FDA Hearing – Victory for Victims of Fluoroquinolones

This is a follow up post to These Over-Prescribed Antibiotics are Causing Transgenerational DNA Damage. These meds should be banned!

Floxie Hope

On November 5, 2015, a meeting was held at the FDA’s White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, for the Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee to discuss, “the risks and benefits of the systemic fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs for the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis, acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis in patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in the context of available safety information and the treatment effect of antibacterial drugs in these clinical conditions.”   

Hundreds of victims of fluoroquinolones from all over the U.S. and Canada came to the meeting to tell their stories of fluoroquinolone toxicity, and the pain and disability that fluoroquinolones brought to their lives. 35 victims and advocates had the opportunity to speak directly to the committee.

The stories of pain, disability, and death caused by Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin were heart-felt and poignant. The pain that these drugs have caused was noted by all those in attendance–including fellow victims, supporters of victims, the media, and the committee.

After deliberation and discussion, the FDA committee decided that the risk and benefits of systemic fluoroquinolone use for treatment of sinus infections, bronchitis in those with COPD, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections, are NOT sufficiently described in the warning labels for fluoroquinolones. The committee voted almost unanimously in favor of changing the warning labels. WE WERE HEARD! This is a HUGE step in the right direction!

FDA Votes1

The committee is now going to recommend that the FDA update the warning labels to better address the risks and benefits associated with fluoroquinolones. You can read in past posts about how the briefing for this meeting acknowledged that fluoroquinolones are no better at treating the conditions in question than placebos (http://floxiehope.com/2015/10/20/the-fda-notes-that-fluoroquinolones-are-no-better-than-placebos/) and how fluoroquinolones cause a constellation of disabling symptoms (http://floxiehope.com/2015/10/25/an-official-name-fluoroquinolone-associated-disability-fqad/). The entire brief can be read HERE.

An almost unanimous vote by the committee is a HUGE step in the right direction and it is a huge VICTORY that should be celebrated!

THANK YOU to all who came to the meeting testify or to support! You are all appreciated!

In a few days (maybe weeks) the entire meeting will be available to be viewed online. I suggest checking in at the FDA’s web site in a couple of weeks – http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Drugs/Anti-InfectiveDrugsAdvisoryCommittee/ucm424449.htm. (I’m not sure that that’s the correct link. If it’s not, I apologize.)

Here are a couple of videos of the testimony provided:

Nicole Delaine:

Michael Kaferly:

Here is what I (Lisa Bloomquist) said:

My name is Lisa Bloomquist. I flew in from Denver in order to testify about the damage that ciprofloxacin did to me, and to encourage you to cut the approved uses for fluoroquinolones so that they are only used in life-or-death situations.

In 2011 I took ciprofloxacin to treat an uncomplicated urinary tract infection. I experienced the following symptoms after taking it:

1. Hives all over my body
2. Weakness in my legs to the point that I could barely walk
3. Tightness and pain in my tendons
4. Brain fog
5. Memory loss
6. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction
7. Fatigue
8. Anxiety, fear and other central nervous system symptoms

I was sick for 18 months of my life in my early 30s because of a drug I took to treat a simple urinary tract infection. I have gotten rid of subsequent uncomplicated UTIs with d-mannose and my immune system. It is NOT APPROPRIATE for drugs that are as dangerous and consequential as ciprofloxacin and the other fluoroquinolones to be prescribed to treat simple infections that can be cured with more benign methods.

You will hear the testimony of people who have had much worse reactions than I did. You will hear from people whose lives have been destroyed by fluoroquinolones. The adverse effects of these drugs are severe.

Janssen and Bayer lawyers claim that there is no mechanism for the constellation of symptoms described today. They are wrong.

Fluoroquinolones cause:

  1. Mitochondrial damage which starts a vicious cycle of oxidative stress and further mitochondrial damage. 
  2. Acute fluoride toxicity.
  3. Fluoroquinolones chelate vital minerals from cells, including magnesium and iron. These minerals are necessary for hundreds of enzymatic reactions. 
  4. Fluoroquinolones cause a downgrading of GABA receptors and essentially throw people into protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal.
  5. Fluoroquinolones cause a massive histamine release and mast cell activation. 
  6. They cause collagen synthesis disorders.
  7. They cause microbiome destruction.
  8. All topoisomerase interrupting drugs cause epigenetic damage. They are chemo drugs. Fluoroquinolones should be treated as chemo drugs. They should only be used in life-or-death situations. 

I know these effects, and I can refer you to the studies documenting them. Why don’t you?

Sherry Reiver:

Good afternoon chair and committee people,

I am so angry after hearing the drug companies but I have my speech written already!

