Cipro Side Effects Journal

Cipro Side Effects Journal

This is out of the norm of what I write about in this blog but I am going to use this space to document the side effects I have had from taking a round of Ciprofloxacin because it has had such an impact on every part of my life. It began with a case of diverticulitis in February, 2013...

• Day 1- February 15, 2013; Began taking Ciprofloxacin,an antibiotic, for diverticulitis which was causing severe abdominal pain. I also began taking a prescription muscle relaxer to help with the pain.
• Day 3- Took the last dose of muscle relaxer in the morning. By late afternoon I was having symptoms that I attributed to withdrawal from the muscle relaxer- I felt droopy and worn out.  
• Day 4- Feeling better from abdominal pain but I was still feeling droopy overall which I attributed to the muscle relaxer. 
• Day 6- Noticed that I was unable to cross my legs because it made my hips feel like they were about to pop out of joint but didn't think much about it other than noting that  it was unusual. 
• Day 7- I had been planning to take a day to get away and pray for an entire day so I drove to the Texas coast and spent the day in prayer. 
• Day 9- Saturday February 23, 2013; I took my morning dose of Cipro and decided to stop. During the middle of the day I noted that my legs were feeling droopy like I would expect after a 50+ mile bike ride but I had done almost nothing all week. 
• Day 10- Sunday February 24, 2013; In my normal Sunday routine I arrived at the church building around 7:45 AM and began walking around the building getting things ready and checking on people. Midway through 1st service I realized that my legs felt like I had lactic acid but I had not exercised so I was confused as to what was happening. By the time Bible class began my legs were so sore that I went to my office to sit down and rest. I sat there for about 15 minutes massaging my legs but the pain continued to increase. Michelle was at Soul Link with the youth group so I was supposed to take Mally to work and then come back to the church building for the rest of 2nd service. However I was hurting so bad that I decided to take her a bit early and then go home. I was surprised walking out to the car that my legs were hurting so bad that it was causing me to limp. Once home I got in bed and the pain continued to increase. By mid afternoon however it had localized into my left leg. It occurred to me that I had read in the side effects of the antibiotic a statement about causing tendon problems. Upon reading the side effects brochure and additional information on the computer I became nauseous realizing my leg problems were from the antibiotic. By bed time my left leg had begun to hurt so bad that I could barely even touch my leg. 
• Day 11- By morning my leg was so sore it was absolutely all I could do to get dressed, hobble to the kitchen to get my keys and get in the car to take Makai to school. I had discovered Sunday evening that cipro had removed magnesium from my system and numerous people who had also had side effects from cipro strongly suggested you immediately begin taking magnesium supplements so on the way back home from dropping Makai off at school I stopped by Walgreens to get some. However I was having so much trouble walking because my left leg kept trying to go into a deep cramp that I had to use a grocery cart as a walker to get me into the store and back to the car. Once back at home my left leg was in almost continuous spasms on the verge of going into a deep cramp and one muscle in particular was in severe pain- it felt like I had lactic acid build up times a thousand. I had never felt such sever muscle pain. Later in the day my medical doctor suggested I take magnesium, potassium, calcium and take warm baths. My doctor also suggested he could order muscle relaxers but I decided not to take them because I realized if I was not able to feel the warning signs my muscles were communicating to me via pain I might end up tearing or rupturing a tendon. My doctor did order a prescription for a pain relief ointment which would come in the mail. I spent most of the day laying in bed praying and begging God for relief and healing. Everything I was reading said that I was not supposed to use any muscles or tendons that were having symptoms as a result of Cipro. In the midst of all this I had to cancel a Stephen Ministry training session that had been scheduled that I was supposed to teach at.
• Day 12- I emailed my staff at the church office telling them this was my worst day so far. There was severe pain and spasms all day long. Spent most of the day trying to relax because my brain was running away with the idea that I was ruined. I probably prayed for 8-10 total hours! I also noticed that every time I got up my feet, knees, and hips were popping like crazy. As I continued to research I discovered that apparently Cipro removes all of the magnesium from your system so that it can adhere to your cell receptors. Muscles and bones use magnesium so this depletion of magnesium causes sever problems in some people.
