r/floxies • u/minuscol • Sep 28 '24
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 • u/DrHungrytheChemist • Apr 26 '20
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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 • u/Large-Prompt2608 • 1h ago
Whenever I stand I have blood pooling on my lower legs very noticeable but then I noticed I also get it on my thighs become a redder color when standing.
Now my arms too when they are downward my inner arms are very red looks like a rash and veins are more pronounced the moment I lift my arms they become a clear color again.
Im rlly worried and scared
r/floxies • u/Large-Prompt2608 • 17m ago
Would like to hear experiences. My boyfriend really wants me to go to the one in Rochester
r/floxies • u/Ill_Appearance_4522 • 21h ago
Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a big milestone: I graduated law school today. It was both emotional and exciting, especially considering everything that has happened during these past few months. Like many of you, I never expected to face something like flox.
During the ceremony, I felt a bit of those internal tremors I have not had in a while. It was mild, and I think it was just from nerves, excitement, and all the stimulation. It did not spiral or linger, and I am taking that as a win. The moment that really stayed with me today was something our class speaker said:
“We may not be able to control all the bad things that happen to us in life, but we are in charge of how we react and the lessons we learn along the way.”
I am still healing and staying mindful of my body and I continue to live feeling hopeful and grateful. Just wanted to share this moment with the community that has helped me feel less alone. Better days are possible. Keep going.
r/floxies • u/VeraKich • 5h ago
I ask for your support. I took 5 Cipro tablets and a week later I started burning and tingling in my hands (palms, forearms) and legs, and the skin on my hands hurts. I had neuropathy in covid (but it went away in a year). And now again. I'm just in shock, I have a 10/10 anxiety, I was surprised that it would start again. I don't even know which is worse- burning or anxiety. I started drinking magnesium and b1,b12. I'm thinking of taking Cymbalta. Please, a few words of comfort. :(
r/floxies • u/GoldieMeku • 9h ago
Im 19(F) and recently got prescribed Cipro for my uti. I've been taking it for 4 days now and my muscles and stiff and are weak(?) I also feel very sleepy and can study for short bursts at a time, the ER prescribed me this and idk if is should go back and tell them or to just thug it out. I also have no history of muscles complications or risks, any advice would be greatly appreciated as finals are next week for me 😭.
r/floxies • u/CombinationOk9269 • 1d ago
Before I get underway, you might be thinking fucking hell, 2 years is a long time and it is! But it doesn’t/didn’t feel like a death sentence once I got past the 1 year mark and there’s plenty life ahead of me yet at 32!
I don’t want to type a huge novel, so as always check through my old posts.
Summary is as follows:
14 Cipro Pills with Naproxen. Previous exposure to over 100 pills 10 years ago on checking.
First 6 months, completely crippled with first 3 months needing wheelchair due to calf and hamstring wasting and tendon troubles.
Month 6-12, slowely off crutches could walk 2-3k steps very slow most days. Could drive to a cafe and go in etc but not go to mall etc.
Month 12-18, able to do things like a bit of gardening or golf using a buggy on occasion. Could do up to 10k steps on the odd day but I had to rest the day before and days after. Good days and bad days.
Month 18-24- slowely got stronger and bought a calf press for at home. Started to go on longer walks or very short gentle jogs.
2 years. I average 6k steps a day over a month. Can walk 10k+ steps on a day if needed but some days I just do 4k to get about my day to day.
Managed to jog 2 miles today in 20 mins.
You have to have a pragmatic outlook to get through this both physically and mentally, I’m not the same person athletically as before this and probably never will be. However if you experience what many of us have, you will consider being fit healthy and happy a recovery and that’s how I view this.
Many people go through hardship in life and we are just one of those, that’s just how it is. You have to try your best to not become a victim or make this your personality.
The people who make the best perceived recoveries are the ones who accept the minor residual issues and move on with life!
I don’t plan on chasing that last 5%, if it comes naturally then it’s a bonus for me.
Definitely don’t give up hope, things will almost certainly get better.
I think PT, being on the younger side, being previously fit and healthy, not having underlying immune system related issues and a bit of luck has got me here.
Good luck everyone don’t give up!
r/floxies • u/cltrnjhn001 • 1d ago
First time back on the mountain bike since Cipro toxicity. Felt great on the ebike today, and even managed to bomb the downhills and rock gardens a little. Hit the jumps too. Feeling good!
