Tinnitus my side effect Avelox
this was my neurology in uza Antwerpen Belgium
http://www.braininnovations.nl/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acv4JC9pmac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlSefurA950&list=UUAJFzRGFWUWzPXoeNvjkECw

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read more one the link !!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/238631080/Www-Sciencealert-Com-Au-News-20140109-26103

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20140109-26103.html

Serotonin may not play major role in depression, new evidence suggests

Fiona MacDonald

Monday, 01 September 2014

Share on email Share on print

New research in mice throws into question the long-standing belief that serotonin deficiency plays a key role in depression.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/249298981/De-Depressie-Schakelaar !!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/local-woman-says-popular-antibiotic-killed-her-hus/njzwj/

http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/channel-2-investigates-complaints-about-popular/vDDZZS/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM FINDLAND

Oulu Erno Röytiö was 26 jaar oud toen hij kreeg een antibioticakuur om een vermoeden van prostaat ontsteking. De vreemde symptomen begon een paar dagen na de start van een cursus.

- Ik kreeg de eerste symptomen van angst en slapeloosheid. Er was ook een hoofdpijn, maagklachten en nachtmerries, Röytiö tijden.

Het werkzame bestanddeel van ciprofloxacine, die behoort tot een groep antibiotica fluorchinolonen. De jonge man twijfelde antibiotica symptomen toegeschreven, omdat de symptomen begon zo plotseling.
- Farmaceutische Verpakking tekst bevestigde de vermoedens.
PDF
https://www.scribd.com/doc/257681526/Fluroquinolone-Yle-Fi-Uutiset-Antibioottikuuri-Vei-Nuoren-Miehen-Mielisairaalaan-Minulle-Tuli-Omituinen-Tarve-Hypata-Sillalta-7839200

link
http://yle.fi/uutiset/antibioottikuuri_vei_nuoren_miehen_mielisairaalaan_minulle_tuli_omituinen_tarve_hypata_sillalta/7839200

Terveys 4.3.2015 klo 6:52 | päivitetty 4.3.2015 klo 10:35

Antibioottikuuri vei nuoren miehen mielisairaalaan: "Minulle tuli omituinen tarve hypätä sillalta"

26-vuotiaalle Erno Röytiölle määrättiin yleisessä käytössä olevaa antibioottia tulehdukseen. Hän alkoi saada kuurin aikana rajuja ahdistuskohtauksia, jotka veivät hänet lopulta psykiatriseen hoitoon. Samojen lääkkeiden vakavista sivuvaikutuksista kärsivät monet muutkin suomalaiset.

http://www.myquinstory.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/FLOX_REPORT_REV_11.pdf

Indian J Psychiatry. 2008 Oct-Dec; 50(4): 305–306.

doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.44757

PMCID: PMC2755150

Ciprofloxacin induced nightmares in an adult patient

Amit Dang, Rajasi Kamat,¹ and Rataboli V. Padmanabh²

Author information ► Copyright and License information ►

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Sir,

A 24 year old female, doctor by profession self medicated herself with tablet ciprofloxacin 500 mg BD for 5 days after she was diagnosed to have severe gastroenteritis. Two days later, she reported nightmares which continued for four consecutive days.

On history taking, she could remember two of the frightful experiences that she dreamt of. In one of the dreams, she visualized a lady - whom she had never seen before - who, after calling two girls to her place, brutally assaulted them, slaughtered them by cutting their throats with a knife and crucified them alive. In another dream, she saw herself stranded in a dilapidated haunted house with strange and supernatural things happening around her.

Every time she used to get up with sweating, palpitations, fear, anxiousness, and nervousness. She was irritable and experienced mood changes, while on therapy. The dreams subsided spontaneously after a day of completing her course for 5 days. Causality assessment score by Naranjo Algorithm was 9, putting it in a “highly probable” Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) category.

Fluoroquinolones are one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for urinary tract infections and gastroenteritis and exhibit broad spectrum antimicrobial spectrum.

Fluoroquinolones have always been under controversy due to their serious ADR profile. Temafloxacin and grepafloxacin are already withdrawn from the US market as a result of reported multi system toxicity and torsades de pointes cases, respectively, sparfloxacin for its quinolone toxicity (QT) prolongation and phototoxicity, trovafloxacin has been forbidden in Europe and United Kingdom due to several deaths reported caused by hepatic toxicity and off late Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. announced the withdrawal of their brand of gatifloxacin (Tequin) due to dysglycaemia reported in many patients.[1]............................

................

.........

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.drperlmutter.com/fluoroquinolones-peripheral-neuropathy/

As a practicing neurologist, one of the most challenging conditions I deal with is peripheral neuropathy. This is a condition in which the nerves in the arms and legs are damaged, and this leads to a variety of issues including pain, numbness, weakness, tingling, and burning. Peripheral neuropathy can be a result of trauma but more commonly it is the result of metabolic problems like diabetes. Alcoholism is a common cause as well as exposure to various toxins including chemotherapy. Some cases of peripheral neuropathy are inherited and sometimes it results from vitamin deficiency, especially the B vitamins.
That said, because peripheral neuropathy is such a difficult disorder to treat, it’s important to be aware of information that can be helpful in terms of avoiding this condition. In this new report published last month in the journal Neurology, researchers evaluated a large group of male subjects and were able to determine that the risk of peripheral neuropathy was actually doubled in those individuals who had been placed on fluroquinolone antibiotics. These are antibiotics that are commonly used to treat such issues as upper respiratory tract infections and urinary tract infections and have gained widespread popularity in the medical community. Two common fluoroquinolones described in the study include ciprofloxin (Cipro®) and levofloxin (Levaquin®)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/patients-suffer-devastating-side-effects-popular-a/nj4Br/#__federated=1

=======================================================================
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/11152802-health-fda-investigating-popular-antibiotic-that-some-patients-say-is-making-them-sicker/

Health: FDA Investigating Popular Antibiotic That Some Patients Say Is Making Them Sicker

Stephanie Stahl reports.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.wsoctv.com/videos/news/raw-dr-charles-bennett-some-of-the-side-effects/vDQw2r/

Dr. Charles Bennett is an oncologist, tied to the University of South Carolina, South Carolina College of Pharmacy and Medical University of South Carolina.

RAW - Dr. Charles Bennett: 'Some of the side effects: never resolved'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.localssupportinglocals.ca/news/antibiotic-alert-drug-doctor-ordered-could-cause-deadly-side-effects
https://www.scribd.com/doc/258800458/Www-Localssupportinglocals-CA-News-Antibiotic-Alert-Drug-Doctor-Ordered-Could-Cause-Deadly-Side-Effects

October 20 2012 by Dr. Mercola

Fluoroquinolones are among the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics in the United States.
Among the most well known is Cipro (made by Bayer), which became a household name during the anthrax scare that occurred shortly after 9/11. Levaquin is a close second.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/six-dangerous-prescription-drugs-think-twice-taking.html?fb_action_ids=10204310240294089&fb_action_types=og.comments
Pdf
http://tinyurl.com/maeybhv

Six dangerous prescription drugs you should think twice before taking

Just because your doctor prescribes it does not necessarily mean it is safe for you to take. Many popular prescription drugs, it turns out, come with the potential for serious side effects, including everything from short-term nausea and headaches to chronic inflammatory myopathy and heart disease — or worse.

But this important information is often shrouded from public view, which intentionally perpetuates the myth that the benefits of FDA-approved drugs far outweigh any risks. So to give you a more solid understanding of the subject, here are six classes of prescription drugs you should definitely think twice about taking due to their inherent dangers:
1) Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Millions of Americans take PPIs to alleviate the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition marked by food and acid in the stomach leaking back into the esophagus and causing damage. But PPIs like Nexium (exomeprazole) and Prevacid (lansoprazole) have been shown to both block nutrient absorption and inhibit the production of necessary stomach acid, which can cause a host of other health problems. (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued at least a dozen warnings about the dangers of PPIs, which include an increased risk of bacterial diarrhea, magnesium deficiency, and bone fractures (http://www.fda.gov). Long-term consumption of PPIs has also been linked to increased risk of pneumonia and unhealthy weight gain.
(http://www.naturalnews.com/036336_PPIs_acid_reflux_side_effects.html)
2) Statins. The top-selling class of drugs for several years in a row, statins are hailed by the medical system as a type of miracle cure for high cholesterol and heart disease. But popular statin drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) and Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) have been shown to greatly increase users’ risk of diabetes, liver disease, brain damage, muscle atrophy, and even early death. (http://www.drfranklipman.com)
The side effects of statins are so severe, in fact, that the FDA recently expanded its official warnings about their use (http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm293330.htm). Beyond this, more than a dozen studies have shown that taking statins for primary prevention does little, if anything, to prevent heart attack or stroke, which means the drug class is medically useless for the millions of otherwise healthy people who are prescribed it. (http://www.minnpost.com)
3) Antibiotics. The leading cause of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” antibiotics are another class of drugs that can cause long-term health problems without providing much, if any, benefit. Insanely overprescribed for conditions that often do not even respond to them, antibiotics and their long-term abuse by the medical system has made many infections more virulent and untreatable.

According to Shane Ellison, M.S., from The People’s Chemist, the three most dangerous antibiotics currently being prescribed are Levaquin (levofloxacin), Vancocin (vancomycin hydrochloride), and Bactrim (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole). Ellison also lists quinolones, the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics, as dangerous as well, noting that antibiotics like Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Avelox (moxifloxacin HCL), and Floxin (ofloxacin) can cause severe and permanent disability. (http://thepeopleschemist.com)
4) Antipsychotics. One of the deadliest drug classes, antipsychotics are commonly prescribed for conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe major depression, as well as for many “off-label” conditions such as mild mood disorder and everyday anxiety. But popular antipsychotic drugs like Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate), Abilify (aripiprazole), Risperdal (risperidone), and Zyprexa (olanzapine) have been shown to increase blood sugar levels, elevate lipid and cholesterol levels, and promote weight gain. (http://www.nytimes.com)
But even more concerning is the long-term neurological and brain damage that can result from taking antipsychotics, not to mention the greatly elevated risk of metabolic syndrome, which can include major health conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121127190016.htm). Antipsychotics are so dangerous that a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) declared them to be more deadly than terrorism. (http://www.naturalnews.com)
5) Opioid pain relievers. Pharmaceutical drugs have officially been declared a leading cause of death in America today, and leading the way are opioid-based painkillers like Vicodin (hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen), OxyContin (oxycodone HCI), Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen), codeine, and morphine.
According to a study out of Brandeis University in Massachusetts, prescription painkillers are now responsible for causing more fatal overdoses than both heroin and cocaine combined. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has actually declared an epidemic in response to this elevated number of prescription painkiller deaths. (http://www.naturalnews.com)
6) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Antidepressants like Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine), and Lexapro (escitalopram) have been around for years, but their dangers typically receive far less attention than they deserve. Side effects like suicidal tendencies, sexual dysfunction, gastrointestinal bleeding, and heart disease are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many side effects of SSRIs.
In some cases, SSRIs can actually make depression symptoms worse, leading some individuals to become violent. Be sure to watch the Health Ranger’s music video S.S.R.Lies for a creative glimpse at the dangers of SSRIs: http://www.naturalnews.com

Originally published on Natural News

Michelle Toole

Michelle Toole is the founder and head editor of Healthy Holistic Living. Learn all about her life's inspiration and journey to health and wellness.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1257607-family-of-north-sydney-woman-%E2%80%98angry%E2%80%99-over-drug-crisis

https://www.scribd.com/doc/250129314/Family-of-North-Sydney-Woman-Angry-Over-Drug-Crisis

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.hormonesmatter.com/side-effects-unintended-consequences-pharmaceuticals/

Side Effects and Unintended Consequences of Popular Pharmaceuticals

Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 / Lisa Bloomquist

After experiencing an adverse reaction to a popular antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, that involved destruction of my tendons, muscles, and cartilage, as well as my central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, I was left with questions that no one seemed to be able to answer – What did ciprofloxacin do to my body? What happened that made it feel as if a bomb had gone off in me? Why was I fine after taking ciprofloxacin once, but was far from fine after taking it a second time? Why can some people tolerate ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics with no ill effects, but others can’t and are destroyed by a single prescription? And the most important question of all – How could I put my body and mind back together again?
I scoured research journals for answers to these questions. The answers that I found were daunting. I found that ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics are topoisomerase interrupters – meaning that they disrupt the enzymatic process of bacterial DNA replication (and mitochondrial DNA replication). I found that fluoroquinolones deplete intracellular magnesium. Depletion of intracellular magnesium has multiple health consequences including disruption of more than 300 enzymatic processes. I realized that both enzyme depletion and magnesium depletion lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. I found that mitochondrial dysfunction leads to high levels of oxidative stress and that oxidative stress wreaks havoc on multiple areas of health. I discovered that the carboxylic acid molecule in fluoroquinolones can be metabolized into poisonous metabolites in the liver. I learned how feedback loops between multiple biological systems work together and those compensatory feedback loops make repairing damage difficult......
more read the link above

http://www.hormonesmatter.com/author/lisa-bloomquist/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.scribd.com/doc/237747359/Www-Globalresearch-CA-the-Suicide-of-Robin-Williams-Why-We-Need-a-Grand-Jury-Inquest-to-Investigate-It-5397645
................................
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-suicide-of-robin-williams-why-we-need-a-grand-jury-inquest-to-investigate-it/5397645

On July 2, 1961, an American icon, Earnest Hemingway, committed suicide at his beloved vacation home in Ketchum, Idaho. He had just flown to Ketchum after being discharged from Mayo Clinic’s psychiatric ward where he had received a series of electroshock “treatments” for a depression that had started after he had experienced the horrors of World War I as an ambulance driver.
One of his duties was to retrieve fragments of mutilated human bodies in the battle zone. He was haunted by the images of dead and bodies and dying humans for the rest of his life so there was no question that he had what was later to be understood as combat-induced posttraumatic stress disorder, with depression and insomnia. Hemingway himself had been severely wounded by shrapnel. Like many victims of combat-induced PTSD, he drank a lot of alcoholic beverages and had had a series of failed marriages, with financial problems related to the alimony payments to his ex-wives. He understood that his psychiatric ECT “treatment” had erased his memory, and he knew that his writing career, his reason for living, was over.

Almost exactly 53 years after Hemingway’s suicide, another American icon,

Robin Williams, entered a psychiatric facility in Minnesota (July 1, 2014). He had been given an as yet unknown cocktail of prescription drugs that resulted in his losing weight and withdrawing from his loved ones, sleeping, after his discharge later that month, in his darkened bedroom up to 20 hours a day, in an apparent drug-induced stupor......

read more one the link above and the pdf

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.hfme.org/fluoroquinolone.htm

The Fluoroquinolone antibiotic drugs

he Fluoroquinolone antibiotic drugs (Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin, Tequin and others) ‘are the most toxic and dangerous antibiotic in clinical practice today’ according to the Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Research Foundation. They go on to say, ‘We cannot even begin to count the number of lives these drugs have destroyed rather then saved in the past forty years.’ This antibiotic can destroy lives, according to many patients. The adverse drug reactions (ADRS) associated with the Fluoroquinolones include: tendon and muscle pain, insomnia, burning pain, digestion disorders, anxiety, heart problems (including heart failure), vision disorders, ringing in the ears, rashes, blood sugar problems, depersonalization, toxic psychosis, mental disorders, seizures, pain, liver failure, kidney failure, irreversible peripheral neuropathy and other adverse reactions. The Fluoroquinolone drugs are anything BUT a safe and effective antibiotic and are clearly not worth the risk. The problems caused by the drug do NOT always resolve once the drug is stopped; the drug can cause permanent and irreversible additional health problems (both physical and mental).

=====================================================================

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Popular+antibiotics+implicated+nerve+damage+says+study+with/10141220/story.html

http://preview.tinyurl.com/n4kneqs

===============================================================
Finally on TV the 20-08-2014

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/20/medical-errors-public-disclosure.aspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://solucaoperfeita.com/magnesio/o-magnesio-e-o-tratamento-de-danos-provocados-por-antibioticos

Os Milagres do Magnésio

Temos ouvido histórias de milagres com a toma do magnésio, e aqui está mais um caso de Sucesso, que vamos partilhar convosco. Mas primeiro precisamos colocar-vos no contexto desse testemunho.

Os perigos das fluoroquinolonas

Bing translation !! Portuguese to Engels

http://korturl.dk/mmr

Portugees Nederlands

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ldv28he

http://www.scribd.com/doc/236988918/Fluroquinolones-Schade-Herstelen-Met-Magnesium

====================================================================
http://nblo.gs/ZdDIq

PDF
http://www.scribd.com/doc/236903335/FIDDAMAN-BLOG-About-Eli-Lilly-and-Company-Are-Facing-a-Number-of-Lawsuits-Regarding-Their-Antidepressant-Cymbalta-Duloxetine
FIDDAMAN BLOG
"It's perverse when GSK claim that they are going to be more transparent when they do not offer transparency when writing about their transparency." - Bob Fiddaman

Eli Lilly to Face Cymbalta Lawsuits

Eli Lilly and Company are facing a number of lawsuits regarding their antidepressant Cymbalta [Duloxetine]

Consumers of the drug, which is also used to treat various pain disorders, are claiming that Eli Lilly misled them about the withdrawal side effects of Cymbalta, side effects which include, but are not limited to electric-shock like sensations in their body and brain (also known as “brain zaps”), dizziness, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, excessive sweating, insomnia, nightmares, and diarrhea.

Over 20 lawsuits have been filed in federal courts across the US which sees claims that Lilly deliberately omitted information about the true risk of withdrawal in the product label and in marketing materials.

According to the LA law firm Baum Hedlund, the label wrongly claims that Cymbalta only has a 1% withdrawal risk, when in actual fact Cymbalta studies show a much higher risk rate - between 44% to 50% withdrawal risk!

Plaintiffs also claim that Lilly manipulated medical literature and exaggerated the benefits of Cymbalta.

Plaintiffs are being represented by by Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C., along with Keller Rohrback L.L.P. and Pogust, Braslow & Millrood.

“We believe that Lilly’s warning that Cymbalta withdrawal occurs at a rate greater than or equal to 1% is deceptive. It is just a sleight of hand. One of Lilly’s own studies shows that over 50% of patients experience withdrawal when they stop Cymbalta. 1% is not 50%, not even close. A drug label is not the place to play games with words. It is a place to honestly inform doctors and patients about the benefits and risks of medicines so they can make informed choices. Our clients feel strongly that they were betrayed by Lilly and we will do all we can to ensure their voices are heard by the courts.” - R. Brent Wisner, Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C

Struggling to come off a psychiatric drug is a scary experience, it can lead to akathisia, which is a known precursor to suicidal thoughts and acts.

The electric-like zaps are something I personally endured when coming off Seroxat [known as Paxil in the US] - basically, it feels like your head is being zapped with a cattle prod, it's your brain's way of saying 'FEED ME'... it's the reduction of the drug compound that causes this effect, something that Glaxo and, in this case Eli Lilly, kept from the consumer.

The full press release can be read here.

If you, or someone you know, has suffered the horrific side effects of Cymbalta then you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. You can contact an attorney at Baum Hedlund here.

Baum Hedlund has litigated over 4,500 antidepressant personal injury and wrongful death cases against pharmaceutical companies.

Bob Fiddaman
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.scribd.com/doc/243585357/Www-Ncbi-Nlm-Nih-Gov-Pmc-Articles-PMC4166236

Fluoroquinolone Use in a Child Associated with Development of Osteochondritis Dissecans

John Jacobs, Kevin Shea, Julia Oxford, and James Carey

Author information ► Copyright and License information ►

The publisher's final edited version of this article is available at BMJ Case Rep

SUMMARY

Several etiological theories have been proposed for the development of osteochondritis dissecans. Cartilage toxicity after fluoroquinolone use has been well documented in vitro. We present a case report of a 10-year-old child who underwent a prolonged 18-month course of ciprofloxacin therapy for chronic urinary tract infections. This patient later developed an osteochondritis dissecans lesion of the medial femoral condyle. We hypothesize that the fluoroquinolone therapy disrupted normal endochondral ossification, resulting in development of osteochondritis dissecans. The etiology of osteochondritis dissecans is still unclear, and this case describes an association between fluoroquinolone use and osteochondritis dissecans development................

............

........

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.wptv.com/money/consumer/experts-top-antibiotic-carries-hidden-side-effects-not-listed-on-the-label

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.agoravox.it/?page=article&id_article=12140

Home page > Attualità > Salute > Antidepressivi: nuovi dubbi

Antidepressivi: nuovi dubbi

Antidepressivi, servono veramente?

Un articolo apparso sul sito ANSA mette in dubbio l’utilità di questi farmaci utilizzando uno studio di revisione recentemente portato a termine
all’University of Pennsylvania a Filadelfia.

Ecco quanto viene detto sull’ANSA:

"Gli antidepressivi non sono tanto più efficaci del placebo nella depressione moderata o grave, ma valgono invece nei casi più gravi. Lo dimostra un vasto studio di revisione di precedenti ricerche eseguite confrontando gli effetti di un farmaco con quelli del placebo, una pillola di zucchero, condotto da Robert DeRubeis, della University of Pennsylvania a Filadelfia. Lo studio si e’ basato sulla revisione dei dati di sei ricerche su due farmaci antidepressivi molto comuni".

Sfortunatamente gli antidepressivi non sono pillole di zucchero ma farmaci, farmaci che in certi casi hanno effetti collaterali che possono essere gravi.

Alcuni esempi tratti dal sito Xagena e Farmacovigilanza.net (che a loro volta attingono da i database sanitari di tutto il mondo) che dovrebbero far riflettere:

"Nel marzo 2004, l’FDA (Food and Drug Administration) ha emesso un Public Health Advisory riguardo al peggioramento della depressione e dell’ideazione suicidaria e comportamento suicidario nei pazienti trattati con i più nuovi antidepressivi.

Nel febbraio 2005, l’FDA ha esteso il warning a tutti i farmaci antidepressivi, dopo che un’analisi di studi controllati con placebo aveva dimostrato che i farmaci antidepressivi erano associati ad un aumentato rischio di comportamento suicidario nei bambini e negli adolescenti, rispetto al placebo (4% versus 2%).

I benefici degli antidepressivi nei pazienti in età pediatrica non sono ben definiti come negli adulti. La Fluoxetina è il solo farmaco il cui effetto antidepressivo è stato ben valutato nella popolazione pediatrica ed è il solo farmaco antidepressivo approvato negli Stati Uniti nel trattamento della depressione nei bambini e negli adolescenti".

Forse gli zuccherini usati come placebo non hanno effetti così gravi e costano anche meno.

Comunque le segnalazioni non finiscono qui:

"Sono state identificate 2.201 donne, a cui era stato prescritto un antidepressivo durante la gravidanza. Gli antidepressivi sono stati classificati come antidepressivi triciclici o inibitori selettivi del riassorbimento della serotonina (SSRI). I soggetti, esposti ai farmaci SSRI o agli antidepressivi triciclici durante la gravidanza, hanno presentato un aumento significativo del rischio di parto pretermine.

I neonati nati a termine, esposti agli antidepressivi SSRI durante il terzo trimestre, hanno presentato un aumentato rischio di sindrome da distress respiratorio, disturbi endocrini e metabolici, ipoglicemia, disturbi della regolazione della temperatura e convulsioni.

L’esposizione durante il terzo trimestre agli antidepressivi triciclici è stata anche associata ad un aumentato rischio di sindrome da distress respiratorio, disturbi endocrini e metabolici, e disturbi della regolazione termica".

Si potrebbe proseguire con altri articoli che segnalano gli avversi causati da questi farmaci, ma questi esempi dovrebbero già essere sufficienti a farci pensare...

Lo studio di revisione condotto DeRubeis mette in evidenza con quanta facilità si possono mettere in circolazione farmaci che in un primo tempo si definiscono se non fondamentali almeno molto utili ma che ad un’analisi accurata si rivelano di dubbia utilità.

Queste notizie, però, non hanno il dovuto risalto nei media tradizionali e troppo spesso passano in secondo piano.

Paura di danneggiare qualcuno?

O forse la priorità spetta al gossip invece che alla salute del cittadino comune? Al lettore l’ardua sentenza, con un consiglio...

Prima di assumere qualsiasi farmaco è sempre bene consultare anche i siti di farmacovigilanza, nel caso siano state involontariamente dimenticate alcune notizie. Proprio come queste.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hN16B-ESds

Shelley Anne Sealover

12 juni 2014 Dead

ur FQVICTIMS.ORG was instrumental in helping so many... your struggle is over, but sadness remains in many hearts today. May the love of Our Father provide comfort to your family and daughter, as He cradles you in His arms. Amen ~+~

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shelley Anne Sealover

4 uur · Baltimore (Maryland) ·

OK CHECK IT OUT PEEPS... AND REMEMBER, A NEW FQ POSION IS ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED-- DELAFLOXACIN, 32 TIMES MORE POTENT, ER TOXIC... THAN LEVAQUIN, HMMMM.....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/levaquin/interview-levaquin-side-effects-5-15696.html#.U7uYsLFr9BB

Levaquin User Files Shareholder Proxy for Johnson & Johnson's Next Annual Meeting

December 28, 2010, 10:30:00AM. By Jane Mundy

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email More Sharing Services 4

Passaic, NJ: Paul Cahan's story is a tragic example of the drug industry's failure—and the FDA's failure—to recall Levaquin and other dangerous quinolones. Since Cahan suffered permanent tendon and nerve damage from Floxin, he has advocated for a complete Levaquin withdrawal and even filed a Shareholder Proxy for Johnson & Johnson's next Annual Meeting for shareholders…

Levaquin User Files Shareholder Proxy for Johnson & Johnson's Next Annual Meeting

Levaquin User Files Shareholder Proxy for Johnson & Johnson's Next Annual Meeting

In 2007 Cahan bought one share of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) stock so that he could attend the shareholder meeting and ask shareholders to:

1. Have J&J sales representatives discontinue the incentive program for selling Levaquin and Floxin so they can tell the truth about its toxicity to doctors.
2. Add to the Levaquin label that permanent delayed reactions can lead to chronic pain and the medication must be stopped at the slightest sign of reaction.

At the end of his speech, Cahan (who was in a wheelchair) asked William Weldon, J&J CEO, to "stick with your company credo—to help people," and he was given a standing ovation. "At the reception, the chairman of their pharmaceutical group came up to me and said she wanted to help me," says Cahan. "She asked me to sign up as a research candidate and said, 'My people will get back to you; these drugs should never be used for common infections.' I wrote to the board of directors and phoned several times, but I heard nothing back from her or anyone else at J&J."

A few years ago Cahan bought more J&J shares so that he could file a Shareholder Proxy for Johnson & Johnson's next Annual Meeting for shareholders—in April 2011. "I want them to vote on forcing the company to put a warning on the Levaquin label, stating it can cause permanent tendon and nerve damage, with permanent pain, differentiating it from the type of tendon injury that can heal when brought about externally by way of a sports-type injury. Internal damage that causes this much cellular destruction is permanent, and shareholders will hopefully have a chance to force the company to be honest and upfront about this information…"

Since 1998, Cahan has suffered permanent damage from taking Floxin, Levaquin's predecessor, which he took for just 10 days. "My calves and ankles became increasingly swollen to the point where every step hurt," Cahan says. "I saw a number of doctors but no one was aware of these drug reactions, although one doctor admitted that the swelling was from Floxin and he prescribed anti-inflammatory meds. He also told me to avoid stairs.

"About a month later, both Achilles tendons ruptured—a complete fraying of the small tendons. I was on disability for about four months, at home in a cast. I returned to work on crutches but was still in so much pain that one day I broke down and cried. I didn't want to lose my job; I didn't know what was going on with my body. I was given prednisone; I was going to physical therapy and taking lots of sick days. This went on for years. Instead of using stairs on the subway I had to take a taxi; I had to prop up my legs at meetings and during the day I had to elevate them. It was a desperate time of my life.

Levaquin Legal Help

If you or a loved one have suffered losses in this case, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a drugs & medical lawyer who may evaluate your Levaquin claim at no cost or obligation.

READER COMMENTS

Posted by
paul cahan
on June 29, 2014

I thank everyone who commented from this article for their understanding and support.
I'm so messed up now... I even got my blog wrong.
it's www.levaquinadversepainart.blogspot.com
I can't believe for years I just didn't notice that detail.
the meds I'm on, the lack of sleep.... all that steals the healthy mind and body away. there is no amount of money that can compensate for the damage this has done. a life is priceless. these shithead executives like bill crouse and Campbell and mullen... all these people who knew they were selling extremely dangerous compounds are all going to go to HELL and hopefully live in chronic guilt while on earth for improperly warning the FDA, the doctors, and the patients and pharmacists about the true statistical dangers of taking these and extent of the permanent damage that they can do.

Posted by
paul cahan
on January 15, 2014

here it is, January 2014 and my damaged Achilles tendons are the same as they have been since the ruptures from Levaquin in 1998, I live in chronic pain.... sometimes the tendon has deep pain to the bone and feels like ice.. I have to get up at 1 am I can't sleep and dunk both legs in a bg bucket of very warm water and sit on the edge of the tub. how depressing. but I don't give up. I started a blog on this poison, and the art I did to help express what the chronic pain is like. it's www.levaquinpainart.blogspot.com
even with pain meds, my pain goes on and on and on. it's an awful way to live. shame on family for not wanting to 'bother' with me. someday something's going to happen to those who cast off the injured and retribution will come their way.

