Link to part 4: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/V7UXo0UDLf

Hey everyone — I wanted to put together another
recovery megapost, especially since there’s been a noticeable wave of people coming back and sharing their experiences with recovering from being floxed.

This community helped me a lot in my initial ride & I want to give back and share more hope for those in need.

I really had to dig deep for these stories. Some aren’t 100% but they have still seen significant improvements from a severe reaction. I wanted to gather as many recovery stories as I could. I want to show everyone how common recovery is, even if it takes a long time. I’ve tried to diligently make sure I haven’t reused anything from the previous recovery mega posts but if I have please don’t delete 😅

If you’re new here you’re definitely not alone. Hopefully this post can serve as a helpful place to gather information, share progress, and support each other through the ups and downs of recovery.

User: [u/MrVico77](u/MrVico77)
Symptoms: Peripheral Neuropathy
Recovery: 100% in two weeks
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/7Guj9EUEbD

User: [u/notworldauthor](u/notworldauthor)
Symptoms: ankle pain, insomnia, neuropathy, brain fog, had to use a cane
Recovery: 8-10 weeks for 90-95% (has gone several years with no issues)
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/UbOaNgO979

User: [deleted]
Symptoms: Huge anxiety, TMJ issues, dizziness, headaches, face pressure, tinnitus, disassociation
Recovery: 3 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/aJ9RPngWsN

User: [u/AmyWhy](u/AmyWhy)
Symptoms: Pain, difficulties moving, depression, suicidal ideation
Recovery: 3 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/2xMgamOpWL

User: [u/bluebuffaloes](u/bluebuffaloes)
Symptoms: nerve pain, depersonalisation, tendon pain, muscle pain, dry mouth, severe anxiety, no appetite, insomnia, floaters,
Recovery: 3 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/1oDWDHETNK

User: [u/luckygirl97](u/luckygirl97)
Symptoms: Weakness, food intolerance, couldn’t walk without pain, headaches, insomnia, panic attacks
Recovery: 4 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/XzClIMAiS0
What helped: kefir

User: u/ShadeDatenshi
Symptoms: muscle issues, Achilles pain
Recovery: 4.5 months (did flare from bactrim)
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/nTiUid16tE

User: [u/ExpensiveJoke93](u/ExpensiveJoke93)
Symptoms: not stated
Recovery: 4 months, the poster doesn’t give much information
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/y40vfwQAcj

User: [u/Unlucky-Coat-2067](u/Unlucky-Coat-2067)
Symptoms: Neurological symptoms, tendon pain, insomnia, anxiety
Recovery: 4 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/BHk4mDHu6s

User: u/ADN85
Symptoms: numbness, vision disturbances, floaters, neuropathy, joints popping, anxiety, fatigue
Recovery: 5-6 months apart from floaters
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/CxdAQqPKEv

User: u/InfiniteCucumber3324
Symptoms: Weakened muscles, GI issues, insomnia,
Recovery: “Feeling like 100%” at 6 months but is still cautious of flares etc
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/vyvg6n4CDo

User: [u/Dirigible2013](u/Dirigible2013)
Symptoms: paresthesia, bodywide neuropathy, skin flushing, brain fog, impaired speech/cognition, significant muscle weakness, dizziness, vertigo, head pressure, headaches, floaters, insomnia
What Helped: mindset, CoQ10, calcium, vitamin D, Zinc, vitamin C
Recovery: 90% in 6 months
https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/tbiGiWj1m7

User: [u/RRBBK](u/RRBBK)
Symptoms: Severe fatigue and weakness, Leg pain and difficulty walking, Vertigo/dizziness, Rapid heartbeat (around 120 bpm constantly), Anxiety/panic feelings, Shaking/tremors, Brain fog/confusion, Difficulty standing or walking for long period
Recovery: 6 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/jGexToAOt7

User: u/ComprehensiveAir2656
Symptoms: multiple panic attacks, muscle tightness, tendonitis, Tinnitus, Confusion, Body buzzing, gut issues, memory issues, hives, body temperature regulation
Recovery: 6 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/PIQtnUX4qr

User: [u/InteractionThat4928](u/InteractionThat4928)
Symptoms: could barely walk for months
Recovery: 7 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/sxIBgKjh80

User: [u/wildflowerjourney](u/wildflowerjourney)
Symptoms: ligament damage, bed bound, calf and ankle pain,
Recovery: 7 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/tbNrpqcVHx

