Fluoroquinolones Back in the News
I have written many times about the fluoroquinolones family of antibiotics, referred to as quinolones on the run and often by the condition they so far were the most well-known for: causing major neurological damage–often permanent–leading to a condition termed FLOXED. I spent quite a bit of time fighting for blackboxing quinolones, which was finally achieved in 2016. There were many lawsuits on the part of those injured by quinolones as well. I wrote many articles about the trouble they cause, health stories, even about a suicide, and general information. See some here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The Drugs in the Fluoroquinolones Class:
- ciprofloxacin (CIPRO, CILOXAN)
- enoxacin (PENETREX)
- levofloxacin (LEVAQUIN)
- moxifloxacin (AVELOX)
- norfloxacin (NOROXIN, CHIBROXIN)
- ofloxacin (FLOXIN, OCUFLOX)
Why in the News Again
Latest report by the FDA states that quinolones are responsible for aneurysm for a large group of patients, particularly the elderly and those who have predisposition to aneurysm.
The US Food and Drug Administration warned on Thursday that the benefits of fluoroquinolone antibiotics do not outweigh the risks — which include aortic aneurysm — for certain patients, according to the latest research. The research is based on reports of patient problems and on studies published between 2015 and 2018. (See here) (emphasis mine)
In addition, earlier this year the FDA released an announcement about the possibility of serious blood glucose drop and mental health effects in certain patients:
FDA reinforces safety information about serious low blood sugar levels and mental health side effects with fluoroquinolone antibiotics; requires label changes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is strengthening the current warnings in the prescribing information that fluoroquinolone antibiotics may cause significant decreases in blood sugar and certain mental health side effects. The low blood sugar levels can result in serious problems, including coma, particularly in older people and patients with diabetes who are taking medicines to reduce blood sugar. (see here)
What Should You Do?
The one thing you most certainly must do is avoid all fluoroquinolones from ever being possible to be prescribed to you. Don’t trust your doctor to remember that the FDA regulated its non-use and don’t trust your doctor about knowing which antibiotics are fluoroquinolones. The thing to do is to copy out the names I wrote above, print them out, take the list to your medical office and have all–I mean every single medicine in that class–placed on your medical record as “ALLERGIC“. I did that several years ago and it pops into my doctor’s face when he wants to prescribe a fluoroquinolones family of antibiotic for me. There are plenty of alternatives!
Other Things to Do
Luckily I have not needed any antibiotics since I have been on the ketogenic and now the carnivore diet (almost 5 years)–I seem to be pretty well protected from all pathogens–no illnesses, not even the cold! This is also something you may consider: A diet that improves your immune system by reducing all inflammation and allows your body to be its healthiest. A body in a state of complete health is also going to be a state in which you can prevent and easily cure health conditions that are pathogenic.
Comments are welcome, as always, and are moderated for appropriateness.
Angela
Clueless Doctors & Scientists 
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It’s weird isn’t it? I spent most of my high carb life suffering from minor but chronic skin, eye, sinus, gum and fungal infections and outbreaks of thrush, and caught pretty much every cold, flu and food poisoning doing the rounds. Fortunately the only antibiotics I was prescribed were tetracyclines and penicillins, and cephalosporin once in hospital.
Since going low carb/keto I have been pretty much immune to everything – literally as I assume my immune system has finally started working properly. At worst I might feel like I’m going to get a cold, then feel like I just had a cold for a few days. I had one serious bout of gut-emptying in fourteen years.
I’ve read about the problems with these over the years, fortunately I don’t know anyone who was floxed (yet). They just seem to go on getting worse. I remember one sensible doctor who said he would never prescribe anything that hadn’t been on the market for less than a decade: he had a point!
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Very true Chris in terms of the stronger immune system! I have the same. You know at least 1 person though who was floxed… you are talking to her. 🙂 My floxing was the least harmful–just Achilles Tendon and it seems that it is recovered from the keto diet and now carnivore. I have a Facebook group for the floxed and I recommend that keto diet with fasting. It really works.
The problem with the quinolones is that hey have been on the market for over a decade and they used to be the “wonder drug” for everything. The use of this drug class (the overuse f this drug class) has greatly contributed to the resistant bugs for sure. I am very glad many of us have been daring enough to trash all food we had been told to eat and start anew in a new direction. We are all the better for it.
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Ah yes good point, I meant “in real life” – I don’t think they have been quite so popular/overprescribed in the UK,they usually stick to Augmentin and other penicillins and the tetracyclines, and cephalosporins mainly in hospitals.
I just remembered what happened to another patient when I was in hospital (back in the eighties). He was on an IV cephalosporin and when his drip was pulled he was switched to an oral one. Shortly after the first pill he had a severe allergic reaction. The staff had never seen anything like it – generally like penicillins if you are allergic to one you are allergic to all – and for the rest of the day doctors from other wards were coming in just to look at him.
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He was probably allergic to an inactive ingredient in the oral version… did they consider that?
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That’s a point! I remember someone once having a bad reaction when they were changed from a brand name med to a supposedly identical generic. Which contained lactose, definitely NOT an inactive ingredient if you are lactose intolerant!.
The theory the doctors had was that the first exposure sensitised him and the second exposure set off the allergy. Who knows?
I once bought some vitamin C which was I think 1 g added to 5g GLUCOSE! Way to make it not work.
Then there was a theory that the wetting agent added to glyphosate was worse than the glyphosate itself, but we know better now.
I have my suspicions that anything with fluorine in the molecule is a potential danger, look how many modern drugs contain it, it is so reactive it displaces things like chlorine and iodine.
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Agree to all. I think the stupidest thing is to get vitamin C in gummies that is sweetened too… oh well… more gummies to sell cuz they cannot work that way with sugar but the general population doesn’t know that so they sell. 2 gummies is a daily dosage and it has 4 gr carbs each… that’s a teaspoon of sugar per gummy–how the heck do they squeeze that much sugar into a little gummy that is less than half a teaspoon in size? Magic…
I have an article here on generic versus brand name–I nearly sued the pants off my healthcare provider!
Read: https://cluelessdoctors.com/2014/07/18/brand-name-versus-generic-drugs-are-you-in-danger-of-clueless-doctors/ and among the comments, read the one from Steve–a self-acclaimed clueless doctor–as he is/was. I nearly died from that generic but I won without a lawsuit with the help of the FDA and the manufacturer of the brand name (Merk) who supported my argument about the generic, which was not equivalent even in active ingredient content. That lawsuit could have cost some money to my healthcare provider but they smartened up and give me the brand name at somewhat reduced cost.
These drugs can be really deadly–as can clueless doctors be.
Oh and I forgot: Seasons Greetings to ya
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Oh yes I just re-read that.
Personally I haven’t had actual problems with any generics except that the pills are different shapes and colours and once I took an extra blood pressure pill instead of my statin (back in the day). But I do know a bunch of people who had significantly different responses to various generics of Metformin – and some of them found one generic worked better than the original Glucophage. Definitely true that “similar” does not mean identical.
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