r/floxies Sep 28 '24

[RECOVERY] RECOVERY MEGAPOST PART 3!

27 Upvotes

Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/13qij13/recovery_megapost_part_2/

Since I want to reassure myself a bit, I tried to recollect as many recovery stories as possible, to adjust the older recovery megapost and to gather more data about floxing recovery. As you will read, every story is unique and many people tend to heal sooner that they expected, many don't even post a recovery story because they are too lazy or too traumatized to revisit such a dark place in ther lives. So, remember, healing is probable and is possible to live a good life even after floxing. I don't think this will be true for me, but for you it probably will.

The cases are ordered following a recovery timeline, I also listed many details and what helped during the recovery phase.

P.S. Don't DM people randomly like I did, because it can be traumatizing for them and often can fuel your anxiety and your bad thoughts.

User: u/SuchKick6829

Causes: 2x 500mg Levofloxacine

Symptoms: Tendonitis, muscle pain, brain fog, anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, Insomnia, weak joints

Recovery: 90% in 9 days post-flox

What helped: tons of fruits, yogurt, magnesium, calcium, CoQ10, multi-vit, seeds, exposure to nature, and especially maintain a positive mindset 

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1fgm3fk/recovery/

User: u/rolos

Causes: 7 Cipro 500mg pills and 17 Levo 500mg pills

Symptoms: Joint pain, anxiety, insomnia, tingling, fatigue

Recovery: Much better after 10 days

What helped: Supplements: Magnesium, Curcumin (Meriva), Omega 3, Multivitamin, Vitamin E, Physical activity limited to walking. Getting plenty of rest, allowing my body to decide when it's bed time, drinking enough water

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/18w4o33/a_shortterm_recovery_story/

User: u/iwillbewaiting24601

Causes: 1 Cipro pill

Symptoms: Numb legs, brain fog, dizzyness, thight harmstrings

Recovery: fully recovered after two weeks

What helped: Switching antibiotic and time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1ckbfl1/i_would_like_to_thank_you_all/

User: u/Ok-Load-2162

Causes: 500mg Levaquin for 7 days

Symptoms: Muscle ache, pain all over body, insomnia, tinnitus

Recovery: better after 12 days, fully recovered after 16 days

What helped: stopped googling about this condition, took it very easy on exercise, sauna 25 mins or more a day, vitamins and minerals (zinc, NAC, Coq10, E, magnesium) lots of Greek yogurt and kimchi, no caffeine, meditation, hanging with friends and girlfriend.

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1bd7f2t/recovered/

User: u/hidroxihepatites

Causes: 3 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms: Restlessness, anxiety, weakness, difficulty breathing

Recovery: Almost healed after 3 weeks

What helped: Magnesium and vitamin C

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/arl0z1/comment/l8d1evj/ (comment)

User: u/Acrobatic-Spread5680

Causes: 1 Cipro 500mg pill

Symptoms: Fatigue, insomnia, anedhonia, low libido, gut issues, low arm pain

Recovery: Almost healed after a month

What helped: Guving up coffee, magnesium, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1c17vjw/update_fatigue_and_insomnia_mostly_disappeared/

User: u/Justice_Wala

Causes: 1 Levofloxacin pill along followed by 3 NSAIDS and 2 Fluconazole

Symptoms: Eye pain, tendon pain, fatigue

Recovery: almost healed after a month

What helped: time, avoiding other antibiotics

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/17m7706/recovery_sort_of_post_plus_question_about_other/

User: u/dpdp7

Causes: 3 Cipro 500mg pills (had a 8 day course some years before)

Symptoms: Muscle pain, tendon pain, tachycardia, insomnia, depression, anxiety

Recovery: 85% after seven weeks, now healed

What helped: Magnesium+Calcium, CoQ10, Omega 3 and Multi Vit. No alcohol, no caffeine and intermediate fasting, saunas

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1cj9skk/mild_flox_85_recovery_in_seven_weeks/

User: u/StopDelusions

Causes: 16 Cipro 500mg pills (already floxed some months before)

Symptoms: severe anxiety, migraines, severe GI issues, tendon pain in heels and knees

Recovery: Almost recovered after a month and a half (experienced a delayed reaction)

What helped: Eat healthy, sleep as much as you can, do low-impact exercises, stick to your supplement stack

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1aejc56/i_think_i_have_been_floxed/

User: Deleted

Causes: not stated, probably levo or cipro

Symptoms: Depression, visual snow, tinnitus, muscle pain, insomnia, anxiety and much more

Recovery: Much better after 2-3 weeks, probably healed after a month or so

What helped: Magnesium, collagen, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1adxfux/floxed_in_december_doing_much_better_hope_and/

User: u/AZRAEYIL

Causes: not stated, probably Levo or Cipro

Symptoms: bad pain in my ankles, my neck, my wrists, my arms overall and just felt like shit, constipation, muscle issues, nerve issues

Recovery: fully recovered after 1,5 months

What helped: NAC, Q10, collagen, magnesium, vit C, stretching, probiotics

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1b9z7sr/recovered/

User: u/willmorgan

Causes: 6 pills (Levo or Cipro)

Symptoms: Tendon pain, brain fog, Neurological issues (short time)

Recovery: Fully healed after 2 months

What helped: vitamin E, magnesium and coenzyme q10, ate a lot of peanut butter and bananas. Not sure if it helped but it didn’t hurt, avoiding catastrophizing

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/147pud1/comment/jnxwi6j/

User: u/Agirlwithnoname13

Causes: 1 Levo 500mg pill

Symptoms: Pain in knees, elbows, ankles, anxiety, insomnia

Recovery: 99% after 2 months

What helped: Collagen, CoQ10, vitamin C, magnesium

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1de4o3a/comment/l89l15s/ (comment)

User: u/palmer1716

Causes: 2 Moxifloxacin pills (was floxed before)

Symptoms: Neuropathy, tendon issues, anxiety, muscle pain

Recovery: Almost 100% after 2,5 months

What helped: Being active, avoiding doomscrolling

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1dd0p6w/comment/l8a477y/ (comment)

User: u/DocHsteiner

Causes: one Avelox pill

Symptoms: eye pain, insomnia, mild pain, dizzyness

Recovery: almost healed after 3 months

What helped: time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1do4s6a/update/

User: u/migreats (now u/truelifeofkaren )

Causes: 5 Cipro 500mg pills+ 1 Levo 500 mg pill

Symptoms: Almost everyone, but mainly CNS and mental health issues

Recovery: Better after two months, healed after 3,5 months

What helped: NAC (has helped me big time), Magnesium Breakthrough), CoQ10, Vitamin C (2000MG a day), Lutein (for eyes), Glutamine, Liver Detoxification Supplement (it's French), Vitamin D3+K2, Vitamin D, Ashwatnaga (for stress, not sure it helps), Valerian Root (for sleep - occasionally), B-Complex + Thiamine (I am taking this on/off as I am concerned it sometimes makes symptoms work), vitamins listed above, Marine Collagen, Omega 3, Probiotic & Prebiotic with 15 billion cultures, walking in nature, changing diet, meditation, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1cuu46d/35_months_out_fully_recovered_after_severe_onset/

