QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS TOXICITY - My Quin Story

253 Pages·2007·3.34 MB·English

The Flox Report QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS TOXICITY. March 2007

QUINOLONE
ANTIBIOTICS
TOXICITY

Have you planned to take a
Do you suspect that you are having
quinolone antibiotic (cipro, levaquin, (cid:206)
an adverse reaction to a quinolone
tequin, avelox) and want to avoid
antibiotic?
permanent and long-term injuries?
(cid:208)

Do you want to know why some
Do you want to know more about this
(cid:205) people take a lot of quinolones and
type of toxic antibiotic that causes
believe that they worked fine for
extensive damage to everybody?
them?
(cid:208)

Do you want to know why the FDA
Do you think that reactions to drugs has had to admit in October 2004
are characteristic to certain persons that quinolones may cause
(cid:206)
and that you will be safe taking irreversible neurological damage,
quinolones because you have never only after thousands of reports of
had any reaction or allergy before? evidence and 20 years of consumer
and citizen struggle?
(cid:208)

Then, perhaps you might consider
The paper is a technical summary
reading this non-medical research
that condenses the victims’ stories of
paper. It has been written by a group
powerless struggle to overcome
(cid:205) of formerly healthy and young
permanent, deep and irreversible

athletes with no known allergies or
damages that stressed their careers
intolerance to any drug, that suffered
and family relationships to the limit,
devastating adverse health effects
and changed their lives forever.
caused by the toxicity of quinolones.

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The Flox Report QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS TOXICITY. March 2007

An investigative approach to the true toxicity
of quinolone antibiotics. A patient’s point of view.

FLUOROQUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS TOXICITY
A SUMMARY OF CLOSELY FOLLOWED CASES

Damage and disorders caused by
fluoroquinolone antibiotics
(cipro, levaquin, floxin, tequin and others)

[FLUOROQUINOLONES ARE A CLASS OF ANTIBIOTICS THAT ARE VERY TOXIC
FOR TENDONS, CARTILAGES, THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND OTHER ORGANS]

Last edition: March 2007

WARNING AND MANDATORY DISCLAIMER.
This article consists of the description of the adverse toxic effects caused by the quinolone and fluoroquinolone class of
antibiotics, on previously healthy people. Many of these injuries are irreversible and permanent in nature. In addition, the
article contains data obtained from many individual experiences, as well as information that comes from reputed medical
sources available to the public. This article does not contain medical advice or professional statements on its own.

We recommend that you consult with your doctor before starting any exercise, dietary or supplement program. Any
information and products obtained from and or given from this web site/organization should not be taken as medical
advice for any reason. The information is not intended to replace advice given by your Doctor. No claim or opinion is
intended to serve as, nor should it be construed to be, medical advice. The information and products in this article are not
intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease and not a guide for self-diagnosis and/or treatment. We do not accept
responsibility for the use or misuse of the information and products.

When reproducing passages of books or published interviews we do not aim to get any profit from it but rather provide
readers with a reliable source of information, and we also mention a complete reference to the official editors or owners,
who are always mentioned.

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The Flox Report QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS TOXICITY. March 2007

AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHTS.
T. Boomer, who has no professional medical background, has prepared the article, based on the experiences of many
people. The author of this study has no interest of any kind in any commercial activity, benefit or product related with the
topic.
© 2003-2007 T. Boomer. All Rights Reserved. All information contained within this web site, and particularly of this
report is copyright by the author (2003-2007) unless otherwise noted. No part of this report, except for brief notes used as
a reference, can be reproduced or transmitted in any way without prior written permission. As exception to the
aforementioned rule, the report can be printed for personal-non-profit-only use and parts of it included in works treating
the subject providing that the source is cited.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
(cid:131) Special thanks to the tireless dedication and great work done by the persons that have helped with the editing of
this paper.
(cid:131) Thank you to all persons that have contributed to the report with their experiences, submitting all the record
files, authorizing the reproduction of letters written by them, reporting errors in the report, suggesting
improvements, and proposing new categories and topics for discussion.
(cid:131) Thank you also to all the hundreds people that have indicated that the information provided here has been useful
for them.
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PRINTING A COPY.
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paper size (210 x 297 mm).
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DOWNLOADING A COPY.
A convenient copy in a pdf file (acrobat from apple) can be downloaded to your computer through the link button in
the home page. You need the program Acrobat Reader, from Apple, that you can also download free at their site, which
is also linked in the home page.
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INDEX

