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Musings of a Heretic Patient: Floxed and Fed Up

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After mulling it over for quite some time, I wanted to comment on something we all encounter much too frequently in our floxed lives. That is, specifically, the negative experiences we are often forced to endure with our doctors. As patients, harmed by a widely over prescribed drug, we are often dismissed whenever we propose a connection between fluoroquinolones and the adverse side effects we experience as their patients.

I cannot even begin to quantify the level of frustration and anger I feel whenever I’ve been confronted with this in my doctors visits. It’s demeaning and demoralizing to be treated as if I am a complete moron for broaching the subject whenever they come up empty on their diagnosis.

At first I chalked it up to ego because after all, THEY are the “experts” and I am just one of the great uneducated with the audacity to question their expertise and search for answers beyond their own. I know what it feels like to be sneeringly, denigrated for my research. To be called a GOOGLE doctor for simply not accepting their non-diagnosis as a diagnosis.

Oh, the times I felt like screaming and pulling my hair out in my doctor’s office. The times I became so frustrated I wanted to overturn the tables and rip those stupid charts from the walls are just too innumerable to count on my flox journey.

Laying the blame on ego alone was the simplistic answer but something always niggled at me every time I left the office, depressed and defeated.

Why was I always making excuses for what was so obviously a rude and demeaning attitude towards my quest for answers? Why were all my doctors so hostile to my input and so dismissive of my efforts at educating myself? What lay beneath this dismissal of my pain and the destruction of my body that even they could not deny?

Today it happened again and it sparked me into writing this post.

The Heresy of Questioning a Doctor

I have come to learn that a few of the common tactics used by doctors can be identified. Many of them are being used to work against us when confronting a doctor’s assessment of our specific issues.

The first one is utilizing our lack of a formal medical education to minimize our efforts. It’s the most obvious use of the power dynamic they conjure to silence us. Questioning a doctor is an anarchistic act. It challenges the authority of the empirical medical model, the one we’ve been programmed from childhood to believe has all the answers. The one domain that is so sacrosanct in our society that questioning it is bordering on the heretical and places you squarely outside the acceptable behavior circle.

I have come to accept that I am now a heretic and so is anyone who steps outside the medical status quo in their search for answers. Like any heretic, I need to be prepared for the onslaught of disapproval and derision I might receive for questioning the medical gods. I need to remember to arm myself psychically and mentally for every visit. The fact that I must do this saddens me. It illustrates just how meaningless and hollow the Hippocratic Oath has become to our modern medicine men.

“Nor shall any man’s entreaty prevail upon me to administer poison to anyone; neither will I counsel any man to do so.”

Plausible Deniability in Medicine

Another tactic used by physicians to dismiss patient concerns is plausible deniability. Physicians now rely on plausible deniability to explain away their non actions or worse. It is the deliberate and destructive act they use against the very people they have sworn to heal. It’s also known as covering their asses. Knowing this and accepting that this is the norm rather than the exception has been a bitter pill for me to swallow but imperative to retaining my sanity.

And Then There is Gaslighting

Another thing I’ve come to recognize as a tactic is what I call medical gaslighting. Gaslighting is a very effective but abusive form of diversion. In this case, a physician utilizes an established (though questionable) psychological diagnosis as a convenient way of absolving their non actions in your case. It also serves to stopgap any further digging into causal links and diverts attention away from the physicians own culpability. How many times have I been told that my symptoms are all in my head? Too many times to count. And since my symptoms don’t fit any known disease model, I must be suffering from a psychological malady.

This has now become a part of the DSM-5 lexicon of psychiatric diagnosis and poses further harm to people like myself and anyone whose symptoms cannot be easily pinpointed to any one specific disease. If anyone, who like myself has been previously diagnosed with a mental illness (depression, PTSD) these diagnoses further serve to de-legitimize the patient’s experience.

We need to be aware that even when we have the hard evidence of medical research to back up our claims, we will be challenged and possibly labeled. If we refuse to accept this knee jerk assessment or the drugs they will inevitably prescribe to treat our “real” issues we might find ourselves tagged with the non-compliant stamp.

I write this as a warning to everyone who finds themselves on this page. You might hit some very daunting, brick walls along this journey but know that you are not alone. One day we will be vindicated, this crime will be exposed, and Big Pharma and all colluding physicians and corrupt governmental agencies will be brought low.

For those who have been blessed with that one special physician who listens and learns, I am grateful to see that ethics still exist. It’s heartening to know that there are doctors out there who can put ego and material gain aside and remain open to their patient’s body awareness and desire for healing. Sadly, those doctors risk becoming medical heretics too, banned and derided by the more conventional experts, the same experts that employ the tactics listed above.

In the end, I know we will win and a big part of that victory comes from the massive amount of support and experience we find on our support pages. Thank you to all my fellow floxies. You are the vanguards of this battle and close to my heart.

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This post was published originally on Hormones Matter on October, 2015.

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Do Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Trigger Charcot Marie Tooth and Other Genetic Diseases?

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In 2013, the FDA updated the warning labels on all fluoroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Floxin and their generic equivalents) to note that permanent peripheral neuropathy is a potential effect of all fluoroquinolones. The FDA safety announcement noted that, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required the drug labels and Medication Guides for all fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs be updated to better describe the serious side effect of peripheral neuropathy. This serious nerve damage potentially caused by fluoroquinolones may occur soon after these drugs are taken and may be permanent.”

Since that announcement, patients, patient advocates, researchers, and lawyers have been trying to figure out exactly how fluoroquinolones cause peripheral neuropathy. The FDA documents going over the link between peripheral neuropathy and fluoroquinolone use point toward mitochondrial damage as the mechanism through which fluoroquinolones cause peripheral neuropathy. There is certainly evidence that fluoroquinolones damage mitochondria, and that damaged mitochondria are responsible for peripheral neuropathy. Given the evidence available, it is most likely that fluoroquinolones cause peripheral neuropathy through damaging mitochondria.

However, in this post, I would like to explore another possibility.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics and Charcot Marie Tooth Disease

Might fluoroquinolones trigger the expression of Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT), a neurological disorder that is a form of muscular dystrophy? According to MDA.org, “CMT is the most commonly inherited peripheral nerve disorder affecting about 1 in 2,500 people. CMT causes damage to the peripheral nerves, which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, and relay sensations, such as pain and touch, to the brain and spinal cord from the rest of the body.”

Charcot Marie Tooth has several genetic markers and is thought of as a purely hereditary disease. However, there is a fascinating case-study that was published in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy in October of 2011 entitled “Hereditary Neuropathy Unmasked by Levofloxacin,” that goes over the case of a 56-year-old, formerly healthy man with “no history of medical problems,” who developed difficulty walking, numbness, and burning pain and weakness especially in his legs after taking levofloxacin. The patient’s health problems persisted after he stopped taking the levofloxacin and he was subsequently diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth disease. The article notes that:

“Charcot Marie Tooth disease is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of hereditary peripheral neuropathies. Toxic or idiosyncratic reactions to drugs may uncover a preexisting asymptomatic polyneuropathy. Fluoroquinolones, including levofloxacin, have rarely been associated with sensory and motor polyneuropathy, perhaps because of the fact that physicians sometimes have difficulty in associating this adverse reaction with fluoroquinolone therapy.”

Is it possible that this case-study isn’t unique and that the permanent peripheral neuropathies brought on by fluoroquinolones are a result of the triggering of Charcot Marie Tooth disease? Certainly, more research would need to be done for an answer to be found. The thought of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, drugs that are prescribed to millions of people every year, unmasking of Charcot Marie Tooth, a disease with no cure, is horrifying to say the least.