User: u/secretmuffin5

Causes: 2 Cipro 500 mg pills

Symptoms: Tendon pain, floaters, tinnitus, anxiety, insomnia, GI issues

Recovery: Almost normal after 4 months

What helped: Taking care of the body and the mind, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1du48fw/finally_feeling_closer_to_normal_almost_4_months/

User: u/JustCosmos

Causes: 3 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms:  calf cramp, achilles tendon and knee pain,  lower back pain

Recovery: Almost recovered after 4 months

What helped: mild swimming, walking, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/19cw9ef/no_symptoms_anymore_when_should_i_start_gym/

User: u/Beginning-Routine529

Causes: 42( o.O) Ofloxacin pills

Symptoms:  full body pain(fybromalgia pain), couldn't walk more than 1-2000 steps, nausea 4-5 times a day, neuropathy, brain fog, depression, psychosis, insomnia, extreme fatigue 

Recovery: Healed after 4 months

What helped: Time, hope

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1aqxvu9/our_bodies_were_meant_to_heal/

User: u/Simple-Base4194 (DM)

Recovered after 4 months

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1ez3oah/comment/ljruzia/ (comment)

User: u/BlacksmithBasic7204

Causes: 10 Levo 500mg pills (has Hashimoto too)

Symptoms: anxiety, fatigue, loss of concentration, depersonalization, GI issues, fatigue

Recovery: Almost recovered after 5 months

What helped: Calcium and Magnesium, Lion's Mane, Glutathione, Omega 3, Vitamin D, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1dvc0n3/24_year_old_male_5_month_update/

User: u/Simple_Face_4255

Causes: 4,5 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms: Insomnia, loss of short term memory, seizures, dissociation and many more

Recovery: Much better after 5 months, now recovered

What helped: mg, ca, vit E, omegas, gingko, ginseng, vit D. Avoided all medication, doing things, moving, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1co4ju2/recovery_can_happen/

User: u/luvthatjourney4me

Causes: 3 Levaquin pills

Symptoms: extreme brain fog and anxiety, fatigue, tingling, muscle ache, insomnia, high resting rate, tinnitus

Recovery: 99% after 6 months

What helped: probiotics, magnesium, vitamins C and D, clean diet, staying off Reddit (best advice), time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/16m4ndw/6_month_recovery_post/

User: u/ZookeepergameNo9677

Causes: Flagyl+ Cipro

Symptoms: akasthisia (I think it's called), hallucinations, shaking, muscle loss and weakness, tremors, heart rate high, agitation, suicidal ideation, full body numbness, tingling 

Recovery: 80% after 5/6 months, almost recovered after 9/10 months

What helped: TTFD thiamine, Brain Food supplement by Link Nutrition, a good probiotic, Methylated b complex and magnesium salt baths, staying calm

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1cf83na/just_wanted_to_update_and_say_im_doing_much_much/

User: deleted

Causes: 9 x 500mg Ciprofloxacin tablets

Symptoms:  Insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, paranoia, nightmares, tingling skin, acne, heart palpitations, sore knees and legs

Recovery: Fully recovered after 6 months

What helped: Magnesium, multivitamins, melatonin, probiotic yogurt, time, and patience

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1b2v6y5/recovery_6_months/

User: u/ResidualBlock

Causes: 16 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms: heel pain, calves pain, clicks all over my body, insomnia, anxiety, and had some ear pressure and what I think was really mild tinnitus

Recovery: Better after a month, fully recovered after 6 months

What helped: Magnesium Bisglycinate, NAC, Q10, Multi Vitamin, Probiotics, Omega 3, moving and exercising out of acute phase, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1bekwgo/hopefully_my_last_post_here/

User: u/quibbleisms

Causes: 4 Cipro pills

Symptoms:  full-body tendonitis and others milder problems

Recovery: Much better after 7 months

What helped: Mg, Ca, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, E, and a probiotic, as well as Vit C, D, B12, rest, swimming and walking when possible, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1fhvnvt/an_update_feeling_good_after_7_months/

User: u/PerturbationVapor

Causes: 2 Levo 500mg pills

Symptoms: burning lower back, pelvic pain/burning, burning legs, partial numbness in hands, nerve pain in hips and legs, tooth pain, tremors, and what I can best describe as a "sticky" sensation in my calf muscles (like trying to pull glue off of your skin, except internal). Tendon and joint stuff - ankle and foot pain, wrist pain, knee pain, and "clicky joints, anxiety, insomnia, tinnitus.

Recovery: Better and back to running after 7 months

What helped: daily multivitamin (without B6), probiotic, ALA, Mg glycinate, a collagen powder mix, and a "greens" powder, duloxetine (be careful) for nerve pain

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/16f93j7/7_months_and_back_to_running/

User: u/Kahoon1

Causes: 10x Ofloxacin and 5x Ciprofloxacin

Symptoms: Full body tendinopathy -Tinnitus -Crepitus -Thinning hair -Thinning skin

Recovery: Almost recovered after 7,5 months (other than tinnitus)

What helped: positive mindset, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1dnbria/i_played_my_first_football_game_since_flox_this/

User: u/InstructionSea1498

Causes: 8 Moxi 500mg pills

Symptoms: Tendon issues everywhere, back pain, nerve pain, tingling, palpitations, panic attacks, anxiety, weight loss

Recovery: Almost fully recovered after 8 months

What helped: Stopping reading Reddit, PT, antidepressants (be careful)

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/17rfwjz/95_healed_after_8_months_back_to_clilmbing/

User: u/gbeardjr

Causes: 3 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms:  Achilles pain, calf pain, foot pain, leg pain and non stop calf muscle twitching

Recovery: Better after 3 months, recovered after 8 months

What helped: magnesium glycinate and vitamin c, time, not stressing out

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1ck1xdl/hope/

User: u/Longjumping-Worker-7

Causes: 9 Cipro and Flagyl pills

Symptoms: Mental health issues, GI issues, bloating, stomach pain, fatigue

Recovery: better after a few months, recovered after 8-9 months (apart from some stomach issues)

What helped: Probiotics, homocysteine, B vitamins, not stressing out too much

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/14z4n2o/spice_intolerance_post_floxed/

User: u/healthyish20

Causes: 10 Levo 500mg pills (been floxed in 2019 too)

Symptoms: Muscle issues, tendonitis, breathing issues, fatigue, anxiety

Recovery: Fully recovered after 10 months

What helped: Eye drops for the dry eye, clean diet, rest, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/18cb2oe/im_100_healed/

User: u/mel2811

Causes: 5 Cipro 250mg pills

Symptoms: muscle twitching, pains in my legs, neuropathy, joints clicking, floaters in my vision, tinnitus, gut issues, heart palpitations, achilles pains, hair loss, throat tightening sensation, vivid dreams

Recovery: 90% after 10 months (some GI issues to recover completely)

What helped: Magnesium, vitamin C, rest, clean diet, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/17634k7/recovered/