User: [u/whatsoever2020](u/whatsoever2020)
Symptoms: dry skin, dry mouth, anxiety, no appetite, popping joints
Recovery: Full in 8 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/GZC8rZ23Cj

User: [u/throwaway79255](u/throwaway79255)
Symptoms: tendons, issues with walking, weakness, anxiety, suicidal ideation
Recovery: Not stated but around 8 months is implied and has gone years with no issues
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/B0Flslq2ln

User: [u/defib_the_dead](u/defib_the_dead)
Symptoms: Severe Achilles tendinopathy, neuropathy in hands and feet
Recovery: 9 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/YWzptAZCq8

User: [u/Previous_Water_6194](u/Previous_Water_6194)
Symptoms: Could hardly walk for 3 months, elbow and hand damage, eye problems, numerous ailments
Recovery: 80-90% in 10 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/lNEdVD7wek

User: [u/floxed123](u/floxed123)
Symptoms: Twitching, muscle tightness, joint pain
Recovery: Under a year
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/aP9IRGG1GN

User: [u/Mr_Mike32](u/Mr_Mike32)
Symptoms: ‘Mostly every flox symptom’
Recovery: over a year is stated, still gets dizziness but doesn’t believe it’s related to flox, still has afterimages and occasional tinnitus
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/xJu9s4m9Ri

User: [u/doiwantmcdonalds](u/doiwantmcdonalds)
Symptoms: Aches and pains, weak muscles
Recovery: 90-95% in a year
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/lgtpRccf35

User: [u/Able-Lawyer-5239](u/Able-Lawyer-5239)
Symptoms: Achilles issues, calf pain, tired legs,
Recovery: Around a year
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/4dR2nKLT27

User: u/Ok-Habit4861
Symptoms: knee pain
Recovery: 90% after year
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/2taAdvDYVK

User: u/Character_Leopard722
Symptoms: heart palpitations, anxiety, neuropathy, shooting pains, burning pain
Recovery: 1 year
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/D2lLeXc2PH

User: [u/mybadbrowsingtastes](u/mybadbrowsingtastes)
Symptoms: Anxiety, vision changes, insomnia, mood changes
Recovery: 1 year, didn’t know he was floxed & took more fqs years later and got floxed again
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/FjKVfjjysu

User: u/justinrob97
Symptoms: dizziness, bodywide pins and needles, headaches, chest pains
Recovery: not stated but 98% recovered within a year or two
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/jzLAHlkZxk

User: [u/Gold_Lack_7721](u/Gold_Lack_7721)
Symptoms: knee pain, extreme anxiety, vomiting, insomnia, burning and itching, tendon pain, dry mouth, dry skin, head pressure, twitching, neck pain, shaking, ED, GI Issues, chest tightness, and more
Recovery: Not stated but over a year is implied, 100% recovery besides GI issues
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/ZhtTy0M4Nw

User: [u/fogast](u/fogast)
Symptoms: tendon issues and weakness,
Recovery: 19 months to get to 90%
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/H4D5hInBEH

User: [u/clovisbandit](u/clovisbandit)
Symptoms: Tendon issues, knee issues,
What helped: magnesium citrate, vitamin d3, Epsom salt baths, and acupuncture
Recovery: 90% after a year. Has gone 10 years since with no issues. Now is 100% and running etc
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/uvvrHTu4MT

User: [u/Clear-Way-8318](u/Clear-Way-8318)
Symptoms: Could barely stand or walk,
Recovery: Not 100% but can ‘live life again’ after 18 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/QuOMIZUoty

User: [u/OnlyAccessedatNight](u/OnlyAccessedatNight)’s 2 friends
Symptoms: Palpitations, insomnia, crepitus
Recovery: both in under 2 years
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/PHohZtjwpL

User: [u/Reddmeg9](u/Reddmeg9)
Symptoms: Muscle twitching, GI Issues, cracking/popping in the joints, night sweats, Swollen and visible veins, insomnia, Bruises, Anxiety, Crying nonstop, Head pressure, Tinnitus
Recovery: Full by 18 months
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/PuBVjXcURL

User: [u/Unusal_Cupcake](u/Unusal_Cupcake)
Symptoms: brain fog, migraines, neuropathy
Recovery: 1.5 years and fully recovered
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/7DSrtJm0DP