How could Fluoroquinolones Trigger a Genetic Disease?

One might wonder how fluoroquinolones could trigger the expression of hereditary diseases. The possibility that fluoroquinolones trigger epigenetic changes is noted in the post, “What is Fluoroquinolone Toxicity?” It is noted that:

Fluoroquinolones are topoisomerase interrupters. The mechanism for Cipro/ciprofloxacin, and all other fluoroquinolone antibiotics is:

“The bactericidal action of ciprofloxacin results from inhibition of the enzymes topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase) and topoisomerase IV (both Type II topoisomerases), which are required for bacterial DNA replication, transcription, repair, and recombination.”

Topoisomerases are enzymes that are necessary for DNA and RNA transcription.  Topoisomerase interrupting drugs have been found to profoundly affect gene expression.  It may be possible that fluoroquinolones trigger the expression of dormant genes. So, for example, those who have a predisposition toward an autoimmune disease may bring on the autoimmune disease with the fluoroquinolone. Anecdotally, it seems as if any existing weakness a person has is exacerbated by fluoroquinolones.

It is hypothesized in “Epigenetic side-effects of common pharmaceuticals: A potential new field in medicine and pharmacology,” that all adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones are due to epigenetic mechanisms:

“The quinolones are a family of broad-spectrum antibiotics. They inhibit the bacterial DNA gyrase or the topoisomerase IV enzyme, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and transcription. Eukaryotic cells do not contain DNA gyrase or topoisomerase IV, so it has been assumed that quinolones and fluoroquinolones have no effect on human cells, but they have been shown to inhibit eukaryotic DNA polymerase alpha and beta, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, affect cell cycle progression and function of lymphocytes in vitro, and cause other genotoxic effects. These agents have been associated with a diverse array of side-effects including hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, dysglycemia, QTc prolongation, torsades des pointes, seizures, phototoxicity, tendon rupture, and pseudomembranous colitis. Cases of persistent neuropathy resulting in paresthesias, hypoaesthesias, dysesthesias, and weakness are quite common. Even more common are ruptures of the shoulder, hand, Achilles, or other tendons that require surgical repair or result in prolonged disability. Interestingly, extensive changes in gene expression were found in articular cartilage of rats receiving the quinolone antibacterial agent ofloxacin, suggesting a potential epigenetic mechanism for the arthropathy caused by these agents. It has also been documented that the incidence of hepatic and dysrhythmic cardiovascular events following use of fluoroquinolones is increased compared to controls, suggesting the possibility of persistent gene expression changes in the liver and heart.”

Fluoroquinolones have been found to deplete mitochondrial DNA, and mitochondria have been found to affect gene expression.

It is possible that fluoroquinolones are profoundly changing gene expression, and that the adverse effects of fluoroquinolones are a result of altered gene expression. Fluoroquinolones are, after all, topoisomerase interrupters.

Are Fluoroquinolones Expressing Other Genetic Diseases?

It has been suggested that fluoroquinolones trigger other diseases that are considered to be hereditary. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is one that is mentioned often. Fluoroquinolones cause collagen synthesis problems, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is “caused by a defect in the structure, production, or processing of collagen or proteins that interact with collagen.” Might some aspects of fluoroquinolone toxicity be Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome triggered by fluoroquinolones? Again, research needs to be done before asserting this as truth, but it is a possibility that should be explored.

It has also been suggested that fluoroquinolones trigger latent endocrine and thyroid disorders. In Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics and Thyroid Problems: Is there a Connection?, it is noted that, “I would suspect that anyone with any underlying genetic predisposition, or possibly harboring a subclinical, latent, or silent endocrinopathy might be ‘pushed over the edge’ into full blown clinical pathology. This is actually what I think may have happened with me, even though I had no overt indications of any kind of thyroid or endocrine disorder prior to taking the Cipro.” The connections between endocrine and thyroid disorders and fluoroquinolones are thoroughly explored in the site www.fluoroquinolonethyroid.com.

Are Dormant Genes Destiny?

Some might say that these diseases are a result of faulty genes, not fluoroquinolones. I strongly disagree with that assertion. Other than the infection that fluoroquinolones were prescribed to treat, most people who take fluoroquinolones are healthy. If they have dormant genetic diseases, those diseases are not being expressed. They have no symptoms of underlying diseases until they take a fluoroquinolone. Fluoroquinolones are making healthy people sick. If it is through the changing of gene expression, that doesn’t make it any better.

Again, the notion that fluoroquinolones trigger expression of Charcot Marie Tooth disease, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and other genetic diseases is a hypothesis, not an assertion of fact. However, it is a hypothesis that should be explored. Thus far, there has been no good explanation as to why fluoroquinolone toxicity symptoms vary so significantly from one person to the next. Perhaps the explanation is that each person’s genes are different, and different genetic weaknesses are exposed by fluoroquinolones in each person.

As I explore the multiple mechanisms for fluoroquinolone toxicity, I keep coming back to their mechanism of action stated on the warning labels – fluoroquinolones are topoisomerase interrupters. They intentionally disrupt the process of bacterial DNA and RNA replication. We do not know enough about that process to foresee its unintended consequences, and, unfortunately, I think it’s entirely possible that fluoroquinolones are triggering the expression of many “genetic” diseases that would have stayed dormant if it weren’t for the fluoroquinolones. More research is certainly necessary, and I hope that there are some scientists who are willing to examine this hypothesis.

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site,www.floxiehope.com.

We Need Your Help

More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

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Image credit: Benefros at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This article was published originally on Hormones Matter on March 7, 2016. 

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Friends Don’t Let Friends Take Fluoroquinolones: Four Stories

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I’ve been writing about the dangers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (cipro/ciprofloxacin, levaquin/levofloxacin, avelox/moxifloxacin, floxin/ofloxacin and a few others) for a little over a year. As my friends, family, and associates have read what I’ve written, their skepticism has waned and many of them have realized that I actually know what I’m talking about when I say that fluoroquinolones are dangerous drugs that lead to destruction of connective tissues and nerves throughout the body. They have glanced at my source articles and noted that there are peer-reviewed journal articles that back up what I say.  It feels nice to be believed. It feels even nicer when those people let me know that they didn’t take fluoroquinolones because of the information that I gave them. It’s nice to know that they won’t get “floxed.”

In the last few months, several friends have approached me, asking about alternatives to fluoroquinolones. Here are some of their stories. All their names have been changed, but the stories are true.

Rick and the Sinus Infection

Rick was prescribed Levaquin to treat a sinus infection. He read through the warning label and noted that two of the listed side-effects are tendon ruptures and seizures. Rick has a seizure disorder and had surgery on a tendon in his foot six months earlier. He refused the Levaquin prescription and asked for something else. He was prescribed Bactrim. The Bactrim cleared up his sinus infection.

Question – What was that doctor thinking? Why would a doctor prescribe a drug that is well-documented as causing destruction of tendons to a patient who has a history of tendon problems?  Rick told the doctor that he had surgery on his tendon in his foot. Did the doctor think that the tendon issues that are severe enough to lead to a black box warning on all fluoroquinolones was something to be dismissed and disregarded?  And why would a doctor prescribe a drug that can cause seizures, along with a myriad of other central nervous system problems, to a person who has a pre-existing seizure disorder?  It seems like a negligent decision – or at least a horribly uninformed decision.  Unfortunately, the disregard of well established side-effects happens all the time. The contraindications for fluoroquinolones are routinely ignored and patients with pre-existing conditions are frequently prescribed fluoroquinolones for non-serious infections where other antibiotics would be sufficient. If Rick hadn’t read the warning label himself, and insisted on being prescribed a more benign antibiotic, he might have become one of the millions suffering from and adverse reaction to fluoroquinolones.

