My symptoms began within two hours of taking the first Cipro tablet, dizziness, pains in my wrists, blurred vision. After the second tablet I developed anxiety, inability to sleep, leg and hip pains, and an overall feeling of being terribly ill.

 I stopped taking the Cipro immediately, my doctor and pharmacist both agreed that my symptoms came from the drug. We all expected the symptoms to subside once I had stopped taking Cipro. Instead they seemed to get worse. Through the following weeks I had periods of recovery, only to be followed by cycles that were even worse than before. My doctor prescribed Neurontin, but it did not help.

That summer we vacationed in Canada, and my symptoms subsided. I thought I had shaken everything off. By the time we reached home, my feet and ankles hurt, and I was well on the way to a full cycling of all my symptoms.

In November, 2001, I began eliminating all non-organic dairy products and meats from my diet. Fortunately I live in ranching country and was able to purchase a grass-fed steer, have it butchered, and stowed in the freezer. I found a hand-raised hog that had not been doctored with antibiotics. The local mom-and-pop market gets organic dairy products and organic poultry.

Gradually I have regained my health, but not back to my pre-Cipro state. My husband and I had been devoted hikers (we live at the base of the Sierra Nevada), and the authors of the local hiking guide. My tendons must have sustained some damage from the Cipro, because long hikes now leave me with aching legs, feet, and ankles. I'm hoping this summer to get back into shape, but haven't tried anything yet because the snow is just now leaving the high country.

Economically, my food costs have just about doubled. Organic costs so much more than conventional foods. The Cipro adventure has so soured me on modern medicine, I've not sought out (nor spent any money on) elaborate testing. This is my 70th year. My body either fights off illness, or I die.