fluoroquinolone dangers

Living without Antibiotics: Natural Remedies for Common Illnesses

9159 views

Three years ago I nearly died from a sepsis infection.  An antibiotic called Levaquin saved my life. That same antibiotic, which is in the fluoroquinolone class, poisoned me from head to toe. I am still trying to recover from the damage it did to my connective tissue, nervous and digestive systems. I thought as long as I stayed away from fluoroquinolone antibiotics I would be ok. Not so. Two years ago I had strep throat and was prescribed amoxicillin. After a few days, the antibiotic produced a meningitis-like reaction which subsequently worsened my Levaquin-induced symptoms.

As you can imagine, I am terrified of ingesting antibiotics. I am also terrified for my children, husband, family, and friends. Though they have not had an antibiotic experience like me, they could. All antibiotics disrupt our microbiome, a delicate environment of bacteria affecting our immune, nervous, digestive, and endocrine systems. Antibiotics are over-prescribed and big gun fluoroquinolone antibiotics meant to kill anthrax are used for non-life threatening infections. As such, we are creating all sorts of antibiotic-resistant germs and microbial imbalances. In response to these dilemmas, doctors may soon be forced to limit prescribing fluoroquinolones for certain infections.

I have done considerable research on and self-tested all of these natural remedies at one time or another on myself or family member. My immune system isn’t stellar and having a child in pre-k, an enormous petri dish of germs, doesn’t help. In fact, as I am writing this I have a touch of a cold. But, since traveling down this experimental road, I have not needed an antibiotic since that amoxicillin fiasco, nor has my four-year-old son.

Before I share about remedies for specific infectious ailments, remember, I am not a physician and this should not be considered medical advice. Do your own research and consult your physician before beginning any new treatment.

General Health Recommendations Instead of Antibiotics

Here are some general recommendations I found helpful for overcoming any bacterial or viral infection:

  • Remove sugar and processed foods from your diet. They feed bad bacteria and viruses. Your virus or infection will just love you for feeding them, making them stronger and more virulent.
  • Take probiotics. When I feel the first sign of a cold coming on I take a probiotic capsule. The good probiotic bacteria will work with your body’s good bacteria to fight the virus, essentially crowding it out.  Keep in mind, antibiotics kill bad bacteria and good bacteria. Antibiotics do not kill viruses. If you take an antibiotic for a virus, in my opinion, you are making the virus stronger because you are wiping out the good bacteria needed to help your immune system fight the virus.
  • Exercise a little, not a lot. When you are sick your body needs to conserve energy to fight the illness. Exercising at your usual pace during an illness puts added strain on your adrenals and immune system. You don’t have to stop exercising completely, just go lightly.
  • Rest and rest often. So many people I know catch a cold, continue to burn the midnight candle either at work or socially, end up with an infection, and are prescribed an antibiotic because they’ve dug themselves into an infectious grave they could have easily avoided by resting. Sleep. Rest some more.
  • Avoid stress, be patient and practice acceptance. Accept you have this illness, that it will take time to heal, and be kind to your body. Stress will make it worse. Practice whatever stress relieving activities work for you, ex. meditation, gentle yoga, applying essential oils, baths, relaxing in a quiet place, etc.
  • Avoid smoking and alcohol. I think this is self-explanatory.
  • Up vitamin and mineral intake, particularly vitamin C. Since your body is working over time, it is likely to be in need of extra vitamins and minerals. There are many different vitamin and mineral supplements but finding one with a high vitamin c content is crucial. You could also get IV vitamin and antioxidant cocktails. Since I no longer get a flu shot, a few IV vitamin C sessions stopped the flu in its tracks last year. See a functional medicine practitioner for these.
  • Try my cold/flu buster cocktail. I swear by this cocktail. Using organic fresh produce: juice 1 teaspoon each of ginger and turmeric root, add squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon and one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV), a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper, and blend with 8 ounces of your choice of watered down juices, ex. orange, carrot, beet, and/or apple. I drink one or two a day till I feel optimal.

