Insomnia and anxiety from ofloxacin
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi all
has anyone suffered from chronic insomnia and anxiety from this med was prescribed it 2 years ago for a uti infection and been going through hell with my mental health ,from what I have read this stuff should be banned from being prescribed I for one would never take it again wish I had read the patient information leaflet better the list off side effects are horrendous stay well clear off it
0 likes, 17 replies
derek76 andrew45271
Posted
I never have been that good a sleeper but since being prescribed Cipro/fluoroquinolones I am now a paid up insomniac for the past seven years. I tend to get to sleep fairly easily but waken after 1 1/2 to 2 hours. As I cant get back to sleep again I get up for about 40 minutes until I feel tired again although I do not get back to sleep very quickly and often I get up quite quickly again. I have about three disturbed sleeps like that and usually give up and get up for good. I don't like sleeping pills and when I tried them I still woke up in the same way.
I take CBD oil and that may make me more relaxed and less angry about not sleeping but it does not help me sleep. The drugs have give me a form of neuropathy and I've had all sorts of scans and consultations.
There is a group called floxie hope you may find useful and the moderator here set this forum up for those of us affected.
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/fluoroquinolone-toxicity-syndrome-427305
andrew45271 derek76
Posted
I'm exactly the same no more than 3 hours on a good night ,haven't tried c b d oil a lot of people are using it now ,don't suffer with any neuropathic pain from the ofloxacin greatfull I don't have that must be very hard for people who do
derek76 andrew45271
Posted
For some it goes in time but my body is more stubborn.
derek76 andrew45271
Posted
Why does my link that the moderator set up now get cause a problem ?
derek76 andrew45271
Posted
Do you have any physical symptoms as Dawn, I and others have had ?
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/refered-nerve-signal-713807?page=0&utm_source=forum,sendgrid&utm_campaign=comment-notification,Patient.info&utm_medium=email%AppendToUrl%,email#3586578
miriam65408 andrew45271
Edited
Fluoroquinolones (FQs) affect different people differently with the most well known adverse reaction being Achilles tendon problems - some doctors still believe this is the ONLY problem they cause.
Central nervous system problems can range from depression, insomnia and anxiety to hallucinations and panic attacks with uncontrollable crying. The FQ affects the body's GABA receptors (which is why it's not recommended to take benzodiazepines whilst on or after FQs) plus the way they affect collagen means they can have an effect on the nerve sheaths - so a double whammy for some people.
As Derek says, CBD oil is said to work well by many people in the on-line groups. You can buy it on-line or from health food stores and is legal in the UK. There are many different makes and strengths and it is very much trial and error trying to find one that suits you best. It also takes a few days or so to feel any effect so it requires perseverence. Lots of people have said they sleep better when they use it so I hope this might be an answer for you.
The insomnia and anxiety, while not painful like the crippling physical symptoms many people suffer from, is still very debilitating and disturbing. Hopefully the CBD will help you manage it until it finally leaves you alone. One thing we can be sure of about FQ symptoms is that we never know how long they will last so all I can do is say to stay positive as negative thoughts will only make things worse.
Which country are you in? Have you ever joined a group? There are many and are good places for asking questions and getting advice.
derek76 miriam65408
Posted
Is there a list of groups as I'm thinking that as symptoms vary so much we need ones that are specific to us.
miriam65408 derek76
Posted
There isn't a specific group for insomnia sufferers if that's what you mean. The link to the forum page that you gave above lists the UK fluoroquinolone group and also a US one. There are many different groups on social media but I don't remember seeing an insomnia group on there - I'll take a look next time I'm logged in!
derek76 miriam65408
Posted
There is a Sleep Problems Forum here.
What I was looking for were any links to the American doctors you mentioned with an interest in FQ/Cipro problems and treating floxed patients .
miriam65408 derek76
Posted
I don't know of anyone who actually specialises in treating floxed patients except maybe a guy in Germany. There is a doctor in the US who claims to treat floxies (privately) with a stem cell procedure but a). it's very expensive and b). there have been no reports on whether it's effective or not (he says it cured him but he would say that anyway).
I heard of a young woman who travelled to somewhere in Europe and had stem cell treatment (cost a fortune) and she says it made her worse.
In essence, I think very few doctors understand what FQs do to you and have no idea how of to approach treating someone. Bearing in mind how different people vary so much in their reactions - from being almost dead from one pill to tolerating many courses - it's no surprise that they haven't a clue.
There are some alternative and holistic doctors who write books and on the internet, many of whom say the only treatment to repair the mitochondria is through nutrition from food and nutritional supplements. (I could message names and titles or you can look for "repairing mitochondria"). With insomnia in particular I've seen melatonin suggested as well as CBD oil and various relaxation techniques.
One floxie I know said she gave up expecting to sleep when she went to bed. She listened to audio books on headphones or read etc. and if she dropped off it was a bonus. Her approach meant she was relaxed and not at all anxious about whether she slept or not- and her sleeping improved.
derek76 miriam65408
Edited
At the EMA conference was there not a doctor I think from Glasgow who treated patients ?
derek76 miriam65408
Posted
I'm not sure if many people notice the links to various other sections at the foot of the page that includes a medicine directory.
The melatonin link may interest some although it did not help me.
https://patient.info/medicine/melatonin-tablets-for-insomnia-circadin
miriam65408 derek76
Posted
There was, but he's an orthopaedic specialist so perhaps not very au fait with insomnia. He does do consultations by phone but gets really busy as he's the only doc in the UK (as far as I know) who's put his head above the parapet and said I believe in all this.
ABC1990 miriam65408
Posted
Hi Miriam, I dont suppose you could PM me the name of this doctor at all? I'm in the Glasgow area, and I was prescribed ofloxacin for two weeks in April this year, and have some ongoing symptoms that I'm concerned may be due to adverse effects of the ofloxacin.
gillian51843 andrew45271
Posted
i was recently prescribed ofloxacin and now i cant sleep at all. i am anxious as hell but my doctor isnt taking my complaint seriously. i even wanted to return the medication to the pharmacy after paying for it.
Is complete insomnia normal? like i cant sleep at all? i keep reading about it and feel as though im the only one.
ADPanicker gillian51843
Posted
yes - i know people who took it with no side effects but if you are one of the unlucky few its a horrible journey but hang in over time i came back from it