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I have pretty bad anxiety about taking medications. I have had a UTI for over three weeks now and the most recent culture indicates that I need to take Cipro. I really do not want to take it after reading all the bad reviews on the internet, but my doctor says it's that or an IV antibiotic. She says it's only for three days and she feels confident in the safety of the drug.

 

Has anyone taken Cipro and can you share you experience with me?

 

Cindy

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I had a UTI that was stubborn... my 'natural' treatments did not work, and I was miserable so I went to my Dr.

 

I felt better within a day or two!

 

After I finished my course I did load up on pro-biotics to make sure the UTI would not return. Cipro will knock out the bad bacteria--but it will also knock out the good stuff too... the pro-biotics did the trick!

 

UTI's can get ugly fast-- and then you can end up in serious trouble...

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Cipro is EVIL.

 

I have quite a few antibiotics that I'm allergic to (erythromycin & others I can't spell). I was given Cipro last winter and I had a terrible reaction.

 

I literally thought I was crazy. I was having panic attacks and terrible anxiety about everything. It seemed to impact me neurologically too. It was so bizarre. My husband took me to the doctor and I was acting so strangely they immediately took me off it.

 

Obviously if you need it, you need it, but I'd be very careful.

 

Oops, I forgot though. I was also on a steroid and inhaler. They took me off everything. But I noticed the problem once they put me on Cipro. It is possible it was just the combination of meds?

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Cipro is EVIL...I was given Cipro last winter and I had a terrible reaction...I literally thought I was crazy. I was having panic attacks and terrible anxiety about everything. .... It is possible it was just the combination of meds?

 

My dog suffered neurological damage from Cipro. We had thought he made complete recovery but just few days ago we witnessed his head swaying again and facial tics although he did not go into full blown seizure.

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I was on it 3 times for up to two weeks each time this past winter and spring. I don't remember having any stomach problems with it, although I do believe it affected my joints negatively as I've had numbness in my fingertips on and off ever since. I have RA, and Cipro is not generally the best choice for people with RA, but my doc said he didn't have any other options. I was on it a long time, so that is probably what caused my issues,too.

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They are not sure, but they think Cipro may be the culprit in my tendon issues (you can google this, it's a black box warning). I'd say it's a drug of last resort. If you do have to take it, be gentle with your body for the next six months or so, that way if you have a weak tendon from it, you won't damage it.

 

Except for the expense, IV antibiotics may be a better choice. My mom had to have that. We went into the doctor's office and the IV was done there. She had so many reactions previously that the time and the needle were no big deal in comparison.

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I had a stomach infection that required two treatments of Cipro, and it did make me feel very dehydrated and out of sorts. I had an itchy, creepy-crawly feeling inside my skin. However, the infection finally cleared up so I was grateful to take it. It's usually a last-resort drug, so if they say you need, I would take it.

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I have had many UTIs in my life and Cipro is the only thing that ever works for me. I am allergic to penicillin. I love Cipro. If there was a way I could just have a stock of it on hand, I'd be the happiest camper in the world. I've never experienced more than a bit of stomach upset if I didn't take it with food.

 

FWIW, I usually prefer to go with natural remedies, but my UTIs are fiercesome. I go straight for the doc and a round of Cipro. No messing around.

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Which IV antibiotic is the alternative? Will it be inpatient or outpatient? Will insurance pay? These are all things to weigh.

 

I didn't get the name of the IV drug. I would have to get a PICC line. Not sure if insurance would pay or not. They would probably insist on the Cipro as I don't have a history of problems with it.

 

Cindy

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Cipro is EVIL.

 

I have quite a few antibiotics that I'm allergic to (erythromycin & others I can't spell). I was given Cipro last winter and I had a terrible reaction.

 

I literally thought I was crazy. I was having panic attacks and terrible anxiety about everything. It seemed to impact me neurologically too. It was so bizarre. My husband took me to the doctor and I was acting so strangely they immediately took me off it.