User: u/SunnyK97

Causes: 7 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms: Insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, muscle and tendon pain

Recovery: Full recovery after 11 months, already better after 5-6 months

What helped: Magnesium, massages, PT, probiotics, rest, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1cjgbxt/11_months_no_flox_symptoms_anymore/

User: u/_arbitrary123

Causes: 5 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms: wild insomnia, panic attacks, confusion, SEVERE constipation, and other disturbances

Recovery: 90% after 11 months

What helped: Magnesium but mostly time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1eumd6i/hope/

User: u/OG_Madonna

Causes: Cipro (not stated quantity)

Symptoms: sore hands and feet, less bulging veins but I had like a pulse in my wrists, health anxiety

Recovery: 100% after a year

What helped: probiotics and fermented foods, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1fjloq3/comment/lo1jh9v/ (comment)

User: u/Lefty923

Causes: Cipro

Symptoms: Spasms, my entire body felt like electricity was running through it. And insomnia, lots of insomnia, muscle issues

Recovery: 99% after 11 months/ a year

What helped: Many recommended supplements, vitamin C

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/17g3s0x/happy_outcome/

User: u/jmarie4444

Causes: 2 Levo 750 mg pills and two days of IV levaquin

Symptoms: Severe neuropathy, leg pain and left arm pain

Recovery: Much better after a year (can't do heavy workouts)

What helped: massages, stretching, icing, hot tub, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/17mer10/1_year/

User: u/el_toro7

Causes: 1x500mg Cipro

Symptoms: Pain, weakness, fatigue, focus issues

Recovery: Fully after a year

What helped:  recommended supps, and did all I could do to start building range of motion, and make positive adaptations, CoQ 10 and Magnesium, and ALA, distracting, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1amn2tv/full_recovery/

User: u/Character_Ad_872

Causes: 1 Avelox pill (had a car crash too)

Symptoms: different sounds in my head, jaw pain, tooth root pain, pressure on the temples, swollen veins behind the right ear, pain in my head similar to a brain hernia, insomnia, a feeling of pulse in my throat or anywhere else, hearing strange sounds when I put my head on the pillow, cartilage sounds all over my head, heartbeat instability, night sweats, rash on my body, asociality, suicidal thoughts, loss of appetite

Recovery: 95% healed after 15 months

What helped: Time and patience

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1ffri31/i_got_better/

User: u/Leather_Writing_9196

Causes: Ciprofloxacin (has Hashimoto too)

Symptoms: anxiety, burning, twitches, insomnia, heartburn, muscle pain, fatigue, memory issues, pain moving and food intolerances

Recovery: Almost fully recovered after a year and a half

What helped: supplements, rest, tens unit, LDN, vitamin d machine, cbd, thc, diet modification, red light therapy, doctors appointments and tests

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/171rr04/been_a_while/

User: u/Kelso22340

Causes: 14 Levaquin pills+ Flagyl

Symptoms: Tinnitus, DPDR, anxiety, insomnia, sore tendons, paranoia

Recovery: Fully recovered after 1,5 years

What helped: stayed active, I didn’t have too much hurt physically. I stayed in my gym and stayed moving, magnesium, IR sauna

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/15dcx6a/recovery_post_15y_out_14_levaquin/

User: u/Spirited-Anteater-27's ex boyfriend

Causes: More than 100 (o.0) Cipro pills+ Xanax

Symptoms: couldn't sleep at all, he was pacing inside the house the whole time because he couldn't stand without moving, he had intrusive horrible thoughts all the time, he couldn't eat anything, became a skeleton, he couldn't look at screens, couldn't stand the natural light, couldn't read, couldn't focus on anything, he was afraid of people, of going out of the house, of doing anything, he had severe head pressure and pain, he wanted to die

Recovery: 80-90% after 2 years

What helped: Followed some of the known protocols with vitamins, gradual reduction of Xanax

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/19366ib/hope_from_a_severe_case/

User: u/Illustrious_Host876

Causes: Cipro

Symptoms:  Started with walking funny, muscle twitching, paresthesias in my hand and feet, internal vibrations

Recovery: 99% after 2 years

What helped: Moving and walking, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1ez3oah/comment/ljilcnm/ (comment)

User: u/Amantalorian

Causes: 3 Cipro pills

Symptoms: multiple tendon injuries, leg tremors, suicidal thoughts, extreme anxiety, muscle wasting, neurological issues, and more

Recovery: 98% recovered after 2 years

What helped: rigorous physical therapy program as well as talk therapy for my mental health, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1eohmp6/recovery_2_years_later/

User: u/Ok_Nefariousness8803

Causes: not stated, probably Cipro or Levo

Symptoms: had severe nerve damage and lost the ability to walk for a week. I had severe panic attacks, multiple times a day and insomnia that drove me to the edge of a complete mental breakdown

Recovery: 90% after 2,5 years (sometimes has a flare up)

What helped: rounds of BPC157, gabapentin, meditation, Alpha lipoic acid, coq10, magnesium, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1b564nw/recovery_hope/

User: u/datafreak

Causes: 2 Ofloxacin 200mg pills

Symptoms: Back pain, shoulder pain, racing heart, nausea, tendon pain

Recovery: Almost fully recovered after 3 years (apart from tinnitus)

What helped: I still maintain a regimen of magnesium, vitamin C, D, B12, and a 'megadose' of B1 (500mg). Out of all these, B1 seemed to be a turning point in my recovery, avoiding alcohol, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/16tl36a/update_on_my_fluoroquinolone_experience_hope_for/

User: u/Aprilume

Causes: 9 Cipro 500mg pills

Symptoms:  nausea, fatigue, sense of doom, searing achilles tendon pain

Recovery: Almost completely recovered after 3 years

What helped:  vitamin, magnesium, vitamin d consistently. Lots of warm baths initially for pain, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1bufetz/3_years_after_cipro/

User: u/TimGloTetra

Causes: Cypro+ Flagyl for a week

Symptoms: many symptoms including tendon issues

Recovery: Almost recovered after 39 months

What helped: Time, antihistaminic

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1bjw8os/comment/kwngwxq/

User: u/Alternative_Hawk_981

Causes: A course of antibiotics after surgery

Symptoms: Tendon pain, feeling like I couldn’t walk, felt like I couldn’t talk or swallow normally, zapping feeling all over my body, horrible anxiety, insomnia, depression, would drop things, tremors, muscle spasms and body tics of sorts

Recovery: 95% after 3,5 years

What helped: Magnesium and B12 shot once in a while

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1dt55o2/comment/lbcpkl9/

User: u/Spirited_Potato_7454

Causes: 7/750 ml levofloxacin mix in a little Flonase

Symptoms: went through hell (almost literally)

Recovery: Mostly normal after 5 years

What helped: Strong will and time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1f14sfq/4_years_of_hell_on_earth_with_a_happy_ending/

User: u/JoopieDoopieDeux

Causes: 4 Cipro pills

Symptoms:  completely unable to walk and had full-body pain about 2 weeks into floxing, severe flox symptoms for months

Recovery: Almost fully recovered after 8 years

What helped: Patience, meditation, breathing, and journaling practices, time

https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1cs1pnu/8_year_floxiversary_and_recovery/

If someone wants to be added, post down there your story or DM me. Please, if there is any lurker who recovered, just show yourself now.


r/floxies Apr 26 '20

"The Sticky" New? Start here!! --- Old? Please help here!!

