There’s no cure for this condition, and if you're one of the unlucky ones whose DNA is damaged by Cipro, it can feel like a hopeless situation. Some people have it worse than others, and I definitely fall into the “worse” category.
Most doctors want nothing to do with me. Many have never even heard of this condition, and the few who have often don’t know how to treat it. There are a handful of clinics that specialize in fluoroquinolone toxicity, but treatment costs around $30,000. I might have considered paying that if I’d realized what was wrong earlier, but I've already spent triple that over the years trying to manage this, with little to show for it. I’m tired of sinking money into treatments that offer only minor relief or don’t work at all.
People often hold doctors in high regard, but in my experience, they don’t always know as much as they think. It seems like they make educated guesses and hope for the best. The reason I’m in this situation today is largely due to medical missteps.
First, a doctor gave me Cipro when it was completely inappropriate, which set this whole nightmare in motion. Later, when I had knee pain, another doctor suggested dry needling. That procedure turned a bad knee into me being confined to a wheelchair.
I know I have no choice but to keep working with doctors, but I’ve learned the hard way to be extremely cautious about the next "miracle" solution they propose.