Posted by
BAYER POISONS PEOPLE FOR PROFIT TOO!
on January 20, 2012

CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON! CIPRO IS POISON!

Posted by
patty Lizell
on January 18, 2012

I am also a victim of Levaquin. I never ever thought that my doctor could prescribe a drug that could cause me so much harm. I had a delayed reaction (6 months) and it's been horrible trying to regain my health. I've seen several doctors for help, most cannot help me. I have a torn rotator cuff with adhesive capsulitis and bursitis. My arm hurts so much that I carry it around like a baby. I didn't even have an injury that points to why I have a torn tendon. I also have many other symptoms involving my joint and muscles hurting too. I was perfectly healthy except for a sinus infection before I took Levaquin. Levaquin is a poison.

Posted by
Keri Lippe
on January 17, 2012

I have been sick for 15 months now, since taking Levaquin for a UTI. I have found so much support online, by so many others affected by this poison. It's a shame I haven't found near the support from Johnson & Johnson, the FDA or medical community. I pray that with all of us banding together, eventually our collective voices will grow too loud to be ignored.

Posted by
Amanda Myers
on January 17, 2012

Please read this with careful consideration. On November 17, 2011 I was prescribed Levaquin 750mg for
7 days for a suspected kidney infection. Four days into taking this drug, I had a severe allergic reaction and severe
side effects. My allergic reaction was loss of breath and throat closure. My side effects were and some still are:
hives, severe back and abdomen pain, burning sensations in skin/throat/esophagus/sinuses/eyes, high blood
pressure with rapid heart rate, head and ear pressure and ringing, joint/muscle/tendon pain and popping, panic
attacks and anxiety, short term memory loss (brain fog), insomnia and nightmares when I was able to sleep,
water retention and swelling in hands and feet, tingling sensation in hands and feet, extreme fatigue, kidney pain,
and painful headaches. My three children, ages 4, 5, and 9, have had to watch their mother become a zombie
who could not even care for herself let alone them. Who had to have their grandmother come and take care
of them for 2 weeks straight, because their mother could not manage to think at all or get up and do anything. I'm 2 months out from taking the Levaquin, and I'm still in pain from tendons/joints/muscles, have some anxiety and panic, burning sensations, nausea and dizziness, some brain fog, some kidney/back/abdomen pain, occasional muscle spasms, and fatigue.
Please get these drugs off of the market!

Posted by
Mark A. Girard
on January 17, 2012

In the fall of 2007 I was given Levaquin, one of several antibiotics in a class called fluoroquinolones which also includes Cipro, Avelox and some others. No one discussed the many possible side effects with me despite the fact that this drug has what is called a black box warning, the most serious warning about problems there is before a drug is removed from the marketplace entirely. In fact, more than half of all the related drugs have already been banned.

I immediately began to feel sick but I was already dealing with a variety of other post surgical issues and was whacked on pain pills so no one took me seriously. In the course of the next few months I endured a horrible series of medical problems and yet no one caring for me was able to figure out what was going on despite the fact that nearly all these things are listed in the literature about Levaquin.

I was dizzy, nauseous, tired and confused. I lost control of my bladder and had horrific gas and diarrhea. My whole body hurt. I had blood clots. I had ruptured tendons and unexplained cartilage damage. My blood pressure went through the ceiling. My prostate bloated up. I had insomnia. I had pulmonary edema. My stomach hurt and I had terrible heartburn. I had a hematoma and huge varicose veins erupted on my leg. I had rashes all over, and mysterious bruises, and my wounds wouldn't heal. My skin felt like bugs were crawling around underneath it. I had tingling sensations in my back that went all over my body. I had unprompted sharp pains all over that appeared and disappeared. My joints hurt and they began popping loudly. I had ringing in my ears. I had wild crazy panic attacks. I couldn't understand what I was reading, or make sense of signs, or follow a TV show, or even tell time. My vision deteriorated rapidly. My blood oxygen levels were low. And for some reason I was really depressed.

As of January 2012, it's been almost four and a half years since I was floxed (that's the informal term for victims of fluoroquinolone toxicity) and I am still a mess. Fortunately, things aren't nearly as bad as they were. At this point I am able to work part time but that will probably not last a whole lot longer; my discs are crumbling and my knees are going. Unfortunately, the damage from fluoroquinolones is permanent and ongoing; as some things heal others continue to deteriorate.

Fluoroquinolones were designed to be a last resort antibiotic and yet they are being prescribed for sinus and urinary infections. The manufacturer admits that all these side effects happen but they claim that only 0.7% of the population will experience them, and yet if you Google these drugs page after page after page will come up with support groups and facebook pages and stories of misery just like mine. The problem is that the onset of these symptoms is often delayed, sometimes by months or even years so a huge percentage of the victims have no idea what caused the problems. They are then misdiagnosed. The other problem is that most people who get symptoms get most or all of them. The problems are systemic; fluoroquinolones alter the DNA. The problems are also permanent.

There is very little research being done in regards to this problem because the various producers of these drugs are making huge profits selling them. They are in complete denial that these problems even exist and the FDA is ridiculously underfunded and overworked.

Not only do the victims of this blatant corporate greed deserve compensation but the executives in charge of the companies producing these drugs should spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

DO NOT TAKE LEVAQUIN, CIPRO, OR AVELOX!

Thank You,

Mark Girard

Posted by
Jacquelin Matthews
on January 17, 2012

Facebook.com/FluoroquinoloneToxicity

Theres over 1700 members in this group alone who have suffered from fluoroquinolone antibiotics (levaquin, cipro, avelox)!!! I was blasted with levaquin and steroids 3 times, kept going to the ER, no one knew what was wrong. Took me over a year to find out why I was staying so sick. Doctors REFUSE to believe I have been poisoned, instead guess at what it could be, misdiagnose me with other issues (IBS, RA, MRSA, lymes, CFS,etc) give me yet MORE drugs......I was almost perfect health before levaquin, I am healing thank GOD, but over 2 years of my life is gone........I still wonder how permanent the damage was done to me. I have had to have almost all my teeth pulled since then, total break down of them. Yea doctors are handing these toxic potentially irreversable harmful drugs out like candy, 2 of my friends were prescribed levaquin along with steroids both were diabetic, both DIED!!!!!!!!!!! BOTH had massive heart attacks both under 50, one was only 33....coincidence? not in my small town, same doctor, same drugs, both diabetic, both young....countless people I run into who have been affected by these drugs yet are being told they dont know what is wrong and are just being prescribed MORE drugs! What happened to healing? How can dangerous drugs that have been BANNED from other countries due to the dangers continually be pedalled out like candy here????? They arent even reading the warnings on the very medicines they are prescribing!!!!!!! Its like a nightmare..........

Posted by
Erin Wilson
on January 16, 2012

Thank you for your work Paul. I am a twice floxed Levaquin survivor and I do mean survivor. I won't go on about my experience but I will say that I work with people all over the world to assist them with recovery and management of this horrific experience. I have spent hours with people who thought suicide was the only option because the pain and suffering is so horrific and indescribable. No doctor will acknowledge us, no government official will assist, all we have are ourselves. We must continue and we must stop the poisoning of innocent people.

Posted by
Paul Cahan
on December 30, 2010

Thank you to the author of this article who has reported on the plight of victims of Levaquin, a most dangerous antibiotic, side effects worse than many chemotherapy medications. UPDATE: It's 3:00 AM EST and I awoke after
2 hrs sleep with excruciating pain in both calves and ankles.. deep 'neuropathic" type pain. I may as well do something so here I am. I received a copy of the 9 page letter from Johnson & Johnson's law firm sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission asking them to allow them not to print my proxy for the shareholders to vote on. I am in need very quickly, within 2 weeks, of an attorney interested in helping me write a response. They state that the proxy involves "regular business operations" of the company and thus, does not need to be printed. The precedents that they outlined were minor issues that other shareholders of H.J. Heinz, The Coca Cola Co., Campbell Soup, Lowes, Wal-Mart, Family Dollar Stores, submitted, and were rejected... even a proxy lobbying expences of Bristol Myers Squibb was mentioned.. etc. etc. All irrelevant to the seriousness of this issue. This is like comparing ordinances requesting parking being banned to allow street cleaning once a week for 4 hours, with the banning of DDT... you get the picture. I know this might be stretching it, but if it happened to you, you'd agree with my argument that this proxy is of an extremely serious nature, it involves the ruining of thousands of lives young and old, the early death of untold hundreds and is about a subject in another league than any of the precedents that their arguement stands on. The company has a long history of lying to regulators, many research operations had to be shut down by the FDA on their drugs, and they have intentionally lobbied to exclude warnings about this drug. There had to be a law-suit to finally put a black box warning on this drug not too long ago, and it's just buried in fine print when one gets it at the pharmacy. They have FDA investigations going on with some of their operations and even their Board of Directors is being sued by two pension funds. This company has proven that they do not care about the human toll of suffering that they are responsible for. It's a runaway train that must be stopped. Some human actions are at a different level than others for good reason. There is no statute of limitations on murder cases. Scientists do not know exactly what destruction mechanism happens in the body with Levaquin to cause so much permanent harm. All I know is that MRI's and nerve conduction tests of mine show that good, vital cells to the operation of my body have been permanently killed and the mechanism of regeneration has also been killed. This is in my opinion, murder of part of my body that causes permanent pain. I surmise that they intentionally do not do research because they do not want to publish the bad news that they would find.... that this is an extremely toxic agent that should only be used when a patient has no other alternative. In a case like this, Securities and Exchange Commission has a responsibility to look at the corporate behavior and deem whether or not their product and it's usage, is in the best interest of the public. Clearly, they have NOT behaved responsibly, and are NOT going about their ordinary business operations in a way consistent with our own constitution, guaranteeing the safety and happiness of citizens to live a life free. I and many others have been reduced to living as virtual prisoners in our homes. I cannot work, let alone enjoy an active life, no more skiing, no more walks in the woods, no more peaceful nights sleep. Pain rules my life. Life has become a burden and not a joy.
My body has been irreparably harmed and the FDA reports that only 10 percent of adverse reactions are reported to them, and with Levaquin, they have over 50,000 adverse events on file... so do the math, half a million U.S Citizens have been harmed by this drug and we do not know how many of those are permanent, but it's significant. One law firm has 2,600 cases to go to trial.... there would be hundreds of thousands of cases if the 2 year statute of limitations was ruled unfair. The SEC is protecting a company from going bankrupt. Of course, their bankruptcy would not be good for anyone, but there has to be a start at least in protecting the public from future permanent harm and my proxy is I hope, that start. Please, won't an attorney step forward and contact me, and help me in my response to the SEC and help me argue that my proxy is worthy of being presented to the shareholders this April 2011 and the label change would let patients and doctors made aware of what they are taking, and prescribing.

Posted by
joanna cowell
on December 29, 2010

I am currently in a group lawsuit for levaquin damage to my biceps tendons in both arms. I am in a wheelchair because of charcot-like problems with my feet. Also I had both knees replaced and one required 4 surgeries and finally ended up with a wire going through my leg bone and up and around my patella in an attempt to keep it where it is supposed to be. Eventually, after about 6 months, the wire broke and we gave up on having a good fix on that knee. The left one was OK for a few years but now it (as well as the other one) can hyper-extend without warning and very nearly throws me forward -- so far not to the ground but only because I'm always holding onto something. I saw my knee man this week and he said I had something wrong with my nerves and ligaments but he couldn't quite put his finger on just what the cause was and obviously it will continue to get worse. I don't know whether or not to try to blame the levaquin I took on all my nerve and connective tissue problems, but I'm in there with a group sueing Johnson & Johnson. I'm only 73 and otherwise in decent health. I'm essentially an invalid physically -- I can only walk short, very short, distances and I must hold on because my sense of balance is just about gone. Happy new year, y'awl.

ADD YOUR COMMENT ON THIS STORY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMDl4QasmQg

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.click2houston.com/news/more-than-2000-adverse-reactions-reported-from-common-prescription-medications/32350128

Thousands of adverse reactions reported from common antibiotics

Patients claim they were not properly warned of side effects from Levaquin, Ciprofloxacin

Author: Haley Hernandez, Reporter

Thousands of adverse reactions reported from common antibiotics

Show Transcript

HOUSTON - Less than a year ago, David Crain, a healthy and vibrant 33-year-old musician and personal trainer, was in the prime of his life.
“I was running 6 miles in the August heat with my shirt off, screaming, yelling, listening to music effortlessly,” he said.
Now, he can barely play his guitar.
“Just about all I can do. It's hurting. If I do it now, I'll pay for it later,” Crain said.
Last June Crain went to the emergency room for what doctors believed was colitis. He was prescribed the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, a generic form of Bayer’s Cipro, and began taking the recommended dosage.
“I think around about day seven or day eight, I just noticed like every time I would stand up I’d just be super-fatigued,” Crain said. “My ears rang all the time, I had trouble walking in the second month. My shoulders hurt, my tendons hurt.”
Tammy Renzi was prescribed the antibiotic Levaquin for a sinus infection. Six days into her 10-day dosage, she said she knew something wasn't right.
“I had a heaviness in my thighs. I had pressure in my lower spine. My vertebrae felt like they were rubbing on each other and I could hear the snapping in them,” Renzi said.
Both Crain and Renzi are not alone. From November 1997 to May 2011, more than 85,000 adverse reactions to Levaquin were reported to the Food and Drug Administration, including 1,174 deaths.
More than 67,000 adverse reactions to Cipro were also reported, including 1,257 deaths.
Dr. Charles Bennett, state chair of Medication Safety at the University of South Carolina, has been tracking the issue. He said Crain and Renzi's reactions may be caused by a mysterious genetic predisposition.
“Research should be done to identify those genetic factors,” Bennett said. “You certainly wouldn't want to take a drug if you knew you had a genetic predisposition to its side effects.”
Until that research is done, Bennett has petitioned the FDA, requesting stronger warnings.
“The current insert has a black box warning for tendon rupture and neurologic damage. It needs to be beyond the package insert,” he said.
Channel 2 Investigates reached out to both drug manufacturers.
According to Bayer Corporation, the FDA issued a drug safety communication requiring that "the drug labels and medication guides for all fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs be updated to better describe the serious side effect of peripheral neuropathy."
Johnson & Johnson, Levaquin’s parent company, wrote, “Since 2004, the Levaquin label has informed physicians and patients about possible side effects related to peripheral neuropathy.”
Crain and Renzi said they want everyone to know the risks so that they don't end up with the same fate.
“I wouldn't take it again if my life depended on it,” Renzi said.
“My biggest fear is that I’m, you know, my son is never going to know who I was,” Crain said.
Renzi and Crain are not currently considering legal action, but in 2012 Johnson & Johnson settled lawsuits with 845 plaintiffs who claimed they were not properly warned about the risks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://nsnbc.me/2014/02/10/harvard-scientists-warn-about-epidemic-of-side-effects-due-to-corruption/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://articles.mcall.com/2014-06-10/news/mc-lehigh-valley-vaccine-injury-settlement-20140610_1_flu-vaccine-vaccine-manufacturers-flu-shot

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.levaquinadversesideeffect.com/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.citypages.com/2011-05-25/news/levaquin-causes-tendon-rupture/full/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CIPRO UK DEAD

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/897407/popular_antibiotic_ciprofloxacin_linked_to_uk_deaths.html

News investigation Popular antibiotic ciprofloxacin linked to UK deaths

Andrew Wasley

23rd May, 2011

Millions of us are successfully treated with ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics each year. But for some patients the drugs are linked to severe adverse reactions involving terrifying physical and mental health impacts. Andrew Wasley reports

Patients who say they’ve suffered severe adverse reactions to a common antibiotic are calling for action to prevent others from experiencing a 'frightening' number of alleged physical and mental side effects.
The victims, who say they were poisoned by ciprofloxacin, want more research into the drug’s side effects, greater education of health professionals and clearer warnings for consumers.
The calls come as an Ecologist investigation revealed the antibiotic has been linked to more than forty deaths in the UK in recent years, and been the subject of hundreds of suspected adverse reactions.
Ciprofloxacin, part of the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics, is prescribed to treat a range of medical conditions, including bacterial infections. Fluoroquinolones are also – controversially – used to treat diseases in poultry, pig and cattle farming.

Symptoms associated with fluoroquinolone reactions include – according to victims – chronic fatigue, tendonitis, joint pain, muscle weakness and spasms, bladder pain, heart palpitations, depression and anxiety problems, panic attacks, tinnitus, unexplained buzzing and tingling, electric shock-type sensations, insomnia, numbness, impaired vision and sensitivity to light.

Some victims say problems begin immediately after taking the medicine, others weeks or even months later. Some experience minor side effects, others a pattern of debilitating symptoms.

Doctors say however that the percentage of patients who suffer is tiny compared with the overall volume of people successfully treated with the drugs. Millions of prescriptions of ciprofloxacin are administered annually with no reported side effects.
All drugs have to go through a strict testing and licensing procedure in order to be approved, and medicines are constantly reviewed by drug manufacturers. Antibiotics kill bacteria and prevent them from reproducing, and the drugs are credited with saving many lives.

Experts also caution that proving that a drug caused an adverse reaction is fraught with difficulty and point out that possible side effects are clearly listed on prescription medicines.

In the US however, there have been growing calls for fluoroquinolones to be restricted, and manufacturers have been forced to improve warnings on packaging. In 2001 a leading consultant, Dr Jay Cohen, published a groundbreaking if controversial article on the ‘severe and often disabling’ reactions some people sustain whilst taking fluoroquonolones.
Cohen said: ‘It is difficult to describe the severity of these reactions. They are devastating. Many of the people in my study were healthy before their reactions. Some were high intensity athletes. Suddenly they were disabled, in terrible pain, unable to work, walk, or sleep.’

The precise number of US cases is unclear but figures have suggested some fluoroquinolones have generated more than 14,000 adverse reaction reports, and been linked to as many as a 1000 deaths. Public Citizen, which successfully sued the US Food and Drug Administration for clearer warnings and a patient guide, says it took action after around 1,000 individuals suffered tendon rupture after taking fluoroquinolones. Clinical studies have linked the drug to this condition.

Electric shock symptoms

‘I loved life, exercise and movement, my wife, son, friends and work colleagues. Now I am crippled [and] the medical establishment appear to not be able to help me or take me seriously… struggling to keep sane and get through this,’ wrote Geoff Robinson in his diary documenting an apparent adverse reaction to ciprofloxacin.

The 39-year-old, from Sussex, was prescribed the drug last year as a precaution against a suspected urinary infection. The married father of one and fitness enthusiast told the Ecologist he has ‘gone from being uber fit to absolutely crushed with physical and nervous system damage’ after taking the antibiotics last November.

Following a month of unexplained pain in his abdomen and testicles, and after visiting his GP and hospital throughout October, Robinson was prescribed ciprofloxacin ‘just in case’ by a urologist unable to pinpoint the cause of his pain.

Several days after beginning the medication, Robinson found blood in his faeces, developed a mouth ulcer and had inflamed gums, as well as dizziness. In the following days he suffered panic attacks, feelings of disorientation and had growing pains across his perineum, penis and anus.
‘The pain had become unbearable,’ says Robinson, so much so that he had laid on the floor ‘in agony’. At one point ‘I was barely able to walk.’ The next day Robinson began experiencing cold sensations in his feet and calves, pins and needles in his hands, and - he maintains - his wedding ring ‘retracted and moved on its own.’
These symptoms evolved to include burning and crawling sensations on his skin, and an ‘electrical buzz’ type feeling – ‘shocks into eyes, teeth, head, face, legs, feet [and] parts of my body [were] jumping, twitching, spasms so significant [it] made me itch,’ Robinson recalled. He says he experienced an altered heart beat at night, with it feeling ‘very slow then speeding up.’
Just before Christmas Robinson reported pains in his armpits, his lymph gland under his chin became inflamed and he felt ‘pressure' in his head. In February, his ankle joints and shoulder began 'cracking', and his spine and right hip began 'clicking', alongside bouts of tinnitus. He went to hospital eight times – on three occasions in an ambulance. He also paid to see private practitioners. All struggled to diagnose him, despite a multitude of tests.
He was convinced the problems were down to the antibiotics, but several doctors ruled out ciprofloxacin, others were doubtful. One conceded that the antibiotic could have been responsible whilst another – a leading consultant – told him in person that he believed ciprofloxacin was probably to blame, but didn’t confirm this in later correspondence.
Robinson says that other medications he was prescribed alongside ciprofloxacin may have exacerbated the reaction: he was given diclofenac – a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug – to take with the antibiotics but chose not to take it until three days after he’d finished the ciprofloxacin. Fluoroquinolones and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be a potentially toxic combination, according to some experts. Although his adverse reaction began days before taking the diclofenac it’s possible, he believes, that the anti-inflammatory worsened the symptoms.

Robinson reported his condition, via the Yellow Card scheme, to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – which oversees drug licensing in the UK – and says they confirmed his symptoms were similar to side effects associated with ciprofloxacin.
Although he has recently carried out some work - he was previously signed off sick – he blames the reaction for putting huge pressure on his mental and physical health.
‘My son is 12 years old and was used to his dad taking him out and generally being very active,’ he says. ‘That’s not been possible.' Robinson says that the toll on his wife has been huge and that it's affected their relationship: ‘I cannot work, I cannot exercise, I cannot drive, which makes day to day trips difficult,’ he says. ‘No alcohol, multiple food allergies, no sex life, sensitivity to sound… it’s miserable.’

Excruciating pain

Rebecca Smith, 36, from London, describes a similar experience after being prescribed ciprofloxacin to treat a suspected urinary infection in October 2009. She told the Ecologist that her adverse reaction to the antibiotic has ‘limited anything I can do; I used to be very active, hiking [going on] holiday, singing in a choir’ and says that she’s suffered months of poor health.

She initially suffered a panic attack and shaking, experienced sharp pain in both of her heels, buzzing, cold sweats at night, numbness and a tightness in her chest. She also says the reaction has caused the veins in her feet to become much more prominent and for the hairs on her legs to fall out.

Smith was hospitalised for three days after taking the drug: ‘The pain was excruciating and spread; aches and pains in my arms and heels, my toes kept going numb… my GP said this was not side effects [of ciprofloxacin]… they suggested the pain in my heels was because “I was on my feet too much”’.

Seven months after the initial symptoms, Smith suffered a major flare up that she puts down to ‘residual damage’ caused to her nerves, tendons and muscles. She describes clasping a music holder during a concert in which she was singing and felt a burning and tingling in her forearms. Additionally, the backs of her elbows started to hurt. She was suffering from tendonitis, a side effect associated with ciprofloxacin.

‘At A&E they didn’t acknowledge this – [even though] I had mentioned the ciprofloxacin’. Later, Smith says her hands swelled up and went blue as a result of a ruptured tendon in her elbow: ‘I had to sit at home for a week, was off work for three weeks, I couldn’t type,’ she says.

Despite having much of her strength back Smith believes the reaction has weakened her; she had been due to undergo surgery for another condition but was taken off the list after the reaction as 'I couldn't cope with being on the crutches.' She says that even carrying out everyday tasks – like lifting her suitcase when on holiday recently – can still bring on unexpected pains and aches.

Smith says the majority of doctors she dealt with didn’t recognise her symptoms as an adverse reaction, although one said it was ‘possibly ciprofloxacin’.

Others who say they have been poisoned by ciprofloxacin complain that doctors discount – and appear to disbelieve even – that the drug can cause such severe reactions.

‘Apart from the pain of the reaction itself, getting people to listen and consider [ciprofloxacin] as an option is so challenging I almost gave up bothering’, Paul Jones, now recovering after an apparent reaction, recalls. “‘You shouldn’t believe what you read on the internet’ is a typical reply from the doctor, or, “you must listen to your doctor as they are right 99 per cent of the time” is another.’

The 32 year old, from Bristol, lost his job after reacting to a prescription of ciprofloxacin for suspected orchitis. Despite suffering a range of symptoms similar to Robinson and Smith he said his doctor ‘did not want to know’ and admits even trying to convince his family that ciprofloxacin might be responsible was hard.

The patients unanimously believe they were not warned about the possible side effects of ciprofloxacin. Although conceding that notes accompanying the medication do outline reactions they maintain it's the doctors responsibility to educate themselves and pass this info onto patients – and, crucially – to research links when problems are reported.

‘Doctors need to be better educated and shouldn’t be handing out drugs [they] know nothing about,’ says Smith. She believes the medical profession has treated her ‘terribly, it’s terrible when they’ve not listened to you,’ and – whilst acknowledging that there is a need for the drugs – says they should be more restricted.

Robinson argues more research needs carrying out into the side effects of ciprofloxacin and in the meantime says warnings with all fluoroquinolones should be made more prominent, as in the US.
He also says he believes that residues of fluoroquinolines in meat he has consumed may have caused his reactions to flare up significantly, raising concerns over the possible health implications of treating livestock with antibiotics.

Wider pattern of adverse reaction

All three are amongst a larger number of UK patients who have been reported for suspected adverse reactions to ciprofloxacin in recent years; figures obtained by the Ecologist reveal that 1,210 adverse reaction reports relating to the drug were submitted to the MHRA between January 2000 and March 2011. Forty-six deaths in the UK in the same period were also linked to ciprofloxacin.

The figures in turn form part of a wider pattern of adverse reactions to medications, with many people being admitted to hospital each year. A 2004 study by the University of Liverpool suggested that as many as 10,000 patients annually were dying in the UK because of adverse reactions. The researchers stressed the overwhelming majority taking medication do not suffer side-effects.

The researchers estimated – at the time – that adverse reactions were costing the NHS £466 million. More recent research by think-tank Compass put the figure at nearly £2 billion.

As in the US, those who say they suffered adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones believe the true figure is higher, as not everyone affected attributes symptoms to antibiotics, and doctors do not always make the link.

Experts caution however that establishing the precise cause of adverse reactions – and even proving that described symptoms are indeed an adverse drug reaction as opposed to an underlying medical condition – can be difficult.

Jeffrey Aronson, President Emeritus of the British Pharmacological Society, told the Ecologist that ‘only in a very few – and rare – cases [of adverse reactions] can you be sure. In 99.9 per cent of cases you don’t get obvious proof.’

Aronson says there is an assumption that people ‘take a tablet, get an effect’, and therefore that the two are linked. But the reality is that ‘things happen coincidentally, there is a tension here as [drugs] can cause adverse reactions but whether it was directly to blame for specific symptoms, that’s different.’

He said he was aware of tendonitis and tendon rupture being associated with fluoroquinolones.

In a statement to the Ecologist, the MHRA said: ‘All medicines have side effects - no effective medicine is without risk. The priority of the MHRA is to ensure that the benefits of medication outweigh the risks. It is important to note that a report of an adverse drug reaction does not prove that it was caused by the drug. Other factors such as the underlying disease or other medicines may contribute to suspected adverse reactions.’

The body acknowledged that ‘as with any medicine, ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones may cause side effects in some people.’ The MHRA confirmed that it had ‘received 46 reports of suspected side effects with a fatal outcome in association with ciprofloxacin via the Yellow Card Scheme’ between 2000 and the present day, but said ‘whilst such reports may relate to true side effects, they may also be coincidental events due to factors such as underlying or undiagnosed illness or infection.'

‘Such figures must also be considered within the context of the serious infections ciprofloxacin is used to treat, and the number of people treated. For instance, in 2010 alone around 1 million prescriptions for ciprofloxacin were dispensed by community pharmacists in the UK,’ the statement continued.

Does the benefit outweigh the harm?

Aronson says the onus should be on doctors to explain possible side effects of drugs. “‘I’ll look it up” – that would be what would be expected of a good doctor,’ he said. He added the first port of call would ordinarily be a ‘summary of product characteristics’ document, followed by a package insert containing warnings of adverse affects – known as a ‘patient information leaflet’. He also said all doctors have access to the British National Formulary, a database that provides practical information and guidance on the use of medicines, and the Electronic Medicines Compendium.

Claudia Louch, a Harley Street-based natural skin care expert with a background in pharmacology and allergies said it was hard to be certain how widespread recognition of the problem amongst healthcare professionals was.

‘This is difficult to estimate as it depends on what practitioners prescribe to their patients, how this is monitored by the practitioner, as well as symptoms reported to the practitioner by the patient; there are a lot of grey areas, as the patient may have other pre-existing conditions, which may confuse the general picture and terms of symptoms as causing similar types of symptoms in the first instance.’

The MHRA says it believes current drug labelling is adequate, and that the patient information leaflet ‘is a useful basis to aid a discussion between prescribers and patients on the risks and benefits of a medicine’. The body said health care professionals were kept updated with any developments.

Medical experts say that tackling adverse reactions is complex. ‘It’s a case of asking, “what’s the benefit, does it outweigh the harm?,’” says Aronson. He cites the example of someone suffering a headache and someone suffering from cancer: ‘In the case of cancer one might be prepared to [to risk] a severe adverse reaction, with a headache that might not apply.’ He admitted that work to ‘improve prescribing’ needed to be done, as some doctors are ‘not well enough trained in prescribing.’

In the event of a pattern of serious reactions to a specific drug being reported, health officials have a number of options – amendments to labelling, voluntary withdrawal by the medicine’s manufacturer, or a recommendation by the MHRA for the drug’s licence to be withdrawn.

Bayer, manufacturer of ciprofloxacin, declined to respond to the Ecologist.

