Symptoms started appearing 1 months after taking antibiotics and it is progressive
Posted , 21 users are following.
Hello Everybody
I took Cipro on mid June and it didn’t hit me then except minor bruising on my under arm .But then after a month I started feeling pain on my legs ,then shoulders and recently(after almost 3 months) I feel pain on my small joint of wrists, hands, feet, fingers etc. I am sick worried if I have rheumatoid arthritis or it is Cipro post side effects?
Does anybody know if the symptoms can wait that long to appear and be progressive after or it is probably rheumatoid arthritis?
Thanks
Sarah
2 likes, 135 replies
Ploddingon sarah3045
Posted
I'm so sorry to hear that you are having an adverse reaction to Cipro - you are not alone!
It is extremely likely that all these symptoms/pain, is due to the Cipro and what you are experiencing is a very common side effect.
Delayed Adverse Reactions can occur for years after stopping taking these Fluoroquinolone antibiotics. So the answer to your question is "yes", many symptoms can appear for a long time. This is well documented and is written in the information about these meds. Unfortunately, most doctors are ignorant of the dangers with Cipro, Levofloxacin(Levaquin) etc., and refuse to believe their poisoned or 'Floxed' patients; this is a huge problem.
I urge you to research these antibiotics and make sure that you NEVER take any of them again, unless every other antibiotic has failed and it is a life or death situation.
Quinolone Vigilance Foundation and Floxie Hope are good sites to begin with.
Check out the other conversations here about Cipro too and please keep in touch.
plodding on x
sarah3045
Posted
Thanks allot for your reply. It is such a shame that we and our health and our lives can be played this easily...
I really appreciate your reply and comforting me.
Did this poison hit you too?how did you manage it? I sincerly hope you are doing fien now...
Ploddingon sarah3045
Posted
I am 18 months out from taking Levofloxacin and for almost 5 months last year, I was unable to walk and was bedridden. Both my Achilles' tendons and all the other tendons in my legs, ankles and feet were affected. The pain was screaming and when I got up for the bathroom, I couldn't lift my feet off the ground- I could only slide/shuffle my feet very slowly. It felt like I had sharp stones under my feet too. I had to take morphine for the pain and still do, though the pain is very much better. I still can't walk for too long and my tendons ache in the evenings.
I am suffering with insomnia now and I believe this is a delayed reaction, as I have never suffered previously. Also, my brain is much foggier and my memory is shot.
Many people have been permanently damaged and are crippled completely and so at the moment, I feel I am one of the luckier ones but the scary thing is that I have no idea what will happen as time goes on.
There is no cure, though some people say that high doses of Magnesium helps. I would recommend that you get any levels checked with your doc before taking supplements though.
Are you in the UK?
plodding on
ana85762 Ploddingon
Posted
Was wondering if your brain fog and memory issues improved ..hope you are feeling better
miriam65408 ana85762
Posted
Hi Ana,
I know that Ploddingon doesn't visit this forum any more. I also know that she can walk for longer these days but still has trouble. She refers to brain fog a lot along with the memory issues and, while I believe they are better, things are not as they were before.
On the other hand, we all find things get a little hazy as we get older so we can't always put every single thing down to the Cipro.
Have you been affected by Cipro or another fluoroquinolone?
Regards,
Miriam
sarah3045
Edited
I am exteremly sorry for what you went through..It was beyond my imagination that this antibiotics can cause such a severe damages...My heart is really aching for you now and for eveybody who is going through this ...
I am not in UK BTW,I am in Montreal,Canada.I got 500mg/twice a day for 5 days,for simple UTI...and since a month after the end course,every single day when I wake up I am afraid what new has happened to me!
Ploddingon,My heart is with you,I wish there was something I can do or say to reduce your pain and mine.I will do alot of reserach and update you if I come cross any remedy .xx
Sarah
Ploddingon sarah3045
Posted
Thank you for your kind words and my heart goes out to you too.
