HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Who here takes or has taken a Quinolone (Cipro, Levaquin)?

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/16/2015 9:40 AM (GMT -5)
My doctor just prescribed Cipro (pulsing, just three days per month). I expressed my concerns with this class of drug but he did not seem too concerned as I am only on it (3) days per week, so I said "OK, fine".

Within 2 hours of taking the first dose I started seeing flashes and floaters, had knee pain, and was very dizzy. I am convinced this was not a herx as I have never herxed before and I have been on every drug under the sun. I also don't have a large bacterial load left as I am weening off of abx...

So, I have not continued taking it due to the side effects, which, btw, retinal detachment is one of them, and floaters are a sign of this.

Is this class of drug a requirement in order to "heal"? My doctor said that Cipro, in particular, is one of the best "killing" drugs. How common is this class of drug in dealing with Lyme and Co.? I rather stick to my Mino and Tinda. Thanks!

Post Edited (Fronton) : 9/16/2015 11:55:42 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/16/2015 9:48 AM (GMT -5)
I feel for you. I was in a tough spot, as I was dx'd with 2 shigella variants and was prescribed cipro. Docs and pharmacist didn't seem too concerned but I researched and just couldn't come to grips with taking it.

My llnd, after I pressed him, did say he'd had patients who had had some severe issues so he understood why I didn't want to take this class of drugs.

But sometimes I wonder if it could be the "magic" drug for me that would help me make the jump in recovery. But it just scares me too much, and I'm not even that sure it will be the magic thing.

I hope you can figure things out, have you talked to your doctor about the side effects? You might want to stop the med, let it clear your system, talk to your doc/and or pharmacist, and make sure the side effects go away. Always possible it could be a herx? that would be ideal in many ways.

I doubt it is "required" to heal, there are many ways to skin the cat. I know it is a very effective drug, but there should be other options if you aren't comfortable with the risks and side effects.

Best of luck with everything!!!
Posted 9/16/2015 9:49 AM (GMT -5)
Fronton, it sounds like a herx to me. You sound exactly like me, I said that I never herx, but that was because I had a bartonella infection that was covering up my lyme infection.

I don't think retinal detachment happens after one dose, though I could be wrong. I think that you have an underlying bartonella infection that you haven't treated completely. It'd be a crazy coincidence if all 3 of those symptoms (knee pain, floaters, dizziness) all happened after your first dose and it wasn't a herx.

To answer your question, no, cipro isn't required to heal. It is a great bartonella drug and highly recommended in the ILADS guidelines, which is why I think it was a bartonella herx. Mino and tindamax wouldn't touch a bartonella infection so that's another reason I think you still have an underlying bart infection.

I treated my bartonella with bactrim ds and it worked wonders. For 2 years I never herxed until I started treating bartonella, then I realized what a herx actually was. I herxed like crazy after my first bactrim. If I were you I'd keep with it, but contact your doctor just to make sure.
Posted 9/16/2015 10:04 AM (GMT -5)
Tough decisions...

I'm on Cipro now for the past two months. No issues. I've tried all pharma Abx and most herbals to kick this stubborn bart. So Cipro was the only Rx I hadn't tried yet. I look at it as I have nothing too lose after treating for over 5.5 years.

I took Levaquin last November, and had to stop after 19 days due to tendonitis is left Achhilles. Levaquin is suppose to be the #1 choice for treating Bart, with Rifampin being #2.

Cipro was supposed to have been what finally "cured" THEE Dr B and Pamela Weintraub (sp?), author of "Cure Unknown".

I feel Cipro is no worse than risks with Tindamax. Your mileage may vary.


Its your choice.
Posted 9/16/2015 11:18 AM (GMT -5)
I have treated Bartonella previously, and have used Bactrim, Rifampin, and Biaxin.

I am so close to 100%. Maybe 95% or so. Twitching and occasionally leg pain and occasional headache is all that remains, so I am a little reluctant to take it as I have progressed so well without it. I would be OK to live the rest of my life with the state I am in, so why risk taking this drug?
Posted 9/16/2015 11:27 AM (GMT -5)
I haven't been on Cipro for Lyme but my kids took it often when they were young barbecue they both dealt with constant sinus infections. I didn't know of the risks and their just fine. My pediatrician had been a pharmacist. Just and fyi
Posted 9/16/2015 11:30 AM (GMT -5)
I'm so happy to hear of your extensive improvements, Fronton!!!

