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← Return to COVID vaccines and neuropathy
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...hi ... well this was my only new prescription, other 2 had been on for ten years... and there were 3 pages of warnings etc. about side effects, not to take over age of 65 etc., but have had conversations with pharmacists before to almost disregard these pages, their saying its just for insurance purposes; however checking the internet which I ought to have done before taking the pills, I dont think I would have taken them; in fact two quinolone drugs I believe were successfully sued in USA Courts - dont have info at my fingertips now. Things is side effects with these do not always show up whlile taking the quinolone drugs! As in my case about 2 weeks later and can be up to MONTHS later... its on Internet.
As well as P.N. an often-had side effect is tendon snapping back of leg and runners or just walking up stairs etc., they forget that 2 months or more ago they took a quinolone drug. If you read the book Poison Pills a man's wife was terribly stricken after ONE pill, similar to the 14 I took....I firmly believe my P.N. was caused by Norflox (Canada), a quinolone black box drug with all the warnings... for a mere UTI... also that they should only be used when almost life or death infection when a severe reaction may be better than death type thing.JMO
p.s. Just a fast check Health Canada back in 2017:
"Information for consumers
Fluoroquinolones are a class of prescription antibacterial drugs that are used to treat several types of bacterial infections.
Fluoroquinolones are generally well tolerated but they have been associated with rare serious side effects that were disabling and persistent, including tendon damage, nerve damage in the hands and feet, and central nervous system disorders.
***These side effects can occur hours to weeks after exposure to fluoroquinolone treatment."
Replies to "...hi ... well this was my only new prescription, other 2 had been on for ten..."
You’re right. Flouroquinolones (FQ) are dangerous. They serve a purpose but only as a last resort when nothing else has worked and the risk to the patient outweighs the risk of the side effects. Unfortunately many doctors don’t know the full extent of FQ risks or the FDAs updated prescribing guidelines. Simple UTIs or in my case, an ear piercing infection, should not warrant FQ use. It’s like using a sledgehammer to kill an ant.
The damage they can cause can be extensive and irreversible. The multiple black box warnings are real. Most pharmacies don’t call these warnings to our attention beyond the insert which as you said we’re taught to ignore.
Tendons don’t snap because they’re tight. FQs actually cause them to deteriorate. They also cause aortic aneurysms and retinal tears for the same reason. The damage they can do is devastating . As a result, there is now an official diagnosis called FQAD, or Flouroquinolone Associated Disability.
I’ve had FQ induced neuropathy among other issues for 2.5 years. There is no fix. There are things that might help symptoms over time but that’s it. You’re 100% correct in that the symptoms might not present until weeks or even months after you finish the drug. For me it was 2 weeks. By that time the damage was done. Most people are unaware what FQs can do so they never make the connection between the script and the symptoms. Sadly, Physicians don’t either. They miss or dismiss the connection and just call your condition idiopathic and prescribe more medication. One doctor knowledgeable in FQ toxicity said to me, “If you take a drug proven to cause a, b and c and then you develop a, b and c there’s no mystery.”
There’s plenty of factual information about FQs out there. I implore everyone to read about the risks and trust that they are very real.
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Tight tendons can also be relieved before they snap with regular massage and stretching -- PT is best. As far as drugs, take your chances, but with autoimmune, it takes a combination of meds and practical diet/lifestyle. In Europe etc I believe that the cause is bacterial, where in the US, common drug is plaquenil(hydroxychloroquine) which has nothing to do with bacteria. Plaquenil is preventive for organ involvement with RA/Lupus. I've been on it over 25 years. We were talking apples/oranges.