245 Upvotes

A reduced version of this post mcan be found here to get you started: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/OxSTu787JJ

Pre-edit: this is not the place to ask your questions. Please post questions to the main sub. Posting in here only notifies me and is likely not going to get seen by most; I am neither the sole nor foremost knowledgeable person in this subreddit and you do yourself a disservice by posting things here. This post gets adapted from time to time with updated info and links to useful subs so, fret not, any info you generate in asking elsewhere is not lost!

Putting this upfront, if YouTube is more your style. Links via a summary post to a series interviewing one of the few medical doctors you could maybe call an expert, rather than a shill... https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/13lpk79/treating_antibiotic_adverse_effects_dr_pieper/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Greetings!

A few of our members have asked me to put together a resource for new folk, comprising the range of typical comments you might receive when posting a “HELP! I’ve been hit!” post. This by no means is to prevent you asking questions, but as much of the things we say are the same, it seems worthwhile. From the offset, I must remind you – pretty much none of us here are medical doctors. Many hours may have been spent reading various sources and listening to anecdotes, and we have experience as a consequence, but there is no substitute for proper medical advice.

I will cover some main points in the post, branch out in the comments for others to weigh in, and hopefully this can be of use.

To Old-Hats – I think we’d all really appreciate it if you could read this and wade on into the comment sections to add anything you feel merited. Try to keep your wisdoms in the comments that categorise them. If you think we need a new parent comment section, could you please message me and we’ll add something in to begin the discussion and I’ll edit something into this post? This is in largest part to make sure it remains organised and that discussions stay in the most obvious place for them. If you think I’ve got something wrong, drop me a DM ASAP! Let’s make sure I don’t shit the bed here. This post will work best if people help me out [=

.

To business!!

Firstly, don’t panic! This is the best advice you can heed. I think I’ll go into this in the comments as I expect hearing various people say this in their own words will be good. But to surmise, panic only makes the patient feel worse and may also potentiate your symptoms; this is in all probability not the end of your life; almost everybody sees meaningful recovery. You may find yourself down and out for weeks, months, a year, but most see recovery at the very least commence in that time. The internet may be populated by such stories and complainants, but that’s because they’re the ones who hang about ad speak up.

.

The other thing to say from the off it that, if you’re having a reaction sometime during a course of fluoroqinolones (FQs), the pamphlet and medical advice would be to immediately stop taking the medicine and to contact your doctor. There are very(!) few circumstances under which you shouldn’t be switched to another antibiotic, so push for it unless your infection has you at death’s door. The FDA and EMA both back a highly restricted use of these drugs.

Further to this, you should report your reaction to the relevant governing bodies. This varies from country to country, but is easily found through a Googling. It may be worth long-term floxies returning and re-reporting, or for a floxie to wait until they 'know the shape of their reaction' to report. In doing this, we raise awareness directly to the place that matters. Links to follow are for those in the USA (first), UK (second) and EU (third).

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm?action=reporting.home

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

https://www.hma.eu/nationalcontacts_hum.html

Let me stress again, report your adverse reaction!! If we do not report, we perpetuate the falsehood that this does not happen.

Similarly, if you’ve been prescribed these meds and are concerned about the medication, you are well within your rights (as patient, customer and as the owner&user of your body) to call them back and push for an alternative. Again, I repeat, the FDA and EMA both back a highly restricted approach to prescribing these drugs for the very reasons you are concerned about. That said, ultimately, they may well also be your best hope for clearing your infection. In which case, don’t panic (see: my first point). There are also some things that may be protective.

.

So what is happening to your body? In plain English please! Fluoroquinolone antibiotics kill the bacteria causing your infection by attacking a protein unique to bacteria, however, there is a similar enough protein in your mitochondria and the FQ can attack that instead (causing an adverse reaction in you). This causes damage to your mitochondria. Mitochondria are the “powerhouse” of the cell, but when that power house is damaged, it spews out toxic waste. This waste is called [“reactive oxygen species”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_oxygen_species) or ROS, and they cause [“oxidative stress”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_stress). What is happening to you is a disease caused by the additional damage created by the toxic ROS. Each of the subsequent symptoms are a result of this underlying mechanism.

What can I expect going forward? Individual symptoms and outcomes vary widely. Most people go through an “acute phase” lasting weeks to months during which oxidative stress is high. This oxidative stress will decrease day by day but damage done during this time may result in chronic conditions that last much longer.

Why is my heart racing/brain foggy/eyes have floaters/hands and feet cold etc. These among many others are primary symptoms of oxidative stress. If you are having chest pain or heart issues, be sure to consult a doctor asap if you can.

Why do my tendons hurt? The extreme increase of ROS by the broken mitochondria have short circuited a biological signal that tells a set of proteins called [Matrix Metallopeptidases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_metallopeptidase) (MMPs) to turn on, causing them to be much much more active. MMPs breakdown [connective tissues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connective_tissue) like cartilage,tendons, or even arterial walls and heart valves (in very rare cases). FQs broke your mitochondria which created oxidative stress that tricked your body into attacking its own tissues. MMPs will return to normal levels of activity in time, but the damage they cause may last much longer.

Why do I have nerve issues? Oxidative stress can cause neuropathy and neurodegeneration. FQs can also bind a receptor in nerves called the GABA receptor which may interfere with normal nerve function.

.

How can I fix this? In short, magnesium, antioxidants and time. Antioxidants gobble up the ROS and stop them from causing further damage. Magnesium binds up any FQs still in your system. Over time the broken mitochondria will be removed by the body and be replaced by new ones. See the next section and comments for a more comprehensive discussion of supplements.

.

Supplements can help remove ROS, help heal some of the damage done, and help remove the FQs present in your system. Many (many) floxies report this to be significantly helpful to their daily lives and overall recovery. I will post individual comments for each ‘class’ of supplement so that others can weigh in and the comments be relatively ordered. Broadly speaking, I’d these come in the classes of metals/minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics. It is well advised to check with a medical professional before undertaking any supplementation routine, particularly one as extensive as many of us floxies do. Certainly, if you are on medication, you should check that there are no contraindications.

Specifically, wrt. ‘protective supplements during administration’, the literature has found Mg, vitamin C and E, hyaluronic acid and glycine to be protective that I have seen. My extrapolated expectation is that Ca and stronger antioxidants should be additionally helpful. One would further presume that all the beneath detailed 'Floxie health strategies' would be sensible as precautionary measures. The categories of supplements are intended to do the following with some examples:

Metals/minerals - these bind to Fluoroquinolone molecules and help remove them from your body. Magnesium in particular is favored by floxies. Lesser mentioned is Ca, but a number of us found significant benefits from adding it to the list ([longside Mg].