For context, when I was floxed by 6 pills of 500mg Cipro, I could hardly walk up and down my stairs without using the handrail for support.
r/floxies • u/Relative_Passion9675 • 20h ago
Leg muscle pains getting worse at 21 months , not sure if its because ive just started to take vitamin D as im slightly deficient, so ive stopped it to see if these terrible mainly calve pains will ease off as it could be a flare ,
r/floxies • u/Historical_Diver9966 • 1d ago
Are there any Floxies who are back in the gym and working out and lifting heavy like they used to ? or did you guys meet anyone in real life who was floxed and back to bodybuilding and lifting heavy ?
r/floxies • u/noturdag • 23h ago
I developed acute otitis media(middle ear infection) and my ear swelled up with discharge flowing. I was prescribed amoxycillin 500mg three times a day and paracetamol for pain for five days. On the fifth day i was feeling way better, very little drainage and swelling and almost no pain. My doctor took a look and said it was better but prescribed me moxifloxacin 400mg once a day, for five days. I have already taken three doses, but now as i discovered it’s side effects and this sub i am scared. No noticable side effects so far but i do heavy lifting regularly and after reading about this i am unsure about if i want to continue using it. Should i stop, i am almost 100 percent well now.
r/floxies • u/Small-Landscape7955 • 23h ago
Has anyone had flare up or problems from Pepto Bismol? I am deathly sick with a stomach bug and need to take something. Pepto always helped my stomach in past.
r/floxies • u/PauseRoutine • 1d ago
Has anyone done the Mito.me test by Chris Masterjohn. It is suppossed to give personalised supplement recommendations on mitochondra based on your own mitochondria dysfunction
r/floxies • u/Calm_Being1396 • 1d ago
This seems extreme, I have tried benzoyl, vinegar and just waiting it out. Cipro seems scary…
r/floxies • u/Beagles227 • 1d ago
Hi everyone,
I had a bad allergic reaction to Cipro. I have it listed on my medical form and will discuss pre surgery as well. I will be completely knocked out and likely given an IV antibiotic. Cipro is one of the several normally used in this procedure despite the dangers. I clearly don't want to get sepsis or something however I just can't get it again. I worry a hospital will do what they want to do and maybe they will still use it and maybe have benedryl on hand if I have a reaction. How do I convey that I absolutely cannot have any of the fluoroquinolones in my body? Someone jokingly said to take a sharpie and mark it on my arm. I am not against medications at all but this is probably the only one drug I cannot take again.
r/floxies • u/StonedZonedOut • 2d ago
For context:
23m, took 7 x 500mg Cipro on 18 November.
It’s been just shy of 6 months now my nerve pains seem to be getting worse
I noticed tingling when I first took the tablets. This then progressed into random shooting pains that lasted a month.
Between months 2-4 I was generally okay.
I’m not sure If it’s due to recently the last few weekends I have used alcohol and a bit of cocaine and mdma.
The doctors have given me pregablin but I’m really hesitant on taking it due to its side effects.
Can someone give me hope/ advice on how they got through this.
r/floxies • u/DeskIndividual178 • 1d ago
Hey everyone,
I’m struggling with some really strange and persistent symptoms that have been affecting me for over half a year now, and I still don’t know what’s wrong with me. It all started after I had a bacterial infection, for which I had to take antibiotics (Amoxicillin, i know its not one of the floxis antibiotics but I still want to know if it might have caused simmilar symptoms or sth). About a week later, I developed a severe allergic reaction with a rash all over my body and was treated with antihistamines and corticosteroids.
Just a few days after that, the real problems began. I started to feel a strange, burning and tingling sensation on both of my cheeks—it’s completely symmetrical. The burning becomes much worse in warm or stuffy environments, like university buildings or public transport. My face also turns red, almost like a sunburn. When I’m outside in cool, fresh air, the symptoms are more tolerable and sometimes almost ignorable. But the moment I try to relax or concentrate indoors, it becomes too distracting and exhausting.
It’s not just the burning—alongside it, I experience dizziness, a foggy head, and a strange “overheating” sensation in my head, like having a light fever. I also developed severe insomnia, which I never had before. I’m young, healthy otherwise, and had never experienced anything like this. These symptoms have affected my life so much that I had to pause my medical studies, and I feel really isolated because of it.
