March 2004 Post Marketing Report

From: "bobgroz2001" <bobbygr@r...>
Date: Mon Mar 1, 2004 9:29 pm
Subject: I'm losing all my teeth.
I went to the dentist today with my 4th majot abcess in 6 months. My
dental bills are astronomical.
He informed me I would have to have all my teeth removed. He told me
that the only times he had seen teeth rot away like this was with
chemotherapy patients that he has treated.
Needless to say, he is now a believer in the damning results of taking
floroquinolones.
He told me because I can't produce enough saliva in my mouth, I would
only be able to use dentures for eating. The rest of the time I have
to walk around without teeth in my mouth.
This still does not even begin to compare with the CNS damage that
continues to haunt me almost 2 years since taking my last cipro.
I hate anyone repsonsible for making these drugs legal.
Bob


From: "melindaz2004" <HJ2749@a...>
Date: Tue Mar 2, 2004 3:06 am
Subject: Anyone Had A Delayed Reaction To Levaquin?
Hi all, I'm new to the board. I had been on Levaquin 500mg for 10
days for bronchitis. 2 weeks after finishing the course I had
shooting pains in my neck, underarms, and various muscles. The pains
jumped around and came and went. My muscles also felt like they had a
burning fatigue which also jumped around. This lasted for a few days
off and on. I don't really recall anything happening while I was
actually taking the Levaquin, but looking back, there were times when
I would be lying down and then when I tried to get up I could hardly
walk. I had to borrow my mom's cane to help me for a few minutes
until it resolved. My poor memory cannot directly link that to the
medication course. I had taken Levaquin in the past but had not
noticed any side effects. I had been having frequent nightmares where
I would wake up screaming and hitting the bed, but I just chalked
that up to stress over the death of my father. I wonder how much if
any of this could be the Levaquin. Anyway, back to my original
question: Has anyone had a delayed reaction to Levaquin as much as 2
weeks after? Anyone had shooting pains? Thanks in advance.





From: "Tammy" <tch_1975@y...>
Date: Wed Mar 3, 2004 5:13 pm
Subject: Anyone have a reaction to Levaquin while being on Paxil?
I am completely baffled. The doctor put me on Levaquin after I had
an allergic reaction to Augmentin. Two hours after taking the
Levaquin my face began to swell and itch, and I felt like my body was
on fire. I ended up having terrible nightmares all night. I spoke
with the doctor and she is cannot understand what is causing me to
react to these antibiotics considering I have never had an allergic
reaction to a medication before. I am wondering if anyone else out
there has been on Paxil and was prescribed antibiotics and had a
reaction to the antibiotics? That is the only conclusion we can
come up with. She has put me on another antibiotic and said that if
I have a reaction to it then she will gradually take me off of the
Paxil. Has anyone else ever had this sort of reaction to antibiotics
while being on an anti-depressant?




From: "millatym" <millatym@y...>
Date: Wed Mar 3, 2004 7:22 pm
Subject: 500 mg levaquin, symptoms... - new member with ?'s
I had been taking Levaquin for 7 days for a prostate problem and
started to develop signs that I am reading about in many of the
messages here....shaky hands (numb or tingling sensation as
well in my arms and legs), muscle fatigue, very bad dreams,
sleeplessness, diarrhea, headache and difficulty in paying
attention. I feel like I'm in a "zone" that I just can't shake.
I was very scared, and still am because I looked at some of
these signs as symptoms of MS or something else like it.
I have since stopped taking it and am waiting to hear back from
my Doctor.
I am a 32 yr. old, otherwise very healthy male.
Any ideas on how long it may take before I start to feel normal
again? Have others felt this way too?
Thanks for any help,
Dave


From: "jeanhanna212" <jeanhanna212@y...>
Date: Thu Mar 4, 2004 2:22 pm
Subject: advice needed please
Hello,
I am 24 yo female whh had UTI like symptoms 2 months ago and was
placed on Levaquin AND Cipro each for a week. Then I started
developing muscle weakness, numbness, blurry vision, ankles feeling
very heavy and burning, back pain, extreme head pressure, and eye
twitching. The symptoms have been gone for a month and I came down
with a virus this week and all of the same symptoms returned and are
worse. I am very troubled by this.... I also have UTI like symptoms
again, which I don't think it is of an infectious origin. My
symptoms are not localized but my 4 limbs are involved. I am getting
really paranoid these are MS symoptoms. I don't have a medical plan
at the moment and I can't afford to get a MRI or work up. I am
otherwise healthy with no family history of an autoimmune disease.
Does anyone know the chances that this is related to the
quinolones??? Does anybody have UTI like symptoms as a side effect?
Thanks



From: "Randy & Mary Roethler" <fish@i...>
Date: Thu Mar 4, 2004 3:19 pm
Subject: Re: [quinolones] FQ's and anti-depressants/hormone levels



My doctor also thinks I am having adrenalin problems not anxiety attacks. Last
April and May I was tested for a Pheochromocytoma. The tests came back normal.
What they were looking for in these tests were elevated adrenalin levels. The
tests were done came back normal and he still believes I am having adrenalin
problems.

