Cipro

Please help - I've been tapering and am about 21 days of getting off.  However, I just had a urine culture come back showing I have e coli bacteria and the doctor says I have to take a strong dose of Cipro for 5 days.  I'm extremely nervous as I've read horror stories about Cipro and this class of antibiotics with benzos.  I think I'm stuck.

 

Any opinions would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

-misa

I've read horror stories about Cipro and this class of antibiotics with benzos

 

Hi Misa

 

I took Cipro for years for bladder infection not knowing what it was doing to me. There are several others on the forum that had bad reactions to Cipro. I just went through a bladder infection a couple months ago. Cipro was the doctors choice and I just flat out refused it. I was given Keflex and it worked fine. I had no knowledge of what this class of antibiotics could do until I came to the forum. Personally I would ask for something else. Really has nothing to do with taking them with benzo's its the drug itself. Works great but sure not worth the risk imo. I will never take it again. Hope you get to feeling better soon. 

 

M

 

 

Thank you - I'll see what the doctor can give me.

Misa,

 

From the introduction to the Ashton Manual:

 

Antibiotics for some reason, sometimes seem to aggravate withdrawal symptoms. However, one class of antibiotics, the quinolones, actually displace benzodiazepines from their binding sites on GABA-receptors. These can precipitate acute withdrawal in people taking or tapering from benzodiazepines. It may be necessary to take antibiotics during benzodiazepine withdrawal but if possible the quinolones should be avoided. (There are at least six different quinolones - ask your doctor if in doubt).

 

C. H. Ashton, January 2007

 

Cipro is a quinolone antibiotic.  There are other classes of antibiotics that are used for UTI's.  Bactrim (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxamole) is one.  (see http://www.drreddy.com/uti.html )

 

It your UTI was detected by culture they can check antibiotic susceptibility and hopefully find a non-quinolone drug that will work.

 

Please help - I've been tapering and am about 21 days of getting off.  However, I just had a urine culture come back showing I have e coli bacteria and the doctor says I have to take a strong dose of Cipro for 5 days.  I'm extremely nervous as I've read horror stories about Cipro and this class of antibiotics with benzos.  I think I'm stuck.

 

Any opinions would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

-misa

I'm so scared and don't know what to do.  The doctor says I should take the Cipro.  That she's never had any problems with people taking it with the Klonopin.  She won't recommend anything else.

 

Please help me!!

-misa

Just to follow up -

 

After begging to my doctor, she said I could try Amoxicillan but she didn't think it would work.

 

I will try this first and hope for the best.

 

Thanks,

-misa

Misa,

 

It is your choice what you put in your body.  Glad your doctor agreed to try something else.  Hope your symptoms or a culture can tell if it is working.

 

 

Thank you !!  I pray it will work !!

 

-misa

Hi Misa, thought I send a quick note. I am a first hand victim of Cipro. I wasn't on a benzo at the time and it still caused me a myriad of problems. I developed tendon issues, as well as wicked anxiety and insomnia. That is why I ended up on Klonopin and as a result why I am here.

 

Combining a benzo and Cipro can cause problems because they both want to attach to the GABA receptor and usually it seems that the Cipro wins which can cause a heightened withdrawal/anxiety state. Kinda like a CT even though you are still taking the benzo. But, Cipro by itself can also be nasty.

 

Remember though, Cipro does not bother everyone so if you have to take it because you have no other choice please don't "assume" that you are instantly doomed. I know more people that have not had a problem than those that have. But, my advise is to try to find other antibiotic choices first and only use Cipro (any fluoroquinolone) as a last resort because an ADR to these antibiotics really can suck! Many doc's go for the big gun first because it does works well but they don't consider the long term consequences.

 

So, I am glad that you trying something else first

Thanks!  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

Do you know that what started all this for me was that I took 2 Benadryl because of a rash I had on my arms.  I originally felt very sleepy within 1/2 hour, and then I thought I was having a heart attack, my heart was racing and I couldn't sleep the whole night!  Amazing what things can do.

 

Thanks again

-misa

HI I took Cipro during w/d. (UTI)  I had some bad belly issues and vomiting bad.  I had asked the doc for something another antibio but he REFUSED, saying there is no problems.  I finally told him I wanted Macrobid, I had it before, it worked and I had NO idea why he insisited on me taking something that was making me so sick.  He caved, gave me Macrobid, and the story ended happily. I have no idea how come we must beg for something else.  I hope you are doing better now.    STAR