fluoroquinolone side effects

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs): We’re ALL at Risk

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I’m lying in my bed, with my arms and legs straight out. I figured out pretty fast that any stress whatsoever on the tendons, makes things worse for days, weeks even. “Stress” includes not only trying to walk or use my arms or legs for any reason at all, but also simply bending my arms, or my knees, or my fingers, in one position for too long. What’s “too long”?  Maybe 3-5 minutes or so. I can’t use crutches or a wheelchair, because both of those involve use of my arms and shoulders and hands, which are also out of commission. I can’t type or use the computer, because every tendon in my fingers, hands, wrists, and arms are affected and severely painful. I can’t hold up a book to read, because the weight of the book is too much and I can’t bend my arms, without increasing the tendon pain. The weight of the sheets on my toes causes severe pain in the tendons there. There must be tendons around the eye muscles too, because it hurts simply to move my eyes. So I lay there in my bed, with my arms and legs flat out, with my head still and my eyes closed, waiting. Waiting for what, I’m not sure. It’s hard to believe that I went jogging and bike riding and swimming only a few days ago. I’m also in shock. How in the world could a simple antibiotic that I took for a simple UTI do this to me?

My Journey into the Frustrating World of ADR’s Begins

In March 2010 I took the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin for a simple UTI, and within days became one of the millions of people in this country who experience an Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) every year to a pharmaceutical drug that is deemed “safe” for use. My adverse reaction, as extreme as it was, unfortunately is not as “rare” as the public is led to believe. It turns out there were tens of thousands of other people, and possibly many times more that, also suffering from the same and similar reactions as I was as a result of this class of very popular antibiotics. There were no “Black Box Warnings” on my drug insert, and the warnings that were listed on the insert didn’t even remotely accurately describe what I was going through then, and continue to go through today.

I’ve been disabled ever since, often times going months without leaving the house, or even getting out of bed, as a result of those few pills. As I lay there waiting, I didn’t know if I was waiting to die or to live. With no known treatment, cure, or detox, or even any idea of why this happens in the first place to some of us, there was nothing left to do but wait.  Whatever was known about these reactions came from the victims themselves, observations painstakingly accumulated over time, sharing information that was now available on the internet. Pharma, the FDA, and the medical and pharmacy professions were noticeably and conveniently absent in having any knowledge, concern, clue, or curiosity about these reactions and why this happens in some people, or what to do about it. Their role in all this apparently ended the minute I took the drug.

I’ve had plenty of time to lay around and think about things in the past five years, given that I can’t do much else.  And understandably, I’m not too happy about this situation. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that my life, or what was left of it, was simply going to be a nameless, faceless, long lost forgotten statistic when it came to my ADR. There was no help on the way for me from the medical profession, the FDA, or Pharma to help me with my ADR, and as far as I could tell, absolutely no interest in learning anything from it by any of these parties either. And if there was one thing that became quite clear, it’s that everything was skewed in everyone else’s favor but mine when it came to my ADR. My physicians, pharmacists, the FDA, and of course Pharma, didn’t want to even acknowledge my ADR due to culpability and liability issues – which meant none of the numerous physicians I saw even bothered to report my ADR to anyone anywhere or the FDA. Without this acknowledgement, insurance companies didn’t want to pay for any “excessive testing” outside of the basic “Top 40 Diagnoses” screening tests for a non-existent problem. With “nothing wrong” on paper, I was denied any form of disability payments and probably considered to be a hypochondriac and/or malingerer trying to commit disability fraud. Even the legal profession, as hungry as they are for business, wasn’t interested in me once they found out I took the generic, since there is no legal recourse available with generic drugs. Everyone else in this chain of events walked away from my ADR unscathed, except, of course, me. I’m the one stuck living with it every minute of every day, with no assistance, and no end in sight. I’m the one scouring the internet, reading everything I can about my symptoms, reviewing the available research, paying for my own medical testing, looking for something, anything that will give a clue as to what this drug did to me and how to fix it.

The only other thing I can say about this scenario is that I’m actually not alone in my frustration and anger about this. There are millions of people out there who have been harmed by a pharmaceutical drug, vaccine, or medical device, in the same boat I am. Most of us have felt this same sense of abandonment by “the system”. Each one of us does the best we can, trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of a life destroyed by a pharmaceutical prescribed to us by the medical profession, and deemed “safe” for use by Pharma and the FDA.

We’re All Sitting Ducks, Sacrificial Lambs, and Play Russian Roulette When it Comes to ADR’s

Several issues have become quite clear to me since I got hit with my ADR. First, is that for the most part, everyone, from Pharma to physicians and pharmacists, to end consumers like you and me, accept that ADR’s are a part of the deal. A lot of rules and regulations are in place in a supposed effort to ensure that a pharmaceutical is safe for “most” of the population. And therein lies the unspoken fact. At the end of the day, no matter how much effort has been put into safety, it’s accepted that there will always be some people that will react negatively to a drug. There’s an implicit acceptance, regardless of how unpalatable it might be, that “some always have to be sacrificed for the greater good”. We just hope that sacrificial lamb won’t be us or those we love.

Secondly, is that pharmaceutical use, and their ADR’s, are here to stay. In the US, nearly 70% of the population is on one prescription drug, more than 50% are on two, and 20% are actually on five or more prescription medications.  Between 1990 and 2008, U.S. spending on prescription drugs increased from $40 billion to $234 billion. And this doesn’t even include all the over the counter meds. As a society, “Just Say No” has never worked for any drug, and that includes legal pharmaceuticals. Increasing right along with this pharmaceutical epidemic, are the “serious and fatal event” ADR’s, which have quadrupled in the past decade, even by the woefully inaccurate and under reported FDA records. Every single person reading this is at risk for experiencing one or more ADR’s in their lifetime. These ADR’s may be mild and transient, or severe, disabling, and long term or lifelong. They might even be those “fatal events” the fast talking monologues on the drug commercials always warn you about. The point is, no one reading this is safe or exempt from them.  Even people who are very “anti-Pharma” may find themselves on the operating table in the ER someday, being given any number of pharmaceuticals without the opportunity for “informed consent”. We are all at risk, and basically sitting ducks when it comes to ADR’s. I rarely took any medications or supplements, and had only taken antibiotics a few times in the first 50 years of my life. Despite that, I let my guard down once — it only took a few pills, and there was no going back from that mistake. I read the drug insert carefully, which talked about how a little transient mild nausea or GI upset might be the worst ADR, and further on down, mentioned “if you develop a pain in your Achilles tendon, call your doctor”. There was no hint in these warnings that these symptoms could be so extreme, permanent, disabling, and that “my doctor” had never heard of it and had no clue what to do about it either.

