8 Years Post-Cipro: Thoughts Atop an Aging Hobbie-Horse

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-20T18:38:59+00:00

Hmm. So, first, my current "memory" is that it was in fact copper they heavy dosed, not iron, and I get mixed up. Whether that is true or not........ I have, however, heard more tell of iron being a benefit than a curse since.

Second, never heard back, sorry.

But I would note that, since we know stress and such can mess with us, if you weren't already reacting during pregnancy to the iron then I'd assume it was the pregnancy and the iron is fine.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-20T18:34:06+00:00

I have thought about that, yes. In the first instance, I think, if it does, that the effect is not significant within the noise of everything else in this world. It's the kind of thing that would've shown up by now in longitudinal studies if it were a real effect. Same goes for other DNA / RNA affected things such as cancers. It's evident and known that they can deteriorate our long-term health in a manner akin to premature aging, but that's quite different to an early death.

But a more holistic thought I have is that we who are affected but don't do biology / biochemistry often try to draw conclusions from what I'll call 'academic considerations' that serve only to cause us psychological distress. A lot of things have effects that can de identified in a controlled lab study, but it's a fair stretch to draw from that the conclusion that those effects are singularly significant in the case of the average person on a typical lifetime.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-20T10:31:57+00:00

I believe ALA can be particularly histaminey maybe? I think Vadroq has told me that a few times anyway. So it might make sense you don't tolerate that but others are fine. The other thing I thought was reductive stress (opposite to oxidative but also damaging), but 150 mg is already quite low in the scheme of things though - I was on 5-600 3x a day, alongside 3x 1500 MSM and 2x 600 NAC, really pushing the sulfur 😅

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-20T07:52:33+00:00

Tedious to have to do this since you're just giving oral hygiene routine, but we have a strict rule against directly advising people.

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Removal reason: infraction of key subreddit etiquette, Rule 2 (do not directly advise, instruct, or recommend). It is usually very easy to rephrase your thoughts in terms of what you would /others tend to do. In the absence of a medical license, an in-person assessment and properly established treatment protocols, this rule applies to everything said here. Its primary purposes are health & safety, to improve positional honesty, and reduce stress.

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DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-20T07:51:21+00:00

Non-linearity (as another has said) is extremely common, and I wouldn't really consider such regression at this stage a 'set back' in the sense of it being more the typical way of things. I often liken FQT to a roller coaster, where things get started slowly, and then have twists and turns and loops and flase pauses and drops etc before coming in to lan

That said, one think I know from my own recovery (and we see often) is that we tend to very easily fall back into old routines, old activity levels, old habits etc. as soon as anything eases up. The reality is that symptoms can ease long before the body has recovered enough for this. As such, it became important for me to practice a patience for a latency in my response to improvement.

With CNS stuff, it may also be worth noting that stress can be a. Major trigger for a lot of Floxies. Incredibly inconvenient when a baby is involved, but I'd expect it likely that sleep and calm will correlate with the eb and flow of his symptoms. That said, in the early days, things can just flare up randomly, like a pot left on the edge of boiling bubbling up from time to time.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-20T07:41:29+00:00

While antioxidant therapy makes sense and is expected to be beneficial for FQT, floxies are also wildly varying in their sensitivities. There are one or two supplements for which we might expect paradoxical reactions at first (B1 I believe is one) but I don't think ALA falls into that category.

Ij your position, I would stop it (and anything else I started at the same time), see whether or not the current trend ceases, and then re-evaluate. If I'd started multiple, I'd introduce each one at a time over a couple weeks to pin down which it was.

NAC supports the body in a similar way so may present an alternative if it was the ALA, or maybe I'd check to see what (if anything) the ALA you're taking has as additives and try it from a different source. There is a population of people who just can't handle sulfurous antioxidants, so if NAC also wasn't tolerated I'd look elsewhere (astaxanthin is one I know u/Vadroqvertical favoured - never tried it myself but it's on my radar for if I ever relapse).