I have a yearly check up for my transplanted kidney next week and could not get
the same doctor. Now I have to start all over again explaining what has
happened in the last year since my allergic reaction to Levaquin. The worst part
is they just don't want to believe Levaquin did this to my body. I did not have
any of these problems before my allergic reaction to this horrible drug, and now
it haunts me day and night.

Maybe I will be lucky and get a doctor who knows something about what
Fluoroquinolones can do.
Mary
----- Original Message -----
From: antiavelox
To: quinolones@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2004 9:11 PM
Subject: [quinolones] FQ's and anti-depressants/hormone levels


I was taking Celexa for post partum when I was given Avelox- I too
had facial swelling and a lovely rash to boot-then came the tendon
problems and then......and then....could go on forever.

Re: hormones- my doc thinks that I have adrenal function problems-
waiting for lab test to confirm, but am sure that my hormones have
been altered in some way or another since the Avelox.



From: "singsherrybaby4" <singsherrybaby4@y...>
Date: Thu Mar 4, 2004 9:22 pm
Subject: 'One' Leviquin, One Year ago



You all have crossed my heart and mind numerous times this passed
year.I have been down quite the road from the time of coming here for
the first time.
This road has been a road of pain and sufferring due to that one
Leviquin that i injested Feb,2003.
It was a sinus infection that lead me to the Dr.and he gave me that
rx-Leviquin.
I came here in a panic and the info i found here was of great value
to what i was experiancing.
I was poisoned, and that is the bottom line.
The intial reaction to being floxed that i had was fear and anger.
The journey had began and to remedy the imposed damage done-(due to
Leviquin.)
I first would like to mention how greatful i was/am for this forum.
This place and the people here are a Godsend.
I do not know what i may have done had they not been here.
Of corse, i read, and asked many questions that lead me down
the "right path" to recovery thru this forum.
My heart goes out to all of you who are new to this group, and i
would like to say,please do hang in there it does get better.
About the first few months after being floxed i was on a corse of
study, and to no end i thought.
It was so tireing and i had pain which made it even harder to go on
at times.
It has be quite a journey as i mentioned above.
I could go on for awhile and thankyou for bareing my burden,but i
would like to get to my current condition-one yr later.
I have pain in the back of my knees that stemed from the onset of
being floxed.
I did`nt have that trouble before being floxed.
My eyes get the wavey flashy lighted streamers sometimes (due to
Levquin),but not as often as before. I have determined that what
causes these bouts with my eyes is what is hidden in the foods that i
might eat like at a restaurant and in the meats that have been given
antibiotics-Flouroquinolones.
My diet is changed radically.
I eat only, (strictly) organic.
Very little meat.
Stevia for sweetner.
Now, the health condition that iam experiancing was a difficult one
to remedy,and i have finally found the best sorces that have kept me
from a surgery.
This condition is also stemed from the poisoning of Flouroquinolones
damage at least, or, might i say, at best, thats my much studied
opinion.
It is called Colitis.
I have been struggling with this new onset condition for the past 6
months.


