Comments on: Europe’s Antibiotic Warnings http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/ The blog of Pharmaceutical Technology magazine Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:24:37 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jerry http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-22414 Jerry Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:41:26 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-22414 I have been on Cipro since the first week of Sept.because of what the urologist diagnosed as a uti(this was a phone call,he happened to be on call. Iwas on 500mg twice daily. After the 3rd week I was feeling but some residual symptoms, testicular pain. As the Dr.had prescribed andsince I try to trust Doctors which is getting increasingly hard for me to do, I continued the cipro until my appt. with him 1 week ago,sept.23. I told him when I saw him that I was much better but still having some groin burning around the testicle. He said that it was probably my prostate(I do have BPH) and gave another RX for cipro at a lower dose, 500mg daily instead of the 1000mg I was on. Also gave me Avodart to shrink the prostate. For a few days prior to the appt. I had finished the previous 3 rounds of cipro. A couple of days after starting my 4th round of cipro I began to have abdominal burning and moderate pain,getting worse each day. I really began to get worried that something serious was wrong with me! I placed a call into my urologist's office. My Doctor was in surgery . I explained to the nurse what was happening and that I really felt that the cipro was affeting me. Either that or else the infection had suddenly got worse. I never felt that bad in my life. I told her that I had decided to stop the cipro that morning until I checked with the Doctor. She was nice and talked to another urologist in the office and he prescribed Macrobid. That was yesterday October 30th. Within 24 hours all the burning pain and pressure in my upper abdomen had subsided and most of the pain in my stomach area. I am pretty convinced that the cipro was causing some or most of my SX. I had been doing a lot of research on uti,s and cipro (fluoroquinolones) in particular. Cipro may may be okay for short term use but I believe that the prolonged use not only failed to clear up all my original symptoms but raelly messed my whole system up. On top of that the 40,000mg or so I took killed a lot of good bacteria in my colon and digestive system. I am now taking probiotics.I can't enough about the probable hazards of extended use of cipro. I am probably going to change urologists in near future. I have been on Cipro since the first week of Sept.because of what the urologist diagnosed as a uti(this was a phone call,he happened to be on call. Iwas on 500mg twice daily. After the 3rd week I was feeling but some residual symptoms, testicular pain. As the Dr.had prescribed andsince I try to trust Doctors which is getting increasingly hard for me to do, I continued the cipro until my appt. with him 1 week ago,sept.23. I told him when I saw him that I was much better but still having some groin burning around the testicle. He said that it was probably my prostate(I do have BPH) and gave another RX for cipro at a lower dose, 500mg daily instead of the 1000mg I was on. Also gave me Avodart to shrink the prostate. For a few days prior to the appt. I had finished the previous 3 rounds of cipro. A couple of days after starting my 4th round of cipro I began to have abdominal burning and moderate pain,getting worse each day. I really began to get worried that something serious was wrong with me! I placed a call into my urologist’s office. My Doctor was in surgery . I explained to the nurse what was happening and that I really felt that the cipro was
affeting me. Either that or else the infection had suddenly got worse. I never felt that bad in my life. I told her that I had decided to stop the
cipro that morning until I checked with the Doctor. She was nice and talked to another urologist in the office and he prescribed Macrobid.
That was yesterday October 30th. Within 24 hours all the burning pain and pressure in my upper abdomen had subsided and most of the pain in my stomach area. I am pretty convinced that the cipro was causing some or most of my SX. I had been doing a lot of research on uti,s and cipro (fluoroquinolones) in particular. Cipro may may be okay for short term use but I believe that the prolonged use not only failed to clear up all my original symptoms but raelly messed my whole system up. On top of that the 40,000mg or so I took killed a lot of good bacteria in my colon and digestive system. I am now taking probiotics.I can’t enough about the probable hazards of extended use of cipro. I am probably going to change urologists in near future.

]]> By: Faith Daggs, MD http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-11816 Faith Daggs, MD Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:37:17 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-11816 What is the best way to treat/manage patients with quinolone toxicity. Are there any specialists/experts to refer them to? Any help is appreciated. ciprovictim also mentioned faxing treatment recommendations to an ER doctor - what are they? Thank you What is the best way to treat/manage patients with quinolone toxicity. Are there any specialists/experts to refer them to? Any help is appreciated. ciprovictim also mentioned faxing treatment recommendations to an ER doctor – what are they? Thank you

]]> By: david fuller http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-4591 david fuller Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:18:19 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-4591 Paris T, You are mistaken regarding the fluoride content of the fluoroquinolone class. This class does not even contain flouride, but rather the fluorine atom. You ingest far more fluoride just brushing your teeth than you do with these drugs. Hundreds if not thousands of drugs contain the fluorine atom and you do not see these kinds of adverse events associated with their use. This class is toxic all unto itself without adding things that are a non issue. Fluoride indeed is a questionable chemical, but you are mixing apples and oranges here as it has absolutely nothing to do with these severe adverse reactions we find with the fluoroquinolones. Paris T,