Ailment-Specific Treatments

Sinus Infection/Congestion

  • Neti pot. You may cringe at the thought of pouring water up your nose, reminiscing of that painful feeling from a summer at the pool or ocean. This is nothing like that. Mixing distilled or boiled water (never use untreated tap water) and the neti buffering salts will produce a buffered, painless solution. Follow the neti pot’s application instructions. Recommended use: Twice daily.
  • Steam baths. If neti pots aren’t your cup of tea you can fill a basin with steaming hot water, throw a towel over your head to use as a tent, and inhale.  You can add a few drops of a eucalyptus essential oil and/or a menthol solution to the water for a nice effect.  Recommended use:  As often as you like.
  • Snort cayenne powder. When I read about it online I said, “No way!”  But, my entire head was clogged up with bright green gook and I couldn’t breathe. I was desperate. I sprinkled a tiny bit of organic cayenne pepper on my finger and snorted it in each nostril. I felt like a total druggy and instantly my sinuses were on fire. After a few minutes, the burning subsided and I experienced a “release” of mucus.  My head was much clearer the next day. Would I do it again to avoid antibiotics and clear my stuffy head?  Keep in mind a side effect is severe burning sensation. Only recommend for the truly desperate. Recommended use: Twice daily.
  • Garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). Garlic contains a compound called allicin, which helps reduce inflammation and fight infection. You can eat some minced garlic or chew on a clove. Then drink a few teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water. ACV has bacteria fighting properties and micronutrients.  Recommended use: Two or three times a day.

Bronchitis

  • Cayenne pepper capsules or cayenne pepper mixed with Manuka honey. Cayenne does something to mucus. I swear the cayenne heat melts it. Manuka honey has antimicrobial antibacterial properties, but not as harsh as antibiotics. Manuka honey is expensive, so sometimes I just ingest cayenne pepper in a capsule and get the same effect. Recommended use: Three times a day.
  • Garlic and ACV. Recommended use: Two or three times a day.

Strep Throat

  • Gargle with coconut oil: After my nightmare adventure with amoxicillin I was terrified I’d die from strep throat since I swore off antibiotics. My son kept getting it from day care and gave to me. The majority of strep throat cases go away on their own. To speed up recovery, I began gargling with coconut oil for five minutes because it has natural antibiotic and antifungal properties. Recommended use:  Two to three times a day.

Ear Infection

  • Ear oil with garlic and mullein. You should be able to find garlic and mullein ear oil at any health food store. I use this when my son complains of an earache or when his doctor said his inner ear was red. Tilting the head, apply a few drops into the ear canal. Put a little wad of cotton in the ear to absorb it as it drains. Recommended use: Twice daily.

Tooth Infection or Abscessed Tooth

  • Organic clove oil. I had major gum and teeth issues the past year. I almost accepted an antibiotic prescription no less than five times. I made it through each time applying a clove oil soaked cotton pad to the affected area. I am here to tell you I did not die from a tooth infection because I refused antibiotics. Recommended use: Three times a day.
  • Garlic. Place a piece of cut garlic on the infected gum or tooth. Hold there for 5-10 minutes. Recommended use: Two or three times a day.

Urinary Tract Infection

  • D-Mannose: Ask your doctor to culture the type of bacteria for your UTI. If it is e coli, D Mannose may help. It is a special kind of sugar that prevents e coli bacteria from adhering to the uterine wall.
  • ACV. According to Earth Clinic, drinking a few teaspoons of ACV in water helps maintain a slightly more acidic environment in your urinary tract. This level of acid is generally enough to diminish the growth of infection-causing bacteria.
  • Cranberry juice. Studies have suggested cranberry prevents bacteria from replicating and building biofilms within the urinary tract. I tested this theory out but had to halt treatment as it brought on an interstitial cystitis (IC) reaction. If you have IC, this or anything acidic isn’t the treatment for you.  Many women think they have a UTI, but it is actually IC.  Always get your urine cultured!

We Need Your Help

More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter.   

Disclaimer:  This information is not to replace medical advice. Always seek the care of a physician if you are running a high fever, are in severe pain, having difficulty breathing, or have other serious symptoms.  I do not include information about herbal antibiotics, herbal antivirals, homeopathic preparations, or anything else I feel only a qualified herbalist, functional medicine practitioner, acupuncturist or naturopath should “prescribe”.  If you would like information on them, I encourage you seek out one of these practitioners. 

This article was published on Hormones Matter originally in November 2015. 

Don’t Take Cipro, Levaquin or Avelox If….

7959 views

There is a huge range in how people react to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/Levofloxacin, Avelox/Moxifloxacin and Floxin/Ofloxacin). Some people take fluoroquinolones repeatedly and never experience an adverse reaction. Some people are left bed-bound after one pill, or one prescription. Some people take a full fluoroquinolone prescription without incident at one time in their life, then, when they take a second (or third, or fourth) prescription, their body goes hay-wire. Some people have a sudden and severe adverse reaction, where they are unable to move or think after previously being fine, and other people have a gradual onset of symptoms where they damage tendons or develop neuropathy slowly, over time.

