Side effects

The Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey

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Introducing the fifth in our series of crowdsourced health surveys and our first to include men and women: The Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey.

At Hormones MatterTM we have read the stories about the adverse reactions associated with the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and have been struck by the depth, breadth and life long nature of these symptoms. We are concerned by the lack non-industry sponsored data, and so, we created this survey, the first in a series of studies on this topic, to begin the process understanding fluoroquinolone side effects.

About the Fluoroquinolones

Individual reports abound about the dangers of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. After over 30 years on the market, it is only recently that the FDA issued issued its black box warning about the risks of tendonopathies. We think this is too little too late and aim to determine the real breadth of reactions by going direct to you, the patient, the recipient of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Since the fluoroquinolones represent the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in the US, likely elsewhere too, and 39% of those prescriptions may be unnecessary, we think it is especially important to collect comprehensive and objective data about the risks and range of adverse reactions.

We need your help to gather these data. Please take this survey and share it with your friends, colleagues and anyone you know who has been given a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Please post on your Facebook pages and share on Twitter, Linkedin, Reddit and other social media. We will need thousands respondents. That requires crowdsourcing. And since we are an unfunded venture, feel free to contribute to this research too, by clicking Crowdfund Us.

Purpose of the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey

Patients and their physicians need more data about the side-effects of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. There is a lack of data about who is at risk for adverse events and whether certain pre-existing conditions increase one’s risk for an adverse event. There is also a lack of data about the long term health effects of these antibiotics. The purpose of this survey is to fill that data void; to learn more about the risks for and nature of adverse events associated with each of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and others. This will be the first of a series of studies on fluoroquinolone reactions.

Who Should Take the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey

Anyone who have been given one of these medications, whether a reaction developed or not, and/or the parents or other family members of children too young or patients too incapacitated to take the survey for themselves.

How Long Does the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey Take?

This is a long survey. We felt it was important to assess the full depth, breadth, onset and severity of adverse reactions in order to give patients and physicians the data they need to make informed medical decisions. This necessitated a longer than desired survey. We estimate it will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete the survey.  We hope, given what is at risk, survey respondents will take the time to complete the entire survey.

Is the Survey Anonymous and Secure?

Yes. We do not collect personal identifying information and the survey is hosted with SSL encryption using a verisign certificate Version 3, 128 bit encryption.

How Will the Data be Used?

To inform future research and health decision-making.

Who is Conducting this Research?

Researchers from Lucine Health Sciences and Hormones MatterTM. For more information on Lucine Health Sciences, click here. For more information about Hormones MatterTM , click here.

Take the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side Effects Survey Now!

What Else Can I Do To Help?

Our organization 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. This study, and many of our studies, are driven by patient requests and patient involvement.

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 this or other research projects – Crowdfund Us.

To take one of our other surveys, click here.

To sign up for our newsletter and receive weekly updates on the latest research news and opportunities, click here.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Chandler Marrs MS, MA, PhD spent the last dozen years in women’s health research with a focus on steroid neuroendocrinology and mental health. She has published and presented several articles on her findings. As a graduate student, she founded and directed the UNLV Maternal Health Lab, mentoring dozens of students while directing clinical and Internet-based research. Post graduate, she continued at UNLV as an adjunct faculty member, teaching advanced undergraduate psychopharmacology and health psychology (stress endocrinology). Dr. Marrs received her BA in philosophy from the University of Redlands; MS in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University; and, MA and PhD in Experimental Psychology/ Neuroendocrinology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

27 Comments

  1. I have many side effects from Cipro including severe blood sugar problem and miners deficiencies and now I learned about mito problem that is considered inherited – FAOD and I believe Cipro triggered that as I took it at the same time when symptoms are appeared.
    FDA warning nobody read including doctors. This organization is useless or probably collaborating with drug companies. Is there are any attempts to sue them and FDA?

  2. Took Cipro 3 years ago ( only took a few pills before noticing symptoms). I can honestly say that I haven’t been the since from that day on. I tried to get on to do the survey but it’s been closed as it was a few years ago. Would love to know the results of the survey/study.

  3. I took 3 pills of Cipro and started having dizziness and tingly arms. So I quit taking it. A week later I had a yeast infection. Fast forward to 6 months later. I could not get rid of the yeast infection and I tried every thing they prescribed. Even did the natural route. Had my spouse take Anti-fungals as a last resort. Yeast infection still came back. Nothing worked. I ended up having really in depth blood work done and the doctors at UCSF said my body no longer recognizes yeast and cant fight it. Something changed my DNA and it no longer recognizes yeast and wont fight it off. I never had these issues prior to taking Cipro. I spent 4 months taking Fluconazole and it finally cleared up. This was one year after taking Cipro. I know it was Cipro that caused this. I will never take it again and I tell everyone I know that it’s dangerous.

  4. Levoflaxin/Leavaquin caused a complete rupture of my Achilles, requiring surgery to reattach.
    That was 5 weeks ago and still in a cast, unable to put any weight on my right leg.