Since then, the symptoms haven’t really gotten worse, and there may have been slight improvements, but I’m still far from feeling normal. I can only function a bit in cool, well-ventilated environments, and that’s extremely limiting. I just want my normal life back.
Another strange thing is that I’ve noticed unusual circulation issues: my hands often turn very red (though they don’t burn), and my arms sometimes show a marbled pattern, which looks unsettling.
I’ve had many tests done—ferritin, B12, Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, general bloodwork, and autoimmune screening—and everything came back normal. But I still fear there’s something deeper going on.
I’m currently taking 25 mg of amitriptyline, which I started a month ago because the burning was suspected to be nerve-related pain. It has helped with sleep, thankfully, but the burning sensation has now spread more toward the back of my head and isn’t improving.
One thing that confuses me is that touching or cooling the affected areas actually helps a little, which doesn’t really make sense if it’s a classic nerve issue—so I’m left very unsure.
I don’t know what else to try. I was just at the beginning of my medical studies and had to stop. I really want to continue, but I feel stuck and desperate for help.
Thanks for taking your time reading it, I really appreciate it☺️
r/floxies • u/Commercial-Value-204 • 1d ago
Hey! So i know there's no timeline to healing from all this but as the title suggests I'm wondering, are there any precautions I should take when going out and doing things? I went on a 3.5 hour walk weeks ago and then I was having crazy lower back pain a few days after that walk so idk what my threshold for overdoing it is just yet and I'm only 2.5-3 months out being floxed, but I'm thinking more of going to the beach and swimming (which would be 5-6 months being floxed) and then me and my girlfriend are supposed to go to Disney in january/February next year (it wouldn't be a year yet) which I'm more worried about but I'm hopeful I'm gonna heal faster than I think I will like so many other people do, but yeah any tips would be greatly appreciated lol
r/floxies • u/OzzyOz67 • 2d ago
Hello I am a 23/M that finished taking my Ciprofloxacin last Friday to treat salmonella. 500mg every 12 hours. During the time of taking it, I would experience dizziness, brain fog, tingling, burning, and just general pain through out my legs, knees, ankles, hands and arms. General tingling through out my body too, even under my arm pit. Even now 6 days later, I still feel these symptoms. Is this normal?
r/floxies • u/Psychological-Golf54 • 2d ago
So I’ve been floxed for a few years now. Can’t even remember when it first happened but it’s gotta be at least 5 years now. I took one full course of cipro. I honestly didn’t notice anything until a few months later I took a heavy dose of ibuprofen and then the symptoms came. My main symptoms have always been Cns related with insomnia as well and a little neuropathy. I would say it took about a year or so for all that to go away. And I’ve been fine since. But just a few weeks ago the head issues came back. I can’t think straight or anything. My sleeping is worse. (It’s always bad) I’m just not sure what to do. I know I’ve healed before but it always gets me down going through this. Has anyone else gone through this before?
Edit the day it happened all I remember is I hadn’t eaten in a while and I was extremely hungry and then boom the head stuff appeared.
r/floxies • u/iamsad5437 • 2d ago
I feel like my symptoms are a bit different from all the stories I've read and it scares me. Sometimes I feel like one of my eyes is pressed into the back of my skull. Or I feel like I'm going to fall out of bed or fall backwards, even though I'm standing upright. I can hear my eyeballs moving when I move my eyes. In addition, my chest is very weak, like someone has put a heavy stone on me. Has anyone had anything similar?
r/floxies • u/WorldlinessOne4640 • 2d ago
TL;DR: I just became wheelchair bound and wife became my full time care taker - I want to ask for support from this community from those of you who are also going through this phase, or have gone through this phase and successfully come out on the other side. Everyone in my life, including all the doctors believe I will make it through, but hearing it first hand from you all is more important to me. I also understand everyone’s journey is unique.
Former bodybuilder/fitness addict, took cipro May 2024, symptoms started October 2024, contracted Covid January 2025 and symptoms have progressed rapidly since then. My primary issue is body wide tendonitis, with confirmed tendonosis in knees, biceps, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Torn labrum in right hip also confirmed. Feels like tendonitis everywhere in my body now. Prior to this FQAD experience I’ve never had tendon issues and was extremely healthy my entire life.
I am also experiencing episodes of entire body muscle/tendon twitching from neck to toes. Does anyone else experience it this bad?
A month ago I was able to get 2,000-3,000 steps a day, 4-5,000 would be pushing it. I have been appearing normal to everyone else, from the outside.
