All of these drugs are based on an early drug called Naldixic Acid, and have been classified as chemotherapeutic agents… yes, the same kind of chemotherapeutic agents that are given to cancer patients that make them terrible, lose their hair, and become disabled from fatigue and nausea.
The outcomes of the Levaquin experiments are disturbingly
similar to the kinds and levels of toxicity that we initially
found in our work on 5-fluorouracil.
When clinically relevant drug concentrations exhibit such
toxicities in vitro, this is very troublesome.
Dr. Mark Noble
And while there is a difference between Fluoroquinolone and Quinolone drugs, it is the difference between the addition of a fluorine molecule and, for most people, there is no reason to look into this biochemical difference; even though it can become important if you are poisoned by these drugs. And you DO get poisoned by them. These drugs, despite being antibiotics, can also be classified as chemotherapeutic drugs that poison cells indiscriminately and do serious DNA Damage through a process known as oxidative stress, just as chemotherapy agents do.
The Problem with Fluoroquinolone Drugs
It is interesting to note that these side effects may occur long after the drug was taken. In some cases, side effects became noticeable many months, and even years after finishing the course of drugs. In many cases, even symptoms such as widespread body pain and fatigue, even to the point of causing disability, are symptoms of Fluoroquinolone toxicity. It’s very possible that someone diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia is actually experiencing side effects of the Fluoroquinolone antibiotics!
This is because one of the toxic aspects of these drugs is that they do Mitochondrial Damage, which can cause a confusing and diverse array of symptoms that often look like other diseases. Many times these symptoms simply do not match up with the symptoms of any accepted health issues, and because of this people get labeled ‘fakers’, ‘hypochondriacs’, liars, or even told they are depressed and given anti-depressants, or that they should just relax, and given anti-anxiety medications. This is the reality of the adverse effects of the Fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics.
Doctors Still Deny That These Drugs Cause Problems
This problem is quite serious, despite the fact that the vast majority of doctors know absolutely nothing about it. In fact, most doctors will deny the existence of the disabling symptoms caused by these drugs, despite the fact that there are even Black Box Warnings, the strongest warnings that exist for drugs in the USA, for the problems of tendon rupture and a damaging nerve condition called peripheral neuropathy. Most doctors are massively ignorant about the damage these drugs can do despite the large body of research showing that they can, and do, cause serious and even permanent symptoms- up to and including disability and death.
Many professionals believe that these drugs should be used only for life-threatening infections that have been proven to be bacterial in nature and for which there are no other alternatives. Doctors who ARE aware of the dangers of these drugs warn caution when using them, such as the study that states,
Fluoroquinolones are broad spectrum antimicrobial agents
used widely, irrationally and indiscriminately practiced by clinicians
and general practitioners for many bacterial infections.
Profile of Urinary Tract Infection and Quinolone Resistance among
Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species isolates
And indeed, studies show that One Half of All Antibiotic Use is Unnecessary. So not only are these drugs causing pain, suffering, and even disability, but the suffering could have been avoided, in most people, had the doctor who prescribed them been more judicious in their use… as is their job. Be cautious if you are prescribed these drugs, and learn everything you can about them before you put them into your body.