Melissa and the Use of Cipro in Children

Melissa’s 2-year old daughter suffered from ear infections. She was prescribed Cipro twice to treat the ear infections. Both times, Melissa refused the prescription for Cipro and was given something else.  A more benign antibiotic, then tubes put in her daughter’s ears, cleared up the infections.

Again, what was the doctor thinking? Fluoroquinolones are contraindicated in the pediatric population because they have been shown to damage the cartilage and joints of juvenile animals (source).  A review in U.S. Pharmacist noted that:

“Fluoroquinolones have demonstrated adverse effects on cartilage development in juvenile animals through the inflammation and destruction of weight-bearing joints.  These arthropathies were often irreversible, and their potential occurrence in children limited the use of fluoroquinolones in this population. In one pediatric study, ciprofloxacin had a 3.3% (9.3% vs. 6.0%) absolute risk increase in musculoskeletal events within 6 weeks of treatment compared with control agents used to treat complicated UTIs or pyelonephritis. Adefurin and colleagues found a 57% increased relative risk of arthropathy in children given ciprofloxacin (21% overall) versus those in a non-fluoroquinolone comparator arm. In contrast to animal models, neither dose nor duration had an effect on the rate or severity of arthropathy.  A 2007 study by Noel and colleagues determined the incidence of musculoskeletal events (primarily arthralgias) to be greater in children treated with levofloxacin compared with nonfluoroquinolone-treated children at 2 months (2.1% vs. 0.9%; P = .04) and 12 months (3.4% vs. 1.8%; P = .03).  These results and the severity of the effects should be weighed heavily when initiation of fluoroquinolones is being contemplated in pediatric patients.” (source)

Fluoroquinolones can cause irreversible damage to the cartilage of juvenile animals, and adult humans, so did Melissa’s daughter’s doctor think that somehow toddlers with ear infections were exempt from being damaged by Cipro? Melissa’s daughter could have been hurt. She could have been damaged by the Cipro. She could have developed permanently weakened tendons, lesions on her cartilage, destruction of her joints, etc. None of the damaging effects of fluoroquinolones are easy to treat, and their severe side-effects should not be the trade off when treating pediatric ear infections.

Did that pediatrician completely forget his or her Hippocratic Oath?  She must have, because Cipro could have done severe, irreversible, life-long harm to the toddler.

Fluoroquinolones during Pregnancy? Denise’s Story

Denise was eight months pregnant when she came down with an upper respiratory infection. Her doctor tried to prescribe her Cipro. She refused the Cipro and instead took Azithromycin.

Azithromycin just happens to be the only antibiotic ever studied in pregnant women, at least partially. That is, there is one study showing basic pharmacokinetic or dosing information for its use during pregnancy. There are no data on the health and well-being of the offspring.

Given the total lack of data for medication use during pregnancy, one has to wonder what that doctor was thinking prescribing Cipro, one of the most potent and dangerous antibiotics, to a pregnant woman.  Why in the world would he prescribe a fluoroquinolone to a pregnant woman?  In big, bold, capitalized words on the Cipro warning label, it is stated that, “THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF CIPROFLOXACIN IN PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN HAVE NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED.”  The warning label goes on to note that, “No differences in the rates of prematurity, spontaneous abortions, or birth weight were seen in women exposed to ciprofloxacin during pregnancy. However, these small post-marketing epidemiology studies, of which most experience is from short-term, first trimester exposure, are insufficient to evaluate the risk for less common defects or to permit reliable and definitive conclusions regarding the safety of ciprofloxacin in pregnant women and their developing fetuses.”  Note that no research has ever been done to investigate the effects of fluorquinolones on fetal development and child development post pregnancy when used during the second or third trimesters.

Differences in musculoskeletal development, cognitive development, mitochondrial and microbiome health, etc. of the children of women given Cipro while pregnant weren’t looked at in the first trimester studies that were done. Those are the things that should be examined – not just spontaneous abortions and low birth weights. Indeed, these effects should be looked into for all meds prescribed during pregnancy, as very few medications routinely prescribed to pregnant women have ever been tested. Most physicians know this, or should know this, but over the last few decades, have ignored it and prescription medication use during pregnancy has increased by 60%. Concurrently, the rates of chronic childhood disorders from autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, to obesity and Type 2 diabetes have increased significantly.  Perhaps before we so cavalierly prescribe medications to pregnant women, we ought to investigate the long-term effects on their children.

Violet and Cipro for Traveler’s Diarrhea?

Violet was planning a trip to Ecuador. Her travel doctor wanted to give her Cipro just in case she got traveler’s diarrhea. Many other, less problematic antibiotics are available and equally effective in treatment of traveler’s diarrhea – doxycycline, Bactrim or sepra.  She asked for a prescription for something other than Cipro.  

The appropriate situation for fluoroquinolones to be used is when they are needed to save a life and when a life-threatening infection doesn’t respond to other antibiotics. To prescribe fluoroquinolones in situations where life-threatening infections are not present is absurd and it is wrong. To prescribe fluoroquinolones prophylactically, when no infection is present, for treatment of traveler’s diarrhea, is to completely disregard all of the dangers of fluoroquinolones that are listed on the 43 PAGE warning label (for Cipro – the ones for levaquin, avelox and floxin are equally as bad).  The adverse effects for the fluoroquinolones include: permanent peripheral neuropathy, tendon ruptures, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, hepatic failure, hallucinations, suicidal ideation, and more.

Fluoroquinolones should not be prescribed frivolously. They should not be prescribed to anyone who is not in a life-threatening situation. The risk for adverse effects of these drugs are such that their use is not appropriate in situations that are not life-threatening and they certainly should not be used prophylactically for traveler’s diarrhea.

To all the doctors who prescribe Cipro and other fluoroquinolones prophylactically to people for traveler’s diarrhea – What are you thinking? There is nothing that is okay about giving a drug to a healthy person that can injure them grievously. Even if the chances are low (but no one really knows the incidence of fluoroquinolone toxicity), the severity of the adverse effects of fluoroquinolones are so extreme that fluoroquinolones shouldn’t even be considered as a treatment until other antibiotics have been tried, and have failed.

To all the doctors whose knowledge of the drugs that they prescribe I have questioned – please, please, please read some of the articles about how dangerous fluoroquinolones are. I have more than 100 peer reviewed articles listed HERE.  Or, just read the warning labels and note that all of the horrible symptoms listed on the warning label can happen to your patients at once. You don’t want to do that to your patients.  Please DON’T do that to your patients. Prescribe more benign antibiotics. They’re available. Use them first.  Please.

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site, www.floxiehope.com.

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More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter.

Image credit: Lisa Bloomquist.

This article was published originally on Hormones Matter on June 30, 2014.

 

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Hormones Matter Top 100 Articles of 2015

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Hormones Matter 2015 Top 100 Articles

Happy New Year, everyone. We have another remarkable year under our belts. Hormones Matter continues to grow month after month. This year, despite the site being down for a month in September, we had over 815,000 visitors, most staying quite a while to read our articles.

Since inception, we’ve published close to 900 articles, many are read by thousands of readers every month. The hysterectomy and endometriosis articles continue to draw large crowds, demonstrating the great need for information in these areas of women’s health.