 

Obviously if you need it, you need it, but I'd be very careful.

 

Oops, I forgot though. I was also on a steroid and inhaler. They took me off everything. But I noticed the problem once they put me on Cipro. It is possible it was just the combination of meds?

 

They had dh on Cipro after his colon rupture. He went kind of nuts on it too. He had severe anxiety, felt like he was dying, couldn't sleep. It was bad. He had to suffer through though because he's allergic to other things, and it was take them or die.

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I was on a long round of Cipro for a bronchial/ ear & sinus infection that had gone on for 2 months. No other antibiotic had touched it.

 

My Dr told me that my choices were Cipro or IV. He also thinks he is a stand up comedian so when he was giving me the warnings about tendon rupture he said, "I don't want you to call me in a few days and tell me your ears feel better, but your legs don't work! HA!" :glare:

 

I didn't have any digestive issues, but I was very careful about how I took my dose and followed it with a round of probiotics.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

 

Amber in SJ

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Do some research on Oil of Oregano. I would use that first, before I'd ever use Cipro. My dd had a nasty reaction to Cipro; she was on a trip with some friends and her sister, and she frowned all the time, and then was yelling at them and acting in a way totally out-of-character for her. She said she knew she was doing it but couldn't make herself stop. Everyone was really scared, dd most of all. I was terrified when I read the 'side effects' from the pharmacy....I had trusted my doctor to give her a 'good' medicine.

 

Now, we only use Oil of Oregano; no antibiotics anymore. It works great!

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I have had to take it a couple of times. It is harsh on my stomach, and I tend not to be sensitive that way. Toward the end of a standard course of it I get pains in my upper arms that I think are those tendon problems that others have mentioned. I try to avoid it when possible, but for a UTI if it's really the last resort I think you should do it.

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We've had to take it fairly regularly since it's the only thing that kills some of the parasites and amoebas we can pick up living here.

 

It's not fun. But--take live culture yogurt with it! So many of my friends here get so sick directly after taking cipro because of how harsh it is and kills all the good bacteria as well. It's been a lot better for us since we started with the yogurt too. Keep up with the yogurt 3 times a day for about 5 days after taking the cipro.

 

Just so you know--we haven't had any long-term effects and we've probably each taken it 3 different times in the last 6 years.

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DD (15 yo and about 110 lbs at 5'3") took 10 days of it in August. I was scared of it (having read "askapatient" or some other website) but her appendix had burst and she had an abcess that was located in a way that it didn't drain. During her 9 nights in the hospital she had three other antibiotics and they sent her home on Cipro and Flagyl concurrently, 10 days. She did fine with it although the first few days she stayed in bed (more due to the infection and tiredness than drug side effects).

 

She was also given Zofran (antinausea) and took a few but then chose to not take it and found that the Flagyl/Cipro combination didn't mess her up.

 

She is still on probiotics though.

 

Antibiotics are weird, aren't they. Either they work fine or they really mess you up. I cannot take penicillin (gives me a fever of about 105 and a rash) nor anything ending in "quin" (levaquin, the old tequin, etc.) because they make me hate myself and the world. And they mess up my tummy horribly.

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I didn't get the name of the IV drug. I would have to get a PICC line. Not sure if insurance would pay or not. They would probably insist on the Cipro as I don't have a history of problems with it.

 

Cindy

 

I can only tolerate Cipro for 3 days. After 3 days, I feel like I have a major case of the flu. I can't walk, I can't bend my fingers, I ache all over, I have major anxiety etc, etc, etc. There is a move to get these drugs (fluoroquinolones) off the general market and make it only usable in a hospital situation. The fluoroquinolones are super antibiotics that kill EVERYTHING, which means they should be a last resort. If you are truly in a last resort situation, take it, but only for 3 days. If you have some other alternative, I would try that first.

