Best regards to all,

Abraham

Updating My Update; One Year after Being Poisoned by Cipro

Well, it seems as though I have struck a nerve, with at least one person out there that has also been affected by the antibiotic Cipro. My update was not written to discredit any ones’ pain or suffering from this devastating drug; it was merely written to give hope and to state my current condition one year after being poisoned by Cipro.

Let me state that I am not a medical professional and I am not suggesting that what I have done or what I am currently doing, is or was a “cure” to the side effects that I suffered. If you choose to read and follow my journey, that is up to you. I went to traditional doctors, a chiropractor and a health nutritionist. The traditional doctors did little for me with the exception of saying that I was “rare” and asked me if I wanted pain meds. The chiropractor and the nutritionist gave me suggestions and told me why they were suggesting certain supplements and foods.

I chose to follow their suggestions as I had no others. I was desperate; and willing to try just about anything, with-in reason, in hopes to regain the ability to walk and dance again; like a normal person and without pain. I wanted my old life back. I wanted my body back; I was weary of being in constant pain. I made every effort possible to not allow my pain to rob me of everything that I enjoyed.

I continued dancing through the pain; with knees and ankles braced, and feet taped. I took too much Ibuprofen in order to do so. Was it easy? No, it was not. Did it hurt like hell? Yes, especially after I stopped dancing. My feet and legs throbbed all night long and I often spent an entire day down and out; paying for those few hours of enjoyment. But let me tell you, those few hours of painful enjoyment allowed my spirit to soar, to hold out hope that someday things would be better.

Currently I am growing my own "damn beets!"

One year down the road, some things are better. The pain in my muscles, joints and tendons is greatly reduced. My toes bend again and I can even use them to walk. My knees and hips bend and there is less popping. Is this because I ate red beets? I would say no. Is this because of the supplements? Probably not directly. Is there a magic cure? Unfortunately not. But is there hope? Yes, there is hope and if everything I did and ingested helped me to heal, I am glad that I took the chance. Nothing I ingested was harmful, so what did I have to lose?

We will never know why some people react better or worse to any medication, but I still believe that this is a devastating medication that should not be doled out, like candy, for simple infections. Like the black box warning states; Not a first drug of choice.  I will continue to warn any one that will listen to the life changing side effects of these drugs known as floroquinolines. And I will continue to have empathy to all that have been affected. Cipro stole a part of my life, but it did not steal my soul.

I am on a new journey now; shortly after feeling better from the effects of my Cipro poisoning, I was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. If anyone out there had been poisoned by these drugs and also has leukemia, I would love to hear from you.

Not Anemia, But Leukemia!

The saga continues: Unfortunately my Cipro/Anemia theory didn’t pan out, although I was on the right track. There was something definitely wrong with my blood. Terribly wrong in fact! I saw my doctor on Tuesday February 8, 2011. We discussed my Cipro side effects and I told him that my muscles, joints and tendons were very much improved, but I was told by my eye doctor that I had blood in my eyes. He agreed that this was a bit of concern, as was the thickening under my left rib cage. He asked how long it had been there and I said that I had kind of noticed it maybe about a month ago. He ordered blood work and a CAT scan and I went home.

I called for a CAT scan appointment in the morning and called his office to inform him that I had an appointment for 2 pm that afternoon. He promptly told me that he was just going to call me and told me to cancel the appointment and to go directly to the hospital as my white blood cells were astronomically elevated and that I had leukemia. The bleeding in my eyes was from the white blood cells blocking the capillaries and the capillaries bursting. They were concerned that I might have a brain bleed. Lovely, huh?

Of course I reminded him who he was talking to just to make sure that he really meant me! I was stunned, not what I expected and not on my list of things to do. I had a bone marrow biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, don’t let anyone tell you that it does not hurt, because it was excruciating!

Leukapheresis and chemo for three days and my blood count went from 372,000 to 98,000. I am a very lucky girl! Now to begin the medication that cost more than $8,000 per month, they tell me that there is help as my insurance won’t pay for it. Ugh! The goal is to get my white count to 10,000 and maintain it.

The type of leukemia that I have is Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia otherwise known as CML. Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers!

Is it the Cipro?: New dilemma, new theory.

Two weeks ago I went to the optometrist for my overdue eye exam. Prior to seeing him I have been experiencing extreme light sensitivity in the mornings. No light for several hours in my world! I sit in dimly lit rooms and do not open the curtains or blinds. I just chalked this up to yet another Cipro side effect. Along with the light sensitivity I get headaches.

So, as I sit in the Doc's chair, I am pleased to learn that my prescription has only increased by .25 during the past year. Good news for a change......or so I thought. Then the questions began: "Do you have high blood pressure?", " No, last time I checked it was 90/60.". "Are you anemic?", "Not that I know of, why?", "Are you diabetic?", once again, "Not that I know of, why?" Well, you have blood in your eyes, a significant amount." "Great!" Just what I need.