Read this article as a pdf

*The names of some patients have been changed

	READ MORE...
	NEWS ANALYSIS Adverse reactions lead US patients to ask 'just how safe are antibiotics?' 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 drug manufacturers and medical regulatory bodies. Carey Purcell reports
	NEWS ANALYSIS Overuse of drugs in animal farming linked to growing antibiotic-resistance in humans Urgent calls from health experts to reduce antibiotic use on intensive farms are largely resisted by the agribusiness food lobby, who downplay its role in the spread of antibiotic resistance in humans. Tom Levitt reports
	NEWS E.coli and salmonella resistance 'spreading' due to antibiotics overuse Defra urged to stop 'downplaying' the problem and ban 'unacceptable' advertising of antibiotics to farmers
	INVESTIGATION Special report Can the NHS ever be green? Delny Britton investigates the hidden impacts of western mainstream medicine - including pollution from pharmaceutical products, high carbon emissions and adverse drug reactions - and asks whether the healthcare sector can ever be truly sustainable
	NEWS ANALYSIS Radiation: are we putting our health at risk with increased CT scans? Tesco provoked an outcry by offering Clubcard members the opportunity to redeem points for a CT scan. Now, increasing numbers of scans in NHS and private hospitals are causing concerns that we are over-exposing ourselves to radiation

Previous Articles...

| Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email a Friend | Print this
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s Worse Than You Know

In a May, 2014 letter to the U.S. Senate, Doctor Jay S. Cohen said of fluoroquinolones, “In my 40+ years in pharmacovigilance, FQs (fluoroquinolones) surpass Vioxx and Thalidomide in the degree of permanent harm done.” Let that sink in for a bit.
Fluoroquinolones – cipro/ciprofloxacin, levaquin/levofloxacin, avelox/moxifloxacin and floxin/ofloxacin – drugs that are seen as simple antibiotics (though they do severe cellular harm and are more appropriate for use as chemotherapy drugs), that are prescribed more than 20 million times per year in the U.S. alone – are doing more harm than Vioxx – a drug that led to more than 140,000 American heart attacks, and Thalidomide – a drug that has caused birth-defects and deaths of thousands of children world-wide.
Vioxx has been removed from the market, and the use of Thalidomide is severely restricted. Fluoroquinolones, on the other hand, are prescribed with abandon, despite the fact that hundreds of studies have shown that they do severe cellular damage and thousands of patients have filed reports with the FDA noting that a variety of severe health problems have been experienced after taking a fluoroquinolone.

Transgenerational Side-Effects

I have argued that fluoroquinolones have transgenerational ill effects and that children are suffering because of the epigenetic effects of fluoroquinolones (HERE and HERE). I have never hoped to be wrong about anything more than my assertions that fluoroquinolones are related to autism, but the possibility exists – because we really don’t know what the transgenerational effects of microbiome destruction and depletion of mitochondrial DNA are – and fluoroquinolones do, indeed, both obliterate the microbiome and deplete the only non-redundant form of DNA that we have – mitochondrial DNA. (1)

Direct Damage Done by Fluoroquinolones

>>> more clik the link

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/06/25/these-popular-antibiotics-are-prescribed-to-millions-every-year-they-have-detrimental-effects-everyone-needs-to-be-aware-of-this/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.iajpr.com/archive/volume-3/september-2013/13sep59.html

Abstract

This is a case report of 13 year old female patient, who was on Ciprofloxacin and Piroxicam tablets for the treatment of fever. Purpuric rash were developed all over the body on the 5^th day from drug administration. The patient was then admitted to intensive care unit at a hospital, where her condition was diagnosed as Idiopathic Thrombocytic Purpura (ITP) or vasculitis. Later it was found that, the patient was suffering from “Drug Induced Lupus (DIL)”, and the drug behind the reaction was suspected to be Ciprofloxacin. The patient was experiencing purpura rash all over the body and pustular rash all around the mouth with low levels of platelets. Ciprofloxacin induced lupus is very rarely observed, the present ADR has scored 5 on naranjo scale and is severe according to Hartwig and Siegel scale of causality assessment.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/228417097/Ciprofloxacin-Induced-Systemic-Lupus-Erythematosus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.hormonesmatter.com/fluoroquinolone-antibiotics-fungal-infections/
Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics and Systemic Fungal Infections – A Real Problem

Thursday, February 6th, 2014 / Lisa Bloomquist
Assignment – write about how fluoroquinolone (Cipro/Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/Levofloxacin, Avelox/Moxifloxacin and Floxin/Ofloxacin) use can cause deadly systemic fungal infections.
It has been a difficult assignment for me to complete because I have read so much about the havoc that fluoroquinolones wreak on cells – they deplete mtDNA, cause chromosomal abnormalities, disrupt the balance of minerals within cells, cause oxidative stress, etc. All of these effects of fluoroquinolones cause harm to those who take them. So, it has been difficult for me to shift modes, from thinking that the damage mechanism for fluoroquinolones is cellular damage, to noting that damage can be done by systemic fungal infections that take root after the fluoroquinolones have killed all of the good bacteria in the gut. It’s not an either/or situation though. Fluoroquinolones can cause cellular damage AND they can kill all of the good bacteria in the gut, leaving the person who takes the fluoroquinolone susceptible to systemic fungal infections. Fungal infections are one of the many chronically harmful effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
All broad-spectrum antibiotics can cause fungal infections. The “use of antimicrobials is the main reason for the loss of the normal flora and its replacement by potentially pathogenic microorganisms, such as gram-negative aerobic bacilli and Candida species.” This is another reason that I am struggling with this post. I have written multiple posts going over how fluoroquinolones are categorically different from all the other antibiotics. (They are more similar to chemotherapy drugs than they are to penicillin.) None of the other classes of antibiotics cause a chronic syndrome that includes destruction of all connective tissue throughout the body – including tendons, muscles, cartilage, etc. None of the other classes of antibiotics damage all the nervous systems – including the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. Fluoroquinolones do.
Again, it’s not an either/or situation though. It is possible that some of the symptoms of fluoroquinolone toxicity stem from systemic fungal infections, while others stem from cellular damage. Symptoms like fatigue, brain-fog, food intolerances, etc. that occur both with fluoroquinolone toxicity and candida-related complex may be the result of fungal infections in those who are suffering from fluoroquinolone toxicity or they may be a result of mitochondrial damage, or both. Fluoroquinolone toxicity and candida-related complex are not mutually exclusive diseases. In fact, there may be a huge amount of overlap between the two. It was noted in an article entitled Levofloxacin and Moxifloxacin Increase Human Gut Colonization by Candida Species that fluoroquinolones, “significantly increase the concentration of Candida species in the human gut. Hence, these agents should be used with caution in patients at risk for systemic fungal infections.” Patients at risk for systemic fungal infections include those who are immunocompromised, on corticosteroid drugs and other risk factors. In addition to causing cellular damage, fluoroquinolones also open the door for colonization of candida in the gut of those who take them.
Perhaps I shouldn’t downplay the severity of fungal infections. It is not “just” a fungal infection, just like an adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone is not “just” a side-effect – both are chronic syndromes. They are not a light matter. If a systemic fungal infection takes hold, it can be deadly – and often is. Debra Anderson noted in her post “Glabrata – A Deadly Post Fluoroquinolone Risk You’ve Never Heard Of” that 67-90% of diagnosed blood borne glabrata cases are fatal. Debra’s glabrata infection was brought on by a combination of steroids and fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The steroids weakened her immune system, the fluoroquinolones killed all of the good bacteria in her gut that were keeping the candida at bay, and the glabrata (a kind of candida) took over. She is fighting a tough battle. It’s a battle for her life and it is nothing to trivialize. Debra is one of two “floxie” friends of mine who are battling glabrata. The other friend has recently received a diagnosis of terminal from her doctor, she has entered hospice care and she does not expect to last much longer.
Systemic candida has been trivialized by many though – “Conventional medical practitioners do not recognize candida-related complex as a disease.” Candida causes symptoms like chronic congestion, sugar cravings, food intolerances, difficulty thinking / brain fog, skin rashes, reoccurring yeast and urinary tract infections, etc. There is a tendency to dismiss these symptoms as insignificant because they are difficult to measure and quantify, they are based on patient reports, and it is easy to think of them as things that everyone experiences. Who doesn’t have sugar cravings and brain fog? The fact that popular diets abound diminishing candida exist, and thus self-diagnosis is common, don’t help to encourage traditional medical practitioners to recognize the symptoms of candida-related complex. However, there are thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles noting the very real problems of candida infections. Systemic, chronic candida infections are real – and serious.
Systemic fungal infections are also serious because they are difficult to treat. Fungi adapt quickly to anti-fungal drugs, and develop resistance to them. Candida form biofilms. Biofilms “consist of matrix-enclosed microcolonies of yeasts and hyphae, arranged in a bilayer structure. The biofilms are resistant to a range of antifungal agents currently in clinical use, including amphotericin B and fluconazole, and there appear to be multiple resistance mechanisms.”* Additionally, antifungal drugs can be dangerous in themselves. Many antifungal drugs cause kidney and liver failure, which can lead to death.
Per the article Antifungal Resistance and New Strategies to Control Fungal Infections, “At the beginning of the 20^th century, bacterial epidemics were a global and important cause of mortality. In contrast, fungal infections were almost not taken into account. Since the late 1960s when antibiotic therapies were developed, a drastic rise in fungal infections was observed, and they currently represent a global health threat.” The global health threat of fungal infections is serious, and not something to trivialize. Fungal infections can be deadly, and the treatment options for getting rid of them are limited.
The causal link between antibiotics and fungal infections should be thoroughly considered by both doctors and patients before unnecessarily strong antibiotics are prescribed or administered, especially before they are prescribed in conjunction with corticosteroid drugs. It should be noted that, “use of antibiotics and immunosuppressive drugs such as corticosteroids are major factors contributing to higher frequency of fungal infections. Antibiotics and immunosuppressive drugs, by disrupting normal bacterial colonization and suppressing the immune system, create an environment within the body in which fungi can thrive.” Whether fungal infections manifest themselves in ways that are not life-threatening but do inhibit a person’s quality of life – like developing food intolerances or brain fog – or whether they become systemic and life-threatening – like bloodstream glabrata infections – they are real and should be taken seriously.
Antibiotic use has consequences. The rise in fungal infections is one of the consequences of antibiotic use. As very strong antibiotics that also damage mammalian cells, fluoroquinolones have even more consequences than other kinds of antibiotics. Sorting out which symptoms of fluoroquinolone toxicity are a result of cellular damage and which symptoms are a result of fungal infections is not something that has yet occurred or been written up in scientific literature. Both cellular damage and fungal infections should be taken seriously though –they are not trivial and they can be deadly.
* The glabrata form of candida is particularly difficult to diagnose and treat because the fungi don’t have hyphae. More information can be found in Debra Anderson’s article, “Without hyphae, it is very difficult to culture, biopsy or see glabrata under a microscope. Due to the fact that it cannot be easily diagnosed, it is usually is not discovered in a person until they are very sick and by then it is a race against time to save the individual.”

Participate in Research

Hormones Matter^TM is conducting research on the side effects and adverse events associated with the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and others: The Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Side Effects Study. The study is anonymous, takes 20-30 minutes to complete and is open to anyone who has used a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Please complete the study and help us understand the scope of fluoroquinolone reactions.
Hormones Matter^TM conducts other crowdsourced surveys on medication reactions. To take one of our other surveys, click here.
To sign up for our newsletter and receive weekly updates on the latest research news, click here.

What Else Can I Do To Help?

Hormones Matter^TM is completely unfunded at this juncture and we rely entirely on crowdsourcing and volunteers to conduct the research and produce quality health education materials for the public. If you’d like help us improve healthcare with better data, get involved. Become an advocate, spread the word about our site, our research and our mission. Suggest a study. Share a study. Join our team. Write for us. Partner with us. Help us grow. For more information contact us at: info@hormonesmatter.com.

To support Hormones Matter and our research projects – Crowdfund Us.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/17/antibiotics-avelox-cipro-levaquin-triggered-life-altering-neuropathy/

http://www.doctorbob.com/dm--reactions-to-cipro.html

http://www.avaaz.org/fr/petition/Interdire_les_quinolones_en_medecine_de_ville/?pv=0

http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-fda-require-black-box-warnings-on-all-fluoroquinolone-drugs-for-risk-of-permanent-central-nervous-system-peripheral-nervous-system-damage

Priscilla Newcomb 65 percent of people have FQ ADRs. that means 35 percent get off scot-free; no ADRs.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/sns-rt-us-health-kidney-antibioticsbre953130-20130604,0,2791408.story

http://www.ehealthme.com/levaquin/levaquin-side-effects

http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-fda-require-black-box-warnings-on-all-fluoroquinolone-drugs-for-risk-of-permanent-central-nervous-system-peripheral-nervous-system-damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://blogs.naturalnews.com/fluoroquinolone-toxicity-for-dummies/

Natural News Blogs > Health

Fluoroquinolone Toxicity for Dummies

By Erin Wilson
Posted Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 08:42pm EDT

Fluoroquinolone drugs are the atomic bomb of antibiotics. Designed only to be used in extreme situations as a drug of last resort, fluorquinolones have emerged in the last 10 years as the doctors first line drug. Market under the names Cipro, Levaquin and Avelox, these antibiotics are the equivalent of taking a wrecking ball to a doll house. The side effects for many are disabling and long term, many victims not even experiencing side effects until as far as 8 months out. The list of physical ailments from this drugs are long and varied, each victim having their own “grocery list” of physical complaints. These complaints can include, joint pain and swelling, stiffness, mental issues such as severe free floating anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, insomnia, uncontrollable twitching and jerking, severe food iltollerances and the list goes on. For more on the dangers and symptoms visit The Fluoroquinolone Victims Advocacy Network. http://fluoroquinolonevictimsadvocacynetwork.webs.com/drug-dangers
Quinolones were discovered in the 1960’s as a byproduct of quinine synthesis. Experimental modifications to the quinolone nucleus have produced over 10,000 agents, many of which expressed antibacterial properties as topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase) and topoisomerase IV inhibitors. Quinolones were discovered in the 1960’s as a byproduct of quinine synthesis.
Experimental modifications to the quinolone nucleus have produced over 10,000 agents, many of which expressed antibacterial properties as topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase) and topoisomerase IV inhibitors. What does all that techinical jargon mean? I stated this is “Fluoroquinolones for Dummies” here’s what it means. Fluoroquinolones stop bacteria from replicating by damaging the DNA strand that makes replication possible. That’s great if it only stopped the replication of bacteria but they don’t. They also stop the healthy DNA from replicating so the results are you no longer have a UTI, now you have damage to your DNA. Not a good trade off if you ask me.
Standard antibiotics work in a way that the drugs permeate the cell walls of the bacteria and essentially “pop” the the outer lining, thus hindering the integrity of the cell wall and stopping replication. Imagine a water balloon that someone pops with a needle. Simple right? Fluoroquinolones are the equivalent to throwing a bags of rock into a moving car engine and expecting it to slowly and safely stop the vehicle. It will stop the car but it’s not a safe or sound way of going about the process.
If you believe you have been harmed by Levaquin Avelox or Cipro, there is help. http://fluoroquinolonevictimsadvocacynetwork.webs.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.thestreet.com/story/12720126/1/grassroots-momentum-builds-for-warning-public-of-fluoroquinolone-antibiotic-toxicity-allegedly-damaging-the-dna-of-thousands-of-victims.html

========================================================================

http://forum.myquinstory.info/
http://www.counterpunch.org/2008/01/12/the-ignored-risks-of-fluoroquinolones/

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/gut-biota-never-recover-antibiotics-damages-future-generations

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Study+suggests+commonly+used+class+antibiotics+linked+kidney/8471383/story.html

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/fluoroquinolone-antibiotics-linked-severe-liver-damage

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Linked To Severe Liver Damage

In a nine-year population study, Canadian researchers have determined that at least two fluoroquinolone-based antibiotics – commonly given to patients with respiratory infections, diarrhea, conjunctivitis and other infections — cause acute liver damage.
The research comes from Toronto's Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, the University of Toronto, and the Ontario Departments of Medicine and Healthy Policy, Management and Evaluation. The research team was led by David N. Juurlink, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of clinical pharmacology at the University of Toronto and a leading liver disease researcher.
The researchers analyzed liver injury cases for different antibiotics over nine years in a hospital population from Ontario. The antibiotics studied included moxifloxacin, levofloxacin, cefuroxime axetil and ciprofloxacin. They studied cases where patients were prescribed antibiotics at some point between 2002 and 2011. They matched the patients with other patients of the same age and sex that were given other antibiotics. Liver damage cases were compared to patients prescribed the antibiotic clarithromycin. None of the study population had a history of liver injury or disease prior to the study.
The researchers found that those patients given the moxifloxacin antibiotic had more than double the risk of acute liver injury, while those given levofloxacin had almost twice the risk of liver damage when compared to those taking clarithromycin. Moxifloxacin and levofloxacin are both fluoroquinolones.
The study population yielded 144 patients who suffered from severe liver injury inside of 30 days from the time they began taking one of these antibiotics. Of those 144 patients, over 60% of them – 88 patients – died of liver complications as a result of their use of these antibiotics.

Does this mean clarithromycin does not cause liver damage?

While the comparison of these antibiotics to clarithromycin might make clarithromycin look like it does not cause liver damage, that is not the case. Studies have shown that clarithromycin also can cause two types of acute liver injury. These include increased serum aminotransferase levels and jaundice. These forms of liver damage can occur from a week to three weeks after beginning treatment or they can increase over time with longer prescription periods.
Raised serum aminotransferase levels can be dangerous in the short run, sometimes causing fatality. Jaundiced liver damage, however, can cause long term damage to the liver resulting in weakened liver function for years after the prescription.

Other risks of fluoroquinolone antibiotics

Liver damage is not the only risk of fluoroquinolone antibiotic therapy. Other possible adverse side effects of these medications include peripheral neuropathy, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), photosensivity and phototoxicity (skin damage from sun), pseudomembranous colitis (intestinal cramping), psychotic reactions and intestinal infections including severe Clostridium difficile infections.
Other research has confirmed the connection between antibiotic therapy and sometimes-deadly Clostridium difficile infections. In a review of 1,138 studies published by the Healthcare Infection Society, deaths from Clostridium difficile infections associated with antibiotic prescriptions more than doubled between 1999 and 2004. And the recurrence of Clostridium difficile infections despite specific antibiotic treatment reached as high as 36% in some of the studies.
Other research has shown that Clostridium difficile infections can be prevented using probiotics. A meta-study that reviewed 34 studies including 4,138 patients found that using probiotics cut the risk of Clostridium difficile infection by half for those using antibiotics.
As to whether probiotics can prevent or ameliorate liver damage associated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics, that is another question entirely.
Click here to learn more about probiotics.

REFERENCES

Paterson JM, Mamdani MM, Manno M, Juurlink DN. Fluoroquinolone therapy and idiosyncratic acute liver injury: a population-based study. CMAJ. 2012 Aug 13.
Caramaschi P, Mahamid H, Bambara LM, Biasi D. Liver impairment after concomitant administration of bosentan and clarithromycin in systemic sclerosis. Joint Bone Spine. 2010 Jan;77(1):81-2.
Wiegand PN, Nathwani D, Wilcox MH, Stephens J, Shelbaya A, Haider S. Clinical and economic burden of Clostridium difficile infection in Europe: a systematic review of healthcare-facility-acquired infection. J Hosp Infect. 2012 May;81(1):1-14.
Adams C. Probiotics – Protection Against Infection: Using Nature's Tiny Warriors To Stem Infection and Fight Disease. Logical Books, 2012.

Case Adams is a California Naturopath and holds a Ph.D. in Natural Health Sciences. His focus is upon science-based natural health solutions. He is the author of 25 books on natural health and numerous print and internet articles. His work can be found at http://www.caseadams.com.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.

According to the official fluoroquinolone prescription monographs and to clinical symptomatic experience of several of my non-celiac and/or celiac gluten sensitive patients, Rx such as moxifloxacin, vigamox (cataract surgeries), etc. also have been shown to trigger:

chronic Trigeminal Neuralgia (for obvious reasons called "the Suicide Disease")
brittle tendons and tendon ruptures.

Flag as offensive

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.medicationsense.com/fluoroquinolone.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.drug-injury.com/druginjurycom/2012/08/levaquin-liver-avelox-hepatic-failure-fluoroquinolones-hepatotoxicity-cmaj-antibiotics-side-effects.html

« New 2012 Medical Study Shows NuvaRing Doubles The Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attack, And The Degree Of Risk Increases With Age | Main | Increasing Number Of Pradaxa Lawsuits Against Boehringer Are Consolidated In Federal Court MDL »

Antibiotics Levaquin And Avelox Linked To Increased Risk Of Liver Injury In Older Patients According To New Canadian Study

August 2012 CMAJ Medical Journal Article Adds To Hepatotoxicity Evidence Against These Two Fluoroquinolone Drugs
(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)
According to a case-control study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on August 13, 2012, "Fluoroquinolone therapy and idiosyncratic acute liver injury: A population-based study"(full text), the use of two common antibiotics, Avelox (moxifloxacin) and Levaquin (levofloxacin), among older patients is associated with an increased risk of acute liver injury.
From the Abstract for this August 2012 CMAJ article:

Background: ... Regulatory warnings have identified [Avelox (moxifloxacin)] as presenting a particular risk of hepatotoxicity. Thus, we examined the risk of idiosyncratic acute liver injury associated with the use of [Avelox] relative to other selected antibiotic agents.

Methods: ... We calculated odds ratios (ORs) to determine the association between admission to hospital and previous exposure to an antibiotic agent [ -- Avelox (moxifloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin), Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Ceftin (cefuroxime axetil) or Biaxin (clarithromycin) -- ], using clarithromycin as the reference.

Results: A total of 144 patients were admitted to hospital for acute liver injury within 30 days of receiving a prescription for one of the identified drugs. Of these patients, 88 (61.1%) died while in hospital. After multivariable adjustment, use of either [Avelox] (adjusted OR 2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–3.98) or [Levaquin] (adjusted OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.01–3.39) was associated with an increase in risk of acute liver injury relative to the use of clarithromycin. We saw no such risk associated with the use of either [Cipro] or [Ceftin].

In summary, Avelox and Levaquin were associated with roughly a doubling of the risk for serious and sometimes fatal drug-induced liver injury, relative to Biaxin.
______________________________________________________________________________

Free Levaquin Case Evaluation
Strictly Confidential, No Obligation.

______________________________________________________________________________
For a more complete discussion of this August 2012 medical journal article about the increased risk of hepatotoxicity, or liver damage, associated with Avelox and Levaquin, see this MedPage Today report, "Levaquin and Avelox: Two Quinolones Linked to Liver Injury in Seniors", which includes the following:

"Although our results require confirmation in other settings, they suggest that both [Avelox (moxifloxacin)] and [Levaquin (levofloxacin)] be considered for regulatory warnings regarding acute liver injury," the authors wrote....

They acknowledged that the study was limited by the use of administrative data, and lack of information on liver function, actual medication use, use of nonprescription drugs, or cause of death. They also could not control for genetic susceptibility to liver injury. Finally, the inclusion of patients 66 and older who were admitted to the hospital only, which precludes conclusions about younger patients and those with less severe liver injury.

Nonetheless, "our findings make an important contribution to an evidence base that is currently limited to case reports and registries of drug-induced liver injury," they said.

In fact, the link between liver damage, including liver failure, and Avelox or Levaquin has been on our radar for the past five years, as seen by this list of past articles:
Antibiotic Avelox Linked To Severe Liver Injury Side Effects, Again -- Will The FDA Be The Last To Insist On Increased Warning; In Fall 2007 Bayer Updated Its Avalox Label In Europe (March 2010)

EU Drug Watchdog Wants Avelox Use Limited Mainly Due To Liver Toxicity Concerns -- Risk Of Adverse Hepatic Reactions, Including Fatal Liver Injury, Is Cited by European Regulators At July 2008 Meeting (July 2008)
Will There Be An Avelox - Liver Toxicity Warning Letter From Bayer Coming Soon In The U.S., Or Not? -- In July 2008 FDA Said Avelox, With Other Antibiotics In Fluoroquinolone Class, Would Add A "Black-Box" Warning For Tendinitis And Tendon Ruptures (July 2008)
February 2008 "Dear Doctor" Letter About Avelox / Avalox Is Sent By Bayer In Europe -- Action Reportedly Intended To Emphasize 2007 Label Change About Severe, Possibly Fatal Liver And Skin Side Effects (February 2008)

Levaquin Associated With Blood Sugar Problems And Liver Disorders -- January 2007 Article Sets Forth Reports Made To Health Canada In Past Ten Years (January 2007)
If you are aware of a Levaquin or Avelox liver injury situation, please let us know by submitting a Comment below or by using our Drug Injury Law online Case Evaluation service.
______________________________________________________________________________
DrugInjuryLaw.com: Legal Information And News About Prescription Drug Side Effects
Drug Injury Case Evaluation - Free & Confidential

Posted by Tom Lamb on August 14, 2012 in Side Effect: Liver Failure (hepatitis, acute liver failure, liver transplant) | Permalink

Technorati Tags: antibiotics, Avelox, CMAJ, drug injury, drug-induced, fluoroquinolones, hepatic failure, hepatotoxicity, Levaquin, liver damage, liver injury, side effects

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c89dd53ef01676944920a970b
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Antibiotics Levaquin And Avelox Linked To Increased Risk Of Liver Injury In Older Patients According To New Canadian Study:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/03/30/patients-reporting-serious-adverse-reactions-to-popular-antibiotics/

DENVER (CBS4) – There is growing concern about some of the most popular antibiotics that are prescribed to cure everything from earaches to life-threatening bacterial infections. Some patients say the drugs are making them sicker.
At his dining room table with his family watching, Michael Kaferly slowly injected a powerful antioxidant called glutathione.
“Just like Popeye I say, ‘This is my spinach … makes me better,” Kaferly said.
For Kaferly, “better” is hard to come by.
“I have a burning pain, a numb-tingly pain,” he said. “I have a ripping pain, especially in my heart.”
He traces it back to September 2008 when he took the antibiotic Levaquin for a cough.
“After the first pill I noticed that I wasn’t able to follow conversations with coworkers,” Kaferly said. “I woke up on Oct. 6, 2008 and I couldn’t feel my legs.”
The former IT specialist can’t work anymore. The once athletic father dropped 60 pounds.
“All I wanted to do was go hold my little boy before I died and let him know who I was,” Kaferly said.
His case is extreme, but thousands of patients have reported adverse reactions to Levaquin. It’s one of a popular class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. In 2011 Lisa Bloomquist took the fluoroquinolone called ciproflaxacin for a urinary tract infection. She said she developed vision problems, memory loss and painful joints.
“I went from going to the gym every day to barely being able to walk,” Bloomquist said.

She says she’s mostly recovered and manages the fluoroquinolone wall of pain.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.wjbf.com/story/22068580/are-common-antibiotics-making-you-sick

Are Common Antibiotics Making You Sick?

Augusta, GA - Judith Cohen was prescribed a common antibiotic for a cold.
But what happened after that was something she never imagined.
Judith Cohen of Martinez, Georgia says, "I had searing, burning pain all over the back of me and my shoulders and my arms down to right where a short sleeved shirt would end. It was very scary, I didn't know what it was."
Judith's doctor says what she is experiencing is called fluoroquinolone toxicity and her symptoms are severe.
"I never had anything like that before. I couldn't lift my arms. I couldn't do anything. I had a paralysis. My husband had to carry me around and lift me and bathe me and dress me and so on," said Cohen.
Then the symptoms got even worse.
"I also had 4 months of complete insomnia. I might have slept an hour a night. I had to be strapped into bed with Velcro so that I would not jackknife my body and end up on the floor, which was what was happening," said Cohen.
The pharmacy manager for Georgia Regents Medical Center explains the dangers for some.
Dr. Christy Norman says, "Flouroquinolones may also have toxicity associated with them. There are certain things that we would be concerned about that have been published in the literature. The first being any cardiac risk."
Norman says there are no tests that can be run and if you suspect any side effects to report them immediately to your physician.
Judith is a patient rep for the FDA and if she is well enough she hopes to be marching in a few weeks in Washington, D.C. to get the word out about the dangers some people may experience from taking these drugs.
In Augusta, meteorologist Jason Nappi, WJBF, News Channel 6.
For more information about fluroquinolone toxicity advocacy go to Judith's web site:
www.FQActionNetwork.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amy Celto Bellomy met Jane Crosby en 6 anderen

PERMANENT DNA DAMAGE. Those of us "living" this hell are not surprised! Thank you Jerzy and Joe King for posting:

ABSTRACT FOR MY FRIENDS WORKING IN MEDICAL FIELD It is Time for Doctors to rethink their approach to FQ victims. Doctors must understand that a patient with a FQ DNA-adduct is not having an ADR (adverse drug reaction) to the FQs Cipro, Avalox, Levaquin.
A
Alatrofloxacin
Amifloxacin
B
Balofloxacin
Besifloxacin
C
Cadazolid
Ciprofloxacin
Clinafloxacin
D
Danofloxacin
Delafloxacin
Difloxacin
E
Enoxacin
E cont.
Enrofloxacin
F
Fleroxacin
G
Gatifloxacin
Gemifloxacin
Grepafloxacin
K
Abdullahi v. Pfizer, Inc.
L
Levofloxacin
Lomefloxacin
M
Marbofloxacin
Moxifloxacin
N
Nadifloxacin
Norfloxacin
O
Ofloxacin

Joe King
Fluoroquinolone Research Momentum Builds, Phase II In Preparation
Fluoroquinolone DNA-Adduct Testing Project Results
By Joseph King

WARNING; You may forward this information, but it is prohibited to be published by any publication without the permission of the author and research team.

