Cipro and doctors

I had back surgery in July and caught two infections from the hospital, Staph and pseudonymous. I had a picc-line put in and was put on Cipro oraly and Ancef. I got Steven Johnson syndrome from the Cipro and almost died. I looked like a burn victim and swelled from head to toe that was three weeks ago. They pulled me off the Ancef and Cipro. It took a week of me running 103 + temps and the dr. kept telling me its a virous until the rash showed up and my tongue swelled and private parts and throat started to swell shut before they decided to admit me. Then once all that was done and they figured it out they put me on impernem to kill both infections. They pulled my picc-last week and put me on Doxycycline. I have done my research and know that the two are related I asked my dr. what the chances were of a reaction again he told me less then 1%. Ha! I am seeing an infectious disease dr. by the way. Since I started the Doxycycline last Thursday I have developed hives I called the dr. and was told they are not worried about it because I am not running a 101 temp and I am not swelling, plus they don't even know if the Pseudonymous is cured. What do I do? If I go off the antibiotics I will die and if I stay on them I am probably going to die. My joints hurt all the time now and I am only 31. Do I look for a new dr.? Can someone please help me? This is the only website I have found so far where people have had the same reactions as me. These antibiotics are dangerous they need to be taken off the shelf. Thank you and good luck to everyone who is struggling with this.

Dear Medications.com:
I cannot thank you enough for this site. Just yesterday I was prescribed Cipro for a nagging UTI which seemed to only partially get better with Doxycycline HYC. After only 3 Cipro pills I am stopping!! And will never take Cipro again. I take responsibility for rushing back to my doctor at the emergency care clinic and asking 'now what' after the Doxycycline was finished--we Americans are so quick to want the next candy pill with more strength! So even though my initial urinalysis showed no dangerous / STD bacteria present, because I was still urinating too frequently my doc suggested Cipro. I trusted him and took the first pill last night--I got a terrible headache, woke up promptly at 3:30 AM and had trouble returning to sleep. Got up this morning, took the 2nd pill and by early afternoon, was so tired and aching I had to lay down for 1.5 hrs..I felt miserable. Then this afternoon, after taking my 3rd pill, that's when I began to feel occasional tingling in my joints, hot pain in my knee capsules, continuing low-grade ache to my head, the feeling that my esophagus was shrinking, etc..... EVERYTHING you guys all have reported.

I got on the internet and thank God I found your site. After 2 hrs of my own research and the testimony of so many people, including tons of once-healthy, athletic persons whose lives have been destroyed irreparably by Cipro, I took my healthcare into my own hands, called my pharmacist and said 'I'm finished touching Cipro...never again will I take it.'.

This drug is more toxic than anything I've ever taken, and the way my body has begun to react in only 24 hrs, it is obvious that the drug co's are playing with fire on this compound. We as people must stand up and take action, and educate our doctors. I am taking some info. into him tomorrow, telling him i will be on a strict cranberry juice and kidney/liver tea detox program for the next few weeks to see if these 'natural' methods might help me rid my system of the bacteria.

In any case, I refuse to use Cipro ever again and hope that many more people will read these pages before ingesting any or too much of this dangerous drug.

d. r.
48-yr old sporty, and very healthy guy who wants to stay that way!

My personal experience with Cipro is what they say is a mild case. To me I felt I would die. I've documented everything blow by blow on a new website ****** I was so angry with the medical profession for crippling me, so I took the time and channeled it into the only thing I could. My daily report. 6 weeks and I'm well on the road to recovery. To all of you who say it can't be done, it can. To all of those who say it will recur, perhaps, but I have great faith in the power of natural supplements to heal and support the body in it's repair. If you are suffering and reading this, make sure you visit my site and make your own decisions on what course of action you will take.

The experience has changed me forever, I will no longer have blind faith in the medical profession. We can't fight in the courts, but people have power in numbers. Share your experience, share your pain and help warn others about the toxic substances doctors hand out like candy.

