r/floxies

I’m worried that I’ll just never be the same again.

as many of you know 10 years ago I took 1 pill of Cipro 500mg and it caused extreme brain fog and memory issued and internal shaking and weakness in my limbs and it caused muscle wasting and weakened my tendons and then it caused severe hyper POTS and it caused syrinxed in my spinal cord and spinal cord flattening and all kinds of other stuff.

I’ve never been the same I was a very strong healthy 20 year old man who lifted weights (I was shredded and big) I could curl 75 pound dumbbells in each arm, I could bench 350, I could run and mountain bike for miles, I could play basketball all day long. and I’d still be full of energy. I was a BEAST before Cipro.

now I’m 90% bedridden, career lost, depersonalized, puffy face that looks insane, I’m 60 pounds heavier with wsy smaller muscles, I’m weak af, lifting a vacuum cleaner is hard, my heart slams when I get up or move, I feel like I’m falling through the floor constantly, I have very blurry vision.

and doctors do nothing but gaslight me, I’m severely depressed from this and I seriously have no idea what to do.

I cant even think without getting brain shocks, I have no stress tolerance at all.

am I doomed forever?

My Dr. isn’t responding yet. I’m on day 5/14 of moxi for ureaplasma treatment (doxy 7 days prior) and since last night’s dose I’m having old pain spots resurface but it’s all of them at once. Had so much trouble sleeping last night with my leg pain. Now today it’s all over, my hands, arms, legs & glutes. I had a tendon snap in my 20s, right thigh, that’s what’s bugging me the most.

I’ve never gotten an dx for what this is but it’s scaring me it’s all over. I’ve had this calmed down for years and it usually takes turns where it pops up. I was thinking of stopping at the 7 day mark as it is, that seems to be the more standard tx with Moxi. Trying not to panic & doing all the calming things possible.

Hi! Does anyone only have issues with feet? It's hard to walk with Achilles and ankle pain! I'm 17 months in and most of my symptoms subsided but my feet..anyone use specific sneakers to help? I soak my feet and use magnesium lotion. On them as well

Hi everyone,
I’m struggling with Small Fiber Neuropathy (SFN) and I’m experiencing severe intestinal transit issues. Stool keeps accumulating on my right side (cecum/ascending colon), and it has reached a point where I’m forced to use full colonoscopy prep just to empty myself.
I take Macrogol (Miralax) every single day, but it doesn't prevent this coprostasis. It’s honestly tormenting. It feels like my intestines have completely lost the strength to contract (loss of peristalsis).
Has anyone else dealt with this specific type of "paralyzed" gut issue? What do you recommend? How did you manage to get things moving again?
Thank you so much for any advice.

Hi.need some advice please. I was floxed in March and past week my leg muscles are weak and can barely walk or stand? the pain is also in my hips. Is this normal or should I go the ER?

Thank you

I’m 18(M) and recently got put onto a 14 days course or cipro and doxy because I was diagnosed with Epididymitis, Worst decision ever. I peed in a urine sample and it came back negative no infections did a blood test no tumour markers or anything alarming, yet got told to take these antibiotics and NOT to skip any day, 2 500mg of cipro and 2 100mg of doxy a day, each day jt felt like my body is just melting and breaking new pains in places i never knew I could feel pain. The back of my leg feeling extremely tight like 1 wrong move and it’s my ACL GONE.

To be honest it feels like these antibiotics haven’t done anything I’m still experiencing pain in my testicle started in my left now sits right every now and again, I feel so ass 24/7 my vision has went to poo and my head feels so foggy all the time, I’ve honestly thought I’ve been going insane for the past 9 days until I saw a user post on her that 1 pill of doxy has destroyed him for over 10 years. Before all of this I was such a healthy young man going gym benching 120kg and going on runs almost all the time now I feel like I can’t socialise without being in some sort of agony.

For anyone who is being prescribed cipro please don’t take it unless you have been properly diagnosed with an infection it’s destroyed my body I’ve lost so much of my muscle I look like a twig

Also wanted to add my dosages I took before I stopped because it was killing my body

Cipro I took 18pills of 500mg
Doxy 20-100mg

Hey everyone,

I’m in a very difficult spot and hope someone here has experienced something similar or has some insight. I got floxed 4 years ago and my gut almost stopped working now Im dealing with gastroparesis and severe slow transit constipation, Sibo and extreme MCAS.

I’ve reached a point where I can no longer eat enterally and I dont have any bovel movements anymore.

I am essentially dependent on Prucalopride (Resolor/motegrity) to keep my stomach and gut working so quite literall to stay alive.