• Day 13- The pain in my left leg was not quiet as intense as it had been the day before so I was trying to get a few things done around the house. As I bent over my left leg went into a severe cramp that I could not get to stop. I ended up stuck in a chair in the family room for 2 or 3 hours. I was unable to take Makai to school and had to call Michelle to come home and help. 
• Day 15- The pain in my left leg was not as intense but the muscle spasms and popping joints continued. However my left hip began to ache and hurt whenever I tried to stand. I spent part of the day watching the Verge Conference in Austin which I had reservations to attend but had to cancel.
• Day 16- I spent part of the day watching the Verge Conference in Austin.  I decided to try and push things in the afternoon so I spent about an hour hobbling around the kitchen cooking some chicken. By the time I was done my hip began having severe pain that was especially intense any time I tried to stand so I was back flat of my back in bed for the evening and next day which gave me alot of time to think. It occurred to me that my reaction to Cipro was not a case of poisoning because if I had been poisoned then everyone who took Cipro would be poisoned but they are not- I had talked to numerous people who in travels overseas had taken cipro almost like candy. This led me to begin to considering the possibility that my reaction to Cipro was more of an allergic reaction. If so this might mean a treatment I had in 2000 to eliminate a series of food allergies would be able to address my problems with cipro. The treatments I had with an NAET practitioner in 2000 eliminated a series of food allergies I had which had literally gone ballistic after my experience with the Columbine High School shooting. By the summer of 2000 I was developing new food allergies every few weeks so that I was getting to where I could not eat much more than rice and chicken and water.
• Day 17- Sunday March 3, 2013; The severe hip pain and inability for my hip to bear much weight continued along with leg spasms, and popping joints.
• Day 18- Monday March 4, 2013;  I started off the day making an appointment with an NAET practitioner in Houston. From previous experience I knew that it was important to be properly adjusted prior to NAET treatment so I managed to get in to my chiropractor with the help of Matthew and Mally. He told me that my atlas was significantly out of place which could have affected how my body processed the Cipro antibiotic. Immediately after the adjustment I was feeling the most relief I had felt to date but I still was having continuous muscle spasms in my left leg and pain in my left hip.
• Day 19- I visited the chiropractor again. The only thing he wanted to do was adjust my neck since my legs were having such spasms. His work from the previous day had helped me enough that I was able to walk into the office without help. 
• Day 20 Wednesday March 6, 2013;  I was feeling good enough that I pushed and made it into my office slowly, slowly walking from the parking lot to the building. I was able to be in the office about 30 or 45 minutes before my left leg started going into deep spasms. I tried to walk back out to my car but had to be pushed out to the car by wheelchair because I was completely unable to walk that distance. After lunch I had an appointment with an NAET practitioner who specializes in eliminating the body's reactive approach to various things. It was all I could do to make it from the parking garage to his office because my legs were in such deep spasms. As I spoke with him he felt very confident he could treat and help me overcome my reaction to Cipro. The treatment merges together a number of specialties including chiropractic, acupuncture, and  Chinese energy theories. He said that as we treated Cipro it would send a signal to my body to flush the Cipro from my system. He warned that as the Cipro flushed from my system that I would probably re-experience many of the Cipro symptoms. Using a muscle strength test he checked to see what my body was reacting to and confirmed it was reacting to Cipro in addition to magnesium. He said my bodies' inability to properly utilize magnesium would help explain why it was not doing much so far to help my muscles recover. The plan was to treat the Cipro followed by additional substances. The treatment was uniquely simple- while holding a vial of what is essentially concentrated Cipro he massaged my spine followed by acupuncture treatment. Within a couple of hours my muscle spasms had stopped enough that I was able to go to Wednesday night church.
•  Day 21- Thursday March 7, 2013; Thursday morning the only symptom I had was pain in my hips and muscles that felt like they might try to cramp if I exerted too hard so I was able to go into my office to work. I was able to walk into the office, work all morning, go to the chiropractor, go into a grocery store to get some lunch, and go back into the office after lunch and work all afternoon. The improvement after the NAET practitioner visit was dramatic. 
• Day 22- Friday March 8, 2013; Friday morning my legs tried to start cramping followed by some of the most severe stomach cramps I have had in years- way worse than the pain I had with the diverticulitis. These symptoms came and went within a 3-4 hour period. I had my second NAET visit where he said we were probably about halfway through treating me for Cipro. He warned that I would continue to experience Cipro symptoms off and on for a couple of days. By evening my hip pain had increased but the muscle spasms were still gone. 