Research published over the last decade demonstrates that Fluoroquinolone antibiotics possess the potential to adduct to human DNA at both the cellular and mitochondria DNA levels. Fluoroquinolone DNA-adducts have been suspected as a potential culprit in post–Fluoroquinolone illness, but no human Fluoroquinolone DNA-adduct clinical studies have been conducted and published until now. Therefore, over the past six months (beginning at the end of August 2013) discrete testing of a diverse sampling of individuals devastated by the Fluoroquinolone antibiotics was conducted. I was asked to direct this research and coordinate the investigation with a team of biochemist, biogenetic engineers, toxicologist, pharmacologist, and microbiologist both nationally and internationally.

BACKGROUND:

DNA adducts are chemical compounds that are bound to one or more of the amino acid protein molecules constructing the DNA of living organisms. Once this event occurs, that section of the organisms DNA and the section's representative gene is fractured. The source of the chemical compounds that bind and fracture DNA can be either exogenous or endogenous and can also include metabolites (fragments) of chemical molecular structures.
Other words, the entire compound, a fragment of the compound, or a metabolite formed from the compound can adduct to the DNA amino acid structure if there is a molecular attraction between any of the two. The Fluoroquinolones demonstrate such a molecular attraction. A DNA-adduct will subsequently block that corresponding gene's expression and ability to replicate correctly. This hinders that gene's ability to encode and correctly oversee the production of the protein synthesis necessary for its associated cell and tissue regeneration, replication, and repair. This is better known as genotoxicity

Along the entire DNA helix, there are sections that represent the genes that makeup that living organism. The Human Genome Project has revealed that there are approximately 20,000-25,000 genes sectionalized along our DNA. Genes are responsible for every aspect of maintaining that organism by, amongst other functions, orchestrating the reproduction and repair of cells. Cells that makeup the liver, brain, nerves, muscles, connective tissue, bones, and all other organs of the human body. One major role that genes play is the encoding of protein, taking ingested protein and manufacturing new cells, like muscle cells. But if that gene is damaged through a DNA-adduct, the bio-chemical formula held by that gene (encoding) for mixing the protein correctly in the manufacturing of new cells (for that organ) is flawed, mutated. If this occurs, that organ of the body does not repair or replenish itself correctly or timely, and begins to manifest a variety of symptoms, pain, fatigue, wasting, and others. In numerous cases the body will respond to these flawed cells as alien, and produce antibodies to attack these cells as an autoimmune response. This autoimmune response can produce inflammation, pain, debilitation, and additional health and physical challenges.

Today the most efficient and exacting testing for compounds adducting to DNA is the use of High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). A tandem mass spectrometer is a specialized instrument that detects chemical compounds by measuring their molecular weight (mass). Mass spectrometers determines and quantifies the weight of the molecules (Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, etc.) comprising a chemical compound electronically, and produces a spectrogram displaying the exact weights of each segment of the compound, this is known as a mass spectrum-spectrogram. This is a highly accurate and specific analysis since each chemical structure retains its own unique molecular weight formed from its unique atomic structure. Additional verification is provided through the instrument by providing the individual molecular mass (weights) of the segments (fragments) of molecules (atoms) arranged to produce the chemical compound. In essence, Tandem Mass Spectrometry reveals the compound, the group of molecules arranged to make the compound, and structural information at the molecular level surrounding the compound under investigation. Think of it as revealing the forest, the arrangement of the trees, the grouping of the trees, and the type of trees in each of the groups producing the forest.

TESTING RESULTS:

This testing commenced in late August 2013. Analysis has been ongoing to date, and will continue throughout 2014.

Five individuals were selected that had been dosed with a Fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics; primarily Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) or Levofloxacin (Levaquin) . Each participant was selected based upon duration of dosing and currently reported medical conditions that did not pre-exist prior to administering the antibiotic. To be included in the study, participants had to be exposed to a fluoroquinolone at least three years prior. This time frame was established to ensure that serum circulating levels of FQs would be dissipated from blood samples as indicated by the drug manufacturers. All individuals were voluntary participants in this study.

Three females and two males where selected. Demographics of participants varied from national and international locations. Occupational backgrounds greatly varied, but where limited to professional employment and thereby absent of any hazardous or industrial materials exposure or chemical toxins.

Participant Age Antibiotic Dosing Duration Year Occupation
Male 47 CPX 500mg x 2 42 days 2010 Professional
Male 50 LVX 500mg x 2 7 days 2010 Professional
Female 51 CPX/LVX 500mg x 2 30 days 2009 Researcher
Female 38 LVX 750mg x 1 1 day 2010 Professional
Female 42 CPX 500mg x 2 7 days 2010 Consultancy
[ Ciprofloxacin (CPX), Levofloxacin (LVX)]

All five participants reported good health prior to ingesting FQs, were physically fit, active, cognitive, non-sedentary, and non-recreational drug users. All five demonstrated extensive genetic damage as determined by gene-sequencing analysis and varied chronic health conditions that did not exist prior to dosing.

Diagnosed Health Conditions of participants after Fluoroquinolone treatment

Participant-Age-Chronic Health Conditions

Male (47) Neuropathy, cognitive disturbances, sensory disturbances, gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular disturbances and skin reactions, body pain, and fatigue

Male (50) Neuropathy, chronic body pain, joint pain, fatigue, gastro-intestinal intolerances, and diminished cognition

Female (51) Neuropathy, connective tissue destruction, muscle wasting, chronic body pain, joint and muscle pain, chronic fatigue, diminished cognition, electro-magnetic radiation intolerance, chronic respiratory problems, food allergies, and environmental allergies

Female (38) Neuropathy, chronic body pain, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, diminished cognition, electro-magnetic radiation intolerance, chronic respiratory problems, food allergies, and environmental allergies

Female (42) Neuropathy, chronic body pain, diminished cognition, electro-magnetic radiation intolerance, fatigue, food allergies, and environmental allergies

The control group were recruited from internal laboratory sources and included two individuals who had never been exposed to any type, class, or subclass of antibiotics, drugs, environmental compounds, or toxins, as verified by self-report and prescreened using Gas Chromotography analysis for any toxins (toxicity screening), medications, and illegal drugs in blood serum, and hair samples using standardized forensic toxicology protocols.

10 milliliters of whole blood was extracted via venipuncture into a Vacu-Vile containing a standard anticoagulant, and delivered by overnight air-express to the testing laboratory for processing. Standardized shipping and handling methods for human biological fluids was implemented utilizing a United Nations approved UN-3373 Biological Substance Box and transport requirements, the chain of custody was maintained during all stages of collection, transport, and delivery.

The lab processed the blood samples by separating the plasma from the red blood cells (platelets) by centrifuging the blood. The red blood cells where extracted and the protein membrane of the red blood cells was removed utilizing a widely approved and recognized chemical chelating procedure adopted by toxicology laboratories worldwide. This exposed the cell DNA and Mitochondria DNA, both located in human blood cells. The remains where centrifuged again separating the two sources of blood cell DNA from the protein members, producing approximately 100 micrograms of DNA per sample to be extracted for testing.
.
A High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS) was utilized based upon prior publications touting and supporting the role of HPLC-MS/MS as the future wave in detecting DNA adducts in toxicology and genetic studies.

Upon completion of the analysis of the five individual blood DNA samples, two control samples where prepared and also analyzed. Results where cross-compared to the five exposed blood DNA samples.

All five of the Fluoroquinolone exposed blood-DNA samples revealed the same identical markers for DNA-adducts originating from Fluoroquinolone dosing. While the control samples where void of the markers found in the Fluoroquinolone group. The control samples remained flat across the spectral spread with no significant markers revealing any toxins or Fluoroquinolones as DNA adducts.

However, significant Fluoroquinolone markers were found within the test group as DNA-adducts. Identification of Fluoroquinolone metabolites and compound fragments where also found at elevated levels as DNA-adducts. It was revealed that both the Fluoroquinolone compound itself and metabolites from the Fluoroquinolone compound where adducted to the DNA of the test group.

COMPOUNDS IDENTIFIED AS DNA-adducts in TEST GROUP:

Fluoroquinolone and Quinolone Metabolites found in test group using HPLC-Tandem MS/MS Ranking by prevalence: Compound Revealed as DNA-adducts as Compound Fragments or Metabolites of Interest Revealed as DNA-adducts from analysis [ Ciprofloxacin (CPX) and Levofloxacin (LVX) ]

1 Quinoline; pharma-core of all Quinolone based antibiotics (heterocyclic core fragment of CPX and LVX)

2 CPX and LVX Residue, non-metabolized accumulated residue of the entire compound, totality-intact

3 Methyl Piperazin; Piperazin compound attached to Quinoline core compound of CPX and LVX

4 1-Cyclopropyl; Cyclopropyl attached to Quinoline core compound of CPX

5 3-Carboxylic Acid; Carboxylic Acid attached to Quinoline core compound of CPX

6 Carboxylic Acid; Carboxylic Acid attached to Quinoline core compound of LVX

7 Quinozoline; Metabolite of Quinolone and Quinoline

8 Anthraquinone; Metabolite of Quinolone

The following gene mutations and fractures where found in the following five individuals as results from the Fluoroquinolone DNA-adducts

1 CYP - Cytochrome P450 family and subgroups Responsible for the metabolism of many drugs and environmental chemicals that it oxidizes and neutralizes

2 NAT - N-acetyltransferase NAT1, NAT2
The NAT acetylation polymorphism is important because of its primary role in the activation and/or deactivation of many chemicals in the body's environment, including those produced by cigarettes as well as aromatic amine and hydrazine drugs used medicinally. In turn, this can affect an individual'cancer risk.

3 GAD - Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase, GAD1
Neuropathy and Stiff-Persons-Syndrome

4 MTHFR
Protein-C deficiency resulting in later-onset neurodegenerative disorders

5 PRTN, PRTN3, PR-3 Proteinase/Proteinase-3Polymorphonuclear leukocyte serine protease that degrades elastin, fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin, and collagen types I, III, and IV [connective tissue - muscular/skeletal complications]

6 COMT - Catechol-O-methyltransferase
Catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to catecholamines, including the neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.

7 MAO
Catalyzes the oxidative deamination of biogenic and xenobiotic amines and has important functions in the metabolism of neuroactive and vasoactive amines in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues

With an escalating number of individuals that have been dosed with an Fluoroquinolone reporting debilitating reactions to the treatment, we must consider that a serious biochemistry alteration is manifesting within these victims. A biochemical change that has resulted in genetic damage revealed through genome sequencing testing by FQ victims post treatment. Ongoing testing has shown specific gene fractures and mutations repeatedly amongst thousands of participants dosed with an FQ. Such genetic damage can only result from one of four sources;

1. Hereditary-Inherited - a gene mutation passed from parent to child. This category would generally show symptoms within the early years of the child's growth and development. This has not been the case in FQ respondents, no prior or pre-existing conditions of this origin have been reported, and certainly not by the test group

2). Radiation exposure, primarily from nuclear fallout. Again, this has not been the situation involving the FQ respondents or the test group as their source of genetic damage

3). Environmental toxins could be considered. However, 97% of the FQ victims showing genetic damage have reported that they have never been exposed or worked in an environment conducive to toxins of any category

4). Directly ingested toxins of a concentration and duration significant enough to alter the individual's DNA permanently in the form of a DNA adduct.

There has been only one common factor reported and found among the Fluoroquinolone victims and the study group, a Fluoroquinolone antibiotic. This singular compound has been the only thread linking these individuals to the decay in their health, genotoxicity, genetic mutations, developed antibodies, and the DNA adducts discovered in the test group.

DNA-adducts are nothing new. The process has been researched and tracked for decades. A DNA-adduct is any compound that molecularly arranges itself to cleave to one or more of the four amino acids that construct the DNA of living organisms. Once this event occurs that section of the organisms DNA and the section's representative gene is fractured. This hinders that specific gene's ability to encode and correctly oversee the production of the protein synthesis necessary for corresponding tissue regeneration and replication. This is better known as genotoxicity.

Prior to this project it was of general consensus that DNA-adducts originated primarily from environmental toxins (posions), such as Benzopyrenes, heavy metals, DDT and compounds of similar molecular structures. However, on going research surrounding the compound 2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo 4,5-f Ëquinoxaline better known as MelQx and its sister MelQ as a DNA-adduct caught our attention when investigating the Fluoroquinolones.

MelQx and MelQ are compounds that form when meat, especially red meat is cooked at high temperatures, and adducts to mammalian DNA. These compounds have a similar quinoline-quinolone heterocyclic core structure to the FQs. This opened a door of investigation surrounding the receptiveness of a quinoline-quinolone based compound to position itself as a potential DNA-adduct. This could also be the case with chemotherapy agents that are based upon a quinoline-quinolone core constituent.

There is no doubt that the quinolone molecular core is a very manipulative structure that permits the construction of powerful chemical compounds both industrial and pharmaceutical. Unfortunately it also a very resilient compound that resists fragmentation and reversal.

It also worth noting that Fluoroquinolone adducts or its metabolites further enhance the development and positive testing of varied antibodies against altered cellular activity. Such antibodies as the Ganglioside GM1, GD1b, and GQ1b that are associated with neurological symptoms, neuropathies, and neuro-degeneration. Also antibodies such as Proteinase-PR3 that are linked to various degenerative connective tissue disease. Other antibodies include Sjogren, Rheumatoid factors, Lupus, Epstein-Barr and various anti-nuclear antibodies. In the event that the Fluoroquinolone compound has inflected extensive genetic damage from widespread DNA-adducts across the DNA helix, various hybrid health conditions may appear such as; non-inherited Marfan's Syndrome, or Nakajo-Niskimura Syndrome, both of which are on the increase globally, and are classified as muscle-skeletal alterations with connective tissue destruction. These two syndromes are difficult to diagnose and treat using current diagnostic-treatment regiments as byproducts of Fluoroquinolone DNA adduction.

Fluoroquinolones and Genotoxicity: Has a Monster Been Created?

Has this class of antibiotics created a long term genotoxicity with future generational problems? Can the exponential up-tick of neurological, muscular-skeletal, and phantom health problems be associated to these antibiotics? Yes, it is highly suspected, and current data and results are pointing an accusing finger at the Fluoroquinolones. It is time for the initiation of an international research response to this rapidly growing problem.

It is Time for Doctors to rethink their approach to FQ victims. Doctors must understand that a patient with a FQ DNA-adduct is not having an ADR (adverse drug reaction) to the FQs. The patient has been poisoned, cellular damage has occurred in response to a toxic reaction. The patients original genetic profile has been altered-mutated, and their symptoms and health complaints are not psychosomatic. But are in fact legitimate health concerns requiring treatments that will not acerbate the condition or propagate the genetic damage. It is going to be the physician’s responsibility to reconstruct the biological crime as a medical Sherlock Holmes to determine the extent of the genotoxicity and cellular damage caused by the FQs in their patients. The investigation by the physician can easily begin by simply asking the patient if they have ever been prescribed a FQ antibiotic.

An Urgent Call for Phase II Testing and Funding

While there is always a place for "soft" science consisting of surveys and patient tracking, the time is now for intensive testing of those suffering from these antibiotics.
Based upon the evidence that the five individuals tested only had one factor in common, dosed with a Fluoroquinolone antibiotic, and identical markers for DNA adduction by these antibiotics where forthcoming from the analysis, we are prompted to call for a Phase II series of testing. Phase II funding and testing, whether from public or private funding, would escalate the research to include individuals effected by the Fluoroquinolones in the early 2000 and 1990's era. This would certainly include military personnel diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome from the 1990 to 1993 time frame. Knowing now that soldiers deployed to the Gulf War where administered Ciprofloxacin as a prophylactic to biological weapons, they should be included in the next study. It is disturbing that DNA-adduct testing on these individuals has never been conducted. We must also consider all the government and private workers that where debilitated after being dosed with Ciprofloxacin in 2001 and 2002 in response to Anthrax tainted letters. Private funding for Phase II would be ideal since oversight could be better and more rigidly implemented through independent non-drug manufacturer related moderators with knowledge in Fluoroquinolone toxicity.

Final Word:

Let me extend my deepest and heartfelt appreciations and respect to the team and financial backers that launched this research. They sacrificed a lot to engaged this research. Their dedication and motivation to expose the damage from the Fluoroquinolone antibiotics deserves all our gratitude and respect. Also, a great appreciation to the scientist that guided the process and protocols. We are indebted to all of these individuals. Respectfully and graciously, Joseph King.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://houston.legalexaminer.com/fda-and-prescription-drugs/levaquin-gets-new-black-box-warning-for-worsening-of-myasthenia-gravis.aspx

Scott Kappes

Contributor
(866) 529-2400

Posted by Scott KappesMarch 16, 2011 12:57 PM

2 Comments Print Article Subscribe
The FDA recently announced that the prescription antibiotic Levaquin, and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics will now carry a new boxed warning for the exacerbation of myasthenia gravis. The infamous black box warning is the strongest cautionary warning the FDA can issue for a medication. Fluoroquinolones also carry a black box warning for the potential to cause painful tendon ruptures, tendonitis and other tendon injuries.
Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder that causes the weakness of voluntary muscles. This weakness occurs because the nerve that activates a particular muscle does a poor job of stimulating the muscle. The nerves do not perform properly because immune cells that normally attack foreign invaders actually attack the body’s healthy cells.
This is what is what is known as an autoimmune response. As with other autoimmune disorders antibodies block neurotransmitters from receiving messages from nerves.
According to the new safety information provided on the FDA’s website physicians should avoid prescribing Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones to patients with a known history of myasthenia gravis.

Tags: Levaquin Myasthenia Gravis, Levaquin Black Box

Have an opinion about this post? Please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Posted by Edith Greentree
April 22, 2011 10:04 PMI have been taking Levaquin for 7 to 10 day periods off and on for over 2 years. I have not noticed a worsening of my MG during any of these periods. I will ask my Neurologist about it the next time I have an appointment.

Posted by anitamahas
April 23, 2011 8:18 AMplease continue the good work.

Comments for this article are closed. You may still contact the author directly by email.

The Legal Examiner offers both bloggers and readers the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions on all things law. From news on current legislative efforts to practical guidance on everyday legal issues, The Legal Examiner will have it covered.
................................
Learn More

Terry Terry

Top Commenter
· Avelox, Cipro & Levaquin at Bayer & J&J destroyed me with their poison
CIPRO MADE BY BAYER DESTROYED MY LIFE! CIPRO attacks your muscles , tendons and your central nervous system. BAYER is crippling people world wide! There is no antidote for CIPRO or AVELOX TOXICITY! Instead the government is picking up the tab for all of those that are crippled by BAYER.......These muscles are also involuntary muscles like the one in your throat that allow you to swallow....you eyes muscles that allow you to see......your heart muscle that gives you life...CIPRO & AVELOX destroys all of your good gut flora destroys your GI system...along with your endocrine system....CIPRO & AVELOX will DESTROY your LIFE.
These antibiotics are in a class called FLUOROQUINOLONES they carry a BLACK BOX WARNING there are more of these made by BAYER please do your research before taking any drug to see if the risks outweigh the condition or illness......... BECAUSE BAYER DOESN'T CARE!
...............................................................

Levaquin Cipro &Avelox caused me to suffer with Insomnia along with many other issues !

Levaquin Cipro &Avelox caused me to suffer with Insomnia along with many other issues !...........

http://www.gezondheidsnet.nl/voeding/artikelen/1126/overgevoelig-voor-gluten
.........................................................................................................................................................

http://tompkinschiropractic.com/nutrition/a-surprising-cause-of-fibromyalgia-everyone-should-know-about/

Posted on October 15, 2012

By Dr. Emil Tompkins, a chiropractor in Tucson, Arizona with a passion for helping our community become healthier every day.

If you are suffering, or know someone dealing with fibromyalgia, you are probably wondering what the cause could be, and there are many. It is thought that stress can cause fibromyalgia symptoms. It is also believed that immune dysregulation can cause fibromyalgia. But there is one medication that we are finding to be a direct cause of Fibromyalgia pain.
A commonly prescribed antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic is highly toxic to human tissue. It is prescribed almost like candy by some physicians and while some side effects are mild, some can be devastating.
The adverse effects of fluoroquinolones include chronic fatigue, tendonitis/tendinopathy, tendon rupture, joint pain, muscle weakness/soreness/fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, muscle spasms, popping/cracking joints, endurance problems, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, brain fog, depersonalization, memory loss, difficulty finding the right word at times, seizures, buzzing/tingling/vibratory sensations, dry eyes/mouth/sinuses, numbness (especially at night), floaters/blank spots in field of vision, depression, and death.The worst part about the symptoms of fluoroquinolones is that they are not short-lived. They can cause chronic mental and physical pain and disability. They can ruin lives. And the longer you are exposed to them, the more likely you will suffer these “side effects”. These chronic ailments are not often connected with the use of fluoroquinolones because doctors often rely on drug reps (salesmen) for their information rather than examining the readily available literature such as the Physician’s Desk Reference on the drugs they prescribe, their side effects, and contraindications. Patients are not given informed consent about the dangers of these drugs.Cipro has just been recently linked with fibromyalgia and awareness of its potential side effects should hopefully help you make wise decisions about what medications to trust and not trust.
If you are looking for a natural option in dealing with fibromyalgia, Contact Dr. Tompkins at 520-572-2596 and we’ll make sure we get you on the road to true health.
Tags: antibiotics, Chiropractor, chronic, exercise, fatigue, massage, pain, tucson
Read more here: A surprising cause of fibromyalgia everyone should know about.
...............................................................................................
http://www.wakingtimes.com/2012/12/07/fluoride-accumulation-in-your-pineal-gland-may-cause-cancer-adhd-early-puberty/

> Fluoride Accumulation In Your Pineal Gland May Cause Cancer, ADHD, and Early Puberty

Fluoride Accumulation In Your Pineal Gland May Cause Cancer, ADHD, and Early Puberty

December 7, 2012 | By admin | 4 Replies

Dr. Mercola
Waking Times
The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland located between the two hemispheres of your brain. It is sometimes called the “third eye” due to its resemblance to the human retina. While your pineal gland is only about the size of a single grain of rice (5-8 mm), it performs several functions that are extremely important to your body.
One main role of your pineal gland is to produce melatonin, the natural sleep hormone that plays a vital role in your normal sleep function. Melatonin is not only necessary for proper sleep however, it also regulates the onset of puberty and fights against harmful free radicals. When your pineal gland function is suppressed, melatonin production suffers and you are putting yourself at risk for a number of startling conditions including:

Alzheimer’s disease Circadian dysregulation Insomnia

Bipolar disease Hormone imbalances: low melatonin Low back pain

When Your Pineal Gland Stress Leads, Disease Follows
Any form of pineal gland stress is concerning due to its integral role in your body, which has been studied for thousands of years. In the third century, a prominent Roman physician named Galen described the pineal gland as the “seat of the soul.”
This term was referenced once more by the prominent philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650), who went on to write about the pineal gland in depth. Adding to Galen’s thoughts on the gland, Descartes stated:

“My view is that this gland is the principal seat of the soul, and the place in which all our thoughts are formed.”

One form of pineal gland stress is known as pineal gland calcification — the cause of which may be shocking to you. Sodium fluoride, present in your drinking water and certain store-bought products, and other sources such as Prozac (fluoxetine), fluoroquinolone antibiotics and non-stick cookware could all be contributing to the alarming increase in pineal gland calcification.
I have been warning you about the toxic effects of fluoride for years, and during this time more and more scientists have begun to recognize the dangers. There are so many studies highlighting the toxic effects of fluoride on your body, particularly affecting brain function, yet remarkably, a majority of the tap water in the United States, as well as a few other countries, is still heavily fluoridated.
The connection between pineal gland calcification and fluoride intake may very well be one of the most vital pieces of information in the fight against water fluoridation. You see, up until the 1990′s, no research had ever been conducted on the impact of fluoride on the pineal gland. However, we now have major universities discovering that your pineal gland is a primary target of fluoride accumulation in your body.

Research Confirms Pineal Gland as a Major Fluoride Collector
Thanks to research first conducted by the University of Surrey in England in 1997, it is now known that the soft tissue of the adult pineal gland contains more fluoride than any other soft tissue in your body. In fact, the levels of pineal gland fluoride examined in the study were high enough to inhibit enzymes.
When your enzymes are damaged, it can lead to collagen breakdown, eczema, tissue damage, skin wrinkling, genetic damage, and immune suppression. It can also cause problems with your:

Immune system

Digestive system

Respiratory system

Blood circulation

Kidney function

Pineal gland fluoride levels were measured at ~330 parts per million (ppm). The EPA currently sets the maximum allowed level of sodium fluoride in the drinking water at 4 ppm. This is nothing compared to the amount of fluoride found to be stored in the harder tissues of your pineal gland known as hyroxyapatite crystals. Fluoride levels observed in the hard tissue were found to be as high as 21,000 ppm. Hyroxyapatite crystals store more fluoride than any other hard tissue in your body, including teeth and bone.
After researchers concluded that the pineal gland was a major target for extreme fluoride accumulation in your body, they decided to conduct a series of experiments to determine if it was enough to impact the functioning of the gland, particularly melatonin production. Dr. Jennifer Luke from the University of Surrey in England led the researchers in performing the study.
The results were surprising even to the scientists on the research team. Animals treated with fluoride not only had lower levels of melatonin as expected, but female animals experienced an early onset of puberty. Due to the interference of melatonin production in the animals in response to the fluoride treatment, the hormonal triggers that are responsible for puberty were disturbed.
Dr. Luke summarized the findings:

“In conclusion, the human pineal gland contains the highest concentration of fluoride in the body. Fluoride is associated with depressed pineal melatonin synthesis by prepubertal gerbils and an accelerated onset of sexual maturation in the female gerbil. The results strengthen the hypothesis that the pineal has a role in the timing of the onset of puberty.”

The Early Puberty Connection
U.S. girls are reaching puberty at younger ages than ever before. In the 1990s, breast development — the first sign of puberty in girls — at age eight was considered an abnormal event that should be investigated by an endocrinologist. However, by 1999, following a 1997 study that found almost half of African Americans and 15 percent of whites had begun breast development by age eight, the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society suggested changing what is viewed as “normal.”
Could pineal gland calcification be the cause of early puberty in young girls?
As mentioned earlier, the major study performed by the University of Surrey in England says absolutely YES. The connection between gland calcification and an early onset of puberty was even mentioned as a main point in the study’s summary by Dr. Luke.
It is important to remember that the groundbreaking study was conducted in 1997, before the 1999 research that brought to light the epidemic of early puberty. We have known all of this time about the correlation between fluoride exposure and early puberty, yet there has been little coverage of the subject!

The Explosion of Information on Pineal Gland Toxicity
Following the initial breakthroughs on the link between fluoride and pineal gland calcification, scientists began to examine the issue more closely. In 2006, the National Research Council (NRC) released its report: “Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards.”
The NRC began working on the report in 2003 as requested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to review the latest research on fluoride toxicity and assess the EPA’s current safe drinking water standards for fluoride. In 2006, the report was released with a summary that backed up the work of Dr. Luke and her research team who conducted the first experiment on the role fluoride plays in pineal gland calcification back in 1997. The summary was printed in the National Academies Press, Washington D.C. P221-22:

“The single animal study of pineal function indicates that fluoride exposure results in altered melatonin production and altered timing of sexual maturity… Recent information on the role of the pineal organ in humans suggests that any agent that affects pineal function could affect human health in a variety of ways, including effects on sexual maturation, calcium metabolism, parathyroid function, postmenopausal osteoporosis, cancer, and psychiatric disease.”

Mainstream Medical Community Still in the Dark about Fluoride
There are so many scientific studies showing the direct, toxic effects of fluoride on your body, it’s truly remarkable that it’s NOT considered a scientific consensus by now. It truly amazes me that the medical (and dental) communities are so stubbornly resistant to connect the dots when it comes to the skyrocketing increase of cognitive decline in adults (Alzheimer’s and various dementia’s), and behavioral issues in children (ADD, ADHD, depression and learning disabilities of all kinds).
In fact, there have been over 23 human studies and 100 animal studies linking fluoride to brain damage. This includes such effects as:

Reduction in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors Damage to your hippocampus Formation of beta-amyloid plaques (the classic brain abnormality in Alzheimer’s disease)

Reduction in lipid content Damage to purkinje cells Exacerbation of lesions induced by iodine deficiency

Impaired antioxidant defense systems Increased uptake of aluminum Accumulation of fluoride in your pineal gland

What is perhaps most surprising is that the harmful effects of fluoride have been known about by conventional medical organizations for over half a century. The Journal of the American Medical Association also stated in their September 18, 1943 issue that fluorides are general protoplasmic poisons that change the permeability of the cell membrane by certain enzymes.
And, an editorial published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, October 1, 1944, stated:

“Drinking water containing as little as 1.2 ppm fluoride will cause developmental disturbances. We cannot run the risk of producing such serious systemic disturbances. The potentialities for harm outweigh those for good.”
Yet, this element, or as some may call it, this caustic industrial chemical, is deliberately added to about two-thirds of U.S. public water supplies. Now that it has been established that fluoride is extremely toxic to the health of you and your family, what can be done to prevent exposure?