 

BTW, it kills EVERYTHING! Including acne:lol:. My skin looks like a baby's butt when I'm on Cipro!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effects_of_fluoroquinolones

 

http://www.fqresearch.org/

 

:grouphug:

Dorinda

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Antibiotics are weird, aren't they. Either they work fine or they really mess you up. I cannot take penicillin (gives me a fever of about 105 and a rash) nor anything ending in "quin" (levaquin, the old tequin, etc.) because they make me hate myself and the world. And they mess up my tummy horribly.

 

:iagree:

Did you know Levaquin and Cipro are the same family? Avvolox is in that family too. Crazy, isn't it?

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The only problem I had with Cipro was a horrible taste in my mouth shortly after taking it. It would last for hours, and it got worse the longer I was taking it. By the last one I could barely put the pill in my mouth, I was so sickened by the taste! I told my doctor I would never take it again unless it was Cipro or death.

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Cipro is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics we see (along with amoxicillin and sulfa based antibiotics). It has the potential for stomach upset so take it with food but not dairy products (dairy binds with it and makes it less effective). Every antibiotic can cause stomach upset though because it messes with the gut flora so that is not unique to cipro. Just about any med, supplement or vitamin can cause GI issues, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Just eat some extra yogurt or take some acidophilus with it.

 

 

Cipro is fairy broad acting so it is great for a lot of issues, but it is wonderful for UTIs. The shortest duration we see is 3 days, for UTIs. Other people are on it for up to 10 days and in rare exceptions longer, depending on the problem being treated.

 

There is serious danger in letting a UTI go on for a long time. I had a friend who was hospitalized for a week, and almost died (seriously close-they didn't know if they were going to save her or not) from a UTI that went to her kidneys, then blood stream.

 

I rarely hear of any issues with Cipro and I am the first person people talk to when the call the pharmacy. I don't remember anyone complaining who only took it for the 3 day treatment for UTI, it was only the month long treatments. I would have ZERO qualms about trying it. Especially for a 3 day! Every pharmacy staff I currently work with has taken it in the past few years for some issue (travelers diarrhea is another common use) and not one of them mentioned any reservations about taking it.

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I have pretty bad anxiety about taking medications. I have had a UTI for over three weeks now and the most recent culture indicates that I need to take Cipro. I really do not want to take it after reading all the bad reviews on the internet, but my doctor says it's that or an IV antibiotic. She says it's only for three days and she feels confident in the safety of the drug.

 

Has anyone taken Cipro and can you share you experience with me?

 

Cindy

 

:eek: You're a stronger woman than I! There is no way I could live with a UTI for 3 weeks!! I would definitely take the cipro. I took it and the pain was gone within 12 hours. I read all the negative too, but realized that most people don't comment unless there IS a problem. And boy, was I glad I took it! A UTI can cause permanent damage. If you have no risk factors, I'd take the meds.

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I've taken it twice, for stubborn sinus infections. The first time, I had no problems. The second time, it caused very painful tendonitis in my Achilles tendon. I was limping, and I had a grape-sized swelling. I ended up on high doses of Advil, wearing orthotics in my shoes, and having an MRI. Thankfully, the problem improved after a few months, and the tendon never ruptured. I took the Cipro for either 7 or 10 days.

 

Wendi

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Thanks everyone for your input. I appreciate all the info. Thanks to Tap for the pharmacy perspective, too. I'm planning to start the med in the morning. I don't like to take meds too late at night since I might not realize I'm having a reaction if I'm asleep. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Cindy

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Well I will pray that it actually helps you and without side effects. I probably will never be prescribed the drug since I am allergic to Levaquin, a close relative to Cipro. For UTI, they give me Flagyl since I am also allergic to other drugs they often give like Macrobid, Bactrim and minocycline. I just hope that I can take Flagyl with coumadin if I ever get another UTI. The last time I took it I got both thrush and c. difficile so I am not interested in ever getting a UTI again.

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