• Day 23- Saturday March 9, 2013; Hip pain continued all day so I stayed off my feet for most of the day. By evening the hip pain had become troublesome enough that I decided to try the pain relief cream at bedtime my medical doctor had ordered for me which had come via UPS earlier in the week.
• Day 24- Sunday March 10, 2013; I awoke with the most severe hip pain I have had so far. My leg muscles felt tight but the problem was in my hips. I was barely able to walk because of the pain. One thing I had found helpful was to read through other people's blogs who were experiencing Cipro side effects to see what symptoms they were and were not having. Midway through the day I ran across a blog that had a conversation about how some Cipro sufferers had discovered that they were getting an almost reverse reaction when they took pain relief medicines which may mean the pain relief cream I applied Saturday evening could be my hip pain culprit. Later in the evening I spent some time carefully stretching my leg muscles and taking a hot bath and experienced some pain relief by the time I went to bed. This just firmed up my decision to avoid pain relievers of any type- I have not taken anything including Advil or Ibuprofen other than the prescription muscles relaxer and the pain relief cream since prior to the start of Cipro- and interestingly enough both of these medicines seem to have produced bad side effects. Also in a crazy turn of events my chiropractor who I had been seeing for the last 9 years passed away over the weekend.
• Day 25- Felt better and was able to work part of the day however by lunch time I realized my left hip and upper leg were numb after having sat at my desk. The numbness took a couple of hours to subside. Went to a new chiropractor after lunch who did a full evaluation and confirmed there were muscular issues going on the left leg. His treatment helped. I was up the rest of the afternoon and evening with guests at our house. 
• Day 26- Tuesday March 12, 2013; Went to my medical doctor for an EKG due to chest pains on the left side of my chest. Sitting in the waiting room and then the exam room made me realize my left hip was very sore.  The EKG turned out fine. My doctor suspects the same thing causing muscular problems in my left leg is also causing problems in the muscles in my chest. I tried various ways to sit after the doctor's office but the dull pain was intense enough that I was unable to sit for more than about 5 minutes. Had intense hip pain the rest of the day.
• Day 27- Wednesday March 13, 2013; Intense hip pain continued until my visit to the NAET practitioner. After my visit the hip pain subsided for the first time in a couple of weeks. I was able to be up doing things for the rest of the day. 
• Day 28- Muscles in left leg are so worn out from being up the previous day that I was down with fatigue and overworked muscles. 
• Day 29- Friday March 15, 2012; Moderate hip pain and muscle fatigue causing me to walk very slowly with a limp today. Had blood drawn testing for magnesium, calcium, potassium, muscle enzymes, vitamin D plus a few other things. Sold my road bike to cover medical expenses- I can tell based upon the rate I am improving that it will be a while before I am able to ride again. 
• Day 30 &31- Intense hip pain kept me off my feet the entire day. The farthest I could hobble was 15 or 20 feet. 
• Day 32- Monday March 18, 2013; Woke with less hip pain so I was able to walk carefully. Visited allergy doctor who confirmed the treatment on Friday March 15 probably triggered the hip pain over the weekend. Got back some of my blood test results which showed I was Vitamin D deficient. 
• Day 33- Tuesday March 19, 2013; Walking enough to get around but with very limited range before severe hip pain would start. Had to use a wheelchair to get to the Sugar Grove building addition ribbon cutting. Chiropractor appointment. 
• Day 34- Wednesday March 20, 2013; Walking with limited range due to hip pain. NAET appointment and chiropractor appointment. 
• Day 35- Thursday March 21, 2013; began having cramps and spasms in both arms. Very worn out when I got home at dinner time. Chriopractor appointment. 
• Day 36- Friday March 22, 2013; continued hip pain with more than about 5 minutes on my feet. continued arm and muscle spasms, my right arm kept cramping every time I used the computer mouse. Overall high level of fatigue. NAET and chiropractor appointment. The up side is that this is the 5th day in a row that I was not laid out flat of my back. 
• Day 37- Saturday March 23, 2013; Experienced sudden significant improvement in hip pain Saturday afternoon. 