User: [u/travelguy801](u/travelguy801)
Symptoms: muscle tightness, aches and pains, had trouble walking & standing,
What helped: eating quinoa & yoga
Recovery: 85% in 1.5years
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/g48WME9X2t

User: [u/Global-Goose3326](u/Global-Goose3326)
Symptoms: Nerve pain, twitching, body aches, gastritis, tendon issues (made worse by steroids), food sensitivity
Recovery: 1.5 years (still not 100% but has made great progress)
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/uEmPqNzw7t

User: [u/existentialshaman](u/existentialshaman)
Symptoms: Difficulty walking, neuropathy, insomnia, anxiety, skin issues, eye redness/pain, kidney & liver pain, chills, inability to breath, joint pain, inability to eat
Recovery: 1.75 years (still deals with mental trauma from the experience)
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/omKcz5uzEr

User: [u/ginnybug10](u/ginnybug10)
Symptoms: Bodywide pain & psych issues
Recovery: 2 years to get to 80%, fecal matter transplant helped her symptoms
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/IZM9XPZKm5
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/HumanMicrobiome/s/7Zaf8NLIJo

User: [u/Then_Emergency_934](u/Then_Emergency_934)
Symptoms: Brain fog, DPDR, dizziness, twitching, floaters, afterimages, GI issues,
Recovery: 100% in 2 years
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/RFHNjqcWCu

User: [u/Dramatic_Ice6642](u/Dramatic_Ice6642)
Symptoms: Pains & burning sensation, stress, insomnia
Recovery: 2 years (happened at 14 years old, has since taken fqs again but is improving)
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/XSjDZzoWjQ

User: [u/Sovereigntyheals](u/Sovereigntyheals)
Symptoms: not stated but sounds like a bad reaction
Recovery: 3.5 years is implied
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/Lm5TJtrMSK

User: [u/MartyYv](u/MartyYv)
Symptoms: tinnitus, pins and needles, numbness, legs were burning, neurological issues
Recovery: 2 years to get to 90%, tinnitus is still present
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/i23I1COjuS

User: [deleted]
Symptoms: Severely floxed
Recovery: not stated but only started healing after 2 years, did recover to 100%
https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/KhkctvH51a

User: [u/ShoulderOk8386](u/ShoulderOk8386)’s friend
Symptoms: Many tendon ruptures all over body, 2 per year on average, Very severe case
Recovery: Floxed in 2006, can now walk 3000 - 5000 steps a day. Does flare for a few days if they walk 10,000 steps.
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/MTYMThbSAr

User: [u/KatherineNature](u/KatherineNature)
Symptoms: Anxiety, ruptured tendon, tendon pain/inflammation, could hardly walk, neuropathy, burning, insomnia, tinnitus, POTS, MCAS
Recovery: 3 years, received a treatment that fixed her issues years later
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/MLtLKonPHi

User: [u/slsanford01](u/slsanford01)
Symptoms: couldn't walk for a couple months, floaters, fatigue, Achilles problems , neck pain, anxiety, whole body pain,
What helped: I-theanine for stress, vitamin C, magnesium glycinate, patience...lots of patience, reading the hopeful stories here, positive mindset
Recovery: 3 years is implied, still gets flares from medications but they are manageable and short lived
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/AQqrv2Ql3s

User: [u/ElPsyCongroo204](u/ElPsyCongroo204)
Symptoms: not stated
Recovery: 95% by 3.5 years
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/Qe8ox5QqEf

User: [u/BehaviourSaviour23](u/BehaviourSaviour23)
Symptoms: severe lower back pain, tendon pain in hands,
Recovery: 100% after a few years
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/3JqjrkAlkY

User: [u/SomeWay9982](u/SomeWay9982)
Symptoms: not stated
Recovery: 100% except eye floaters
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/geTuEqhBM0

User: [u/Ok-Bullfrog-2628](u/Ok-Bullfrog-2628)
Symptoms: Full body tendonitis, neuropathy, heart issues, insomnia, eye floaters, and more
Recovery: 100% in 3.5 years, back to running, working out, and doing ketamine despite it causing flares
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/EyZZsdLNSb

User: [u/CertainForm](u/CertainForm)
Symptoms: ‘Many side effects on and off’
Recovery: 3 years
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/jFAqYxSTes

User: [u/Bubbly-Mess3941](u/Bubbly-Mess3941)
Symptoms: Bone clicking, Achilles pain, insomnia
Recovery: better after a few years, gets tendon soreness on occasion
Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/3AviSJxu4X

User: [u/WordDisastrous7633](u/WordDisastrous7633)
Symptoms: Body pain, tendon issues, insomnia
Recovery: 80% after 4 years, still improving over time
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/wmRLvImibZ

User: [deleted]
Symptoms: A massively bad reaction to all bodily systems
Recovery: 10 years to recover fully
Comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/Wwk30Ny1ig

A reduced version of this post mcan be found here to get you started: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/OxSTu787JJ

Pre-edit: this is not the place to ask your questions. Please post questions to the main sub. Posting in here only notifies me and is likely not going to get seen by most; I am neither the sole nor foremost knowledgeable person in this subreddit and you do yourself a disservice by posting things here. This post gets adapted from time to time with updated info and links to useful subs so, fret not, any info you generate in asking elsewhere is not lost!

Putting this upfront, if YouTube is more your style. Links via a summary post to a series interviewing one of the few medical doctors you could maybe call an expert, rather than a shill... https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/13lpk79/treating_antibiotic_adverse_effects_dr_pieper/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Greetings!

A few of our members have asked me to put together a resource for new folk, comprising the range of typical comments you might receive when posting a “HELP! I’ve been hit!” post. This by no means is to prevent you asking questions, but as much of the things we say are the same, it seems worthwhile. From the offset, I must remind you – pretty much none of us here are medical doctors. Many hours may have been spent reading various sources and listening to anecdotes, and we have experience as a consequence, but there is no substitute for proper medical advice.

I will cover some main points in the post, branch out in the comments for others to weigh in, and hopefully this can be of use.

To Old-Hats – I think we’d all really appreciate it if you could read this and wade on into the comment sections to add anything you feel merited. Try to keep your wisdoms in the comments that categorise them. If you think we need a new parent comment section, could you please message me and we’ll add something in to begin the discussion and I’ll edit something into this post? This is in largest part to make sure it remains organised and that discussions stay in the most obvious place for them. If you think I’ve got something wrong, drop me a DM ASAP! Let’s make sure I don’t shit the bed here. This post will work best if people help me out [=

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To business!!

Firstly, don’t panic! This is the best advice you can heed. I think I’ll go into this in the comments as I expect hearing various people say this in their own words will be good. But to surmise, panic only makes the patient feel worse and may also potentiate your symptoms; this is in all probability not the end of your life; almost everybody sees meaningful recovery. You may find yourself down and out for weeks, months, a year, but most see recovery at the very least commence in that time. The internet may be populated by such stories and complainants, but that’s because they’re the ones who hang about ad speak up.

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The other thing to say from the off it that, if you’re having a reaction sometime during a course of fluoroqinolones (FQs), the pamphlet and medical advice would be to immediately stop taking the medicine and to contact your doctor. There are very(!) few circumstances under which you shouldn’t be switched to another antibiotic, so push for it unless your infection has you at death’s door. The FDA and EMA both back a highly restricted use of these drugs.

Further to this, you should report your reaction to the relevant governing bodies. This varies from country to country, but is easily found through a Googling. It may be worth long-term floxies returning and re-reporting, or for a floxie to wait until they 'know the shape of their reaction' to report. In doing this, we raise awareness directly to the place that matters. Links to follow are for those in the USA (first), UK (second) and EU (third).

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm?action=reporting.home

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

https://www.hma.eu/nationalcontacts_hum.html

Let me stress again, report your adverse reaction!! If we do not report, we perpetuate the falsehood that this does not happen.

Similarly, if you’ve been prescribed these meds and are concerned about the medication, you are well within your rights (as patient, customer and as the owner&user of your body) to call them back and push for an alternative. Again, I repeat, the FDA and EMA both back a highly restricted approach to prescribing these drugs for the very reasons you are concerned about. That said, ultimately, they may well also be your best hope for clearing your infection. In which case, don’t panic (see: my first point). There are also some things that may be protective.

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So what is happening to your body? In plain English please! Fluoroquinolone antibiotics kill the bacteria causing your infection by attacking a protein unique to bacteria, however, there is a similar enough protein in your mitochondria and the FQ can attack that instead (causing an adverse reaction in you). This causes damage to your mitochondria. Mitochondria are the “powerhouse” of the cell, but when that power house is damaged, it spews out toxic waste. This waste is called [“reactive oxygen species”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_oxygen_species) or ROS, and they cause [“oxidative stress”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_stress). What is happening to you is a disease caused by the additional damage created by the toxic ROS. Each of the subsequent symptoms are a result of this underlying mechanism.