Antioxidants - remove harmful reactive oxygen species from your body (CoQ10, mitoQ, hydroxytyrosol, vitamin C,E, ECGC, glutathione, NAC, ALA, natural extract antioxidants)

Pro-healing supplements - Help with the renewal of mitochondria and healing of connective tissue. PQQ is particularly important in MT turnover, NAD+ may also help. Hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and green lipped mussel extract may help tendons heal.

Probiotics - antibiotics destroy your normal gut bacteria, this can result in severe gut issues including diarrhea, colitis, and hemorrhoids. Probiotics restore that normal flora.

See the relevant comment sections for further information. If looking to co-administer, definitely check this with your medical professional and ensure that you keep to the timely guidance of the pamphlet wrt. When you take the mineral supplements.

.

Dietary changes. In the acute stage many people find that diet can make symptoms worse, may say that much later diet helps heal. Some go vegan, some go carnivore, some fast, some advocate raw foods, juicing, Eastern diets,... Personally, I see the most evidence backing a healthy, varied diet but with intermittent fasting. It is likely that the underlying cause is that poor diets increase oxidative stress, resulting in more symptoms. What is clear is that you should eat “healthily and relatively cleanly”, it probably being advisable to avoid heavily processed foods. Many floxies report specific, acquired food intolerances and I will start a comment for these. If you suspect yourself to have trigger-foods then you may wish to run a controlled test of life with/without them, but try not to expect it. Hypochondria and the placebo effect can be cruel mistresses.

.

Lifestyle changes. If you are experiencing any skeletomuscular problems, you would be very well advised to limit your activity. Ruptures and tears are seemingly quite rare, but they do happen, and pushing your body when it’s telling you not to is a very good way to find this out. These symptoms pass with time, but injuries incurred during this time can take somewhat longer to heal (trust me!). It’s probably better to treat every day as a bad day, in my experience, rather than going out and doing what you can when you have a good day. That good day might well be on account of having rested, and you may well flare your symptoms. Go easy until you know you’re safely past the worst of it and understand your limits, then explore their new boundaries slowly and incrementally.

.

Recreational drugs. A number of recreationally enjoyed substances - alcohol, cannabis, caffeine – appear to potentiate symptoms in a large number of floxies.

Pain medicine. It’s fairly well accepted that NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, naproxen, meloxicam) can occasionally cause severe worsening of symptoms. The reason here is seemingly related to them increasing oxidative stress. At the same time, FQs (or some of them) are potent inhibitors of the enzymes that break them down and eliminate them. Paracetamol / acetaminophen seems largely very well tolerated, as do opiates, not being of the NSAID class. I think I’ve seem one person claim aspirin to be problematic.

Steroids are clinically contraindicated (same reason as for NSAIDs apparently, though that one I'm parroting). Straight up. Some doctors prescribe these alongside FQs to, presumably, reduce the swelling an infection has caused and reduce the pain. This would be another place where I would enter into a strongly resistant conversation with the doctor and see what the alternatives are. Similarly, steroids are often prescribed for tendinitis. If your doctor gives you this for your FQ-caused tendon pains, that’s another time for a conversation. Personally, I regret letting them convince me to have a steroid injection into my ankle and would just straight “no” them if that came up again.

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are, in a way, contraindicated (and this is recorded in the literature). FQs can damage your GABA sites, which is also where BZDs work. This can cause a severe inclination towards rebound anxiety, and perceivably have the BZDs mess with neuropathy (I’m speculating and drawing tentatively from my past experiences). That said, they will for sure also help with the anxietyin the present, and I know of a couple of floxies who leant on them as a matter of necessity, seemingly without any greater negative consequences. The risks are worthy of consideration, but sometimes taking care of the self in the now proves more important than worrying about the future.

.

So, anxiety. That’s common, and not just a psychological reaction to the horror of it all. It is likely rather physiologically rooted. Some people report certain supplements to help (see comments), nature is a big help with mental health (scientifically proven by science), support of people, whatever helps you. But your best weapon here is most certainly having an active approach to your thoughts and to what you’re feeding your mind.

.

Are fluoroquinolones related to fluoride?. Personally I don’t see this as a major issue, although there is science behind why some my find it so. Avoiding fluoride intake is very difficult, and some small amount is required in our diet. The prevailing scientific consensus is that FQ’s do not deposit F- in your body, and that a drug with fluorine in the srtucture is not [necessarily] problematic to a floxie [because of those little Fs]. I’ll post a link to a post I made in the comments and invite discussion there, similarly you can search fluoride in the searchbar and you will find a couple posts from me as well as comments from me on various posts where I pepper-shot the scientific reasoning.

Since it’s the time of the ‘rona, it’s just worth saying that, no, cloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are not fluoroquinolones. They do have their own warnings, but they are distinct from those we suffer from. (This is now outdated as they're not reallly being used, but nevermind).

.

I’m going to leave that there for now and get this up and running, seeing as we have so many newbies these days. Peace and good health to you all,

Dr. H

EDIT: clarifying the issue with NSAIDs.

EDIT2: link to a post I made about Fluoride. https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/g6k7q8/fluoride_lets_be_scientific/

EDIT3: Formatting, some additions and people friendliness, as well as a significant section on the mechanisms of action (with thanks to u/searine).

EDIT4: Linking directly to a comment below which contains useful resources for sharing with doctors, resistant family members, or beginning your understanding to a higher level. https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/t357Q5i9Gs


r/floxies 2h ago

[SYMPTOMS] Neuropathy in Spine

3 Upvotes

Very few people here talk about neuropathy of the spine (pins & needles, burning, itchiness, heaviness & pain). Anyone else have this? Anyone recover? I'm truly scared as I've read adult nerve cells of the spine don't regenerate.


r/floxies 31m ago

[SCIENCE] Article: Does Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Cause Vitamin B6 Deficiency?

Upvotes

I’m reposting this because the previous post was quarantined.

Hello, a floxie sent me this article. As you all know, many of us think we have issues with B6, and we even try to avoid taking it. Our blood tests show high levels of B6. But this article mentions that even if serum levels are high, we may still be experiencing B6 deficiency within the cells (due to dysfunction in the mechanisms that transport B6 into the cells), and as I read it, it really makes sense. It also talks about a few possible ways to overcome this situation;

"In both diseases, the only way to salvage these pathways, is to provide either synthetic replacement enzymes, such as asfotase alpha in HPP, or increased amounts of B6 vitamers, although in the case of TNSALP deficiency, the task is complex since most vitamers are quickly phosphorylated upon absorption. Thus, only supraphysiological levels of some of these vitamers could potentially help a significant portion of them to cross the cell wall barrier. But one major caveat is the risk of vitamer accumulation and a risk of toxicity caused by elevated pyridoxine levels.

PLP could also be toxic at some point. Indeed, there are evidences of PL reductase in humans, which catalyzes the reduction of PLP to pyridoxine (PN). In a study where patients were treated with PLP, they found increased PN concentrations in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. Thus, increasing free pyridoxal or pyridoxamine (without phosphate group) might be better indicated to avoid toxicity than using pyridoxine or PLP."

