‘Not me JUST getting prescribed’: New Mexico woman takes commonly prescribed antibiotic. Then it puts her in a wheelchair, leaves her ‘fighting for my life’
A TikToker is warning against the unregulated use of a commonly prescribed antibiotic. According to her, it left her and others “fighting for [their] lives” because of adverse side effects.
“If I had known this information just a few years ago, I literally could have avoided years of suffering, years of losing everything, [years of] going into extreme financial debt, having over 70 plus symptoms and being gaslit by our medical system doctors losing friends and family, losing the career that I’d spent my entire life building,” said Kiley K (@celebratethelittlewins), a content creator with more than 10,000 followers. Her video has generated 1.2 million views.
In her TikTok, she warned her audience about fluoroquinolone antibiotics. But what is the issue with them. How could taking something meant to help leave a person struggling to walk?
Are antibiotics really unsafe?
For the most part, Kiley is factually describing fluoroquinolone antibiotics. However, she is pointing out case-by-case issues and very rare circumstances related to the drug and its usage.
She said, “ It might surprise you to find out that this information is well documented by the FDA. And yet no doctor will tell you this. Now what sets this class of antibiotics apart?… It can cause severe mitochondrial damage. You may know these as Cipro, levoquin, or Valox. There are a few other names and I will include them in the description. When you have a negative reaction to a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, it is referred to as getting F floxed.”
She further recounted her experience, where a fluoroquinolone antibiotic prescription led her to have “50 or more” negative symptoms. She described some of these negative side effects as being close to “fibromyalgia, arthritis, and so many other autoimmune conditions.”
When she says “no doctor will tell you this” and that this is a “common” occurrence among patients, however, she misconstrues real information. Clinicians’ general advice and medical practices vary, meaning that information regarding fluoroquinolone antibiotics can also vary from clinic to clinic. Likewise, most empirical research does not conclude that fluoroquinolone antibiotics’ negative side effects are regular enough to be referred to as a “common occurrence.”
It is more accurate to say that fluoroquinolone antibiotics can cause rare and sometimes long-lasting side effects and should only be used for simple infections described by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has issued severe safety warnings about these antibiotics.
Can fluoroquinolone antibiotics harm patients taking them?
As Kiley stated, fluoroquinolone antibiotics can cause mitochondrial damage if a person has a negative reaction to them. This is more common if a person has preexisting health issues. However, it does not necessarily mean it will happen if you are prescribed one.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, according to many leading medical professionals, should only be used for certain infections outlined by the FDA, especially when other antibiotics are resistant. They can cause tendon rupture, nerve damage, negative mental health effects, seizures, tremors and general muscle pain. One of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics’ most serious side effects involves tendon problems, including Achilles heel ruptures. One woman recently experienced that side effect after getting a slight bacterial infection, which has left her on blood-thinning medication for the rest of her life.
Generally, if a person has serious negative side effects from Cipro or other medications, it happens within one to two days. Other negative side effects, such as Achilles rupture, fatigue, and mental health effects, can happen later on. It’s best to watch out for these symptoms if you are currently taking these antibiotics. Patients also can have adverse side effects from re-exposure later in life, which supports some of Kiley’s claims in her video description, but these are still extremely rare occurrences while taking these drugs.
@celebratethelittlewins ?Grab a copy of my relief guide for free at the l!nk in my bio save for later, share with a friend? have you heard of this silent epidemic? sharing my story because if someone would have shared this information with me a few years ago, I could have avoided being in a wheelchair and having to learn how to walk again. these antibiotics are often handed out like candy with no regard for how serious side effects can be. the short list is they can attack your central nervous system, gut, brain, heart, tendons/nerves, eyes and kidneys. they cause mitochondrial damage and the FDA has said (for YEARS) that they should be reserved for life and death situations. often times doctors are completely unaware of these debilitating side effects as they’re commonly prescribed for all sorts of minor issues like UTIs and ear infections. The main FQ Antibiotics to educate yourself on before it’s too late: ciprofloxacin (Cipro) gemifloxacin (Factive) levofloxacin (Levaquin) moxifloxacin (Avelox) ofloxacin (Floxin) ➡️ FQ eyedrops and ear drops also can flox you ?? these are also given out to pets. ? FQs can also have a cumulative effect and even if you’ve done “fine” with it in the past, it’s like playing russian roulette — you can have a reaction years later and “the bomb” can go off with sometimes only one pill. this time two years ago i was suffering with 70+ ??? unexplainable symptoms and had to connect the dots on my own. I wasn’t sure if i would survive it. today i have less than 5 symptoms. ?❤️? if you have had a reaction to a fluoroquinolone and have been left to your own suffering, feel free to DM me or drop a comment – i dont give medical advice but I’m happy to share what has been helping me heal. ?? ❤️?repost to your story, send this to someone you love or tag them in the comments — you may just save their life. Press / podcasts / blogs: please get in touch at [email protected] to help me spread the word ? #floxed #healingjourney #fluoroquinolonetoxicity #mentalhealth #grief ♬ original sound – KILEY K
Are these antibiotics dangerous?
For most people, Cipro and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics are not dangerous. It is an antibiotic regularly prescribed in hospitals.
As one commenter said, “Cipro is a very commonly prescribed antibiotic and it’s very RARE to have these severe, debilitating side effects. A lot of antibiotics and medications in general, have severe side effects. They just don’t always affect everyone.”
Despite this, it is reasonable to have worries about a medication closely associated with so many complications. It is important for patients to self-advocate if they have concerns with their medications, antibiotics or treatment plan for preexisting or new illnesses. One point many commenters emphasized was asking doctors “why” they are prescribing a certain medication.
In general, it is OK to ask “why” and to determine whether a medication is the right fit if there is knowledge of a preexisting conflict. For example, it is always good to ask a healthcare provider whether there are alternative treatment options. This is if there is concern with medications like fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Also, whether less intense antibiotics can be used before starting more aggressive treatment. Even though medications like Cipro have affected a small number of patients with debilitating side effects, the consequences were still serious for that select group.
A doctor should be able to offer more information on why a fluoroquinolone antibiotic may be necessary for treatment. Or they may offer alternative antibiotics. It is worth noting that most antibiotic regimens have the potential for severe side effects that all patients should be mindful of when leaving their pharmacy.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Kiley for comment.
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