I have spent the last 18 months reading about Fluoroquinolones and all the various types if damage they cause and it is truly mind-blowing. I have researched everywhere and if you are on Facebook, then there are a few groups for Fluoroquinolone Toxicity/poisoning, where you can find loads of information in their files section and also meet others who are happy to answer questions and give support too. I have met a few Canadians there. So it could be very useful for you.
I took 500mgs Levo twice a day for 9 days and began to be affected after the 3rd tablet but didn't realise what was happening. I don't even know what infection I had! My sad story is in the Cipro conversatIons here somewhere but I am loads better than I was a year ago and I just hang onto that, despite all the strange symptoms that appear constantly......and as you say, wondering what each new day will bring :-(
You take care now and stay in touch here.
plodding on x
tim91877 sarah3045
Posted
I also had somewhat of a delayed reaction although i had a few problems whilst on Cipro, mild dizzy feeling, depersonlisation, restless legs, i did 12 days of Cipro before calling it quits, felt fine for a month and then it all kicked in.
Brain fog, tinnitus, crazy fatigue, proper dizziness, feet pain, leg pain, pain everywhere, aches that feel like the flu, tendon pain, my whole body felt tight, popping joints, popping hips, wobbly knees, shoulders feeling like they are ripping themselves to bits.
You will be amazed at what Cipro can do but also what can feel like permanent damage only to go away in days, my shoulders felt awfull for months then almost overnight got better, just because there is pain does not mean it is real damage, even popping joints can be just nerves not controlling your joints right.
I am 5 months out and i still have tinnitus and acid stomach problems, the rest have largely resolved so far, not to say more or all of it might come back.
I made my dizziness far worse with Alpha Liporic acid that i thought might help me and i took some true Lipsomal Vitamin c 100mg again because i thought it might help, it made my heart race immediately and i went downhill rapidly from a fairly early recovery.
Magnesium seems a safe supplement, otherwise don't bother, eat right, plenty of organic vegetables, avoid pork and chicken, full of Cipro family antibiotics, British beef and lamb probably ok.
stay calm, try to ignore the crazy stuff happening to your body, keep moving carefully, don't damage yourself but you need the tissue turnover so keep moving, many people recover, have faith!
sarah3045 tim91877
Posted
I have a quetsion for you!I am doing alot of reserach and I am not seeing anywhere if this toxidity can be progressive by tiem or not?coz what I am observing now is that the pain is progressing and getting worse,although it has been 3 months since I have stopped using it,Do you think this can still be related to Cipro?
Thanks allot
Sarah
Ploddingon sarah3045
Posted
sorry you are still feeling bad and yes, this toxicity often continues long after finishing the Cipro. Some people only start to get the adverse reaction long after they stopped the Cipro, or Levo etc (all the FQs are the same) Sadly, what you are experiencing is very normal in this FQ poisoning.
side effects can change and pain can move from one area to another. There is no logic to the reactions. Other meds and certain foods can reignite the adverse reaction too, so that you might think you are recovered from one problem, then a different one appears.
take care
plodding on
RichCobi19 tim91877
Posted
Hi Tim, not sure if you or anyone else are still active on this page. I stopped Cipro 4 days ago but feel dizzy and light headed. Are you certain that it's the medication? I'm now on trimethoprim as an alternative to the Cipro which caused me to visit Accident and emergency department twice in Sheffield UK for severe abdominal pains. This has now stopped but the light headed feeling is driving me crazy. I want to rule out any other horrible causes of this feeling but I also need to realise that it could well be down to the medication. Any advice would be gratefully received. Cheers Richard
miriam65408 RichCobi19
Posted
Hi Richard, I'm here, I wander about these pages looking for any stray people who may have taken Cipro! This conversation may have been from 3 years ago but the information is still relevant. If you've read it all you'll have a fairly good idea of what Cipro is all about and, while we can never be sure what causes what, I can tell you that light headedness is probably a side effect of the Cipro. It affects all mammalian cells as well as bacteria (something the docs don't seem to realise). Granted it has a preference for bacteria and will knock out most infections but it will cause havoc in a lot of your cells while it's at it. This includes your central nervous system which is probably why you have the light headedness, and it can also cause anxiety, panic attacks, depression and insomnia.