1. MENTAL ALTERATIONS CAUSED BY QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS................................................................................8
2. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................................9
3. WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS REPORT.................................................................................................................10
4. LIMITATIONS OF THE REPORT...................................................................................................................................11
5. COMMON MISTAKES DONE READING THIS PAPER.................................................................................................12
6. TERMS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFUSION.....................................................................................................................13
7. WHY HAS THIS REPORT BEEN WRITTEN...................................................................................................................14
8. HOW HAS THIS REPORT BEEN WRITTEN..................................................................................................................15
9. QUINOLONE AND FLUOROQUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS...............................................................................................19
10. THE MARKET OF QUINOLONES...............................................................................................................................20
11. QUINOLONE FIRST FACTS........................................................................................................................................20
12. THE WAY QUINOLONES ARE INVENTED..................................................................................................................21
13. TOXICITY OF QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS..................................................................................................................22
14. WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM TAKING A QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTIC...........................................................................23
15. THE EPIDEMIC OF TOXICITIES OF QUINOLONES....................................................................................................24
16. WHAT ELSE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE INSERT?...........................................................................25
17. REAL RATES OF ADVERSE REACTIONS...................................................................................................................26
18. PERMANENT AND IRREVERSIBLE INJURIES CAUSED BY QUINOLONES...............................................................30
19. THE RULE OF THUMB ON ANTIBIOTICS..................................................................................................................30
20. CHARACTERISTIC TOXICITY OF FLUOROQUINOLONES...........................................................................................31
21. THE QUINOLONES STORED IN THE BODY..............................................................................................................32
22. CUMULATIVE TOXICITY OF QUINOLONES................................................................................................................36
23. THE VIRTUES OF QUINOLONES...............................................................................................................................36
24. SHOULD FLUOROQUINOLONES BE BANNED?.......................................................................................................36
25. I DO WANT TO TAKE A FLUOROQUINOLONE. ANY ADVICE?...................................................................................37
26. ARE YOU POISONED BY A QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTIC?.............................................................................................39
27. SOME MEDICAL TERMS AND INFORMATION.........................................................................................................40
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28. WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE DO QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS CAUSE?..........................................................................41
29. HINTS AND CLUES THAT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE.................................................................................................42
30. WHAT ARE THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF BEING POISONED BY A QUINOLONE?......................................................43
31. TYPICAL ADVERSE REACTION LIST OF A QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTIC........................................................................48
32. SOCIAL QUINO-EXPERIMENTATION.........................................................................................................................49
33. IF YOU SUFFER AN ALLERGIC REACTION................................................................................................................51
34. EXPECTED EVOLUTION FOR A SEVERE REACTION.................................................................................................51
35. EXPECTED EVOLUTION FOR AN INTERMEDIATE REACTION..................................................................................53
36. EXPECTED EVOLUTION FOR A MILD REACTION.....................................................................................................53
37. TYPICAL PATTERNS OF EVOLUTION OF RECOVERY...............................................................................................54
38. WHICH KIND OF ADVERSE REACTION TO QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM?..................54
39. WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES OF RECOVERY?..........................................................................................................57
40. SOME WAYS OF MEASURING THE EVOLUTION......................................................................................................58
41. THE MOST CLASSICAL PERMANENT INJURIES......................................................................................................59
42. THE TWO HEADS OF THE HYDRA............................................................................................................................60
43. THE VASCULAR-MATRIX CONNECTION...................................................................................................................60
44. THE "QUINO-VASCULITIS" IN MORE DETAIL............................................................................................................63
45. NERVES OR VESSELS, WHICH ONE IS INJURED FIRST?........................................................................................66
46. VASCULITIC RASHES................................................................................................................................................66
47. MORE ON CONNECTIVE TISSUE QUINOTOXICITY...................................................................................................67
48. THE SECOND HEAD OF THE HYDRA........................................................................................................................70
49. NEUROLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS..............................................................................................................................70
50. THE BASIC MISSIONS OF A NERVE CELL................................................................................................................71
51. THE SPECIFICITY OF THE NERVE-MUSCLE JUNCTION...........................................................................................73
52. THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS....................................................................................................................................74
53. THE CHOLINERGIC NEURONS AND ACETYLCHOLINE NEUROTRANSMITTER.......................................................74
54. CATECHOLAMINE NEUROTRANSMITTERS..............................................................................................................76
55. SEROTONINE NEUROTRANSMITTERS.....................................................................................................................77
56. GABA NEUROTRANSMITTERS.................................................................................................................................77
57. TURNING NEUROTRANSMITTERS OFF....................................................................................................................77
58. ALTERATION OF NEUROTRANSMISSION BY DRUGS..............................................................................................78
59. THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY QUINOLONES TO NERVE FUNCTIONS.........................................................................79
60. PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY CAUSED BY QUINOLONES.........................................................................................82
61. THE NEURO-FLOX-PATHY AND DOCTORS IGNORANCE ONCE MORE....................................................................85
62. ULNAR NEURITIS. A PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY...................................................................................................87
63. AUTONOMIC NEUROPATHY......................................................................................................................................88
64. WHAT ABOUT THOSE ANNOYING CRAMPS AND TWITCHING................................................................................89
65. TOXICITY GUARANTEED...........................................................................................................................................91
66. IMPAIRED HEALING IN THE FLOXED BODIES.........................................................................................................91
67. AVOID ANY PHYSICAL TRAUMA...............................................................................................................................93
68. ACUMMULATION OF BYPRODUCTS OF THE FLOXING............................................................................................93
69. PAIN LEVELS.............................................................................................................................................................95
70. CONSTANT PAIN ALL OVER. MYALGIAS..................................................................................................................95
71. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR MUSCLES?..............................................................................................................96
72. INDIRECT APPROACH TO UNVEIL THE QUINOLONE TOXICITY TO MUSCLES......................................................100
73. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM EFFECTS................................................................................................................101
74. EYE AND VISION ISSUES.......................................................................................................................................101
75. QUINOLONES AND DAMAGE TO THE HEART........................................................................................................107
76. QUINOLONES AND GENETIC TOXICITY..................................................................................................................108
77. QUINOLONES AND DAMAGE TO THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM...................................................................................108
78. QUINOLONES AND DAMAGE TO THE KIDNEYS AND URINARY SYSTEM.............................................................108
79. QUINOLONES AND DAMAGE TO THE PANCREAS.................................................................................................110
80. QUINOLONES AND DAMAGE TO THE LIVER..........................................................................................................110
81. QUINOLONES AND THE LIVER P450 ENZYME PATHWAY....................................................................................111
82. QUINOLONES AND SKIN CANCER.........................................................................................................................114
83. IMPAIRED GLYCEMIA CONTROL. HYPERGLYCEMIA. HYPOGLYCEMIA................................................................116
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84. PSEUDOTUMOR CEREBRI CAUSED BY FLUOROQUINOLONES............................................................................118
85. ENDOCRINE MALFUNCTIONS................................................................................................................................119
86. SURVIVING FLOXING INSOMNIA...........................................................................................................................123
87. FLOXING AND CANDIDA.........................................................................................................................................123
88. FLOXING AND HELICOBACTER PYLORI.................................................................................................................124
89. OTHER DISORDERS YOU MIGHT EXPERIENCE.....................................................................................................125
90. MIXED CONDITIONS...............................................................................................................................................125
91. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT IN SEVERE REACTIONS.......................................................................................126
92. IT IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD.........................................................................................................................................127
93. THE TRUE BIOLOGICAL DAMAGE TO YOUR BRAIN...............................................................................................129
94. SOMETIMES THE DELUSION IS NOT MISDIAGNOSED.........................................................................................131
95. SPONTANEOUS REPORT ONE YEAR POST FLOXING............................................................................................132
96. SOME REFLECTIONS TWO YEARS POST FLOXING...............................................................................................133
97. A LETTER AT THREE YEARS OUT...........................................................................................................................135
98. FOUR YEARS IN HELL.............................................................................................................................................137
99. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION...................................................................................................................................138
100. THE MAIN QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED................................................................................................141
101. WHY DOES THE MEDICAL CLASS IGNORE THE TOXICITY OF QUINOLONES.....................................................142
102. SHOULD I REPORT MY REACTION.......................................................................................................................144
103. THE SYSTEM IS AGAINST THE PATIENTS............................................................................................................145
104. SOMETHING ELSE IS ALWAYS THE CULPRIT......................................................................................................148
105. KILLING IGNORANCE...........................................................................................................................................150
106. WHAT ALL UROGOLISTS UNKNOW.....................................................................................................................151
107. WE ARE NOT ALONE............................................................................................................................................152
108. DO I HAVE FIBROMYALGIA OR CIPROMYALGIA?................................................................................................154
109. DO I HAVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS?.....................................................................................................................156
110. DO I HAVE AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS)?...................................................................................157
111. DO I HAVE LYME?................................................................................................................................................157
112. DO I HAVE LUPUS?..............................................................................................................................................158
113. DO I HAVE REITER'S, SJOGREN'S, RAYNAUD'S?................................................................................................158
114. PLEASE, DON'T PRESCRIBE ME A QUINOLONE AND DON’T TELL ME WHY.....................................................158
115. A DEAR DOCTOR LETTER.....................................................................................................................................159
116. STATINS ARE WELL AHEAD.................................................................................................................................160
117. THE IMMORALITY AND INSANITY OF THE DRUG MANUFACTURERS AND THE FDA.........................................162
118. THEY CONTINUE TO LET THE DAMAGE OCCUR..................................................................................................164
119. THE CORRUPT POST MARKETING SURVEILLANCE OF DRUGS.........................................................................165