What determines how a person reacts to fluoroquinolones? The black box warning label on fluoroquinolones states that, “risk (of tendinitis) is further increased in older patients usually over 60 years of age, in patients taking corticosteroid drugs, and in patients with kidney, heart or lung transplants.” But people who fit into those categories aren’t the only people who are hurt by fluoroquinolones. I didn’t fit into any of those categories. I was 32, athletic, strong, not on any medications, etc. when I was sickened by Cipro. I was healthy. But fourteen 500 milligram pills of Cipro (half taken in 2009 without incident and half taken in 2011 with a sudden severe adverse reaction) were enough to cause my body and mind significant harm.

I must have had risk factors that made me susceptible to fluoroquinolone toxicity though, because Cipro made me quite sick. I’m honestly not sure what those factors are (no one knows – or at least they aren’t publishing papers about it if they do). Perhaps those who are hurt by fluoroquinolones have depleted liver enzymes and therefore they aren’t able to metabolize drugs like people who have more robust supplies of drug metabolizing enzymes. Perhaps people who suffer from fluoroquinolone toxicity are depleted of cellular magnesium, as magnesium has been shown to have protective effects on cells that are exposed to fluoroquinolones. Perhaps the microbiome of those who are hurt by fluoroquinolones is depleted of good bacteria and an overwhelming number of bad bacteria in the gut leads to many of the symptoms of fluoroquinolone toxicity. Perhaps there are some people who are genetically predisposed toward having an adverse reaction to fluoroquinolones. As with everything, there is a mix of genetics and environment that goes into how the body reacts when faced with a chemical onslaught. Human bodies are unbelievably complex and multifaceted; once individual differences are considered, the complexity becomes mind-boggling.

Customizing medicine is difficult. The entire human genome, though sequenced, has not yet been mapped out. We are not at a point yet where we can easily and inexpensively test genes and interpret the results of genomic tests.

Genes aren’t the only things that determine how a person reacts to a drug. The microbiome also plays an important role in determining drug metabolism. Per an article entitled, Role of Intestinal Microflora in Xenobiotic-induced Toxicity, “individual differences in the intestinal microflora may result in individualized xenobiotic (a chemical or substance that is foreign to an organism or biological system) toxicities.” The differences in the bacteria in our gut make a difference in how drugs are metabolized. As the microbiome is changed, through drugs – especially antibiotics, the reaction of the individual patient to formerly well tolerated drugs, can change.

Until customizing medicine to the individual becomes feasible, what are doctors supposed to do to prevent their patients from having a dangerous adverse reaction to a drug? Drugs with potentially devastating adverse effects could be avoided entirely unless they are necessary to save a life. This is the policy that I would like to see applied to fluoroquinolones. (The cellular damage that fluoroquinolones inflict make their use inappropriate for infections that are not life-threatening.) Unfortunately, prudence in regards to prescribing fluoroquinolones is not the current trend. In 2011, 23.1 million prescriptions for fluoroquinolones were written in the U.S., and despite the 43 page warning label that comes with Cipro/Ciprofloxacin, fluoroquinolone toxicity is denied by many physicians. As much as I would like to cut the number of fluoroquinolone prescriptions by 90%, the entire medical establishment is not yet listening to me and others who are screaming about the pain and suffering caused by fluoroquinolones. To reduce the number of people hurt, either a study or news story must induce a paradigm shift enabling all doctors to see that fluoroquinolones are vastly more dangerous than penicillin, or patients (especially those in the risk categories listed below) must ask their doctors to not prescribe them.

Though the true risk factors for fluoroquinolone toxicity (genetic, enzyme and microbiome markers) are not yet established, there are some groups of people who are at higher risk of an adverse reaction than others. They should never be given fluoroquinolones. Those groups are:

  1. People who have had an adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone in the past. Despite the fact that all of the warning labels for fluoroquinolones state that they should not be given to people with a history of hypersensitivity to fluoroquinolones, the recommendation that they be avoided is often ignored. This is the case because people often don’t realize that they are having a mild adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone. Who would think that muscle twitches, insomnia, urgency when urinating or loss of endurance would be related to the administration of an antibiotic? The connection is so bizarre that it is often not recognized. A list of warning signs that your body has reached its threshold for fluoroquinolones can be found here: Warning Signs of Fluoroquinolone Toxicity.
  2. Athletes. It is well documented and known that fluoroquinolones degrade the structure of tendons. They “exert a toxic effect not only on tendons but also on cartilage, bone, and muscle,” per a Mayo Clinic affiliated article entitled Musculoskeletal Complications of Fluoroquinolones: Guidelines and Precautions for Usage in the Athletic Population. Further information about why the Mayo Clinic researchers note that, “Athletes should avoid all use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics unless no alternative is available” can be found here: Deciphering the Pathogenesis of Tendonopathies: A Three Stage Process.
  3. People on steroids. Steroids are contraindicated with fluoroquinolones. As is noted in the Cipro/Ciprofloxacin warning label, people who are on corticosteroids are at an increased risk of tendonitis when administered fluoroquinolones. In addition to the increased risk of tendon damage, the combination of steroids and fluoroquinolones can increase the risk of development of a deadly glabrata fungal infection.
  4. People who need to take NSAIDs regularly. NSAIDs, and other drugs that contain a carboxylic acid molecule, are contraindicated with fluoroquinolone toxicity. Patients suffering from fluoroquinolone toxicity have reported adverse reactions to NSAIDs even weeks or months after they have stopped taking fluoroquinolones. The adverse interaction between fluoroquinolones / fluoroquinolone toxicity and NSAIDs is likely because of the formation of poisonous acyl glucuronides. Articles describing this process can be found on Fluoroquinolone Links and Resources.
  5. Immunocompromised individuals. Fluoroquinolones, and other broad spectrum antibiotics, kill good bacteria along with harmful bacteria. When the good bacteria in the gut are wiped out, they can no longer keep the bad bacteria, or fungal infections, in check. Fungal infections can take over a person’s body and they can be deadly. This can happen with people who have healthy immune systems. For people with already compromised immune systems, vulnerability to fungal infections may be increased. Per an article in Life Extension Magazine, “Anyone can acquire a fungal infection, but the elderly, critically ill, and individuals with weakened immunity, due to diseases such as HIV/AIDS or use of immunosuppressive medications (such as corticosteroids), have a higher risk.”
  6. People with mitochondrial dysfunction. Per an article entitled Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Control T Cell Activation by Regulating IL-2 and IL-4 Expression: Mechanism of Ciprofloxacin-Mediated Immunosuppression, “ciprofloxacin was also shown to deplete the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, thus leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and retarded cellular growth.” Ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones damage mitochondria. Those with preexisting mitochondrial dysfunction will suffer more as their mitochondria are further damaged.
  7. Children. Fluoroquinolones have been shown to degrade cartilage in juvenile animals and, for this reason, are generally considered to be contraindicated in the juvenile population. Unfortunately, children are still prescribed fluoroquinolones by pediatricians who are unaware of the severity of adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones.

Until medicine is more individualized and every factor that makes a person more or less susceptible to experiencing an adverse reaction to a drug can be tested before that drug is administered, everyone who takes a fluoroquinolone is at risk of experiencing an adverse reaction. The best way to protect oneself from fluoroquinolone toxicity is to not take a fluoroquinolone. Though there are some risk factors that make some groups of people more susceptible to experiencing a severe adverse reaction to fluoroquinolones than others, there is no guarantee that not fitting into one of those groups will ensure your safety. With that noted, the people who fit into any of the seven categories listed above should avoid fluoroquinolones whenever possible.

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site, www.floxiehope.com.

Participate in Research

Hormones MatterTM is conducting research on the side effects and adverse events associated with the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and others: The Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Side Effects Study. The study is anonymous, takes 20-30 minutes to complete and is open to anyone who has used a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Please complete the study and help us understand the scope of fluoroquinolone reactions.

Hormones MatterTM conducts other crowdsourced surveys on medication reactions. To take one of our other surveys, click here.

To sign up for our newsletter and receive weekly updates on the latest research news, click here.

What Else Can I Do To Help?

Hormones MatterTM is completely unfunded at this juncture and we rely entirely on crowdsourcing and volunteers to conduct the research and produce quality health education materials for the public. If you’d like help us improve healthcare with better data, get involved. Become an advocate, spread the word about our site, our research and our mission. Suggest a study. Share a study. Join our team. Write for us. Partner with us. Help us grow. For more information contact us at: info@hormonesmatter.com.

To support Hormones Matter and our research projects – Crowdfund Us.

This post was published previously on Hormones Matter in January 2014.

Victory at the FDA for Fluoroquinolone Victims

4913 views

In the four years since I was hurt by ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, I have often fantasized about what I would say to the FDA if I had chance. Would I tell them about the pain and suffering I experienced after taking ciprofloxacin? Would I tell them stories about my friends who have had their lives wrecked by fluoroquinolone toxicity? Would I share with them the knowledge that I have gained from obsessively researching fluoroquinolone toxicity? Would I berate them and yell, “Do your ^%^& job?” Would I beg them to, at the very least, keep these dangerous drugs away from children?