Third, is that pharmaceutical companies of course want to minimize, downplay, and outright deny ADR’s because they don’t want to open themselves up to culpability and liability issues and lose profits. From the limited “safety studies” that Pharma does on a drug pre-market, to “publishing bias” of only publishing research studies with data in their favor, to minimizing and hiding the adverse effects as they sell their products to the medical profession and us, Pharma does all they can to get a drug to market and profit from it. Once the drug gets to market, the big experiment occurs, as the drug is unleashed en masse on the general population. For those taking the drug, it’s essentially a game of Russian Roulette, no matter how “informed” you are. At that point in time, if things go wrong, it usually takes tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of people suffering severe ADR’s before any action, if any, is taken (think Thalidomide, DES, and more recently, Vioxx). YOUR life may be wrecked, but it’s no big deal to Pharma, the FDA, or even your doctors. If you experience a severe ADR, their lives will continue on, while your life becomes just another long lost statistic, simply considered the “cost of doing business”.

Pharma: The Untouchable Behemoth

It can seem pretty hopeless at times. Physicians and pharmacists get their extremely biased information on the drugs they prescribe directly from Pharma via Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives. These reps get more training in marketing and selling, than in knowing anything about the products they’re selling. If the more curious and ethical physicians actually do take the time to look up the research, they will see biased research studies funded by Pharma, all minimizing the risks while highlighting the benefits. The FDA, who relies on Pharma to do the research studies and present the findings on safety and efficacy of drugs, as well as relies on Pharma as a large source of funding for their own organization, is equally in the dark and basically impotent, as they now see Pharma as their main client to serve, and not the public. And we, the people?  We’re the sacrificial lambs, the sitting ducks, and the true massive post surveillant “research study” when we play Russian Roulette with safety and efficacy of any drug Pharma puts out. The icing on the cake for Pharma is that they can laugh all the way to the bank, no matter how many people are harmed, in the meantime. If, despite Pharma’s best attempts, a drug indeed is found to be unsafe, their main goal is to sell the hell out of it to keep bringing in profits until they are absolutely and overwhelmingly forced to remove it from the market.

This is nothing really new. If you live long enough, or read history, you will see the same old story over and over again, whether in the pharmaceutical industry or any other industry. And if you think your doctor or the medical profession is any smarter than the rest of us, think again. As I discussed here, in another writing:

“My own mother was “prescribed” cigarettes – yes, that’s right – as part of her “prenatal care”, she was told to start smoking by her doctor while pregnant with my younger sister “to prevent hemorrhoids”.  We can laugh, or be aghast now at such a notion, but an entire generation, including the medical profession at the time, was repeatedly brainwashed by the corporations manufacturing these products, and they would leave no stone unturned in promoting the “health and safety” of their products for the sole interest of their own profits.”  (See:  here, and here.  And for anyone wondering, the ‘science’ behind this is that nicotine constricts blood vessels.  And yes, this is exactly how my mother started smoking at age 32).

I provide this example simply to highlight the fact that medical professionals are subject to the same corporate and cultural forces that we all are.  Drugs that would never be blithely and indiscriminately prescribed today, such as Thalidomide, DES, Vioxx, and many others were routinely prescribed by physicians in the not too distant past, and this apparently includes “cigarettes” as well. The point being, is the drug your doctor prescribing you today the result of a judicious, prudent, and well thought out approach deemed absolutely necessary for your health?  Or is it simply the latest fad promoted by Pharma, the next big blockbuster drug for their coffers, being offered you even when safer, less expensive, or better alternatives may exist?

“Your doctor” is subject to the same forces everyone else is, and they happen to be a very important target for Pharma in particular.  Most physicians are honorable, trying to do the best they can with the information they have, but the fact is, they might not know any more than you do if what they’re selling (prescribing) you is a necessary and lifesaving drug, or a ‘cigarette’ of a drug. It turns out, when it came to my particular ADR, plenty of medical professionals have been hit and suffer from the same ADR’s. I sure wish I had known that before I took the drug, because now I’m one of them.

The odds are overwhelmingly in Pharma’s favor and against us.  And despite everything I’ve written, I’m not really “anti-pharmaceutical”.  I’m well aware pharmaceuticals and modern medicine have helped and saved many lives. I happen to love both science and medicine, and I’m a big believer in using the fruits of ethical, curiosity-driven science and medicine in its truest, most honorable and noble form — to improve the health and welfare of individuals and society as a whole. The problem is, that’s not a description of current day Pharma. Phrases more apt to come to mind with the word “Pharma” now include:  Corporate Greed, Profits at All Costs, America’s legal Drug Cartel, White Collar Drug Dealers, and  “Pharmageddon”. The medical profession is allowing themselves to be reduced to Pharma’s “drug pushers”, pushing pills for everything and everybody even if they’re not necessary or downright dangerous, with drugs as the first and sole option offered even when other options such as healthy lifestyle changes can help.

Given these odds, is there anything we can do to protect ourselves? Is there anything we can do to demand change?

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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.

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Photo by Jessica Tan on Unsplash

This article was first published on June 8, 2015.

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A Fluoroquinolone Reaction After Just One Pill

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So many people that have been impacted by fluoroquinolones, mostly Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), scour the internet looking for information, symptoms, cures, and shared experience. I was affected by just one 500mg pill that I took 10 days ago. I am hoping my story can be helpful to others, and that maybe someone can share knowledge with me to help my situation.