120. PUBLISHED RESEARCH ON FLUOROQUINOLONES...........................................................................................166
121. THE REAL COST OF A CIPRO PILL.......................................................................................................................167
122. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS..................................................................................................................................168
123. MAY I HAVE A PROPER DIAGNOSIS?..................................................................................................................169
124. DIAGNOSING YOUR NEUROPATHIES..................................................................................................................171
125. SMALL FIBER NEUROFLOXPATHIES...................................................................................................................172
126. TESTS HABITUALLY PERFORMED IN FLOXED PERSONS...................................................................................177
127. FOR ATHLETES ONLY...........................................................................................................................................178
128. FLUOROQUINOLONES AND SPORT ARE NOT COMPATIBLE..............................................................................180
129. PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO MUSCLES AND JOINTS.................................................................................................181
130. WATCH OUT FOR NEW PROBLEMS. YOUR BODY IS NOT THE SAME................................................................183
131. THE ACHILLES IS NOT THE MOST FREQUENTLY AFFECTED TENDON..............................................................185
132. THE PERSISTENT TENDINITIS.............................................................................................................................187
133. QUINOLONES AND FORGING, TWO INSEPARABLE COMPANIONS....................................................................187
134. TENDIFLOXITIS.....................................................................................................................................................189
135. THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE AGAIN........................................................................................................................190
136. WITH FLUOROQUINOLONES DEGRADATION EXCEEDS REPARATION...............................................................192
137. PURELY FLOXED TENDONS.................................................................................................................................193
138. INCURABLE FLOXED LIGAMENTS.......................................................................................................................194
139. IRREVERSIBLE CARTILAGE DAMAGE..................................................................................................................194
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140. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THE CHEMICAL TOXICITY CAUSED BY FLUOROQUINOLONES...................................196
141. REPAIR OF FLOXED CONNECTIVE TISSUE..........................................................................................................196
142. THE ANKLES: AN EXAMPLE OF TENDONS SEVERELY HIT BY QUINOLONES....................................................197
143. CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA FOR THE LOWER LEG.............................................................................................200
144. MUSCULAR DYSFUNCTION: A TREACHEROUS SEQUELAE................................................................................201
145. SURGICAL APPROACH TO THE FLOXED TENDONS............................................................................................203
146. NUTRITIONAL APPROACH TO FLOXED TENDONS AND CARTILAGES................................................................203
147. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FLUOROQUINOLONE TENDINITIS...........................................................................210
148. DELAYED TENDON RUPTURES............................................................................................................................212
149. MASSAGE.............................................................................................................................................................213
150. STRENGTHENING AND STRETCHING.................................................................................................................213
151. PHYSIOTHERAPY..................................................................................................................................................214
152. MYOFASCIAL RELEASE........................................................................................................................................214
153. WATER EXERCISES..............................................................................................................................................218
154. DRY SAUNA..........................................................................................................................................................218
155. FLOXING, CONNECTIVE TISSUE AND EXERCISE................................................................................................218
156. OTHER TREATMENTS..........................................................................................................................................219
157. REAL LIFE CASES THAT SUMMARIZE IT ALL......................................................................................................219
158. EMERGENCY CARE FOR YOUR FEET..................................................................................................................220
159. TREAT YOUR SELF FAIRLY...................................................................................................................................220
160. I NEED TO TAKE AN ANTIBIOTIC. WHAT SHOULD I TAKE?................................................................................221
161. AVOID RE-EXPOSURE TO PRESCRIPTION QUINOLONES....................................................................................222
162. RE-EXPOSURE THROUGH FOOD.........................................................................................................................222
163. OTHER QUINOLONES...........................................................................................................................................225
164. OTHER DRUGS.....................................................................................................................................................225
165. QUINOLONES CAN MAKE YOU LOOSE YOUR JOB..............................................................................................225
166. ANESTHESIA.........................................................................................................................................................226
167. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A FLOXING..............................................................................................227
168. PROTOCOLS FOR NEUROPATHIES......................................................................................................................228
169. ADEQUATE EATING..............................................................................................................................................228
170. EXPERIENCES WITH SUPPLEMENTS..................................................................................................................231
171. SOME NOTES ON THE UNJUSTIFIED POSITIVE ROLE OF MAGNESIUM............................................................237
172. ACETYL-L-CARNITINE...........................................................................................................................................238
173. DRUGS THAT HELP..............................................................................................................................................239
174. SERRAPEPTASE...................................................................................................................................................240
175. ANETHOLTRITHIONE............................................................................................................................................241
176. ADEQUATE HABITS...............................................................................................................................................242
177. MEDICAL EXCERPTS............................................................................................................................................244
178. BIBLIOGRAPHY-REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................245
179. TYPICAL MISSPELINGS FOR "FLUOROQUINOLONES"........................................................................................253

