I Took Antibiotics and Haven’t Been the Same Since
The Dangers of Cipro, Levaquin, and Other Fluoroquinolones
“I took that round of antibiotics, and I have not been the same since.”
You would not believe how many times I have heard those words from patients. They come in with chronic pain, tendon problems, or brain fog that started right after taking a specific class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. You might know them as Cipro or Levaquin.
In the patient community, this is called being “floxed.” The medical term is Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability Syndrome, or FQAD. In my experience, it is much more common than most doctors realize.
This has been a major area of interest for me. I have personal friends who were floxed, in addition to many patients I have treated over the years.
My daughter and I actually recorded a video discussion on this topic that got over 20,000 views. The comment section was heartbreaking. Hundreds of people shared the same story of long-term side effects that never went away.
Here is a twist that might surprise you. Some researchers believe there is a link between this kind of toxicity and Gulf War Syndrome.
During the first Gulf War, soldiers were given Cipro to protect them from anthrax. Many of them came home with chronic fatigue and neurological issues. Those symptoms look very similar to what I see in my floxed patients.
I had a patient who took Cipro for a simple infection. Weeks later, she developed severe tendon pain and brain fog. It still has not gone away. She has felt like a different person ever since.
These drugs do save lives. But they carry serious risks.
In my opinion, fluoroquinolones should be reserved for life-threatening situations where there is no other choice. They should not be handed out for routine infections like sinusitis or uncomplicated UTIs.
If you have ever taken an antibiotic that seemed to cause lasting problems, you are not alone. Many people share this experience, and it deserves to be taken seriously.
Authored by Gerard Guillory, MD
Gerard Guillory, MD, is a board-certified internist who practiced for nearly four decades with a focus on functional, root-cause medicine. He is the author of three books on irritable bowel syndrome and the founder of It’s My Health, where he and his team put current health news in context and help members understand the underlying causes of chronic symptoms.
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