Post Marketing Reports for November 2000

Doc 109
2797From: MSSTANG67@A...
Date: Thu Nov 30, 2000 5:42pm
Subject: ADR to Cipro

I was wondering if any of you could help me. My 12 year old daughter
was given Cipro and developed tendonitis in all of her joints from
her back down. The effects are lasting 7 months now and we don't
know what to do to help her. At first the prescribing doctor ignored
us and told us it was arthritis or a sports injury. We persisted and
now everyone agrees this is from Cipro. The doctors are filling out
the report sheet to Bayer and the FDA. I have talked to a chemist
from the company with no real answers. She is in pain every day.
No one really is giving us any direction on how she should be treated
except to stay off her feet, so she's in a wheelchair the majority of
the time. To say that she is devastated is an understatement. Any
help would be appreciated. Michelle


Doc 101
2735From: JTuttle962@a...
Date: Mon Nov 13, 2000 3:41pm
Subject: Seeking Advice re: carpal tunnel

Hi everyone,

The rheummy thinks I have blown tendons around shoulders, elbows,
wrists, knees and ankles since taking Levaquin and Cipro a lot in
1999 (7 oral surgeries). I felt the pain was from something else
(other than blown tendons and osteoarthritis) and today this was
confirmed by an EMG. Pinched nerve in right hand; mild to moderate
carpal tunnel in the left.

Question is this: has anyone had this supposedly "simple" surgery
and if so, what was the result, good or bad? This has gotten
progressively worse over the past year despite physical therapy,
rest, ice, compression, bracing, magnets, supplements,
NSAIDS, ....you name it. I am seriously considering surgery but need
to know what to look/ask for...all responses are appreciated.

Judie

Doc 100
2733From: carlina@g...
Date: Mon Nov 13, 2000 2:16am
Subject: Re: Is cipro a silent killer?

Hi,

...Well I took Avelox 2 months ago. I immediately had tachacardia
(spelling), and anxiety attacks. Then depression. Then weightloss,
and extreme muscle weakness. Then muscle twitches and tendonitis in
my knees. Now every joint in my body cracks constantly, and after 2
months my achillies tendons are starting to burn and crack and
hurt... I really can't walk very well. All of these things have
compounded on top of each other. Has anyone else had this visual
thing I have? I see all colors way to intensly. Yellow is too yellow,
black seems too dark, the contrasts between colors seem strange, I
have extreme light sensativity and lots of floaters. It really drives
me crazy...
The reason I wanted to reply to Daniel's message is because I have
tried a few of the things he recomended. My naturopathic doctor told
me from my blood work that my functional calcium, magnesium, and
salts were too low. ...
Now I have been just taking the Calcium and Magnesium and
electrolytes. Without the electrolytes I get much weaker and very
quickly. I want to know why I get so weak without them. Do you, or
anyone know what can be causing one's electrolytes to be so low? My
doctor did not seem to care why, and is not trying to find out why???
Anyway the problem with the Calcium and Magnesium is that when I have
taken the full dose of these as recomended I notice that I also get
much worse. Two days ago I made sure I took all the Calcium and
Magnesium I was supposed to, and by that afternoon I felt much worse,
and by that night had started to develop new tendon problems in my
achillies tendons....

Good luck to you and everyone.
Thanks for listening,
Carlina Nabatoff




Doc 98
2730From: Gary Phillips silchem@p...
Date: Thu Nov 9, 2000 10:13pm
Subject: Re: Please Help Me!

I have many of the same symptoms for up to two years. The stiffness in the
legs from levaquin for sure is beginning to go away after two years. I
believe that the quinolones actually caused the prostatitis. They always
think of a bacterial infection. Not so. not confirmed. The cure is worse
than the illness. The other nervous symptoms you have had are common. hold
on you are not going crazy. You do not have MS or a brain tumor. You have
bee FQ'd. Your DR. as mine doesn't have a clue how dangerous these
Fluoroquinolnes are and in particular when they are used for extended
periods and you take more than one variety. No one will listen. They are too
concerned about legal issues and the drug money they get as kickbacks for
over prescribing the FQ's. Several years of your life have been taken away
and your PNS, CNS, and tendons will never be the same. All you can do is
warn a friend.
G

Doc 96
2726From: penispain@u...
Date: Wed Nov 8, 2000 6:41pm
Subject: Please Help Me!

My story is a very long one and I will apologize for that up front. I
will try to make it as short as I can.
Last Jan. I began to experience discomfort at the urethral opening of
my penis. My primary doc put me on a week of Floxin while we awaited
the results of my urine culture. Culture came back negative so he
sent me to a urologist who diagnosed me with prostatitis and put me
on
Levaquin for 3 weeks. During those weeks my entire glans became very
red and painful. When I told the urologist about this he said it was
from the prostatitis. At the end of three weeks he switched me to
bactrim. Still nothing seemed to be working and my pain seemed to
intensify. After a week or so on the bactrim I ended up in the
hospital vomiting with a fever and diarrhea. I had a CT scan that
showed that my prostate was quite enlarged. I was put on IV
gentamicin and ampicillin for a week then sent home with IV bactrim
and a PIC line. The thing that baffled me was that there was never
any infection found. A week after my hospital stay, I went back for a
cystoscopy and biopsy. The only thing they found was mild chronic
inflammation of my prostatic urethra. About 2 weeks after that I was
in horrible pain and no one knew what was causing it. I had intense
burning of my urethra and glans. I also developed really bad panic
attacks and felt like I was totally losing my mind. I then developed
two of what appeared to be canker sores in my mouth. I went to the
emergency room and they put me on Doxcycline. About a week after that
I developed sores on my throat and what was uncomfired oral thrush.
Fast foward 9 months or so to the present time. My glans is still red
and very painful most of the time. Urination has not felt right since
Jan. I have had stange tingling on one side of my face and in both of
my legs. My legs feel very stiff at times, like I can't stretch or I
will break somthing. I have pain in my lower back and right buttock
most of the time. My oral cavitiy still doesn't feel normal and the
spots in my mouth where I had the two sores pop in and out during the
day. I also have had a stange buning that would go right up my spine,
kind of like a hot flash. I am sure that I probably missed some stuff
but I think that I've covered most of the important stuff. My
question
is what long term affects do quinolones and other antibiotics have on
your nervous system and mucus membranes? Could my problems all be
stemming from a bad reaction to these meds that the doctors somehow
missed? If you have taken the time to read this, I thank you. Any
help
whatsoever is greatly appreciated.
P.S. I have tested negative for all STD's including herpes since the
beginning.

Doc 95
2711From: goldberi@t...
Date: Sun Nov 5, 2000 2:51pm
Subject: seeking info for odd symptom

Hi everyone! I am trying to find out if anyone who has taken levaquin
has experienced circulation problems in his hands? My uncle recently
had a very bad reaction, and for the last 3-4 weeks several fingers
on each hand have been turning black (lack of circulation). He is
doctoring intensively, and is now aware of this, and other levaquin
groups online--so now he has some evidence, other than common sense,
that his pain, tendon problems, etc, were and are a drug reaction.
Dick is facing a dangerous angiogram procedure on his hands, and has
been assured he may lose his fingers with or without it. If anyone in
this group has experienced or heard of this, please let me know. We
are desperately looking for all of our options!
Thanks,
Jeri P
goldberi@t...


Doc 94
2710From: Minimom@w...
Date: Sat Nov 4, 2000 6:35pm
Subject: Avelox:Severe Reaction

I forced my mother to go to the doctor due to breathing problems2weeks ago. He told her she had pnuemonia and wanted her to go tothehospital. She wouldn't go so he gave her a massive dose ofantibioticby injection (don't know what it was) and started her on asample ofAvelox (4 doses) and then we filled a script for 10more.After the first dose she became as she calls it "nutsy". Shecouldn'tfind her way from the bedroom to the bathroom and ran intothe walls(the rooms are 3 feet apart). She had terrible dreams also.We didn'tthink much of it and thought it was due to the fever.She wasalso taking nebulizer treatments 4-5 times a day with 2different medsadded to it.After 5 doses of Avelox, she broke out in a terrible rashall overher feet and legs. Then the pains started in her calves. Thenext day her feet swelled so badly that she has no more arch in herleft foot(she has a very high arch). Then the pain spread to about 6inchesabove her knees in the front of her legs. Today she developed2large knots, one on the outer front of each lower leg. She's in suchpain! She has to walk with a cane. Then today I found this site andam appalled! My mother is 73 and has been healthy all her life andhates medicine and doctors to begin with. Then I make her go to adoctor, she puts her trust in him and takes the medicine and this iswhat happens!She also drinks coffee. I don't know if the injection and the addedmeds to the nebulizer may have also contributed to this condition. The doctor was told she had an arrythmia also and still gave her theAvelox. Don't physicians read anymore? It really makes me wonder if theysincerely care or is it $$$$. I know there are some truly wonderfuldoctors but they are hard to find.Looks like I'll be taking care of 2 households sooner than I'dplanned. That I don't mind. It's just that it could have beenavoided and Mom could have lived the rest of her life as productiveas she has up to this point. Of course, she refuses to go to ANY doctor ever again. She sa


Doc 92
2649From: twalsh9@o...
Date: Wed Nov 1, 2000 5:31am
Subject: Nutritional Detoxification - has anyone tried this
approach?

My 19 year old son took 2 doses of Tequin almost 4 weks ago for a
sinus infection.He had been on Cipro the week before. His symptoms
are constant headache, rash on face (getting worse), difficulty
concentrating, light sensitivity, weakness and fatigue (not sure if
anything else will pop up). He is not getting any better. We have
appts schduled this week at a dermatologist, neurologist and
internist. Some how, I don't believe we are going to get any answers.
The doctor who set up the appt with the neurologist said both he and
the neurologist do NOT think these symptons are related to the
Tequin. I do! We are planning to nutritionally detox his system with
UltraClear. Has any one tried anything like this? Any results? any
drawbacks? What about acupuncture? How available is Dr. Flockhart? As
you can see, I am going out of my mind over this. He was a healthy 19
year old and I'm so angry and frustrated. Will these symptoms ever go
away. Thank you for this web site. I can not believe how much I've
learned. Denise Walsh