(NewsNation) — Talia Smith‘s life took a drastic turn after she sought treatment for what she thought was a routine urinary tract infection (UTI).
Smith, a resident of San Francisco, was prescribed the antibiotic commonly known as Ciprofloxacin, or Cipro, to combat the infection. Little did she know that the medication would trigger a cascade of side effects that would leave her reliant on round-the-clock care and confined to a wheelchair.
In a Saturday interview on “NewsNation Prime,” Smith recounted her experience, revealing how just three pills of Cipro altered her life forever. Within a week of taking the medication, she found herself in the emergency room, battling excruciating pain that made eating and walking impossible. Despite enduring five months of agony, Smith’s condition deteriorated, ultimately leading her to hospice care, where she weighed a mere 65 pounds.
These adverse reactions, dubbed “floxing,” are rare but not unheard of, particularly with fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics that includes Cipro and Levaquin, along with numerous generic variants.
Such concerns prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a black box warning, the agency’s most stringent caution, highlighting the potential for injury or death linked to these medications.
“It makes me angry because the first black box warning came out in 2008 for tendons. And then 2013 was irreversible peripheral neuropathy and 2016 was the permanent and disabling side effects,” Smith explained. “I took Cipro all the way in 2021. I think that would be plenty of time for doctors to get on board and to be able to convey these warnings to their patients.”
Many patients, like Smith, remain unaware of the risks associated with these drugs when they are prescribed.
Speaking through tears, Smith expressed her frustration and anger at the medical oversight that led to her suffering. “Both of our lives were stolen from this, not just mine, his, my children, my stepchildren,” she lamented, referring to the impact of her condition on her family and her husband, a disabled veteran whom she previously cared for.
“I’m sitting right next to him in a wheelchair because of three pills. Three pills. I can’t take care of him. I can’t take care of myself. We both require 24/7 care now,” she said.
Smith has now embarked on a mission to raise awareness and advocate for greater transparency in medical prescribing practices by creating TikTok videos about her experience. Despite facing immense challenges, including ongoing health struggles and the need for constant care, Smith remains determined to prevent others from experiencing the same ordeal.
“Always make sure you need an antibiotic for real before you take one. And if your doctor tells you a medication is safe, double check,” she said.
Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson, a former president of the National Medical Association, underscored the importance of reevaluating antibiotic prescribing practices.
“There has been a decrease in the prescribing of quinolones over the past 10 years. It’s probably prescribed about two-thirds of the amount that it was 10 years ago. But probably there are ways to go in terms of the need to look at other alternatives,” Lubin-Johnson said.
She cautioned that while some adverse effects may be reversible, neurological damage, like that experienced by Smith, often persists indefinitely.