Dosage for cipro

I am a Male, 30 years old , height 5’3”, 138lbs Currently taking Ciprofloxacin , azithromycin, ibuprofen.
So went to Mexico for 10 days but the problem starts here.
Went to puerto Escondido Mexico Oaxaca where I ate some shrimp soup. My gf had the same thing and we both ended up having diahrea the same day time and both with a fever May 27. Now the next 3 days we took pepto , fever reducer and some Probiotics. Afterwards it cleared my stool was back to normal , she did not clear till today really , she had no fever after that 3rd day just constant diahrea but today or yesterday June 6th she was good.
Now let’s backtrack, after those 3 days when we were in Oaxaca we took a bus back to Chiapas Mexico Tapachula. We were there because that was where we entered from originally. We went that same day to visit my grandmas grave where in Tapachula and Chiapas it’s a lot of vegetation. And it had rained the day before. While we were there me and my dad and family cleared the vegetation on her grave and all of us were bitten by mosquitos , a lot of them. Now the. Next day I was fine, and continued to eat with her we ate the same thing same plate none of us got sick from the food I hope. But then the next day it was Saturday June 1 we had diahrea both of us, she still had diahrea but my mine originally had returned to normal stools after those original 3 days but now I had diarrhea again which confused me. So then that night we were back in USA and when I went to bed with her I woke up with extreme headache 9/10 I would say , fever 102 ,, shivering , chills , vomit , nausea , and this was still going on till today June 6.
In the last 4 days I’ve been to urgent care where I was put on cipro , I finished the dosage , but on my day of last dosage , I felt terrible so I went to ER and they gave me IV and prescribed me more CIPRO, The doc said I would feel fine after the first rx I was given but that the second rx prescribed would be in case.
Now I made sure to stay hydrated I’ve drinked lots of water and pedialite and still have this headache and a lingering cough that hurts my head when I cough.
So I yesterday I went to a primary care where I was given a 1000mg of 1 dosage of a Z PACK az. And I took it also with ibroprofen and it made me feel better but here I am now with still a fever , shivers , chills cough, shortness of breath , headache.
I know the primary doctor also mentioned a possibility of malaria. And in Chiapas there is a 60% of contracting it. So I ask what could be the issue, next steps? I don’t want to go in a seizure or coma I feel like nothings working .
So non stop headaches cough, shortness of breath, , fever of 102 , feeling tired , shivers , sweats for the last 6 days

Daughter was at the ER for five days. Had multiple tests done, including colonoscopy and endoscopy.
Her charging papers suggested gastritis- and she was given a ten day course of two antibiotics: cipro and metro something. Those ten days, she was amazing. Energy, normal stools, no urgency. Her only symptom prior to the ER visit was diarrhea and some urgency.
On the tenth day of antibiotics, we had a call with the Gi confirming mild UC. We mentioned how well the antibiotics worked and she shrugged and said it was a fluke. We didn’t get a prescription for anything because she’s a bit of a complicated case with other issues going on. (She will most likely start with melasamine)
Three days after her last antibiotic dosage, she goes back to having frequent stools. We called the doctor and she sent in a script for Prilosec.
Is this normal?

Hi, I wanted to know around how long fat redistribution takes and how much weight i have to put on. I’m 17 years old and been on HRT for almost 6 months, 168cm and 60kg. I’ve been putting on weight but I don’t see any changes both on the scale and on my body.
How exactly does that work? Does it take upwards of a year to take place?? I’m impatient and I’d like to see results soon lol.
My dosage is 2mg sublingual on a 12 hour period, with 12.5mg cipro daily. Do injectables help achieve fat redist faster? I plan on starting injections next month

👋 Incredible people of this group,
I wanted to first Thank you all for sharing your experiences and insights. I'm sure the emotional support you all are providing is giving hope to the victims of the FQ evil to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Intro: I'm a newbie [37m and Type 2 diabetic] here, floxed this past week. I wasn't aware of this class of antibiotics called FQs 10 days ago, until I was prescribed Cipro 500mg for 10 days, twice daily, for my infection. I wasn't told about the side effects either by the doctor or the pharmacist. I naively started taking Cipro, blindly trusting the system. I never had any medication related side effects prior, and probably that over confidence played a role in me not doing due diligence before starting this monster medicine.
Story: Day 1: No noticeable symptoms
Day 2: Played pickleball for an hour or so in the afternoon. Woke up in the middle of the night due to a severe pain in my left thigh. Never had this experience before. I quickly fell back asleep without any issues.
Day 3: Leg pain from the previous night didn't seem like a thing. May have felt mild pain in the legs later in the day, but still didn't suspect a thing on Cipro. Noticed an eczema (little bigger in size than a quarter) like rash on my forehead later in the evening. Was surprised to see this since I never had this type of a rash. Thoughts quickly transitioned to Cipro. Yet, I didn't act.
Day 4: Played pickleball for an hour again in the afternoon inspite of minor body aches. The aches weren't too bad to warrant me to not play.
Day 5: Started having pain in both feet. This was new. I usually have pain in the entire arms & legs when I do sports after a long time, but not this type of heel pain. I couldn't walk beyond 10-15 mins in the evening. I easily walk 10k steps on a given typical day. This is when I started suspecting Cipro and a quick Googling revealed FDA's black box warning, tendon ruptures etc., I started getting concerned and decided to visit Urgent care the next day.
Day 6: My dumbass unwillingly took one more Cipro in the morning and visited Urgent care in the afternoon. Doctor said they were glad I showed up and advised me to stop Cipro right away, alongside mentioning how Cipro can have serious side affects.
Today is day 10 after my first dose and I'm going through one hell of a roller coaster since the above Urgent Care visit. Every day seems to bring a new set of symptoms. I'm having tendons popping all over my body, difficulty walking, numbness/weakness in the arms and legs, dry mouth ( due to anxiety?), shock/jolts in the head waking me up from the sleep (on two different occasions), extreme anxiety/fear, jaw pain today, cold feet, tingling in toes/fingers etc.,
I haven't started any supplements yet. I'm already a bit careful about my diet given I'm a diabetic. I'm planning to discuss the supplements mentioned in this sub with my doctor and get started with them soon.
I have neurology and rheumatology visits in the coming weeks, to get a sense of how much damage has been done already. Not even sure if there's a way to assess nerve damages?
I know no one has a crystal ball, but given my seemingly high dosage of Cipro (500mg 11pills) and given both the tendonitis and neuropathy related symptoms I'm having:
1) Am I looking at months/years of recovery, if any at all for certain? Are there cases of quick recovery inspite of high dosage? I know this may not be a sensitive question, but I'm only asking out of desperation to get some hope. 2) I'm able to do my daily routines including grocery shopping etc., slowly as of now inspite of the arms/legs pain. Will I rupture my tendons if I continue these, given im not taking bed rest? 3) Can I do anything to proactively prevent permanent nerve damage that some folks are alluding to in this sub?
Sorry for the long post.
Thanks in advance 🙏