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FACT SHEET

QUICK GUIDE TO FLUOROQUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS TOXICITY

1. Cipro, levaquin, avelox, are fluoroquinolone antibiotics. There are others as well.
2. These antibiotics are not natural compounds, but chemotherapeuticals with a potent toxic
profile.
3. Many people get intoxicated during their first treatment, or during a later treatment after
having followed with apparent success some previous treatments.
4. Although one can start feeling symptoms of intoxication during the treatment, it is more
common that many symptoms start well after completing the treatment.
5. Once intoxicated, the initial symptoms increase in intensity and new symptoms appear
during, weeks or months after treatment cessation.
6. There are intoxications that heal relatively quickly, in a year or so, and others that take 10
years or more to become endurable.
7. Many injuries caused by fluoroquinolones are permanent, irreversible in nature.
8. Some of the most debilitating symptoms affect the brain, the whole nervous systems, the
musculoskeletal system, and almost all organs of the body.
9. Almost all intoxications to fluoroquinolones are not linked with the antibiotic, neither by the
patient nor by the doctors.
10. Intractable pain is present in the majority of intoxications.
11. Once the intoxication takes place, there is no known treatment, and only time and avoiding
toxic medications as much as possible brings some healing.
12. It is very difficult to find a doctor with a knowledge about this kind of intoxications. Most
medical professionals, out of ignorance, would never accept that the symptoms of a patient
are a manifestation of fluoroquinolone toxicity.
13. The most likely diagnoses for a fluoroquinolone intoxication are fibromyalgia, Sjögren's,
Reactive arthritis, serum sickness, multiple sclerosis, Raynaud's, chronic fatigue syndrome,
lyme, and all sorts of neuropschyatric disorders.
14. Once intoxicated, you have to avoid any rechallenge with another quinolone, for the rest of
your life.
15. Save for mild cases of intoxication by quinolones, the victim thas to adapt his/her way of
living to the new situation, in order to speed up recovery.