• Day 38- Sunday March 24, 2013; Was finally able to attend church on Sunday morning. Everything went pretty well except I had alot of discomfort in my hip and back trying to sit for an hour. I was then able to be up all day Sunday. By Sunday evening my left leg had begun to burn with what felt like alot of lactic acid. 
• Day 39- Monday March 25, 2013; Chiropractor and NAET appointment. NAET practitioner treated for lactic acid with distinct improvements in my left leg after the treatment. 
• Day 40- Tuesday March 26, 2013; Did great all day but by Tuesday evening having lots of hip pain. 
• Day 41- Wednesday March 27, 2013; Had hip pain all night. Chiropractor and NAET appointment. NAET practitioner treated for Vitamin C and said that C is a culprit in joint pain. Have to avoid Vitamin C for 24 hours. Alot of hip pain and an upset stomach so spent the rest of the day on my back. 
• Day 42- Thursday March 27, 2013; Continuing hip pain. Almost passed out when I moved both legs wrong and felt like both hip joints were about to pop out of place. 
•  Day 43- Friday March 29, 2013; slight fatigue in leg muscles but was able to walk with very little problem all day. Began to develop a little bit of pain and cramping in right forearm. Had a preacher from Midland contact me and ask me to talk to one of his members who took Cipro and is having similar problems- this person is two and one half months into the journey and experiencing severe muscle, tendon, and joint problems in his arms, back, and Achilles tendon.
• Day 44- Saturday March 30, 2013; Was able to walk well enough that for the first time since this whole ordeal began I was able to go somewhere with the family for fun, went to hang out at the coast at Freeport. Walked about 1.5 miles to the end of a pier and back. Had to stop and rest a couple of times but managed to pull it off. Hurt hips a couple of times when I moved my legs from side to side- hip joint will only move forward and backward without intense pain. Right arm continued with spasms and cramping. Noticed that my oposable right thumb was not opposing! It would not let me put any pressure on it without pain.
• Day 45- Sunday March 31, 2013; Was able to walk enough that I was at both worship services at church. Had a great conversation with Jonathon O'Mally Sunday morning talking about how to endure ongoing pain. My right arm continued to cramp and hurt. By late afternoon my muscles were beginning to feel fatigued and I had started developing muscle tremors in my lower back and around my tail bone. I also made the mistake a few times of moving my leg side to side which caused momentary intense pain in my hip like it was coming out socket.
• Day 46- Monday April 1, 2013; Had Makai home from school with me. Went to chiropractor appt and then ran a couple of errands with Makai. By 10:30 AM I was having muscle spasms in my left leg, lower back, around my tail bone, right forearm, and right hand but the hip pain had not returned so I was still able to walk at a slower pace but overall it was a rough day.
• Day 47- Tuesday April 2, 2013; Had arm, hand, lower back, hip & tail bone, and left leg tremors and cramps throughout the night and up into the day. The symptoms that exist now are completely different than what existed a week ago which is why I am now being able to walk. There is still hip pain but it is a different kind of numb pain instead of the intense pain that magnified to a point of being unbearable with walking.
• Day 48- Wednesday April 3, 2013; Cramps and spasms in right arm and left leg. Left leg cramps severe enough that I could barely walk. Allergy treatment for minerals including magnesium which is important in muscle and nervous system function and which the Cipro antibiotic disrupted in my body. Therefore I am anxious to see if this will provide some continued improvement.
• Day 49- Thursday April 4, 2013; Right forearm cramping with use. Left achilles tendon stiff and hurting. Around 5 PM the muscle cramping stopped and the pain in my left thumb joint stopped.
• Day 50- Friday April 5, 2013; woke up feeling great able to walk at a full stride with no symptoms. Chiropractor visit and NAET visit treating minerals. Felt great until late in the evening when I started getting some muscle pain in my lower back and left hip.
• Day 51- Saturday April 6, 2013; Day began rough and progressively got worse. Right arm cramping, right thumb pain in the joint with any use, left leg muscle spasms and cramps in every muscle from the waist down, dull pain in the left hip, mild pain in the left achilles tendon which all increase exponentially after being up on my feet for more than about 5 minutes. Left hip develops dull pain after sitting for more than a couple of minutes. Remembered late in the day that the NAET guy warned that the Friday treatment could stir up some of the symptoms as my body detox's- he was right.

this journal is now being updated on a new page: http://timshoulders.blogspot.com/p/cipro-side-effects-journal.html