As someone who has a family history of high cholesterol, I have been interested in taking citrus bergamot as a way to manage my cholesterol levels. However, I'm concerned about the potential side effects of citrus bergamot, so I did a quick look through the data and put it together a quick research review. Here's what I found:
Citrus bergamot can interact with certain medications, and it's important to be aware of these potential interactions:

• Blood Sugar Levels: Citrus bergamot may lower blood sugar, posing a risk for individuals on diabetes medications like Amaryl, DiaBeta, insulin, Actos, Avandia, Diabinese, and Glucotrol. It's crucial to monitor blood sugar levels closely to avoid hypoglycemia (1).
• Cholesterol Management: Since citrus bergamot affects cholesterol levels, those taking statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs (e.g., Lipitor, Lescol XL, Altoprev, Crestor, Zetia, Praluent, Nexlitol, Colestid) should consult their doctor to adjust dosages appropriately and prevent over-lowering cholesterol (2).
• Photosensitivity: Bergamot essential oils, especially those containing furocoumarins, can increase sensitivity to sunlight. This can be an issue when used alongside medications that also increase photosensitivity, such as Elavil, Cipro, Noroxin, Maxaquin, and Floxin (3)

In general, it appears that citrus bergamot is safe for most people, just make sure to talk to your doctor if you're on blood sugar or cholesterol management drugs. Citrus bergamot impacts both of these functions in the body - so make sure to not overdo it.
Here's a link to the full research report I put together: https://botanicalinstitute.org/citrus-bergamot-side-effects/

Hello,
I have this very tiny red dot on my urethra meatus that burns when I pee. I went on doxy for 10 days (100mg, twice a day). I have not tested positive for anything other than a UTI but I am becoming increasingly worried that it is syphillis.
Little more background: the burning did not go away after the doxy, so then my doctor put me on ciprofilaxin and fluconzazole (I got oral thrush from doxy I assume). Even after cipro, I still have that tiny red dot, I’m still peeing frequently and it still stings at the tip.
Anyways… is 10 days of the doxy enough to wipe out the syphillis? I know the recommended dosage is 14 days so I’m afraid that the syphillis was not fully treated…
I had the encounter with the girl almost 2 months ago.
Please help!

I was diagnosed with diverticulitis August 2022 at 28 years old. I had a 5 month long struggle with it and only until my 5th dosage of cipro and flagyl did it finally take away the infection in December 2022. Flash forward to March of this year, my second flare up and I'm now 6 weeks into an "uncomplicated" flare up of diverticulitis. I have taken two rounds of cirpo and flagyl, 20 days worth of antibiotics, and I'm still just in a lot of pain. I had a CT almost 2 weeks ago that showed it was still "uncomplicated". I don't have any of the worrysome symptoms, no fever, vomiting, bloody stool... not even when I dealt with this for 5 months, but I'm just in a lot of pain still. Does anyone else deal with it like this? The only foods I've eaten in the last 5 weeks are toast, some times scrambled eggs, and rarely a thin piece of baked chicken breast. I was on a liquid diet for 4 days a few Times with little change in how I felt. No one is really giving me anything to go off of, and I was scolded by my GP's office for calling the after hours doctor for advice so I no longer feel welcomed to contact him. I have an appointment with a GI and digestive clinic in early May but I guess I just am at a loss. I'll be 30 in just a few weeks and I've been struggling with my mental health. I have a 3 year old and a very busy working husband and no family where we live. I've cut dairy completely out of my diet and allow myself a cup of coffee with a bit of almond milk every other morning or so to help keep things moving. I've been drinking water so much that my bladder can hardly keep up. Has anyone else dealt with this? I saw a surgeon in 2022 who just told me that if I eat enough fiber, exercise, and stay positive I shouldn't have another flare up again... well I'm here and kicking myself for not being excessively careful. Looking for anyone with similar experiences, hoping to at least feel like I'm not entirely alone.
Editing to add: The pain I have is where my diverticulitis pain usually is, but it feels like it's in my back now adjacent to where I usually feel it in the front all the way up the left side of my back. I've also been feeling it under my ribcage on the left side. I'm trying to talk myself into maybe I pulled a muscle or it's just my pain... but the moving pain has me worried because it's not typical for what I've experienced the last month.

If you’re jumping into this post, I had my sigmoid colectomy surgery on 4/2. Was discharged on 4/4. I have posted daily updates up until Thursday evening. I forgot to provide an update yesterday, but here goes an early update for today.
Friday was a whole different me. I was able to move a lot more without much struggle. Incisions do hurt still and my stomach literally sounds like really bad door creaks and it just gurgles in all different places. Hopefully the loud spooky stomach sounds go away.
The shoulder pain is practically gone.
I can trust farts about 80% of the time now.
Coughs are still painful (had one on Thursday and i let out a painful yell that the wife came running and thought I fell). I painfully asked for a pillow, hugged the shit out of it while I applied pressure from the sink to cough and I finally let out some phlegm that I had stuck in my throat since Wednesday.
I had a nice popcorn like poop this morning (Saturday) that had some sort of shape and form to it. I was so proud of no longer seeing what looked like diarrhea (I refer to it as the flagyl/cipro poops). Still passing a lot of gas (I wonder how much CO2 was pumped into me…. But it’s coming out!)
Pain is almost not there. I’ll occasionally have pain on my two bottom incisions. That right hip incision just kicks my butt still. The incision tapes are still on, so I don’t foresee those falling off until next week or so. I still take Tylenol and if the pain is too bad (mostly at nights) I’ll take the dilaudid (very low dosage) to numb me and I can sleep better.
My meals are still full liquids until Monday. I’ve been chugging banana milk shakes with peanut butter with my meals. I eat mashed (baby food) sweet potatoes, blended oatmeal, vanilla pudding, apple sauce, mashed potatoes. Pretty much anything blended/mashed with no chewing are my meals. I can’t wait to take a bite of some chicken and rice though.
Overall, life is starting to normalize itself post surgery. I bought a bed wedge pillow and that has saved my life! My sleep number bed had been acting stupid (keeps deflating) so I’ll be buying a new one after I get better. I also purchased those postpartum mesh underwear and I think I got them too small. It helps avoid the elastic rubbing on my bottom incisions but I’m putting the jewels through some pain since they don’t have a crotch pouch and were intended mostly for women even though reviews had men posting. Aside from that, I’ve been just trooping away with moving around as much as I can. As another user on this sub told me, Just keep swimming 😉

Hey guys, I have hydrogen SIBO, I have a few other posts with my problem better detailed, but for now I just need some advice on a couple things.
So for now the only anti biotic I've taken that the effects persist and that does the biggest change in my health has been Ciprofloxacin.
But after a month of doing Ciprofloxacin for 7 days, my symptoms are returning slowly.
The cipro never cured me, but I improved significantly.
I'm considering taking it again, if I can convince my doctor to prescribe it again. But I want to improve my odds of success and increase it's effect.
So I've been hearing a lot about Allicin here has a biofilm disruptor. And I'd love if you guys could share the best brands, dosages and other things I could add to the anti biotic to increase it's effectiveness.

