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Antibiotics unsafe, information suppressed, money made


Healing

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Adverse reactions lead US patients to ask 'just how safe are antibiotics?’

 

by Carey Purcell

23 May 11

 

A growing number of American patients say they've been poisoned by fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Not only has this ruined lives, they say, it's exposed the unhealthy relationship between some drug manufacturers and medical regulatory bodies. Carey Purcell reports….

 

Fluoroquinolones include ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and levaquin, as well as many other drugs. Fluoroquinolone poisoning is a little-known reaction to the drug.

 

Symptoms include central nervous system (CNS) toxicity, phototoxicity, cardiotoxicity, arthropathy and tendon rupture. Several fluoroquinolones have been taken off the market due to severe adverse reactions, but these instances are few.

 

The actual amount of poisonings that occur due to fluoroquinolones is uncertain. Some consider the occurrence to be rare while others say it is far more common than many realise. The lack of recorded cases is due to several factors. Often people do not realise that they have been poisoned, or their doctors do not credit the symptoms to the medication, partly due to the delayed toxicity.

 

Patients can react to the drugs weeks or months after they are prescribed and patients and doctors do not make a connection between the drugs and the symptoms.

 

Another reason the condition is often unrecognisable is due to its lack of visible physical symptoms. One victim of the poisoning said it is often referred to as 'the invisible illness,' saying, '[people] look at you and think you’re normal because there’s no open wound or cast…on the inside our nerves are damaged, our tendons are damaged, certain receptors in the brain are not functioning properly.'….

 

 

The FDA maintains the system MedWatch, which is used to report adverse effects to drugs. Manufacturers are required to file a report with MedWatch if a patient reports any reactions to a medication. According to Fuller, the system is severely flawed.

 

'The FDA throws away 75 per cent of those reports, and the rest go into a database that people can’t access except the FDA,' he said. 'In 1996 they changed over to a different database and everything that happened prior to 1996 you can’t get access to. They pretty much wiped out a history of adverse reactions and gave drug companies a clean slate.'…

 

 

Fluoroquinolone poisoning has caused financial devastation for some of the patients. Grozier says he knows many other people who have suffered from poisoning and have depleted their savings, lost their homes and are no longer covered by health insurance.

 

The emotional impact is also difficult to endure. For many patients, there is no external physical evidence of their illness and many people are skeptical, refusing to believe that antibiotics can poison people.

 

 

Full article at –

 

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/897406/adverse_reactions_lead_us_patients_to_ask_just_how_safe_are_antibiotics.html

1996-97 - Paxil x 9 months, tapered, suffered 8 months withdrawal but didn't know it was withdrawal, so...

1998-2001 - Zoloft, tapered, again unwittingly went into withdrawal, so...

2002-03 - Paxil x 20 months, developed severe headaches, so...

Sep 03 - May 05 - Paxil taper took 20 months, severe physical, moderate psychological symptoms

Sep 03 - Jun 05 - took Prozac to help with Paxil taper - not recommended

Jul 05 to date - post-taper, severe psychological, moderate physical symptoms, improving very slowly

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Hi Healing,

 

Interestingly, when there was a blog entry a few years ago on Pharmalot about levaquin, people who suffered ototoxicity reported that doctors had erroneously diagnosed them with menieres disease. That is what happened to me when I investigated the cause of my hearing loss before concluding it was most likely from Remeron. Menieres appears to be the boiler plate diagnosis for all ototoxic drug reactions.

 

By the way, in reading the accounts of suffering from various commentators who took this drug, it sounds like they suffered greatly. I really felt bad for them.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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Yeah, as PB pointed out elsewhere, there are a lot of current prescription drugs that cause ototoxicity. It's a weird pattern.

1996-97 - Paxil x 9 months, tapered, suffered 8 months withdrawal but didn't know it was withdrawal, so...

1998-2001 - Zoloft, tapered, again unwittingly went into withdrawal, so...

2002-03 - Paxil x 20 months, developed severe headaches, so...

Sep 03 - May 05 - Paxil taper took 20 months, severe physical, moderate psychological symptoms

Sep 03 - Jun 05 - took Prozac to help with Paxil taper - not recommended

Jul 05 to date - post-taper, severe psychological, moderate physical symptoms, improving very slowly

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Saying the obvious here, but the truth about SSRIs can be extrapolated on so many other areas (and not talking just medicine here).

 

Digressing a bit here, do you remember the scare of avian flu, swine flu, and others? Pump and dump fraud at its best. To make it clear, by no means am I denying the usefulness of vaccines, antibiotics and drugs in general. Just saying how easily it can be all manipulated when the money/corporate culture gets in the equation.

2000-2008 Paxil for a situational depression

2008 - Paxil c/t

Severe protracted WD syndrome ever since; improving

 

 

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once”

Albert Einstein

 

"Add signature to your profile. This way we can help you even better!"

Surviving Antidepressants ;)

 

And, above all, ... keep walking. Just keep walking.

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That is what happened to me when I investigated the cause of my hearing loss before concluding it was most likely from Remeron.

Cs, is it mostly Remeron, or there were still more reports about other antidepressants causing this?

2000-2008 Paxil for a situational depression

2008 - Paxil c/t

Severe protracted WD syndrome ever since; improving

 

 

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once”

Albert Einstein

 

"Add signature to your profile. This way we can help you even better!"

Surviving Antidepressants ;)

 

And, above all, ... keep walking. Just keep walking.