From: Sanjiko@a...
Date: Mon Mar 8, 2004 4:17 pm
Subject: a letter by Doug about the death of his friend Paul
Sorry that you had to wait for it, but I wanted to have the permission first
by Doug.
---------------------------
Twelve years ago, while living in Boulder, Colorado, my wife,
Lucille, took our four-year-old son, Brenden to a music fair at a
park in the foothills. They heard some beautiful songs written,
composed and sung by a small, gentle man named Paul Levine. They both
fell in love with the music and the musician. They bought his tape
and practically wore it out during the next few weeks. Lucille
brought him home for dinner, as she does so often (and so well) and
we met and felt a love between us that seemed to have existed
forever. We became the best of friends and, even though 2 years
later we moved cross-country to the Florida swamp, we stayed in close
contact over the phone. Sometimes Brenden and he would talk for
hours. He came twice to Melrose FL. to visit us at our lake house.
Last May he took a Fluoroquinolone antibiotic that he had a severe
reaction to. (see http://fqresearch.org/ ) Symptoms got
progressively worse and he became very sensitive to many foods and
other environmental factors. The pains increased and he wasn't able
to sleep. His mental, emotional and physical condition worsened and
in the last few months he was calling on his close friends to stay on
the phone with him through his toughest times, sometimes for hours
during the middle of the night. He couldn't bear the pain any longer
and felt that there was no one on Earth that could help him. At
midday on Wednesday, March 3, 2004, he took his own life.
Paul had so much wisdom and insight that he shared with so many of
us. Lots of people considered him their mentor. He also had
wonderful creative capacities in music and photography. If you go to
his website at www.siriusmusic.org/ click on "Please Come In" and
then click on the listen button below Paul's picture. You can listen
to any of his songs on Real Player. If you don't have it, a link is
supplied to make it easy to obtain it without any spyware or adware.
Friends in Creation (song #7) is the song he sang at our wedding
renewal, and so is one of my favorites. His creative photography is
also available on this site, and I have more if you're interested.
Please listen to a little of his music or read the lyrics of one of
his songs and say a prayer for his passage and for those of his
friends who are processing this great loss.
Blessings to all,
Doug


From: "ddmdoro" <ddmdoro@y...>
Date: Sat Mar 13, 2004 12:53 am
Subject: Symptoms are back
Weird. I'm 5 - 1/2 months after being floxed. Until two days ago,
I'd had a very good month - probably 75% of my pre-flox days. Today
things are back in full force. WEAK arms, feeling disconnected from
elbows down (would someone please support my arms?) tremors from the
shoulders down, fingers dancing all over the place, weak in the
knees, jumpy, anxious, irritable. Back on the Inderal for the shakes.
This is just a cycle, right???



From: "iluvscotty2hottie" <iluvscotty2hottie@y...>
Date: Tue Mar 16, 2004 12:49 pm
Subject: 3 months today
Well, today is the 3 month mark since my husband was given the
Levaquin. He has been doing so much better the past few weeks but
over the weekend he started feeling crappy again and yesterday his
legs and back were really hurting. We are leaving for a 2 week
vacation next week for Florida and I am hoping the warm weather and
change of scenery will do him good. (Don't know how he'll do at all
the amusement parks but our kids are counting on the trip)
I am wondering if anyone else has had some of these weird symptoms
like him. His initial pain started in his back and that's where the
pain was yesterday again and it looks like he has a boil like pimple
there that is very sore. His tongue has really been hurting too on
the left side and then last night everything (tongue, leg & back
pain) switched to the right side like someone turned a switch. He
also feels worse in the morning (jittery and queasy sometimes) and by
late afternoon he is feeling better. He is so down because he still
is not better. I tell him that it's just gonna take time and read to
him from this site. Could he by cycling? The worst thing is that he
still has no drive to do anything. I am giving him magnesium and
calcium twice a day and he takes benedryl everynight because it seems
to help him sleep.
I would appreciate any help or advice.



From: "headsparks2000" <cholcombe@c...>
Date: Tue Mar 16, 2004 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: swollen gland
I was prescribed levaquin back in October 03. I was only on it for
4 days until I had some pretty bad reactions and quit. Doc then
gave me dioxycycline for another 10 days. In late November I
started noticing a burning/dry sensation on my tongue and a week
later my glands started to swell on the back of my neck. One at a
time it worked it's way around my body (neck, armpits (one at a
time...usually the right one) then my groin (both at the same
time). It was almost a surging dull pain that would come in spurts
and only stay swollen for a day or two before moving on. This has
come and gove along with the burning tongue since November...it's
now March. I've been checked out three times at the doc...had a CBC
and allergy blood tests done & they see no sign of any candida
(would cause the burning tongue). Every time it goes away, I hope
that's the last time...it always comes back about a week later.
Anyone else with these types of problems. I was beginning to think
I had HIV or something, but I heard that with HIV all the glands
swell and stay swollen. (probably just my psychosis). - In
quinolones@yahoogroups.com, Larry <marranzino@s...> wrote:
> Hi,
> Just wanted to share with you I thought what I had was a cold sore
under my nose to find out it was an abscess yesterday.. I had gone
in to be checked regarding the tendernous in my legs & feet.. Which
I was told is direct result of the Cipro which I had been on almost
for 4mo due to a life threatening illness..
>
> Anyway I was told the cold sore looked like an MRSA abscess the
gland in my neck was swollen as well swelling on the right side of
my face.. The Cipro had been stopped they then gave me Dox & Chlinda
to take I am now awaiting the call to be admitted as well they want
to biopsy the node in my neck even though feeling it is Staph..
Cipro or Lev or any of them will not treat the staph it is immune so
I was told.. Yet having a suppressed system while on the quinolones
could surely be an issue of picking something else up.. Due to the
low tolerance of fight your body has on these Broad spectrum drugs..
>
> Is it possible they can do a needle biopsy by inserting then
pulling off some fluid prior. I have no lymph nodes in my chest area
as a result of surgery so I for one want to keep those that will
work..
> Just my thought..
> Larry ~
>
>
> On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 21:30:43 -0000, cnannette wrote:
> Has anyone had any trouble with a swollen gland? One came up
> underneath my arm about 5 weeks ago. The doctor wants to do a
biopsy
> and take it out. I ended the Levaquin in November. If this is a
> repeat message then I am sorry.
>
>