Hello, I want to share my story about this annoying problem we all share. For me everything started around 5 years ago, around mid 2019, when I had chlamydia from my girlfriend, who had it for years (asymptomatic), we both got treated after I developed symptoms. 3 or 4 months after this, for the first time I had pain after ejaculation. Went to a urologist and was told it is prostate inflammation. I don’t remember what I used but for 3 weeks I took some medicine and it was cured. For 2 years I had no problems at all. Same thing happened after like 2 years and I took one box of cipro, which did not help. During that time, I did a urine test, blood test and a sperm test. All came out negative for bacterial infection. Around a week later symptoms (which was only the burning kind of feeling at the tip of penis) disappeared by itself so I stopped looking into it and I was once again free from all problems for another 2 years!
It all changed around early 2023, when I had a UTI. Started to have pelvic pain, prostate pain, constant urgency to go toilet even right after I pee etc. Went to doctor, used antibiotics and symptoms got a bit better but soon changed into causing problems after ejaculation. Urgency stayed all time, tip pain, burning sensation active all time. Became quite problematic. Did blood test, STI tests, Urine tests, bladder-kidney-prostate ultrasound.. All came back negative for an infection, all tests clear and good.Finally was referred to a Urologist and he told me it sounds non bacterial and I need to do stretches and flexible cystoscopy. I did not want to do the cystoscopy so I stopped seeing the urologist (still scared about the problems cystoscopy may cause). I started looking alternatives so started using Quercetin. It helped unbelievably well. Although I am starting to feel like it is not as effective as before but still helps keeping symptoms low. Since it only manages the symptoms but does nothing to the underlying pelvic problem, I am in search of a pelvic therapist. I will outline the key points below:
What possibly triggered it:-5 years ago I had a sudden change of life style due to my new work, in a new country. I started cycling, drinking(almost everyday, beer etc.), had chlamydia. Also had a UTI later on. I also always had low urine stream since childhood as well.
-Always had very active sexual life, for at least 4-5 years before my first symptoms, I was having sex every single day, most of the times actually more than once in a day. All these combined with the new life style changes I believe pailed up to create the first flare.
What causes a flare and how to manage:-I sit at least 12 hours of a day and this has a major effect on the flares. I try to walk 45 min everyday and I will buy a special cushion soon.-Cold!!! I am currently living in a very cold country and I always have worse flares in winter. Keeping foots warm helps a lot with this. Also hot baths and putting a hot water bottle on pelvic area. Since it is cold, I do not drink as much water as I used to so this is also not good.-Alcohol. This one causes the most problem to me. I completely removed it from my life.-Caffeine and boxed juices. Both these caused flares so I am not drinking these anymore.-Chocolate(essentially sugar). This is also causing flares on me so removed from my life.-Masturbation. This one is a bit tricky and I still could not find an ideal for this. I seems to have worse symptoms if I masturbate than If I have sex. Most of the times after sex I am perfectly fine. Maybe I am working some muscles during sex that helps something, no idea. Trying to keep masturbation low, sex higher.
-Meat. I am not sure about this one, can't really tell if it is helping or making things worse, will make more experiment with this one.
-Stress and fixating on it also seems to be taking heavy toll on this so I just try to ignore as best as I can.
I did try prostate massage a couple of times, had mixed results. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it worsened so can't really say much about this, need more experiments or maybe it is just random.
I don't know if it is a placebo effect or not but I found foot reflexology massages helpful on several occasions.
Supplements:-Quercetin with Nettle Leaf: Life changer. Both Quercetin and Nettle Leaf are anti-inflammatory so they do help a lot. A bit worried about taking for long time so I do periodic brakes on this(taking 6 days a week and after 3 months stop for 7-10 days). The dosage I do is 300mg after breakfast and 300mg after dinner.-Curcumin: Another anti-inflammatory supplement. I do believe it is helping. Also taking brakes of 10 days after 1 month of usage. The product I use is with whole turmeric root with %95 curcumin which is equivalent of 4000mg of Turmeric. One tablet after lunch.-Magnesium Glycenite: One pill before sleeping (70mg elemental magnesium), helps with relaxing and loosen muscles, can take 2 capsules too. Reduces nightly toilet visits. I am not taking any periodic brakes with this one.
-This is because I also developed Tinnitus during this journey, I take B12 supplements too, again with no periodic brakes.
Questions on my mind:
1-) Do you find more frequent (3-4 times a week) or less frequent (1-2 times a week) masturbation helpful?
2-) I come across some research mentioning pelvic floor related problems can cause fertility problems, e.g. can cause damage to the morphology of the sperms and effect overall motility. Anyone have any experience or insights with this?
3-) Any suggestions on the cystoscopy? I really don't want to do it but I also want to learn the cause of weak urine stream I always had even long before prostatitis. Are there any non-invasive approaches for this?
4-) How to assess the situation for a neurological point of view? Do I need to also go a neurologist or a good pelvic floor terapist will be able to diagnose these as well?
5-) I always for many years had yellowish sperm color, thought initially it was normal, then thought it is bacterial problem but now I am thinking the sperm is just mixing with the leftover urine due to inability to completely empty the bladder (weak urine stream). Anyone have similar problem?
Thank you all for reading my journey. I can't say I am completely flare free at the moment but I seem to be able to manage the flares much better (%70) now with no strecthes and work on pelvic floor yet. It is just very hard to find a pelvic physiotherapist here but I do feel positive that once I start some pelvic floor targeted stretches and therapy, things will get much better. Don't loose hope, let's do our best to at least manage the symptoms.