Our success is thanks to a fantastic crew of volunteer writers who spend countless hours researching complex medical topics, making connections, identifying unconventional therapeutic opportunities, and bringing to light, what are often, invisible illnesses. Without these incredibly talented and compassionate individuals, Hormones Matter would not exist.

Before we begin the new year in earnest, let us take a moment to thank all of the writers of Hormones Matter.

Thank You Hormones Matter Writers!

 

Below are the articles and authors who made the top 100 list for 2015. If you haven’t read these articles, it’s time to do so. If you like them, share them and share our site so we can continue to grow. If you were helped by any of our articles, take a moment and send the writer a thank you note.

This year, we thought we’d do something a little different and include the 25 all-time favorite articles on Hormones Matter. Be sure to scroll down to the second table and take a look. The numbers are quite impressive.

Since we are run by volunteers and unfunded, feel free contribute a few dollars to cover the costs of maintaining operations. Crowdfund Hormones Matter. Every dollar helps.

If you’d like to share your health story or join our team of writers: Write for Us.

Hormones Matter Top 100 Articles of 2015

Article Title and Author

Reads
1. Post Hysterectomy Skeletal and Anatomical Changes -WS 50,814
2. Sex in a Bottle: the Latest Drugs for Female Sexual Desire – Chandler Marrs 47,910
3. Sexual Function after Hysterectomy – WS 28,898
4. In the ER Again – Heavy Menstrual Bleeding -Lisbeth Prifogle 25,326
5. Endometrial Ablation – Hysterectomy Alternative or Trap? -WS 25,048
7.  Adhesions: Cause, Consequence and Collateral Damage – David Wiseman 22, 868
8. Is Sciatic Endometriosis Possible? – Center for Endometriosis Care 11,701
9. Endometriosis: A Husband’s Perspective – Jeremy Bridge Cook 11,626
10. A Connection between Hypothyroidism and PCOS – Sergei Avdiushko 11,024
11. Often Injured, Rarely Treated: Tailbone Misalignment – Leslie Wakefield 10,580
12. Hysterectomy: Impact on Pelvic Floor and Organ Function – WS 8,494
13. Pill Bleeds are not Periods – Lara Briden 8,440
14. Silent Death – Serotonin Syndrome – Angela Stanton 8,408
15.  An Often Overlooked Cause of Fatigue: Low Ferritin – Philippa Bridge-Cook 8,374
16. Wide Awake: A Hysterectomy Story – Robin Karr 7,733
17. How Hair Loss Changed My Life – Suki Eleuterio
18. The High Cost of Endometriosis – Philippa Bridge-Cook 7,170
19. Skin Disorders post Gardasil – Chandler Marrs 6,891
20. Essure Sterilization: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Margaret Aranda 6,820
21. Love Hurts – Sex with Endometriosis – Rachel Cohen 6,779
22. Dehydration and Salt Deficiency Migraines – Angela Stanton 6,638
23.  Adverse Reactions, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Gait, Balance and Tremors – Chandler Marrs 6,445
24.  Stop the Metformin Madness – Chandler Marrs 6,400
25. Lupron, Estradiol and the Mitochondria: A Pathway to Adverse Reactions – Chandler Marrs 6,110
26. Endometriosis after Hysterectomy – Rosemary Finnegan 6,093
27. The Reality of Endometriosis in the ER – Rachel Cohen 5,962
28. Mittelschmerz – what should you know – Sergei Avdiushko 5,780
29.  Red Raspberry Leaf Tea to Relieve Menstrual Pain – Lisbeth Prifogle 5,586
30. Mommy Brain: Pregnancy and Postpartum Memory Deficits – Chandler Marrs 5,437
31. Parasites: A Possible Cause of Endometriosis, PCOS, and Other Chronic, Degenerative Illnesses – Dorothy Harpley-Garcia 5,414
32.  Endometriosis and Risk of Suicide – Philippa Bridge-Cook 5,413
33.  Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics and Thyroid Problems: Is there a Connection? – JMR 5, 228
34. Adenomyosis – Philippa Bridge-Cook 5,022
35.  Gardasil: The Controversy Continues – Lisbeth Prifogle 4,809
36.  Hyperemesis Gravidarum – Severe Morning Sickness: Are Mitochondria Involved? – Chandler Marrs 4,801
37.  Oral Contraceptives, Epigenetics, and Autism – Kim Elizabeth Strifert 4,452
38.  High Blood Pressure in Women: Could Progesterone be to Blame? – Chandler Marrs 4,446
39. My Battle with Endometriosis: Hysterectomy at 23 – Samantha Bowick 4,288
40. Thiamine Deficiency Testing: Understanding the Labs – Derrick Lonsdale 4,045
41. My Battle with Endometriosis and Migraines – Angela Kawakami 3,839
42. Tampons with Glyphosate: Underpinnings of Modern Period Problems? – Chandler Marrs 3,835
43. Cipro, Levaquin and Avelox are Chemo Drugs – Lisa Bloomquist 3,792
44. Hysterectomy or Not – Angela’s Endometriosis Update – Angela Kawakami 3,750
45. Warning to Floxies: Beware of New Med for Psoriatic Arthritis – Debra Anderson 3,691
46.  DES – The Drug to Prevent Miscarriage Ruins Lives of Millions – DES Daughter 3,655
47.   Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction (SOD) – Brooke Keefer 3,540
48. Progesterone for Peripheral Neuropathy – Chandler Marrs 3,278
49. The Fluoroquinolone Time Bomb – Answers in the Mitochondria – Lisa Bloomquist 3,251
50. Why is PCOS so Common? – Lara Briden 3,211
51.  Pregnancy Toes – What Sugar does to Feet – Angela Stanton 2,971
52.  Five Half-truths of Hormonal Contraceptives – The Pill, Patch and Ring – Joe Malone 2,834
53.  Five Years After Gardasil – Ashley Adair 2,831
54. Bleeding Disorders Overlooked in Women with Heavy Periods – Philippa Bridge Cook 2,826
55.  Is Gardasil Mandated in Your State? – Lisbeth Prifogle 2,814
56.  Is Prenatal Dexamethasone Safe: The Baby Makers’ Hubris – Chandler Marrs 2,808
57. Porn Brain – A Leading Cause of Erectile Dysfunction – Chandler Marrs 2,792
58. Lupron and Endometriosis – Jordan Davidson 2,752
59.  Endometriosis, Adhesions and Physical Therapy – Philippa Bridge-Cook 2,746
60.  Glabrata – A Deadly Post Fluoroquinolone Risk You’ve Never Heard About – Debra Anderson 2,703
61. Are You Vitamin B12 Deficient? – Chandler Marrs 2,635
62. Topamax: The Drug with 9 Lives – Angela Stanton 2,635
63.  Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome – Philippa Bridge-Cook 2,622
64.  The Endo Diet: Part 1 – Kelsey Chin 2,614
65.  Endometriosis and Adhesions –  Angela Kawakami 2,544
66.  Thyroid Disease Plus Migraines – Nancy Bonk 2,530
67.  Is it Endometriosis? – Rosalie Miletich 2,414
68. Hysterectomy, Hormones, and Suicide – Robin Karr 2,412
69.  Why I am Backing the Sweetening the Pill Documentary – Laura Wershler 2,321
70.  I Wanted to Die Last Night: Endometriosis and Suicide – Rachel Cohen 2,271
71.  How Can Something As Simple As Thiamine Cause So Many Problems? – Derrick Lonsdale 2,456
72.  Thyroid Dysfunction with Medication or Vaccine Induced Demyelinating Diseases – Chandler Marrs 2,034
73. Angela’s Endometriosis Post Operative Update –  Angela Kawakami 2,017
74.  Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Damage Mitochondria – FDA Does Little – Lisa Bloomquist 1,993
75.  Endometriosis and Pregnancy at a Glance – Center for Endometriosis Care 1,969
76.  Don’t Take Cipro, Levaquin or Avelox If…. – Lisa Bloomquist 1,960
77.  Gardasil Injured – Dollie Duckworth 1,898
78. Fear of Childbirth Prolongs Labor – Elena Perez 1,888
79. Fluoroquinolone Poisoning: A Tale from the Twilight Zone – Kristen Weber 1,883
80. Personal Story: Thyroid Cancer – Myrna Wooders 1,880
81. Recurrent Miscarriage – Philippa Bridge-Cook 1,873
82. Recovering from the Gardasil Vaccine: A Long and Complicated Process – Charlotte Nielsen 1,842
83. Pelvic Therapy for Endometriosis, Adhesions and Sexual Pain – Belinda Wurn 1,818
84. Hormones, Hysterectomy and the Hippocampus – Chandler Marrs 1,777
85. Why Fatigue Matters in Thyroid Disease – Chandler Marrs 1,718
86. How Do You Deal with the Lasting Effects of Endometriosis? – Samantha Bowick 1,697
87. Depression with Endometriosis – Samantha Bowick 1,678
88. Easing Endometriosis Pain and Inflammation with Nutrition –  Erin Luyendyk 1,648
89. Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis and Ovarian Teratomas – Chandler Marrs 1,634
90. Autoinflammatory Syndromes Induced by Adjuvants: A Case for PFAPA – Sarah Flynn 1,595
91. Endometriosis Awareness Month: A Wish Noted – Philippa Bridge-Cook 1,513
92. The Role of Androgens in Postmenopausal Women – Sergei Avdiushko 1,477
93. It Wasn’t by Choice: Dysautonomia – Margaret Aranda 1,454
94. Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Associated with Nervous System Damage – Lisa Bloomquist 1,453
95.  Vitamin D3 and Thyroid Health – Susan Rex Ryan 1,439
96. Dealing with Doctors When You Have Undiagnosed Endometriosis -Angela Kawakami 1,439
97. Endometriosis and Being a Trans Person: Beyond Gendered Reproductive Health – Luke Fox 1,436
98. Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Research and Treatments – Philippa Bridge-Cook 1,430
99. Living with Ehlers Danlos is Hell – Debra Anderson 1,420
100. What is Fluoroquinolone Toxicity? – Lisa Bloomquist 1,415

