My wife has recently recovered (slowly) from an unusual infection of her right lung, for which she had to be hospitalized with enforced IV antibiotics and even more after her release. We looked into antibiotic dangers and after effects because she was experiencing mild neuropathy symptoms, insomnia and unusual sensations and pains.
Fluoride-Based Antibiotics Everyone Should Avoid
Most natural health advocates know that antibiotics deplete friendly probiotic bacteria, thus requiring some heavy probiotic intake after antibiotics. But there is a silent mini-epidemic among several people now who have experienced very severe consequences from a particular type of antibiotic that is too frequently prescribed for even minor infections.
Some of those fluoroquinolone antibiotics are: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), Levaquin, Avelox, and Tequin. An initial video report, including YouTube reports from victims and a PBS News Hour report on this issue. These drugs contain fluoride as a central part of the drug. A known toxic substance, fluoride reduces your IQ, is carcinogenic, and has been tied to numerous other health issues.
Much like the silent Lyme’s Disease epidemic, fluoroquinole victims have been abandoned by mainstream medicine, which prefers to act as though nothing ever happened and continues to manufacture and prescribe these antibiotics for minor infections.
So these victims have been forced to go at it alone via forums on the internet. The adverse effects from these antibiotics are often as severely neurological as the adverse effects of Gardasil and other vaccinations, with one exception: death. Apparently, no one has died directly from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, but a few have committed suicide to escape the extreme pain and paralysis.
One group of victims probably has the largest site for publicizing fluoroquinolone issues, advice, and case histories. It was taken down once for daring to endanger Big Pharma’s money makers, and it’s up again. But the forum itself is closed to outsiders now. It’s called Surviving Cipro. There may still be other forums, but probably none as informative and comprehensive.
Here is the first part of the video report mentioned earlier:
A Hub of Hope
The Surviving Cipro site, hyper-linked earlier, contains a plethora of advice for avoiding and treating adverse effects from fluoroquinolone based antibiotics and general anesthetics. If you are undergo an operation, make sure you get to see the labeling on whatever they use for an anesthetic.
After enough blow back from the public and the one time national TV report, the FDA finally forced a “black box” warning on fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Black box warnings are meant for physicians’ eyes, which are not always open!
By the way, fluoroquinolone adverse event sufferers call themselves floxxies who’ve been floxed by a fluoroquinolone antibiotic or anesthetic on forums. The word flox is taken from Ciprofloxacin.
Some Natural Treatment Possibilities
Almost all mainstream medical practitioners will tell you or a loved one who’s been floxed that it’s all in his or her head. Don’t bother unless you are fortunate enough to know a holistic or integrative physician who understands neurological issues and knows of the fluorquinolone crisis.
- Otherwise seek alternative therapies and avoid processed foods. Go organic whole grains, fruits and vegetables and cold pressed vegetable (not canola) oil. Veggie and fruit juicing with a slow speed masticating juicer is also recommended.
- It is also helpful to increase omega-3 intake for the nervous system. Ground flax seeds or chia seeds (not ground) are high omega-3 sources and so are fish and krill oils, which are the best options for people suffering from debilitating issues. Daily consumption of strong high quality probiotics are essential for recovering from any period of antibiotic use.
- An antioxidant found in every cell of the body, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) has been clinically tested with positive results in Israel and Russia on neuropathy sufferers. Neuropathy is the crux of fluoroquinolone sufferers or floxxies. Many consider R-alpha lipoic acid superior to standard ALA supplements.
- Vitamin B complex along with ALA is often used as well. Vitamin B12 needs to be added separately by injection or patch or sublingual (under the tongue). B12 supplements have a hard time traveling through the stomach. Only use the methylcobalamin type of B12 supplements.
- CoQ10, especially as ubiquinol, magnesium chloride, and magnesium citrate are beneficial in assisting almost any treatment. A few of the “floxed” victims have had results from properly administered food grade H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) or ozone treatments.
Since neuropathy is an inflammation of nerve tissue, properly consuming and cooking with turmeric or curcumin can also be quite beneficial.
Be wary of pharmaceuticals. Big Pharma doesn’t care about you. It cares only about big profits.
Additional Sources:
Didn't know there was such a thing as fluoride-based antibiotics! Crazy!
How about having Lyme Disease, getting your Fluoroquinolones in many different formulations over a few years, developing pancreatitis and hyperthyroid disease with toxic multinodular goiter and being told, "what you have is only FIBRO?!" this is me and about a few thousand others, I would hazard an educated guess; then top these with a few doses of Gadolinium Contrast MRI's and what you are looking at the Holy Hell Triumvirate of Diseases!
LEVAQUIN WRECKED MY LIFE!
These are not traditional antibiotics cultured from living organisms, rather, they are super-toxic chemicals that when administered in the proper dose range for the proper amount of time will hopefully kill off bacteria without doing significant damage to the host, however several studies have found doctors rarely prescribe these dangerous drugs according to guidelines, nor do they follow up to see if patients are experiencing any of the horrible symptoms of fluoroquinolone toxicity. In fact, they routinely discount the severe reactions of their patients even if they have many of the “symptoms” listed in the package insert at the same time including some that are very serious or life threatening. The sales literature boasts that these drugs penetrate throughout the body better than other antibiotics because they are a fairly simple molecule, one which damages everything in its path. Of course it often takes quite some time for this damage to make itself known so the victims never suspect an antibiotic they took weeks, months, even years ago when a tendon ruptures or a vein swells up or their joints become inflamed. These poisons attack hardest where we are weakest so the symptoms are also often returns of issues from long ago so victims rarely make the connection and worse yet, when they do doctors dismiss the possibility as these problems are "so rare", thus perpetuating the gross under reporting and the resulting lack of research into the incredible number of ways FQ's harm people, and people do get harmed, from head to toe, with many different health problems, usually all at the same time with little or no help at all from the people who did this to us.
I took Levaquin in the fall of 2007 and had problems immediately and then more and more but I did not figure out wtf happened to me for 3 1/2 years even though my list of problems reads like the warnings in the product literature. My blood pressure was all over the place, I lost control of my bladder, I had horrible diarrhea and gas from hell, heartburn, stomach cramps, headaches, confusion, insomnia, fatigue, central and peripheral nervous system issues like tingling and zapping and numbness, body-wide pain, spontaneous tendon ruptures, cartilage lesions requiring a cartilage transplant, blood clots, a hematoma, bloated failing veins, pulmonary edema, panic attacks, fasciculations and convulsive activity, tendonitis, rapid disc degeneration, nerve pain, chemical sensitivities, muscle weakness, and the list goes on but I can't remember it all, oh yeah, memory problems.
These drugs were designed as a last resort when all other options have been tried not to be handed out like candy as they are now. Big Pharma is well aware of how much damage FQ's do but they make billions every year selling them and then billions and billions more selling all sorts of other drugs to their unwitting victims like muscle relaxers and pain relievers and anti-depressants and anti-convulsives and antacids and sleeping aids and pills for incontinence and so on. Do not think for one minute that the executives of these companies are not ruthless enough to intentionally sell you things they know will damage you in order to sell you more of their toxic addictive stuff; these are the world's biggest drug dealers and their morals are those of a cocaine cartel. This has been common knowledge since they sold thalidomide long after they knew it was causing horrific birth defects fifty years ago. Now these companies are fined a billion dollars here, a billion dollars there, and they are constantly settling lawsuits. Hopefully someday they will settle one with us. If you asked me to go through this for fifty million dollars I would say no in a split second so I figure Johnson & Johnson owe me at least that much. I would also like to see their executives in prison where they belong, for the rest of their lives.
DO NOT TAKE LEVAQUIN, CIPRO, OR AVELOX! (Unless you have been exposed to anthrax or flesh eating bacteria). Good luck!
I was given Levaquin (a fluoroquinolone) in July 2010 and it forever changed my life. These drugs are not safe and effective for “regular” uti’s and respiratory infections. I would never wish these horrible ADRs on my worst enemy! I believed and trusted my “on-call” doctor and the FDA that this drug was “safe” for me to take. There are 1000s of us harmed by FQs annually. Tomorrow (5/7/13) some of our group will be marching in DC. I’ll never let my friends or family use these drugs and HIGHLY recommend no one take it unless the benefits outweigh the potential risks of ADRs. These “side effects” aren’t just hives, vomiting, diarrhea, etc… they are permanent things like killing the cells at the end of the tendons and mutating the DNA so the new cells grow back “bad”. My tendons are like old rubberbands with no elasticity. It affects all areas of your body; pns, cns & ans. The half-life of FQ in a floxie is over 18 months. It takes a very long time to truly “clear” your body of the toxin and I’m not sure it will ever be “clear”. Thanks for helping spread the word!!
Could brain stem glycoma be caused by fluoride based antibiotics ?
I too also agree with the ideas of opting for the natural remedies.. They don’t have any side effects, If we go in Natural treatment.
Thank you for raising awareness about these very dangerous drugs, Paul. I'm not in agreement with some of your conclusions but I certainly agree that people need to be aware that the adverse reactions are long term. Any time there is an opportunity like this one to speak out and reach others, I make it a habit to say: MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOUGHT HELP FROM DOCTORS FOR THE ADRS FROM THESE DRUGS HAVE HAD THEIR CONDITION BECOME SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE BECAUSE DOCTORS FREQUENTY AND IGNORANTLY PRESCRIBE NSAIDS AND STEROIDS WHICH MOST OF US CANNOT TOLERATE AFTER FLUOROQUINOLONES.
News investigation Popular antibiotic ciprofloxacin linked to UK deaths
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/89…
Cipro ended my life on October 25th, 2009. I've been essentially bedridden and on disability ever since. If you think death is the worst possible thing a Rx drug can do to you, THINK AGAIN.
http://www.ciproispoison.com
There are deaths attributed to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, many of them. In fact, when I called FDA in early 2012 to ask if they were getting reports of damage from levaquin, they said it was a top priority and they were taking reports of deaths and tendonitis, for the most part.
do research on Iodine…it detoxifies fluoride…as well as bromides and chlorides… .www.breastcancerchoices.org or http://www.iodine4health.com take magnesium and baking soda detox baths … and take lots of vitamin C, magnesium, etc.
Fluroquinolones are synthetically created POISONS! FQ's are designed to KILL! These POISONS do NOT allow DNA replicating. FQ's are toxic with Adverse Reactions (ADRS) that are horrific! Big Pharma, Drs, hospitals,pharmacists, the 'Medical Community',including FDA have known for DECADES the damage caused by these POISONS! Those responsible must be held accountable! Without a doubt Compensation for those poisoned is due & justified! Lives are destroyed because of 'Trusting'……POISONED for $$$$$$$!! EVIL DOES EXIST!!
You need t oupdate this article. Dr Charles Bennett (u of no carolina ) estimates up to 300,000 have DIED from these drugs
I suffered for 23 years with “chronic Lyme” disease, which I am sure would have been also labeled fibromyalgia if I persisted. When I got really strict about not even using filtered water to brush my teeth, instead only using no-low fluoride spring water, not only did my arthritis and other muscular and nerve pains go away, but so did my dry gums, dizzy spells, and kidney pain.
I hope my doctors rot in hell. They just told me something to make me go away and suffer in silence, for 23 years.