suspicion of serious health damage by medication

[tonnsil]

Starting in my late thirties, during the last years I have felt a decline of my overall health without any reason for that. The symptoms impair my professional life and they interfere with my personal life as well. My family is worried by the rapid deterioration of my quality of life. I am concerned about my children.

I have been tested for many things, like lupus, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and multiple muscular and nerve syndromes, with no conclusive answers yet.

The last big increase in symptoms took place when I was prescribed cipro (antibiotic) for a sinus infection. But the problems set in not abruptly like when you have an allergic reaction, but shortly after taking them.

Looking back to the other times that I took cipro or levaquin (another antibiotic of the same class as cipro), I can also recall that I had the same reactions, but with lower intensity. I also took them for minor infections.

My doctors cannot find a causal relationship between the ingestion of cipro or levaquin and the increase of my symptoms, but most of them have recommended me not to take them again and none of the same family (cipro, levaquin, floxin, tequin,...) either.

I was a young father and husband in perfect health, very athletic, and leading a healthy life before I was prescribed these antibiotics, so after considering many options, I was thinking that perhaps the medications could be the answer.

What are your personal experiences with this kind of antibiotics, specially if you are taking them regularly or if you have been prescribed them for long periods?

The main problems that I have are:
-Insomnia
-Restlessness, nervousness
-Intolerance to caffeine ( I get overstimulated)
-I forget things, bad recent memory, stuck in the middle of a sentence
-Pains in several joints
-Many areas of tendinitis that do not heal (ankles, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees)
-Stiffness in many parts of the body
-Intolerance to exercise
-Floaters in eyes, flashes and lights in my vision
-Photophobia (light causes pain in my eyes)
-Neuropathies: numbness of hands at night, twitching, vibrations and buzzing in muscles, throbbing pains in many areas
-Cold hands and feet
-Areas of diminished senses in skin (toes, some fingers)
-Some weight loss
-Intolerances to many chemicals, and even foods that didn't pose problems

-and many more.

I am afraid of taking meds right now, and specially those antibiotics. I am not improving much.

Thanks for your inputs.

[cdaus]

Must you take the antibiotics? And for how long?

[tonnsil]

I don't need to take them, currently.
But it seems that their effects and adverse reactions can last from months to years or even become permanent.
The worst thing of all is that you might not feel unwell when actually taking the antibiotic but some days later.

[cdaus]

I have seen people temporarily lose their mind on antibiotics (talking to someone who is not there, yelling for no reason, etc..)

Originally Posted by tonnsil

I don't need to take them, currently.
But it seems that their effects and adverse reactions can last from months to years or even become permanent.
The worst thing of all is that you might not feel unwell when actually taking the antibiotic but some days later.

[tutti]

OMG! There are hundreds of people who have had serious, adverse reactions to the drugs in that family! {removed} Many lives have been seriously affected by thiese drugs. {removed}I am one of the lucky ones, my symptoms have disappeared, for the most part, from my bout with Levaquin. Many others, have not been so lucky. {removed} Good Luck to you.

tutti

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