You are mistaken regarding the fluoride content of the fluoroquinolone class. This class does not even contain flouride, but rather the fluorine atom. You ingest far more fluoride just brushing your teeth than you do with these drugs. Hundreds if not thousands of drugs contain the fluorine atom and you do not see these kinds of adverse events associated with their use. This class is toxic all unto itself without adding things that are a non issue. Fluoride indeed is a questionable chemical, but you are mixing apples and oranges here as it has absolutely nothing to do with these severe adverse reactions we find with the fluoroquinolones.

]]> By: Paris T http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-4558 Paris T Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:13:00 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-4558 This class of drugs are very very toxic, they should be banned. The fluoride content on a 10 day course of such drugs (especially moxifloxacin but also ciprofloxacin) could be lethal for a horse let alone a human being. I dont understand the thinking of these manufacturers. It is well known that such a fluoride content causes major diabetes insipidus and changes in brain neuropeptide structure, this is basic pathobiochem lessons. Moreover tendon ruptures are also a direct problem from too much fluoride. It is impossible to keep such drugs in the market with such a side effect potential. These people must go onto trial, they have literally damaged irreversibly thousands of peoples lives. The FDA should do more than just black box these drugs, they should be banned. What is so difficult to understand. Morever, i have gone back and forth and checked all necessary info regarding trials and approval of this class of drugs, especially regarding cipro, the drug seems to have gotten an approval/license within just a few weeks after inquiring for one. This is just ridiculous. Nothing was really done to ensure for the stability and health risks imposed to patients after using it for so many years. Authorities should check on FDAs intentions This class of drugs are very very toxic, they should be banned. The fluoride content on a 10 day course of such drugs (especially moxifloxacin but also ciprofloxacin) could be lethal for a horse let alone a human being.

I dont understand the thinking of these manufacturers. It is well known that such a fluoride content causes major diabetes insipidus and changes in brain neuropeptide structure, this is basic pathobiochem lessons. Moreover tendon ruptures are also a direct problem from too much fluoride. It is impossible to keep such drugs in the market with such a side effect potential. These people must go onto trial, they have literally damaged irreversibly thousands of peoples lives.

The FDA should do more than just black box these drugs, they should be banned. What is so difficult to understand.

Morever, i have gone back and forth and checked all necessary info regarding trials and approval of this class of drugs, especially regarding cipro, the drug seems to have gotten an approval/license within just a few weeks after inquiring for one.

This is just ridiculous.

Nothing was really done to ensure for the stability and health risks imposed to patients after using it for so many years. Authorities should check on FDAs intentions

]]> By: John http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-4414 John Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:21:09 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-4414 I have been disabled for 3 years from these terrible antibiotics. I had just about every side effect except for a tendon rupture. 3 years later I am on narcotics because all of the pain. John I have been disabled for 3 years from these terrible antibiotics. I had just about every side effect except for a tendon rupture. 3 years later I am on narcotics because all of the pain.

John

]]> By: david fuller http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-3598 david fuller Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:51:34 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-3598 Until then I am following the debate over whether cigarette smoking is harmful to one’s health I'm sorry but with my warped sense of humor I just had to point out that in today's newspaper it was stated that the FDA just got permission to oversee the tobacco industry. Anybody want to bet that within a year cigarettes will carry the following warning? Cigarettes have been found to be both safe and well tolerated by those who choose to smoke. This is the problem we face in a nutshell. The FDA has failed MISERABLY when it comes to protecting the patients. I realize Angie that you are just presenting a blog, and by no means a full-blown expose. But it just drives one nuts to read the same misinformation over and over and over and over and over and over again. For two and a half decades I might add. Whom ever is responsible for keeping these adverse reactions such a secret needs to be working at the CIA. It just blows my mind the ignorance found not only in the medical community, but within the media as well. Fact checking takes but a few moments with the advent of the Internet. Yet we find factual error after factual error in just about every story and blog concerning these issues. One blog stated that Levaquin was approved in 2004, and Avelox in 2005, when actually they were both approved in the late nineties. People are acting as if this is something new when it has been ongoing since 1982. Then we have people citing to the figures found in MedWatch regarding the number of reports concerning this saying what's the big deal here? Just a few patients are having this problem. But I have YET to read ANYWHERE, on any site that is blogging or commenting on this, that the FDA had excluded all of the reports filed between 1982-1996 from this database. Fourteen friggin years worth of data is NOT even being considered by anyone. If it was then the numbers would be going right through the roof. By excluding this data the FDA is excluding over 60% of the reports that had been filed. With all due respect you have absolutely NO CLUE regarding the true safety profile of this class. If you did you would be absolutely outraged that such a drug is even being used for any reason. It is not a matter of due vigilance by the patient, this is a matter that has reached criminal proportions. This is what needs to be blogged about, not the latest attempt by the FDA to once again trivialize and minimize these adverse reactions. Having been abandoned by the medical community and media yet again regarding these issues I guess it is just a matter of time before the legal community steps in. They seem to be the only ones who get it other than the patients. Perhaps with a couple of million lawsuits filed someone may sit up and finally take notice. All this being said I do appreciate your efforts and I am not criticizing them. At the very least you did something while your peers do nothing at all. And for that I give you credit for effort. At least you are trying to do the right thing here. As such I give you an A for effort and a D- for content, for you are repeating the same [...] lies I have been hearing since 1984. Which just drives a person nuts. Until then I am following the debate over whether cigarette smoking is harmful to one’s health