From: "liselotte" <kappacorp@y...>
Date: Wed Mar 17, 2004 5:25 am
Subject: question about cipro
Hi Everybody,
My husband has gout, and he also has a tendency to develop ear
infections, both bacterial and fungus.
He cough a cold in january and then he got ear infections, both kinds,
and his eardrum blew out. He was put on cipro. First time for 10 days,
but the infections came back, so he was put on cipro again for 14 days.
The first time he was put on the time released type. And the second
time he was put on 500 mg, twice a day. I think it was.
He has been on cipro twice before, in 2000. Once for pneumonia and
once for ear infections. He recovered and was fine.
This time he just cant get well. He has had a gout flare-up, at the
same time and the infections, and although he has finished his 14 days
of cipro, 2 days ago, he is having night sweats, cold symptoms and
joint aches. He tells me that he feels that the symptoms are from
cipro. But he has stopped taking them, so.....?????
Has anybody here had symptoms like this, while taking cipro?
thanks
Liselotte



From: "bmalpass2000" <bmalpass2000@y...>
Date: Wed Mar 17, 2004 4:28 pm
Subject: levaquin
the first of feb i started coughing for 2 weeks i put up with it on
feb 25 went to the dr, he said broncolitis gave me 500mg levaquin 60
mg prednazone,,,the very next day my side started hurting thought i
had cracked a rib from coughing,,for 2 more weeks i put up with it
then this past saturday i couldnt harldly walk with out groaning i
was in so much pain in my left side,,went back to the dr they gave
me more prednazone for 5 days and zithromax 500mg,,,and to come back
monday and they would xray,,went back monday xrayed said it looked
like pleurasy,,gave me more prednazone 60 mgs a day and levaquin
500mg per day,,according to the dr on sat the zithromax would be in
my system for 10 days,,last night i couldnt hardly lift my legs to
get in the bed,,i am up every night at 1 am nervous and jittery all
day,,he also gave me a breathing disk of alavair i have to do twice
a day,,,am i overdosing here or what




From: "fourwards2" <4wards5@i...>
Date: Thu Mar 18, 2004 1:51 pm
Subject: HGH deficiency
Keep in mind that: "Low levels of IGF-1 are usually indicative of
significant adult GH deficiency [35], but it is not a very sensitive
test marker and will miss up to 60% of GH deficient patients aged
over 40. The currently favored test to diagnose adult GH deficiency
is the stimulated GH response to a combination of GHRH and an
inhibitor of somatostatin tone such as pyridostigmine, arginine,
clonidine or insulin."

With me, this was true. My IGF 1 was okay; however, after having a
Arginine Stimulating test, all my HGH levels were abnormally low
indicating Adult Human Growth Hormone Deficiency.
PJ