<<Laboratories and doctor's sects can only attempt to create their own reality for so long.
All these real adverse effects that have long been denounced by victims are now coming
to become evident by the sheer humbers of people injured, and while there are still the
nay-sayers, many of them on the payroll, or getting grants from laboratories, still trying to
deny and confuse the issue, it has become a short of moral issue, because it has to do
with the right of people to not to be maimed for life just for nothing>>.

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EXCLUDED IN THIS PAPER:
MENTAL ALTERATIONS CAUSED BY
QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS

1.MENTAL ALTERATIONS CAUSED BY QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS

1.1. Real damage of the mental/cognitive functions

The quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics cause much damage to the central nervous system, very
frequently inflicting a vast number of brain injuries and dysfunctions that cause mental alterations and
psychiatric states that can be debilitating and life altering, both for the patient and the persons close to
him/her. The present version of this paper does not deal with those serious events. Unfortunately, by not
discussing the psychological toxicity of the quinolones, the scope of this paper excludes at least half of the
toxic profile of this class of antibiotics. In some passages of the report certain references are made but
not discussed in detail.

Among the most common injuries of this kind are the following (all of them listed in the package insert of
a typical quinolone):
(cid:143) depersonalization, depression, paranoia, toxic psychosis, unresponsiveness, phobia
(cid:143) restlessness, nervousness, dizziness, agitation, confusion, delirium, depression
(cid:143) nightmares, hallucinations, manic reaction, irritability, anxiety, lethargy
(cid:143) convulsive seizures, panic attacks, suicidal behavior
(cid:143) light-headedness, vertigo, insomnia

Some persons have acquired very long lasting mental injuries after a single pill of levaquin, floxin,
ciprofloxacin and other quinolones, not to mention the countless cases of tragic events caused by altered
behavior after the ingestion of quinolones, nearly all of which are blamed on something else by the
medical class.

1.2. Fictional diagnoses

Sooner or later, people suffering from severe quinolone reactions are referred to a psychiatrist. In many
cases, these psychiatrists give the patient wrong diagnoses. The most common is paranoid delirium,
according to which the victim of the intoxication from quinolones would have many physical symptoms
and would worry about the injuries suffered that only exist “in his/her mind”, simply because the
psychiatrist firmly believes that an antibiotic cannot cause these long- lasting arrhythmias, insomnia, joint
pains, need of a cane or wheelchair, vision problems and all the rest of health problems that you will learn
through this paper.

In Part XII you can find information on the most common psychiatric diagnoses for people suffering a
quinolone reaction by their doctors.

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PART I:
INTRODUCTION

2. INTRODUCTION

Tens of thousands of people are damaged by quinolone (Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin, Noroxin, etc.) antibiotics
each year, yet nearly all those damaged remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Some are diagnosed as
having fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid diseases, myositis, diverse heart
problems or neuropathies of every kind. Thousands of people become severely crippled for years, or even
permanently, after taking a quinolone antibiotic for minor infections.

Quinolone antibiotics are toxic from the very first milligram of ingestion. The effects of quinolone
antibiotics are cumulative. Each person has a unique threshold of tolerance for the quinolones that once
surpassed releases symptoms corresponding to various disorders, with long-lasting and potentially
permanent damage. People are exposed to quinolones through taking them as a drug prescription or
through food (chemically treated poultry and cattle).

Only a handful of doctors are aware of this devastating problem. The rest are uninformed, at least in
technical matters, by the manufacturers. The drug manufacturers conceal the real toxic profile of the
fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The manufacturers know they cause extensive damage, destroy lives and
impair people for life, but they manipulate the trials, especially in not conducting any long-term follow up
studies and under-reporting the adverse events. It is typical for manufacturers to state as "very rare
adverse events found in less than 1% of cases", for adverse effects that have a real percentage above
70% for therapeutic doses.

Manufacturers have found a brilliantly disguised drug that in many cases wreaks havoc on its users some
weeks or months after cessation of the drug therapy, or through food ingestion, making it almost
impossible to trace back the symptoms to the real cause.