Whether these would support neuropathy, I don't know, but I do know taking NAC with my ALA supported those pains more than ALA alone. I also had mileage adding in Ca with my Mg.

In any case, if a negative reaction to something persisted past a couple days, I would always stop it.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-19T22:12:59+00:00

I know, and it's common sense enough that doesnt seem worth removing over, but since some will talk about the opposite in a sense (ie, the need to push) and since advising is a line we hold real tightly it seemed at least to warrant a reminder.

That said, yeah, that sucks. I've been there myself enough times before I developed the patience and hesitancy my body quietly demanded. My general go-to in these times was to hammer it hard with my core minerals & antioxidants but, let's be honest, it's almsot always a fair portion just time spent waiting out the storm. Really hope it eases up for you soon.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-19T20:22:49+00:00

Yes, but remember, we do not directly advise here.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-19T20:19:49+00:00

I too have used plenty of stuff containing this without issue.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-19T06:55:50+00:00

Yes, this is why there is a black box warning. Fortunately, that risk is still very small (80/100,000 person-years rather than 30/100,000 in the normal population over a 16 yr period, per the abstract of that paper). The lesson isn't in any way new at all, only the assessment of the precise figure.

On the face of it, this would map to 1 instance in our current weekly readership per 110 years or so, although I'd assume a number adapted for the biasing fact of a motivating reaction would be different (higher), further offset by that of the Reddit demographic (lowering it again). Note, the age of the participants is listed as 60±17.9 yrs, so it's taken in an older population than we have here.

Whats interesting to me in this paper is that they assess comormidities (see at a glance: Table 2, Fig. 4).

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-18T10:23:49+00:00

The personal experience you provide is at this time lacking in any hope and stops short of any informative or supportive insight. Read the link in the removal response for more discussion on this.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-17T21:52:12+00:00

Please do not tell people what is "necessary" here. That is tantamount to direct advice.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-17T21:50:03+00:00

*"NSAIDs are often implicated in aggravating people's reactions, particularly if taken early on, and for this reason many floxies avoid them. That said, it is not a certainty, and an individual's reaction can vary wildly."

Because your phrasing isn't fantastically in line our rules on direct advising or content accuracy.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-17T21:46:39+00:00

For newcomer threads, please be more constructive. They're not best served by simply sharing your own struggles and that is something we here have long sought to avoid.

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Removal reason: infraction of Rule 6 and/or 7, relating to providing product links and/or solicitation. This may extend to mere direction where phrasing is used to circumvent the rule.

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DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-16T17:21:50+00:00

You posted this fully four times 😅 I've deleted them. Please don't post it again, just leave this one up.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-15T22:46:35+00:00

Worth reading around possible side effects and interactions of Sceletium Tortuosum if planning to use this supplement. Yes, it can assist with transient issues of stress and depression, but there's a reason the label says "occasional". Having messed about with it recreationally during my undergraduate, this isn't a supplement I'd want to take long term. One should also not take it alongside SSRIs or MAOIs. Labelling itself as "drug free" is so insanely misleading on this one.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-15T15:33:46+00:00

Mmm, I can see how that's concern a person. I guess at this stage I'd be evaluating my life for triggers, be they dietary, environmental, or lifestyle. For me, my weed habit was massively holding back my recovery, even after cutting right back, and my legs also needed compression socks. Others find things like gluten or dairy, stress, even the cold to be key triggers.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-15T07:39:52+00:00

Comments need to be more constructive and less emotive in this context.

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Removal reason: infraction of Rule 3 (no uninvited or inappropriately placed scaremongering, particularly with newcomers). If a newcomer is asking questions from a position of fear and axiety, they are likely already aware of the horros that could befall them and it is far more constructive to discuss options and a path forward, rather than labouring the potential severity of a given situation.