From: "julietlacy1" <julietlacy@h...>
Date: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:25 am
Subject: Secondary Exposure Thru Pregnancy & Nursing
Somebody needs to address the fact that the fluoroquinolones are
Teratogenic and Mutagenic.I hear a lot about side effects to
adults,and they are not minor,but virtually NOTHING about
fetuses,children,and teens ,whoes side effects can actually change
the way their bones develope,and if a fetus is exposed,they can have
uncontrolled epilepsy,microcephaly (for which there is NO treatment
except supportive counseling),cp,gross motor delay,urogenital
malformations,and agenesis of the corpus collosum among other
things.Part my daughter`s brain was actually eroded away after
developement from me being prescribed ONE pill of Ofloxacin by a
ignorant MIDWIFE that caused a fissure in my baby`s Corpus
Collosum!!! These drugs need to be banned no matter what infection
they may cure.Just think of all the pregnant and nursing women,or
children who may have taken fluoroquinolones during the Anthrax
incident if they lived in the area of the attacks and/or the other
victims.They were readily available online with no prescription.But
if the doctors don`t believe the adults adverse reaction,just imagine
the trouble I/they have proving fluoroquinolones cause birth
defects.But I did it even though Stephan Fried,the famous auther who
told me personally that there was no proof,and refused to acknowledge
the proof once I attained it.But there is proof and anybody who
thinks there baby or childs problems may be a result of a
fluoroquinlone,please contact me at jaisaspage@h... right
away.The effects could be anything as fluoroquinolones are Mutagenic
and could mutate ANY developing part of the body.Any type of bone
problems are also a marker.I am working with an attorney who is very
supportive of this problem and willing to help.
Juliet



From: "masl3514" <masl3514@y...>
Date: Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:49 pm
Subject: Cipro Seizure
On January 16, 2004 during a basketball game, I had a seizure. I was
there and then I was gone. I turned blue. One of the sheriff's
deputies tried to get my mouth open but he did not succeed. They
called EMS. Before they got me loaded on the ambulance, they say my
eyes were opened and I had a wild look on my face and my eyes were
bulged out. When I got to the hospital I come around a little
bit...they had asked me where I was earlier and I told them I was in
a town that I had been in the day before. I am so upset by this
seizure!!!! I was in the hospital for 5 days. I bit my tongue
really bad and of course I lost bladder control. I had only taken 3
Cipro. I had a sinus infection and a really bad headache for
several weeks. I am prone to migraines. I had been taking some
other medications along with the Cipro. Looking back on the 16th,
that day at work I was trying to have the seizure then.... I am in
disbelief about this medication. I have taken it many times for
infections. I now where a medic alert bracelet and am allergic to 8
different kinds of medications. I almost lost my driver's license
even though I wasn't driving when it happened. I have to get
checked by my doctor every three months until the Department of
Public Safety says that I don't need to be checked anymore. I am
only 36 years old. Has anyone else had this problem? I stay scared
all the time thinking I am going to have another seizure even though
the Cipro was flushed down the toilet when I got home from the
hospital.



From: "ASK" <centralky44@y...>
Date: Mon Mar 22, 2004 5:44 pm
Subject: WHAT SHOULD I DO HELP
HERES THE DEAL I HAD A ANTIFILACTIC REACTION TO LEVAQUIN
ALMOST DIED I'M 45 SINCE THE ONE PILL I TOOK ON 9/03
I'VE DEVELOPED OSTEOPOROSAS SERVERE BRAIN INFECTIONS
THICKNING OF ALL SINUSIS BUMPS ON WRIST FOOT ANXIETY TO
THE MAX. I LIVE ON SSD I'M 45 MY KIDS LIVE IN SAME
TOWN I'M DIVORCED. I'M AFRAID IF I SUE DR WHICH THE
LAWYER IS REALLY PUSHING FOR I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE KENTUCKY
FOREVER. ITS CAUSED ME MASSIVE PAIN, I WAS STARTING TO
BELIEVE I WAS A NUT, HELL MAYBE I AM BUT THE FREQUENT
DR VISITS WITH A NEW SERIOUS PROBLEM IS BECOMING SCARY
HEART PROBLEMS EVERYTHING. HERES THE KICKER THE DR KNEW I
WAS ALLERGIC TO FLOXIN AND ASSURED ME AS THE DR HANDED
ME LEVIQUIN THAT THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT LIKE WHEN I HAD MY
FIRST REACTION TO FLOXCIN IN 94, I SAID I CAN'T TAKE
NOTHING WITH FLOXCIN BUT DR ASSURED ME IT WAS OK, I TOOK
ONE DAMN PILL AND WENT INTO ANTIFILACTIC SHOCK AND WAS
HOSPITALIZED ALMOST DEAD. WILL I HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF THE
USA OR KENTUCKY IF I SUE THE DR? I CAN'T AFFORD NO MORE
STRESS. WHAT AMOUNT WILL I RECIEVE AND HOW LONG WILL IT
TAKE? IF ITS UNDER 10,000 I'LL FORGET IT MY REPUTATION IS
VERY GOOD, AND BEING POOR MAKES IT HARD TO UP AND MOVE
CAUSE I PISSED THIS DR OFF. I DO NOT KNOW IF I SHOULD
PERSUE THIS OR NOT BUT THE TENDONS KEEP POPPING UP AND
MY HEALTH KEEPS GETTING WORSE. I'D APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK
PLEASE E-MAIL rtriumph@w... THANK YOU I'LL CALL
MYSELF HECK FOR THE MOMENT