I know this is a long post, but I need to vent desperately. CDIFF (and the fear of reoccurrence) is destroying my life.
I am 23F. So in 2020 I had my first CDIFF diagnosis after male doctor prescribed me Clinda for bump on my lady parts which, turns out according to my OBGYN, I didn't even need. It reoccured twice before VANCO finally kicked its butt but I lost near 50 lbs in 3 months. Could only eat rice and mashed potatoes. Was bedridden. At ER multiple times for severe dehydration.
Everytime I have to take antibiotics I have a near mental breakdown. And it happens more than I would like to admit. Just three months ago I had to take Keflex for a horrible kidney infection and before that I had to take Cipro for a infection in my finger. I didn't get CDIFF from these antibiotics, but still. I know my gut didn't like it. I am healthy, by the way, I don't smoke or drink. So I really don't understand why I'm so weak.
Well, I have to take antibiotics again. I have a bad case of staph on my arm from A PIMPLE I scratched. I was excited because I was prescribed doxy (which I know is a less potent antibiotic with less risk factors) but, guess what? I am having a horrible allergic reaction to it. Red puffy face and lips. I can't take my dosage in the morning so I know the staph is going to get worse and it is BAD. Like whole upper arm swole up and fever bad. Honestly was thinking about taking it anyway but know how bad allergic reactions can get. I am alergic to the other good antibiotic bactrim too. So now, I need to take Keflex again or AMOX-CLAV. I know both are high risk. I just don't know which one is better. I was going to take Vanco with it, but I've heard proactive vanco usage increases risk of cdiff because it destroys gut too. I already am taking florastor 4x a day.
I'm just so tired. I feel like my body is betraying me. I feel like doctors are betraying me (they can never give me clear answers on what medicine I should take or how to lower cdiff risk). I have a GI DOC but he is useless. When I went through the first round of CDIFF and had to go to ER for it because I was so dehydrated, he laughed at me because I told him I thought I would die and said "CDIFF won't kill a 20 year old". When I call him to ask him for advice about antibiotics, he says all antibiotics have the risk so I just take whatever the doctor prescribes.
My husband is supportive, but I feel like this is affecting our relationship. I have developed mental health issues because I'm so worried of getting sick again. It's hard for him. My parents try to calm me down but no one really understands how bad it is. It's affecting nearly every part of my life. I scraped my hand today and almost cried because I thought I could get staph again and need more antibiotics.
Please help me. I'm so desperate for some kind of help for my situation. Any advice would be so appreciated.
​

Hey! I just really want to hear if someone has had mild or moderate side effects and/or success with cipro? The internet is freaking me out. Someone tried it and didnt end up in the ER or screwing up their tendon or their nervous system? I‘m so scared of taking it but I really dont see any other option than fluorochinolones at this point bc of resistances
Edit: thank you for all your answers! For anyone wondering: I had no side effects other than gas. I think caution is advised but theres a lot of fearmongering out there. Research suggests correlation, no proven causation - it CAN cause adverse effects, as will every other medication. But severe side effects are in fact very rare, causality was often not confirmed, papers provided mixed, inconclusive results. Also, selection bias when reporting side effects - only those severely affected by it ever speak up and many of those who took the med because nothing else worked were severely ill, often had a persistent preexisting condition, took other medication that increased their likelihood of side effects or had an especially tenacious illness. Most severe adverse effects (such as tendon rupture, anxiety, depression, psychotic hallucinations, migraine, hepatic or renal damage) are rare (0.01% to 0.1%) or very rare (less than 0.01%). So 1 in 10.000, at most 1 in 1000 will experience severe side effects. I‘m not saying that the drug is harmless but not one single drug is. For comparison; ibuprofen can cause skin lesions, fever, ulcers, hostility, paranoia, depression, impaired hearing or vision, coma (all incidence 0.01% to 0.1%) even stroke, heart attack&heart failure, gastrointestinal bleeds, liver toxicity and kidney damage when used regularly or in high dosages
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8542490/
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/ciprofloxacin-side-effects.html

Hi friends!
I wanted to share my experience using the Mirena IUD, having just removed mine after 7 years of use, and touch upon some of the changes and symptoms I've been experiencing after the fact. Some refer to this event as the "Mirena Crash". I will refer to it as hell on earth. If you are considering getting a Mirena IUD please take heed in my knowledge as it does carry risks of serious withdrawals which are not listed on the drug's prescription disclosures.
I've read that after the first 24 days of use, the device releases about 21mcg/day of levonorgestrel. After 5 years of use, that dosage drops down to 11mcg/day. And in the 7th year, it further lessens to 7mcg/day. This is key information considering the timing of the supposed Mirena crash.
My body exhibited an adverse reaction the flux in hormones leading up to year 8. However, I didnt know what it was or what was causing it at the reaction. I assumed it was stress and other external factors. My body began shutting down over the span of 2-3 months and the end of year 7. My symptoms landed me in the ER twice and Urgent Care 6 times, something I take very seriously considering I've not been prone to having medical emergencies.
Within 3 months pre-removal, I began experiencing: Depression Anxiety Elevated heart rate Mood swings Panick Attacks 2 UTI's with severe adverse reactions to the prescribed antibiotics (Bactrim and Cipro)
1 Week post removal, I've experienced: Depression Anxiety Nausea Dizziness Pelvic inflammation Fatigue
Will provide updates on my recovery if I think it will help.
Good luck to anyone having a similar experience. You will get through it. You just have to trust your body, treat it well, and ask for tons of help!

I am 39 yo female taking no prescriptions. I don’t smoke ever.
I was prescribed oral antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) 2 Pills per day for 5 days for a nose ring infection. I took a total of 5 pills before I decided I would figure out alternative treatment because I couldn’t function mentally at all.
First Day of dosage I started off with mild nausea, a weird chalky taste in my mouth and some GI discomfort but nothing crazy (I was diligent about taking probiotics between doses though so I’m certain that helped). But after dose 3, the more I took the worse I felt, nose ring infection cleared up though.
The last pill made my brain completely foggy and I could barely speak or articulate thoughts. It was like my limbs wouldn’t listen to what my head was trying to say. It took me over an hour to wrap two tiny Christmas presents.
It has been one week since my last Cipro pill (again I stopped my course of antibiotics halfway through after pill 5). For a couple days I still had mild GI symptoms/ nausea, and the bitter taste in my mouth comes and goes, but my brain fog is still present and my vision is strange. Like I’m seeing everything up-close, or two-dimensional. I keep hearing things incorrectly, and processing them just as inaccurately. It takes me an abnormally long time to complete simple tasks.
My question is, how long are side effects supposed to last? Should I be worried about another condition considering I only took 5 pills over 2.5 days and I’ve been off them for a week?
Everything I’ve read says that symptoms can take weeks to disappear, but it doesn’t say if that’s for ALL Cipro users or for those with long term use or short term. It also doesn’t differentiate between oral pills and liquid drops.
Just wondering if anyone else has felt like this or if I can do anything to alleviate this brain fog and vision issues. I will update if anything changes.
Update: it did take several weeks for my symptoms to ease up. I feel pretty much back to normal after almost two months.

According to the CDC’s 2012 Water fluoridation statistics, nearly 75% of the U.S. population receives fluoride in their community water systems. That’s an increase of almost 25% since 2001, according to Mittleman, Mittleman, and Barilla (2001). While many applaud this move, some scientists and doctors of dentistry are refuting what they call “50 years of misinformation,” (Forbes, 1999). Now, fifteen years later, why is the majority still clinging to the idea that lots of fluoride is good for us? What’s the truth, and what should we do?

What is fluoride?

According to Wikipedia:

1. Chemical Compound
2. Fluoride, is an inorganic anion of fluorine with the chemical formula F− . It contributes no color to fluoride salts. Fluorite is roughly 49% fluoride by mass, making fluoride the main component of fluorite apart from calcium ions.

Where does it come from?

Fluoride is naturally-occurring in phosphorus rock.
According to the CDC, all types of sodium fluoride used for municipal water treatment are a by-product (waste) material derived from fertilizer manufacturing. The EPA says on their own website, that although the ingredients are caustic, (able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action) sodium fluoride is favored because it’s cheap and easily dissolved into water.

Fluoride Research

Fluoride research began in the 1940’s when scientists discovered that children in Colorado and Texas had disfigured teeth, yet fewer cavities than kids with white teeth. After testing the local water, they discovered that the kids with discoloration had higher levels of naturally-occurring fluoride in their drinking water. Politicians at that time used this discovery as a push in their campaigns by promising to add fluoride to local water if elected.
Unfortunately, “The Public Health Service never finished the studies that were supposed to show the benefits of fluoride in drinking water. They stopped, because in some of the cities without fluoride, children had fewer cavities. They just dropped these cities from their reports—an action that would get any other scientist thrown out of the scientific community or even prosecuted,” (Mittleman, Mittleman, & Barilla, pp. 187). It seems at this time we have determined that fluoride can help prevent cavities in those at risk, but know little else about what levels are necessary for doing so. What we do know is that Americans are exposed to a lot of fluoride, and adverse health effects from high-level exposure are more common than many realize.

How Fluoride Gets Into Our Bodies

Daily fluoride intake in humans is mostly from city water and food. Black tea (1 cup) and table wine (1 bottle), are the biggest food culprits, offering levels of about 1 milligram, more or less, of fluoride. Raisins, russet potatoes, lamb, and carrots are also known for significant levels of fluoride. Eating these foods results in a higher level of fluoride in the body. However, according to Ming-Ho Yu, Ph.D, of the Center for Environmental Science at Western Watshington University in Bellingham, WA, “naturally-occurring fluoride is less likely to be absorbed by the body, while sodium fluoride, the compound found in municipal water is “almost 100% soluble and is absorbed at much greater levels,”(Mittleman, Mittleman, Barilla, pp. 184).
It’s important to keep in mind that many fruits and vegetables are grown with and cleaned by fluoridated water on the farm and in your home, which increase food’s sodium fluoride content. Pesticides contain fluoride. Meat can be a suspect. Mechanically-deboned chicken contains a high level of fluoride due to an increase amount of bone particles in the meat (such as in chicken nuggets), and even the pan cooking the food can be to blame. A 1975 study showed foods boiled in Teflon pans had an increased amount of fluoride.
Even though food is an easy target, the sodium fluoride levels in community water are much higher than any food: about 2.5 mg in only three liters of water (the average daily intake of humans).
Besides food, oral health products, and water; fluoride poisoning in children comes from ingesting some types of vitamins, etching creams, or roach powder by accident. Even adults can be exposed to too much fluoride. Several pharmaceutical drugs contain a carbon-fluorine bond. In many cases, this chemical is not absorbed by the human body, but sometimes it is. Drugs like Cipro are most widely known for containing a significant amount of carbon-fluorine.

Toothpaste Trouble

Let’s not forget the fluoride in toothpaste, much of which is absorbed or swallowed, and we start to become alarmed at the high level of sodium fluoride in our bodies. Most toothpaste is made with sodium fluoride, while a few contain stannous fluoride instead.
Stannous fluoride has been shown to be more effective against preventing cavities due to its antimicrobial effect. In other words, it helps kill bacteria in the mouth along with protecting and rebuilding enamel. Stannous fluoride is usually reserved for people who have medical conditions that contribute significantly to tooth decay. The reason stannous fluoride isn’t commonly found in toothpaste is because the original formulation contained tin, which tasted bad, stained teeth, and was gritty. Most of us know that tin is not good for human health. A few years ago, Proctor and Gamble reformulated stannous fluoride without tin and some manufacturers began putting it in over-the-counter toothpaste. Sadly, the new formulation of stannous fluoride can also badly stain teeth. Although studies have shown that a dose of stannous fluoride less than 1 mg per day is “safe,” we don’t know what dose is toxic. If left on teeth long enough, any dose of stannous fluoride can cause damage to tooth pulp near a cavity.
“In the 1950’s, any toothpaste containing fluoride had to carry a warning label saying that the toothpaste should not be used if local water was fluoridated. This warning disappeared in the late 1950’s,” (Mittleman, Mittleman, & Barilla).
According to dental hygienist Patti Gibbons in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, “Children between the ages of 2 and 6 tend to swallow 35% of their toothpaste when a normal amount is applied to their toothbrush. Not only can this amount cause nausea and a stomach ache, but a child could be swallowing up to 1 milligram or more of fluoride at each brushing.” She found a report that said “Flouride is considered more toxic than lead and is fatal in high doses,” (Mittleman, Mittleman, & Barilla).
Some public schools have even begun serving weekly fluoride rinses to school children as a public health “service.” It’s easy to see how fluoride overload can be a daily occurrence for little ones.

Fluoride Toxicity

Fluoride has been found to be toxic, damaging, and deadly to humans at certain amounts, varying from person-to-person. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that 10 mg per day for adults and .7 to 2.2 mg per day for infants is the safe limit. When looking at the numbers, (remember the 2.5 mg in tap water, alone?) it’s easy to see how children who drink municipal water or receive formula mixed with tap water and/or and eat a balanced, healthy diet, brush their teeth, or use fluoride rinses could easily receive a toxic level of fluoride over and over again. Additionally, mothers who breastfeed consume larger amounts of water and the fluoride is found in mothers’ breast milk. In other words, the more water consumed; the more fluoride in her breast milk; the more fluoride in the infant’s body.
In 1997, the Environmental Protection Agency’s union of attorneys, engineers, toxicologists, and biologists voted unanimously to take a stand against fluoridation of public water. They agreed that the scientific evidence showing that fluoride links to lower IQ in kids, neurological problems, genetic mutations, bone diseases, cancers, and bone fractures were reason enough to discontinue fluoridation, as it was deemed excessive and unnecessary.
“Back before there was fluoride in toothpaste, it was decided that water could contain 1 part per million of fluoride and this would give a child who drank a liter of water a day one milligram (mg) of fluoride. No one considered that a small child would have greater effects from one milligram than a larger child has, or that a child could drink more than one liter of water a day. Even at 1 mg a day, health professionals knew that 10% of all children would have fluoride poisoning,”(Mittleman, Mittleman, & Barilla, pp. 187).

Signs and Symptoms of Fluoride Toxicity or Poisoning

Fluorosis is the most recognizable symptom of fluoride overload in the body. According to the Fluoride Alert Organization, “Fluorosis is a defect of tooth enamel caused by too much fluoride intake during the first 8 years of life.” Fluorosis may start with white streaks or patches on the teeth, followed by brown spotting and pitting. You can view photos of fluorosis here.
To test for fluoride overload, the best way to do this, according to the doctors at noflouride.com, is to use an “elimination diet” of sorts. That is, all possible sources of fluoride should be eliminated. If symptoms improve in a week, and disappear within several weeks, you will know that they were caused by fluoride toxicity. Blood serum tests may also be performed by doctors when acute fluoride poisoning is suspected.
According to Nih.Gov, symptoms of toxicity or acute poisoning may include any of the following:

• Abdominal Pain
• Abnormal Taste (salty or soapy taste)
• Convulsions
• Diarrhea
• Drooling
• Eye Irritation (if placed in eye)
• Headache
• Heart Attack
• Irregular Heartbeat
• Nausea
• Shallow Breathing
• Slow Heartbeat
• Tremors
• Vomiting
• Weakness

If you feel someone may have ingested dangerous levels of fluoride, immediately go to your nearest emergency room or call the U.S. Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

How to Detox from Fluoride Overload

If you’re sure immediate medical help isn’t required, here’s how Phyllis Balch, Certified Nutritional Consultant, recommends detoxing:
“Unless otherwise specified, the dosages recommended here are for adults. For a child between the ages of twelve and seventeen, reduce the dose to three-quarters the recommended amount. For a child between six and twelve, use one-half the recommended dose, and for a child under the age of six, use one-quarter the recommended amount,” (pp.317). For nutrients listed with no dose, follow label instructions.
Very Important Nutrients Include:
A free-form amino acid complex, garlic, raw liver extract, Superoxide dismutase (SOD) or Cell Guard from Biotec Foods, Vitamin B complex injections (prescribed by physician), choline and inositol (50 mg each, three times a day with meals), Vitamin C with bioflavonoids (5,000 to 20,000 mg daily, in divided doses).
Balch also recommends eating organic, high-fiber foods, and only drinking steam-distilled water (pp. 318).

How to Avoid Fluoride Overload

Since the largest amount of harmful sodium fluoride comes from municipal drinking water, the first and most obvious step is to discontinue using water straight from the tap. A water filter can help, but not all filters remove fluoride. Activated carbon filters do not. Only reverse osmosis, activated alumina, and deionizers are effective at taking away about 90% of fluoride. If filtering isn’t an option, purchasing spring water is the next best thing. Call the number on the label of your spring water to ask about the level of fluoride. It should be less than .2 to .1 parts-per-million. The very best way to remove fluoride is to run it through a distillation system. These systems can be pricey, though.
The second item concerns dental products. Do not ever allow your child to swallow toothpaste or mouthwash. Flavored (ex: bubblegum or fruit-flavored) toothpastes tend to be the most tempting to swallow and contain the highest amount of fluoride (some as much as an adult dose). Instead choose toothpaste with a low amount or no fluoride, and always supervise your children when using these products.
At the dentist’s office, decline gel fluoride treatments. The amount of saliva produced while holding a tray in the mouth makes it difficult, if not impossible, to avoid swallowing over a period of a few minutes. Fluoride treatments should only be used in cases of extreme necessity.
Here are a few more things to do: eat fresh organic foods, don’t cook with Teflon pans, opt for young “white” teas vs. older “black” teas. Ask for alternatives to drugs with fluoride such as Cipro, and keep all craft supplies and insecticides out of the reach of children.

Conclusion

While fluoride does potentially offer benefits due to its ability to increase resistance to tooth decay in people deemed at risk, (Balch, 2006) experts posit that we already receive enough, if not too much, fluoride through a combination of water treatment, foods, environmental exposure, and dental products.

36 male here. Developed GNF (klebsiella) on my mustache area about a year ago. Tried cipro and it works, but comes back a week after I stop.
Started accutane in January 2023 at 40mg per day for one month and 80mg/day for 4 more. That was 1MG/kg for me. Total of 19 weeks. All was going really well until my last month when I got a bunch of breakouts. My derm cultured it and it was MRSA (apparently accutane can cause staph/mrsa infections in a small percentage of accutane users). So we stopped accutane and he treated me with another oral antibiotic for the MRSA. Thought I’d reached the end of the journey but I was wrong.
After stopping the MRSA antibiotics I started getting bad breakouts again. Cultured and it was klebsiella yet again. It was back, after being nearly fully clear for the last 4 months on accutane. I read here this has happened to others too.
So I got back on accutane in July 2023. Did 3 months at 80mg, 1 at 100, and 1 at 120. Thought higher dosage would have even better results. Again, seemed to be clearing me up but I developed MRSA yet again. This time I decided to power through the 5th month with the MRSA to try and ensure I killed the GNF. I hoped my skin flora would eventually return to “normal” if I decolonized the MRSA.
I Stopped accutane two weeks ago and appears now my old GNF friend is back yet again.
Feeling pretty defeated because I’ve done everything right. I can’t do accutane again. I’ve given it almost a fully year of my life. So I’m searching for alternatives.
Has anyone done laser hair removal or electrolysis for this? I’ve read some articles and posts here with people saying they have great success with just 1-2 treatments. I do have a good amount of facial hair but could care less if I lose it from LHR
Has anyone done this? This obviously wouldn’t kill the bacteria in the nasal area (which is what I think my issue is. My nose never dried up even at 1.5mg/kg dosage). So I think it’s just living large in there. If I do LHR will it make it better if I’m still breathing it down on my skin? Really just searching for answers/suggestions from anyone who’s been through this or something similar.

Hello!
I am doing monotherapy using estradiol valerate 20 mg/ml at 0.2 ml/week. Previously I had been doing patches and cipro and had poor results, but when I switched to this endo and started injection monotherapy after my first blood test I was going in the right direction (E 212.0 pg/mL; T 38 ng/dL).
However, I'm still on the same dosage and still getting blood tests through Plume, which I never cancelled, so I can get an idea what my numbers look like in addition. The first draw with Plume, which was several months later, was E 370 pg/mL; T 39 ng/dL.
A month ago on the same dosage my level was E 486 pg/mL; T 35 ng/dL, and the doctor at Plume messaged me and expressed some concern about the estradiol level. The doctor was even more concerned when she found out that I had taken my blood draw during the trough so it is likely actually even higher! I hope to get sorted out with my blood draw for my endo later this week and my next appointment with her towards the end of this month.
Has anyone else had this happen? What are some common factors that may cause such a thing? I am not doing anything out of the ordinary other than working hard to lose weight (about 15 pounds per month). I consulted for an orchi, but I am putting all this on hold until I know what's going on.

This post refers to both TWD and FTWD:
Having partially watched the series a while ago, I was wondering what an interesting storyline could have been regarding survivors and medication. Especially with regards to antibiotics. These days, in the medical field, it is known but deliberately ignored by so many physicians and patients that inadequate use of antibiotics can reduce their efficiency, as the gut flora and immune system grow increasingly used to them. This is especially the case with certain categories of aggressive antibiotics or inadequate dosage.
In season 4 of TWD, when the prison flu outbreak occurs, the severity of the outbreak and their lack of medical stocks means the people fit enough to go scavenging have to go to the veterinary school. When they come back, Hershel adapts posology to everyone, but given the urgency of the situation, we see a scene in which he's mixing the medication with water and extracting what seems to be a very approximate amount into a seringe before putting it into a patient's bag. Likewise, in FTWD, in (insert season), two characters (really, I watched the series only once, sorry) find a building full of hiding employees in the city, that have become infected with a rampant disease that is slowly killing them and will die unless they receive treatment they cannot reach due to their hiding having kept them inexperienced with handling walkers. A large chest of antibiotics dropped by the army (I believe) is found on top of the building, which our two characters manage to find. When they open it, the boxes in it are marked Ciprofloxacin, and further character illnesses/medication scavenging or exchange storyline continually have characters mentioning "Cipro" being available or not for use. Cipro is one such large spectrum and powerful antibiotic that belongs to the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotica, which have been largely documented over time to cause resistance or autoimmune damage to the point of triggering new chronic diseases in patients. We know that most of the prison inhabitants from TWD season 4 didn't make it, much like many characters in FTWD, but it is my belief that, had they gone on, treating the same people becoming sick again with common diseases would have grown increasingly longer and harder, and that their life expectancy would have shortened due to the type of medication the scavengers managed to find over time, not just because of walker attacks and overall harder living conditions, but because of these large spectrum aggressive antibiotics.
After the time ellipsis in TWD season 10, we find the communities' medical centers (Alexandria and Hilltop namely) better organized and relying on natural remedies, mainly because of pharmaceutics running short or scavengers not finding any anywhere. I believe that this storyline element covers the antibiotica resistance that would have logically occurred the more people managed to survive over longer periods of time than in the previous seasons.

My mom 76 years old, 5’6, 140 Health issues: Osteoporosis, Breast cancer survivor-never had to have chemo, had a mastectomy in 2020, IBS- She’s had IBS for about 30 years. Since last week she’s had incredible pain in her rectal area. She tried to power through it, thinking she had diverticulitis but it wasn’t getting any better. She was prescribed Cipro by her Gastro and had a CT. CT showed Colitis and they told her to go home and take Dulcolax. Three days later we ended up at the ER with her. ER did another CT and said she had mild colitis, very little stool behind it and that they hadn’t prescribed her enough Cipro so they changed the dosage. Said it would take time. Well, yesterday they told her to drink Magnestium Citrate and she did and she was also called in a gallon of the Golyte she did not drink. She still is having excruciating pain and will not eat except to take her meds which is usually yogurt or a bite of toast. The Dr’s don’t seem to understand that she’s in unusually intense pain. My mom is as tough as they come. She never complains and for her to be in this kind of pain is not normal. My brother and I are at a loss for what to do and afraid something has been overlooked and she has something else going on. I’m afraid she’s going to just pass out from holding on to this pain for over a week now. We are thinking about taking her back to the ER this morning. Any ideas or thoughts about what else could be going on. Thanks

My mom 76 years old. She’s had IBS for about 30 years. Since last week she’s had incredible pain in her rectal area. She tried to power through it, thinking she had diverticulitis but it wasn’t getting any better. She was prescribed Cipro by her Gastro and had a CT. CT showed Colitis and they told her to go home and take Dulcolax. Three days later we ended up at the ER with her. ER did another CT and said she had mild colitis, very little stool behind it and that they hadn’t prescribed her enough Cipro so they changed the dosage. Said it would take time. Well, yesterday they told her to drink Magnesium Citrate and she did and she was also called in a gallon of the Golyte she did not drink. She still is having excruciating pain and will not eat except to take her meds which is usually yogurt or a bite of toast. The Dr’s don’t seem to understand that she’s in unusually intense pain. My mom is as tough as they come. She never complains and for her to be in this kind of pain is not normal. My brother and I are at a loss for what to do and afraid something has been overlooked and she has something else going on. I’m afraid she’s going to just pass out from holding on to this pain for over a week now. We are thinking about taking her back to the ER this morning. Any ideas or thoughts about what else could be going on. Thanks