Limiting Exposure to Toxic Fluoride and Other Substances

As mentioned, fluoride currently contaminates nearly 70 percent of the U.S. public water supplies. Therefore, it is an extreme challenge to limit your exposure even inside the safety of your own home. For people living in areas with fluoridated tap water, fluoride is a part of every glass of water, every bath and shower, and every meal cooked using that water.
Fluoride is not the only toxic substance in your tap water, however.
While chlorine is right at the heart of this matter, there is an even larger threat to your health. It is important to understand that when chlorine interacts with organic matter found in your water, disinfection byproducts (DBPs) form. And these DBPs are far more toxic than the chlorine itself. In fact, DBPs are responsible for the vast majority of the toxic effects of chlorinated water… toxic effects that can potentially lead to…

Increased cancer, asthma, and skin irritation risks

Respiratory irritation and fatigue

Weakening of your immune system

The problem is that a hot steamy shower:

Triggers your skin pores to open, which in turn…

Spikes a high absorption rate of chlorine and other chemicals directly into your system and…

Helps create a ‘free pass’ of foreign chemicals into your body fluids and bloodstream – unlike drinking tap water where your digestive processes at least get a chance to filter out some of the harmful contaminants.

~~ Help Waking Times to raise the vibration by sharing this article with the buttons below…

Related Posts:

The Facts About Fluoride & Human Intelligence

Fluoridegate—Why is Poisoning of Children Considered a Valuable Public Health Policy?

Why Eating Organic Isn’t Good Enough: Purifying Toxins Through 7 Channels of Elimination

The Dangers of Tap Water and How to Protect Yourself

Chemo and Radiation Actually Make Cancer More Malignant

redditdiggstumbleupon

Tags: cancer, disease, featured, fluoride, full-image, health, pineal gland, puberty, toxic environment, water fluoridation

Category: Body, Community, Earth, Environment, Food, Healthcare, Natural Health, Resources, Science, Self, Society, Time & Space, Video

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

alex says:

December 9, 2012 at 12:43 am
* ‘Luv’ the corporate add for fluoride toothpaste (ProNamel)-directly beside this article warning of it’s deleterious poisoning, of our collective temporal bodies….the epitome of hypocrisy????

Reply

alex says:

December 9, 2012 at 2:44 am
PS…actually a prime example of ‘cognitive dissonance’…in real time.

Reply

Clyde W, Burnham, Ph.D. says:

December 13, 2012 at 1:16 am
“”this gland is the principal seat of the soul, and the place in which all our thoughts are formed.”” Do you really believe that the damage-potential of fluoride to the pineal gland was not realized prior to the research findings of the 1940′s?

Reply

Osmio Water says:

January 5, 2013 at 5:56 am
I can strongly recommend reading the 2006 Study on Fluoride by the US National Resource Council, by far the most authoritative review to date. http://www.fluoridealert.org/researchers/nrc/

.........................................................................................

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/20/fluoroquinolones-side-effects.aspx

Fluoroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox) are among the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics in the United States, but they carry severe side effects that can harm your central nervous system, musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, sometimes simultaneously.

Because of their side effects, they’re supposed to be used only to treat serious bacterial infections that won’t respond to any other treatment; instead, they’re often offered for mild conditions like sinus, urinary tract and ear infections.

Tendon rupture, retinal detachment, hallucinations, personality changes, kidney failure, brain fog, psychosis and loss of memory have all been reported following use of fluoroquinolones.

Antibiotic Alert: The Drug the Doctor Ordered Could Cause Deadly Side Effects

October 20, 2012 | 63,160 views | + Add to Favorites

By Dr. Mercola

Fluoroquinolones are among the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics in the United States.
Among the most well known is Cipro (made by Bayer), which became a household name during the anthrax scare that occurred shortly after 9/11. Levaquin is a close second.
All antibiotics carry a risk of side effects, but the fluoroquinolones are in a class by themselves when it comes to their potential to cause serious, permanent injuries and even death.
Given their potential to harm, they should be reserved for treating only the most serious bacterial infections that won't respond to any other treatment; instead, they're often offered for mild conditions like sinus, urinary tract and ear infections.

Fluoroquinolones: The Deadliest Antibiotics on the Market?

If your doctor hands you a prescription for a fluoroquinolone antibiotic (this could be not only Cipro or Levaquin but also Avelox or generics ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin, or others), be very certain that your condition warrants the risks that come along with taking these drugs.
Fluoroquinolones have fluoride as a central part of the drug. Fluoride is a known neurotoxin, and drugs with an attached fluoride can penetrate into very sensitive tissues.
The fluoroquinolones have the unique ability to penetrate your blood-brain barrier, entering your brain and damaging your central nervous system. Many of these drugs have already been removed from the market due to their toxicity, and those that remain are riddled with black box warnings required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In 2008, the FDA required seven fluoroquinolone antibiotics to add a black-box warning because they pose a risk of tendinitis and increase the risk of a tendon rupture by three to four times.
But this is far from the only risk. Levaquin, for instance, which was the best-selling antibiotic in 2010, faces thousands of lawsuits a year from people who have been seriously harmed after taking it. ¹ The reactions can be body-wide, impacting your central nervous system, musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, sometimes simultaneously. Among the serious reactions reported are:

Retinal detachment, which can cause blindness Hallucinations Nausea and diarrhea

Acute kidney failure Psychotic reactions Hearing problems

Brain fog Painful rashes Disruptions to blood sugar metabolism

Depression Phototoxicity Peripheral neuropathy

In a 2001 study by Dr. Jay Cohen, the following reaction rates were documented: ²

Nervous system symptoms occurred in 91 percent of patients (pain, tingling and numbness, dizziness, malaise, weakness, headaches, anxiety and panic, loss of memory, psychosis)

Musculoskeletal symptoms in 73 percent of patients (tendon ruptures, tendonitis, weakness, joint swelling)

Sensory symptoms in 42 percent of patients (tinnitus, altered visual, olfactory, and auditory function)

Cardiovascular symptoms in 36 percent of patients (tachycardia, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations)

Skin reactions in 29 percent of patients (rashes, hair loss, sweating, intolerance to heat or cold)

Gastrointestinal symptoms in 18 percent of patients (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain)

In a letter to his Congressman, he wrote:

"These severe reactions are occurring in patients who are usually healthy, active, and young. Most often, the antibiotics are prescribed for mild infections such as sinusitis, urinary or prostate infections. Most reactions occur very quickly, sometimes with just a few doses of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Reactions are acute, severe, frightening, and often disabling.

Since the publication of my article with its 45 cases two and a half years ago, I have received e-mails from more than 100 people seeking help for their reactions. In most cases, their doctors have dismissed their complaints or outright denied that the reactions could occur with fluoroquinolones. Yet extensive medical workups do not find any other cause. Worse, there are no known effective treatments. Thus, these people suffer pain and disability for weeks, months, and years."

Increased Antibiotic-Resistant Infection Rates Also Linked to Fluoroquinolones

Overuse of these potent antibiotics has been linked to antibiotic resistant infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and the potentially life-threatening diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile (C. diff). According to some research, being given fluoroquinolones is the most important risk factor in developing Clostridium difficile–associated-diarrhea (CDAD). ³
Again, a large part of the problem is that these drugs, which are meant to be reserved for life-threatening infections that cannot otherwise be treated, are being vastly overused. In a study in BMC Infectious Diseases, it was found that nearly 40 percent of fluoroquinolone treatments at one medical center were unnecessary, while other research found 81 percent of fluoroquinolone prescriptions in two academic emergency departments were inappropriate based on institutional guidelines.⁴ As reported by The New York Times: ⁵

"In an interview, Mahyar Etminan, a pharmacological epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia, said the drugs were overused "by lazy doctors who are trying to kill a fly with an automatic weapon."
The drugs are thought to be particularly dangerous for children under age 18, adults over 60, and pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with liver disease or those taking corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). But, they are often prescribed for these groups, anyway.
Writing in Forbes, contributor Melanie Haiken recalled taking her teenage daughter to the doctor and being handed a prescription for Cipro for her, even though she was under 18 and seeking treatment for an ear infection... ⁶ This prompted Haiken to dig deeper before giving her daughter the drug, but many others are completely unaware that the antibiotic they've just been prescribed has been linked to such deadly side effects. They assume it's like any other antibiotic...

Avoid Cipro and Other Fluoride Antibiotics or Run the Risk of SEROIUS Side Effects

If your doctor prescribes you one of these dangerous antibiotics ask him or her to use another one. It is uncommon that this would be the only one that could be used. These dangerous antibiotics should be used as a last resort only. If you do wind up using them then read the package insert and all the warnings VERY carefully and stop them the moment you notice a side effect.
In today's expansive age of online networking, there exists a large community of people who've experienced fluoroquinolone injuries. They often refer to themselves as the "Floxies," and their numbers continue to grow as the prescriptions flow.
Quite a few of these Floxies are in the medical field themselves (or were, before they were poisoned), and are on a mission to help fellow fluoroquinolone victims. You, too, can help to get the word out by sharing this information with your friends and family, and advising them to consider alternatives before taking these drugs – especially if they're prescribed for a minor condition.
You wouldn't knowingly risk permanent blindness, personality changes or psychotic reactions to treat your ear infection, especially if there were a safer alternative... and there nearly always is. David A. Flockhart, professor of medicine and chief of clinical pharmacology at Indiana University School of Medicine, reports as many as one-third of patients taking a fluoroquinolone will experience some sort of negative psychiatric effect, such as anxiety, personality changes, or confusion. He has treated more than 100 patients with such psychiatric side effects, stating:

"The psychiatric effects of the fluoroquinolones are underappreciated by the medical profession as well as by the public. The bigger the gun you use, the more damage you can expect as collateral."
Cipro, Levaquin and the related drugs in the class are very "big guns" that should only be used in very special circumstances. Please be absolutely sure yours is one of them before consenting to use these drugs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terry Terry heeft de notitie van The Fluoroquinolone Wall of Pain gedeeld: We Have a New One Delafloxacin.

We Have a New One Delafloxacin

http://formularyjournal.modernmedicine.com/formulary-journal/news/fda-fast-tracks-delafloxacin Rib-X Pharmaceuticals Appoints Infectious Disease Expert and Former FDA Deputy Director Matthew Wikler, MD as Chief Development Officer http://www.rib-x.com/investors/press-release_2012_04_13.php

door: The Fluoroquinolone Wall of Pain

.........................................................................................
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2010/02/15/cipro-floxin-and-levaquin-cause-chaos/
Cipro, Floxin and Levaquin Cause Chaos

February 15, 2010 in From Our Readers, People's Pharmacy Alerts

Our first concern about fluoroquinolone antibiotics occurred in July of 1994 when we received the following question from a reader of our newspaper column:
"I often have side effects from medicines, but have never experienced anything like Floxin. I took it for a severe sinus infection followed by pneumonia last winter. After three days of utter misery and a rash on my back, I started hallucinating. Are there other people who have had a bad reaction to this antibiotic?"
After some checking we learned that this kind of antibiotic (a fluoroquinolone) could indeed cause "hallucinations, visual disturbances confusion, dizziness and seizures."
One month later we heard from another reader:
"My heart went out to the woman who suffered hallucinations while taking the antibiotic Floxin. I too suffered a violent reaction to this drug. I took it for two days and became very nauseated. By the third day I not only felt listless, nervous and sick, but when I went to bed I couldn't sleep and began having violent multi-colored hallucinations.
"After two nights of almost no sleep, accompanied by hallucinations, I asked my physician for something else. At first she was reluctant, but when she understood there was no way I'd take any more Floxin, she gave me a different prescription. I think Floxin is a frightening drug and I hope you will warn your readers that the side effects of Floxin may be more common than previously thought."
Not long after we heard about these problems we talked with the journalist Stephen Fried about his wife's experience with Floxin. She took one Floxin pill to treat a urinary tract infections and suffered severe neurological symptoms that lasted years. The incredible story is documented in the book Bitter Pills. They called their experience being "Floxed."
Fast forward to Feb. 14, 2010, and the comment from J & G posted on this Web site. Quinolone-type antibiotics are still causing serious complications. We don't know why some people are so susceptible to these drugs, but there is clearly a problem, and to this day many physicians seem unaware of the psychological and neurological complications of drugs such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Floxin (ofloxacin) and Levaquin (levofloxacin).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My husband and I were very healthy marathon-running 35-year-olds. Two months previous to this we had both just qualified for the cheapest life insurance for the healthiest groups.
My husband and I were prescribed Cipro (for him) and Levaquin (for me) for a stomach bug they couldn't diagnose. My MD said to me when I questioned whether or not I had to take it "well, if it's a virus, nothing bad will happen."
Within half an hour after talking the antibiotics we both had severe anxiety, insomnia (to the point where we were only sleeping 2 or 3 hours a night), nightmares, diarrhea (we had episodes of it every few days and I am still having diarrhea six months later even though I have tested negative for C. diff four times), strange thoughts, muscle pain, tingling, and shooting pains in our arms and legs.
I have never experienced anything like it in my life. Neither of us had ever had any reaction to a drug before.
We were off work for about 11 weeks. Six months later the symptoms are starting to subside although my husband still has tingling and weird nightmares and I have problems occasionally. We have seen nine doctors and they either outright deny or have not admitted that the Cipro or Levaquin could have anything to do with our symptoms.
We finally saw an infectious disease doctor at a major hospital who said he had had three other patients who felt they had the same long lasting effects from either Cipro or Levaquin, but he couldn't find any evidence to support it.
Two other infectious disease doctors suggested that we had ciguatoxin poisoning, but we had not eaten the types of fish that can cause it. When we pointed out that we both had started these symptoms within about half an hour of taking the medicine (even though my husband and I took the antibiotics two weeks apart from each other) they flat out discounted that it could be the cause.
We finally just decided we just had to help ourselves to get better and we started to eat a lot of live sauerkraut (which seems to have helped get our digestion somewhat back) and eat very healthfully (lots of greens and brown rice) and get a lot of rest. That seems to be the only thing that has helped. We will not take a fluoroquinolone antibiotic ever again.
J & G

==============================================================
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120515fluoro-retdetach.html

Fluoroquinolones May Increase Risk for Retinal Detachment, Study Finds
By News Staff

Posted: 5/15/2012, 4:10 p.m. -- Before signing off on that prescription for a fluoroquinolone, family physicians may wish to consider an alternative, as yet another possible side effect has surfaced for patients who take these broad-spectrum antibiotics.

According to a study published last month in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), patients who take fluoroquinolones are at increased risk for retinal detachment -- and its attendant threat of irreversible vision loss -- although the absolute risk for developing the condition remains small.

Study researchers used the British Columbia Linked Health Database, which includes data on about 4.5 million people, to identify a nested case-control cohort of all patients who visited an ophthalmologist in the province of British Columbia between January 2000 and December 2007. Of the 989,591 individuals that comprised this group, researchers identified 4,384 cases of retinal detachment and 43,840 corresponding controls. Patients with a physician service claim or procedure code related to endophthalmitis were excluded from the study.

story highlights

A recent study in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association found that oral fluoroquinolones raise the risk of retinal detachment in current users of the drugs.

The antibiotics previously have been found to have a destructive effect on connective tissue, which the study authors suggest could be the source of the problem.

The authors estimate that 1,440 cases of retinal detachment diagnosed each year in the United States may be attributed to oral fluoroquinolone use.

The researchers found that the risk of retinal detachment was elevated only among current oral fluoroquinolone users, who were nearly five times more likely than controls to be diagnosed with retinal detachment. The absolute increase in the risk of a retinal detachment was 4 per 10,000 person-years (number needed to harm=2,500 computed for any use of fluoroquinolones).

According to the study report, "Cases were more likely to be male and were more likely to have myopia (or) diabetes or have received cataract surgery." Current users of the drugs averaged 4.8 days from the first fluoroquinolone prescription to retinal detachment. Ciprofloxacin contributed to the most cases of retinal detachment in the study, followed by levofloxacin and norfloxacin.

Although the authors acknowledge that the precise mechanism of retinal detachment with fluoroquinolones is unknown, "The putative mechanism behind a possible fluoroquinolone-induced retinal detachment may be through the destructive effect of the drugs on collagen and connective tissue," they note.

Notably, fluoroquinolones previously have been linked to tendon rupture, which was one of the findings that spurred this follow-up study. Given that the retina is attached to the cortical vitreous by a matrix of collagen fibers, and that fluoroquinolones "have been shown to interfere with collagen synthesis and disrupt the extracellular matrix outside the retina," the authors postulate that "damage from fluoroquinolones to collagen and connective tissue on the long bones may also translate to the same type of damage to other types of connective tissue, including that of the vitreous and vitreous cortex."

Overall, the annual incidence of retinal detachment in the United States is estimated to be 12 per 100,000 patients. Given an exposure prevalence of about 10 percent and assuming a similar risk increase in the general population, the study authors estimate the population-attributable risk to be about 4 percent. Thus, they estimate that 1,440 cases of retinal detachment diagnosed each year in the United States may be attributed to oral fluoroquinolone use.

Additional Resource
PubMed Health: Retinal Detachment

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.medicationsense.com/fluoroquinolone.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chordae_tendineae
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://naturalsociety.com/dangers-fluoride-based-antibiotics-avoid-natural-solutions/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorchinolon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.scribd.com/doc/139963934/FQed
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-cure-that-kills/Content?oid=935475
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effects_of_fluoroquinolones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Fluoroquinolone_antibiotics

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effects_of_fluoroquinolones
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://fqvictims.org/fqvictims/index.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://tucsonfibrorelief.com/a-surprising-cause-of-fibromyalgia-everyone-should-know-about/
Fibromyalgia

But there is one medication that we are finding to be a direct cause of Fibromyalgia pain.

A commonly prescribed antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic is highly toxic to human tissue. It is prescribed almost like candy by some physicians and while some side effects are mild, some can be devastating.

The adverse effects of fluoroquinolones include chronic fatigue, tendonitis/tendinopathy, tendon rupture, joint pain, muscle weakness/soreness/fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, muscle spasms, popping/cracking joints, endurance problems, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, brain fog, depersonalization, memory loss, difficulty finding the right word at times, seizures, buzzing/tingling/vibratory sensations, dry eyes/mouth/sinuses, numbness (especially at night), floaters/blank spots in field of vision, depression, and death.
The worst part about the symptoms of fluoroquinolones is that they are not short-lived. They can cause chronic mental and physical pain and disability. They can ruin lives.

A surprising cause of fibromyalgia everyone should know about.

Posted In fibromyalgia | 6 comments

By Dr. Emil Tompkins, a chiropractor in Tucson, Arizona with a passion for helping our community become healthier every day.

If you are suffering, or know someone dealing with fibromyalgia, you are probably wondering what the cause could be, and there are many. It is thought that stress can cause fibromyalgia symptoms. It is also believed that immune dysregulation can cause fibromyalgia. But there is one medication that we are finding to be a direct cause of Fibromyalgia pain.
A commonly prescribed antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic is highly toxic to human tissue. It is prescribed almost like candy by some physicians and while some side effects are mild, some can be devastating.
The adverse effects of fluoroquinolones include chronic fatigue, tendonitis/tendinopathy, tendon rupture, joint pain, muscle weakness/soreness/fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, muscle spasms, popping/cracking joints, endurance problems, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, brain fog, depersonalization, memory loss, difficulty finding the right word at times, seizures, buzzing/tingling/vibratory sensations, dry eyes/mouth/sinuses, numbness (especially at night), floaters/blank spots in field of vision, depression, and death.
The worst part about the symptoms of fluoroquinolones is that they are not short-lived. They can cause chronic mental and physical pain and disability. They can ruin lives. And the longer you are exposed to them, the more likely you will suffer these “side effects”. These chronic ailments are not often connected with the use of fluoroquinolones because doctors often rely on drug reps (salesmen) for their information rather than examining the readily available literature such as the Physician’s Desk Reference on the drugs they prescribe, their side effects, and contraindications. Patients are not given informed consent about the dangers of these drugs.
Cipro has just been recently linked with fibromyalgia and awareness of its potential side effects should hopefully help you make wise decisions about what medications to trust and not trust.
If you are looking for a natural option in dealing with fibromyalgia, Contact Dr. Tompkins at 520-572-2596 and we’ll make sure we get you on the road to true health.
Tags: antibiotics, Chiropractor, chronic, exercise, fatigue, massage, pain, tucson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/897407/popular_antibiotic_ciprofloxacin_linked_to_uk_deaths.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.drug-injury.com/drug_injury/levaquin/

Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates

News reports concerning current and possible future unsafe drug side-effect lawsuits

Drug Injury Law

Drug Injury Watch

Levaquin

December 03, 2012

J&J Wins Reversal of $1.1 Million Levaquin Punitive Award

Quoted from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-30/j-j-wins-reversal-of-1-1-million-levaquin-punitive-award.html

J&J Wins Reversal of $1.1 Million Levaquin Punitive Award
By Margaret Cronin Fisk - Nov 30, 2012 2:38 PM ET

Johnson & Johnson won a reversal of $1.1 million in punitive damages awarded to a man who claimed the company failed to properly warn of the risks of tendon damage linked to its antibiotic Levaquin.

While erasing the punitive award, the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis sustained a Minnesota jury’s 2010 finding that J&J failed to warn plaintiff John Schedin. The court also upheld an award of $630,000 in compensatory damages to Schedin, who sued J&J and its Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit in 2008.

“The evidence is neither clear nor convincing, as a matter of law, that OMJP deliberately disregarded the safety of the users of Levaquin,” U.S. Circuit Judge William Jay Riley said today. Proving deliberate disregard is “required for punitive damages under Minnesota law,” Riley said.

J&J has faced more than 3,400 state and federal lawsuits alleging tendon injuries from Levaquin, according to court filings. The company had settled about 845 of them by last month, according to an Oct. 30 filing in federal court in Minneapolis, where a judge is overseeing about 1,900 Levaquin lawsuits.

The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company has won three of the four Levaquin cases that have gone to trial. Schedin’s case was the only such victory for the plaintiffs.

[Article continues at original source]

Posted on December 03, 2012 in Levaquin | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: appeals court, drug injury, J&J, Johnson & Johnson, lawsuits, Levaquin, punitive damages, settlements, side effects, tendon rupture

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

November 02, 2012

Johnson & Johnson Settles 845 Levaquin Lawsuits

Quoted from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-01/johnson-johnson-reaches-settlement-in-845-levaquin-cases.html

Johnson & Johnson Settles 845 Levaquin Lawsuits
By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Beth Hawkins - Nov 1, 2012 4:44 PM ET

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) settled lawsuits with about 845 plaintiffs who claimed the drugmaker didn’t properly warn of the risks of tendon damage from its antibiotic Levaquin.

The settlements were disclosed in an Oct. 30 filing in federal court in Minneapolis, where a judge is overseeing about 1,900 Levaquin lawsuits. The initial agreements will be completed in the next two weeks, the plaintiffs said in the filing, which didn’t say how much Johnson & Johnson would pay.

According to the filing, Johnson & Johnson faces more than 3,400 state and federal lawsuits alleging tendon injuries from the drug, including about 1,500 cases in New Jersey state court.

Johnson & Johnson has won three of the four Levaquin cases that have gone to trial. It lost the first, a jury verdict for $1.8 million in 2010. Settlement discussions are under way with about 190 other plaintiffs, according to the filing.

[Article continues at original source]

Posted on November 02, 2012 in Levaquin | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: drug injury, J&J, Johnson & Johnson, lawsuits, Levaquin, settlements, side effects, tendon rupture

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

September 10, 2012

Popular Antibiotics May Carry Serious Side Effects

Quoted from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/popular-antibiotics-may-carry-serious-side-effects/

Popular Antibiotics May Carry Serious Side Effects
By JANE E. BRODY
September 10, 2012
Antibiotics are important drugs, often restoring health and even saving lives. But like all drugs, they can have unwanted and serious side effects, some of which may not become apparent until many thousands of patients have been treated.

Such is the case with an important class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. The best known are Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin). In 2010, Levaquin was the best-selling antibiotic in the United States.

But by last year it was also the subject of more than 2,000 lawsuits from patients who had suffered severe reactions after taking it.

Part of the problem is that fluoroquinolones are often inappropriately prescribed. Instead of being reserved for use against serious, perhaps life-threatening bacterial infections like hospital-acquired pneumonia, these antibiotics are frequently prescribed for sinusitis, bronchitis, earaches and other ailments that may resolve on their own or can be treated with less potent drugs or nondrug remedies — or are caused by viruses, which are not susceptible to antibiotics.

In an interview, Mahyar Etminan, a pharmacological epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia, said the drugs were overused “by lazy doctors who are trying to kill a fly with an automatic weapon.”

Dr. Etminan directed a study published in April in The Journal of the American Medical Association showing that the risk of suffering a potentially blinding retinal detachment was nearly fivefold higher among current users of fluoroquinolones, compared with nonusers. In another study submitted for publication, he documented a significantly increased risk of acute kidney failure among users of these drugs.

[Article continues at original source]

Posted on September 10, 2012 in Avelox, Cipro, Levaquin | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: antibiotics, Avelox, Cipro, drug injury, kidney failure, Levaquin, Mahyar Etminan, retinal detachment, side effects

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

August 14, 2012

Two Antibiotics Linked to Liver Injury in Elderly

Quoted from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/08/13/two-antibiotics-linked-to-liver-injury-in-elderly

Two Antibiotics Linked to Liver Injury in Elderly

But while serious, these cases are relatively rare, study says
August 13, 2012

MONDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that two antibiotics commonly used to treat respiratory and sinus infections -- moxifloxacin (Avelox) and levofloxacin (Levaquin) -- may boost the risk of severe liver injury in seniors.

The two drugs belong to a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones.

For the study, published Aug. 13 in CMAJ (the Canadian Medical Association Journal), Canadian researchers examined the medical records of 144 patients in Ontario who were over 65 and admitted to the hospital to treat liver injury within a month of receiving moxifloxacin or other antibiotics commonly used to treat respiratory infections. The patients had no history of liver disease, and 88 of them died.

[Article continues at original source]

Posted on August 14, 2012 in Avelox, Levaquin | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: antibiotics, Avelox, Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ, drug injury, fluoroquinolones, Levaquin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, severe liver injury, side effects

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

June 06, 2012

Drugs most frequently reported for adverse reactions

Quoted from http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthcare/157042255.html

Drugs most frequently reported for adverse reactions
by Michael R. Cohen, R.Ph.

You may be surprised to learn that in 2011, the Food and Drug Administration received 179,855 reports of serious or fatal adverse drug reactions. This was an increase of 15,386 reports (9.4 percent) from the 2010 total. Reports reached the FDA through two mechanisms. Voluntary reports from health professionals and consumers and reports from manufacturers. There were 21, 002 voluntary reports and 158,853 from manufacturers. Manufacturers must report serious events within 15 days of becoming aware.

The 10 drugs with the largest numbers of reports sent directly to the FDA by healthcare practitioners and consumers in 2011 in order of frequency are Pradaxa, Coumadin, Levaquin, Carboplatin, Zestril, Cisplatin, Zocor, Cymbalta, Cipro and Bactrim. Keep in mind that this is not a scientific study of the frequency of adverse drug events in clinical practice. These are the medications that health professionals and consumers told the FDA were causing serious and fatal side effects during 2011. It is interesting to note that just two of these drugs were first introduced in the last decade (Pradaxa and Cymbalta), and only one in the previous year (Pradaxa), suggesting that major drug safety issues are not confined to recently approved drugs.

Pradaxa surpassed all other monitored drugs in several categories, including overall number of reports (3,781), deaths (542), hemorrhage (2,367), acute renal failure (291), and stroke (644). It was also suspect in 15 cases of liver failure. Coumadin has been prominent in the rankings for many years. It accounted for 1,106 reported ADEs overall, including 731 reports of hemorrhage and 72 deaths.

[Article continues at original source]

Posted on June 06, 2012 in Cipro, Cymbalta, Levaquin, Pradaxa, Zocor | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: ADEs, adverse drug events, Bactrim, Carboplatin, Cipro, Cisplatin, Coumadin, Cymbalta, drug injury, FDA, Levaquin, Pradaxa, side effects, Zestril, Zocor

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

April 04, 2012

Common antibiotics tied to eye emergencies: study

Quoted from http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/03/us-common-antibiotics-idUSBRE83210420120403

Common antibiotics tied to eye emergencies: study
By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK | Tue Apr 3, 2012 4:25pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A common class of antibiotics was linked to a higher risk of so-called retinal detachment -- when the light-sensitive tissue in the eye separates from gel that fills the eyeball, in a new Canadian study.

People treated by ophthalmologists for the emergency condition were five times more likely to be taking drugs known as fluoroquinolones, which include ciprofloxacin (marketed under names including Zoxan, Proquin and Cipro) and levofloxacin (Levaquin, Cravit), than those who didn't have retinal detachment.

"We know that these drugs are toxic to connective tissue and cartilage," said Mahyar Etminan, the study's lead author, noting past studies linking fluoroquinolones with damage to Achilles and shoulder tendons.

"We wanted to see whether this damage also may translate in the eye, because there's lots of connective tissue in the eye," Etminan, from the Child and Family Research Institute of British Columbia in Vancouver, told Reuters Health.

Retinal detachment, which starts as the appearance of lines, dots or "floaters" across the eye, can cause permanent blindness in some cases if it's not surgically treated within a few days.

[Article continues at original source]

Posted on April 04, 2012 in Cravit, Levaquin, Proquin, Zoxan | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: antibiotics, blindness, Cipro, ciprofloxacin, Cravit, drug injury , fluoroquinolones, JAMA, Journal of American Medical Association, Levaquin, levofloxacin, Mahyar Etminan, Proquin, retinal detachment, side effects, Zoxan

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

January 27, 2012

Johnson & Johnson Wins Jury Verdict Over Levaquin Warning

Quoted from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-26/johnson-johnson-wins-jury-verdict-over-levaquin-warning.html

Johnson & Johnson Wins Jury Verdict Over Levaquin Warning
January 26, 2012, 10:29 PM EST
By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Beth Hawkins
Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson can’t be held liable for the tendon injuries to a 78-year-old man who said the company didn’t properly warn of the risks of its antibiotic Levaquin, a Minnesota jury said.
Clifford Straka, who blew out two Achilles tendons after taking the drug for pneumonia, sued J&J and its Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical unit in 2008. Straka said his doctor wasn’t aware when she prescribed the drug that Levaquin was linked to an increased risk of tendon damage in elderly patients.
Johnson & Johnson, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, has denied any failure to warn and contended that Straka needed Levaquin to treat the pneumonia. The Minneapolis federal jury today found that J&J and its unit failed to provide reasonably adequate warnings, while also ruling that this wasn’t the cause of Straka’s injuries. The verdict is the companies’ third straight trial win.
[Article continues at original source]

Posted on January 27, 2012 in Levaquin | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: drug injury, Johnson & Johnson, law, lawsuits, Levaquin, side effects, tendon ruptures, trial verdict

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

January 24, 2012

J&J Unit Didn’t Hide Levaquin Risks, Company Lawyer Says

Quoted from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-24/j-j-unit-didn-t-hide-levaquin-risks-company-lawyer-says.html

J&J Unit Didn’t Hide Levaquin Risks, Company Lawyer Says
January 24, 2012, 12:49 PM EST
By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Beth Hawkins
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson properly warned of the risks of its antibiotic Levaquin and shouldn’t be held liable for tendon injuries sustained by a 78-year-old man, a company lawyer said at the end of a trial in Minneapolis.
Clifford Straka, who blew out two Achilles tendons after taking the drug for pneumonia, sued J&J and its Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical unit in 2008. Straka said his doctor wasn’t aware when she prescribed the drug that Levaquin was linked to an increased risk of tendon damage in elderly patients.
Johnson & Johnson, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, has denied any failure to warn and contended that Straka needed Levaquin to treat the pneumonia.
“The label from day one in 1996 was adequate,” James Irwin, J&J’s lawyer, said in closing arguments today. “The information was out there and available to the doctors and everyone else.”
The lawsuit is the third federal case to go to trial in Minnesota alleging the unit, now known as Janssen Pharmaceuticals, downplayed the risks of the antibiotic to boost sales. J&J lost the first, a jury verdict for $1.8 million in 2010, and won the second last year. The company also won the first state case in October, when a New Jersey jury rejected the claims of two plaintiffs.
[Article continues at original source]

Posted on January 24, 2012 in Levaquin | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: drug injury, J&J, Johnson & Johnson, law, lawsuits, legal, Levaquin, Minnesota trial, side effects, tendon rupture

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

October 13, 2011

J&J Didn’t Warn Levaquin Riskier Than Rivals, Lawyer Argues

Quoted from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-12/j-j-didn-t-warn-levaquin-riskier-than-rivals-lawyer-argues.html

J&J Didn’t Warn Levaquin Riskier Than Rivals, Lawyer Argues
October 12, 2011, 4:30 PM EDT

By Jef Feeley

Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- A Johnson & Johnson unit never warned users of the Levaquin antibiotic that it posed a greater risk of tendon damage than rival medications, a lawyer for two men suing the company said today.

Executives of J&J’s Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceutical unit sought to protect sales by omitting information about Levaquin’s “comparative risk” from its warning label, Andy Alonso, a lawyer for Paul Gaffney and Robert Beare, said in closing arguments in the trial of their lawsuits against the drugmaker.

“They should be held to account for not fully disclosing” that they knew Levaquin generated a higher number of reports of Achilles tendon injuries than competing antibiotics, Alonso told a state court jury in Atlantic City, New Jersey, today.

The case is the third over Levaquin tendon injuries to go to trial since November and the first to be tried in New Jersey state courts. J&J faces more than 2,600 claims in U.S. courts over the drug, court dockets show.

A lawyer for the J&J unit countered today that for more than a decade starting in 1996, Levaquin’s labels contained repeated warnings about the risk of tendon injuries associated with the drug.

Gaffney’s and Beare’s own doctors said “they were aware” of the tendon risk posed by the drug, Christy Jones, one of the drugmaker’s lawyers, told jurors in her closing argument today.
[Article continues at original source]

Posted on October 13, 2011 in Levaquin | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: antibiotic, Johnson & Johnson, law, lawsuits, legal, Levaquin, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceutical, side effect, tendon damage

Digg This Save to del.icio.us

September 06, 2011

J&J Failed to Warn About Drug’s Tendon Risks, Lawyer Says

Quoted from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-06/j-j-failed-to-warn-about-drug-s-tendon-risks-lawyer-says.html

J&J Failed to Warn About Drug’s Tendon Risks, Lawyer Says
September 06, 2011, 3:06 PM EDT By Jef Feeley
Sept. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson officials failed to properly warn two New Jersey men the drugmaker’s antibiotic drug Levaquin could damage their tendons, a lawyer told a state jury.

Officials of New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J and its Ortho-McNeil-Janssen
Pharmaceutical unit downplayed Levaquin’s risks in warning labels even after receiving reports from Europe about tendon ruptures, said Andy Alonso, a lawyer for Paul Gaffney and Robert Beare. The two men contend they suffered Achilles-tendon injuries after taking the antibiotic.

“J&J officials knew there was a problem and did everything they could to hide it” to protect Levaquin’s sales, Alonzo told jurors in opening statements in state court in Atlantic City, New Jersey, today.

In her opening statement, Johnson & Johnson’s lawyer countered the drugmaker repeatedly warned doctors and patients about reports linking tendon ruptures to Levaquin starting when the drug was approved for sale in the U.S. in 1996.

“From the very first label, Johnson & Johnson included information about reports of ruptures of the shoulder, hand and Achilles tendon,” Christy Jones, the company’s lawyer, told jurors.

Gaffney’s and Beare’s case is the third over Levaquin tendon injuries to go to trial since November and the first to be tried in New Jersey state courts. J&J faces more than 2,600 claims in U.S. courts over the drug, court dockets show.

[Article continues at original source]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effects_of_fluoroquinolones

Adverse effects of fluoroquinolones

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Adverse effects of fluoroquinolones

Classification and external resources

ICD-10 Y40.8

ICD-9 E930.8

The fluoroquinolones are synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotics. In general, the common side-effects are mild to moderate and self-limiting. However, occasional serious adverse effects can occur. A study performed by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that adverse events leading to an emergency room visit occur at a rate of 9.2 for every 10,000 fluoroquinolone prescriptions. This rate is greater than that for cephalosporins (6.1 per 10,000) and macrolides (5.1 per 10,000), but less than for sulfonamides (18.9 per 10,000), penicillins (13 per 10,000), clindamycin (18.5 per 10,000), and vancomycin (24.1 per 10,000).^[1]

Rare serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with fluoroquinolones include central nervous system (CNS) toxicity, phototoxicity, cardiotoxicity, arthropathy, and tendon toxicity.^[2]^[3] Children and the elderly are at greater risk.^[2]^[3] Tendonopathy may manifest during, as well as sometimes long after fluoroquinolone therapy has been discontinued.^[4] Events that may occur in acute overdose are rare and include renal failure and seizure.^[5]

Broad spectrum antibiotics including fourth generation cephalosporins, clindamycin, and fluoroquinolones may facilitate colonisation with MRSA and C. difficile. Several professional healthcare organizations have recommended limiting the use of broad spectrum antibiotics. The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America recommends minimizing the use of fluroquinolones in institutions where MRSA is endemic.^[6] The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control recommends avoiding the use of broad spectrum antibiotics including cephalosporins, clindamycin and fluoroquinolones.^[7] In an Italian study, prior treatment with cephalosporins or fluoroquinolones was associated with a higher risk of MRSA infection than prior treatment with non-cephalosporin beta lactam antibiotics.^[8] In 2008, the most widely used fluoroquinolones in the United States included ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin.^[9] Many others have been removed from the market, at least in some countries, due to serious ADRs and safety concerns, including gatifloxacin in 2006,^[10] grepafloxacin in 2003,^[11] temafloxacin in 1992,^[12] trovafloxacin and alatrofloxacin.^[13] Other quinolones have had their licensed indications restricted in certain countries due to toxicity issues. These include sparfloxacin in 1995,^[14] norfloxacin in 2008^[15] and moxifloxacin in 2008.^[16]

Only limited research has been conducted into the long-term effects of fluoroquinolones, making epidemiology statistics of the incidence of fluoroquinolone induced tendonopathy difficult to ascertain.^[17]^[18] The(FDA) has investigated received case reports for tendon rupture. Based on their analysis of case reports, they have concluded that fluoroquinolones may cause long-term damage in rare cases. A Swedish study found that fluoroquinolones occasionally cause peripheral neuropathy, which in a sizable proportion of cases was long-lasting. The total number of reported cases, however, was only 37.^[19]^[20]

Contents

1 Background

2 Risk factors and interactions

3 Adverse reactions and toxicities

3.1 Adverse reactions

3.2 Mechanism of toxicity

3.3 Gastrointestinal

3.4 Musculoskeletal System

3.5 CNS effects

3.6 Dermatological effects

3.7 PNS effects

3.8 Cardiac

3.9 Blood disorders

3.10 Blood sugar abnormalities

3.11 Ocular toxicity

3.12 Hearing effects

4 DNA effects

5 References

6 External links

Background

Fluoroquinolones are often effective as antibacterial agents. They are recommended for a number of serious bacterial infections, and, in some cases of life-threatening infections, they can be life-saving.^[21]^[22] The distinction between a quinolone drug and a fluoroquinolone drug is the addition of the fluorine atom to the basic pharmacophore, resulting in a fluorinated drug.^[23] The terms fluoroquinolone and quinolone are often used interchangeably, without regard to this distinction.

A meta-analysis for fluoroquinolones and skin infections found that fluoroquinolones are associated with more adverse reactions than beta lactams. However the increase was due to a higher rate of mild to moderate nausea and diarrhea. Side effects severe enough to cause withdrawal from the clinical trial occurred at similar rates.^[24]

Rarely, fluoroquinolone antibiotics have been associated with serious and detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, CNS and peripheral nervous system, circulatory system, maxillofacial system, endocrine system, gastrointestinal system, urological system, the liver, the brain, the skin, and the sensory systems; hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell. Toxic reactions have been reported to occur after a single dose.^[25]^[26]

Risk factors and interactions

Certain patient groups are at increased risk of fluoroquinolone ADRs. A 1998 retrospective survey of the use of the fluoroquinolones in the pediatric population showed that the fluoroquinolones were oftentimes prescribed in children, (although their use is not approved in this age group), and that numerous serious side effects had been recorded.^[27] Fluoroquinolones are not recommended in patient groups that are predisposed to adverse events (for example, because of diabetes, G6PD deficiency, renal impairment, myasthenia gravis, previous psychiatric, seizure disorder, or children (under 18)). An alternative antibiotic class should be used wherever possible in such patients, and,if used, special caution is advised; for example, possible dosage reduction may be required as well as extra vigilance for adverse reactions. There is also an increased risk of adverse events in the elderly, including tendon ruptures and seizures. Use in children or pregnant or breast-feeding women is not recommended and should be avoided. In the UK, the prescribing indications for fluoroquinolones for children is severely restricted. Only inhalant anthrax and pseudomonal infections in cystic fibrosis infections are licensed indications in the UK due to ongoing safety concerns. At the first sign of psychiatric, neurological, peripheral neuropathy, tendonitis, or hypersensitivity reactions, fluoroquinolones should be discontinued. Quinolones are contraindicated in patients having had previous quinolone-related tendinopathy. Dose, length of time, and number of exposures to fluoroquinolones, as well as combination with corticosteroids, NSAIDs, or theophylline, increase the risk adverse reactions. Concurrent use of corticosteroids increases the risk of multiskeletal injury, manifesting as chronic tendonitis or spontaneous ruptures of tendons, muscles, and cartilage. Concurrent use of NSAIDs may induce severe and prolonged seizures including status epilepticus.^[25]^[28]^[29]^[30]^[31]^[32] Most cases of fluoroquinolone-precipitated seizures occur in the elderly or those with severe cerebral arteriosclerosis, epilepsy, brain tumour, anoxia, and alcohol dependence, as well as those taking theophylline or the NSAIDs.^[2] Those who are benzodiazepine-dependent or in benzodiazepine withdrawal have a higher rate of adverse severe CNS effects possibly due to fluoroquinolones' displacement of benzodiazepines from their receptor site or pre-existing GABA underactivity due to withdrawal, thus leading to an increased sensitivity to fluoroquinolone toxicity.^[33]^[34]^[35]^[36] Articaine may worsen certain symptoms in an individual with fluoroquinolone toxicity. There have been persistent reports of unexplained paresthesia following the use of articaine (burning, tingling, and sometimes sharp shooting pains in tissues previously anesthetized with this anesthetic) during dental procedures involving patients having had adverse reactions to the fluoroquinolones.^[37] Broad spectrum antibacterials including cephalosporins, Fluoroquinolones (and clindamycin) have been associated with Clostridium difficile, a potentially life-threatening super-infection.^[7] Use of quinolones is also highly associated with colonisation with MRSA compared to some other antibiotic classes.^[6]^[8] Shigella toxin expression in EHEC infections has been shown to be upregulated following fluoroquinolone administration.^[38] Fluoroquinolones can have serious and potential fatal reaction when taken with certain other drugs. Some agents decrease theophylline clearance and thus increase toxicity.^[39] Warfarin is affected by many many drugs including fluoroquinolones and frequency of INR monitoring needs to be increased in those prescribed both agents.^[40]

Adverse reactions and toxicities

Adverse reactions

The most common adverse effects of the fluoroquinolones involve the gastrointestinal tract, skin, CNS, and PNS. They are for most patients mild and reversible.^[39] Severe adverse events such as hepatitis (trovafloxacin), hemolytic uremic syndrome (temafloxacin), and eosinophilic pneumonitis are thought to be specific to individual agents and as such not considered to be a class effect.^[25] However, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and moxifloxacin have all been reported to be associated with liver injuries such as hepatotoxicity, hepatic failure, and delayed and prolonged cholestatic hepatitis.^[41]^[42]^[43]

Mechanism of toxicity

The mechanisms of the toxicity of fluoroquinolones has been attributed to their interactions with different receptor complexes such as blockade of the GABAa receptor complex within the central nervous system, leading to excitotoxic type effects^[2] and oxidative stress.^[44]

Gastrointestinal

Nausea and vomiting are the most common side-effect of the fluoroquinolones.^[39] The group of side-effects includes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and taste disturbance, which occur in about 2-20% of people taking fluoroquinolones.^[25] This rate is similar to those seen with azithromycin and cefixime.^[39] The highest rates occurred among older agents, which have been discontinued. Newer agents have lower rate of GI side-effects.^[25] C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been associated with all antibiotics.^[25]^[31] When compared to other antibiotics, however, the risk of CDAD was found to be 2.5 times greater with fluoroquinolones.^[31]^[45] Fluoroquinolones are associated with an increased risk of pseudomembranous colitis^[46]^[47]^[48]^[49]

The spectrum of this disease ranges from asymptomatic carrier state to life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. Pathogenesis of pseudomembranous colitis results from the suppression of the natural microflora of the colon by broad spectrum antibiotics, which creates an environment favorable for C. difficile proliferation. A Clostridium difficile infection is the principal cause of nosocomial, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and pseudomembranous colitis. C. difficile can be fatal if left untreated.^[50]^[51]^[52]^[53]

Like many antibiotics, fluoroquinolones increase the colonisation of Candida albicans, a yeast infection. Fluoroquinolones are associated with predisposing patients to an increased risk of C. difficile infections, and careful use, especially in acute hospitals, has been suggested.^[54]^[55]^[56]

Using ciprofloxacin to treat a toxic Escherichia coli infection related to serotype O157:H7 has been shown to increase the amount of Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2), the toxin that causes hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), produced by the bacteria.^[57] The toxin is produced by the cell due to a virus that infects the E. coli cell, inserts its genome into the host's chromosome. The gene that codes for Stx2 is located in the late gene region of the viral genome and is not expressed while the cell is in a lysogenic stage.^[58] Ciprofloxacin induces the virus to enter the lytic cycle, where it replicates its genome and produces more viral particles. During this period, Stx2 is produced, and, when the cell lyses to release the viral particles, Stx2 is released as well.^[57]

Musculoskeletal System

Joint pain and swelling occurs in approximately 1% of people taking fluoroquinolones and usually remits within days of stopping treatment.^[25] A rare but serious adverse reaction with fluoroquinolones involves spontaneous tendon ruptures. Such injury to the patient include ruptures of various tendons (other than just the Achilles) and muscles, as well as damage to the cartilage and ligaments.^[4]^[59] Fluoroquinolones also have adverse effects on cartilage.^[60] The risk of tendon disorders with fluoroquinolone use is 0.1% to 0.4%^[31] or 3 cases per 1000 patient-years of exposure.^[61] These problems usually start 13 days after treatment was started and may possibly persist for a month.^[25]Risk of tendon rupture is even less with only 38 of 46,000 people treated with fluoroquinolone suffering a rupture of the achilles. This is 1.9 times the rate seen in the general population.^[17] The achilles is the most common tendon affected.^[31] This risk is greatest in those older than 60, in those taking corticosteroid drugs, and in kidney, heart, and lung transplant recipients.^[62] Because of their possible negative effect on cartilage, they are not recommended for use in pregnant women or children.^[63] The FDA recommends stopping treatment, contacting a physician and resting affected limbs if these adverse events occur.^[25]

As with any number of other drugs, drug induced fibromyalgia like symptoms are found with the fluoroquinolones. The multiskeletal adverse reactions of the fluoroquinolones may resemble rheumatological disease states, in particular, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, or rheumatoid arthritis. There have been numerous reports of fluoroquinolone-induced fibromyalgia.^[64]^[65] Fluoroquinolone-induced fibromyalgia may be conceptualized as impaired sensory information processing in a neural network, resulting in dysfunctional responses resulting from the CNS and PNS damage outlined above.^[66]

One of the most disabling adverse reactions is spontaneous rupture of multiple tendons, which may occur during therapy, as well as up to 6 months after therapy has been discontinued.^[67]^[68] Although the onset of symptoms typically occurs within 12 weeks, injury was also described within hours to as long as months after the initiation of treatment, and even after discontinuation. Tendon injury was reported to occur as early as two hours after receipt of the first dose of a fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin)^[69] to as late as 6 months after treatment had been terminated.^[70]^[71] Tendinitis, arthralgia, myalgia, as well as severe joint, muscle, and tendon pain, are found to be the top-three adverse reactions reported to the FDA via the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS)^[72] for all the drugs within this class. For example:

November 1997 – November 2001—Ciprofloxacin 1,558 events

Bone, Tendon, Muscle and Ligament Damage

Pain in the Extremity (153)

Myalgia (148)

Tendonitis (122)

November 1997 – November 2001—Levofloxacin 2,898 events

Bone, Tendon, Muscle and Ligament Damage

Arthralgia (368)

Tendon Disorders (318)

Tendonitis (232)

The odds ratios (ORs) of suffering a spontaneous rupture of the achilles tendon are 4.3, for current exposure 2.4, recent exposure and 1.4 for past exposure to a fluoroquinolone drug, respectively, compared with non-exposure.^[73] Within the Netherlands,^[74] a large simultaneous increase in non-traumatic tendon ruptures and fluoroquinolone use was observed in the period between 1991 to 1996 following the introduction of the fluoroquinolones. The incidence of spontaneous tendon rupture within the kidney recipient population is even more common.^[75] In the renal transplant population, an incidence of 12.2%–15.6% is reported, compared with 0.6%–3.6% for transplant recipients not receiving fluoroquinolones.^[76]^[77] In one study of 149 heart transplant patients,^[78] fourteen (9.5%) patients developed Achilles tendinopathy, which in three patients (2.25%) progressed to tendon rupture.

It is rare that rhabdomyolysis (muscle death) occurs, sometimes with fatal outcomes.^[79]^[80]^[80]^[81]^[82]^[83] In Japan, the Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau gave notice to practicing physicians that it had amended the product information to state that rhabdomyolysis may occur with the use of enoxacin, fleroxacin, norfloxacin, sparfloxacin, and tosufloxacin tosilate.^[84]

CNS effects

Any CNS side-effect occurs with an incidence of 1–2%.^[25] Adverse event reporting for antibiotics found that 12.2% of adverse reaction reports concerning fluoroquinolones involved the CNS versus 3.6% for other antibiotics.^[25] Newer agents to have a lower risk of side-effects have been found.^[39] Seizures are rare, and usually occur when they do in those with an underlying CNS disorder.^[25] However, caution use in patient with epilepsy is still advised.^[25] Very rare cases of suicidal behavior have been reported to occur, sometimes after a single dose.^[85] Drugs that induce suicidal ideation, including antibiotics, are associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts.^[86]

Fluoroquinolones can induce a wide range of serious adverse psychiatric effects. These reactions may manifest as extreme anxiety, panic attacks, depression, anhedonia, cognitive dysfunction (or brain fog), depersonalization, paranoia, hallucinations, toxic psychosis, seizures, tremors, taste perversions, abnormal dreams, chronic insomnia, vertigo, delirium, suicidal thoughts, and usually involves all five senses. For some people the symptoms resolve relatively soon after discontinuing the fluoroquinolone; for others, in the case of a neurotoxic effect, symptomatology may persist for months or even years after discontinuation.^[2]^[87] Fluoroquinolones are associated with a significant number of serious psychiatric events.^[88]

In addition, the fluoroquinolones may show depressant activity on the CNS, as was indicated by the depressant syndrome, decreased spontaneous motor activity, and hypothermia found in animal studies. Concomitant use of NSAIDs may increase seizure risk.^[89]

A positive correlation exists between the doses of fluoroquinolones and the prolongation (increases) in the caffeine elimination half-life. (In one case a sixfold increase).^[90]^[91]

Electrolyte imbalances are common with previous reports of fluoroquinolone-induced seizures.^[30]

The CNS ADRs are a combination of the interference with neurotransmissions (gamma-Aminobutyric acid or GABA), inhibiting of the clearance of other drugs (such as caffeine),^[92] reduction of brain glucose uptake,^[93] electrolyte imbalances,^[30] neuronal dysfunction^[94] or degeneration and inflammation. The fluoroquinolones are known as GABA inhibitors and as such have the ability to bind to neuroreceptor sites within the brain that appear to play a role in CNS adverse events. In recent years, extensive in vivo and in vitro experiments have been performed, and several mechanisms are thought to be responsible. The involvement of GABA and excitatory amino acid (EAA) neurotransmission as well as the kinetics of fluoroquinolone distribution in brain tissue are thought to be responsible.^[2]^[95]

Dermatological effects

Photosensitivity reactions as well as life-threatening cutaneous reactions have been reported with the fluoroquinolone class. Such reactions include Stevens–Johnson syndrome, Sweet's syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and painful and disfiguring rashes. In 2008, Bayer issued a European "Dear Doctor Letter" advising physicians of the risk of potentially life-threatening bullous skin reactions like Stevens-Johnson-Syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) associated with moxifloxacin (Avelox).^[41]

Ciprofloxacin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis was first reported in 1991^[96] with numerous other cases in the following years.^[97]^[98]^[99]^[100] Levofloxacin,^[99]^[101]^[102] Norfloxacin,^[103] Ofloxacin,^[104] and Trovan^[105] have also been associated with toxic epidermal necrolysis.

There have been reports of the association between Steven-Johnson's syndrome and ciprofloxacin, with one case reporting that the syndrome was induced by a single dose of ciprofloxacin.^[106] To our knowledge, as of 1997, a total of 6 cases have been reported in the literature documenting an association between oral ciprofloxacin administration and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) or Stevens–Johnson syndrome.^[107] A review performed in Sweden (circa 2003) found a total of nine cases. Together with previous data from the literature, these reports support the view that ciprofloxacin, as well as other fluoroquinolones, has the potential to cause fatal or severe adverse cutaneous events.^[108]

Photosensitivity reactions reported with the fluoroquinolones mimic those of sunburn, with erythema and edema in the milder forms, and painful blistering with subsequent peeling when severe. A wide spectrum of cutaneous ADRs are reported with fluoroquinolones.

The phototoxic potentials of fluoroquinolones are influenced not only by the substituent at position 8 (Halogenation at position C8) but also by those at position 1. Drugs such as Lomefloxacin and Sparfloxcacin, with a C8-fluorine substituent, and Clinafloxacin, with a C8-chlorine substituent, exhibit a greater incidence of phototoxic reactions than drugs without this substituent.^[109] Clinafloxacin was subsequently removed from clinical use due to severe phototoxicity reactions and in June 1995 The Medicines Agency restricted the use of Sparfloxacin due to the large number of reports of phototoxicity associated with its use.^[110]

A previous dematologic ADR to a fluoroquinolone can sensitize a patient to more severe adverse reactions (with onset after only a single dose of the subsequent fluoroquinolone), as noted earlier in this presentation.^[99] This is also true of other commonly used antibacterial classes, including the penicillins and cephalosporins. Patients having developed any kind of rash to a fluoroquinolone in the past have a potential to develop life-threatening photoallergic reactions when re-challenged with a fluoroquinolone drug later on in life.

PNS effects

Peripheral neuropathy has been rarely reported. Symptoms may include paresthesia (tingling), hypoesthesia (numbness), dysesthesia (pain), and weakness.^[111] Therapy should be discontinued if any neurological symptoms develop in order to prevent the occurrence of a possible irreversible condition.^[111] Rare cases of sensory impairment involving taste or smell have been reported with a number of fluoroquinolones and may last for up to several months.^[112]

Fluoroquinolones have been shown since 1998 to cause irreversible peripheral neuropathy. Typical symptoms involve fasciculations, paresthesia, tinnitus, hyperacusis, and other sensorimotor problems. Symptoms usually occur after a delayed onset, and continue to worsen. Quinolone-induced peripheral neuropathy usually presents as burning pain and numbness, and in some cases this becomes an irreversible condition that disables the patient for life. Most often this is the result of quinolone-induced damage to the peripheral nervous system (as noted above), manifesting as painful burning, cold, stinging, tingling paresthesias, or numbness. This may also result from muscle and tendon damage as well if the pain is of a burning or stabbing nature upon use of the limb affected. The exact manner in which the fluoroquinolones cause such PNS damage remains elusive. Several theories point to direct toxicity or vascular involvement. Peripheral neuropathy has been associated with the fluoroquinolone class since 1988 and has been reported in the leading medical journals for over two decades.^[19]^[113]^[114]

In 2004, the FDA added warnings to the package inserts about the possibility of irreversible fluoroquinolone-innduced peripheral neuropathy.

Cardiac

Fluoroquinolones can cause QT prolongation and, thus, predispose a person to Torsades de Pointes which is sometimes fatal.^[5] Some members of the quinolone family are more likely to causes an increased QT than others.^[115] Grepafloxacin was removed from the market due to frequent QT prolongation. Of the currently available agents, moxifloxacin causes the greatest QT prolongation, while ciprofloxacin is associated with a lowest risk of QT prolongation.^[115]

Blood disorders

Blood abnormalities are believed to occur in less than one percent of patients.^[116] However, Temafloxacin was removed from clinical use in 1992 due to its side-effects of hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells) and other blood cell abnormalities; kidney dysfunction requiring renal dialysis (in 50% of patients affected); and severe liver dysfunction.^[12]

Blood sugar abnormalities

Changes in blood sugar levels may occur with fluoroquinolones. Risks for this complication includes diabetes, old age, renal failure, and sepsis. Gatifloxacin was removed from the market in the US and Canada partly due to its negative effects on blood sugar.^[31] Temafloxacin was removed from clinical use in 1992 partially due to several cases of low blood sugar as well.^[117]

Ocular toxicity

Oral and IV use

Oral use and I.V. use of the fluoroquinolones are associated with a significant number of serious visual disturbances. Patients receiving fluoroquinolones have been reported to have developed visual disturbances, which include color distortion and diplopia (double vision).^[118] Such disturbances may present as blurred and dim vision, disturbed vision, flashing lights, diplopia, floaters,as well as decreased visual acuity and cataracts.^[119] Norfloxacin, ProQuin XR and Ciprofloxacin have also been associated with diplopia.,^[120]^[121]^[122] as well as Iquix (levofloxacin ophthalmic solution).^[123]^[124]There are spontaneous reports of cases of double vision (diplopia) becoming permanent, as well as reports of floaters that never resolved in some patients.^[125]

There have also been isolated reports of reversible vision loss and irreversible blindness associated with oral fluoroquinolone therapy.^[126]^[127] Retinal degeneration has also been observed in animals.^[128] These reports, while uncommon, include blindness, temporary blindness, partial blindness, and mydriasis.^[129] There have also been three reports of serious macular detachment of the neuro-epithelium involving flumequine.^[130]

Fluoroquinolones displayed the potential to be cytotoxic to human corneal keratocytes and endothelial cells, depending on drug concentration and duration of exposure. The potential for cytotoxicity may differ among fluoroquinolones.^[131]

Hearing effects

Oral and IV use

Hearing loss appears to be a very rare event, while fluoroquinolone-induced tinnitus appears to be far more common. Both oral use and IV use of the fluoroquinolones have been reported to cause hearing loss, decreased hearing acuity, hypoacusis, and tinnitus.^[132]^[133] The package inserts for the majority of the fluoroquinolones in use today^[132] all list tinnitus as post marketing events. Specific fluoroquinolones^[134] list the loss of hearing as reported events. Within the AERS maintained by the FDA, hearing loss, tinnitus, decreased hearing acuity, and hypoacusis have all been reported with the fluoroquinolone class.^[135] There have also been isolated case reports of ototoxicity leading to reversible and irreversible deafness as a result of oral or IV therapy.^[136] There have been spontaneous reports of fluoroquinlone-induced tinnitus being permanent, together with loss of hearing in the higher frequencies.

