Hi All,
I have more to say on this whole spine thing, partly because it is always on my mind, but partly because I want to make sure to
WARN all of you, just in case some of this is true.
As many of you have noticed, my care from 5-6 drs has seemed mis-guided and uncoordinated. I have a theory I've been working on that goes back to the Levaquin (Quinolon antibiotic) I was given in May.
Facts:
1) All drs are puzzled at my age and level of degeneration in my spine & none of them agree completely on the diagnosis
2) My symptoms don't match the diagnosis-- stenosis usually makes walking difficult and sitting relieves pain. For me, the more I move, the better I feel.
3) The degeneration apparently has been building for years, yet I felt no symptoms until one morning in May when I literally couldn't get out of bed.
4) That morning in May was during my Levaquin treatment
5) Several days earlier I "snapped" my left elbow resulting in severe tendonitis that rendered my arm nearly useless for weeks (still hurts on occaision).
6) Levaquin has a "rare and serious" side-effects warning of joint and tendon injury and neuropathies
OK, to me, there's a pretty clear case that since I was fit and normal prior to taking Levaquin and I've been in h*** since, there's a strong chance it has something to do with it.
I've found many sites devoted to getting the word out. I filled out an "adverse reaction" form on the FDA site.
But the thing that has my skin crawling right now is a paper written by a group of former athletes. They have nothing in common except that they used to be athletes and have not been able to return to their sports after taking quinolone antibiotics. They are not medical experts and don't pretend to give medical advice, but what they say rings so true to me. The "rare and serious" side effects are much more dangerous to athletes because we put added wear and tear on our tendons and joints that sedandary people do not.
Here's a quote from the paper about recovery:
paper said:
Chance of Recovery:
Therefore, if the toxicity level is not high, that is to say, if there are little nervous and vascular system alterations, the average person will probably recover, albeit with the cartilages of the weight bearing joints slightly eroded. The athlete will enter an accelerated course of decay because his/her cartilage will not keep up. The endurance athlete will no longer be able to perform at a decent normal level.
If the toxicity level is high, the average person might eventually get a decent daily life similar to the one he or she enjoyed before taking a quinolone, but with some physical limitations for repetitive and strenuous activities. The athlete will no longer be able to return to competition in any impact sport, and in the best case he will be capable of enjoying biking, hiking, swimming or other sports that put little stress on the joints. Healing and recovery time until reaching this point is more than three years on average. There is a concerning number of cases for which recovery seems to be elusive after five or more years after the last quinolone pill ingested. Perhaps during the coming years we will see the confirmation of a vast number of cases of permanent disability, or lifelong pains and misery caused by quinolone antibiotics.
Keep in mind this is not written by a medical professional. But as I read the 100+ pages I was totally convinced they are on to something.
so
PLEASE, be very careful when a dr prescribes and antibiotic to you. Check if it's one of these quinolone family. As an athlete, I'd strongly suggest you demand a different antibiotic. In fact, in my research I've learned that this family of antibiotics is not intended to be used as a first line of attack, but rather more as a last result if others fail. I wasn't given that option or any information about athletic activity and dangerous side-effects.
I'm now trying to find a doctor who believes quinolone toxicity exists and could possibly be whats wrong with me. Both for peace of mind and also because if that really is what's wrong, then conventional treatment may not be right for me.
Link to paper:
http://www.fluoroquinolones.org/
The fluoroquinolone toxic research foundation:
http://www.fqresearch.org/cohen_2005.htm
The FDA/MIT study:
http://www.druginjurywatch.com/
ETA: I almost forgot to give credit to Mel. Without Mel's comment on the fluorquinolines I never would have made any connection of my symptoms to the antibiotic.
Disclaimer: I still have no evidence that my symptoms are related to the fq drug, but its scarey enough to put out a general warning just in case.
Sunny
You must be so excited.
I don't recall my parents bending over backwards for every whim I came up with! I guess I'm a wuss.
for your work issues.
)
)
.
Anne