My name is Sherry Reiver and I am 64 years old. I have been sick from FQs in all forms since I was 43. I moved from NY to Charlotte 10 years ago and for 21 years it is difficult to find a dr that will validate that FQs has destroyed my health and life. Each year that goes by, it’s harder for Drs to believe that these affects last so long. Over two years ago during a surgery at Duke against my consent, Floxin soaked GELFOAM PLEDGETS and steroids were placed in my head and I am 200x worse. Lets not kid ourselves, TOPICALS are just as dangerous as any FQs and the Topicals need to be INCLUDED not EXCLUDED from that PN warning the FDA came out with in August of 13.


The perils of the topicals used on children for ear and eye infections should cause great concern and should be researched as well. What are these drugs doing to their little brains and bodies?


This is a bittersweet day for me. Four years ago today, my 93 year old dad died. He FELL at home and was taken to the hospital by a neighbor. By the time my husband and I arrived in Florida, my dad had no idea who we were. They THOUGHT he had pneumonia so they IV’d him with Levaquin. It turned out that he did NOT have pneumonia but he continued to hallucinate for 6 weeks and then died. He was sharp as a tack before Levaquin dripped into his body. He did have an aortic aneurysm for many years which was being watched but it ruptured on November 4th. I would have never connected the AA with FQs until I read this research paper dated October 5th 2015. So here is another RARE side effect that can occur, which it did in my dad’s case. How many others have died from AAs and had taken a FQ drug? It took 10 years for this report to come to light. Was the FDA aware of this research from Tawain?

Do you know that after each cystoscope, Urologists hand out the gift of one Cipro, thank you Bayer, for the “just in case ” scenario? I know this for a fact. Cipro is also given out FREE at pharmacy so therefore it is prescribed more.


Three minutes does not allow me time to talk about my own health issues but understand there are many but Dr. Boxwell’s slides just showed them. We have flares which come and go at the whim of these drugs. It’s the drug that keeps on giving even years later. It has no time constraints, it holds no barriers. Doctors are clueless. We get no warnings, doctors DO NOT report our concerns and they dint read the labels themselves!

NOW EVERYONE, THIS IS THE PART I WAS UNABLE TO READ AS I READ TOO SLOWLY AND MY 3 minutes were up!!!


We are all disabled in different degrees. Don’t judge a book by its cover. I miss my life, i miss reading , I miss being productive and I miss my salary. What I have is not the “aging process” as some Drs have told me, but FQ Toxicity.


Unfortunately there are millions of people who have not connected the dots because they don’t expect an antibiotic to do such harm. Some of these people have died and their families will never know that the FQs were the reason.


Drug reps are NOT the ones who should be educating the Drs on the uses of ANY drugs. The drug companies need to come forward with information they are hiding. Their studies are flawed. PLEASE STOP THE MADNESS of these drugs being handed out so indiscriminately.

Although I am not asking you to ban these drugs, I personally, if on my deathbed would rather die than experience any worsening of my life as it is now.
Thank you for your time. I waited 21 years to be heard!

If you would like to share your testimony on this site (to archive it, for search engines to find it, or just because you want to) please send it to me through the Contact link above. I am happy to post any and all testimony in any form.

Thank you again to everyone who came to the meeting yesterday! It truly was a huge victory! Great job, everyone!!!

http://floxiehope.com/2015/11/06/fda-hearing-victory-for-victims-of-fluoroquinolones/

13 thoughts on “FDA Hearing – Victory for Victims of Fluoroquinolones

  1. “…..recommend that the FDA update the warning labels….”

    Maybe I can help by updating the warning labels for them:

    The Zionist-owned pharmaceutical companies want you dead, and have spent untold millions to suppress natural remedies in favor of pumping their poisons into your body, just to insure that you’ll be sick enough to spend all of your cash on their “medicines”, until you finally croak.

    You only believe they’re real doctors because the Zionist-owned propaganda machine has drummed that erroneous notion into your head for your entire life, but America’s medical education system was subverted many decades ago to insure that doctors know no better than to poison you with this crap.

  2. the damn things should be banned…….THEY ARE BIOWEAPONS! We are being killed without bullets…….I will never take any of the medical mafia’s prescriptions or vaccines etc. Stay away from the whitecoats! I went to that site and left my comment.

  3. YES, THESE DRUGS MUST BE BANNED.

    For a simple UTI, I went to Urgent care clinic.
    I told them going in, I do not want any NEW drugs, just a simple
    amoxicillian or such, that I KNOW is old, and somewhat safe.

    I said it again to the nurse practicioner in the exam room, and again on my way out waiting for the written prescription.

    They prescribed CIPRO anyway, saying this is most effective, and this is what I have to take….