From: "cindy_huyck" <cindy_huyck@y...>
Date: Mon Mar 22, 2004 5:57 pm
Subject: Avelox and Orbital pain
I am soo glad to find this site. I have been on several different
antibiotics for sinus infections, over 3 years now, mostly Avelox
though.

Where can I find out more information? I am wondering if anyone else
experiences orbital eye pain? I have had ever test imaginable, and
they are all normal. I just started another course of Avelox, I can
barely move my fingers, they are stiff and painful. My eye is
hurting even worse than it usually does. I keep getting sinus
infections if I am not on antibiotics (Avelox), is there any problems
associated with re-occuring sinus infections?

Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Maybe
hope is coming. God Bless!



From: "janjellygoo" <kamikaze2010@h...>
Date: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:08 pm
Subject: Help.. (my four years of hell) (my introduction)
Well Hello there.
I am new to this board. But am not at all new to the horrors of
Cypro and it's other variations. It was almost four years ago to
this day that I took this medication for about 5 days. I was 15
years old at the time. And the curse is still here.
Through all this time I've always had the feeling that the Cypro
caused all of this but no doctor would ever think twice about it.
They'd say "oh here, take this Prednisone, Celebrex, immuran,
Methotrexate, etc, for the [unbearable, hellish, burning] pain."
But I about two months ago I confirmed that Cypro was the cause. I
have too many symptoms to list, but the major ones would be , Rapid
heart beat that cause me to get out of breath easily, stiffness in
all joints(no exceptions), pain in all joints and tendons,etc.
I'll try not to get all winny about how my life and the supposed best
part of my youth was stolen from me, but it's all true.
Through it all though, I never gave up on a few things. Martial arts
is one of them. I never let this f***ing thing beat me in that. And
for that I am greatful for my strength.
But of course it is not over. My condition has not changed, has not
gotten better.
Well I'll end it here, but I ask for anyone who has read this to
please give me some advice, some encouragement, on how to get back
to normal. I've tried E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!! ;_; And believe me, 4
years gives you plently of time to do so.
Thanks for your time,
Dan
kamikaze2010@h...


From: "uustein" <meganestein@e...>
Date: Tue Mar 23, 2004 7:41 pm
Subject: Have I been floxed?
I am truly stunned right now. I stumbled upon this quinolones group
by pure chance, but it may have provided the missing link in my life
(??).
I am hoping you can tell me if I am jumping to conclusions here.
In 1999, after 6 months of tests, I was diagnosed with "probable
MS," and spent the next 4 years being treated for MS (daily
injections). Naturally this was very disturbing to me and my family
and friends. My main symptoms were numbness in hands and feet,
a "lead jacket feeling" upon waking in the morning (very heavy
limbs), and a few bouts of optic neuritis. I did not have much pain,
but my extremeties felt very remote and this was very uncomfortable.
I went off all meds in 2001 while pregnant and nursing, and had no
MS relapses. In late 2003 my neurologist started to question the
diagnosis, since I had not had any replases for so long. Sure
enough, MRIs of brain and spine showed no presence of MS, and
allelulia, I was "undiagnosed" (apparently it is unheard of for MS
to not progress over the course of 5 years). This news was like a
new lease on life, but it left a lot of unanswered questions.
Now, March 2004, I have a sinus infection and my ENT put me on a 20
day Cipro treatment to get rid of it before major ear surgery next
month. I started feeling the "lead jacket again," and have also been
unusually weepy lately. I checked the papers that came with the
Cipro rx and did not find anything about side effects like this. So
I did a little web surfing and found your chat room. A serious light
bulb went off.
Now, I do not recall whether I took cipro or any other fqs prior to
my MS diagnosis, but given the number of ear and sinus infections I
get every year, I think there is a good chance that I did! Will my
previous MDs be able to pull these records easily, to tell me
whether they prescribed Cipro to me?
Many thanks for any feedback you might have!
Meg