My Health Before Cipro

I am 34. I run three miles every day, eat pretty healthily, but consume 2-3 glasses of wine every day. Because I am a daily drinker, I could definitely be considered a functioning alcoholic. I also avoid the sun, as I am fair, and don’t care for the sun damage. As a result, many doctors have told me my vitamin D levels were extremely low, but that I am very healthy aside from that.

Before taking Cipro, I had achy ankles on the top anterior portion, and a sore neck all the time. I suspect my activity level and alcohol consumption was leading to my minor aching, possibly indicating a magnesium deficiency. Oddly, neither ache has bothered me since Cipro, maybe because I am taking magnesium now. Since the Cipro experience, I have also stopped drinking wine, coffee is now my only guilty pleasure.

Why I was Prescribed Cipro

Nine days ago, after a night of red wine and noodles saturated in spicy chili paste, I woke up with a burning urethra. This had been the third time this had happened in the last six months. The two previous times, I was prescribed the antibiotic Macrobid without testing of the urine. I had never had a UTI in my life before these three episodes, so I thought it was all rather unusual. The third time it happened, I went to a different doctor at an urgent care, he suspected Macrobid did not kill the initial infection and then prescribed the Cipro. He told me to begin taking the Cipro while we waited 3 days for the urine test results to come back. He never indicated that Cipro was dangerous or had poison labels; nothing.

So, I went home and popped the first 500mg pill. Six hours later, I start searching online for side effects. I ran into the dark stories of despair. I panicked. I knew I was past the time limit for vomiting the pill out, so I took five Tums and drank some milk. I was hoping the Calcium would interact the pill. The next day I called the doctor, very upset that he prescribed the medication, and I requested a different antibiotic. He gave me Bactrim, I proceeded to take three Bactrim over the next 1.5 days until the doctor called and told me to stop taking them because the urine results came back without any bacteria. After researching and consulting a urologist, it is suspected I simply suffered from Urethral Syndrome brought on my Wine/Coffee/Spicy food combo.

My Cipro Reaction: Joint and Vision Problems

I began taking magnesium citrate the day after I took that one Cipro pill. On the third day following the pill, I started to get popping in the joints of my knees, shoulders, wrists, and fingers, and leg weakness. I also woke up with stiff eyes. It felt like inflammation or tightening behind my eyeballs. As the day progressed, I became more sensitive to light. By the end of the day, my eyes had sharp pains and I could not open them without severe pain and light sensitivity. I rushed to the ER. They were little to no help because they do not have eye doctors on staff. The following day, I went to an optometrist. They dilated the eyes and determined the optical nerve and retina appeared healthy. I still have no idea why I had an episode with my eyes. Was it tight tendons, swelling from immune system, or CNS reaction? I don’t know, neither did the eye doctor.  It’s worth mentioning I never had eye problems before. I have perfect vision in both eyes and haven’t ever worn contacts. Now, my vision has cleared up and the pain and swelling has gradually dissipated from my eyes.

I have jogged lightly the last two days. After each jog, I notice little bruise/blood spots around the knees. I don’t know if they are little vessels breaking or something else, but it has never happened before. I also have a weird stabbing pain in the front, right side, of my throat while I am jogging. I feel like I am recovering, but it has been the scariest 10 days of my life.

I am currently taking the following supplements:

  • CoQ10 – 200 mg
  • Calcium – 1200mg
  • Magnesium glycinate – 400 mg
  • Magnesium citrate – 250 mg
  • D3 – 4000IU
  • Vitamin C – 500 mg

In addition, I take a daily vitamin and a daily Epsom salt bath. I am looking for advice on how to heal.

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.

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This story was published originally on July 30, 2018.

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Musings of a Heretic Patient: Floxed and Fed Up

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After mulling it over for quite some time, I wanted to comment on something we all encounter much too frequently in our floxed lives. That is, specifically, the negative experiences we are often forced to endure with our doctors. As patients, harmed by a widely over prescribed drug, we are often dismissed whenever we propose a connection between fluoroquinolones and the adverse side effects we experience as their patients.

I cannot even begin to quantify the level of frustration and anger I feel whenever I’ve been confronted with this in my doctors visits. It’s demeaning and demoralizing to be treated as if I am a complete moron for broaching the subject whenever they come up empty on their diagnosis.

At first I chalked it up to ego because after all, THEY are the “experts” and I am just one of the great uneducated with the audacity to question their expertise and search for answers beyond their own. I know what it feels like to be sneeringly, denigrated for my research. To be called a GOOGLE doctor for simply not accepting their non-diagnosis as a diagnosis.

Oh, the times I felt like screaming and pulling my hair out in my doctor’s office. The times I became so frustrated I wanted to overturn the tables and rip those stupid charts from the walls are just too innumerable to count on my flox journey.

Laying the blame on ego alone was the simplistic answer but something always niggled at me every time I left the office, depressed and defeated.

Why was I always making excuses for what was so obviously a rude and demeaning attitude towards my quest for answers? Why were all my doctors so hostile to my input and so dismissive of my efforts at educating myself? What lay beneath this dismissal of my pain and the destruction of my body that even they could not deny?

Today it happened again and it sparked me into writing this post.

The Heresy of Questioning a Doctor

I have come to learn that a few of the common tactics used by doctors can be identified. Many of them are being used to work against us when confronting a doctor’s assessment of our specific issues.

The first one is utilizing our lack of a formal medical education to minimize our efforts. It’s the most obvious use of the power dynamic they conjure to silence us. Questioning a doctor is an anarchistic act. It challenges the authority of the empirical medical model, the one we’ve been programmed from childhood to believe has all the answers. The one domain that is so sacrosanct in our society that questioning it is bordering on the heretical and places you squarely outside the acceptable behavior circle.

