Woman Warns of Life-Altering Side Effects from Common Antibiotic

NORWOOD, Mass. — Talia Smith, 45, a once-active runner and fitness enthusiast, is now permanently disabled and wheelchair-bound after taking a common antibiotic in 2021. Smith’s life changed dramatically after she was prescribed ciprofloxacin, or Cipro, to treat a urinary tract infection (UTI).

‘It felt like a bomb going off in my body,’ Smith said. After just three pills, she experienced sharp, electric-like pains shooting up her legs, muscle stiffness, and an inability to move. Despite seeking hospital care, she was sent home with ibuprofen. Over time, her condition worsened, leaving her unable to shower, chew solid food, or live independently.

Smith’s case is not isolated. Fluoroquinolones, the class of antibiotics that includes Cipro, have been linked to severe, sometimes permanent side effects, including nerve damage, tendon ruptures, and muscle wasting. These side effects, known colloquially as ‘floxing,’ affect an estimated 1 to 10 out of every 10,000 users. In July 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally recognized fluoroquinolone toxicity as a diagnosable condition, a milestone Smith and her doctors fought to achieve.

‘The CDC’s recognition was something like landing on the moon,’ said Dr. Stefan Pieper, who has treated approximately 1,500 patients with fluoroquinolone poisoning and presented the proposal to the CDC.

Smith’s ordeal began in April 2021 when her doctor prescribed Cipro without warning her of its potential risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued multiple Black Box warnings since 2008 about the drug’s dangers, including tendonitis, nerve damage, and seizures. Despite these warnings, fluoroquinolones are prescribed to roughly 15 million Americans annually.

‘I took the antibiotic. Three pills in, I couldn’t walk,’ Smith recalled. ‘I started having pains all over my body. My vision changed. I had problems swallowing.’

Five months later, Smith was in hospice care, weighing just 60 pounds. ‘The nerve pain was ridiculous, just constant nerve pain,’ she said. ‘My life is flipped upside down. I can’t even take care of myself.’

Fluoroquinolones like Cipro target harmful bacteria but can also damage human cells, including nerve cells. They interfere with mitochondrial function, which governs energy production and cellular repair, and disrupt nerve signaling pathways, causing pain, tingling, and other debilitating symptoms.

Smith’s story has inspired advocacy efforts to raise awareness about the risks of fluoroquinolones. Other victims include Rick Zingale, a 61-year-old actor from New Jersey, who developed severe complications after being prescribed levofloxacin for a misdiagnosed lung infection. Zingale now experiences chronic pain and arthritis, which he attributes to the drug.

Mindy Tautfest, a 44-year-old former ICU nurse from Oklahoma City, suffered a stroke after taking Cipro for an infection. ‘It was like a gunshot erupted inside my head,’ she said. ‘I felt the back of my head and couldn’t feel any blood.’

John Sunderland Manousso, an 85-year-old Texas resident, experienced tendon ruptures and severe swelling after taking levofloxacin for a UTI. His wife, Barbara, described his legs as ‘tripling in size’ and said he now relies on a walker to move.

Doctors are increasingly cautious about prescribing fluoroquinolones due to their life-altering risks and the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Smith urges patients to question their doctors and research medications before taking them. ‘Make sure you actually need an antibiotic,’ she said. ‘Double check, triple check, just to be sure.’