The big Problem:

Even though I am otherwise completely free of neuropathy symptoms, Prucalopride triggers intense neuropathy flares (nerve burning and severe pain). its an unbearable pain wich forced me to stop the medication.

The strange thing is that this isn't limited to Prucalopride. I get the exact same reaction from:

Antihistamines: Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Cetirizine, Rupatadine, etc.

even from LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone)

Once a flare is triggered by these medications, the mcas or histamine reactions after eating even from histamine free food triggers the nerve pain even more. Outside of these medication-induced flares, I don't have neuropathy at all.

My Questions:

1. Has anyone else post-FQ developed neuropathy that is only triggered by medications or MCAS/ histamine and not present otherwise?

2. is there anything wich can help with this FQAD neuropathy except Amitriptylin or Duloxetin because they slow down my gut even more so I cant take them.

I feel trapped between needing these meds for basic survival and the unbearable nerve pain they cause. Im really scared Im 32 and I dont want to die but it feels hopeless and Im so tried and desperate of fighting against this diseases.

Any advice or shared experiences would mean a lot, thank you.

UPDATE: CITIZEN PETITION IS NOW LIVE AND OPEN FOR COMMENTS "Request that the FDA issue appropriate labeling and risk communication requirements for systemic fluoroquinolone antibiotics"

https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FDA-2026-P-5116/document

I wanted to share something important with this community because many of you have unknowingly helped shape it through your stories, discussions, and willingness to share experiences.

I recently submitted a formal FDA Citizen Petition regarding fluoroquinolone-associated disability (FQAD), drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunction (DIMD), and the need for informed consent and modernization of pharmacovigilance frameworks surrounding delayed, multisystem medication injury such as FQAD.

Today I received confirmation that the petition was officially received and assigned a federal docket number: FDA-2026-P-5116

For those unfamiliar, a Citizen Petition is a formal process that allows individuals or organizations to ask the FDA to review or consider regulatory, safety, labeling, or policy concerns. It does not mean the FDA has made a decision or endorsed the petition, but it does mean the issue formally enters the administrative review process and becomes part of the federal record.

Once publicly posted to the federal docket system, the petition and supporting documents will also become viewable for public comment. This is one of the few formal ways everyday people like us can bring our real-world experiences and perspectives straight to the FDA. If enough of us show up with thoughtful comments, it can help highlight the urgent need for better informed consent and real change around fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Over the years, public advocacy, patient reporting, and formal petitions have contributed to previous regulations and black box warnings.

An FDA Citizen Petition is not a “vote” or signature based petition. It is a formal federal administrative process established under FDA regulations that allows individuals or organizations to request review of regulatory, safety, labeling, or policy concerns.

Unlike change.org-style petitions, a Citizen Petition:

• receives an official FDA docket number,
• becomes part of the federal administrative record,
• can include scientific literature, regulatory arguments, and supporting documentation,
• and may receive public comments that also become part of the official record.

The FDA is required to review and formally respond to the petition, although that process can take significant time and does not guarantee a particular outcome. I have also requested a formal FDA meeting or listening session regarding the petition.

A public/open-access copy of the petition and supporting document can currently be read here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20128765

My goal is not to create fear around medications or assign blame. It is to encourage better recognition, better risk communication, more research, and more modern pharmacovigilance approaches that reflect current understanding of mitochondrial biology and delayed injury patterns.

Thank you all again for the support, conversations, scientific discussion, and courage to share your experiences.

— Johanna Ihli, BSN
Former ER/Trauma/Critical Care Nurse
Independent Researcher in Drug-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction

 

Looking for advice from people who’ve dealt with persistent Ureaplasma Parvum infection. The first doctor I ever saw about this (in 2021) said that treatment is "optional" (i got tested >10.000) and he just brushed it off. I got doxy for 10 days and forgot about it for years. I now realize that this was negligent, and I should have been more concerned.

I’ve tested positive for Ureaplasma parvum (semen PCR) many times since then. My partner and I have both been treated at the same time in 2 separate cycles, but she consistently develops a UTI on day 2 or 3 after sex, when at least 4+ weeks have passed since any antibiotic course.

My antibiotic history so far:

* doxycycline 14 days + 1g azithro (failed) -> retested positively (for reference, this was october 2024.

* azithromycin one-time doses of up to 2g several times (failed) -> retested positive (november 2024)

* ciprofloxacin 10 days + 1.5g azithro (jan 2025) - initially got me a negative PCR 21 days afterwards, but alas, she was not treated alongside me the first time. our first time having sex after the negative test (2-3 weeks after), she didnt develop any symptoms, but surely enough, another 3 weeks later the next time we had sex, she got the same burning UTI. I am waiving this off as a case of boomerang. At this stage I note that the burning UTI always occurs on day 3 for her, and I never have any issues.

* levofloxacin 10 days + azithro 1.5g FAILED in june 2025 (only me)

* ciprofloxacin for a 2nd time in September 2025, 10 days for her, 14 for me + 1/2g azithro each -> she inevitably developed the same burning 5 weeks after sex, and I retested positively afterward. we did have sex towards the ends of our treatments though, so that might've been unhelpful in retrospect

*we're currently both on moxifloxacin (a week in). She is doing 10 days, I am doing 14 and am considering extending up to 28 since I am the source of the infection.

Globally, my symptoms (in total) are pretty much absent, apart from:

1. urinary urgency/frequency (¬13 times per day or so), very mild and inconsistent pelvic discomfort. When I'm in a state of fear, I find that the urge to pee is suppressed neurologically, so not even that is a reliable symptom. If there is any discomfort, it is barely noticeable, like low-grade burning, ever present.

2. I have never had any consistent severe pain - i did get an occasional prostate "stinging" pain, with 6/10 intensity ONCE per month on average. It's been a month since my last one. Sometimes they'd happen twice within a week, but no consistent pattern. It was sometimes on the right side, sometimes the left.

3. Sometimes after ejaculation, peeing would be mildly burning. I began practicing semen retention so

My partner gets burning symptoms on day 3 after intercourse, which resolve after treatment but tend to return every time, after 5 weeks pass following any antibiotic course. Her tests ironically didnt come out positive for ureaplasma parvum, EVER, but they were just regular vaginal swabs, not PCR tests, and notably these results were within a week of taking TMP. She did get E-coli positive though, and TMP resolved her symptoms reliably every time. Note: IDK if she got pescribed TMP every time, but she always got something you take for a few days. It always worked in alleviating her UTI, with ureaplasma parvum remaining questionable every time.

I have tested NEGATIVE for E.coli, and every other yeast/bacteria so many times, and had my urinal flora come back normal more times than I can count. Never has it been anything else besides Urealpasma parvum that appeared positive. I did have a complete pannel of STDs, all negative every time.

We supplement D-mannose once per day, and Lactogyn (*Lactobacillus rhamnosus* (GR-1®) and *Lactobacillus reuteri* (RC-14®)

My questions:

1. Has anyone had confirmed moxifloxacin eradication after multiple antibiotic failures like this?

2. Did extending moxifloxacin beyond 14 days (e.g. 21–28 days) actually change the outcome in your case?

3. Anyone with a specific match the UTI's onset and symptoms 2-3 days after sex who can share their story.

I’m trying to understand realistic next steps, not just repeating antibiotic cycles without progress. After so much negligence and malpractice, I don't trust Swiss doctors anymore, so I'm completely self-treating. The urologist I saw in Switzerland (jan 2026) had the audacity to repeat the STD panel I brought him the results of, only adding HPV, and giving me a single dose of azithromycine!!! That cost me 1700 EUROS!!! That's with him knowing my complete history and all! Everything except Parvum came back negative, big shock there.

Symptom-wise, specifically on day 5 of the current moxi course :

- I developed chills, throat pain (like the start of a cold) and a fever. I didn't measure it, but I can feel these things and I know it wasn't higher than 37.4 C. I just covered myself in my blanket, left my feet uncovered, sweat it out and slept it off. On day 7, the chills were much diminished. I did feel weak on day 7 and the day before, moving about more slowly, but after eating raw ginger, I felt much better. Thankfully, neither of us have any of the scary moxi side effects some reported. I still feel a little tired and the throat pain is still present on day 8 but no fever or chills. My sleep is much more easily disturbed.

Any experiences or guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Personal note:

I default to physical work since I migrated abroad to live with her, and have no other reliable choices for work as of yet. I am naturally very careful on moxi, and the prospect of potentially not succeeding with a 14-day course, and having her develop the same UTI again, only to need to take antibiotics again and risk physical injury or further emotional damage from this UTI, is crushing. It does come as ironic luck that I'm out of work for now, while I take this course. We do 70-80% intensity workouts at the gym with all of the safety precautions due to tendon irritability. I should be applying and actively seeking work, but I feel much safer in delaying work until I am done with the course. This infection is delaying my life. I need it gone. I need this to work. Please help.

It would be really nice to hear from someone who get recovered from tendinitis from levofloxacin..

It has been 9 months.

No big improvement and my tendinitis seems to get worse over time. Every day i wish not to open my eyes in the morning as the pain and misery repeat.

I'm wondering if there is anyone here who had digestive issues from floxing, such as food sensitivities, reflux, and every other digestive stuff floxing does, and were you ever able to eat junk food ever again once you recovered?

I'm not talking eat it once a year. I mean, were you able to go back to eating whatever you wanted whenever you wanted?

I don't want to eat extremely clean like this the rest of my life. I was such a foodie before this crap and restaurants, pizza, pasta with all the creamy goodness to it, casseroles, ice cream, cheezits, sausage, evening dinner with friends, a glass or two of wine, beer, fried foods, fair/carnival foods, hearty soups, movie theater popcorn, chocolate, donuts and other pastries, cakes, and all the other unhealthy foods brought me happiness in life. I can't stand this bland rabbit food diet I'm forced to eat for months now (I'm still in acute for 4 months). I honestly wish I only had tendon issues and not diet issues on top of the crippling tendon pain. At least I'd have my comfort food.

Or is this my life forever now? No more foods that actually taste good?

Right now I can't even have dairy, gluten, histamine foods, etc. This is absolute torture for me. I just want to eat more than bland chicken breast and rice and potatoes.

Almost a year since I took them pills 😞 im not tired anymore health in great shape no sexual issues testosterone seem to be still high how is this possible I can function on 4hours of sleep and never feel tired after 12hours it’s not like I can’t sleep I don’t feel tired enough to sleep which is driving me crazy!! Like I have short sleep syndrome

Hello,

My experience with Cypro began on January 9. It was prescribed to me by a urologist for what he described as a “possible” case of chronic prostatitis—two 500 mg tablets daily for 30 days. I took the first tablet at night, and by morning I was sleepwalking, which I could attribute to a slight lack of consciousness. I used to sleepwalk when I was younger (I’m 29), so I ignored it.

In the following days, I felt strange; I had a headache and my eyes felt like they were burning. On the fifth day, I got up in the morning and, on my way to work, felt an overwhelming, unexplained anxiety and developed diarrhea. That’s when I realized I should read the package insert because this might be a side effect of that crap. I took a total of 8 pills before I stopped taking it that day.

The next few days were a nightmare for me. I had severe panic attacks and insomnia. I was afraid to be home alone. I felt like I was possessed and couldn’t explain what was wrong with me. At night, I woke up every 10 minutes due to strange electric shocks running through my body, and I couldn’t stop the thoughts racing through my head. On the third day after stopping the medication, I slept a total of maybe two hours, and that was when we decided to go to the hospital.

I live in Poland. I went to the emergency room with my partner, where we were completely brushed off, and the doctor said it would go away once I stopped taking the antibiotics. She wouldn’t even write me a sick note. My partner arranged an appointment with a private doctor, who was more understanding and wrote me a sick note as well as prescribing antihistamines.

The first month was a struggle with constant anxiety and feelings of paranoia, as well as insomnia. Then came a better period (mentally speaking), but in the second month, my knee and ankle joints started to hurt. Based on your posts and the situation, I wouldn’t classify this pain as severe. Additionally, my anxiety turned into brain fog. I wasn’t able to read more than a single A4 page at a time for over a dozen days. I should add that I’m studying law and working, so it was a very difficult and stressful time.

The third month looked very promising. I felt mentally well, and my brain was back to working at full speed (normal) — juggling school and work. Physically, I slowly got back into running, but the joint pain prevents me from running more than 5 km at a stretch.

Month 4 started off strangely because I began experiencing headaches and a complete lack of energy. I feel like every single little thing I have to do at work or at home is a challenge. I feel anxious about not being able to handle my responsibilities—demanding studies and a demanding job. The feeling of intense anxiety and panic attacks has turned into more of a lack of energy and brain fog accompanied by a headache.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? I thought I had recovered, but now these waves are hitting me—waves I feel I can’t control and that are beyond my control. I should add that I try to eat well and take supplements: magnesium, CoQ10, PQQ, type 2 collagen, and probiotics.

I try to eat well and take care of myself, but I’m really afraid that I won’t recover in time for my wedding in August, and that people at work will start looking at me strangely because it’s obvious that something’s wrong with me.

Has anyone else had similar issues to mine with recurring anxiety, low energy, and depersonalization that has come back?

Please, if possible, share only positive stories. Thank you so much to everyone who contributes here; your positive recovery stories give me strength.

A friend warned me that fluoroquinolones are bad. I entered floxies and read that people got severely ill after them. Slapped my doc and warned my friends that floxacines are bad. Thank you all!
-M

I started using ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone otic suspension ear drops today for ear inflammation and clogged ears, using 4 drops in each ear twice today. After applying the drops, my ears still feel clogged/muffled, and I noticed a small amount of blood drainage from one ear. I’m concerned about possible side effects and whether I should continue using the medication. How likely are systemic side effects from ear drops like these, and should I stop the drops for now?