You can read more about it on other discussions under this topic and this one in particular
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/fluoroquinolone-toxicity-syndrome-427305
started by the moderator, has useful addresses of sites where you can learn more and join groups.
I don't know how many tablets you took before you stopped but the abdominal pains might be because it strips everything out of your gut (your microbiome). This will need restoring with probiotics, live yoghurt and kefir - the more types the merrier! How badly Cipro will affect you depends on your age and how well you were to start with plus how much you took and whether you'd taken it before. It's very possible you may get other symptoms start over the next few weeks such as joint pains, especially in the ankles and knees or maybe shoulders. If you get these, please don't try to exercise as the problems are nothing like sports injuries and many people have increased the damage by seeing a physio or trying to work through the pain.
Also, please don't take Ibuprofen or any other NSAID, or corticosteroid - they can make things worse. Don't drink alcohol as your liver is under stress trying to get rid of the toxins, ditto your kidneys. Try to eat clean and healthy food, not sugary stuff or junk, and not cheapo supermarket meat like chicken that will have antibiotics in it. This is just for starters!
Take a look at the other discussions but don't panic as these are stories from other people, not you.
Good luck and I'll be about in the morning if you want to ask anything.
RichCobi19 miriam65408
Posted
Hi Miriam,
Thanks so much for such a thorough response. I'm freaking out about this majorly as the light headedness is driving me stir crazy. It has set off a chain reaction of health anxiety which for me is horrendous since requiring life saving brain surgery back in May 2008 for obstructive hydrocephalus. I'm only 38 years old now and usually apart from the hydro in good health and I run regularly and visit the gym twice per week. Last night I woke up with a racing heart rate and in a state of panic. At times I can't keep my legs still and I seem to be shaking and having tremors.
Do you think that this could be related to the cipro? I'm really scared about a different underlying cause. Happy to exchange direct emails if you think you can advise.
Many thanks
Richard
miriam65408 RichCobi19
Posted
Hi Richard,
First up - don't panic! The racing heart and panic attacks are caused by the Cipro, it's a typical reaction. It doesn't help that the fact you've just discovered how bad it might be makes you panic. Like I said, it affects all of you including your nervous system and that's in charge of you panic buttons.
I can see why your previous experience makes you anxious about your health but the anxiety is part of it as well. I guess any feelings you are having are heightened by the Cipro although I know most people do experience terrible panic attacks. These will go with time, if you wake with one just put the light on, tell yourself it's all normal and try to breathe deeply and calmly. If you sleep with anyone make sure they understand what's going on with you so they can reassure you and help to calm you. If you sleep alone then put things in place to help you at these times - maybe a flask of tea or a book. I don't recommend TV or tablet as the screen light may interfere with how you sleep later.
I can't promise there isn't a different underlying cause but I'm willing to bet my four stars(!) that everything you've described so far is due to the Cipro. If you get any symptoms that you think may be connected to your previous problem you should perhaps get yourself checked out but I obviously can't say what these might be. Cipro can cause the panic attacks, dizzyness etc. and also serious headaches, pain behind the eyes, tinnutis and things like that. You will have to be the best judge of whether any of these hark back to your hydrocephalus. Nothing, as far as I am aware, about the reaction to the Cipro should cause your hydrocephalus to come back - but I'm not a doctor, so if in doubt, get checked out!
Are you ok with accessing your messages? (Scroll up to the panel top right which has your account info, notifications and messages). I'll message you now with the email address. I see you've been looking at the other discussions, which is what I think many people do when they're first affected, then they find help elsewhere so don't come back here very often. I'm glad I found you and hope the group I'm in can help you. OK, I'll message you now.
RichCobi19 miriam65408
Posted
Hi Miriam,
Thanks a lot. I've requested to join the Facebook group too. Are you an administrator for that?
Am I allowed to give you my email address on here?
Cheers again Richard