    THEY TOTALLY IGNORED MY REFUSAL TO TAKE THE DRUG INSISTING I MUST CONTINUE IT.

    THIS GOES BEYOND UN-INFORMED CONSENT.
    I REFUSED THIS DRUG NO LESS THAN 3 TIMES,
    AND WAS TOLD THIS IS WHAT I MUST TAKE.

    When I got the drug home and read the long list of side effects, WHICH INCLUDES HEART ATTACK, I called the office and AGAIN and stated I did NOT want to take this unknown and dangerous drug.

    Again they INSISTED I take Cipro, this is what they prescribe for my situation….they also LIED and said the side effects are rare, and they are listed for legal purposes because “a few” people MAY have experienced them…..BULLSHIT.

    They said the old drugs don’t work, MORE BULLSHIT.

    And I KNEW these young ignorant people didn’t know anything about the drugs they were prescribing because they are to ignorant to do any research themselves. But they kept insisting THIS is what is commonly prescribed for UTI and it works. Even a registered nurse friend told me “this is what they use now”. It works.

    NO IT DOESN’T.
    A second culture was taken and it came back IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL CULTURE….
    I had taken the equivolent of a placebo….
    WITH DEADLY SIDE EFFECTS FOR NOTHING.

    I took the drug for 2-3 days and I called AGAIN complaining of the side effects, that the warnings say STOP THE DRUG IF….
    and
    AGAIN, they insisted I continue to take the drug….for 10 days….

    after 7 days I decided to stop the drug regardless of what they said because I thought I was going die of the chest pain…. my legs were numb, my neck is sore as hell, I was experiencing MANY of the RARE side effects…. I was basically sick as dog, losing time from work.

    Four days after I stopped the drug I came across this article, “Confessions of a Medical Heretic, Part Two by Gary G. Kohls, MD”
    and then I found
    “These Over-Prescribed Antibiotics are Causing Transgenerational DNA Damage”.

    NOW I find out this drug is a Chemo Drug !!

    I cannot begin to tell you how pissed off I am that these IGNORANT ASSHOLES WILLFULLY POISONED ME and WITH UN-NECESSARY CHEMO DRUGS TO BOOT !!!!
    AND THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH DOING IT TO MILLIONS…..
    AND they don’t even know the dangers of what they are doing!

    These clinics are DEATH CAMPS, not healers.

    I found a holistic doctor who will help me REBUILD MY IMMUNE SYSTEM.

    I hope everyone of those bastards involved with these drugs suffer slowly with penis cancer until they die.

    1. you only made one mistake and that was going against what you knew and took it anyway. Knowledge is power use it.

    2. remember this George NO ONE IS SMARTER THAN YOU …when some a hole tries to tell you something that doesn’t sit right ignore him/her and move on…. no one is safe when they go to the medical mafia for ‘care’

  4. George, if you’re prone to UTIs, then there are 3 natural therapies to consider:
    1) Unsweetened cranberry juice that you sweeten yourself to be able to drink it. It acidifies the urine and makes it more difficult for bacteria to cling to the lining of the bladder and urethra. Although the article here (http://wholehealthchicago.com/2009/05/05/urinary-tract-infections/) was written mainly for women, there’s information that could also be helpful for you.
    2) Mega dose vitamin C also acidifies the urine and makes it more difficult for bacteria to cling to the urinary tract lining. Infections rapidly deplete vitamin C from the body, and 10 grams per day is recommended for chronic UTIs, which often occur when urine is alkaline (see Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin C at http://seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/198x/smith-lh-clinical_guide_1988.htm).
    3) D-Mannose has been shown to be as effective as antibiotics in treating UTIs. See the Mercola article at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/04/28/d-mannose-uti-prevention.aspx.

    Best wishes and get well soon.

    1. You “Terrorist”! Learning to take care of yourself? We can’t have that. So, your one of them “free thinkers” huh? LOL 😆

      Actually #1, I’d like you to check out this medicine man’s website just for your opinion. Just search Russel Foureagles website. I’ve heard of him since he’s from Spooner, WI and my brother attended a gig with this guy and was impressed with his work on Lyme’s disease. This guy says antibiotics for Lyme’s disease only puts it in a dormant stage that can still have adverse effects on health. He prescribes herbs and other healing practices to resolve this. I’ve met him, he’s very humble and at peace. He’s got quite the healing reputation that he projects with his peaceful spirit. Medical science has no explanation for him.

      1. Just knocked out the third cold that’s tried to hit me in the last 3 years, Millard. It got a bit more of a foothold than the first 2, but not much. Not a trace by the 3rd day.

        That stuff is amazing!!!

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