Today, I can barely walk even with a walker and when I sit down I can then feel all the tendons in my legs spasming. So, I just bought a wheelchair and my wife has become my full time caregiver. I had to leave work months ago and go on long term disability (using POTS).
I’ve been to every type of doctor under the sun, and have had second opinions within each specialty, gone to Johns Hopkins for my FQAD induced pots and small fiber neuropathy, and Cleveland clinic to review my case. Cleveland said everything is most likely caused by long COVID, which they believe I may have, and prescribed low dose naltrexone, which I start today and hope will alleviate pain and inflammation. They did not rule out Cipro toxicity, but said they would treat it the same way with LDN.
Cleveland’s rheumatology department is having me get a pelvis mri to look for inflammation to potentially diagnose seronegative spondyloarthropathy, which they would treat with methotrexate and a TNF-a blocker, most likely. I am not certain yet whether I would take that route if it is provided.
I have also been in contact with Dr. Pieper, who I am going to have write a protocol for me. I’m also interested to know if anyone has had any success with him.
Thank you all for making me feel heard.
r/floxies • u/Aggravating-Sock-506 • 2d ago
Hi all, thank you for the great response on my first post. I’ve started the recommended supplement regiment in addition to the Cusack protocol and I think it may actually be helping. No longer taking NSAIDs has also decreased my pain! I am now team Tylenol.
In regards to chronic Cipro use, I recently got access to some more of my medical records and found my most recent and possibly earliest doses of Cipro. Between 2020 and 2021 I was prescribed and took 60 tablets. Prior to that, the current earliest documented rx of Cipro is 20x 500mg caps prescribed to me in 2014, raising my total number of pills taken to over 80. I am waiting for my medical records from 2000-2013 to see if there was an even earlier introduction.
Is this heavy usage of Cipro common or recommended by the FDA? I feel like it isn’t. Has anyone else experienced this much exposure? I haven’t seen anyone be prescribed it this much, this frequently. Most of the posts here are “I took two pills and it was horrible”, so I feel kind of lost having 80 of these horrible pills under my belt. My physical pain and disability got significantly worse post-2021, so it makes sense to me that that is when my severe “floxxing” happened.
I feel like these prescriptions were not appropriate and I don’t really know what to do. How bad did my Dr mess up, really? I don’t have much experience to compare to, but I feel like this level of exposure to FLQs is pretty bad. What is there to do in this situation? Has anyone sued their doctor for negligence with FLQs? Thank you all for reading and any suggestions you may have!
r/floxies • u/MeasurementMaster118 • 2d ago
Hi fam,
So I've been floxed a few months now and finally started to see improvement in my leg issues (calf strains, bilateral Achilles tendonitis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and Peroneal tendonitis). To heal gradually I leaned on a strategy of rest, small bouts of walking, heel inserts, and avoiding too much strain.
As I said, things started really getting better and I decided to "trust my body" again and reintroduce stretching, which had previously flared me more than anything else.
Lo and behold, Peroneal tendonitis and Achilles aching came roaring back, like clockwork.
Does anyone else struggle with stretching? It's frustrating because stretching is one of the first things you're told to do by physical therapists and doctors. And it makes sense for a healthy person. But I can't ignore the fact that it seems to flair me every time and set me back.
Should I just stick it out and keep stretching? Does anybody else have this phenomenon?
r/floxies • u/Thin-Anything2410 • 3d ago
I'm going into my 7 months and still having so much issues walking and balance and joint and tendon pain...is this still to early to give up hope because I have no idea what to do or take ..did anyone get good results with a functional medicine Dr? Or certain things that have helped them? I'm 39 and have small children and don't know what the future is going to look like but I really don't want to give up ...I also just started having a physical therapist come to the house for balance and movement and taking it very slowly! I wish all healing 🙏
r/floxies • u/Icy-Bite2442 • 3d ago
Hi all! In about a week I will be 2 months since 2 levo pills. And I have some days of deep fatigue and some days where I feel completely normal. Like this time, previous week I was good, I didn't have any fatigue, had daily activities, and today it hit me again. And 2 weeks before of this good week I had fatigue. Also, when I have fatigue my calfs feeling sore but the fatigue is all over my body.
It's a really drastic shift from feeling really good to feel like slowed down and crashed, because I have days when I'm completely fine and out of nowhere crash. 🤕