YOU call the shots with YOUR healthcare.

Cipro is a chemotherapeutic agent that is stored in fat cells and is reabsorbed into the bloodstream when burned and can potentially damage any system it comes in contact with. I took this for two weeks.and had horrible pains and kept having what could best be described as partial seizures and heart palpitations as well as peripheral neuropathies. As the drug recycles every few months back into my blood the symptoms start over and sometimes new ones occur. I am currently experiencing floaters, brain fog, vision problems, burning sensations, panic attacks, partial seizures, dizziness, depersonalization and extreme fatigue even nine months after taking 27 pills over the course of two weeks. Cipro is used to kill anthrax and should not be used on people even though Bayer is making a killing in its sales. You don't have to look far to find thousands of people who have had their lives destroyed by this drug. Remove from the market ASAP.

Nine months after given CIPRO via IV at the Hospital, I am still crippled.

I was a healthy 58 years old working full time. Now my tendons, muscles, ligaments hurt all over my body. I have very limited flexibility.

I am sooooooo aggravated that doctors don't believe you and they want to treat you with prozac.

I am sooooo mad that nothing I can do but suffer.

Lawyers said unless doctor diagnosis Tendinitis nothing they can do and doctors insist it is Fibromyalgia.

I took Cipro and had a persitant leg twitch, and did not think anything at the time. many symptoms came around a month later. all over body twitching, burning skin, muscle pain, tendon pain. maily on left side of body. Also, insomnia, dark circles under eyes, horizontal depressions in fingernails...just to name a few. It has been almost 2 years and I have sense been diagnosed with fibromyalgia by PC, I need to go to a ruemy. I have never had these pains until cipro and I still have all of them most of the time.
I told my mother not to take Cipro or any in the same class. She was prescribed Levaquin and called the nurse and said she did not want anything in the same class as Cepro, and thew nurse said "Oh no it is not, I did hear Cepro was bad". So she took them unaware. She was so sick after first pill. she thought it was severe flu. She could not even move her arms because of terrible shoulder pains.

Ciprofloxacin is a highly dangerous drug and should be banned. My son (18) has developed twitching, jerking movements which came on a month or so after stopping it. He took it for 6 weeks and towards end of treatment came out is a terrible rash on his back. No doctors or consultants will accept that that is where the twitching has come from. Thousands of people all over are saying they developed devastating side effects after taking this drug and because the side effects come on some time afterwards doctors will not believe you. The more people highlight the dangers of this drug the more someone will listen.

I was prescribed Cipro for a UTI on 1/25/08. I took 500 mg for 7 days. About day four I began to experience intermittent "little pains" in my hands and feet. I thought it could be a side effect of Cipro but no big deal and would subside when I finished the prescription. Boy was I wrong. It has been two months and every week that goes by I feel worse. I have pain and mild cramping in my arms, hands, legs and feet on and off all day. The muscles in my neck and the back of my head tighten up and I get very lightheaded. When I get up in the morning I am extremely stiff and do not feel like myself most of the time. I have read many comments by others who have used this drug on several websites and I am quite worried at this point. Can I expect these symptoms to gradually subside or am I on the road to becoming an invalid? Sorry to sound dramatic but this is very upsetting. Has anyone found anything to help with these sort of symptoms or does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

After being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, I was given Cipro at the hospital. My heart started racing to the point that it was hard to breath. After a while, this symptom went away. Three days later, after continuing to take Cipro, I started to feel tingling sensations all over my body, and a fiery burning sensation on my right lower back. I also had patches of numb areas all over, and suffered from muscular spasms. I developed horrible agitation episodes and tachycardia. I had rushing thoughts going through my mind and felt like running away. At some point, I felt as if I was about to have a convulsion. The doctors deny that these are side effects of Cipro and think I am suffering from anxiety. I have had anxiety before, but who hasn't? It is too much of a coincidence to have all these symptoms together right while taking Cipro.