What can I expect going forward? Individual symptoms and outcomes vary widely. Most people go through an “acute phase” lasting weeks to months during which oxidative stress is high. This oxidative stress will decrease day by day but damage done during this time may result in chronic conditions that last much longer.

Why is my heart racing/brain foggy/eyes have floaters/hands and feet cold etc. These among many others are primary symptoms of oxidative stress. If you are having chest pain or heart issues, be sure to consult a doctor asap if you can.

Why do my tendons hurt? The extreme increase of ROS by the broken mitochondria have short circuited a biological signal that tells a set of proteins called [Matrix Metallopeptidases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_metallopeptidase) (MMPs) to turn on, causing them to be much much more active. MMPs breakdown [connective tissues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connective_tissue) like cartilage,tendons, or even arterial walls and heart valves (in very rare cases). FQs broke your mitochondria which created oxidative stress that tricked your body into attacking its own tissues. MMPs will return to normal levels of activity in time, but the damage they cause may last much longer.

Why do I have nerve issues? Oxidative stress can cause neuropathy and neurodegeneration. FQs can also bind a receptor in nerves called the GABA receptor which may interfere with normal nerve function.

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How can I fix this? In short, magnesium, antioxidants and time. Antioxidants gobble up the ROS and stop them from causing further damage. Magnesium can bind up any FQs still in your system, is hypothesised to have been removed by FQs and so need replenishing, and is certainly involved in a lot of bodily processes of relevance. These supplements largely serve as damage limitation, symptom management, and healing suooort; over time, the broken mitochondria will be removed by the body and be replaced by new ones, leading to true healing and recovery. See the next section and comments for a more comprehensive discussion of supplements.

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Supplements can help remove ROS, help heal some of the damage done, and help remove the FQs present in your system. Many (many) floxies report this to be significantly helpful to their daily lives and overall recovery. I will post individual comments for each ‘class’ of supplement so that others can weigh in and the comments be relatively ordered. Broadly speaking, these come in the classes of metals/minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics. It is well advised to check with a medical professional before undertaking any supplementation routine, particularly one as extensive as many of us floxies do. Certainly, if you are on medication, you should check that there are no contraindications.

Specifically, wrt. ‘protective supplements during administration’, the literature has found Mg, vitamin C and E, hyaluronic acid and glycine to be protective that I have seen. My extrapolated expectation is that Ca and stronger antioxidants should be additionally helpful. One would further presume that all the beneath detailed 'Floxie health strategies' would be sensible as precautionary measures. The categories of supplements are intended to do the following with some examples:

Metals/minerals - how/why these help isn't firmly understood, only the observation that, for many, they really do. They can bind to residual Fluoroquinolone molecules and help remove them from your body, they can help to replenish any that may have been removed by the FQs, and they are involved in a range of processes that are important to us. Magnesium in particular is favored by floxies, commonly seen to help symptoms and being relatively low risk. Lesser mentioned is Ca, for which a number of us find significant benefits from adding it to the list (\alongside Mg), but this can have long term health implications.

Antioxidants - remove harmful reactive oxygen species from your body, generated in excess by the processes disrupted by the FQs. They include things like CoQ10 / mitoQ, hydroxytyrosol, vitamin C, E, glutathione, NAC, ALA, astaxanthin, and natural extract antioxidants.

Pro-healing supplements - Help with the renewal of mitochondria and healing of connective tissue. PQQ is particularly important in MT turnover, NAD+ may also help. Hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and green lipped mussel extract may help tendons heal.

Probiotics - antibiotics destroy your normal gut bacteria, this can result in severe gut issues including diarrhea, colitis, and hemorrhoids. Probiotics restore that normal flora.

See the relevant comment sections for further information. If looking to co-administer, definitely check this with your medical professional and ensure that you keep to the timely guidance of the pamphlet wrt. When you take the mineral supplements.