I’m sorry but with my warped sense of humor I just had to point out that in today’s newspaper it was stated that the FDA just got permission to oversee the tobacco industry. Anybody want to bet that within a year cigarettes will carry the following warning?

Cigarettes have been found to be both safe and well tolerated by those who choose to smoke.

This is the problem we face in a nutshell. The FDA has failed MISERABLY when it comes to protecting the patients. I realize Angie that you are just presenting a blog, and by no means a full-blown expose. But it just drives one nuts to read the same misinformation over and over and over and over and over and over again. For two and a half decades I might add.

Whom ever is responsible for keeping these adverse reactions such a secret needs to be working at the CIA. It just blows my mind the ignorance found not only in the medical community, but within the media as well. Fact checking takes but a few moments with the advent of the Internet. Yet we find factual error after factual error in just about every story and blog concerning these issues. One blog stated that Levaquin was approved in 2004, and Avelox in 2005, when actually they were both approved in the late nineties. People are acting as if this is something new when it has been ongoing since 1982.

Then we have people citing to the figures found in MedWatch regarding the number of reports concerning this saying what’s the big deal here? Just a few patients are having this problem. But I have YET to read ANYWHERE, on any site that is blogging or commenting on this, that the FDA had excluded all of the reports filed between 1982-1996 from this database. Fourteen friggin years worth of data is NOT even being considered by anyone. If it was then the numbers would be going right through the roof. By excluding this data the FDA is excluding over 60% of the reports that had been filed.

With all due respect you have absolutely NO CLUE regarding the true safety profile of this class. If you did you would be absolutely outraged that such a drug is even being used for any reason. It is not a matter of due vigilance by the patient, this is a matter that has reached criminal proportions. This is what needs to be blogged about, not the latest attempt by the FDA to once again trivialize and minimize these adverse reactions.

Having been abandoned by the medical community and media yet again regarding these issues I guess it is just a matter of time before the legal community steps in. They seem to be the only ones who get it other than the patients. Perhaps with a couple of million lawsuits filed someone may sit up and finally take notice.

All this being said I do appreciate your efforts and I am not criticizing them. At the very least you did something while your peers do nothing at all. And for that I give you credit for effort. At least you are trying to do the right thing here. As such I give you an A for effort and a D- for content, for you are repeating the same [...] lies I have been hearing since 1984. Which just drives a person nuts.

]]> By: Joe Frank http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-3581 Joe Frank Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:46:35 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-3581 If the FDA is not in business to oversee and protect the public then what are they doing? Everyone makes excuses and I am sick of it. I'm sick of the rhetoric from the medical community, the flat out lies from the pharmaceutical companies, and the inadequacy of the FDA. Tie that to over-simplified reporting in the media and we have a recipe for disaster. I speak from experience. I'm a 48 yr. old male who WAS extremely active and healthy. Now, after 4 days on Levaquin, my life has been significantly altered. From the distal bicep tendon rupture to the ongoing psychological symptoms that continue to plague me on a daily basis after 22 months. My blood sugar is all over the place, I have high levels of protein in my urine and I never had problems like this before. I was prescribed Levaquin for a suspected sinus infection by an allergist. I truly believe that if these people do not have the capacity to understand the implications of their treatments then they shouldn't be allowed to prescribe them. I'll die at home from a minor problem before I will trust another doctor. Please someone.... report the truth about this poison before too many others get hurt. If the FDA is not in business to oversee and protect the public then what are they doing? Everyone makes excuses and I am sick of it. I’m sick of the rhetoric from the medical community, the flat out lies from the pharmaceutical companies, and the inadequacy of the FDA. Tie that to over-simplified reporting in the media and we have a recipe for disaster.