Hormones Matter All-Time Top 25 Articles

Article Title and Author

Reads
1. Post Hysterectomy Skeletal and Anatomical Changes -WS 105,336
2. Sex in a Bottle: the Latest Drugs for Female Sexual Desire – Chandler Marrs 99,098
3. Endometrial Ablation – Hysterectomy Alternative or Trap? -WS 70,999
4. Adhesions: Cause, Consequence and Collateral Damage – David Wiseman 40,299
5. In the ER Again – Heavy Menstrual Bleeding -Lisbeth Prifogle 39,821
7.  Sexual Function after Hysterectomy – WS 35,188
8. A Connection between Hypothyroidism and PCOS – Sergei Avdiushko 31,193
9. Is Sciatic Endometriosis Possible? – Center for Endometriosis Care 24,691
10. Endometriosis: A Husband’s Perspective – Jeremy Bridge-Cook 23,251
11. Skin Disorders post Gardasil – Chandler Marrs 18,105
12.  Gardasil: The Controversy Continues – Lisbeth Prifogle 14,174
13.  Wide Awake: A Hysterectomy Story – Robin Karr 14,134
14.  Endometriosis and Risk of Suicide – Philippa Bridge-Cook 13,836
15.  Love Hurts – Sex with Endometriosis – Rachel Cohen 13,782
16. Endometriosis after Hysterectomy – Rosemary Finnegan 13,294
17. Hysterectomy: Impact on Pelvic Floor and Organ Function – WS 13,056
18.  Adverse Reactions, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Gait, Balance and Tremors – Chandler Marrs 12,901
19.  How Hair Loss Changed My Life – Suki Eleuterio 12,835
20. Mittelschmerz – what should you know – Sergei Avdiushko 11,919
21.  Often Injured, Rarely Treated: Tailbone Misalignment – Leslie Wakefield 11,521
22.  An Often Overlooked Cause of Fatigue: Low Ferritin – Philippa Bridge-Cook 10,821
23.  Mommy Brain: Pregnancy and Postpartum Memory Deficits – Chandler Marrs 10,591
24. Adenomyosis – Philippa Bridge-Cook 10,249
25.  I Wanted to Die Last Night: Endometriosis and Suicide – Rachel Cohen 9,826

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Fluoroquinolones 101 – Antibiotics to Avoid

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Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, etc. are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat a variety of infections, from urinary tract infections to anthrax and everything in between.  The first quinolone created was Nalidixic Acid which was discovered by George Lesher in 1962.  (Nalidixic Acid was added to the OEHHA prop 65 list of carcinogens in 1998.) Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is a second generation fluoroquinolone patented in 1983 by Bayer, Levaquin (levofloxacin) is a third generation fluroquinolone  patented in 1987 by Ortho-McNeil-Janssen (a division of Johnson & Johnson), and Avelox (moxifloxacin) is a fourth generation fluoroquinolone patented in 1991 by Bayer.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics – Still on the Market

Of the 30 quinolones that have made it to market since the 1980s, all but 6 have either been removed from the US market or have severely restricted use.

The fluoroquinolone antibiotics that are still on the market are some of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. Per the FDA, “Approximately 23.1 million unique patients received a dispensed prescription for an oral fluoroquinolone product from outpatient retail pharmacies during 2011,” and “Within the hospital setting, there were approximately 3.8 million unique patients billed for an injectable fluoroquinolone product during 2011.”

When used properly, such as in cases of life-threatening hospital acquired pneumonia, fluroquinolone antibiotics can save lives.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Side-Effects and Adverse Reactions

When used improperly, fluoroquinolone antibiotics can needlessly cause devastating side-effects.  Devastating side-effects can also occur when fluoroquinolone antibiotics are used properly, but the devastation can be justified by weighing it against the alternative – death.  In 2001, Dr. Jay S. Cohen published an article on the severe and often disabling reactions some people sustained  as a result of taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic.  Dr. Cohen says,

“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.”

Dr. Cohen’s study of 45 subjects suffering from Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome, a name that I’m pushing for, (without an official name, it is difficult get the word out) showed that they had the following symptoms:

  • Peripheral Nervous System: Tingling, numbness, prickling, burning pain, pins/needles sensation, electrical or shooting pain, skin crawling, sensation, hyperesthesia, hypoesthesia, allodynia (sensitivity to touch) numbness, weakness, twitching, tremors, spasms.
  • Central Nervous System: Dizziness, malaise, weakness, impaired coordination, nightmares, insomnia, headaches, agitation, anxiety, panic attacks, disorientation, impaired concentration or memory, confusion, depersonalization, hallucinations, psychoses.
  • Musculoskeletal: Muscle pain, weakness, soreness, joint swelling, pain, tendon pain, ruptures.
  • Special Senses: Diminished or altered visual, olfactory, auditory functioning, tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
  • Cardiovascular: Tachycardia, shortness of breath, hypertension, palpitations, chest pain.
  • Skin: Rash, swelling, hair loss, sweating, intolerance to heat and\or cold.
  • Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain.