From: "colourbleu33" <stevec@i...>
Date: Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:38 pm
Subject: colitis / spastic colon
Hi all, Im new here.
I took a lot of Cipro 6 week courses * 5 for reactive arthritis. This has been
cured along with using biaxin.
I am now suffering terible colon problems. I seem to have no tollerance for
starch/sugar or fried fats, etc.
I have a serious problem where the colon produces a lot of gas and seems to
shut down completly not allowing any feces to enter. The pain from gas and
blocked feces all acumulates in the area under my left rib.
I am taking antifungal agents lamisil and diflucan which I think have helped a
little.
I find that when it shuts down completly the only thing I have found thus far to
get it open again is Biaxin 250mg/perday
I have not tried pred or any other antiinflamatorys?
Im wondering if anyone here can through any light on this problem.
Many thanks
steve


From: Girish Baliga <kalyani_clinic@y...>
Date: Wed Mar 24, 2004 5:04 pm
Subject: RE: [quinolones] Help.. (my four years of hell) (my introduction)
I am a doctor (from India) and I am pained to hear the
stories about the long term and permanent side-effects
suffered due to quinolones. I have been and always
will be sceptical about wonder drugs and have never
given in to the claims and 'pressures' from pharma
companies to prescribe newer drugs to my patients till
I hear about side-effects after the drug has been
approved and used for at least 2 years. I started
using quinolones about 6 months ago only as a third
line antibiotic and never for those below 16y though I
have used it for those above 70 for pneumonia. Luckily
none of my patients have had any of the side-effects
like tendonitis or vestibular neuronitis (the latter
was a surprise for me). I joined this group about 2
weeks ago and I am learning a lot. I have decided to
suspend my use of quinolones till the picture becomes
clearer.
-Dr B


From: "jennyboychuk" <jennyboychuk@y...>
Date: Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:57 pm
Subject: Here I thought I had rhuematoid arthritis
Greetings all. I had a UTI last month and was put on 3 days of sulfa,
but still felt like I had the infection. Went back to the doctor and
he prescribed me 3 days of Cipro @250mg a pill. I did not notice any
side effect with one exception that I now remember. I was on a plane
from Seattle to Toronto on my first day on the med and my right arm
hurt a lot because the person next to me hogged the arm rest. I even
asked my husband to switch with me. Now I have travelled by air
probably 40 times in the last 2 years and never had this problem.
Anyway, the day I came back from my trip and now 1 day done with the
Cirpo, I went on my usual 1 hour walk at lunch and I noticed that
when I went to fidget with my hood or move my hair from out of my
eyes, my left elbow hurt like heck when I lifted it up. This pain
lasted
for a week but very minor (only when I lifted my forarm). Within
that week I started a new job and
I had troubles (so I thought) adjusting my desk, keyboard, mouse,
etc to make it comfortable. I switched chairs, keynoard, raised and
lowered my desk several
times, but now my shoulders started killing me! It has grown worse
each day over the past 3 weeks. Well I also have Grave's disease and
people with that disease are susceptible to other autoimmune
diseases, so when I did my searches on the web and they came back
with rheumatoid arthritis, I was scared. I had my dr apt today
for the "joint" pain and it turns out it is not joint pain at all, it
is tendon pain, and I do not have symptoms of RA (my fingers and
wrists do not hurt). I told her, hmmm all of this started after my
bladder infection, and I noticed she started a bit when I said that
and looked at my
record (another doc prescribed the Cipro). She said, oh this
antibiotic can cause tendonitis for a couple months after you take it.
So I came back to work, searched on Cipro, found your site. My
question
is: Why is Cipro legal if its first warning is: WARNINGS: All
quinolones cause erosion of cartilage in weight-bearing joints.?
Also, this will teach me to ignore the medicine warnings in the
future. Anyway, I am a bit sad there are so many of you out there
with this, and I am wondering how long my pain will last. It seems
with this many people affected, there should be a class action suit
against the company or something.
Does anyone know if the tendonitis will go away on its own as my doc
said?
Thanks all,
Jennifer


