I have been in contact with Dr. Miriam J. de Jonge M.D., who herself was floxed. She has asked me to post a comprehensive “Dear Colleague” letter that she wrote to inform fellow doctors of fluoroquinolone (FQ) toxicity. The letter is very well documented and can be distributed to doctors to inform and/or initiate patient/doctor discussions regarding FQ toxicity. This resource is available to the FQ community. There is an email listed in the letter for doctors to contact Dr. de Jonge for questions. At this time Dr. de Jonge is requesting that no patient contact her regarding medical questions or information.
Usually I am pretty positive or at least try to be, but today I can’t get this letter out of my mind. I thank the doctor for writing, I mean I really appreciate it, but I don’t see that it will change anything. And if my physician did actually take the time to read, what would he do next? Is there some treatment other than more prescriptions to cover up symptoms? I want to take the letter and do mass distribution to and perhaps pass along to kevinmd.com as well in hopes that it will be taken seriously, but it seems like it should come from the FDA. Right now I just feel very negative and tired of trying to figure out how to treat myself. I just got my DNA results back from 23andme and hoping the raw data can help me figure out what course of action to take. Thank you David as always for your posts and updates.
Traci, Believe me, I understand your frustration. Your comment touches on two important points; We fight an uphill battle,as do any groups that combat the pharmaceutical industry controlled FDA. This letter, which is well intended, does not change the amount of doctors that will listen, it just gives some updated information for the ones that will. Hopefully it will engender some patient/doctor discussions. We will be moving to put more pressure on the FDA to act in the near future.
What is needed, in my opinion, to enact change is two fold: First, quality research into the mechanisms of damage which will lead to treatments. We are getting closer, but still have a ways to go, and Secondly, the advocacy arm of the community has to be strong enough to push the research results through the landmine of, like I said before, a pharmaceutical industry controlled FDA and Government.
Daily I wrestle with a balance of reporting, when I talked to floxies, write articles, or interact with interested parties. What I know to be the truth is often too harsh for people to hear and I get ‘scolded’ for being too negative. The fluoroquinolones are a very hot button topic as their pharmacore has, from a pharmacological perspective, a long life ahead of it. Unlike some failed toxic drugs of the recent past, the FQ’s are, and will continue to be, money makers for pharmaceutical companies in the foreseeable future. The push back is tremendous. Maybe someday a book detailing the adventure will be in order, until then some things are better left unsaid.