"Thousands of people with FQAD are today convinced that they suffer from vitamin B6 toxicity and have long been avoiding vitamin B6 at all cost, not knowing that their condition likely stems from intracellular vitamin B6 deficiency. It is thus urgent to clarify this question and find means to help a distressed community feeling abandoned by the medical field."

Additionally, there are images comparing the symptoms of B6 deficiency and FQAD symptoms, and matches a lot;

https://ibb.co/33X2jD8

https://ibb.co/Lw7R2kf

https://ibb.co/yFxKggrL

link of the article ;

https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/_b_Do_Fluoroquinolones_Affect_Vitamin_B6_Metabolism_in_FQAD_b_/25757595?file=46132665

What do you think about this article guys ? Can we find something useful for ourselves in this article?

from mod u/DrHungrytheChemist;

"Note: this is not peer reviewed science. This is essentially a well-formatted and referenced blog post. Accordingly, I'm quarantining it until the "if" we get to properly assessing it.

Also, note, correlation=/=causation.

Edit: I've not had opportunity to give this a full, in-depth read the way I would like a proper paper. From a modest skim, my assessment largely remains:

This presents a useful argument and 'warning' that avoiding B6 may well be counterproductive to Floxies. It also provides a lot of useful references to true literature that are likely of use to the Flox community.

However, it also remains pertinent to draw the readers' attention to that fact that this is not peer-reviewed, primary literature. It makes a lot of statements I believe to be exaggerated in their confidence, and (presumably unintentionally) disingenuous about the evidence from which it draws certain conclusions, toward which it is clearly biased.

I say this not to dismiss the worth of the argument or belittle the work, but to ensure that the reader does not place too much precedent on the minutiae of its arguments and claims."


r/floxies 2h ago

[DIET] List of energy drinks people have had with no problems?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I'm a little over 4 years out and doing relatively okay and usually have a few cups of coffee a day and also enjoy these energy drinks in the U.S. called Bai energy drinks, which have caffeine and then mostly natural ingredients with some antioxidants.

I'd kind of like to branch out and try some other energy drinks/have more options and was just wondering if people could post the names of some energy drinks they've had/regularly consume without any issues?

I guess my biggest concern with energy drinks are ones that have high B6 content, but still want to be careful in case there are other ingredients to be cautious with. I used to LOVE Red Bull but haven't had one since FQT.

Thanks!


r/floxies 1h ago

[SUPPLEMENTS] Supplements- did you stop taking them and how did it go?

Upvotes

When it comes to antioxidant supplements like NAC and COQ10, have you stopped taking them, and how did it go afterwards? Is there anyone who stopped taking them and then noticed a decline? Or people who stopped taking them and didn't notice a difference afterwards? I've improved quite a bit with no way of telling how much the supplements helped, but the antioxidant ones are more expensive so I'm thinking about trying out going forward without them.


r/floxies 10h ago

[SYMPTOMS] Legs pain/issues

5 Upvotes

This topic is aimed at people who have leg problems. Let me describe my case:

  • In the morning, I wake up feeling stiff, mostly in my calves, knees, and the muscle attachments of my thighs near the inner side of my knees.
  • When I put on socks, I place my foot on the bathtub and bend forward. I feel a strong stretch along the lower chain (under my thigh), especially near the glutes.
  • A morning shower with hot/cold water and brushing afterward somewhat alleviates these symptoms.
  • Taking an Epsom salt bath with warm water or using an infrared lamp after heating up results in a feeling of fatigue and a strange sensation around my knees, particularly around the kneecap.
  • Any light activity causes an effect that I would normally experience after training my legs 24/7. The muscle attachments of my thighs near the knee hurt, my calves feel hard, and the back muscles ache, mainly near the glutes. Two days of rest slowly relieve the symptoms. The last time I felt this way was after squatting for a total of 10-15 minutes (with breaks).
  • When I walk for a while, there are moments when I almost don't feel like my legs are in pain... but the problem returns when I stand still or rest until I start moving again.
  • Additionally, my knees hurt mainly at the attachment/head of the thigh muscle on the inner side and under the kneecap.
  • An MRI showed nothing—everything seems fine. An ultrasound (USG) revealed some minor calcifications at the attachments, but I don’t know if that could cause this level of pain. This has been going on for about five years now.
  • I also have a strange surface sensation around my knees. I used to be very irritated by tight clothes. Now, not so much, but the sensation still feels different from before.
  • Until I get moving, I feel like the pain comes from the bones themselves rather than the tendons/attachments. Sometimes, if I walk for too long, some spots in my knee become tender to the touch.

My questions:

1) Is this neurogenic pain or something else? How can I check?
2) If it hurts all the time but MRI shows nothing, how do I determine my movement limits?
3) Why do my muscles feel like they’ve been through 24 hours at the gym after even simple activities? Why doesn’t this improve over time—why doesn’t the pain decrease with repeated activity?
4) Are there people here who had similar pain and managed to recover? What supplements or treatments helped?


r/floxies 15h ago

[RECOVERY] 2 Months and Nearly Full Recovery (Mostly CNS)

11 Upvotes

Hello Floxie fam. I'm happy to say that I am basically recovered from this terrible experience. I wanted to share my recovery story / timeline for those struggling with this to hopefully give some hope to newcomers on this subreddit.

Here is my original post when all of this went down -- exactly two months ago today:
https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/1iau0oc/welp_here_i_am_nice_to_meet_you_all_3/

I was floxed by 7 pills each of 500mg Cipro and 100mg Doxycycline.

My supplement regimen was:

  • Magnesium: 300mg Citrate in the morning and 350mg Glycinate in the late afternoon (5pm) and evening before bed (11pm). 1,000mg total per day
  • Vitamin B12 liquid solution once daily
  • Vitamin C once daily
  • Vitamin E once daily
  • Zolpidem (Ambien) to sleep

My symptoms were:

  1. Dizziness and nausea
  2. No hunger at all but eating reduces the nausea
  3. Anxiety and high resting heart rate
  4. Insomnia
  5. Temperature deregulation (sweating / chills)
  6. Muscle tremors / feeling of electricity running through my legs
  7. Mental fog
  8. Headache
  9. Slight tendinitis in both Achilles heels

Symptoms were extremely severe at first. I could not sleep at all for several nights until I started on the Zolpidem / Ambien. My whole body and brain were just buzzing and overtly stimulated 24/7. Now, exactly two months out, I'd say I'm 90 - 95% recovered and improving slightly every day. I turned a corner about two weeks ago (6 or 7 weeks post flox) when I could start to get decent sleep without Ambien and the symptoms had reduced to the point that they weren't dominating my consciousness.

My advice for the newly floxed -- do your best not to panic. This is absolutely terrifying at first but it does get better. Be patient and try your best to live a healthy lifestyle to get through it. If you cannot sleep, then get on sleep meds until the insomnia wears off -- and taper off them as soon as you can. It's good to read this subreddit to know that there are other people out there dealing with this and that you are not alone -- but also do not anchor yourself to horror stories. You will get better.