I, too, am so close to 100%. That last 10% of healing can sometimes be elusive.

I, too, could live my life with the couple of mild PNS symptoms that I have not been able to shake since going off abx and following the full Cowden protocol for almost 6 months.

However, I know the presence of these symptoms means I'm still infected and I dare not treat until I'm well past them being gone for good.

The herx I had in response to one of Cowden's babesia-specific herbs left me wondering if I'd been dealing with an asymptomatic babesia infection. My research shows that, left untreated, it can impede healing from Lyme.

I'm just two months into titrating the herbs in Buhner's babesia and Lyme protocols and am thrilled to report I've experienced improvements.

Buhner's treatment approach makes a lot of sense to me and it seems like following one or more of his protocols could prove to be missing links for some people.

While I'm not implying that you might have babesia, I wonder if you've taken any herbs as part of your treatment.

Incorporating some herbs just might help fill that final gap....
Posted 9/16/2015 11:31 AM (GMT -5)
No matter what treatment you choose to use at this point, I would encourage you to not try to live your life in the state you are in. You still have symptoms, so you still have the active infection(s), which means they will come back at some point in time.

If you don't like the abx that you were given, then insist on another, or use herbs, or find another LLMD to help you get through the last of your treatment, but please, don't stop treatments.
Posted 9/16/2015 12:17 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Fronton,

I took 2 Levaquin pills and ended up with cns and pns symptoms.  One pill could put you over the edge.  This is what happened to me on the 2nd day (I will give you only a few because I had over 90 symptoms from this fluoroquinolone).

over a dozen panic attacks daily

total insomnia (this lasted for weeks and took me months to be able to get 3-4 hours of nightly sleep)

fasciculations

fluctuating blood pressure (low 200's/120's)

sob with hyperventilation of 130 breaths per minute)

floaters, dark shadows in eyes

Just go on some fluoroquinolone forums and see what this blasted meds can do to you.

My LLMD refuses to prescribe these meds.

Good luck,

Patty

Posted 9/16/2015 12:53 PM (GMT -5)
Yes Cd3764, the last 5-10% is tough and time consuming, I am finding out. I have previously treated Babesia with Mepron and Artemesia (4 months), and continued to get better. If I once did have Babesia, it was asymptomatic as I showed no symptoms prior to treating. I am tempted to incorporate A-Lyme or A-Bart or even the Buhner's herbs.

And Traveler, I totally agree with you. I did not mean to sound as if I was stopping, but more of making a point that I am willing to not try Cipro as I have progressed so well without it, and it is not worth the risk to me at this point in time.

And Summer, I know! one pill is all it takes from what I have read. . .scary stuff. I am glad to hear Tickbite is able to tolerate it.

Tickbite, are you improving on it?

Thanks everyone for your responses.
Posted 9/16/2015 2:40 PM (GMT -5)

Fronton said...
Yes Cd3764, the last 5-10% is tough and time consuming

You said it! I'm also finding it expensive lol

I've bought more books, more herbs, more supplements.

You know, researchers are discovering new babesia strains every few months. It's already known that babesia have developed resistance to Mepron and Artemisinin.

If you find that last 5-10% continues to be elusive, maybe you might want to also incorporate some babesia herbs.

Buhner writes that all of the herbs he recommends can be used with all of the herbs of all other protocols.
Posted 9/16/2015 2:40 PM (GMT -5)
Fronton,

You ask if I'm improving... It's only been two months since restarting ABX after my recent Bart relapse. I'm just starting to see some small gains in cognition issues, but not back to where I need to be.

I had gottn to a 90% plateau after 5 years of treatment and weaned off ABX last April. I stayed on herbals for maintenance, but maybe it wasn't enough.

If I can get back to 90% again, I'll stay on ABX forever if that's what it takes.

Post Edited (tickbite666) : 9/16/2015 1:45:11 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/16/2015 4:26 PM (GMT -5)
Tickbite... I have to say it was not CIPRO, that cured Pam and Dr.B... It was Ceftin that cured them by pulsing. Sorry just thought I would make that correction.
Posted 9/16/2015 8:55 PM (GMT -5)
Having been on Levaquin briefly, I still think of it as that evil, evil drug.

Stay far far away from it.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply