Saved from anthrax, sick from Cipro?

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Wednesday, October 24, 2001 | By Paul Sperry

[JohnHuang2]

---

BIOLOGICAL WAR-FEAR
Saved from anthrax,
sick from Cipro?
Side effects could hit runners, coffee-drinkers, kids, elderly hardest

---

By Paul Sperry
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON – Clinical trials show ciprofloxacin HCI causes some nasty, even life-threatening, side effects. Good news is they're rare.

Only, trials are based on a normal 7-to-14-day therapy – the dosage prescribed for ailments like urinary tract infections, ciprofloxacin's typical treatment – and not the exceedingly long 60-day course for anthrax, whether it be the inhaled form or less-lethal skin form. Ciprofloxacin, which is sold under the Cipro brand name, has never been tested in anthrax-exposed humans.

The risk of anthrax infection remains for at least 60 days because of the possibility of delayed germination of spores, which are hardy and can survive a long time, even in an open environment.

Thanks to the anthrax-by-letter scare, thousands of Americans are taking the two-month Cipro regimen, either on the advice of public health officials and doctors, or on their own.

In Florida, New York and Washington's Capitol building, more than 2,700 people – from Tom Brokaw to Tom Daschle – are taking the powerful drug as a prophylactic against possible anthrax infection.

In addition, the drug is now being dispensed to more than 10,000 postal workers in New Jersey, Washington and Baltimore, who might have been exposed to spores. Even the crew of a Mississippi towboat are popping the pills after being dusted Friday with a mysterious chemical by a low-flying plane.

That doesn't include the tens of thousands of Americans living primarily in New York, Washington and Florida who have stockpiled Cipro and may be taking it – even though they haven't been in buildings where anthrax-laced mail has been handled or opened. For them, the drug is more of an anti-anxiety medication.

It's hard to predict how these uninfected and otherwise healthy individuals will react to taking two 500-mg tablets of the powerful antimicrobial every day for two months.

But doctors say the likelihood of side effects increases the longer patients stay on antibiotics. And Cipro is one drug that patients do not want to stay on longer than they have to.

Studies show it can lead to chronic stomach problems, such as colitis, connective tissue damage – including torn Achilles' tendons – and even brain damage.

It's not candy, yet people are popping the white pills as if they were Tic-Tacs.

In fact, Cipro, part of the fluoroquinolone family of antibiotics, is the most powerful germ-killer, which is why the U.S. military stockpiles it for possible germ warfare. It acts much like a defoliant – wiping out the targeted bad bacteria, such as anthrax, but also the good bacteria in your body.

That's why Cipro patients commonly vomit or get diarrhea. The potent antimicrobial kills the so-called "normal flora" in the digestive tract that help keep unwanted bugs in check, doctors say. When they're destroyed, unwanted yeast or other bacteria may take over, causing stomach upset. (Pharmacists recommend taking Cipro on an empty stomach to maximize its absorption, which only exacerbates the gastrointestinal reaction. Taking the drug with lots of water, however, may help ease digestion.)

Cipro also is known to adversely affect the central nervous system, causing drowsiness, dizziness, irritability, insomnia, restlessness and headaches.

In rarer cases, Cipro can cause hallucinations and even seizures. It can also weaken cartilage and cause joint damage.

Those at greatest risk of suffering side effects from Cipro include:

• Runners, weight-lifters, or any athletes or workers who put a lot of pressure and strain on their joints;

• Tea and coffee drinkers;

• Small children;

• Expectant mothers;

• The elderly, or anyone with weakened immune systems;

• Heavy alcohol drinkers, or those with a history of liver problems;

• And, diabetics.

Runners
Cipro weakens tendons which, in rare cases, can rupture under physical stress and require surgery and months of rehabilitation.

Tendons subjected to heavy stress – such as the Achilles' tendon, shoulder rotator cuff, and those supporting the knee and attached to the quadriceps muscles – are most at risk of tearing, according to New York orthopedic surgeon Dr. Riley Williams in a 1999 New York Times interview.

The injury typically occurs near the end of a 7- or 14-day course of treatment, he says, or even after the course has been completed.

Bayer AG, the German firm which manufacturers Cipro, argues that of the more than 100 million Cipro prescriptions written in the U.S. between 1989 and 1999, only 100 cases of tendon ruptures were reported in medical journals.

Of course, the effects of Cipro on tendons following a 60-day dosage have not yet been studied.

Tea and coffee drinkers
Cipro can dramatically intensify the metabolic effects of caffeine by increasing the level of theophylline alkaloids in the bloodstream.

In fact, Cipro can cause "theophylline-induced toxicity," noted Dr. Richard A. Gleckman of the Boston University School of Medicine.

Children
While the FDA approved Cipro for sale here in 1987, it still has not OK'd its use for children under 18.

Reason: The antimicrobial may, according to tests on immature animals and a small number of reported cases in children, cause arthropathy – joint and cartilage damage that leads to walking difficulties.

Some doctors still prescribe Cipro for children with infections that other antibiotics can't kill, such as bacterial meningitis. And some will give Cipro to kids with chronic ear infections – but in the form of ear drops, which aren't as readily absorbed by the body as tablets.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has, however, approved Cipro for kids exposed to, or infected by, anthrax.

For example, a 7-month-old New York infant with cutaneous anthrax is taking Cipro.

So are some children of National Enquirer editors and other staffers employed by American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., where an anthrax-laced letter was opened by a photographer, who wound up dying from pulmonary anthrax. AMI's chief executive encouraged staffers to bring their kids to work, since many of them work long hours. (The tabloid publisher in January moved its editorial offices to Boca Raton from Lantana, Fla. The new building is now a Superfund clean-up site.)

Expectant mothers
Cipro generally is not recommended during pregnancy because of the drug's known association with arthropathy in adolescent animals, as well as small numbers of children.

"Animal studies have discovered no evidence of teratogenicity [a chemical-related disease causing malformed fetuses] related to ciprofloxacin, but no controlled studies of ciprofloxacin in pregnant women have been conducted," a recent JAMA report states.

Even Bayer admits that "the safety of ciprofloxacin in children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating women has not been established."

Elderly
There have been cases reported of older patients, in particular, succumbing to neurological abnormalities while taking Cipro.

One man, 70, showed up at an emergency room dizzy, confused and agitated. He also had developed a gait which he could not correct. The man had been taking Cipro for an infected wound for weeks. Tests showed his prescription was the culprit.

Central nervous system toxicity can also take the form of seizures. In one 1990 study, "ciprofloxacin showed moderate to marked epileptogenic effects."

Heavy drinkers
Cipro elevates liver and kidney enzymes and can lead to jaundice in rare cases.

A 21-year-old British man, for example, took Cipro in 1997 for a bad cough. A heterosexual teetotaler, he had no history of liver problems. Yet he had developed jaundice and a tender liver. His liver function tests returned to normal after discontinuing the antibiotic.

Diabetics
According to the FDA package insert, Cipro is contraindicated for patients with diabetes since it elevates glucose levels. Diabetics have gone into comas after taking Cipro.

Three years ago, a Washington-area woman took Cipro for a sinus infection, moreover, and spent the next 18 months trying to recover from the drug's side effects, warns one pharmacist here, who's filled so many Cipro prescriptions recently he's run out of stock.

With three Americans dead so far from inhaling anthrax spores sent through the mail, the threat from anthrax terrorism is real (although it still hasn't risen anywhere near the level of a mass attack). And the thousands of precautionary Cipro prescriptions that have been written may just save thousands of lives.

But they may just as easily make thousands of otherwise healthy people unnecessarily sick. Indeed, over the coming months, we may be hearing of a new health scare – the Cipro syndrome.

For Education And Discussion Only. Not For Commercial Use.

[quimby]

Though the anthrax may be resistant and long lasting, he immediate threat must be greatest. It would be interesting to know how many who start the 60 day treatment, follow thru to the full 60 days.

[Arthalion]

I had Cipro prescribed to me for a severe intestinal (diverticual) infection a while back so I'm fully aware of how nasty this stuff is. After two days my skin turned yellow, and after a week and a half I started developing severe liver and kidney problems. Since it appeared that the infection was already getting knocked down, my doctor switched me over to a less powerful drug at that point. After enduring it's effects, I have a hard time understanding why people with practically NO risk of infection are jumping up and down to get their hands on it. I wouldn't touch it unless I absolutely knew that I might have been exposed, and even then I'd have serious reservations. This stuff can kill you.

[backhoe]

Just FYI--

Nuclear, Biological, & Chemical Warfare- Survival Skills, Pt. II

[DaRocksMom]

I didn't have time to make this exactly an easy read or I will be late for work. Sorry but very informative!

Health Alert - CIPRO

October 21, 2001

Dear All,
Two months ago we reported on the withdrawal of Bayer's BAYCOL (Cerivastatin), a fluorinated drug (statin class) which had caused deaths and serious adverse health effects worldwide (1,2,3).

BAYCOL had been found to cause muscle destruction/wasting - a condition known as rhabdomyolysis - and displayed compounded toxicity when used with other drugs. It had been linked to at least 31 deaths.

We also showed how the adverse reactions documented with BAYCOL were largely identical to those of numerous other fluorinated drugs - all of which had been withdrawn from the market in recent years (3).

ANTHRAX AND CIPRO

As a result of the current Anthrax scare another fluorinated drug called CIPRO has received extensive media coverage and the name has become familiar to millions almost overnight. As soon as the first cases of anthrax resulting from suspicious mail became known, there were wide reports of a hectic run on this drug.

Mass hysteria seems present as governments, pharmacies and individuals everywhere are stockpiling this drug. Pharmacies are reporting record sales, and on-line prescription services and Internet sites are found selling the drug at more than $7.00 per pill.

People everywhere, hyped into believing their flu-like symptoms are caused by anthrax exposure and mis-informed by irresponsible media reports, are taking CIPRO, and worse yet - are giving it to their children.

WHAT IS CIPRO?

CIPRO is ciprofloxacin, a fluorinated quinolone, belonging to a class of fluorinated antibiotics which also include enoxacin, fleroxacin, temafloxacin, grepafloxacin, norfloxacin, sparfloxacin, tosufloxacin, lomefloxacin, ofloxacin, etc..

Ciprofloxacin has been in use since 1987 for a variety of other indications and is the most-widely used fluoroquinolone in humans and animals worldwide (4).

In 2000 the FDA approved its use in treatment for inhalational anthrax under its "accelerated approval" regulations (5). It had actually taken the unusual step of urging Bayer - the sole manufacturer for all countries except India - to file for such approval, supposedly in order to protect the public from future terrorist attacks. The US Department of Defense had already ordered reserves of CIPRO during the 1991 Gulf War (6).

ADVERSE EFFECTS:

As mentioned in the info on BAYCOL, temafloxacin and grepafloxacin are two other fluoroquinolones now withdrawn from the market because they had caused severe liver and renal damage - and deaths, just like fluorinated drugs from other, different classifications (3).

The same information also exists for CIPRO.

Fatal liver failure associated with ciprofloxacin was reported in the Lancet in 1994 (7, 8 -> 150 more related refs).

Ciprofloxacin has been implicated in several cases of acute renal failure and is the most established fluoroquinolone to cause such renal dysfunction (4, 9, 10, 11 -> 96 related refs).

FLUORIDE

The most common side-effects reported due to CIPRO (2-16%) are gastrointestinal in nature and equal those reported when children accidentally ingest "too much" fluoride from their toothpaste - such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Why?

Ciprofloxacin administration results in elevated serum fluoride levels (12). In a series of tests evaluating the safety of ciprofloxacin in children, serum fluoride levels increased after 12 hours in 79% of the children; on day 7 the 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion was higher in 88.9% of children observed (12).

Just as in the case of Baycol and other fluorinated drugs, CIPRO can cause musculo-skeletal disorders such as rhabdomyolysis.

RHABDOMYOLYSIS

Since the introduction of fluoroquinolones on the market in 1987 more than 200 cases of rhabdomyolysis, tendinitis, tendon rupture etc. have been reported in the literature (4,13,14,15).

In October 1994 the Japan Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau was first to amend the product information for fluoroquinolones to state that rhabdomyolysis may occur (16).

In 1996 the FDA also issued directives to manufacturers to include warning statements on all fluoroquinoline product inserts to alert patients and caregivers to the potential for tendinitis and tendon rupture (17). Also in 1996 the Sri Lanka Drug Evaluation Sub-Committee decided that the product information of fluoroquinolone antibiotics should include a warning stating: "The onset of tendon pain calls for immediate withdrawal of fluoroquinolone antibiotics." (18)

Achilles tendon rupture was shown to occur even after withdrawal of the drug. Pathologically there was ultrastructure alteration in tendinocytes. Just as in other cases of fluoride poisoning, studies in animals show that magnesium deficiency aggravate the induced tendinopathy (14,19).

DRUG INTERACTIONS/DEATH:

Just as with BAYCOL, drug interactions with ciprofloxacin have resulted in fatal outcomes due to potentiation of another drug's effects such theophylline (4,20), methadone (21), or warfarin (22).

Just like BAYCOL and other fluorinated drugs, ciprofloxacin is a potent inhibitor of the thyroid hormone-regulated P 450 enzyme system in the liver. Of all fluoroquinolones, ciprofloxacin and enoxacin have shown the greatest inhibitory capacity (4).

P450 IA2 prevents the metabolism/inactivation of methylxanthines, thereby causing increased serum concentrations of drugs like theophylline and caffeine, which in turn causes excess CNS and cardiac stimulation. As mentioned above, CIPRO also elevates serum fluoride levels.

The liver has been identified as a target organ of fluoroquinolone toxicity in animal studies (23). Already in the 1930s the same was shown by Bayer's scientists such as Litzka or Knoll's Kraft who found that ALL organic fluoride compounds tested (including those used for fluoroquinolone production) interfered with thyroid hormone activity in liver and muscle tissue. Meanwhile, they also showed "anti-bacterial" activity. This led to the development of many fluorinated medications, including the numerous compounds then used very successfully in the treatment of hyperthyroidism (24,25). Kraft invented many fluorinated "medications". When it was discovered that some of these organic compounds had the same detrimental effects on teeth and bone as inorganic fluoride - although much less actual F- was involved - he even filed patents on behalf of Knoll's using these compounds in dental preparations (26,27).

Pregnant women should never take ciprofloxacin. CIPRO transfers through the placenta. It inhibits P450 1A2 which has been shown to be critical for neonatal survival by influencing the physiology of respiration in neonates. Mice lacking this cytochrome died shortly after birth and showed symptoms of severe respiratory distress (28). Respiratory distress is a side-effect of ciprofloxacin also in adults (9). CIPRO also transfers through breastmilk.

RESISTANCE TO BACTERIA

Taking Ciprofloxacin can spur germs to mutate so that future bacterial infections become untreatable. During the last decades a dramatic increase in bacterial strains multiresistant to antibiotics, particlularly CIPRO - has been reported (30, 31, 32). This increase has led to the occurrence of incurable bacterial infections with a fatal outcome, and a particularly serious problem in connection with hospital-acquired infections.

For example, Clostridium difficile has become one of the most common acquired organisms in hospitals and long term care institutions. The organism typically infects patients whose normal intestinal flora has been disturbed by the administration of a broad-spectrum antibiotic such as CIPRO. The diarrhea and inflammatory colitis associated with infection represent a serious medical and surgical complication leading to increased morbidity and mortality, and prolonging hospital stays by an average of nearly three weeks. This is especially true for the elderly and for patients with serious underlying diseases who are the most likely to develop the infection. C. difficile associated diarrhea represents a major economic burden to the healthcare system, conservatively estimated at $3-6 billion per year in excess hospital costs in the U.S. alone (33).

The emergence of this "antibiotic resistance" is a result of the overwhelming use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine. High rates of fluoroquinolone resistance have been reported in many countries (30). For example, in Asia CIPRO no longer can be used to treat gonorrhea, because the disease has become resistant to the drug (34).

While the FDA in August 2000 approved CIPRO as the first-line treatment against anthrax, a few months later (October 2000) it asked Bayer to remove BAYTRIL - its equivalent for animals.

The FDA proposed banning the fluoroquinolones, which chicken and turkey farmers have given to birds in their water since 1995 to help shield the animals from infection. The agency acted after linking the drugs to a jump in Campylobacter bacteria immune to the medications. Nearly 18 percent of one common strain that infects humans are now immune to the very same drugs which were considered the last line of defense against the infection.

Campylobacter is the leading bacterial cause of food poisoning in the United States. Typically contracted through raw or undercooked meat, the germs afflict more than 2 million people and kill some 500 each year in the US, according to the CDC.

While Abbot voluntarily withdrew its version of the antibiotic (SaraFlox), Bayer decided to challenge the FDA. The company had the option to comply with the proposed ban or seek a hearing to determine whether such a move was justified. Bayer refused to comply with the ban, a move that kicked off a lengthy process that could take years (35). Meanwhile Bayer gets to poison the world, AND make huge profits from it...

The AMA has advised its members to prescribe CIPRO very cautiously, saying the worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance poses future dangers worse than the anthrax attacks of today (Orlando Sentinel, October 20, 2001).

PHOTOSENSITIVITY

Photosensitization can result when light interacts with chemical agents in the skin and eyes. This process can produce undesirable clinical consequences, such as phototoxicity (i.e. exaggerated sunburn), photoallergy, or photocarcinogenicity. People receiving CIPRO or any other fluoroquinolone are warned on the product inserts not to expose themselves to direct sunlight. Rashs develop on the areas exposed.

Upon UVA-irradiation the "fluorine" of numerous fluoroquinolones such as lomefloxacin and fleroxacin, are "lost" as fluoride (36).

"We have discovered that anions can activate visual photoreceptors in the dark. One anionic activator is the commonly used dental agent fluoride. The data on in vitro preparations indicate that these anions modulate photoreceptor biochemistry and may effect photoreceptors sensitivity..."

[Lewis A - "Fundamental studies in the molecular basis of laser induced retinal damage" Annual report (Final) March 1 1979 - March 15, 1985 US DTIC records (unclassified) AD#177817 (1985)]

MEDLINE has many articles on fluoride and photoreceptor activation (G protein-coupled) (35).

OTHER CIPRO SIDE EFFECTS (29):

Abnormal dread or fear, achiness, bleeding in the stomach and/or intestines, blood clots in the lungs, blurred vision, change in color perception, chills, confusion, constipation, convulsions, coughing up blood, decreased vision, depression, difficulty in swallowing, dizziness, double vision, drowsiness, eye pain, fainting, fever, flushing, gas, gout flare up, hallucinations, hearing loss, heart attack, hiccups, high blood pressure, hives, inability to fall or stay asleep, inability to urinate, indigestion, intestinal inflammation, involuntary eye movement, irregular heartbeat, irritability, itching, joint or back pain, joint stiffness, kidney failure, labored breathing, lack of muscle coordination, lack or loss of appetite, large volumes of urine, light-headedness, loss of sense of identity, loss of sense of smell, mouth sores, neck pain, nightmares, nosebleed, pounding heartbeat, ringing in the ears, seizures, sensitivity to light, severe allergic reaction, skin peeling, redness, sluggishness, speech difficulties, swelling of the face, neck, lips, eyes, or hands, swelling of the throat, tender, red bumps on skin, tingling sensation, tremors, unpleasant taste, unusual darkening of the skin, vaginal inflammation, vague feeling of illness, weakness, yellowed eyes and skin.

CIPRO causes fluoride poisoning. Will any practitioner know how to deal with this, considering that the ADA has shielded all from proper knowledge of fluoride toxicity?

1) "Poison Control: Fluorides, the deadly toxin within" http://www.prn.usm.my/bulletin/nst/2001/nst34.html

2) 7AM - News: "Cures That Kill?" http://www.7amnews.com/2001/features/081801.shtml

3) Dr. Mercola - "Baycol - Another Fluoride Drug Bites the Dust" (PFPC News, August 18, 2001) http://www.mercola.com/2001/aug/18/fluoride_drugs.htm

4) Clinical Toxicology Review - "What Are Fluoroquinolones?" CTR, Massachusetts Poison Control System, Vol. 20, No. 3 (1997)

5) FDA TALK PAPER " APPROVAL OF CIPRO® FOR USE AFTER EXPOSURE TO INHALATIONAL ANTHRAX" Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 (2000)

6) CNN - Reuter's, July 27, 2000

7) Fuchs S, Simon Z, Brezis M - "Fatal hepatic failure associated with ciprofloxacin" Lancet 242:738-739 (1994)

8) 150+ Related References : CIPRO - Liver http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?form=4&db=m&term=cipro&l iver

9) Hootkins R, Fenves AZ, Stephens MK - "Acute renal failure secondary to oral ciprofloxacin therapy: a presentation of three cases and a review of the literature" Clin Nephrol 32(2):75-8 (1989)

10) Reece RJ, Nicholls AJ - "Ciprofloxacin-induced acute interstitial nephritis" Nephrol Dial Transplant 11(2):393 (1996)

11) 90+ Related References : CIPRO - Renal failure http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?form=4&db=m&term=cipro&r enal &failure

12) Pradhan KM, Arora NK, Jena A, Susheela AK, Bhan MK - "Safety of ciprofloxacin therapy in children: magnetic resonance images, body fluid levels of fluoride and linear growth" Acta Paediatr 84(5):555-60 (1995)

13) Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin - Vol. 16, No. 2 (May 1997)

14) Ramanujam TR - "Fluoroquinolones - A Review" (2001) http://www.mcsindia.org/doctors/Epharma/january.asp

15) Petition to Require a Warning on All Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics (HRG Publication #1399) http://www.citizen.org/publications/release.cfm?ID=6595

16) Information on Adverse Reactions to Drugs No.128, October 1994

17) FDA Medical Bulletin - Vol. 26, No.3 (October 1996)

18) 27th Meeting of the Drug Evaluation Sub-Committee, Ministry of Health, Colombo (November 1996)

19) Shakibaei M, de Souza P, van Sickle D, Stahlmann R - "Biochemical changes in Achilles tendon from juvenile dogs after treatment with ciprofloxacin or feeding a magnesium-deficient diet" Arch Toxicol 75(6):369-74 (2001)

20) Clinical Toxicology Review, Vol. 20, No. 3 (1997)

21) Herrlin K, Segerdahl M, Gustafsson LL, Kalso E - "Methadone, ciprofloxacin, and adverse drug reactions" Lancet 356(9247):2069-70 (2000)

22) Ellis RJ, Mayo MS, Bodensteiner DM - "Ciprofloxacin-warfarin coagulopathy: a case series" Am J Hematol 63(1):28-31 (2000)

23) Guzman A, Garcia C, Demestre I - "Subchronic toxicity of the new quinolone antibacterial agent irloxacin in beagle dogs" Arzneimittelforschung 50(5):485-94 (2000)

24) Kraft K - "Über die Synthese einiger aromatischer Fluorverbindungen" Knoll Research, Chem Ber. 84(2):150-156 (1951) (describes manufacturing processes of numerous organic fluorides, after it was shown that all organic fluoride compounds displayed stronger anti-thyroid activity than the mere "fluoride ion")

25) Kraft K, Dengel F - "Über die Synthese einiger aromatischer Fluorverbindungen, II. Mitteilung" Chem Ber 85(6):577-582 (1952) (more reports on organic fluoride investigations..."in regards to their characteristics in lowering BMR as well as anti-bacterial activity")

26) Zutavern EP, Kraft K - "Verfahren zur Herstellung von organischen Salzen der Fluorwasserstoffsäure" German Patent No. 855118, granted Dec. 5, 1950 (Knoll AG) (Kraft patent on the same organic fluoride compounds used previously in the treatment of hyperthyroidism, now patented as anti-caries agents!)

27) Eichler O, Kraft K - "Verfahren zur Herstellung einer alkalischen, seifenfreien, reagibles Fluor neben Calciumcarbonat enthaltenden Zahnpasta" German Patent No. 971375, granted Aug. 28, 1951 (Knoll AG) (patent describing the use of ethanol-amino-hydrofluorides in toothpaste...)

28) Pineau T, Fernandez-Salguero P, Lee SS, McPhail T, Ward JM, Gonzalez FJ - "Neonatal lethality associated with respiratory distress in mice lacking cytochrome P450 1A2" Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 92(11):5134-8 (1995)

29) Cipro Monograph http://www.healthsquare.com/pdrfg/pd/monos/cipro.htm

30) Coronado VG, Edwards JR, Culver DH, Gaynes RP - "Ciprofloxacin resistance among nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in the United States. National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System" Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 16(2):71-5 (1995)

31) Smith KE, Besser JM, Hedberg CW, Leano FT, Bender JB, Wicklund JH, Johnson BP, Moore KA, Osterholm MT - "Quinolone-resistant Campylobacter jejuni infections in Minnesota, 1992-1998" N Engl J Med 340(20):1525-32(1999)

32) CDC Special Report : "Emerging Mechanisms of Fluoroquinolone Resistance" David C. Hooper Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

33) Kurtz CI, Fitzpatrick R - "Anionic polymers as toxin binders and antibacterial agents" US Patent 6,290,946, GelTex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2000)

34) Orlando Sentinel, October 20, 2001

35) Bayer Balks at Banning Poultry Antibiotic - FDA, citing resistance, seeks removal" By Adam Marcus HealthScout Reporter, Dec. 1, 2000

36) Chignell CF - "Mechanisms of chemically induced photosensitivity" Crisp Data Base National Institutes Of Health, CRISP/99/ES50046-20 (1998).

37) Photoreceptor/fluoride - 50+ References http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?form=4&db=m&term=photore cept or&fluoride

[DonQ]

Ditto. I had a very bad reaction to Cipro about 9 years ago, when I took for (if I recall) a nasty bladder infection. I felt as if I had malaria, with hives ...

More to the point, people should not be taking strong medications - especially medications with risks of serious side-effects - on nothing more than speculation. And in the case of antibiotics like Cipro, taking them needlessly now might mean that the same or similar medications will lack punch when really needed.

[callisto]

Thank you for posting this info....So many people have no idea what this medication can do to them.

Indexing for Anthrax_Scare_List
To find all articles tagged or indexed go here:
OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC) LIST
and then click the Anthrax_Scare_List topic to initiate the search! !

[horsewhispersc]

I opt for a fever and penicilan(sp) for I have read much too much and love what the body can do over meds. MO.....no cipro for moi, Dan Rather must of studied up on it and saw the truth, good for him!

sc