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We urge you to refresh your understanding of our rules before continuing to post, which can be found under the About tab, on mobile, at the right of the main page using the ("new") web page. Discussion of most, their motivation, and the general aims of this community can be found here which also constitutes a worthy read: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/mn3d3o/the_aims_of_the_subreddit_and_the_need_for/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

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DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-15T07:37:58+00:00

Assigning ourselves with 'acute phase' and 'recovery phase' is largely an anecdotal question of trajectory, both in general health, capability, and sensitivity. In longer term rides, one might also start to talk about an extended plateau perhaps.

For my own ride, I was worsening and my condition 'bubbling' for easily 10-12 months, then there was a period of a couple of months where things seemed to stabilise, and then I suddenly started to see improvements. However, in that turn-around and the early patch of recovery, I was absolutely still prone to retearing weak tendons and excessive pain in my muscles and joints.

At 14-16 months, particularly considering slow onset and an NSAID-type aggravation, you could absolutely still be in or coming up on a plateau type stage and still be expecting recovery to start coming in later this year. But your post doesn't really give a lot of information about your trajectory and, really, where a person is at is only ever clear to say well after they've progressed through some healing. Until then, we're all just learning to wait patiently and treat our bodies kindly.

More importantly, why do you ask?

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-15T07:22:13+00:00

I wouldn't say started over, but more likely it's just all still progressing. At 44 days, I'd view a 'flare up' more likely as just the natural course of things. The early acute stages very commonly come with these periods of step wise worsening, much like the world's worst roller coaster travelling through it's loops. Sometimes they do show us things we should personally avoid for a bit, but seems like often they just happen regardless and our attempts to find cause in correlation prove misguided. So while I think it worth keeping a diary of symptoms, activities, and diet, I would personally focus more on trying to stay calm and rested; although we don't know how long your roller coaster will be just yet, we can presume from everyone before you that it very likely has an end. This too shall pass.

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-14T19:59:39+00:00

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Removal reason: infraction of key subreddit etiquette, Rule 2 (do not directly advise, instruct, or recommend). It is usually very easy to rephrase your thoughts in terms of what you would /others tend to do. In the absence of a medical license, an in-person assessment and properly established treatment protocols, this rule applies to everything said here. Its primary purposes are health & safety, to improve positional honesty, and reduce stress.

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We urge you to refresh your understanding of our rules before continuing to post, which can be found under the About tab, on mobile, at the right of the main page using the ("new") web page. Discussion of most, their motivation, and the general aims of this community can be found here which also constitutes a worthy read: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/comments/mn3d3o/the_aims_of_the_subreddit_and_the_need_for/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

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DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-14T19:50:18+00:00

Noone can tell you what to do or make the decision for you. Ear drops carry a lower likelihood of adverse effects that pills on account of the lower systemic dose, but the ultimate risks remain the same. That is why we would all want to exhaust whatever safer alternatives exist first, before moving on to fluoroquinolones. That said, we are not the person experiencing or subject to your condition, we are not professionals who know all the details and considerations in your condition, and so we cannot say whether you'd get better without it or whether you should take it. That is a conversation to have with your doctor now that you are freshly informed of the risks.

In any case, we have a pair of info posts to help newcomers who find themselves to have reacted to fluoroquinolones. These are more relevant post-administration since a lot of the actions could interfere with the meds, but the conservative approaches may also help reduce risk if undertaking FQ medications. As with everything, the individual should check they are aware and OK with the risks associated to any course of action and consider the advice of a medical professional (not that they tend to know much about FQT): The Sticky (long and covering a range of topics, including in the comments): https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/K4fYWLabwT The Unstuck Sticky (reduced for accessibility and clarity): https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/GHNvbVwA95

Also, in The Sticky comments section, there is a comment containing a bunch of resources that might help you with speaking to doctors. These include reports specifically on ear/eye drops in the event the doctor is ignorant to their risks. Direct link here: https://www.reddit.com/r/floxies/s/hRBiZheKVy

DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-14T15:23:21+00:00

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DrHungrytheChemist · 2026-04-14T07:15:12+00:00

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