I have come to accept that I am now a heretic and so is anyone who steps outside the medical status quo in their search for answers. Like any heretic, I need to be prepared for the onslaught of disapproval and derision I might receive for questioning the medical gods. I need to remember to arm myself psychically and mentally for every visit. The fact that I must do this saddens me. It illustrates just how meaningless and hollow the Hippocratic Oath has become to our modern medicine men.

“Nor shall any man’s entreaty prevail upon me to administer poison to anyone; neither will I counsel any man to do so.”

Plausible Deniability in Medicine

Another tactic used by physicians to dismiss patient concerns is plausible deniability. Physicians now rely on plausible deniability to explain away their non actions or worse. It is the deliberate and destructive act they use against the very people they have sworn to heal. It’s also known as covering their asses. Knowing this and accepting that this is the norm rather than the exception has been a bitter pill for me to swallow but imperative to retaining my sanity.

And Then There is Gaslighting

Another thing I’ve come to recognize as a tactic is what I call medical gaslighting. Gaslighting is a very effective but abusive form of diversion. In this case, a physician utilizes an established (though questionable) psychological diagnosis as a convenient way of absolving their non actions in your case. It also serves to stopgap any further digging into causal links and diverts attention away from the physicians own culpability. How many times have I been told that my symptoms are all in my head? Too many times to count. And since my symptoms don’t fit any known disease model, I must be suffering from a psychological malady.

This has now become a part of the DSM-5 lexicon of psychiatric diagnosis and poses further harm to people like myself and anyone whose symptoms cannot be easily pinpointed to any one specific disease. If anyone, who like myself has been previously diagnosed with a mental illness (depression, PTSD) these diagnoses further serve to de-legitimize the patient’s experience.

We need to be aware that even when we have the hard evidence of medical research to back up our claims, we will be challenged and possibly labeled. If we refuse to accept this knee jerk assessment or the drugs they will inevitably prescribe to treat our “real” issues we might find ourselves tagged with the non-compliant stamp.

I write this as a warning to everyone who finds themselves on this page. You might hit some very daunting, brick walls along this journey but know that you are not alone. One day we will be vindicated, this crime will be exposed, and Big Pharma and all colluding physicians and corrupt governmental agencies will be brought low.

For those who have been blessed with that one special physician who listens and learns, I am grateful to see that ethics still exist. It’s heartening to know that there are doctors out there who can put ego and material gain aside and remain open to their patient’s body awareness and desire for healing. Sadly, those doctors risk becoming medical heretics too, banned and derided by the more conventional experts, the same experts that employ the tactics listed above.

In the end, I know we will win and a big part of that victory comes from the massive amount of support and experience we find on our support pages. Thank you to all my fellow floxies. You are the vanguards of this battle and close to my heart.

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This post was published originally on Hormones Matter on October, 2015.

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Why Athletes Should Never Take Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics

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fluoroquinolone antibiotics and athletes

I could tell you that if a drug has a black-box warning stating that it can cause tendon ruptures, you shouldn’t take it if you are an athlete—after all, tendons are necessary for movement. Or, I could tell you about how the black-box warnings on fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Floxin, and their generic equivalents) are completely and utterly inadequate because fluoroquinolones not only lead to achilles tendon ruptures in those over 60, they lead to “a wide spectrum of musculoskeletal complications that involve not only tendon but also cartilage, bone, and muscle” in people of all ages.

I could describe the mechanisms through which fluoroquinolone antibiotics age cells and make people feel as if they are geriatric when they are young or middle-aged. No one wants to age prematurely, but athletes in particular want to keep their bodies youthful and strong.

I could tell you about the debilitating, chronic pain that people going through fluoroquinolone toxicity experience, or I could tell you about the autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Or, I could tell you about how fluoroquinolones downgrade GABA neurotransmitters and can lead to chronic insomnia and anxiety. All people, athletes included, want to avoid debilitating pain, autonomic nervous system dysfunction (and all of its manifestations), insomnia, and anxiety.

But technical information about the dangers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics isn’t near as convincing as true stories about the pain that fluoroquinolones have caused. Data in a study isn’t relatable, and neither are descriptions of mechanisms of action. However, people can relate to examples and case-studies, and I hope that athletes reading this will realize that fluoroquinolone antibiotics can hurt and disable all people, including athletes. Unless there is no alternative and one must take a fluoroquinolone to save his or her life, these drugs are too dangerous for athletes to use.

Jeremy’s Story

In a comment on a Consumer Reports article, “Fluoroquinolones Are Too Risky for Common Infections,” Jeremy stated:

“I took one dose of Levaquin 2.5 years ago and it ruined my life. I was/am an athlete and was administered it for a sinus issue. I was on crutches for 8 months and I am still in pain 24/7 with peripheral neuropathy. I can’t sleep and there is no respite from the pain. Please don’t take these drugs unless it’s a last resort… life and death. It’s not worth the pain and suffering, I didn’t know if I was going to make it for a long long time and may never recover or be able to kite surf, ski, back country, hike, backpack or even go up stairs easily again, ever!”

Athletic pursuits were a huge part of Jeremy’s life before he took Levaquin. Now he is in constant pain and fears that he will never again be able to do the sports and activities that he loves.

Chris Danelly’s Story

chris-fqwall

The picture of Chris Dannelly above speaks volumes. Chris was at the prime of his life and the peak of his fitness when he took levofloxacin. Tragically, after just two pills of levofloxacin, Chris suffered a toxic reaction (rhabdomyolysis) that took his life. He was not only an athlete, he was a loving husband and a father to two young children.

In this video Chris’s widow Kathy speaks out about Chris’s tragic death:

JMR’s Story

JMR was a 50 year old active and athletic woman before she took Ciprofloxacin. In the article, “Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics and Thyroid Problems: Is there a Connection?” she states:

“I remember the day of March 19, 2010 very well. That was the last day I ever went jogging. That was the last day I could have hopped on my bike and ridden 50 miles if I wanted to. That was the last day I ate my favorite breakfast of a 3-egg omelet topped with cheese and veggies, with 3 pieces of whole wheat toast slathered in butter and jam, 3 pancakes on the side, and at least a quart of milk. That was the last day I worked in my profession, brought home a paycheck, and was self sufficient financially. It was the day before I started taking Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotic, for a simple UTI. And it was the last day I was a normal person with a normal life.”