Otic use (ear drops)

There have been studies showing some in vitro ototoxicity potential in fluoroquinolones.^[137] Within a 1992 animal study involving Long Evan rats, nalidixic acid showed partial loss of the outer hair cells of the organ of Corti in the cochlea, suggesting that nalidixic acid has slight ototoxicity.^[138] The package insert for Ofloxacin otic solution list the loss of hearing as reported events. There has also been a case report associating the use of Ciprofloxacin ear drops and seizures.^[139] Nevertheless, the fluoroquinolone eardrop solutions are believed to be non-ototoxic and are preferred over the known ototoxic aminoglycoside antibiotics, in the topical treatment of ear infections.^[140]

DNA effects

The fluoroquinolones exert their therapeutic effects by interfering with bacterial DNA replication by inhibiting an enzyme complex called DNA gyrase. Research has indicated that fluoroquinolones at therapeutically used doses have little effect on enzymes involved in DNA replication in mammalian cells including human cells; however, not all subtypes of eucaryotic topoisomerases have been routinely studied in clinical studies.^[141]^[142]^[143] In vitro studies in human fibroblast cells have shown that nalidixic acid can impair repair type DNA synthesis at a relatively low dosage (5 ug/ml), but this effect is seen only at very high doses (at least 50 ug/ml) of other quinolones (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin) tested.^[144] Fluoroquinolones increase the uptake of deoxyuridine, uridine, and thymidine into the DNA of human lymphocytes and decrease pyrimidine production. A reduction in leucine occurs. With some quinolones, these effects appear to occur at therapeutic dose levels. Quinolones also appear to effect the growth of eucaryotic cells and HeLa cells. However, relatively high doses of quinolones (20 ug/ml) are required to impair eucaryotic cell growth. At doses that are achievable in therapeutic dosing of (5 ug/ml), a 50% reduction in lymphocyte immunogloblinproduction occurs. DNA damage such as strand breaks, occurs only at extremely high doses of fluoroquinolones (above 100 ug/ml). DNA polymerase a, topoisomerase I, topoisomerase II, and mitochondrial function are inhibited only at high doses of quinolones above the dosages that would be seen in clinical practice.^[145]^[146]^[147]^[148]^[149] Some quinolones have been shown to be capable of causing injury to the chromosome of eukaryotic cells.^[150] As such, some fluoroquinolones may cause injury to the chromosome of eukaryotic cells. There is some debate in the medical literature as to whether these DNA effects are to be considered one of the mechanisms of action concerning some of the severe ADRs and toxicities experienced by some patients following fluoroquinolone therapy. It has been speculated that the effects of fluoroquinolones on human eukaryotic topoisomerases have potential to cause cytotoxicity. Fluoroquinolones may have the potential to cause clastogenicity and the induction of micronuclei.^[151]^[152] Retinal pigment epithelial cells are critical to the functioning of the eye and are involved in many eye diseases. In one study, DNA damage to RPE cells was observed with Sparfloxacin.^[153]

References

^ Shehab N, Patel PR, Srinivasan A, Budnitz DS (September 2008). "Emergency Department Visits for Antibiotic-Associated Adverse Events" (PDF). Clin. Infect. Dis. 47 (6): 735–43. doi:10.1086/591126. PMID 18694344.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f De Sarro A, De Sarro G (March 2001). "Adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones. an overview on mechanistic aspects". Curr. Med. Chem. 8 (4): 371–84. PMID 11172695.

^ ^a ^b Iannini PB (June 2007). "The safety profile of moxifloxacin and other fluoroquinolones in special patient populations". Curr Med Res Opin 23 (6): 1403–13. doi:10.1185/030079907X188099. PMID 17559736.

^ ^a ^b Saint F, Gueguen G, Biserte J, Fontaine C, Mazeman E (September 2000). "[Rupture of the patellar ligament one month after treatment with fluoroquinolone]". Rev Chir Orthop Reparatrice Appar Mot (in French) 86 (5): 495–7. PMID 10970974.

^ ^a ^b Nelson, Lewis H.; Flomenbaum, Neal; Goldfrank, Lewis R.; Hoffman, Robert Louis; Howland, Mary Deems; Neal A. Lewin (2006). Goldfrank's toxicologic emergencies. New York: McGraw-Hill, Medical Pub. Division. ISBN 0-07-143763-0.

^ ^a ^b Muto, CA.; Jernigan, JA.; Ostrowsky, BE.; Richet, HM.; Jarvis, WR.; Boyce, JM.; Farr, BM. (May 2003). "SHEA guideline for preventing nosocomial transmission of multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and enterococcus.". Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 24 (5): 362–86. doi:10.1086/502213. PMID 12785411.

^ ^a ^b Dr Ralf-Peter Vonberg. "Clostridium difficile: a challenge for hospitals". European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology: IHE. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.

^ ^a ^b Tacconelli, E.; De Angelis, G.; Cataldo, MA.; Pozzi, E.; Cauda, R. (Jan 2008). "Does antibiotic exposure increase the risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolation? A systematic review and meta-analysis.". J Antimicrob Chemother 61 (1): 26–38. doi:10.1093/jac/dkm416. PMID 17986491.

^ Carroll DN, Carroll DG (May 2008). "Interactions between warfarin and three commonly prescribed fluoroquinolones". Ann Pharmacother 42 (5): 680–5. doi:10.1345/aph.1K605. PMID 18413687.

^ Schmid, Randolph E. (May 1, 2006). "Drug Company Taking Tequin Off Market". Associated Press. Retrieved 2006-05-01.^{[dead link]}

^ Food and Drug Administration; DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (9 July 2007). "Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Withdrawal of Approval of a New Drug Application; Correction" (PDF). Federal Register (USA: US Government Printing Office) 72 (130).

^ ^a ^b [1]^{[dead link]}

^ "Trovafloxacin and alatrofloxacin: suspended: Spain". WHO Pharmaceuticals Newsletter (World Health Organisation) 07 (8). 1999.

^ "Consolidated List of Products" (PDF). United Nations. 2005.

^ The European Medicines Agency (24 July 2008). "EMEA Restricts Use of Oral Norfloxacin Drugs in UTIs". United Kingdom: Doctor's Guide.

^ The European Medicines Agency (EMEA); Danish Medicines Agency (24 July 2008). "EMEA recommends restricting the use of oral moxifloxacin-containing medicines".

^ ^a ^b van der Linden PD, Sturkenboom MC, Herings RM, Leufkens HG, Stricker BH (June 2002). "Fluoroquinolones and risk of Achilles tendon disorders: case-control study". BMJ 324 (7349): 1306–7. doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7349.1306. PMC 113766. PMID 12039823.

^ van der Linden PD, van Puijenbroek EP, Feenstra J, et al. (June 2001). "Tendon disorders attributed to fluoroquinolones: a study on 42 spontaneous reports in the period 1988 to 1998". Arthritis Rheum. 45 (3): 235–9. doi:10.1002/1529-0131(200106)45:3<235::AID-ART254>3.0.CO;2-7. PMID 11409663.

^ ^a ^b Hedenmalm K, Spigset O (April 1996). "Peripheral sensory disturbances related to treatment with fluoroquinolones". J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 37 (4): 831–7. doi:10.1093/jac/37.4.831. PMID 8722551.

^ "FDA orders 'black box' label on some antibiotics". CNN. 8 July 2008. Archived from the original on 10 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-08.

^ de Castro FR, Torres A (2003). "Optimizing treatment outcomes in severe community-acquired pneumonia". Am J Respir Med 2 (1): 39–54. PMID 14720021.

^ Niyogi SK (April 2005). "Shigellosis". J. Microbiol. 43 (2): 133–43. PMID 15880088.

^ R. Schaumann; A.C. Rodloff (2007). "Activities of Quinolones Against Obligately Anaerobic Bacteria" (PDF). Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 6: 49–56.

^ Karageorgopoulos, DE.; Giannopoulou, KP.; Grammatikos, AP.; Dimopoulos, G.; Falagas, ME. (Mar 2008). "Fluoroquinolones compared with β-lactam antibiotics for the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". CMAJ 178 (7): 845–54. doi:10.1503/cmaj.071157. PMC 2267830. PMID 18362380.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Owens RC, Ambrose PG (July 2005). "Antimicrobial safety: focus on fluoroquinolones". Clin. Infect. Dis. 41 (Suppl 2): S144–57. doi:10.1086/428055. PMID 15942881.

^ Bertino J, Fish D (July 2000). "The safety profile of the fluoroquinolones". Clin Ther 22 (7): 798–817; discussion 797. doi:10.1016/S0149-2918(00)80053-3. PMID 10945507.

^ Pariente-Khayat, A.; Vauzelle-Kervroedan, F.; d'Athis, P.; Bréart, G.; Gendrel, D.; Aujard, Y.; Olive, G.; Pons, G. (May 1998). "[Retrospective survey of fluoroquinolone use in children]". Arch Pediatr 5 (5): 484–8. doi:10.1016/S0929-693X(99)80311-X. PMID 9759180.

^ Committee on Safety of Medicines; Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2008). "Quinolones". United Kingdom: British National Formulary. Retrieved 16 February 2009.

^ Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc (September 2008). "CIPRO (ciprofloxacin hydrochloride) TABLETS CIPRO,(ciprofloxacin) ORAL SUSPENSION" (PDF). USA: FDA. Retrieved 31 August 2009.

^ ^a ^b ^c Kushner JM, Peckman HJ, Snyder CR (October 2001). "Seizures associated with fluoroquinolones". Ann Pharmacother* 35 (10): 1194–8. doi:10.1345/aph.10359. PMID 11675843.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Mehlhorn AJ, Brown DA (November 2007). "Safety concerns with fluoroquinolones". Ann Pharmacother 41 (11): 1859–66. doi:10.1345/aph.1K347. PMID 17911203.

^ "(WO/2002/093162) INDIVIDUALIZATION OF THERAPY WITH ANTIBIOTIC AGENTS". World Health Organisation. 21 November 2002.

^ Professor Heather Ashton (2002). "Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw".

^ McConnell JG (May 2008). "Benzodiazepine tolerance, dependency, and withdrawal syndromes and interactions with fluoroquinolone antimicrobials". British Journal of General Practice (Royal College of General Practitioners) 58 (550): 365–366. doi:10.3399/bjgp08X280317. PMC 2435654. PMID 18482496.

^ Unseld E; Ziegler G, Gemeinhardt A, Janssen U, Klotz U (July 1990). "Possible interaction of fluoroquinolones with the benzodiazepine-GABAA-receptor complex". Br J Clin Pharmacol 30 (1): 63–70. PMC 1368276. PMID 2167717.

^ Sternbach H, State R (1997). "Antibiotics: neuropsychiatric effects and psychotropic interactions". Harv Rev Psychiatry 5 (4): 214–26. doi:10.3109/10673229709000304. PMID 9427014.

^ Martin S. Spiller, D.M.D. "The Local Anesthetics". Archived from the original on 18 January 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2009.

^ "Toxin Gene Expression by Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli: the Role of Antibiotics and the Bacterial SOS Response". Cdc.gov. 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2011-03-29.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Ball P, Mandell L, Niki Y, Tillotson G (November 1999). "Comparative tolerability of the newer fluoroquinolone antibacterials". Drug Saf 21 (5): 407–21. doi:10.2165/00002018-199921050-00005. PMID 10554054.

^ Borcherding SM, Stevens R, Nicholas RA, Corley CR, Self T (January 1996). "Quinolones: a practical review of clinical uses, dosing considerations, and drug interactions". J Fam Pract 42 (1): 69–78. PMID 8537808.

^ ^a ^b Bayer Schering Pharma, Bayer plc (February 2008). "IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING SERIOUS ADVERSE REACTIONS AND SAFETY MEASURES" (PDF). United Kingdom: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

^ Zimpfer, Annette; Propst, Albert; Mikuz, Gregor; Vogel, Wolfgang; Terracciano, Luigi; Stadlmann, Sylvia (2004). "Ciprofloxacin-induced acute liver injury: case report and review of literature". Virchows Archiv. 1 444 (1): 87–9. doi:10.1007/s00428-003-0917-9. ISSN 0945-6317. PMID 14994731.

^ Renata Albrecht (19 June 2007). "NDA 20-634/S-045, NDA 20-635/S-048, NDA 21-721/S-013" (PDF). USA: FDA.

^ Saint F, Salomon L, Cicco A, de la Taille A, Chopin D, Abbou CC (December 2001). "[Tendinopathy associated with fluoroquinolones: individuals at risk, incriminated physiopathologic mechanisms, therapeutic management]". Prog. Urol. (in French) 11 (6): 1331–4. PMID 11859676.

^ Fashner J, Garcia M, Ribble L, Crowell K (2011 Sep). "Clinical inquiry: what risk factors contribute to C difficile diarrhea?". J Fam Pract 60 (9): 545–7. PMID 21901182.

^ McCusker ME, Harris AD, Perencevich E, Roghmann MC (June 2003). "Fluoroquinolone Use and Clostridium difficile–Associated Diarrhea". Emerging Infect. Dis. 9 (6): 730–3. PMC 3000134. PMID 12781017.

^ Deshpande A, Pant C, Jain A, Fraser TG, Rolston DD (February 2008). "Do fluoroquinolones predispose patients to Clostridium difficile associated disease? A review of the evidence". Curr Med Res Opin 24 (2): 329–33. doi:10.1185/030079908X253735. PMID 18067688.

^ Walbrown MA, Aspinall SL, Bayliss NK, et al. (2008). "Evaluation of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea with a drug formulary change in preferred fluoroquinolones". J Manag Care Pharm 14 (1): 34–40. PMID 18240880.

^ Muto CA, Pokrywka M, Shutt K, et al. (March 2005). "A large outbreak of Clostridium difficile-associated disease with an unexpected proportion of deaths and colectomies at a teaching hospital following increased fluoroquinolone use". Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 26 (3): 273–80. doi:10.1086/502539. PMID 15796280.

^ Cain DB, O'Connor ME (October 1990). "Pseudomembranous colitis associated with ciprofloxacin". Lancet 336 (8720): 946. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(90)92320-H. PMID 1976960.

^ Pérez-Calvo JI, Matamala C, Sanjoaquín I, Amores M, Castillo J, Bueno-Gómez J (1993). "[Diarrhea following antibiotic treatment, Clostridium difficile, and quinolones]". Enferm. Infecc. Microbiol. Clin. (in Spanish; Castilian) 11 (6): 345. PMID 8347715.

^ Ozawa TT, Valadez T (March 2002). "Clostridium difficile infection associated with levofloxacin treatment". Tenn Med 95 (3): 113–5. PMID 11898264.

^ Ortiz-de-Saracho J, Pantoja L, Romero MJ, López R (March 2003). "Moxifloxacin-induced Clostridium difficile diarrhea". Ann Pharmacother 37 (3): 452–3. doi:10.1345/aph.1C325. PMID 12639182.

^ Mavromanolakis E, Maraki S, Cranidis A, Tselentis Y, Kontoyiannis DP, Samonis G (2001). "The impact of norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin on human gut colonization by Candida albicans". Scand. J. Infect. Dis. 33 (6): 477–8. doi:10.1080/00365540152030006. PMID 11450873.

^ Yip C, Loeb M, Salama S, Moss L, Olde J (September 2001). "Quinolone use as a risk factor for nosocomial Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea". Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 22 (9): 572–5. doi:10.1086/501954. PMID 11732787.

^ Meyers JS, Ehrenpreis ED, Craig RM (February 2001). "Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome". Curr Treat Options Gastroenterol 4 (1): 7–14. doi:10.1007/s11938-001-0042-2. PMID 11177677.

^ ^a ^b Gamage, Shantini D.; et al., JE; Chalk, CL; Weiss, AA (June 2003). "Nonpathogenic Escherichia coli Can Contribute to the Production of Shiga Toxin". Infection and Immunity 71 (6): 3107–3115. doi:10.1128/IAI.71.6.3107-3155.2003. PMC 155771. PMID 12761088

^ Wagner, P.L.; et al., MN; Zhang, X; Acheson, DW; Waldor, MK; Friedman, DI (2001). "Role for a Phage Promoter in Shiga Toxin 2 Expression from a Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain". Journal of Bacteriology 183 (6): 3081–2085. doi:10.1128/JB.183.6.2081-2085.2001. PMC 95105. PMID 11222608

^ Cottrell WC, Pearsall AW, Hollis MJ (June 2002). "Simultaneous tears of the Achilles tendon and medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle". Orthopedics 25 (6): 685–7. PMID 12083581.

^ Bertin P, Gillet P, Treves R, Netter P (1998). "[Do some drugs have adverse effects on cartilage?]". Therapie (in French) 53 (1): 17–20. PMID 9773095.

^ "UpToDate Inc.".

^ "FDA News Release". Food and Drug Administration (United States).

^ Lipsky BA, Baker CA (February 1999). "Fluoroquinolone toxicity profiles: a review focusing on newer agents". Clin. Infect. Dis. 28 (2): 352–64. doi:10.1086/515104. PMID 10064255.

^ di Fazano CS, Bertin P (October 2001). "The pharmacological management of drug-induced rheumatic disorders". Expert Opin Pharmacother 2 (10): 1623–31. doi:10.1517/14656566.2.10.1623. PMID 11825305.

^ Vergne P, Bertin P, Bonnet C, Scotto C, Trèves R (October 2000). "Drug-induced rheumatic disorders: incidence, prevention and management". Drug Saf 23 (4): 279–93. doi:10.2165/00002018-200023040-00002. PMID 11051216.

^ Wahle M, Krause A, Pierer M, Hantzschel H, Baerwald CG (June 2002). "Immunopathogenesis of rheumatic diseases in the context of neuroendocrine interactions". Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 966: 355–64. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04235.x. PMID 12114292.

^ Bailey RR, Natale R, Linton AL (October 1972). "Nalidixic acid arthralgia". Can Med Assoc J 107 (7): 604 passim. PMC 1940945. PMID 4541768.

^ Harrell RM (June 1999). "Fluoroquinolone-induced tendinopathy: what do we know?". South. Med. J. 92 (6): 622–5. doi:10.1097/00007611-199906000-00014. PMID 10372859.

^ Jagose JT, McGregor DR, Nind GR, Bailey RR (December 1996). "Achilles tendon rupture due to ciprofloxacin". N. Z. Med. J. 109 (1035): 471–2. PMID 9006634.

^ Casparian JM, Luchi M, Moffat RE, Hinthorn D (May 2000). "Quinolones and tendon ruptures". South. Med. J. 93 (5): 488–91. PMID 10832946.

^ Khaliq Y, Zhanel GG (June 2003). "Fluoroquinolone-associated tendinopathy: a critical review of the literature". Clin. Infect. Dis. 36 (11): 1404–10. doi:10.1086/375078. PMID 12766835.

^ Summaries received from the FDA under the Freedom of Information Act. Accessed November of 2001

^ "Avoiding Achilles Tendon Ruptures in the Elderly". Clinical Reviews. Retrieved 22 February 2009.

^ van der Linden PD, Nab HW, Simonian S, Stricker BH, Leufkens HG, Herings RM (June 2001). "Fluoroquinolone use and the change in incidence of tendon ruptures in the Netherlands". Pharm World Sci 23 (3): 89–92. doi:10.1023/A:1011254030271. PMID 11468881.

^ Muzi F, Gravante G, Tati E, Tati G (June 2007). "Fluoroquinolones-induced tendinitis and tendon rupture in kidney transplant recipients: 2 cases and a review of the literature". Transplant. Proc. 39 (5): 1673–5. doi:10.1016/j.transproceed.2007.01.077. PMID 17580216.

^ Donck JB, Segaert MF, Vanrenterghem YF (September 1994). "Fluoroquinolones and Achilles tendinopathy in renal transplant recipients". Transplantation 58 (6): 736–7. doi:10.1097/00007890-199409270-00021. PMID 7940700.

^ Leray H, Mourad G, Chong G, Marcelli C, Borderie P, Mion C (November 1993). "[Spontaneous ruptures of the Achilles tendon after kidney transplantation: use of fluoroquinolones]". Presse Med (in French) 22 (36): 1834. PMID 8309916.

^ Barge-Caballero E, Crespo-Leiro MG, Paniagua-Martín MJ, et al. (January 2008). "Quinolone-related Achilles tendinopathy in heart transplant patients: incidence and risk factors". J. Heart Lung Transplant. 27 (1): 46–51. doi:10.1016/j.healun.2007.09.021. PMID 18187086.

^ Nakamae H, Hino M, Yamane T, Ohta K, Aoyama Y, Kumura T, Sannomiya Y, Tatsumi N. (September 2000). A Case of Rhabdomyolysis due to Levofloxacin 20 (3). pp. 203–205.

^ ^a ^b Baril L, Maisonobe T, Jasson-Molinier M, Haroche J, Bricaire F, Caumes E (December 1999). "Acute rhabdomyolysis during treatment

with ofloxacin-a case report". Clin. Infect. Dis. 29 (6): 1598–9. doi:10.1086/313551. PMID 10585836.

^ Petitjeans F, Nadaud J, Perez JP, et al. (December 2003). "A case of rhabdomyolysis with fatal outcome after a treatment with levofloxacin". Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 59 (10): 779–80. doi:10.1007/s00228-003-0688-x. PMID 14576967.

^ Hsiao SH, Chang CM, Tsao CJ, Lee YY, Hsu MY, Wu TJ (January 2005). "Acute rhabdomyolysis associated with ofloxacin/levofloxacin therapy". Ann Pharmacother 39 (1): 146–9. doi:10.1345/aph.1E285. PMID 15562138.

^ Nea Zealand Government (26 June 2003). "Adverse Reaction Reporting and IMMP". New Zealand: Medsafe. Retrieved 30 January 2009.

^ (JPNARD) Information on Adverse
Reactions to Drugs, No.128, , Oct 1994

^ "Tavanic SPC". Sanofi-aventis.

^ Robertson, HT.; Allison, DB.; Wright, James M. (2009). "Drugs Associated with More Suicidal Ideations Are also Associated with More Suicide Attempts". In Wright, James M. PLoS ONE 4 (10): e7312. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007312. PMC 2749439. PMID 19798416.

^ Cohen JS (December 2001). "Peripheral Neuropathy Associated with Fluoroquinolones" (PDF). Ann Pharmacother 35 (12): 1540–7. doi:10.1345/aph.1Z429. PMID 11793615.

^ Doussau de Bazignan A, Thiessard F, Miremont-Salamé G, Conri C, Haramburu F (June 2006). "[Psychiatric adverse effects of fluoroquinolone: review of cases from the French pharmacologic surveillance database]". Rev Med Interne (in French) 27 (6): 448–52. doi:10.1016/j.revmed.2006.02.003. PMID 16580096.

^ Rollof J, Vinge E (September 1993). "Neurologic adverse effects during concomitant treatment with ciprofloxacin, NSAIDS, and chloroquine: possible drug interaction". Ann Pharmacother 27 (9): 1058–9. PMID 8219437.

^ Lamarine RJ (December 1994). "Selected health and behavioral effects related to the use of caffeine". J Community Health 19 (6): 449–66. doi:10.1007/BF02260326. PMID 7844249.

^ Harder S, Fuhr U, Staib AH, Wolff T (November 1989). "Ciprofloxacin-caffeine: a drug interaction established using in vivo and in vitro investigations". Am. J. Med. 87 (5A): 89S–91S. doi:10.1016/0002-9343(89)90031-4. PMID 2589393.

^ Harder S, Staib AH, Beer C, Papenburg A, Stille W, Shah PM (1988). "4-quinolones inhibit biotransformation of caffeine". Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 35 (6): 651–6. doi:10.1007/BF00637602. PMID 2853056.

^ Ge DT, Law PY, Kong SK, Ho YY (January 2009). "Disturbance of cellular glucose transport by two prevalently used fluoroquinolone antibiotics ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin involves glucose transporter type 1". Toxicol. Lett. 184 (2): 81–4. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2008.10.017. PMID 19022360.

^ Roos K (August 2006). "Inflammatory diseases and infection". Curr. Opin. Neurol. 19 (4): 339–40. doi:10.1097/01.wco.0000236611.28721.5d. PMID 16914970.

^ Dodd PR, Davies LP, Watson WE, et al. (May 1989). "Neurochemical studies on quinolone antibiotics: effects on glutamate, GABA and adenosine systems in mammalian CNS". Pharmacol. Toxicol. 64 (5): 404–11. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0773.1989.tb00676.x. PMID 2771865.

^ Tham TC, Allen G, Hayes D, McGrady B, Riddell JG (August 1991). "Possible association between toxic epidermal necrolysis and ciprofloxacin". Lancet 338 (8765): 522. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(91)90602-L. PMID 1678488.

^ Urbina, F; Barrios, M; Sudy, E (Apr 2006). "Photolocalized purpura during ciprofloxacin therapy". Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine 22 (2): 111–2. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0781.2006.00210.x. ISSN 0905-4383. PMID 16606417.

^ Rodríguez-Morales, A; Llamazares, Aa; Benito, Rp; Cócera, Cm (Apr 2001). "Fixed drug eruption from quinolones with a positive lesional patch test to ciprofloxacin". Contact dermatitis 44 (4): 255. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0536.2001.440409-10.x. ISSN 0105-1873. PMID 11336009.

^ ^a ^b ^c Christie, Mj; Wong, K; Ting, Rh; Tam, Py; Sikaneta, Tg (May 2005). "Generalized seizure and toxic epidermal necrolysis following levofloxacin exposure". The Annals of pharmacotherapy 39 (5): 953–5. doi:10.1345/aph.1E587. ISSN 1060-0280. PMID 15827068.

^ Moshfeghi, M; Mandler, Hd (Dec 1993). "Ciprofloxacin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis". The Annals of pharmacotherapy 27 (12): 1467–9. ISSN 1060-0280. PMID 8305780.

^ Digwood-Lettieri S, Reilly KJ, Haith LR, et al. (June 2002). "Levofloxacin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis in an elderly patient". Pharmacotherapy 22 (6): 789–93. doi:10.1592/phco.22.9.789.34074. PMID 12066972.

^ Digwood-Lettieri, S; Reilly, Kj; Haith, Lr, Jr; Patton, Ml; Guilday, Rj; Cawley, Mj; Ackerman, Bh (Jun 2002). "Levofloxacin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis in an elderly patient". Pharmacotherapy 22 (6): 789–93. doi:10.1592/phco.22.9.789.34074. ISSN 0277-0008. PMID 12066972.

^ Sahin, Mt; Ozturkcan, S; Inanir, I; Filiz, Ee (Apr 2005). "Norfloxacin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis". The Annals of pharmacotherapy 39 (4): 768–70. doi:10.1345/aph.1E530. ISSN 1060-0280. PMID 15713789.

^ Melde, Sl (Nov 2001). "Ofloxacin: a probable cause of toxic epidermal necrolysis". The Annals of pharmacotherapy 35 (11): 1388–90. doi:10.1345/aph.1Z433. ISSN 1060-0280. PMID 11724089.

^ Matthews MR, Caruso DM, Phillips BJ, Csontos LG (October 1999). "Fulminant toxic epidermal necrolysis induced by trovafloxacin". Arch. Intern. Med. 159 (18): 2225. doi:10.1001/archinte.159.18.2225. PMID 10527301.

^ Gohel DR, Oza JJ (August 1994). "Steven-Johnson's syndrome following single dose of ciprofloxacin". J Assoc Physicians India 42 (8): 665. PMID 7868575.

^ Livasy, Ca; Kaplan, Am (1997). "Ciprofloxacin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis: a case report". Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) 195 (2): 173–5. doi:10.1159/000245726. ISSN 1018-8665. PMID 9310730.

^ Hällgren, J; Tengvall-Linder, M; Persson, M; Wahlgren, Cf (Nov 2003). "Stevens–Johnson syndrome associated with ciprofloxacin: a review of adverse cutaneous events reported in Sweden as associated with this drug". Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 49 (5 Suppl): S267–9. doi:10.1016/S0190-9622(03)00478-X. ISSN 0190-9622. PMID 14576649.

^ Domagala, Jm (Apr 1994). "Structure-activity and structure-side-effect relationships for the quinolone antibacterials". The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy 33 (4): 685–706. doi:10.1093/jac/33.4.685. ISSN 0305-7453. PMID 8056688.

^ "products_0_Start" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-03-29.

^ ^a ^b "MedWatch - July 2004 Safety-Related Drug Labeling Changes - Detailed". Food and Drug Administration (United States).

^ "Safety profile of grepafloxacin compared with other fluoroquinolones". Ralf Stahlmann and Rudolf Schwabe.

^ Aoun M, Jacquy C, Debusscher L, et al. (July 1992). "Peripheral neuropathy associated with fluoroquinolones". Lancet 340 (8811): 127. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(92)90460-K. PMID 1352007.