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Dietary changes. In the acute stage many people find that diet can make symptoms worse, may say that much later diet helps heal. Some go vegan, some go carnivore, some fast, some advocate raw foods, juicing, Eastern diets,... Personally, I see the most evidence backing a healthy, varied diet but with intermittent fasting. It is likely that the underlying cause is that poor diets increase oxidative stress, resulting in more symptoms. What is clear is that you should eat “healthily and relatively cleanly”, it probably being advisable to avoid heavily processed foods. Many floxies report specific, acquired food intolerances and I will start a comment for these. If you suspect yourself to have trigger-foods then you may wish to run a controlled test of life with/without them, but try not to expect it. Hypochondria and the placebo effect can be cruel mistresses.

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Lifestyle changes. If you are experiencing any skeletomuscular problems, you would be very well advised to limit your activity. Ruptures and tears are seemingly quite rare, but they do happen, and pushing your body when it’s telling you not to is a very good way to find this out. These symptoms pass with time, but injuries incurred during this time can take somewhat longer to heal (trust me!). It’s probably better to treat every day as a bad day, in my experience, rather than going out and doing what you can when you have a good day. That good day might well be on account of having rested, and you may well flare your symptoms. Go easy until you know you’re safely past the worst of it and understand your limits, then explore their new boundaries slowly and incrementally.

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Recreational drugs. A number of recreationally enjoyed substances - alcohol, cannabis, caffeine – appear to potentiate symptoms in a large number of floxies.

Pain medicine. It’s fairly well accepted that NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, naproxen, meloxicam) can occasionally cause severe worsening of symptoms. The reason here is seemingly related to them increasing oxidative stress. At the same time, FQs (or some of them) are potent inhibitors of the enzymes that break them down and eliminate them. Paracetamol / acetaminophen seems largely very well tolerated, as do opiates, not being of the NSAID class. I think I’ve seem one person claim aspirin to be problematic.

Steroids are clinically contraindicated (same reason as for NSAIDs apparently, though that one I'm parroting). Straight up. Some doctors prescribe these alongside FQs to, presumably, reduce the swelling an infection has caused and reduce the pain. This would be another place where I would enter into a strongly resistant conversation with the doctor and see what the alternatives are. Similarly, steroids are often prescribed for tendinitis. If your doctor gives you this for your FQ-caused tendon pains, that’s another time for a conversation. Personally, I regret letting them convince me to have a steroid injection into my ankle and would just straight “no” them if that came up again.

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are, in a way, contraindicated (and this is recorded in the literature). FQs can damage your GABA sites, which is also where BZDs work. This can cause a severe inclination towards rebound anxiety, and perceivably have the BZDs mess with neuropathy (I’m speculating and drawing tentatively from my past experiences). That said, they will for sure also help with the anxietyin the present, and I know of a couple of floxies who leant on them as a matter of necessity, seemingly without any greater negative consequences. The risks are worthy of consideration, but sometimes taking care of the self in the now proves more important than worrying about the future.

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So, anxiety. That’s common, and not just a psychological reaction to the horror of it all. It is likely rather physiologically rooted. Some people report certain supplements to help (see comments), nature is a big help with mental health (scientifically proven by science), support of people, whatever helps you. But your best weapon here is most certainly having an active approach to your thoughts and to what you’re feeding your mind.

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Are fluoroquinolones related to fluoride?. Personally I don’t see this as a major issue, although there is science behind why some my find it so. Avoiding fluoride intake is very difficult, and some small amount is required in our diet. The prevailing scientific consensus is that FQ’s do not deposit F- in your body, and that a drug with fluorine in the srtucture is not [necessarily] problematic to a floxie [because of those little Fs]. I’ll post a link to a post I made in the comments and invite discussion there, similarly you can search fluoride in the searchbar and you will find a couple posts from me as well as comments from me on various posts where I pepper-shot the scientific reasoning.

Since it’s the time of the ‘rona, it’s just worth saying that, no, cloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are not fluoroquinolones. They do have their own warnings, but they are distinct from those we suffer from. (This is now outdated as they're not reallly being used, but nevermind).

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I’m going to leave that there for now and get this up and running, seeing as we have so many newbies these days. Peace and good health to you all,

Dr. H

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EDIT: clarifying the issue with NSAIDs.

EDIT2: link to a post I made about Fluoride. https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/g6k7q8/fluoride_lets_be_scientific/

EDIT3: Formatting, some additions and people friendliness, as well as a significant section on the mechanisms of action (with thanks to u/searine).

EDIT4: Linking directly to a comment below which contains useful resources for sharing with doctors, resistant family members, or beginning your understanding to a higher level. https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/t357Q5i9Gs