Additionally, in “Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs): We’re ALL at Risk” JMR describes the severity of her adverse reaction to ciprofloxacin:

“I’m lying in my bed, with my arms and legs straight out. I figured out pretty fast that any stress whatsoever on the tendons, makes things worse for days, weeks even. “Stress” includes not only trying to walk or use my arms or legs for any reason at all, but also simply bending my arms, or my knees, or my fingers, in one position for too long. What’s “too long”? Maybe 3-5 minutes or so. I can’t use crutches or a wheelchair, because both of those involve use of my arms and shoulders and hands, which are also out of commission. I can’t type or use the computer, because every tendon in my fingers, hands, wrists, and arms are affected and severely painful. I can’t hold up a book to read, because the weight of the book is too much and I can’t bend my arms, without increasing the tendon pain. The weight of the sheets on my toes causes severe pain in the tendons there. There must be tendons around the eye muscles too, because it hurts simply to move my eyes. So I lay there in my bed, with my arms and legs flat out, with my head still and my eyes closed, waiting. Waiting for what, I’m not sure. It’s hard to believe that I went jogging and bike riding and swimming only a few days ago. I’m also in shock. How in the world could a simple antibiotic that I took for a simple UTI do this to me?”

More information about the effects of ciprofloxacin on JMR’s life can be found on www.fluoroquinolonethyroid.com.

Terry’s Story

I don’t have a direct quote from Terry to illustrate her situation, so I’ll just do my best to summarize it. Terry loves tennis and plays it often. She’s not a professional tennis player by any means, but it is one of her favorite activities.

Terry took ciprofloxacin to treat a urinary tract infection. Three weeks later she returned to playing tennis and noticed that her ankles hurt after playing an easy game. She played tennis again a few days later and noticed that her ankles hurt worse than before, and that her wrists were starting to hurt. After a few months she went to her doctor and her doctor told her that she had multiple tears in her ankle tendons. Her knees became tender shortly thereafter. Now, with her ankles, wrists and knees in pain, the joy of playing tennis has been taken away from her. She is hopeful that her tendons will heal and that she will be able to play tennis like she did before she took ciprofloxacin, but she is scared that her tendons may continue to tear and rupture. Only time will tell.

Other Case Studies

The article, “Fluoroquinolone-induced serious, persistent, multisymptom adverse effects” published in the British Journal of Medicine, goes over four cases of people who were healthy, active and athletic prior to taking fluoroquinolone antibiotics who are now disabled because of their reactions. I recommend that everyone read through it prior to taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic.

Mayo Clinic Physician Recommendations

In the article “Musculoskeletal Complications of Fluoroquinolones: Guidelines and Precautions for Usage in the Athletic Population” published by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and written by three physicians with ties to the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, proposes the following guidelines for fluoroquinolone use in athletes:

  1. Athletes should avoid all use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics unless no alternative is available.
  2. Should a fluoroquinolone antibiotic be prescribed, the athlete, and ideally the coaching and athletic training staff, should be made aware of the increased risk for the development of musculoskeletal complications. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act guidelines should always be followed when discussing the athlete’s health with coaching and athletic training staff.
  3. Oral or injectable corticosteroids should not be administered concomitantly with fluoroquinolones.
  4. Consideration should be given to supplementation with magnesium and/or antioxidants during the fluoroquinolone treatment course if no contraindications are present.
  5. Training alterations should begin at the time of the first dose, including a reduction in high-intensity and ballistic activities and total training volume. The reductions should remain throughout the duration of the antibiotic course. If the athlete has no symptoms after completing the full course of the antibiotic, then a graduated return to full activity under direct medical supervision should be initiated, with close monitoring for the development of musculoskeletal symptoms.
  6. All athletic activity should cease at the onset of symptoms, with graduated return to activities when the person is asymptomatic. The fluoroquinolone should be discontinued if possible, and alternative antibiotic treatment should be prescribed if clinically indicated.
  7. Close monitoring should continue for [at least] one month from completion of the antibiotic course. The athlete should understand that symptoms have been reported as late as 6 months after fluoroquinolone exposure, and prompt medical evaluation should be sought if symptoms develop. During this period, special consideration should be given to adequate recovery between bouts of high-intensity activity or competitions.

Avoid Fluoroquinolones

Athletes, and everyone who values their tendons, muscles, cartilage, autonomic nervous system, central nervous system, and peripheral nerves, should avoid fluoroquinolone antibiotics whenever possible. Fluoroquinolones are powerful drugs with life-altering consequences. Adverse-reactions to fluoroquinolones are often severe. The people mentioned above certainly didn’t think that they could experience a life-altering adverse-reaction to an antibiotic, but it happened to them. Please heed their warnings and don’t let it happen to you.

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.

This article was first published on Hormone Matter in March 2016.

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Fluoroquinolones 101 – Antibiotics to Avoid

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Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, etc. are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat a variety of infections, from urinary tract infections to anthrax and everything in between.  The first quinolone created was Nalidixic Acid which was discovered by George Lesher in 1962.  (Nalidixic Acid was added to the OEHHA prop 65 list of carcinogens in 1998.) Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is a second generation fluoroquinolone patented in 1983 by Bayer, Levaquin (levofloxacin) is a third generation fluroquinolone  patented in 1987 by Ortho-McNeil-Janssen (a division of Johnson & Johnson), and Avelox (moxifloxacin) is a fourth generation fluoroquinolone patented in 1991 by Bayer.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics – Still on the Market

Of the 30 quinolones that have made it to market since the 1980s, all but 6 have either been removed from the US market or have severely restricted use.