Recently (fall 2004), it has been made mandatory that the package inserts of the quinolone antibiotics
must include a warning about “rare” adverse reactions that can cause irreversible neuropathic conditions.
Up to now the possibility was simply systematically denied by the manufacturers because admitting it
could harm their revenue. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also rejected any link between the
thousands of individual reports on long-lasting and permanent damage caused by quinolones because
their policy with respect to already marketed drugs is to delay as much as possible any warning that could
alarm the people and show the inefficacy of the procedures and surveillance methods that they set to
theoretically protect us.

Now, the overwhelming evidence has forced manufacturers and the FDA alike to admit irreversible
damage. We had warned of it early in 2003, and many other groups of people and doctors are reporting
such cases for at least the past 20 years. Now they try to avoid the sheer responsibility of indefinitely
prolonging such a public health tragedy-- rating it as “rare”. It is only a matter of time before they will have
to admit that the extensive toxicity of quinolones is a class effect of this type of antibiotic, and that it
affects everyone taking them, and that these drugs should be restricted to very special cases of
antimicrobial therapy.
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Of special interest for athletes is the fact that
NEW TEXTS ON THE PACKAGE INSERTS OF
quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics
FLUOROQUINOLONES:
cause many problems concerning the
<< Peripheral neuropathy: Rare cases of sensory or
musculoskeletal system, most of which
sensorimotor axonal polyneuropathy affecting small
resemble other ailments that are acceptably
and/or large axons resulting in paresthesias,
known, diagnosed and treated (epycondilitis,
hypoesthesias, dysesthesias and weakness have been
shin splints, plantar fascitis, overuse reported in patients receiving quinolones, including
syndromes, trochanteric bursitis, all sorts of ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin should be discontinued if
tendinitis, tenosynovitis and enthesitis, ulnar the patient experiences symptoms of neuropathy
compression neuritis, ileotibial band including pain, burning, tingling, numbness, and/or
syndrome, and many more). But the damage weakness, or is found to have deficits in light touch,
caused by quinolones does not respond to pain, temperature, position sense, vibratory sensation,
and/or motor strength in order to prevent the
conventional treatments and leads to very
development of an irreversible condition >>
disabling conditions, usually attributed to
other causative factors (leg length discrepancy, worn shoes, lack of flexibility, muscle imbalance, over-
pronation, supination, misalignements, wear, tear, etc...).

As a result, many of these problems are improperly diagnosed and remain elusive to all the treatments of
choice devised for other pathologies. When conventional treatments (corticoids, steroids or anti-
inflammatory medications) are used for disorders caused by quinolone antibiotics, they can cause great
additional damage that can lead to tendon ruptures and permanent disability.

That is the reason why there is an imperative
VERY IMPORTANT:
need for clearer and more honest information
Quinolones can cause extremely serious illnesses,
about this class of antibiotics called
organs destruction, life threatening disorders,
quinolones and fluoroquinolones. The present
inmunological and incurable reactions, as well as fatal
report is a summary of many real cases
outcomes. The present FLOX-REPORT does not treat
studied over the last several years that shows those really rare events, neither allergic reactions to
a closer picture of the real toxic nature of quinolones.
quinolone antibiotics. The present FLOX-REPORT only treats the common,
true nature, toxic side effects of quinolones that this
The current version of the present report class of antibiotics cause to everybody when taken in
focuses mainly in SEVERE reactions therapeutic doses by healthy and normal people.
experienced by previously healthy and young athletes. And, therefore, it is more focused on all areas
relevant to physical and athletic performance. After studying dozens of cases in detail, the similarity
between all of them is very striking. A few other hundred cases have been analysed in less detail to form
the report.

As the report is large, some sections are repetitive, in order to facilitate and inform and they can be
consulted quite separately. In the report we do not make any distinction between quinolone and
fluoroquinolone antibiotics because both subfamilies share the same toxicity.

3.WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS REPORT

You may find this report helpful if:

You are looking for a connection between your recent physical problems and the drugs you have
been taking lately or have taken in the past.
You are concerned about a prolonged course of fluoroquinolones (i.e. Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin, etc.)
that you have been prescribed and are about to start.
You may have taken quinolones in the past, and are planning to take a more prolonged course of
these antibiotics, so you want to obtain more information and have a clearer picture.
You are a medical practitioner and want to learn more about the patient’s point of view regarding
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