Summary
Name: Romina
Email: cadaquez@yahoo.com
State or Country of residence: New York
Sex: Female
Age: 37
Quinolone taken: Avelox (but previously given Cipro and Tequin
Reason for the Quinolone: Throat infection
Was a safer antibiotic tried first? : No
How long did you take the Quinolone for? : 9 days
How long ago did you take the Quinolone?: August, 2004
How much have you recovered as of now?: 80%
How often do you relapse or cycle?: Every 7-8 months
Does your doctor agree the Quinolone is the cause of your problems?: Yes
Do you have a history of seizures or neurological problems?: No
Please list anything your doctor did that helped in your
recovery: -Blood Tests
-Suggested to continue on my herbal and Vitamins supplements. -My Dr. was good
at LISTENING to me (the previous docs. refused to understand or believe my
condition); He clearly believed (and proved with tests) that I had an ADR caused
by the Fluoroquinolones. -He refused to give me any drugs, with the exemption of
AMBIEN (to help my insomnia), because of my fragility and sensitivity. He
thought they might do more damage than good. He continues to check my symptoms
every 3 or so months.
What has helped you in your recovery?: Vitamin C (1,000
mg) a day
Magnesium (500 mg) a day
Cod Liver Pills; Omega 3 pills;
B6 /B12 Vitamins;
ExLear Nasal Spray (natural);
Natural Herbal Products such as:
-Valerian Extract (3 times a day)
-Chamomile Tea
-Eat all nataural foods and drinks (ALL ORGANIC products/produce) -Cranberry
Juice (3 full glasses a day) mixed with some water -Orange Juice (2 glasses a
day) -Iron (minimal doses) -Garlic Extract pills; -Echinacea (1 a day) -Massages
in my hands, legs and face
- Plenty of Prayers
Romina's Story
My problem originally began in the year 2002,
after I was prescribed Tequin, for a respiratory infection, but on that
year, after even traveling to South America to look for help, NO ONE
(including doctors) were able to find out or CARE to FIND OUT what was wrong
with me.
They began to tell me that perhaps I was making up these strange symptoms. MY problem on that year ended with a surgery on my nose, specifically, my turbinates, which had been seriously damaged after 6 full months of suffering. Besides the deformation on my nose and the presence of some weird anxiety, no other symptoms were visible or apparent at that time. After my nose surgery, (3/17/03) my nose went back to normal --the swollenness and weird deformation on the outside went away. Neither my doctors and I did ever related what had happened to me to the Tequin. But, then, in late August 2004 when I was diagnosed with a throat infection. My ENT prescribed me AVELOX for 12 days. On the third day of taking this drug, a strange redness and swollenness appeared on my nose and left side of my face. I panicked because it became apparent to me that I was having again exactly the same thing that I had had in the Fall of 2002. I called the doctor right away and he said not to worry and to let the antibiotic work its "magic". I continued taking it for 6 more days, which was stupid of me, but I wanted the throat infection to go away. As those 6 days went by, I noticed that the strange deformation on my nose was still there and nothing would make it go away. At that time, I began to tell the ENT and my allergist that I had began to suspect that the AVELOX had caused these strange symptoms, but the doctors REFUSED to BELIEVE ME. They didn't even consider the possibility of the drug causing this damage. I went to my Primary Care Physician, but after some blood tests, he said he noticed some damage done to my immune system, but nothing to be alarmed or concerned about. On my third visit to him, at which I reported BRAND NEW SYMPTOMS, For the record, I think I am a grounded, well-educated, and as normal as a person can be. I don't have any addictions, or traumas or emotional issues of any sorts. I am as normal and Happy as a person can be. After many running arounds looking for doctors and doing more research on these type of drugs, I finally found my dear Doctor Argyros, associated with Lenox Hill Hospital-NYC. However, by this time, I had already developed twitches at night, which, along with the insomnia kept me awake at night, at all times. My legs or arms or torso would just move/jump abruptly; I had also, by this time, run, in the middle of the night, to the ER of Lenox Hill hospital to have my heart checked out due to extremely fast and loud palpitations of my heart. This episode scared the hell out of me. I truly thought I was going to die. The palpitations were severe and loud. I have never experienced something like this in my entire life. The ER people told me that indeed my heart was racing, but that they didn't know why and that my heart X-Rays appeared to be normal. I walked out of there without anyone telling me what was happening to me or why. Other symptoms that I developed around September and October 2004, were: severe joint pains (my wrists, legs and arms). At one point, I couldn't move my left arm for 2 days. It was weak, strenghless. I had for 3 full weeks severe anxiety, along with some depression (I am usually a very positive thinking person) and I had also SUICIDAL THOUGHTS for at least full 3 days. I HAVE NEVER EVER in my life had these type of thoughts. This symptom, along with the heart palpitations, was the most scary of all, I think. I let people at my office know if these strange symptoms and asked them to please keep an eye on me just in case. I had also asked my Aunt, who lives in Ecuador, South America, to come to keep me company and to please take care of me at home. (her flight cost me $600, which I really couldn't afford at the time). Other symptoms I developed: severe headaches, blurry vision, loud
clicking on the left-side ear, confusion, memory loss (this impacted my job
performance very badly, and it is still present with less severity), lots of
dizziness, loss of balance while standing up or walking (at times, I was
afraid to get up from bed or from my chair at work because I thought I was
really going to fall down); I also loss strength in my hands --I could not
even lift the keyboard on my desk. My fingers hurt also.
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Last Updated 8/20/05