^ Cohen JS (December 2001). "Peripheral neuropathy associated with fluoroquinolones". Ann Pharmacother 35 (12): 1540–7. doi:10.1345/aph.1Z429. PMID 11793615.

^ ^a ^b Falagas ME, Rafailidis PI, Rosmarakis ES (April 2007). "Arrhythmias associated with fluoroquinolone therapy". Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents 29 (4): 374–9. doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2006.11.011. PMID 17241772.

^ "UpToDate Inc.". Uptodate.

^ http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/98/briefingbook/1998-3454B1_03_WL49.pdf

^ Ball P (February 1989). "Adverse reactions and interactions of fluoroquinolones". Clin Invest Med 12 (1): 28–34. PMID 2646053.

^ The antimicrobial drugs By Eric Michael Scholar, William B. Pratt Edition: 2, illustrated Published by Oxford University Press US, 2000 ISBN 0-19-512529-0, ISBN 978-0-19-512529-0 607 pages citing to page 271 and reference [160], to wit: W. Christ and B. Esch, Adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones in adults and children. Infect Dis Clin Pract 1994;3 (Suppl 3). S168-S176 http://books.google.com/books?id=gACeB8XCnpgC&pg=PA271&lpg=PA271&dq=%22diplopia%22+%22quinolone%22&source=bl&ots=5Mcj9Hc-jm&sig=eZXYD15q5LPQ8EpFtsZgLeDrRMA&hl=en&ei=PTe0SbvYLIGCtwfZvpmtCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result

^ Poisoning and toxicology handbook By Jerrold B. Leikin, Frank P. Paloucek Edition: 4, illustrated Published by Informa Health Care, 2007 ISBN 1-4200-4479-6, ISBN 978-1-4200-4479-9 Page 503-504 / page 194

^ "MedWatch Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products". Fda.gov. 2008-11-06. Retrieved 2011-03-29.

^ [2]^{[dead link]}

^ http://vistakonpharmaceutical.com/pdf/iquix_pi.pdf

^ http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2004/21571_iquix_lbl.pdf

^ Fraunfelder, Fw; Fraunfelder, Ft (Jul 2009). "Diplopia and Fluoroquinolones". Ophthalmology 116 (9): 1814–7. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2009.06.027. ISSN 0161-6420. PMID 19643481.

^ Vrabec TR, Sergott RC, Jaeger EA, Savino PJ, Bosley TM (June 1990). "Reversible visual loss in a patient receiving high-dose ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (Cipro)". Ophthalmology 97 (6): 707–10. PMID 2374675.

^ "Case Presentation - Moxifloxacin (Avelox)". written at Canada (PDF). Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Newsletter. October 2002. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/medeff/carn-bcei_v12n4-eng.pdf. Retrieved on 30 January 2009.

^ Gelatt KN, van der Woerdt A, Ketring KL, et al. (June 2001). "Enrofloxacin-associated retinal degeneration in cats". Vet Ophthalmol 4 (2): 99–106. doi:10.1046/j.1463-5224.2001.00182.x. PMID 11422990.

^ Shimoda K, Okawara S, Kato M (September 2001). "Phototoxic retinal degeneration and toxicokinetics of sitafloxacin, a quinolone antibacterial agent, in mice". Arch. Toxicol. 75 (7): 395–9. doi:10.1007/s002040100263. PMID 11693179.

^ Sirbat D, Saudax E, Hurault de Ligny B, Hachet E, Raspiller A (1983). "[Serous macular detachment of the neuro-epithelium and flumequine]". J Fr Ophtalmol (in French) 6 (10): 829–36. PMID 6672059.

^ Bezwada P, Clark LA, Schneider S (February 2008). "Intrinsic cytotoxic effects of fluoroquinolones on human corneal keratocytes and endothelial cells". Curr Med Res Opin 24 (2): 419–24. doi:10.1185/030079908X261005. PMID 18157922.

^ ^a ^b Moxifloxacin (Avelox) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/021085s039,021277s033lbl.pdf Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/019537s68,19847s42,19857s49,20780s26,21473s24lbl.pdf Ofloxacin (Floxin) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/019735s059lbl.pdf Levofloxacin (Levaquin) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/021721s020_020635s57_020634s52_lbl.pdf Norfloxacin (Noroxin) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/019384s052lbl.pdf Proquin XR package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/021744s008lbl.pdf Sparfloxacin (Zagam) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2003/020677s006lbl.pdf Cinoxacin (Cinobac) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2002/18067s29lbl.pdf Equin (Solage) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2007/020922s003lbl.pdf Ofloxacin otic package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/019735s059lbl.pdf

^ Paul J, Brown NM (July 1995). "Tinnitus and ciprofloxacin". BMJ 311 (6999): 232. PMC 2550285. PMID 7627041.

^ Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) package insert:http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/019537s68,19847s42,19857s49,20780s26,21473s24lbl.pdf Ofloxacin otic package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2003/20799slr012_floxin_lbl.pdf Norfloxacin (Noroxin) package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/019384s052lbl.pdf Proquin XR package insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/021744s008lbl.pdf

^ http://www.fdable.com/basic_query/aers/7e829e140dd289c9dec44e9541ca7846 (ciprofloxacin) http://www.fdable.com/basic_query/aers/cf0caad8d6cdfcab19e88d5f0bec72a0 (moxifloxacin) http://www.fdable.com/basic_query/aers/4d2af494063504d3bf8c9559180915cc (ofloxacin) http://www.fdable.com/basic_query/aers/5fc512f95c82788f16456a4a4853dfcd (levofloxacin) http://www.fdable.com/basic_query/aers/97cfd7d5bcdeabe2bbaf89d4d2c7a3da (norfloxacin) http://www.fdable.com/basic_query/aers/714e096436dd911b78b410cb28b1a07e (cinoxacin)

^ ^ "Ciprofloxacin: suspected association with deafness and reduced hearing" (PDF). Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter (Health Canada) 14 (1). January 2004. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/medeff/carn-bcei_v14n1-eng.pdf. Retrieved on 18 February 2009.

^ Russell PT, Church CA, Jinn TH, Kim DJ, John EO, Jung TT (January 2001). "Effects of common topical otic preparations on the morphology of isolated cochlear outer hair cells". Acta Otolaryngol. 121 (2): 135–9. doi:10.1080/000164801300043208. PMID 11349764.

^ Ophthalmotoxicity and ototoxicity of the new quinolone antibacterial agent levofloxacin in Long Evans rats. Nomura M, Yamada M, Yamamura H, Kajimura T, Takayama S. Drug Safety Research Center, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

^ Orr, Cf; Rowe, Db (Apr 2003). "Eardrop attacks: seizures triggered by ciprofloxacin eardrops". The Medical journal of Australia 178 (7): 343. ISSN 0025-729X. PMID 12670280.

^ ^ Coats H (April 2008). "Ear drops and ototoxicity". Australian Prescriber 31 (2): 40–1. http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/31/2/40/1/

^ Gootz TD, Barrett JF, Sutcliffe JA (January 1990). "Inhibitory effects of quinolone antibacterial agents on eucaryotic topoisomerases and related test systems". Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34 (1): 8–12. doi:10.1128/AAC.34.1.8. PMC 171510. PMID 2158274.

^ Thomas A, Tocher J, Edwards DI (May 1990). "Electrochemical characteristics of five quinolone drugs and their effect on DNA damage and repair in Escherichia coli". J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 25 (5): 733–44. doi:10.1093/jac/25.5.733. PMID 2165050.

^ "Fluoroquinolones and Quinolones". The American Academy of Optometry (British Chapter). Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.

^ Hussy P, Maass G, Tümmler B, Grosse F, Schomburg U (June 1986). "Effect of 4-quinolones and novobiocin on calf thymus DNA polymerase alpha primase complex, topoisomerases I and II, and growth of mammalian lymphoblasts". Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 29 (6): 1073–8. doi:10.1128/AAC.29.6.1073. PMC 180502. PMID 3015015.

^ Forsgren A, Bredberg A, Pardee AB, Schlossman SF, Tedder TF (May 1987). "Effects of ciprofloxacin on eucaryotic pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis and cell growth" (PDF). Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 31 (5): 774–9. doi:10.1128/AAC.31.5.774. PMC 174831. PMID 3606077.

^ Yaseen A. Al-Soud; Najim A. Al-Masoudi (2003). "A new class of dihaloquinolones bearing N'-aldehydoglycosylhydrazides, mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, oxadiazoline and a-amino ester precursors: synthesis and antimicrobial activity". J. Braz. Chem. Soc 14 (5): 790. doi:10.1590/S0103-50532003000500014. "Nevertheless, some quinolones cause injury to the chromosome of eukaryotic cells.21,22 These findings prompted us to optimize the substituent at C-3, by..."

^ Elsea SH, Osheroff N, Nitiss JL (July 1992). "Cytotoxicity of quinolones toward eukaryotic cells. Identification of topoisomerase II as the primary cellular target for the quinolone CP-115,953 in yeast". J. Biol. Chem. 267 (19): 13150–3. PMID 1320012.

^ Lawrence JW, Darkin-Rattray S, Xie F, Neims AH, Rowe TC (February 1993). "4-Quinolones cause a selective loss of mitochondrial DNA from mouse L1210 leukemia cells". J. Cell. Biochem. 51 (2): 165–74. doi:10.1002/jcb.240510208. PMID 8440750.

^ Enzmann H, Wiemann C, Ahr HJ, Schlüter G (April 1999). "Damage to mitochondrial DNA induced by the quinolone Bay y 3118 in embryonic turkey liver". Mutat. Res. 425 (2): 213–24. doi:10.1016/S0027-5107(99)00044-5. PMID 10216214.

^ Yaseen A. Al-Soud a and Najim A. Al-Masoudi (2003). "A New Class of Dihaloquinolones Bearing N'-Aldehydoglycosylhydrazides, Mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, Oxadiazoline and α-Amino Ester Precursors: Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity". J. Braz. Chem. Soc 14 (5): 790–796. doi:10.1590/S01

03-50532003000500014. "Although the current quinolones are not considered to be potent inhibitors of eucaryotic topoisomerases, some effects on these and other enzymes involved with DNA replication have been observed"

^ Suto MJ, Domagala JM, Roland GE, Mailloux GB, Cohen MA (December 1992). "Fluoroquinolones: relationships between structural variations, mammalian cell cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial activity". J. Med. Chem. 35 (25): 4745–50. doi:10.1021/jm00103a013. PMID 1469702.

^ Kashida Y, Sasaki YF, Ohsawa K, et al. (October 2002). "Mechanistic study on flumequine hepatocarcinogenicity focusing on DNA damage in mice". Toxicol. Sci. 69 (2): 317–21. doi:10.1093/toxsci/69.2.317. PMID 12377980.

^ Verna LK,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shelley Anne Sealover
http://www.ciproispoison.com/

15. As stated previously, Cipro is a 100% synthetic chemotherapeutic drug. It works by interfering with bacterial DNA, preventing it from replicating. The problem is, how can a synthetic chemical differentiate between bacterial DNA and your DNA!? As it turns out, it can't. Hint: If your cells cannot replicate, your body literally begins to fall apart! Which--ironically--is exactly what happens when a person becomes floxed. Muscles rapidly waste away, tendons tear and rupture (sometimes even in one's sleep), retinas spontaneously tear, cartilage erodes from the joints.
Vertaling bekijken
CIPRO IS POISON!
www.ciproispoison.com
1. As everyone knows, all drugs have potential side effects. In the vast majority of drugs on the market (over 95% of them), these side effects are transient--meaning they cease when the medication is discontinued. This is NOT the case with Cipro! Many of the side effects listed on Cipro's warnin...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effects_of_fluoroquinolones#Cardiac

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxifloxacin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoroquinolones#Veterinary_use

Adverse effects of fluoroquinolones
Classification and external resources
ICD-10	Y40.8
ICD-9	E930.8

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. ongeveer een uur geleden

Oh well here's an interesting comment, we've all wondered about giving blood after being poisoned by FQ's!! On the airline pilot forum, discussing CIPRO:

Ottopilot
04-11-2013, 10:40 AM
I used Cipro flying to India. I always got sick in Mumbai (never Dehli?). I would eliminate the food and drink and still get sick. I found the cure: don't go to India.

I can't donate blood anymore either. Red Cros

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10553709?dopt=Abstract

Drugs. 1999;58 Suppl 2:65-70.

Effect of quinolones on intestinal ecology.

Edlund C¹, Nord CE.

Author information

Abstract

Quinolones have a selective effect on the normal human intestinal microflora. Published data on 13 different quinolone agents [ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, lomefloxacin, levofloxacin, sparfloxacin, rufloxacin, sitafloxacin (DU-6859a), gatifloxacin, trovafloxacin and moxifloxacin] show that gram-negative aerobic bacteria, especially Enterobacteriaceae, are strongly suppressed or eliminated during therapy. Gram-positive aerobic cocci are affected strongly by administration of sitafloxacin and moxifloxacin and to minor degrees by the other quinolones. Three new quinolones--gatifloxacin, trovafloxacin and moxifloxacin--are very active against anaerobic bacteria in vitro but have minor effects on the anaerobic intestinal human microflora. Similar findings have been reported for the other 10 quinolones. Thus, the quinolone antibacterials have an ecological impact on the human intestinal microflora, mainly on the enterobacteria, that should be taken into account when these agents are used for prophylaxis or treatment of gastrointestinal bacterial infections.

PMID:

10553709
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
=================================================================
Thanks Shells ! for the info
Trade names Zyvox, Zyvoxam, Zyvoxid Dear God, more POISON "antibiotics" on the market??!! Fluoroquinolones aren't enough????
JUST A HEAD'S UP FOLKS!!
Those who've been unfortunate enough to be dealing w/ permanent effects of POISON FLUOROQUINOLONES will recognize the RED FLAGS here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linezolid

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.naturalnews.com/045419_Elliot_Rodger_Xanax_psychiatric_drugs.html

(NaturalNews) Like nearly all mass murderers and psycho killers, Elliot Rodger is now confirmed to have been taking massive doses of psychiatric drugs. Law enforcement authorities have now confirmed Elliot Rodger, the "sorority girl" killer of Isla Vista, California, was taking massive doses of Xanax, a psychiatric drug belonging to a class of chemicals called benzodiazepines.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/045419_Elliot_Rodger_Xanax_psychiatric_drugs.html#ixzz33bfro9NX

==============================================
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIquu3wwUas&list=PL1AE16CD4F7609CF4

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_gTmKnA3SF_0iuJy9zmC4w
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthcare/Drugs-most-frequently-reported-for-adverse-reactions.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://sjsupport.org/?page_id=445

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/zithromax-sjs-lawsuit/zithromax-side-effects-lawsuit-24-19898.html#.U7vN1bFr9BB

What are you looking for?

Home Page >> News Articles >> The Zithromax Side Effects of Children, ..

The Zithromax Side Effects of Children, in Their Own Words

June 25, 2014, 08:00:00AM. By Gordon Gibb
Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email More Sharing Services 8

Pittsburgh, PA: They are beautiful, innocent victims of a horrifying disease. Some have died, whereas others have survived with emotional and physical scars. These are the children who have been made to deal with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TENS, the worst form of SJS). And for some, Zithromax side effects were the trigger.

Their stories are chronicled in a website, sjskidsupport.org, with photographs and short bios in their own words. Their stories are compelling.

There is the story of Matthew, a five-year-old who began suffering from Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome four days after starting on Zithromax for an ear infection and a high fever. He battled his SJS affliction at St. Peters University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

There’s Miranda, who was diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome in November 2004. Her troubles began when she came down with mycoplasma pneumonia and was prescribed Children’s Motrin and Zithromax. Five days later she showed signs of Zithromax rash and was admitted to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Then there is Caleb’s story: “Hi! My name is Caleb McCourry and I am 10 years old from Norman Oklahoma. I had SJS in October of 2007. I got ill with what the doctor thought was Mycoplasma Pneumonia and was put on Zithromax. I started to show signs of SJS after 5 days but was misdiagnosed by my doctor. Fortunately my mom researched my symptoms and came up with SJS. My parents took me to The University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital where they said it was indeed SJS. I was in the hospital for 17 days. I am well now and have no side effects thank goodness…”

Others have not done so well, and have gone through horrifying experiences. Stephanie writes that her battle with SJS/TENS began two weeks before her third birthday. She lost 97 percent of her skin, all of her hair, her nails, her voice and her eyesight. The little girl was in the hospital for three months. Doctors didn’t think she would survive, but she bravely fought and beat the odds. Stephanie writes that she is 13 now. Her eyesight has yet to return after 10 years. But she is glad to have survived.

Why?

=============================================
http://www.hormonesmatter.com/fluoroquinolone-antibiotic-side-effects-survey/

=============================================

http://floxiehope.com/2014/08/08/antibiotics-after-fluoroquinolone-toxicity/

Antibiotics After Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

August 8, 2014 Comments: 3

People often ask about what they should do to treat infections post-flox. Here are my tips.
First, please INSIST on getting your infection cultured and confirmed before you take any antibiotics. As anyone who has had an adverse reaction to an antibiotic can tell you, antibiotics are not benign drugs. They have side-effects (HERE is the 43 PAGE warning label for Cipro/Ciprofloxacin). Some of those side-effects are life-altering and/or life-threatening. You don’t want to put any drugs into your body unless you absolutely need them. A culture should be done to confirm that an infection is present before you take an antibiotic – no matter what.
Because antibiotics have been shown to wreak havoc on the microbiome and bactericidal antibiotics damage mitochondria – and because both microbiome disruptions and mitochondrial dysfunctions are linked with every chronic disease there is – I highly recommend looking into some non-pharmaceutical options first. Garlic has been shown to have antibiotic qualities and to be more effective against biofilms than many antibiotics. For urinary tract infections, D-mannose has effectively helped thousands of people get rid of their infection. Some other non-pharmaceutical remedies for urinary tract infections can be found HERE. Coconut oil has been shown to have anti-bacterial qualities and it may be good for treating skin and GI infections. Colloidal silver not only has anti-bacterial qualities on its own, it also has been shown to increase the effectiveness of pharmaceutical antibiotics when used in conjunction with them. Andrographis is an herb that has antibiotic qualities.
If non-pharmaceutical options aren’t working and you need an antibiotic to get rid of your confirmed infection, here are the antibiotics that I recommend along with reasons as to why I recommend them (or not).

Most Floxies seem to do well with doxycycline and other tetracyclines. Tetracyclines are bacteriostatic antibiotics that, “stops bacteria from multiplying but does not kill them.” (source)

Several Floxies have taken Z-pack’s without incident

Amoxicillin seems to be about as benign as antibiotics get. So, it’s not harmless, but it’s well tolerated generally.

Penicillin seems to be well tolerated – unless you’re allergic to it.

Sulfa antibiotics seem to be well tolerated – unless you’re allergic to them.

There are probably some other antibiotics that are fine for Floxies, I just haven’t heard about them. Please feel free to leave a comment below if there is an effective and relatively safe one that I’m missing.
Here are the antibiotics that I recommend avoiding because they have side-effects that are similar to those of fluoroquinolones, and because many Floxies react badly to them –

Macrobid / Nitrofurantoin

Flagyl / Metronidazole

Bactrim / Trimethoprim / Sulfamethoxazole

Fluoroquinolones – Cipro/Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/Levofloxacin, Avelox/Moxifloxacin, Floxin/Ofloxacin and a few others – should be avoided entirely unless you are dying and make the decision that getting “floxed” is preferred to death. Every warning label for every fluoroquinolone says that people who have an existing hypersensitivity to a fluoroquinolone should not take them again. “Ciprofloxacin is contraindicated in persons with a history of hypersensitivity to ciprofloxacin, any member of the quinolone class of antimicrobial agents, or any of the product components.” (Warning Label)
Before you take an antibiotic, or any pharmaceutical for that matter, I highly recommend that you look up the review for that drug on http://www.askapatient.com/ and look it up on http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/. Also, look up the drug’s warning label. Be informed. Make an informed decision.
Here is a list of antibiotics – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_antibiotics I didn’t get close to going through all of them. But I hope that this post gives you some guidance when/if you are faced with an infection.
I’m not a doctor, so please take this advice for what it’s worth. Doctors should be consulted when you have an infection. The internet should be consulted too though, because doctors aren’t capable of knowing everything and informed consent is really important.
======================================
http://www.hormonesmatter.com/glabrata-deadly-post-fluoroquinolone-infection-youve-never-heard/

I would like to share information on a little known, rare infection that all too often is overlooked or misdiagnosed, by the medical profession. It is an infection that shows no mercy to its victims and is deadly in 67 to 90% of the cases, depending upon the severity of the infection. It is called Candida Glabrata (C.Glabrata), and I, like thousands of other victims, have had to learn the harsh realities of what this infection is capable of. I have also learned that it is an infection that our medical profession knows little about and our scientific community knows even less about how to beat it. In 2007, it was listed as the fourth leading cause of bloodstream infection in United States hospitals
=============================================

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/levaquin/interview-levaquin-side-effects-6-15940.html#.U-dK1WPaaRN

"Levaquin Took My Legs Away."

February 4, 2011, 08:00:00AM. By Jane Mundy
Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email More Sharing Services 10

Boyertown, PA: I started taking 500 mg of Levaquin last summer for an upper respiratory infection," said Sara, a nurse. "Within one day, after just one dose, my lower leg hurt. By the time I saw my doctor I could barely walk; right away he knew that Levaquin was to blame."

As it turned out, Levaquin caused more than an aching lower leg. Because the drug caused Sara to become practically immobile, her respiratory problems became worse and it even cost her relationship with her fiancé...

"At first I didn't think much of the pain in my leg because my whole body ached from the fever I had," said Sara, "but once the fever broke I still had severe pain in my feet and lower calves. Ironically I had an appointment set up with my foot surgeon, Dr. Adamo, who did my bunion surgery last year.

"I continued on the Levaquin and finished it Thursday. On Friday I could barely walk. As I stepped down from my apartment, I could see, feel, and hear a pop in the back of my leg and blinding pain, like I never felt before. 'Sara, what have you been doing?' Dr. Adamo asked. As soon as I mentioned Levaquin he said, 'Didn't you read the insert?'

"He told me that I have severe bilateral Achilles tendonitis, Levaquin is to blame, and health experts are trying to get this drug off the market. I couldn't believe it! I was absolutely furious. I'm a nurse and the last dose I took, I got hot and flushed; my heart rate went up and I knew then that I was having an allergic reaction to this drug. But causing this, the inability to walk? A lot of reactions can occur from antibiotics, but I'd never heard of this.

"Dr. Adamo told me to discontinue any kind of physical activity, put my feet up, and wrap them in ice or heat, whatever felt better. He gave me a prescription for painkillers and come back for a follow-up in a few weeks or sooner if I was getting worse.
==============================================
http://humandiagrams.com/get-to-know-flesh-eating-bacteria/

A Fluoroquinolone Induces a Novel Mitogen-Encoding Bacteriophage in Streptococcus canis

Keely T. Ingrey†,
Jun Ren and
John F. Prescott*

+ Author Affiliations

Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada

Next Section
ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether the recently recognized emergence of canine streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) and necrotizing fasciitis (NF) might be partly attributed to the use of fluoroquinolones to treat Streptococcus canis infections in dogs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/25/fluoroquinolone-antibiotics.aspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://baronandbudd.com/news/levaquin-avelox-and-cipro-litigation/

461

Baron & Budd Files First Litigation in Levaquin, Avelox, and Cipro Cases

10-Year Study in Journal of Neurology Reveals That Risk of Peripheral Neuropathy Doubles With Fluoroquinolone Use
DALLAS, August 26, 2014 — The Dallas-based national law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., a leader in pharmaceutical litigation, has filed the first lawsuit involving a form of nerve damage known as peripheral neuropathy against pharmaceutical companies which marketed a class of powerful antibiotics called "fluoroquinolones" (FQs).
The most popular FQs, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, are sold under the trade names, respectively, of Levaquin®, Avelox®, and Cipro®.
"FQs are one of the most heavily prescribed — and promoted — classes of antibiotics," said Baron & Budd Attorney Thomas M. Sims. "They are still frequently administered to deal with routine infections, although they have been implicated in a whole host of serious side effects."
Sims noted that last year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which had received numerous reports of peripheral neuropathy (PN) related to FQ use, ordered drug companies to change packaging inserts for all FQs to add a warning. The FDA had cautioned that damage from PN, which causes muscle weakness, numbness, and pain, could occur very soon after the administration of FQ drugs — and that damage could be permanent.
Now, one year after the FDA’s August 15, 2013 announcement comes the publication of a study in the medical journal Neurology in which researchers have found that the use of oral FQs doubles the risk of developing PN among patients who have recently taken one of these drugs. This represents the first published epidemiological research to evaluate the risk of PN among patients who had been prescribed FQs. The study evaluated nearly one million male FQ patients aged 45 to 80 during the period from 2001 to 2011.
"Fluoroquinolones have become increasingly popular among physicians for the treatment of routine infections," Sims observed. "Pharmaceutical companies have heavily marketed fluoroquinolones to doctors as a cure-all. The unfortunate reality is that the best medical evidence clearly indicates the prescription of such potent antibiotics should be limited to the treatment of serious infections."
Sims noted that more than 23 million patients in 2011 (the last year for which figures are available) had received a prescription of an FQ antibiotic.
He also pointed out that the FDA warning about possible PN side effects in the use of FQs was not the first warning. "Actually, the FDA’s 2013 order was an update to a 2004 label in which the manufacturers cautioned that peripheral neuropathy could be a side effect of this class of antibiotics," he said. "In the 2004 label, however, many of the manufacturers went on to note that there was no risk of permanent damage if the patient simply stopped taking the drug. Last year’s order was handed down because the FDA determined that the manufacturers’ existing label did not adequately warn physicians or their patients about the risk of permanent nerve damage."
In 2014 Baron & Budd began accepting cases involving Levaquin, Avelox, and Cipro. Baron & Budd founder Russell Budd noted that its initial case, which is believed to be the first-ever litigation against U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers for FQ-induced peripheral neuropathy, was filed August 6, 2014 in San Francisco in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Other filings have since followed, he added.
"The study recently published in Neurology is validation for the many victims of fluoroquinolones who have struggled to be taken seriously and are now afflicted with severe and irreversible peripheral neuropathy," Budd said "They took what they thought was a safe medicine. We hope this study puts a spotlight on the terrible damage that this class of drugs can cause."
"The tragedy is that so many of these plaintiffs could have been cured with a less risky antibiotic," Sims echoed. "But, because fluoroquinolones have been overpromoted for so long, people who turned to their doctors for the treatment of a simple sinus or urinary tract infection developed a far worse illness than the one they sought treatment for in the first place."

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

With a history of more than 35 years of "Protecting What’s Right" for individuals, communities, and governmental entities, Baron & Budd, P.C., is devoted to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Americans. With law offices in Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, and Baton Rouge, Baron & Budd is renowned for tackling complex cases in the litigation sectors of harmful drugs, dangerous medical devices, environmental contamination, financial fraud, and deceptive advertising.

By Baron & Budd|August 26th, 2014|Categories: Pharmaceuticals|Tags: Avelox, Cipro, Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics, Levaquin

Comments:

Media Contacts

Susan Knape

214.629.0596
susan@susanknape.com

Amanda Billo
214.991.1051
abillo@baronbudd.com

Settlement Information

Attorney Search

http://www.scribd.com/doc/238332029/Baronandbudd-Com-News-Levaquin-Avelox-and-Cipro-Litigation

======================================================================

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/levaquin-cipro-avelox-may-result-neurodegenerative-diseases/neuropathy/

http://www.scribd.com/doc/238580540/Www-Stonehearthnewsletters-Com-Levaquin-Cipro-Avelox-May-Result-Neurodegenerative-Diseases-Neuropathy

=======================================================================

http://asheepnomore.net/2014/05/20/prescription-drugs-now-kill-people-us-heroin-cocaine-combined/

983741_396043060509140_1456164908_n

Prescription Drugs Now Kill More People In The US Than Heroin And Cocaine Combined

by admin · May 20, 2014

Michael Kelley

Prescription opioid painkillers are responsible for more fatal overdoses in the U.S. than heroin and cocaine combined, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Opioid painkillers include prescription narcotics such as like Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), Opana (oxymorphone) and methodone.

“An epidemic of prescription drug abuse is devastating American families and draining state and federal time, money and manpower,” Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a press release.

- See more at: http://asheepnomore.net/2014/05/20/prescription-drugs-now-kill-people-us-heroin-cocaine-combined/#sthash.jUbDouLD.L7Jvr5YC.dpuf

Prescription Drugs Now Kill More People In The US Than Heroin And Cocaine Combined

by admin · May 20, 2014

Michael Kelley
Prescription opioid painkillers are responsible for more fatal overdoses in the U.S. than heroin and cocaine combined, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Opioid painkillers include prescription narcotics such as like Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), Opana (oxymorphone) and methodone.

“An epidemic of prescription drug abuse is devastating American families and draining state and federal time, money and manpower,” Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a press release.

- See more at: http://asheepnomore.net/2014/05/20/prescription-drugs-now-kill-people-us-heroin-cocaine-combined/#sthash.jUbDouLD.L7Jvr5YC.dpuf
=======================================================================
PDF link
http://www.scribd.com/doc/239082168/These-Over-Prescribed-Antibiotics-Are-Causing-Transgenerational-DNA-Damage

http://www.wakingtimes.com/2014/06/27/prescribed-antibiotics-causing-transgenerational-dna-damage/

Home > These Over-Prescribed Antibiotics are Causing Transgenerational DNA Damage