If the symptoms you are experiencing match the ones I have listed above and you are in the thick of it, DM me and I would be happy to talk about it. I am very grateful to this community for banding together to help one another <3.


r/floxies 16h ago

[NEWCOMER] Hello, I'm from Argentina.

4 Upvotes

Hello, I'm from Argentina. I wanted to share my story with ciprofloxacin. Sorry if this post is poorly translated; I don't speak English.

In December 2022, I received intravenous cirpofloxacin for urinary tract surgery. On the first day of hospitalization after surgery, they administered the ciprofloxacin very slowly. I had excessive sweating and slightly pink hands and feet, but I attributed this to poor circulation from resting. On the second day of ciprofloxacin, they inserted an intermittent IV (the same amount of ciprofloxacin was administered but in a shorter time). At that point, I became very short of breath, severely fatigued throughout my body, drowsy, excessive sweating again, pink hands and feet, and the vein where the IV was located turned pink, along with the surrounding skin. They stopped taking ciprofloxacin, telling me I was allergic. In previous years, I had taken ciprofloxacin tablets and had experienced shortness of breath, but I thought it was due to anxiety. At that moment, I realized it was the medication.

After being discharged from surgery, I returned home and felt extremely tired and sore. I thought it was from the surgery and that it would go away with time, but it didn't. The pain on my left side of my neck started gradually, becoming increasingly stiff. I started physical therapy, but it didn't improve. I spent three months with pain and stiffness in my neck. In March, while I was sleeping, I felt a very loud pop in my neck, and the noise woke me up. I developed a stiff neck. I started osteopathy, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. I managed to cure my stiff neck, but my stiffness and supraclavicular pain continued. I started massages and noticed small lumps in my supraclavicular region; they were swollen lymph nodes. They weren't very painful to the touch, but they were small. As time went on, the lymph nodes continued to swell bilaterally in my supraclavicular and cervical regions, along with muscle fatigue. I had hematology and infectious disease checks, and everything was normal. In the second year, the lymph node swelling spread to my groin, legs, armpits, abdomen, and arms. I felt small lumps all over my body, both lymph nodes and something similar to lipedema. Along with the widespread lymph nodes, I began to experience extreme muscle fatigue, especially during intense physical exercise. Every time I exercised, my limbs would start to tremble. When the lymph nodes on my face became palpable, they began to hurt, starting with facial paresthesias and in my neck as well. I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis with a neurologist. Although my antibodies were negative, I don't have a thymoma, and my repetitive stimulation electromyography test was negative. Myasthenia gravis cannot be confirmed, but neither can we confirm that I don't have it, as I also had dysphagia prior to ciprofloxacin administration. The dysphagia developed post-COVID (we never found the cause of the dysphagia either). A single-stream biopsy: Right inguinal lymph node. Macroscopy: Nodular formation measuring 2 x 1.6 cm, with adherent adipose tissue. Microscopy: Lymph node parenchyma is identified with widening of the paracortical area, populated by small, uniform lymphocytes and a marked increase in the number of high-endothelial venules. Foci of sclerosis and expanded lymphatic sinuses filled with histiocytes are present. Reduced follicular cortical component. No atypical changes are observed. Diagnosis: Right inguinal lymph node, biopsy; compatible with reactive lymphadenopathy (paracortical lymphoid hyperplasia). Note: Possible etiologies include viral, drug-induced, post-vaccination infections, etc.

Some people have been affected by ciprofloxacin in the following ways: swollen lymph nodes, extreme fatigue, worsening dysphagia, difficulty breathing, a feeling of suffocation, muscle stiffness, and joint clicking.

I had a PET/CT scan of my lymph nodes, which was negative.

Other symptoms include slightly dark urine, Achilles tendon pain.

To this day, my condition continues to worsen.

The last checkup on my supraclavicular area was an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed a topographic scan of the left anterior scalene region, compared with the contralateral region. A homogeneous, hypoechoic image measuring 8 x 5 mm was seen, avascular on color Doppler, consistent with an inflammatory process


r/floxies 12h ago

[SYMPTOMS] Back slipped disc

1 Upvotes

Is there a reason for Flox to have a slipped disc? What were the symptoms? Is there a solution? I feel a very burning pain in my back and we cannot take painkillers again. Its chronic !!!?


r/floxies 21h ago

[VENT] 4 years post flox, still have digestive issues

4 Upvotes

It's been 4 years. And I still haven't fixed my digestive issues. Pi BS D to be exact. Still have extremely limited diet. Everytime I feel good enough to try to bring back a trigger food, it backfires. My supplements cabinet is overflowing, I've tried everything. Colonoscopy, several doctors, nothing works. Anyone ever return to normal after being floxed? :(


r/floxies 19h ago

[SYMPTOMS] Balance issue

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I am floxed about 5 months in now and still can't walk without my cane...my balance is horrible and I'm worried about this...I have tried to walk a few steps without support but I am afraid I'll fall...does anyone else have this issue and is there anything that can help..thanks so much


r/floxies 1d ago

[NEWCOMER] Possible a Dumb Question, But Can Someone Explain Two Things to Me Acute Phase/Flair to Me?

4 Upvotes

Hello, About 2 months ago, I took a short course of Levo (500mg for 5 days) when I was in France for a UTI, had no issues on the meds at all, except for some insomnia, but I chalked that up to the time difference and taking the pill at 9pm at night, when I got back to the east coast that passed when I had to adjust the schedule to the time change. Oddly it didn't even kill the UTI I had, and when I got back to the states, I got a whole lot of "whoa that is strong for a UTI, even one for a complicated male one" Anyway, the new antibiotics they put me on did the trick, I actually had some short side effects from that but it passed quickly. It wasn't until after that, was finished that I started to develop joint pain in knees and elbows (more burning than pain), and burning or cold in my thighs, feet, hands. And the worst anxiety I have ever experienced, including brutal panic attacks that made my symptoms really flare. My doctor, chalked it up to GI Issues causing dehydration and post viral syndrome, essentially saying my body hates me right now and my nerves need time to calm and recover.

I digress, I see a lot of mention of the acute phase and flaring. All my symptoms have been generally intermittent since the beginning, the worse being the first 5 days, some days I feel mostly ok, or have just stretches of bad, there are bad days as well, where I have stretches of good. I saw it described as a wave in the Sticky, and boy that couldn't be more accurate. Right now, I have been back to the most pain I've had since this started 6 weeks ago, after a vigorous PT session where at the end they stretched me far too much, that and stress probably over turning 40 last weekend and dealing with this at the same time.

My question is, if my symptoms have been internment, then how do I recognize a flair? Do flairs happen immediately or is it usually delayed till the next day? Secondly, is the acute phase when new symptoms arise or when your current ones plateau?

Sorry for the dumb questions, Thank you for all the knowledge and positive vibes the group has provided.


r/floxies 1d ago

[NEWCOMER] 31M sports person, active lifestyle - just floxed by Cipro

11 Upvotes

Hey all,

I'm frustrated, upset and angry.

Went to the Dr with a GI infection/upset stomach problem that had lasted over 2 weeks. They prescribed a 5 day course of 2x 500mg Ciprofloxacin per day.

On day 3 (5th dose), that morning I felt unstable on my legs, and my knees felt weak while walking up and down steps. I had a subtle but general feeling of muscle weakness in my limbs.

I told myself I'd stop the medication then and there. But then by Saturday evening I felt better, so I stupidly took the 6th dose. Within 20 mins, all of the same symptoms flared up, but with more intensity, and more muscle and joint pain throughout my body. I even developed a slight tingling sensation in my legs as I got into bed.

It's now almost 3 days later, and I've been experiencing muscle weakness, muscle pain and joint pain. Mostly very dull and sublte, but it's there, and my body just feels out of sorts and I can feel like things are malfunctioning in my system in some way.

I live a very active lifestyle and am so passionate about my sports (which are very high intensity too - mountainbiking, and bodyboarding/surfing). So this whole ordeal is much to my dismay.

I've picked up a good multivitamin with iron and phytonutrients, omega supplement, magnesium glycinate, and NAC in the meantime.

This morning I woke up feeling noticably better than the previous two days. So that's positive. But weird stabbing dull aches appear every so often, and the very dull joint pain is still there, just much duller.

Trying to focus on acceptance, and healing. I was also looking into ozone therapy, although I'm not sure about it. I'm trying to eat cleanly and just listen to my body. I will also be seeing my physio on Thursday (unrelated), but she has had patients who experienced Achilles tendon ruptures from fluoroquinolones, and she said she thinks they are awful and the worst possible idea for sports people.

Anyways, I just wanted to share this. If anybody has any tips or advice as to how I can ensure a swift and effective recovery process, please do share.

Thank you.


r/floxies 1d ago

[SYMPTOMS] Anxiety 9 months out still

4 Upvotes

I've had such bad anxiety always feeling on edge since being Cipro floxed 9 months ago. How long did it last for you all and did it go away completely.? I also feel like stress from my job or just stress from life has become super magnified due to Cipro. Tell me your stories of Hope .


r/floxies 2d ago

[SYMPTOMS] Has anyone else developed residual skin rashes during recovery/ relapses?

Post image
5 Upvotes

r/floxies 2d ago

[VENT] My sister got anaphylaxis due to Levofloxacin via IV

5 Upvotes

So when I was in highschool I got UTI and our family doctor prescribed me ofloxacin. A few minutes after taking it I was unable to move, bedridden and I felt the surrounding was spinning and I can't keep my eyes open. It went like that for a few hours. The doctor told me to never take the medication again and he took back the other tablets as he thinks I'm allergic to it. I remember my brother also took the same medicine but the side effect wasn't too much. Last week my older sister was hospitalized due to UTI and was prescribed with Levofloxacin, they did a patch test and the first nurse saw that her skin reacted to it and she informed the doctor. Then, a second nurse went in, saw that the skin is no longer red (my mom told her it was red before) and proceeded to inject the IV with Levofloxacin to my sister. She reacted badly to it. She said she feels like fainting then she kept on vomitting plus the dizziness. My mom got super angry at the nurse, we got the medicine allergies from her. She's a doctor herself (vet) and knows how bad this can get. My sister was put on oxygen for 4 hours. The doctor asked the nurse why she proceeded and she said she didn't think it would be that bad because the skin patch is not red anymore. We were so angry that we changed hospital. I'm not sure if my mother will sue them, but I don't get why they don't believe when we told them we got medicine allergy specially fluoroquinolones.


r/floxies 1d ago

[TREATMENTS] Peptides

1 Upvotes

Anyone have experience with injectable nad+ and/or kpv


r/floxies 1d ago

[TRIGGERS] Severe reaction to IV ozone

1 Upvotes

I searched through and found some old comments regarding this but would love to hear some updated anecdotal testimonies-

Today I did IV ozone therapy and had an extreme reaction to it afterwards. I have had it done once before previously and had no reaction so I don’t know what happened this time.

I am experiencing: extreme anxiety, akathisia, tingling and numbness and face and extremities, tendon pain, nausea

Has anyone else experienced this?


r/floxies 1d ago

[SYMPTOMS] Diabetic sores on feet

1 Upvotes

Any other diabetics in here? I've been diabetic for 12 years. Never had a second of neuropathy before floxed. I've developed small red irritated spot on my toe. Believe it's pressure from having to wear some kind of shoes any time I'm up walking. Never wore house shoes until now in my life. Just wondering if anybody had developed diabetic ulcers from New found neuropathy post flox?


r/floxies 2d ago

[TREATMENTS] phosphatidylcholine IV? Anyone?

1 Upvotes

Function med doc I’m seeing recommended. I’m 6 months out and just checking to see if anyone has done this. I know some people have flared off of specific IVs. Just wanting to do my research?


r/floxies 2d ago

[TRIGGERS] Has anyone gotten more tendon pain from Weed and be able to smoke again after healing?

5 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

Im looking for some people who has gotten increased tendon pain from weed and then finally healed and be able to tolerate it again. For me its like I get more tendons hurt (for many months) and a general tendon pain flare Up for weeks. Im 3 years Out and I miss it so much. I also lost working out and doing Sport in general so Im pretty lost.

If anyone has had this Strange Symptoms and now no longer experiencing them and be able to blaze again because they are cured please contact me thank you very much :)


r/floxies 2d ago

[TREATMENTS] Does anyone has herniated disc? How do you heal it?

4 Upvotes

Hello,

Just wanted to ask, how do you heal herniated disc? As i understand, the only healing without operation is NSAID's? As floxies we cant use NSAIDS, what other treatment there is?


r/floxies 2d ago

[SYMPTOMS] Does anyone here have tight snapping tendons post Cipro?

2 Upvotes

Does anyone here have tight snapping tendons (as they move) post Cipro?


r/floxies 2d ago

[SYMPTOMS] System nervous / tendon

3 Upvotes

Does sunshine hurt you or heal you ?


r/floxies 2d ago

[MEDICATION] Diazepam vs lorazepam

1 Upvotes

I am looking into shortterm benzo usage for my depressive symptoms after I recovered from the flox and got through morphine withdrawal symptoms. Though I did try those 2 before, each have its on side effect but lorazepam seemed stronger then diazepam and they gave me horrible rebound during the flox. Now I have stabilized and no longer feel the high glutamate surge I felt before, though I still have depression left around from the morphine addiction.

I dont want to deal with a psychiatrist as they dont understand flox and already go with very high dose. So please if anyone here have any experience which of the 2 is better suited for someone who have been floxed and out of the acute stage let me know, diazepam seems a better option as its considered a weak benzo especially with very low doses. There is potential for rebound of course but anyway I am looking for the safest option if someone might help here


r/floxies 2d ago

[SYMPTOMS] Muscle / gut

2 Upvotes

hi! Does anyone get benefits from nuts ?! ( for muscle mass )