In July of 2014, I was floxed following 5 days of the antibiotic, ciprofloxacin for a UTI. My entire life changed overnight. I went from fully functioning, vibrant, fit, at the top of my game to a cripple, pain ridden, defeated woman. As I pulled my pharmaceutical, medicinal chemistry and biochemistry backgrounds together, I knew I should start by looking at the structure of ciprofloxacin. From there, I needed to figure out what about this molecule could cause the type of damage and symptoms I was experiencing. When I pulled the image up, the fact that this quinolone was fluorinated stood out. This is where I focused the bulk of my initial research. Since then, of course, there are many sites pointing to fluoride as a potential culprit to being floxed.
Let’s take a look at fluorine.
Medications are sometimes fluorinated to help the medications get to hard to reach areas of the body. Specifically, these compounds are known as organofluorines, because the fluorine is attached to a carbon molecule. Organofluorines enable medications to dissolve in fats and it slows the speed at which the medication is metabolized. By doing this, it allows the medication to work longer. Organofluorines are found in 20-30% of pharmaceutical medications, including those that are very widely prescribed. Those medications include certain antibiotics, cholesterol lowering agents, antidepressants, anti-allergy medications and sprays, and anti-inflammatory medications. Great.
The downside of fluorine is that it is a very highly reactive molecule. It is very rarely found in biologic compounds, and when it is, it can be very toxic. It is so highly reactive that it forms a very strong bond with Carbon, which makes it difficult for the body to break down. Because it is hard to break down, it can accumulate in your body over time and create toxicity within your body. They have been linked to cancers, liver toxicity, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, high cholesterol, seizures, kidney failure, miscarriage, immune system disruption and more.
Carbon comprises 18.5% of body weight. Carbon is the basic building block of most of the cells in your body. Carbon is used in the body for energy production in the mitochondria (our energy centers where food is converted).
Let’s imagine that you take a medication that has fluorine attached to it. It finds all the hard to reach places in your body and then binds very strongly to the Carbon, which is found just about everywhere. This will essentially make the carbon unavailable to do what it needs to do for your body. Further, because fluorine is so reactive and damaging, it can start to damage the cells of your body to which it is attached. The damage can be limited to a small area or can be widespread.
One interesting thing I found is that if you look up the toxic effects of fluoroquinolones, they parallel the effects of chronic fluoride toxicity, which are also consistent with symptoms of fibromyalgia. This includes: chronic fatigue, headaches, aches, pains and stiffness in lower back, jaw, neck area, arms, shoulders and legs (myalgias), muscular weakness, muscle spasms, tingling in fingers and feet, neuropathies, gastrointestinal disturbances, nausea, mouth sores, loss of mental acuity and ability to concentrate (brain fog), memory loss, depression, anxiety, dizziness and visual disturbances. Additionally, excessive fluoride can impair glucose tolerance, increasing blood glucose levels and disrupt thyroid hormone production. Fluoride affects the pineal gland, interrupting the sleep-wake cycle, and can cause bond fractures due to less dense bones. There is so much more. If you have been floxed, I am sure this list of symptoms sounds very familiar.
People who have been floxed often times have very unique experiences. Some are more prone to tendon ruptures. Others have full body devastation. It can depend on many factors, including lifestyle factors, age, kidney function, environmental factors, tendency to allergies, nutrition, and your genetic predisposition for mutations that affect our body’s ability to detoxify and eliminate various compounds. I’ll save that part for another blog. Let’s just say that because every body is different, everybody responds differently. Sometimes people get floxed the first time they use a fluoroquinolone. Others work their way up over a lifetime of fluorinated medications until they reach some sort of threshold.
If we only work within the framework of fluoride being a possible culprit in causing the devastating symptoms of fluoroquinolone toxicity, then at least we have somewhere to start helping ourselves.
What are some things you can do right now to start helping yourself? For starters, you can stop adding to the damage by minimizing or eliminating the fluoride you take into your body. Here are some suggestions:
- Avoid all fluoridated water. Choose distilled or purified water. Remember that there is a distinct difference between spring water and purified water. Be diligent in reading the labels when buying water. Much of the fluoride that the USA adds to drinking water comes from China. Recent reports show that the fluoride from China is also laced with heavy metals. That’s a double whammy for those of us trying to reclaim our lives.
- Avoid bottled drinks. Most bottled drinks like electrolyte replenishers, sodas, teas and coffees are made with water. That water typically comes from a city water source, which has fluoride in it.
- Avoid fluoride containing foods and beverages. You can download lists of foods and beverages and fluoride content from the internet. Get familiar with what has the highest amount of fluoride and avoid that. Black tea, which used to be one of my go to’s is no longer in my life. Tea naturally absorbs fluoride from the soil in which it is grown and subsequently has relatively high amounts of fluoride.
- Avoid fluoridated toothpastes. It is available at any healthful or organic store. It is also available at major retail and grocery stores. Just be sure to read the label. If you have been floxed and are having symptoms of pain or sores in your mouth, this may be the cause.
- Avoid cigarette smoke and industrial pollution, which contains fluoride.
- Choose organic foods. Non-organic foods may have been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. Those sprays often contain fluoride and other compounds that can be detrimental to your health.
- Avoid grape juice products, instant tea and soymilk. They all contain high levels of fluoride.
- If possible, avoid medications that contain fluoride. A simple way to find out if a medication has fluoride in it is to google the name of the medication followed by “chemical structure.” Click on images and you will be able to view the structure. If you see an “F” in the structure, then it contains fluoride. Oftentimes, antibiotics, anti-depressants, cholesterol lowering or glucose lowering medications doctors might prescribe, contain fluoride. If you take these medications, you may continue to add to the damage already caused by the fluoroquinolone. Work with your doctor to find alternative medications that do not contain fluoride.
- Install fluoride and chlorine filters on water sources in your home. Or invest in a reverse osmosis system if your finances allow. Fluorine is a halogen, as is chlorine. An overload of chlorine has the potential to cause continued symptoms. This being said, it might be wise to avoid chlorinated swimming pools.
While this is not an exhaustive list of what you can do to minimize exposure to fluoride, it is something you can start today to work toward a healthier lifestyle. Life has handed you an incredibly devastating and challenging thing by being floxed. I know. Just take one step at a time and practice daily diligence with your healing. Above all else, be gentle. Be gentle. Be gentle.
In love and healing light,
Sujata