I speak from experience. I’m a 48 yr. old male who WAS extremely active and healthy. Now, after 4 days on Levaquin, my life has been significantly altered. From the distal bicep tendon rupture to the ongoing psychological symptoms that continue to plague me on a daily basis after 22 months. My blood sugar is all over the place, I have high levels of protein in my urine and I never had problems like this before. I was prescribed Levaquin for a suspected sinus infection by an allergist. I truly believe that if these people do not have the capacity to understand the implications of their treatments then they shouldn’t be allowed to prescribe them.

I’ll die at home from a minor problem before I will trust another doctor. Please someone…. report the truth about this poison before too many others get hurt.

]]> By: simon http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-3568 simon Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:36:19 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-3568 I never would have believed that doctors could perscribe anything that was bad for us before they put me on a course of flouroquinolones (Ofloxacin 500mg twice daily for 14 days). They made me so ill I thought that I was going to die. The doctors assure me that it was not the pills but I know that 3-4 hours after taking each one I started to feel worse. I even waited an extra 4 hours before taking one and sure enough, I felt worse 4 hours later. I was hardly ever ill before. Now, barely a week can go buy without me feeling at least mildly unwell. Warn your friends and families. Do not take them, one day they will have more than a 'black label' warning - they will be banned. I never would have believed that doctors could perscribe anything that was bad for us before they put me on a course of flouroquinolones (Ofloxacin 500mg twice daily for 14 days). They made me so ill I thought that I was going to die. The doctors assure me that it was not the pills but I know that 3-4 hours after taking each one I started to feel worse. I even waited an extra 4 hours before taking one and sure enough, I felt worse 4 hours later. I was hardly ever ill before. Now, barely a week can go buy without me feeling at least mildly unwell. Warn your friends and families. Do not take them, one day they will have more than a ‘black label’ warning – they will be banned.

]]> By: ciprovictimalso http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-3561 ciprovictimalso Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:44:39 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-3561 Angie, I appreciate you allowing people to respond about these medicines. I usually write about my husband who became disabled after taking Cipro & CiproXR. He had seen almost a dozen different doctors who never had any idea that his 6 ruptures & avulsions were connected to these medicines. They had no idea what caused this at all. My brother took only 1 Levaquin pill several years ago & still suffers from adverse reactions after taking it. My husband's aunt took 2 Cipro pills & ended up in the ER. I faxed the ER doctor on duty all my informtion on how to treat her condition & thankfully he believed me & used it. I also took a quinolone several years ago & had terrible pain in both my calves for months. I don't believe these reactions are "rare" considering what we have experienced in our own family. I doubt the FDA will pay much attention to the injuries people are having because they didn't before. I used to believe the FDA protected people from harmful drugs. I have lost my belief in them. They have failed to protect my family & so many others. Angie, I appreciate you allowing people to respond about these medicines. I usually write about my husband who became disabled after taking Cipro & CiproXR. He had seen almost a dozen different doctors who never had any idea that his 6 ruptures & avulsions were connected to these medicines. They had no idea what caused this at all. My brother took only 1 Levaquin pill several years ago & still suffers from adverse reactions after taking it. My husband’s aunt took 2 Cipro pills & ended up in the ER. I faxed the ER doctor on duty all my informtion on how to treat her condition & thankfully he believed me & used it. I also took a quinolone several years ago & had terrible pain in both my calves for months. I don’t believe these reactions are “rare” considering what we have experienced in our own family. I doubt the FDA will pay much attention to the injuries people are having because they didn’t before. I used to believe the FDA protected people from harmful drugs. I have lost my belief in them. They have failed to protect my family & so many others.

]]> By: Ty Taylor http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/07/30/europes-antibiotic-warnings/comment-page-1/#comment-3559 Ty Taylor Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:23:21 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=135#comment-3559 Angie, I’m sorry that my first posting was negative. It’s frustrating to see how some of these doctors are ignoring the new warnings. While in the mean time I am sitting here recovering from a rotator cuff tear and bicep tendon surgery on my right side. Only to face the same surgery again on the left side in October. I just think this is an unfair trade to treat a sinus infection. All the while knowing that fall is approaching quickly which brings along with it cold and flu season. And I dread seeing one more person walking out of a doctors office with a script in hand for one of these dangerous drugs. Angie,

I’m sorry that my first posting was negative. It’s frustrating to see how some of these doctors are ignoring the new warnings. While in the mean time I am sitting here recovering from a rotator cuff tear and bicep tendon surgery on my right side. Only to face the same surgery again on the left side in October.

I just think this is an unfair trade to treat a sinus infection. All the while knowing that fall is approaching quickly which brings along with it cold and flu season. And I dread seeing one more person walking out of a doctors office with a script in hand for one of these dangerous drugs.

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