The fluoroquinolone antibiotics that are still on the market are some of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. Per the FDA, “Approximately 23.1 million unique patients received a dispensed prescription for an oral fluoroquinolone product from outpatient retail pharmacies during 2011,” and “Within the hospital setting, there were approximately 3.8 million unique patients billed for an injectable fluoroquinolone product during 2011.”

When used properly, such as in cases of life-threatening hospital acquired pneumonia, fluroquinolone antibiotics can save lives.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side-Effects and Adverse Reactions

When used improperly, fluoroquinolone antibiotics can needlessly cause devastating side-effects.  Devastating side-effects can also occur when fluoroquinolone antibiotics are used properly, but the devastation can be justified by weighing it against the alternative – death.  In 2001, Dr. Jay S. Cohen published an article on the severe and often disabling reactions some people sustained  as a result of taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic.  Dr. Cohen says,

“It is difficult to describe the severity of these reactions. They are devastating. Many of the people in my study were healthy before their reactions. Some were high intensity athletes. Suddenly they were disabled, in terrible pain, unable to work, walk, or sleep.”

Dr. Cohen’s study of 45 subjects suffering from Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome, a name that I’m pushing for, (without an official name, it is difficult get the word out) showed that they had the following symptoms:

  • Peripheral Nervous System: Tingling, numbness, prickling, burning pain, pins/needles sensation, electrical or shooting pain, skin crawling, sensation, hyperesthesia, hypoesthesia, allodynia (sensitivity to touch) numbness, weakness, twitching, tremors, spasms.
  • Central Nervous System: Dizziness, malaise, weakness, impaired coordination, nightmares, insomnia, headaches, agitation, anxiety, panic attacks, disorientation, impaired concentration or memory, confusion, depersonalization, hallucinations, psychoses.
  • Musculoskeletal: Muscle pain, weakness, soreness, joint swelling, pain, tendon pain, ruptures.
  • Special Senses: Diminished or altered visual, olfactory, auditory functioning, tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
  • Cardiovascular: Tachycardia, shortness of breath, hypertension, palpitations, chest pain.
  • Skin: Rash, swelling, hair loss, sweating, intolerance to heat and\or cold.
  • Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain.

When a fluoroquinolone antibiotic triggers a toxic reaction in a person, multiple symptoms are often experienced. I experienced all of the symptoms that are italicized.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Damage – Technical Aspects

Fluoroquinolones are eukaryotic DNA gyrase and topoisomerase inhibitors very similar to many antineoplastic agents (source).  What this means in plain English is that these drugs work the same way as chemotherapeutic drugs; they disrupt DNA and lead to destruction of cells.  A recent (2013) study conducted by a team of scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University Studies showed that Ciprofloxacin, along with a couple of other non-fluoroquinolone antibiotics, causes oxidative stress and mitochondrial malfunction. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Young Pharmacists found that, “There is significant and gradual elevation of lipid peroxide levels in patients on ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin.”  They also found that “There was substantial depletion in both SOD (superoxide dismutase, “a free radical scavenging enzyme”) and glutathione levels” and that “On the 5th day of treatment, plasma antioxidant status decreased by 77.6%, 50.5% (and) 7.56% for ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and gatifloxacin respectively.” The study also notes that administration of fluoroquinolones leads to a marked increase in the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and that “reactive free radicals overwhelms the antioxidant defence, lipid peroxidation of the cell membrane occurs. This causes disturbances in cell integrity leading to cell damage/death.”

How Many People are at Risk?

The exact rate of adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones is difficult to determine.  Studies of adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones have noted that, “During clinical trials, the overall frequencies of adverse effects associated with (fluoroquinolones) to vary between 4.4 and 20%.”  Just the fact that the spread is so large, a 15.6% spread in frequency of adverse reactions is a HUGE difference, implies that the actual occurrence of adverse reactions is difficult to establish or unknown.

With the FDA figures above noting that 26.9 million unique patients were given fluoroquinolones in 2011, if you just take the conservative adverse reaction figure of 4.4%, you’ll get a horrifying number of people with adverse reactions in 2011 alone – 1,183,600 people.  20% of 26.9 million is 5,380,000 people adversely effected.  That is scary.  Those numbers are truly frightening given the severity of the adverse effects described above.

Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome

I see fluoroquinolone toxicity everywhere, and even I think that those numbers are high for severe, disabling reactions like mine where multiple symptoms develop simultaneously.  Not everyone who has an adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone has a reaction like mine, or even develops Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome – thank God.  Many people have milder reactions.  Milder symptoms include any one of the symptoms listed above as well as  diarrhea, vomiting, mild tendonitis, decreased energy, painless muscle twitches, memory loss, urgency of urination, or any number of reactions that the body may have to a massive depletion of antioxidants and increases in lipid peroxide levels and reactive oxygen species production.

Even though severe adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones antibiotics can be painful and disabling for years, many (possibly most, but certainly not all) people recover from Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome with time.  I anticipate that I will be fully recovered 2 years after my reaction started. Sadly, there are some people who don’t recover.  They suffer from chronic pain, disability, impaired cognitive abilities, etc. permanently.

It is absurd, to say the least, that an acute problem, an infection, that can easily be taken care of with administration of an antibiotic that is not a fluoroquinolone, is converted into a chronic problem, a  syndrome that can disable a person for years, by a prescription ANTIBIOTIC, used as prescribed. In my case, a urinary tract infection that could have likely been taken care of with macrobid or even cranberry juice and d-mannos, was treated with Cipro which left me unable to do many physical and mental tasks that I had previously been able to do with ease. It’s a crazy, absurd situation.  It’s absurd and it’s wrong.

Some Antibiotics are More Dangerous than Others

The bottom line is that these popularly prescribed antibiotics are dangerous drugs that have caused thousands of people to suffer with a myriad of maladies. Undeniably, they have their place, in treating life-threatening infections.  Unfortunately, they are not being reserved for use in life-threatening situations and people are being hurt after taking them for simple sinus, urinary tract, bronchial and prostate infections. A strict and rigorous protocol needs to be established to limit the damage that they cause; because it’s not right to maim and disable people to treat their sinus infections.