From: thefritzmeyers@n...
Date: Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:02 pm
Subject: RE: [quinolones] VERTIGO. Is it Cipro?
I have some similiar symptoms. It is hard to figure out what causes what. Many
of us have other health issues and not every symptom is coming from the FQs. I
have ear fullness, random pain and itching. This started 7/2001, prior to being
floxed in 5/2002 & 6/2003 (unless unknown to me I had taken an FQ previously).
I went to an ENT because according to my primary care doc (whom I didn't like)
I had 2 ear infections that spring. I was tired of messing around with him and
wanted to figure out why I was all of a sudden getting these ear infections.
The ENT said my ears were not infected, but swollen, probably due to allergies.
Get my allergies under control and I'd be fine. I was on allergy med, but he
switched me to the -D version, which also had Sudafed in it. This helped
so/so. I eventually found it easier to take the regular allergy med and
supplement with Sudafed as needed. I've been going along having episodes that
last a few days at a time ever since. Then this past fall it worsened, my
breaks are fewer and fewer and the medicine does less and less. Is it my
allergies, out of control? (I did move this summer from Chicago to St. Louis and
was told by my Doc that my allergies would be worse here) or is it a delayed FQ
reaction? It seemed to get worse when I had a bad cycle. In addition I was
driving and had a bad dizzy spell. I felt like I was passing out and was
nauseous. Very scary. Around that time I also started have light flashes
across my eyes, a new symptom. In the past few months I have not had such a
severe near fainting episode, but have a slightly different version, almost
daily, sometimes multiple times. It is hard to explain why I feel it is
different, but it seems to originate from my eyes, like they lose focus. I can
snap out of it in seconds, but is still does scare me. It does happen more
often in the evening, and often while driving. I wonder if the ear fullness has
something to do with it, messing up the equilibrium? I've been to the eye
doctor in Jan. and had a thorough exam with no problems. I started at a new
allergist this month and do have more allergies than before. She switched me
from Zyrtec to Astelin. I tried it for 1 week but I think it is part nasal
steroid and it was definitely bothering the tendonitis in my ankles. I'm back
to Zyrtec for now to see if my ankles improve, then I will test it once more.
Right now I am really confused and a bit scared by these episodes.

Laura


From: "kristen harding" <krissy@e...>
Date: Sun Mar 28, 2004 1:49 am
Subject: Good Evening
I have Critical Care Poly Neuropathy From they think all the cipro
and all the other antiobitcs I had. But in the 10 years I prob had
cipro 35 times. But I have had 168 surgies and each surgery I had
all the strong meds so no telling what all it did to my body.
Anyway, wanted to intro myself to all, so hi :-)
Krissy


From: "jnelsi" <jennifer.nelson@a...>
Date: Sun Mar 28, 2004 5:24 am
Subject: Anaphylaxis from Levaquin
Hi - I was just discharged from the hospital after 4 days following
a severe allergic reaction to just one, 500 mg. Levaquin pill that
had been prescribed for a sinus infection. I have never been
allergic to anything except sulfa drugs (discovered when I was a
child). I'm 34 and otherwise healthy. Has anyone heard of such a
severe reaction to this drug after only taking it once?

From: mta <spiritmed@r...>
Date: Wed Mar 31, 2004 9:57pm
Subject: Re: ABOUT FLOATERS IN THE EYES
I developed a fresh gang of floaters after floxing
too. If i don't focus on them i don't notice. However,
that procedure for floaters, my eye doctor says, is
pretty risky. I wouldn't try it myself. However, my
acupunturist doctor said at one time that you can get
rid of them by increasing blood volume, apparently
that the increase will flush them out.
I also developed cataracts and had surgery/implant in
Dec. Now I can see, with contacts, and wait for th
eother eye to get bad.
Mike

From: <sweet1956pea@a...>
Date: Wed Mar 31, 2004 3:55pm
Subject: Re: PT for tendinopathy? results?

I have not had luck with PT either. In fact, none of the "accepted" methods
of treatment for intractible pain work for me. (That is because I don't have
Fibromyalgia, or any of the other things they see intractible pain patients
for ~ I have Pharmochemically Induced Brain Injury which causes not only pain,
but a multi-systemic malfunction of the body).
I had a session two weeks ago to learn "relaxation technique". You know what
happened? I had the absolute totally OPPOSITE reaction of what one should.
The "person" teaching me was dumbfounded. Could not figure it out. I told
her exactly why ~ the mechanism of injury is not anything she knows about
working with. Of course, she quickly wrote a note in my "record" that I am
looney-toones.
Y'all take care, and have a wonderful day.
Patti


From: Rex Wockner <rex@c...>
Date: Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:52pm
Subject: Re: ABOUT FLOATERS IN THE EYES

I was floxed in August of 2003 and the floaters appeared in October. They
have not gotten any better or any worse since then. Sometimes my eyes also
seem out of synchronization, like they are fighting with each other,
pulling against each other. This happens less often than it used to in
October and November.
Rex