  5. Hi
    I came upon your site because I just finished taking levaquin and have been having effects from taking it.
    I had been diagnosed with a bad upper respiratory infection. I had had a sinus infection 2 weeks before and was on clavamox. I was fine for 3 days and got another infection, my asthma doctor prescribed me levaquin, as I was already on clavamox. He did not want me to get pneumonia as I am prone to getting this when I am sick many times. First time on levaquin and I felt a little funny the first day, getting dizzy and a little fuzzy, though I thought nothing of it. Saturday, 2nd day on levaquin, I got horrible pain in my upper chest, clavicle area, with burning pain going down behind my ears to my neck. It hurt to breathe in, actually burned,. Felt like an elephant was on my chest. Took some advil, fell asleep and pain went away. thought it was my upper respiratory acting up, filling up my ears with fluid. It happened again on Tuesday and I went to my family doctor and she said that I was ok, my ears looked great and my nose looked good. She thought it was the post nasal drip, saying I had pretty high potent medicine and it was taking care of everything. So I went home and had more pain, that night and on Wednesday. Started to do some research and saw that Levaquin has some bad side effects. Called my asthma doctor, they prescribed prednisone, and I stopped taking the levaquin. I took it for 6 days. Now do I have to panic, or should I wait it out for a week. Pain is every day now. Goes away with advil, but then it comes back, not as bad.
    Who do I see? Without them thinking I am a nut case?
    Any ideas?

  6. Hi,
    Words cannot express my gratitude for this work (hopefully I will be able to express gratitude via crowdfunding when I have a job again).

    This may be a dumb question, but is there a “list” of generic named Fluoroquinolones? What are they commonly prescribed for? I’ve been given z-packs for walking pneumonia and ton of antibiotics as a child (grew up in the 1990s) for strep and scarlet fever. I suffer a laundry list of health issues (chronic untreatable yeast infections, acne inversa/hidradenitis suppurativa, migraines, joint pain, extreme fatigue)

    Can this a glabrata infection cause cognitive issues (focus, mixing up words/spelling–unusual for me)? Can I walk in and “demand” my PCP look into fungal testing? Afraid they will just think I’m crazier, as I am always complaining of being sick despite mostly acceptable blood work.

    Pleases let me know if I can be of help in any other capacity. I am desperate–though brave and fierce women like yourselves sustain me.

    • Yes, you can demand fungal testing, because if you don’t who will? Read Debra Anderson’s post on Glabrata and Lisa Bloomquist’s article on post FQ fungal infections. They are quite common unfortunately.

  7. Hi,
    Words cannot express my gratitude for this work (hopefully I will be able to express gratitude via crowdfunding when I have a job again).

    This may be a dumb question, but is there a “list” of generic named Fluoroquinolones? What are they commonly prescribed for? I’ve been given z-packs for walking pneumonia and ton of antibiotics as a child (grew up in the 1990s) for strep and scarlet fever.
    Can this infection cause cognitive issues (focus, mixing up words/spelling–unusual for me)? Can I walk in and “demand” my PCP look into fungal testing? Afraid they will just think I’m crazier, as I am always complaining of being sick despite mostly acceptable blood work.

    Pleases let me know if I can be of help in any other capacity. I am desperate–though brave and fierce women like yourselves sustain me.

  8. I was treated approximately 2-3 times per year for past ten years with Levaquin and just learned of this fluorotoxicity and I have every symptom mentioned in Lisa Bloomquist’s article to the extreme. I’m not sure what to do to next, have been following protocol for gluten and processed food sensitivity for past year but still struggling. Just heard of this for first time a few days ago.

    • Join the FB fluoroquinolone toxicity group. I joined 2 weeks ago, after my first and very major attack. It was horrific.

    • GO TO A NEUROLIGIST AND HAVE A NERVE CONDUCTION TEST IT IS VERY PAINFULL, BUT THEY CAN TELL IF YOU HAVE NERVE DAMAGE,I HAVE NEUROPATHY IN BOTH FEET AND LEGS AND MY HANDS IF NOT FOR NEURONTIN I COULDN’T WALK. I WAS GIVEN LEVAQUIN IN JULY 2014 BY AUGUST 5TH I COULDN’T WALK.MY PRIVATE DR SENT ME TO THE NEUROLIGIST,AND JAN.2015 I WAS USING A ROLATOR. I ALSO HAVE FIBROMYALIGA,TENDONOPATHY IN BOTH SHOULDERS AND KNEES,I DID WATER THERAPY FOR TWO YEARS ON AND OFFAND CAN WALK, BATHE,AND DRESS MYSELF SOME TIME WITHOUT HELP.I HOPE YOU NEVER TAKE THIS POISON AGAIN.

      • Levaquin loves the knees.. I got relief with magnesium chelate, tart cherry pills and juice, pure fish oil omega 3.. 100% natural vitamin E as d-aloha-tocopherol, B complex for neuropathy, coQ10.

        • Was prescribed Levofloxacin (for 10 days) for a bladder infection, and months later have severe stomach problems (cramping, gas), as well as loss of libido along with ED, and a right leg that feels like it’s becoming partially paralysed. The probiotic I am now taking helped somewhat with the stomach problems, but I am at a loss regarding what to do to reverse all of this and return to normal. This is actually really scary.

      • Brenda, I was down to a 5 or 6 on the pain threshold with 10 being the worst. I had a nerve conduction test and went back up to a 9. It’s now 4 weeks later and it’s only just begining to dampen down. The test said there was NO damage, crazy, but the test does not get down to the cellular level. So if it was me I would advise others not to take the test.

  9. My healtg issues have spiraled since taking levoquin for walking pneumonia. .. then to find out I had an overgrowth of bacteria in ny intestine..

    • Bella there are several natural remedies for UTI,s especially if you have had serious adverse effects from these antibiotics, I have suffered since 2007, I am trying to heal myself with help from others whom also have been severely injured from Levequin, Cipro Avelox and many others in this category. Please join Floxie Hope for information that will help you with questions from others who share the side effects and are trying desperately to heal.

    • I put a hot water bittle in a towel in my 8 year old sons lower abdomen, anc fave him a ph balancing pill. He was nearly crying with the pain. But i thought that the high temperature would cause the bacteria ti destabalise and die. It worked within 20 mins.

      Hope this helps someone.
      I try not to give my children antibiotics.

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