So, I begin to tell him about my Cipro poisoning and burst into tears. Poor guy, didn't know what he was getting into examining me! He of course was shocked and never heard of anyone having side effects from the drug. He claims that they use it all of the time in his profession. Of course, they do, I said. The use is rampant and devastating. He referred me to a retina specialist. I will see him next week.

After leaving the eye doctor, I went directly to the pharmacist and told her my story. Her reply was that it could definitely be caused by the Cipro, as Cipro also effects your vascular system.

After seeing, discussing and pondering over this new revelation with my chiropractor our "theory" and prayer is that I am anemic. In addition to the eye pain and headaches I am bruising incredibly easily. I have noticed that I am short of breath when dancing and I have been chewing ice! All odd symptoms, but all symptoms of anemia. I figure that if I am bleeding inside my eyeballs, that there is a good chance that I am bleeding elsewhere as well. Oh, happy joy! My brain? My Liver? My kidneys? Who knows, I am seeing an internist on Tuesday.

Our thought is that other internal bleeding could be causing anemia. While I am hoping that this is the case, I am terrified that the Cipro is "causing" the bleeding and that they won't be able to stop it.

In addition to the vicious cycle I must add this bit of information. In the beginning the pain in my muscles, joint and tendons was so extreme that I was taking 600 mg of Ibuprofen every 6 hours. I did this for about a month before I tapered it down to 400mg. My intake of ibuprofen has decreased as the months have gone by and my pain is more tolerable, but up until my eye exam I probably still was taking 200 - 400 mg per day. So, when I add this into the mix of a compromised vascular system, maybe internal bleeding is going on. I will keep you posted as my theory unravels. Ibuprofen so helped the pain, so I am often not sleeping nights and just having to white knuckle through it!

9 Months Floxed

Well, it has been nine months since my Cipro journey began. I think that my greatest amazement is the amount of other victims that I have met. Many of them did not even realize that their pain stemmed from an antibiotic. It was not until after asking that frightening question, "I know that this may seem like an odd question, BUT have you ever taken Cipro, Levaquinn or Avelox"? , that I began to recognize the plethora of victims. The amount of people that I have met that have been effected is astounding. My realization of the under-reported side effects of these drugs is infuriating. I cannot believe that this abuse continues. I tell every doctor, dentist and pharmacist that I run across about the severe, and life altering side effects of these drugs and they all act surprised. Their typical response is that they have never heard of anything like this before. Are they really ignorant to the side effects or are they just turning a blind eye? Somehow, this has got to be stopped!

Any suggestions, please leave a comment.

Puppy Limping from Cipro.

While at our annual Dance Event in Palm Springs, Ca., I was talking to a friend of mine. She said that she had been thinking about me and about my Cirpo story. You see, she has a six month old puppy that needed surgery. She came through the surgery just fine and was given Cipro. When my friend took her puppy home, she was limping. Back to the doctor she went and was told that it was growing pains.

Now, I don't know about you, but puppy sure didn't have "growing pains" BEFORE the Cipro. The limping occurred after she was given Cipro. My guess, and I would bet money on it, she is suffering from the side effects of Cipro! Poor puppy!

Halloween Cipro Pain: Trick or Treat?

Usually the only pain that I get from the aftermath of Halloween is tummy pain from too much chocolate! This year, while I am eternally grateful to have been able to take my son and grandson Trick or Treating, I am paying for it thanks to Cipro.

Part of the issue I am sure, is my own stupidity and fault. It seems as though every time that I have a relatively pain free day I think that I am cured!! Ha Ha Ha, Joke's on me!

I use Custom Orthotics daily and they have helped my feet tremendously, the issue I have is with my shoes. When I am having a "good" day, I slip my Orthotics into a pair of slip- on shoes because it is "easy". The slip-on shoes have a very thin sole.

My sneakers have a cushioned sole and are MUCH better for my feet. Problem is that they require tying! lol OK, I know that seems ridiculous, but sometimes I am just plain lazy and put on the slip-ons even though I know the other ones are better for my feet. That is precisely how I found myself, visiting my mother, with only my slip-on shoes.

The sun went down and it was time to take the boys Trick or Treating. It wasn't until I was 4 blocks from home that I realized what I had done. I was wearing the wrong shoes for walking on asphalt!! Many blocks later I was hobbling...needless to say, the night was cut short by my own stupidity and Cipro! It is 3 days later and I am still paying for it! I REALLY hate being STUPID!!

Moral of the story: Even when my feet aren't throbbing, put on the "Good Shoes"!