When a fluoroquinolone antibiotic triggers a toxic reaction in a person, multiple symptoms are often experienced. I experienced all of the symptoms that are italicized.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Damage – Technical Aspects

Fluoroquinolones are eukaryotic DNA gyrase and topoisomerase inhibitors very similar to many antineoplastic agents (source).  What this means in plain English is that these drugs work the same way as chemotherapeutic drugs; they disrupt DNA and lead to destruction of cells.  A recent (2013) study conducted by a team of scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University Studies showed that Ciprofloxacin, along with a couple of other non-fluoroquinolone antibiotics, causes oxidative stress and mitochondrial malfunction. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Young Pharmacists found that, “There is significant and gradual elevation of lipid peroxide levels in patients on ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin.”  They also found that “There was substantial depletion in both SOD (superoxide dismutase, “a free radical scavenging enzyme”) and glutathione levels” and that “On the 5th day of treatment, plasma antioxidant status decreased by 77.6%, 50.5% (and) 7.56% for ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and gatifloxacin respectively.” The study also notes that administration of fluoroquinolones leads to a marked increase in the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and that “reactive free radicals overwhelms the antioxidant defence, lipid peroxidation of the cell membrane occurs. This causes disturbances in cell integrity leading to cell damage/death.”

How Many People are at Risk?

The exact rate of adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones is difficult to determine.  Studies of adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones have noted that, “During clinical trials, the overall frequencies of adverse effects associated with (fluoroquinolones) to vary between 4.4 and 20%.”  Just the fact that the spread is so large, a 15.6% spread in frequency of adverse reactions is a HUGE difference, implies that the actual occurrence of adverse reactions is difficult to establish or unknown.

With the FDA figures above noting that 26.9 million unique patients were given fluoroquinolones in 2011, if you just take the conservative adverse reaction figure of 4.4%, you’ll get a horrifying number of people with adverse reactions in 2011 alone – 1,183,600 people.  20% of 26.9 million is 5,380,000 people adversely effected.  That is scary.  Those numbers are truly frightening given the severity of the adverse effects described above.

Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome

I see fluoroquinolone toxicity everywhere, and even I think that those numbers are high for severe, disabling reactions like mine where multiple symptoms develop simultaneously.  Not everyone who has an adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone has a reaction like mine, or even develops Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome – thank God.  Many people have milder reactions.  Milder symptoms include any one of the symptoms listed above as well as  diarrhea, vomiting, mild tendonitis, decreased energy, painless muscle twitches, memory loss, urgency of urination, or any number of reactions that the body may have to a massive depletion of antioxidants and increases in lipid peroxide levels and reactive oxygen species production.

Even though severe adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones antibiotics can be painful and disabling for years, many (possibly most, but certainly not all) people recover from Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome with time.  I anticipate that I will be fully recovered 2 years after my reaction started. Sadly, there are some people who don’t recover.  They suffer from chronic pain, disability, impaired cognitive abilities, etc. permanently.

It is absurd, to say the least, that an acute problem, an infection, that can easily be taken care of with administration of an antibiotic that is not a fluoroquinolone, is converted into a chronic problem, a  syndrome that can disable a person for years, by a prescription ANTIBIOTIC, used as prescribed. In my case, a urinary tract infection that could have likely been taken care of with macrobid or even cranberry juice and d-mannos, was treated with Cipro which left me unable to do many physical and mental tasks that I had previously been able to do with ease. It’s a crazy, absurd situation.  It’s absurd and it’s wrong.

Some Antibiotics are More Dangerous than Others

The bottom line is that these popularly prescribed antibiotics are dangerous drugs that have caused thousands of people to suffer with a myriad of maladies. Undeniably, they have their place, in treating life-threatening infections.  Unfortunately, they are not being reserved for use in life-threatening situations and people are being hurt after taking them for simple sinus, urinary tract, bronchial and prostate infections. A strict and rigorous protocol needs to be established to limit the damage that they cause; because it’s not right to maim and disable people to treat their sinus infections.

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site, www.floxiehope.com.

This article was published previously in August 2013 and is being re-posted in light of the recent press coverage warning of fluoroquinolone dangers.

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The Harmful Effects of Antibiotics on the Human Microbiome

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Lisa Bloomquist

How many articles about the importance of the microbiome – and the relationship between microbiome health and chronic, devastating diseases – need to come out in order for the cognitive dissonance around antibiotic safety to stop?

People assume that all antibiotics are safe drugs, that they damage bacteria but leave people and animals unharmed.  People assume (soap commercials have conditioned us well) that bacteria are bad, that they are harmful and make us sick, and that human life is improved when they are killed.  Many also assume that all antibiotics are created equally and that the more powerful an antibiotic, the better.  Most people assume that there are no long-term consequences from taking antibiotics.

There is ample evidence that these assumptions are false, and that a microbiome that is disturbed by antibiotics makes people more anxious, intolerant of pain, and sick with a variety of diseases.

A disrupted microbiome has been connected with development of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), as shown in “Gut microbiota are related to Parkinson’s Disease and clinical phenotype,” published in the journal Movement Disorder.  It was found that patients with PD had less Prevotellaceae (a type of gut microbe) than those in the control group, and that, “The relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was positively associated with the severity of postural instability and gait difficulty.”  It is also pointed out in the study that the reason for examining the relationship between PD and the gut microbiome is that:

“In the course of PD, the enteric nervous system (ENS) and parasympathetic nerves are amongst the structures most frequently and earliest affected by alpha-synuclein pathology. Accordingly, gastrointestinal dysfunction is an important non-motor symptom in PD and often present years before motor symptom onset. Recent research has shown that intestinal microbiota interact with the autonomic and central nervous system via diverse pathways including the ENS and vagal nerve.”

The microbiome profoundly affects neurotransmitters and thus mental health, as is shown in “The microbiome-gut-brain axis during early life regulates the hippocampal serotonergic system in a sex-dependent manner” published in Molecular Psychiatry, as well as “That Gut Feeling” published in the American Psychological Association magazine, Monitor on Psychology.  The article, “Altering your gut bacteria could ease anxiety and depression” on www.sciencealert.com is also interesting and informative.  All of the articles point to the finding that, “that tweaking the balance between beneficial and disease-causing bacteria in an animal’s gut can alter its brain chemistry and lead it to become either more bold or more anxious” (quote from “That Gut Feeling”) and that temperament changes were induced by gut microbiome alterations. If you’re feeling anxious or depressed, you may want to look at your past antibiotic use.  Our guts and our brains communicate through a variety of signaling mechanisms including “the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the enteric nervous system (ENS), the neuroendocrine system, and the immune system” as well as the vagus nerve.

The connection between microbiome health and Alzheimer’s Disease is described in “Alzheimer’s disease and the microbiome” published in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience (and the referenced articles are interesting too).  In it, it is noted that, “GI tract-abundant gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic Lactobacillus, and other Bifidobacterium species, are capable of metabolizing glutamate to produce gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS; dysfunctions in GABA-signaling are linked to anxiety, depression, defects in synaptogenesis, and cognitive impairment including Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Rheumatoid Arthritis is connected to microbiome health in the article on the NIH web site, “Gut Microbes Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis,” in which it is noted that, “The immune system is influenced by the microbiome, a network of microorganisms that live in and on the human body. These microbes outnumber the body’s cells by 10 to 1. Trillions of microbes—both helpful and harmful—reside in the digestive tract. The gut microbiome has been linked to arthritis in animal studies.”

