NEEDHAM, Mass. — Hal Avery, 77, of Needham, responded to “25 Investigates,” a report that aired Monday night about the potential dangers associated with certain types of commonly prescribed antibiotics. He was one of several dozen people.
Avery said she was prescribed levofloxacin in March 2022 for a chest infection. He was given antibiotics intravenously during his four-day hospital stay and in pill form after he was discharged from the hospital. Within days of her discharge from the hospital, Avery lost her appetite and could barely walk, she said. She lost hearing and taste in one ear.
“I met and talked to several doctors. No one knew what to do. They just said, 'I hope it goes away.' That was the best advice I ever got…and now we're two years into this, it's not going away,” Avery told investigative reporter Ted Daniel.
Talia Smith, 44, of Norwood, said the same thing happened in April 2021 after she was prescribed ciprofloxacin for a urinary tract infection. On Monday night, 25 Investigates featured her story.
Avery said she was diagnosed with fluoroquinolone toxicity, also known as phlox. This is a reaction some people have to a type of antibiotic known as a fluoroquinolone. The FDA first issued warnings about fluoroquinolones in July 2008. There are approximately eight brand names and dozens of generic options on the market.
“On the third day, I had a stabbing pain in my heel and foot, a shooting pain, an electric shock pain,” Smith said.
She has become an advocate for the Phlox community and often shares about her battles on TikTok.
Dr. Charles Bennett studies drug safety at the University of South Carolina and is a leading expert on fluoroquinolone toxicity.
He said government researchers at the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recently discovered that floxing may not be as rare as once thought.
“This is between 1 and 10 per 10,000 people. That's not a small number. When we looked at the literature, we found that hundreds of people around the world have this condition, but these Many people don't recover; it lasts for years, even decades,” Dr. Bennett said.
Dr. Bennett said his research suggests that people may have a genetic predisposition to phlox.
“What we are suggesting is that people with this side effect have a genetic predisposition to poorly metabolizing the drug. “The drug levels exposed can be very high,” he said.
If that's proven, Bennett said, genetic testing could be done before prescribing fluoroquinolones.
“We've always suggested that companies could do genetic testing and patent it and test people before they take the drug. And if you have this gene, “You probably shouldn't take that drug,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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