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"Patients can react to the drugs weeks or months after they are prescribed and patients and doctors do not make a connection between the drugs and the symptoms."

 

Does this mean, for example, that even if I took the med only for a week, that i still can get symptoms months later? Or does it mean that if I take it for months that it can react even if I had no problems for weeks prior to the reaction?

 

I remember that I took an antibiotic in mid 2009 without any side effects, but maybe the drug later reacted with the 4 Lexapro pills? Is that possible?

 

My God, I am never ever going to take a single chemical pill again in my life. I swear!!!

 

Edit: Though if this had an effect, I would not have had waves, I guess...

End of 2008: Remeron 15mg for around 2 months. Unorthodox taper, no problems.
End of August 2009: Lexapro 10mg for only 4 days. Panic attack after 3 pills. Severe gastro problems in the morning for 3 days after last pill. 2 weeks later strong w/d symptoms set in.

Acute WD lasted around 3.5 years. I am feeling much better today, 5.5 years out, but still have some symptoms left.

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That is what happened to me when I investigated the cause of my hearing loss before concluding it was most likely from Remeron.

Cs, is it mostly Remeron, or there were still more reports about other antidepressants causing this?

 

Hi NP,

 

I think other antidepressants can cause a hearing loss but for me, I feel that Remeron was the cause.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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  • Administrator

I guess I was lucky, Cipro made my feet break out in red itchy spots -- I'm allergic to it.

 

This is another indication we need more diligent "aftermarket" monitoring -- meaning the period when consumers are guinea pigs -- from our regulatory agencies.

 

(Neuro -- "pump and dump" -- !!!!!)

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I guess I was lucky, Cipro made my feet break out in red itchy spots -- I'm allergic to it.

 

This is another indication we need more diligent "aftermarket" monitoring -- meaning the period when consumers are guinea pigs -- from our regulatory agencies.

 

(Neuro -- "pump and dump" -- !!!!!)

 

Hi Surviving,

 

Your post made me realize that I was lucky that mother was allergic to so many drugs when she was alive and couldn't take most antibiotics.

 

I am glad you were "lucky".

 

Sadly, I feel the aftermarket monitoring will continue to stink to high heaven.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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(Neuro -- "pump and dump" -- !!!!!)

 

I know! Thank Gawd I have NP to keep me slightly hip, or I'd be even more uncool than I am! ;)

1996-97 - Paxil x 9 months, tapered, suffered 8 months withdrawal but didn't know it was withdrawal, so...

1998-2001 - Zoloft, tapered, again unwittingly went into withdrawal, so...

2002-03 - Paxil x 20 months, developed severe headaches, so...

Sep 03 - May 05 - Paxil taper took 20 months, severe physical, moderate psychological symptoms

Sep 03 - Jun 05 - took Prozac to help with Paxil taper - not recommended

Jul 05 to date - post-taper, severe psychological, moderate physical symptoms, improving very slowly

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  • 5 years later...

Thank god I read this topic. I was prescribed ciprofloxacin today for urinary tract infection. I was just about to take my fisrt pill, but somehow I remembered that I read somewhere that it is a really dangerous antibiotic. I have amoxicillin at home, I quess I will take that instead - have taken it before with no problems...

2008 -2013 Most of the time on 75 mg venlafaxine and 0,25 mg Klonopin, 2013 august-oct - weaning off venlafaxine
2013 december- severe panick attacks, difficulties with breathing and swallowing, brain zaps, derealisation ect.
back to 75 mg venlafaxine
2014 dec - 60 mg venlafaxine, 2015 jan - 55 mg
2015 feb - hospitalisation,extreme WD, switched to 10mg Prozac, weaning off Klonopin
2015 march - added inositol, niacin, fish oil
2015 april - free from klonopin, only on 10mg Prozac, may - oct 10mg - 6 mg prozac

2015 oct - WD, anxiety, panic attacks - back to 7 mg, Nov- back to 8 mg - added 1/4 of 1,5 mg bromazepam x 2 per day

2015. dec - adverse reaction to prozac, had to CT, only on 1mg klonopin - low grade fever, vertigo, painful urinating

2016. jan - back on venlafaxine 37,5 mg and 1 mg klonopin - , also taking vit c, Q 10, fish oil, magnesium oil, seabuckthorn oil, zinc gluconate, tumeric, april 2016 - back on 75 mg venlafaxine, oct 2016 18 mg venlafaxine 0,5 - 1 mg klonopin,Jan 9 - hospitalized due to severe depression January 12- discontinued venlafaxine, switched from 1 mg clonazepam to 7.5 mg diazepam 2 times a day, 15th January started 75 mg pregabalin, 19th jan - 5 mg diazepam in the morning 7.5 in the evening + 75 mg pegabalin, Jan 27 - 52,5 pregabalin - 6 mg venlafaxine - 5 mg diazepam morning - 10 mg diazepam evening

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  • 2 weeks later...

There are many different names I knew I could not take levaquin... I had pneumonia and a broken rib was already on pain killers and codeine cough syrup when levaquin bearing a different name entered my life... yet again.... 

 

 

I am the one always preaching to those I love people here and anyone who will listen to never take a drug you have not looked up... but I didn't look it up I could not even see straight. 

 

Pay in spades again... 

 

Next bit of advice I need to take myself find a person to share you life with so they can look up your meds when your too sick to do it... oh ya and get a life... both on the list.

 

Peace all

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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