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are connected to microbiome health in “Dysfunction of the intestinal microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease and treatment” published in Genome Biology. In the article, it is stated that, “The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis result from alterations in intestinal microbes and the immune system.”

The microbiome has been shown to affect both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.  In “Intestinal microbiota and type 2 diabetes: From mechanism insights to therapeutic perspective” published in the World Journal of Gastrointerology the relationship to Type 2 diabetes is shown.  In “Type 1 diabetes: role of intestinal microbiome in humans and mice” published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences the connection to Type 1 diabetes is shown.

More general information about the relationship between the microbiome and human health can be found on the National Institute of Health’s Human Microbiome Project web site.

Thousands of articles about the importance of the microbiome have come out.  Millions of dollars have been spent studying the microbiome and its relationship to human health.  Antibiotics indiscriminately destroy bacteria in the microbiome, and some even lead to oxidative stress in the microbiome. Yet misconceptions about antibiotic safety persist. Why is that?

Greg Spooner answered that question perfectly. He said:

“I think the reason for this is that the early antibiotics (like penicillin) were quite safe and they spared us from very serious infections that often lead to death. Our life expectancy jumped at this point, and they were rightly considered miracle drugs. But this was also their downfall, as they quickly became so overused that they lost their efficacy and killed off many people’s helpful biomes. When FQs (fluoroquinolones) came out, most docs probably thought they were just “better” antibiotics that were still effective. ‘All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.’ – Martin Luther King Jr”

Indeed.

Antibiotics, as a class of drugs, have saved millions of lives. That is undeniable. But their value in life-threatening situations does not negate their consequences. The increased risk of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes and other diseases that result from microbiome disruption, should be weighed carefully and conscientiously against the risk of harm from the diseases that are treated with antibiotics. This analysis isn’t being done currently. Both patients and physicians will need to shift their thinking about antibiotic safety for a proper safety analysis to be conducted.  Unfortunately, the proper safety analysis involves comparing immediate and acute pain to potential future pain, and humans are horrible at doing that kind of analysis.

Also, as Greg pointed out, the value and safety of one antibiotic does not mean that all antibiotics are equally safe and valuable.  Though penicillin is not kind to the microbiome, it doesn’t cause multi-symptom, chronic illness like fluoroquinolones do.  Fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics that not only kill bacteria, they deplete mitochondrial DNA and induce a massive amount of oxidative stress, not only in the microbiome, but in the body generally.  Fluoroquinolones are related to the diseases mentioned above not only through the destruction of the microbiome inflicted by them, but also through the destruction of mitochondria and disruption of cellular mineral homeostasis.

It would be a good place to start for the dangers of fluoroquinolones to be considered before they are prescribed.  After all, fluoroquinolones have an extensive list of adverse effects (the Cipro warning label is 43 pages long) that include tendon ruptures and seizures, among hundreds of other adverse effects. There are thousands of patients screaming about how they have been hurt by fluoroquinolones, and demanding that they be used more prudently.

All antibiotics should be used with care and consideration of potential future consequences. Those antibiotics with the most severe adverse effects should be looked at most closely and immediately. Fluoroquinolones are not worth the harm that they cause in most cases. Restriction of the use of fluoroquinolones is a good place to start in thinking about antibiotics as dangerous, consequential drugs. They are, indeed, consequential, dangerous drugs.

The role that antibiotics and the microbiome play in the many chronic diseases of modernity is just starting to be recognized.  Though recognition has been slow to come about, there are thousands of articles about the importance of the microbiome. Perhaps it is time for us to consider more prudent use of antibiotics, especially the most potent and destructive ones (like fluoroquinolones).

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site, www.floxiehope.com.

Participate in Research

Hormones MatterTM 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 MatterTM 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.

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Hormones MatterTM 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.

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Side Effects and Unintended Consequences of Popular Pharmaceuticals

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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.

The more I learned about the complex interactions occurring in my body, the more I realized that the number of unknown factors is far greater than the number of known factors. I realized that, as much as I wanted easy answers and quick solutions, there were none available. Because of the complexity of the human body, as well as individual differences in both genetics and environment, I doubt that easy answers will ever be available. Any one of the many complex systems within the human body can be studied for a lifetime without knowing everything about it. The multiple systems within our bodies are interconnected, difficult to comprehend, poorly understood and truly amazing. Human life is astoundingly, beautifully, mind-bogglingly complex.

Mind Blowing Complexity 

This chart of metabolic pathways shows just one level of biochemical complexity in the human body. Click and take a look. Amazing, isn’t it?  I find the pathways to be both incredibly daunting and beautiful at the same time. As complex as that chart is, it doesn’t include everything. There are additional layers on top of it – genetics, epigenetics, equally complex charts about the microbiome, endocrine system, bioenergetics, etc.

Even though the metabolic pathways in the chart above are known (if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be in the chart), I suspect that the interactions between the metabolic pathways, and the connections between them and other complex systems, are not adequately considered in healthcare. How could they be? These pathways are so mind-blowingly complex, and so interconnected with layer upon layer of feedback and feedforward loops amplifying any disruption and miscalculation, that if we were to properly consider the ramifications of pharmaceutical alterations, no one would dare take most medications. We would recognize the limits of our abilities to predict and treat the inevitable unintended consequences of disturbing the balance within and among these systems. Since pharmaceuticals are a trillion dollar industry, it is safe to say that all of the potential effects of pharmaceuticals on these pathways are not fully considered.

Pharmaceuticals Disrupt Biochemical Pathways

Every pharmaceutical has an effect on those pathways. When the drug interacts with the metabolic pathways as expected, all parties involved are pleased. When the drug interacts in unexpected or unwanted ways, we say that there are “side-effects.” I wonder though, are there really side-effects, or is that just a more palatable expression about the limits of our understanding (and attention)? One could argue that if we paid more attention to the broader biological systems involved in human health, those “side-effects” would be entirely predictable. But we don’t. Instead we focus our medication efforts on narrowly defined targets, destroying a particular pathogen or amplifying or diminishing a specific cell cycle function, all the while ignoring that those processes are conserved systemically. Perturbations in one organism or one function, necessarily affects the entire system. Nothing happens in isolation.

If we were to consider the potential for drugs to initiate systemic reactions, and if the effects of drugs on metabolic pathways were properly regarded, fluoroquinolones and many other drugs and vaccines would not be on the market. But we don’t. Instead, we choose to believe that side-effects are rare and won’t happen to us. Those beliefs are bolstered by decades of marketing to physicians and patients, promoting the safety and efficacy of each drug, often long after science and the legal system have disputed those claims.

Fluoroquinolones, the drugs I know most about, deplete intracellular magnesium (note how many times you see Mg in the chart) and disrupt vital enzymatic processes (which are kind of important). Can you even imagine there not being unintended consequences to depleting vital minerals from a system that is as complex and interconnected as cellular biochemistry and metabolic pathways that determine human health?  I cannot imagine it, because after learning about how fluoroquinolones react in the body, I know too much to believe the marketing propaganda about any drug. Before my adverse reaction, however, I never gave the safety of antibiotics a second thought. It appears neither did my doctor, nor the millions of other physicians who have made the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics the most prescribed and profitable antibiotics ever.

I know that there are some very smart scientists out there; people who are far more intelligent than I, who have a much better grasp of biochemistry – so why aren’t the dangers of fluoroquinolones more well-known? Why aren’t the side-effects entirely predictable? Why did I have to figure out all of this on my own, without help from the physician who prescribed the medication or the physicians I saw post reaction? Sadly, I have come to believe that most physicians and patients alike don’t want to recognize the complexity of human health; preferring instead to believe in our own intellectual supremacy. And as much as I appreciate the scientists who are doing the work on which I have based my assertions, I don’t think that there is anyone who understands the complex biochemical feedback loops sufficiently to guarantee that there won’t be unintended consequences when disrupting part of the system with a pharmaceutical.

