Antibiotics - Danger!

[Carlton Higgins]

This may already have been discussed, but some doctors will prescribe Quinolone or Floraquinolone antibiotics to treat bacterial prostatitis or urinary tract infections. Quinolones are known by brand names such as Floxin and Levaquin. Floraquinolones are drugs such as Cipro and Avelox.

I found out too late that these drugs are extremely dangerous. After taking Levaquin for 14 days and a few weeks later, Avelox for 18 days, I developed nasty side-effects, such as lower leg pain, peripheral neuropathy and rashes on my hands, tendinitis, etc.

Other people have ended up in wheelchairs from chronic joint pain. These drugs have been known to cause Achilles tendon ruptures. Unlucky people develop something called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a condition in which the immune system attacks the skin and mucus membraine. The victim literally burns from the inside out (3-15% mortality rate).

Unlike other drugs, averse reactions to quinolones don't go away simply because you stop taking the drug. Most people suffer for months and even years before the effects diminish.

My hands are so bad right now, I'm looking at disability. There is nothing anyone can do for me. The damage has been done. Incidentally, I was given the drug for a sinus infection.

see health.groups.yahoo.com/group/quinolones/
and http://www.drugvictims.org
for more info.

There are other medicines out there. Demand a different one.

[james-d]

I can sympathize - I had major tendo reaction to quinolones too.

I did about 500 hours of research at the local medical center and found out the following.

A lot of research has been done that shows that many of the quinolone reactions "mimic" the body's reaction to a severe magnesium deficincy.

As you can not take a magnesium or calcium supplelment within 2 - 4 hours of quinolones I do the following:

I take 400% of the USRDA of both calcium and magnesium 12 hours before/after my once a day quinolone.

I can relate to your problem - my tendons were so bad for a while I had a cast on one leg and was using crutches - 4 days of magnesium supplementation and the crutches were put away - and a week later the cast came off.

I do not know if this will work for other known side effects of quinolones (CNS, etc) but it did help my tendon and joint pain.

There is quite a bit of research out there on quinolone induced tendonopathy and the way it mimics magnesium deficincies - I even gave the research to my Uro in case he has any other patients with reactions similar to mine.

I am not saying this will work for you - I am not a Dr. - this is just my experience.

[Carlton Higgins]

James-d

did all the Magnesium you took cause any kind of diarrhea? Isn't Milk of Magnesia basically magnesium?

This is the only reason I'm reluctant to power down tons of Magnesium.

As an update, I went to my neurologist, and I was diagnosed with bilateral ulnar neuritis (inflamed nerves in the elbows), and possible tendinitis in the wrists. I also have discomfort in the legs and feet. These symptoms are most likely a result of Avelox/Levaquin pared up with Medrol. I quit all meds 5 weeks ago, and I'm still recovering.

I am strongly warning people not to take these drugs unless absolutely everything else has failed.

[webslave]

I am strongly warning people not to take these drugs unless absolutely everything else has failed.

And even if everything else has failed, why use antibiotics?