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.

This article was published previously in August 2013 and is being re-posted in light of the recent press coverage warning of fluoroquinolone dangers.

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Postpartum Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

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Sarah Flynn

In March of 2011, two months after the birth of my daughter, I experienced a bout of acute illnesses. My birth experience had been difficult, delivering five weeks early via emergency C-section after my water broke at 35 weeks gestation. My recovery was complicated by the need for an appendectomy just six weeks later. As if two abdominal surgeries weren’t enough, all of the trauma apparently dislodged two kidney stones in my right kidney. I woke up one morning with blinding pain in my stomach that migrated to my back and my side. I had passed a kidney stone once before, so I immediately knew what was causing the pain. Many who have experienced a kidney stone compare it to the pain of childbirth; I would argue that the pain is actually much worse. Unable to manage the pain on my own, I was taken to the emergency room for treatment. In the ER I was given IV pain medication and sent home with a short-term prescription for hydrocodone. I was also sent home with a prescription for a seven day course of the antibiotic Cipro. This medication was given to me as a preventative measure in case the stone ripped through my ureter.

Initial Symptoms of an Impending Cipro Reaction

About 48 hours after beginning the Cipro, I noticed an unusual feeling of nervousness. I was also having trouble regulating my internal body temperature. I would either be sweating profusely or so bone-chill cold that the only relief I could get was standing in a hot shower. I attributed these symptoms to being overwhelmed by the beating my body had taken in the last two months all while trying to care for my two month old preemie daughter. The anxiety was met with severe insomnia, and after a few days of almost complete sleeplessness (on top of the getting up with a newborn every few hours), I saw a general practitioner at a local walk-in clinic to get some advice and hopefully some relief. The doctor agreed that I was likely overwhelmed by all that had happened on top of adjusting to caring for a newborn. However, she also mentioned that I should stop taking the Cipro, and that “Cipro can do funny things” to some people. I took her advice and stopped the Cipro. Within a few days I started to feel more normal, and I shrugged off the experience. Little did I know my nightmare was just beginning.

Neurocognitive Deficits and Cipro

Two weeks later I returned to work. I was staring at the computer screen working on a research project when I noticed that my vision had become blurry. I went to the bathroom and put saline drops in my eyes when I discovered that my pupils were enormous. My eyes looked completely black instead of the normal light greenish-blue hue. I decided to leave work and go home early, and I had to squint and blink furiously just to keep my car on the road. When I returned home, my husband noticed my eyes and told me to lie down. I was exhausted, yet sleep would not come.

Cipro and the Central Nervous System

In the next few months I deteriorated rapidly, suffering from extreme anxiety, muscle twitches, myoclonus jerks, sweating, chills, weakness, tendonitis in my wrists, confusion, PVC heart arrhythmia, among roughly 30 other terrifying and painful symptoms. The worst of them, by far, was the completely intractable insomnia. I would go days at a time without being able to sleep even for one minute, finally crashing for two or three broken hours, and then the cycle would repeat itself. I sought out several doctors who ran tests after test and found nothing. I was finally steered toward psychiatry, where I was diagnosed with “anxiety” and given a slew of prescription psychiatric medications. Luckily, I declined to take most of them.

Continued Deterioration and Delayed Reactions to Fluoroquinolones

Weeks went on and my symptoms did not abate. I decided to leave my job and stay at home to take care of my precious baby daughter, the only thing giving me hope or the will to keep moving forward at that point. I was simply too sick to work, and my work environment was extremely stressful during that time. I was still very confused as to what had befallen me. After months of suffering, I remembered the doctor who had advised me to stop the Cipro. One simple Google search of “Cipro side effects” opened literally thousands of pages of information, with stories exactly like mine, of delayed reactions and unexplainable, debilitating symptoms. Because the severe symptoms were delayed for weeks after I stopped the Cipro, I never attributed my symptoms to this medication. I was unfortunately unaware that close proximity of the effect was not a necessary condition for causation when it came to pharmaceutical side effects.  However, as I began to research this class of antibiotics, called fluoroquinolones, I became aware that the most severe reactions are often delayed.

Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

I saw the top expert in the medical field on fluoroquinolone adverse reactions, and he diagnosed me with fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome after a careful assessment. Almost a year after my first symptoms appeared, I finally had a name for my suffering. It took me almost two and a half years to recover ninety percent. My recovery focused on nutrition, stress management, and the power of positive thinking. Instead of taking medications, I found a sleep psychologist and underwent CBT for insomnia, and it helped dramatically. I still have symptoms, including the PVC arrhythmia, transient insomnia and peripheral neuropathy, but I consider myself very lucky. Many individuals with fluoroquinolone toxicity are disabled for life. You can read more about fluoroquinolone (FQ) toxicity here.

The pharmaceutical companies will lead you to believe that these side effects are rare, and therefore insignificant compared to the population of people that the drugs help. However, the truth is that most medication side effects are never reported, if they are even attributed to the drug at all. In actuality, doctors are generally uninformed about the complex array of side effects that these drugs can cause and are often unwilling to attribute patients’ symptoms back to the medications that they themselves prescribe. It is unlikely that we have an accurate picture of the side effect profiles of many prescription drugs, not just fluoroquinolones. In fact, many have speculated that a variety of idiopathic illnesses such as fibromyalgia are not organic illnesses but are all manifestations of fluoroquinolone toxicity or other adverse medication reactions. Each individual tends to have a unique threshold for toxicity, so it is entirely possible to have taken these antibiotics before without trouble only to experience a severe adverse reaction the next time they are taken. Since my diagnosis, it has become my mission to educate my friends, family and the world on FQ toxicity. Knowledge is power, and sometimes it can even be life-saving.

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 – Buy an Unsubscription.