Unintended Consequences

How can one avoid the unintended consequences that come with disruption of the biochemical interactions described in this chart?  Individualized medicine that takes into consideration genetic predispositions is one place to start, but it requires that we recognize the complexity of interacting systems and abandon our silver bullet approach to medicine. From where I sit, this is a long way off. Individualized medicine based on genetic predispositions barely exists. If we consider the complexity of a lifetime of environmental exposures, predicting how a particular drug will react in given individual is complex, if not impossible. For me, the most feasible way to avoid unintended disruptions and feedback loops is to avoiding pharmaceuticals (or at least use them very sparingly). Each medication has side-effects and unintended consequences. All drugs disrupt the very biochemical feedback loops necessary for keeping us healthy.

Avoid the Cause in Order to Avoid the Effect

Perhaps, I am the medical equivalent of a Luddite. Perhaps, I over-emphasize the harm done by pharmaceuticals and underestimate the good done by them because I was hurt by a drug. I see the unintended consequences of disrupting the delicate balance of biochemical pathways everywhere. All of the diseases of modernity can be traced to a disruption on the chart above (or maybe a disruption on the endocrine system chart, or the microbiome chart, or the epigenetics chart). People are sick; not cells in a petri dish – people. They are sick and they are suffering because of disruptions in their biochemistry.

These systems are complex. The feedback loops between systems amplify the complexity and make mistakes and miscalculations difficult (impossible) to correct.

Disruptions in our biochemistry result in disease.

We live in a world of unintended consequences. Does anyone else see it?

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site, www.floxiehope.com.

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Postpartum Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

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Sarah Flynn

In March of 2011, two months after the birth of my daughter, I experienced a bout of acute illnesses. My birth experience had been difficult, delivering five weeks early via emergency C-section after my water broke at 35 weeks gestation. My recovery was complicated by the need for an appendectomy just six weeks later. As if two abdominal surgeries weren’t enough, all of the trauma apparently dislodged two kidney stones in my right kidney. I woke up one morning with blinding pain in my stomach that migrated to my back and my side. I had passed a kidney stone once before, so I immediately knew what was causing the pain. Many who have experienced a kidney stone compare it to the pain of childbirth; I would argue that the pain is actually much worse. Unable to manage the pain on my own, I was taken to the emergency room for treatment. In the ER I was given IV pain medication and sent home with a short-term prescription for hydrocodone. I was also sent home with a prescription for a seven day course of the antibiotic Cipro. This medication was given to me as a preventative measure in case the stone ripped through my ureter.

Initial Symptoms of an Impending Cipro Reaction

About 48 hours after beginning the Cipro, I noticed an unusual feeling of nervousness. I was also having trouble regulating my internal body temperature. I would either be sweating profusely or so bone-chill cold that the only relief I could get was standing in a hot shower. I attributed these symptoms to being overwhelmed by the beating my body had taken in the last two months all while trying to care for my two month old preemie daughter. The anxiety was met with severe insomnia, and after a few days of almost complete sleeplessness (on top of the getting up with a newborn every few hours), I saw a general practitioner at a local walk-in clinic to get some advice and hopefully some relief. The doctor agreed that I was likely overwhelmed by all that had happened on top of adjusting to caring for a newborn. However, she also mentioned that I should stop taking the Cipro, and that “Cipro can do funny things” to some people. I took her advice and stopped the Cipro. Within a few days I started to feel more normal, and I shrugged off the experience. Little did I know my nightmare was just beginning.

Neurocognitive Deficits and Cipro

Two weeks later I returned to work. I was staring at the computer screen working on a research project when I noticed that my vision had become blurry. I went to the bathroom and put saline drops in my eyes when I discovered that my pupils were enormous. My eyes looked completely black instead of the normal light greenish-blue hue. I decided to leave work and go home early, and I had to squint and blink furiously just to keep my car on the road. When I returned home, my husband noticed my eyes and told me to lie down. I was exhausted, yet sleep would not come.

Cipro and the Central Nervous System

In the next few months I deteriorated rapidly, suffering from extreme anxiety, muscle twitches, myoclonus jerks, sweating, chills, weakness, tendonitis in my wrists, confusion, PVC heart arrhythmia, among roughly 30 other terrifying and painful symptoms. The worst of them, by far, was the completely intractable insomnia. I would go days at a time without being able to sleep even for one minute, finally crashing for two or three broken hours, and then the cycle would repeat itself. I sought out several doctors who ran tests after test and found nothing. I was finally steered toward psychiatry, where I was diagnosed with “anxiety” and given a slew of prescription psychiatric medications. Luckily, I declined to take most of them.

Continued Deterioration and Delayed Reactions to Fluoroquinolones

Weeks went on and my symptoms did not abate. I decided to leave my job and stay at home to take care of my precious baby daughter, the only thing giving me hope or the will to keep moving forward at that point. I was simply too sick to work, and my work environment was extremely stressful during that time. I was still very confused as to what had befallen me. After months of suffering, I remembered the doctor who had advised me to stop the Cipro. One simple Google search of “Cipro side effects” opened literally thousands of pages of information, with stories exactly like mine, of delayed reactions and unexplainable, debilitating symptoms. Because the severe symptoms were delayed for weeks after I stopped the Cipro, I never attributed my symptoms to this medication. I was unfortunately unaware that close proximity of the effect was not a necessary condition for causation when it came to pharmaceutical side effects.  However, as I began to research this class of antibiotics, called fluoroquinolones, I became aware that the most severe reactions are often delayed.

Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

I saw the top expert in the medical field on fluoroquinolone adverse reactions, and he diagnosed me with fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome after a careful assessment. Almost a year after my first symptoms appeared, I finally had a name for my suffering. It took me almost two and a half years to recover ninety percent. My recovery focused on nutrition, stress management, and the power of positive thinking. Instead of taking medications, I found a sleep psychologist and underwent CBT for insomnia, and it helped dramatically. I still have symptoms, including the PVC arrhythmia, transient insomnia and peripheral neuropathy, but I consider myself very lucky. Many individuals with fluoroquinolone toxicity are disabled for life. You can read more about fluoroquinolone (FQ) toxicity here.

The pharmaceutical companies will lead you to believe that these side effects are rare, and therefore insignificant compared to the population of people that the drugs help. However, the truth is that most medication side effects are never reported, if they are even attributed to the drug at all. In actuality, doctors are generally uninformed about the complex array of side effects that these drugs can cause and are often unwilling to attribute patients’ symptoms back to the medications that they themselves prescribe. It is unlikely that we have an accurate picture of the side effect profiles of many prescription drugs, not just fluoroquinolones. In fact, many have speculated that a variety of idiopathic illnesses such as fibromyalgia are not organic illnesses but are all manifestations of fluoroquinolone toxicity or other adverse medication reactions. Each individual tends to have a unique threshold for toxicity, so it is entirely possible to have taken these antibiotics before without trouble only to experience a severe adverse reaction the next time they are taken. Since my diagnosis, it has become my mission to educate my friends, family and the world on FQ toxicity. Knowledge is power, and sometimes it can even be life-saving.

Participate in Research

Hormones MatterTM 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 MatterTM conducts other crowdsourced surveys on medication reactions. To take one of our other surveys, click here.

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