Fluoroquinolone toxicity

Posted by cbsolomon @cbsolomon, Sep 11, 2021

Did anyone on this forum take cipro levaquin or avelox around the time their neuropathy began. If so, you probably suffered an adverse reaction to the drug. These fluoroquinolone antibiotics are well know for causing bad neuropathies, tendon damage and psychiatric issues. Check your medical records.

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Profile picture for lisa965 @lisa965

Yes instant onset 3rd day of cipro .axonal sensory motor..small fiber and autonomic 8 yrs ago ..healthy n normal to an invalid at 47 .

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@lisa965 i'm so sorry. i experienced the same thing. no recourse. i was so messed up after taking this drug. i lost my health, my career in architecture, and my ability to work. i'm always in pain, and no longer feel a love for life. it crushed me, like a wrecking ball.

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Profile picture for mawagner13 @mawagner13

Speaking from my own experience of levaquin toxicity, getting doctors and neurologists to even acknowledge the possibility is useless. I finally found an MD in Palmyra PA who is family practice and alternative medicine. He is very knowledgeable about the damage from floroquinolones. He diagnosed medication toxicity and Put me on a regimen of supplements. Nothing worked immediately but I have for the most part recovered after 3 years. I still get neuropathy flares and some shoulder pain here and there but compared to where I was I’ll take it. The first year was the hardest and scariest. I’d recommend finding an alternative medicine dr to advise on supplements, eat clean, and as odd as it sounds meditate every day for at least 10 minutes. The calming effect helps some of the physical stuff at least for me. Neuropathy and tinnitus mostly. I think time is the tincture with this. At the 1 year mark I felt that life as I had known it was over. But now 3 yrs post floroquinolone I’d say I’m 90% recovered. I still take a few supplements daily and watch what I eat but overall life is back to normal.

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@mawagner13 i'm happy you recovered. i took this in '13 and never recovered.

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Profile picture for rubethedogman @rubethedogman

I am currently poisoned 6 years from cipro. Additionally, I was poisoned in 1990 and sick for 9 years. For whatever miracle, after 9 years it mostly went away. During that time, I went to Mayo clinic. They didn't have a clue and how to diagnose me. And it's mind-blowing that 31 years later they still can't diagnose it. It's really sad. And Mayo clinic is not alone. Virtually every doctor I see doesn't believe me and or knows nothing about the florouquinolone poisoning

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@rubethedogman i was prescribed levaquin in '13 2 years after grad school (architecture). i had an extreme allergic reaction.

i've experienced gaslighting by the legal and medical establishment ever since. my sense is this is not a coincidence. there is a lot of money exchanging hands.

how can doctors not know about this?!

i have been standing in front of them for 13 years, telling them it made me sick. they still don't acknowledge my words when i talk about it. radio silence. always trying to diagnose me. the nerve damage hasn't shown up in tests. i had a skin biopsy for sfn last week. i'm doubtful i'll get validation at this point. i'm completely exhausted from the experience. hired a disability lawyer because i can't work. it's devastating.

while the brand name is no longer made, the generic drug manufacturer's are eluding accountability while making profit. scotus was bought out, too.

i'm still sick. i was never able to practice. i was severely traumatized by this drug. i never recovered physically, and my symptoms worsened over time.

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Profile picture for xerky1024 @xerky1024

I just spent an hour writing about my 3 1/2 year experience nightmare of Levaquin. From perfectly healthy to the extreme fit physically fit high-level professional medical speech, pathologist for 30 years, working seven days happily balanced life, married with dogs. After trying to get rid of a UTI. I was given Levaquin after day for my life ended. Neuropathy following mental changes visual changes, and all the symptoms of Sjogren’s suddenly came on I also experienced severe anhidrosis. I do not sweat. I stop driving I stopped working I stopped living I do not even go out. My wife has taken care of me for the last 3 1/2 years since this happened I had to quit my fantastic profession, which I enjoyed so much. Our life ended. After seeing several doctors and 3 1/2 years worth of searching. Mostly ignored and neglected, and frankly did not believe me. Put me in the mental category started me on antidepressant antipsychotic drugs. It destroyed my life Basically bedbound. I wrote all the details I could think of and it never excepted my comment. It’s just circled.

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@xerky1024 i'm so sorry this happened to you. i had a similar experience. it's a nightmare. i wish i could "wake you up". i wish i knew how to end this for those of us who were harmed.

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Profile picture for needfl0xhelp @needfl0xhelp

@rubethedogman i was prescribed levaquin in '13 2 years after grad school (architecture). i had an extreme allergic reaction.

i've experienced gaslighting by the legal and medical establishment ever since. my sense is this is not a coincidence. there is a lot of money exchanging hands.

how can doctors not know about this?!

i have been standing in front of them for 13 years, telling them it made me sick. they still don't acknowledge my words when i talk about it. radio silence. always trying to diagnose me. the nerve damage hasn't shown up in tests. i had a skin biopsy for sfn last week. i'm doubtful i'll get validation at this point. i'm completely exhausted from the experience. hired a disability lawyer because i can't work. it's devastating.

while the brand name is no longer made, the generic drug manufacturer's are eluding accountability while making profit. scotus was bought out, too.

i'm still sick. i was never able to practice. i was severely traumatized by this drug. i never recovered physically, and my symptoms worsened over time.

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@needfl0xhelp
So tragic what happened to you and your life and at such a young age. I’m so sorry to hear this.

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I was given levafloxacin in December, 2023, and had bilateral Achilles tendon ruptures. Not just ruptures - it destroyed the tissue in the tendons, so I had to have tendon replacement surgery. I'm still having a hard time, with pain and tightness in my legs. I also have CIDP/axonal polyneuropathy, so it's hard to pinpoint what causes the pain. I'm still doing PT, but not enough. I'm fortunate that fluoroquinolone didn't do more damage than it did.

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Profile picture for Jim, Volunteer Mentor @jimhd

I was given levafloxacin in December, 2023, and had bilateral Achilles tendon ruptures. Not just ruptures - it destroyed the tissue in the tendons, so I had to have tendon replacement surgery. I'm still having a hard time, with pain and tightness in my legs. I also have CIDP/axonal polyneuropathy, so it's hard to pinpoint what causes the pain. I'm still doing PT, but not enough. I'm fortunate that fluoroquinolone didn't do more damage than it did.

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@jimhd
Sorry to hear that. How devastating. So scary what that med can do.

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