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Post Fluoroquinolone Sex and Libido

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Lisa Bloomquist

One of my symptoms of getting “floxed” (a short-hand term for fluoroquinolone toxicity – an adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone antibiotic including Cipro/Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/Levofloxacin, Avelox/Moxifloxacin, and Floxin/Ofloxacin) was losing my “give-a-damn.”  I stopped caring about many aspects of my life – my job, my relationships, my aspirations, and many other things that used to give me pleasure; including three things that were previously on my list of favorite things in the world – food, sex and alcohol.  My desire for those things, things that used to bring me pleasure and excitement, was simply gone – over night – as my body went from being healthy and strong to being fatigued, in pain and unable to move much at all.

To lose the desire for sex, at the age of 32, was bizarre and disquieting. At 32 I was supposed to be at my sexual peak, but instead I found myself not caring at all about my former favorite recreational activity. As I went through sexual relationships I was able to muster up the energy to participate, and enjoy, sex. But it was different after I got “floxed.”  My way of thinking and feeling about sex was just… different.  I no longer cared about sex and I no longer desired it. It moved from the top of my priority list to the bottom. My libido was a faint shadow of its former self.

As I’ve recovered (it took a couple of years to recover from the toxic reaction that I had to an antibiotic that I took to treat a urinary tract infection brought on, ironically, by sex), my sex drive has come back, and I have started to feel like myself again – with the desires and appetites that make me feel like me. It’s nice to be recovering, and to be getting my “give-a-damn” back.

Because I was able to “fake it till you make it” as they say, my story of losing my sex drive is not the most compelling.  It was not the biggest loss that I suffered from, and, well, there are worse things in the world than what my vagina went through. But some of the other sexual side-effects that other people have suffered through as a result of fluoroquinolone toxicity, are far worse, and they are nothing to be dismissed or disregarded.

My fellow “floxie” friends have been through more sexual adverse effects of fluoroquinolones than I have. Here are a few snippets of their stories:

  • A woman in her mid-20s is unable to orgasm
  • A man in his 40s feels like he is being kicked in the groin when he orgasms
  • A man in his 50s does not respond to any erectile dysfunction medications – including a shot that “works every time” according to his doctor
  • A woman in her 50s experiences nerves that are so over-stimulated that she has a continuous, painful orgasm that lasts for hours
  • A woman in her 30s with extreme vaginal dryness
  • A man in his 30s with erectile dysfunction
  • People of all ages and both sexes who have not had sex for years

I hope that some of my “floxie” friends come forward with their stories about what it feels like to go through the loss of sexual function and sexuality described above.  It affects every aspect of a person’s life and it even rocks their identity. It is wrong for a drug to take away such an important part of being human as one’s sexuality.

Fixing a person’s sexual dysfunction, or lack of desire, isn’t as easy as taking a pill – though the people who advertise Viagra and Cialis would like for us to think that it is.  The people who are suffering from fluoroquinolone induced sexual side-effects are, unfortunately, not helped by any pharmaceutical “cures.”

Sexual dysfunction is real, it is serious and it is life altering.  To take away a person’s ability to be sexual with an unnecessarily strong antibiotic that damages a patient’s central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, is wrong.

Please consider the possibility of losing your ability and desire to have sex before you take Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox or Floxin.  If there are alternative antibiotics available, please use those; because your sexuality is really quite important and fixing it once it’s broken isn’t easy.

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.

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The Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey

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Side effects

Introducing the fifth in our series of crowdsourced health surveys and our first to include men and women: The Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey.

At Hormones MatterTM we have read the stories about the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and have been struck by the depth, breadth and life long nature of these symptoms. We are concerned by the lack non-industry sponsored data, and so, we created this survey, the first in a series of studies on this topic, to begin the process understanding fluoroquinolone side effects.

About the Fluoroquinolones

Individual reports abound about the dangers of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. After over 30 years on the market, it is only recently that the FDA issued issued its black box warning about the risks of tendonopathies. We think this is too little too late and aim to determine the real breadth of reactions by going direct to you, the patient, the recipient of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Since the fluoroquinolones represent the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in the US, likely elsewhere too, and 39% of those prescriptions may be unnecessary, we think it is especially important to collect comprehensive and objective data about the risks and range of adverse reactions.

We need your help to gather these data. Please take this survey and share it with your friends, colleagues and anyone you know who has been given a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Please post on your Facebook pages and share on Twitter, Linkedin, Reddit and other social media. We will need thousands respondents. That requires crowdsourcing. And since we are an unfunded venture, feel free to contribute to this research too, by clicking Crowdfund Us.

Purpose of the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey

Patients and their physicians need more data about the side-effects of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. There is a lack of data about who is at risk for adverse events and whether certain pre-existing conditions increase one’s risk for an adverse event. There is also a lack of data about the long term health effects of these antibiotics. The purpose of this survey is to fill that data void; to learn more about the risks for and nature of adverse events associated with each of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and others. This will be the first of a series of studies on fluoroquinolone reactions.

Who Should Take the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey

Anyone who have been given one of these medications, whether a reaction developed or not, and/or the parents or other family members of children too young or patients too incapacitated to take the survey for themselves.

How Long Does the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey Take?

This is a long survey. We felt it was important to assess the full depth, breadth, onset and severity of adverse reactions in order to give patients and physicians the data they need to make informed medical decisions. This necessitated a longer than desired survey. We estimate it will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete the survey.  We hope, given what is at risk, survey respondents will take the time to complete the entire survey.

Is the Survey Anonymous and Secure?

Yes. We do not collect personal identifying information and the survey is hosted with SSL encryption using a verisign certificate Version 3, 128 bit encryption.

How Will the Data be Used?

To inform future research and health decision-making.

Who is Conducting this Research?

Researchers from Lucine Health Sciences and Hormones MatterTM. For more information on Lucine Health Sciences, click here. For more information about Hormones MatterTM , click here.

Take the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey Now!

What Else Can I Do To Help?

Our organization 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. This study, and many of our studies, are driven by patient requests and patient involvement.

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 this or other research projects – Crowdfund Us.

To take one of our other surveys, click here.

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

Thank you in advance for your help.

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