On November 5, 2015, I had the opportunity to testify before the FDA’s Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee in a meeting specifically to address the risks of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Floxin, and their generic equivalents). I, along with thirty-five other people, testified, and I chose to note the damage that ciprofloxacin did to me and to point out some of the mechanisms through which fluoroquinolones hurt people. Others gave poignant and heart-breaking testimonies about the loss of their health, or the loss of their loved ones, and a few doctors and consumer advocates testified as well. You can read some of the presentations that were provided to the FDA committee in THIS POST.

I am happy to report that the meeting resulted in an overwhelming victory for victims of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The committee ruled that the current warning labels do NOT appropriately address the risks associated with fluoroquinolones for treatment of sinusitis, bronchitis in those with COPD, or uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

This is a HUGE step in the right direction, and it is my sincere hope that it will result in the FDA dramatically cutting the number of unnecessary fluoroquinolone prescriptions, and better treatment for those who are suffering from adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones.

Acknowledgement of Disability Caused by Fluoroquinolones

Additionally, in the meeting brief, the FDA identified a syndrome associated with fluoroquinolone toxicity—one that “floxies” have been pushing for recognition of for years. It is called Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability (FQAD). According to the FDA:

While most of the individual AEs (adverse events) that exist within FQAD (fluoroquinolone associated disability) are currently described in fluoroquinolone labeling, the particular constellation of symptoms across organ systems is not. Individuals with FQAD were defined as U.S. patients who were reported to be previously healthy and prescribed an oral fluoroquinolone antibacterial drug for the treatment of uncomplicated sinusitis, bronchitis, or urinary tract infection (UTI). To qualify, individuals had to have AEs reported in two or more of the following body systems: peripheral nervous system, neuropsychiatric, musculoskeletal, senses, cardiovascular and skin. These body systems were chosen as they had been observed to be frequently involved with the fluoroquinolone reports describing disability. In addition, the AEs had to have been reported to last 30 days or longer after stopping the fluoroquinolone, and had to have a reported outcome of disability.”

That acknowledgement from a FDA committee, that fluoroquinolones cause a disabling constellation of symptoms in previously healthy individuals, is a HUGE victory for victims of fluoroquinolones.

Next Steps in the Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Battle

Next, the committee will make recommendations to the FDA. Presumably they will recommend that the FDA update the warning labels to note that the constellation of symptoms associated with FQAD, so as to educate physicians and patients of the risks of this class of antibiotics.

The FDA may enact other means of more properly addressing the risks associated with fluoroquinolone use, such as enrolling fluoroquinolones in the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) program.

Several FDA committee members mentioned the need for further studies of fluoroquinolones, and hopefully some long-term and intergenerational studies will be conducted.

I hope that the FDA does all of these things, and that fluoroquinolone use is curtailed significantly. More than 23 million prescriptions for fluoroquinolones were dispensed in the U.S. in 2011 alone, and as many as 90% of those prescriptions were inappropriate given the true risk profile of fluoroquinolones.

We shall see if the FDA does anything with the information that was presented to the committee, and what they do with the committee’s recommendations.

Thoughts on Advocacy Efforts Directed at the FDA

Other groups of patient advocates who are interested in replicating the success of “floxies” in getting a favorable ruling from a FDA committee may be wondering what caused the FDA to look at fluoroquinolones. I believe that the FDA’s decision to hold the committee meeting was a culmination of several factors.

First, people have been reporting disabling reactions to fluoroquinolones to the FDA using their adverse event reporting system (FAERS). I encourage everyone who has experienced an adverse reaction to a drug or medical device to file a report with FAERS.

Second, more than 150 news stories about the dangers of fluoroquinolones have aired in the last two years. You can view them through THIS LINK. The news stories were prompted by the persistence of victims of fluoroquinolones reaching out to their local news stations.

Third, two citizens’ petitions have been filed with the FDA. One notes that serious psychiatric adverse effects can be the result of fluoroquinolone use. Another petition notes that mitochondrial toxicity should be added to the warning labels for fluoroquinolones.

Fourth, concerned citizens met with the FDA to discuss the dangers of this class of drugs.

Basically, people have been screaming at the FDA through multiple venues demanding that they hear us. At the committee meeting, they heard us.

I encourage everyone who has been hurt by a drug or medical device to report their story to the FDA, to tell their story loudly and persistently through the media, and to organize social media groups so that your message is spread far and wide, and heard loud and clear.

“Floxies” have come a long way in getting the dangers of fluoroquinolones recognized by the FDA, but we still have a long way to go. As nice as acknowledgement and being heard are, action is needed to get what we really want—change in how fluoroquinolones are viewed and prescribed. We are moving in the right direction. One step at a time, and we will reach our goals of prudent and appropriate use of fluoroquinolones, as well as healing for those adversely affected by these drugs.

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site,www.floxiehope.com.