I am finally cured. But I am mentally exhausted and drained from this infection - feels like a burn out after going through all this. Looking at the other (cure) stories, my case was severe. I have spent USD 10,000+ on this to finally cure it.
Background: I am male 32yo and healthy otherwise, non smoker, generally fit and doing sports. So nothing that would explain the severity. I caught this infection in Berlin, Germany which is known for a, lets put it this way, wild nightlife - a melting pod for infections like this.
Symptoms wise, this infection was WAY worse than for the average person here. I could not have it left untreated for a single day due to the severity of symptoms - I had purulent discharge all day long, INTENSE pain in my urethra - I can only explain it as if my penis would explode. Urgency, itchiness, and simply PAIN(!!!!). This was a huge problem because I never made it to a 3 weeks mark after finishing an antibiotic except after finally being cured by Lefamulin. I had chlamydia before - MGen was MUCH worse symptom wise. Also developed ultrasound confirmed epididymitis from this (coming to this later on). Co-infections were excluded, everything stated below is purely MGEN related.
As it happened:
Started having discharge around Christmas 2022. First watery, then purulent. Struggled to find a doctor due to Christmas holidays. Finally found a urologist.
1.Treatment: Ceftriaxon + 2.5g Azithromycin [FAILED]
The doc treated me with Ceftriaxon + 1.5g Azithromycin. This obviously failed. My discharge was watery though only after this so Azithromycin initially did work. After the 1.5g single dose, I took another 500mg over the next 3 days.
2. Treatment: Doxycycline + Azithromycin [FAILED]
Urologist tested me then - came back positive for Mgen, negative for everything else. Prescribed only 10 days Doxycycline and said "don't worry this will work" - aha such a bullshit. Quickly found CDC guidelines etc. and self-administered 25 days doxy + 2.5g Azithromycin afterwards.
Doxy had reduced the symptoms at this stage to nearly nil. On the second day of Azithromycin, cloudy discharge came back. Third day Azi, purulent discharge. Due to the 1. treatment, mgen must have developed resistance to Azi.
3. Treatment: Minocycline [FAILED]
I skipped Moxi due to anxiety over FQ side effects. I was floxed badly years ago by one pill of Cipro so didn't want to take Moxi.
Mino 25 days - had my symptoms to absolutely zero. Side effects on Mino have been absolutely horrifying for me. Dizzy, blurred vision, headache, not myself. But I had no choice. Thought I was cured and went on a ski trip. Exactly 16th day after my last dose I wake up with purulent discharge.
At this point I was already 2 1/2 months in or so. And from this onwards it starts to get REALLY REALLY messy. I had it untreated for 3 days when the purulent discharge started because I was still on ski holidays and couldnt do anything about it there.
Went to a infectious disease doc after Mino failure and after returning home.
Again tested positive for Mgen only. The test wasnt really needed, it was obvious with the purulent discharge and worst symptoms. Due to have it left untreated, I developed severe testicle pain from this point onward. Mgen had made its way to my vas deferens and epididymis.
4. Treatment: Minocycline + Pristinamycin [FAILED]
Doc prescribed Pristinamycine. Problem was, this was not available in Germany so had to book a flight to Paris and pick it up in the airport pharmacy there and ofc pay out of pocket. He also gave me Doxycycline to manage symptoms until I get Pristinamycine.
Now here comes a thing. Doxycycline DID NOT PUT A DENT in my symptoms anymore. I had purulent discharge, extreme severe pain in my urethra AND testicles while on Doxycycline. I had taken 10 days Doxy with absolutely zero relief. Mgen was certainly resistant to Doxy at this point (remember, exactly before this I again tested positive for Mgen, nothing else). I switched to Mino - initially Mino had my symptoms to zero in days. Now, Mino was barely doing anything. My discharge however went from purulent to cloudy and then decreased to an extent that I only had discharge every other day while on Mino. But still I had bad testicle pain at all time, also itchiness, general urethra pain etc.
When I finally had Pristinamycin, I was already in on Mino like 25-30 days again. Then took 10 days Pristinamycin concurrently with Minocycline with barely any improvement.
After finishing, I wasn't certain if Mgen was gone. I had 2 days off antibiotics when my testicles started to hurt badly + discharge. This is when I knew it was still there and I hopped back on Mino.
5. Treatment: Minocycline + Sitafloxacin [FAILED]
My infectious disease basically gave up and said he couldn't do anymore except indefinite Minocycline. So for all people who say go to an infectious disease: yes I did and he was basically helpless despite being the Mgen expert.
I don't know how many days I was on Minocycline before my Sitafloxacin arrived after ordering it online from Japan, probably again like 30 days. Then took Mino + Sitafloxacin (2x100mg) concurrently for 25 days.
Due to my FQ anxiety, I had made a mistake though and supplemented with Magnesium and NAC while doing Sitafloxacin. I spaced it out 6 hours but still it must have interfered probably with Sita.
Still in the beginning it worked like a charm. However, by day 20, cloudy with some pus in it returned (while still on Mino+Sita!!!).
6. Treatment: Minocycline + Sitafloxacin + Josamycine [FAILED]
When the cloudy discharge returned on day 20, I decided to put everything in I had to nuke this shitty mgen. So for the last 5 Days I still had Sita, I even increased dosages:
Mino 2x150mg + Sita 2x150mg + Josamycine (don't remember the dosage).
So this was a antibiotic monster dose. For 5 days, I was on 3 antibiotics with even increased dosages. When Sita depleted after 5 days, I completed Mino+Josamycin concurrently.
After finishing this treatment, I still had symptoms, foremost in my testicles and vas deferens - not so much anymore in my Urethra (but also still). I also still had purulent discharge after this.
However, I refused to accept that Mgen could still be there after this antibiotic monster dose. So I decided to wait it out.
By day 2 already after finishing Josa+Mino, my testicles again started to hurt. Day by day it got worse and since day 2 after finishing abx I needed to take 2x600mg Ibuprofen to get pain relief. To make this very clear: I had testicle pain to an extent I could not walk / sit. Every vibration from a step was so unbelievably painful. This is when I went to a Urologist and had an ultra sound. The ultrasound revealed epididymitis and inflammation in the vas deferens. I just had finished abx worth killing an elephant and I still had epididymitis - unbelievable. As I said I refused to believe it was Mgen and wanted to wait it out. By day 7, I couldn't take the pain anymore (I was almost jumping off a bridge) and hopped back on Mino. Mino relieved the pain to some extent but still had the testicle pain on a lower scale with Mino at all times.
I did not have much discharge in the mornings but more during the day (purulent whitish). I decided to take a swab test of this discharge. First swab test came back negative - however, this was a swab that I could only hand in 3 days after taking it due to closing times of my ID doc. My ID doc then obviously didn't think it was Mgen anymore. I did - and did a second swab test privately (swabbed and directly to the lab). Came back positive for Mgen, nothing else.
Remember: by that time, I was on Minocycline for months already.
7. Treatment: Minocycline + Lascufloxacin [FAILED]
Because of this one user here in this subreddit, I ordered Lascufloxacin from our favorite Japanese candymen. The user stated it was "last line" in Japan. I was also in contact with a Japanese infectious disease clinic which did not confirm this to me. But they also had no idea what I could do after failing Sita.
So I took 25 days Mino (2x150mg + Lascufloxacin IN DOUBLE DOSE: 150mg daily).
Again worked like a charm in the beginning. But again like often before, discharge returned by say day 20 while still on it. So I knew Mgen was still there.
8. Treatment: Minocycline + Lefamulin [SUCCESS]
As you may think, I was extremely desperate. So I decided to get Lefamulin no matter what it costs. I set up an account at push health with a fake US address and stated my ordeal. The first doctor approved my request for 10 days Lefamulin right away.
The tricky part now was to get a pharmacy to order it without me having swipped my credit card before (I am resident in Germany). I talked to like 10 pharmacies in NYC and finally one pharmacy was willing to help me. I wired 3,500 USD per bank transfer to the pharmacies account and then flew from Germany to NYC only to pick up 20 tablets of Lefamulin. So paid out of pocket for Lefamulin.
Started Lefamulin and Lefamulin was different! After the first tablet about 6 hours later had cloudy discharge. After second tablet about 6 hours later had a lot of watery discharge -> this must have been a die off reaction.
I did not do Mino+Lefamulin concurrently but successively.
After finishing Lefamulin, I still had bad symptoms - pain in urethra and foremost in testicles and vas deferens. BUT one thing was very different - I did not have discharge anymore and it never returned.
The symptoms were on and off for like 6 weeks, sometimes very bad. I am now exactly 7 weeks out and 98-99% symptom free.
Received two TOCs, one after 3 weeks, one after 6 weeks. Both NEGATIVE. At week 6 I tested urine + semen (two separate tests, both negative).
So finally beat Mgen.
Again I am mentally drained, exhausted, burned out. This was the worst thing ever and took from Christmas 2022 up until now. My last dose of Lefamulin was on 7 July 2023.
In the entire time, I was only off Mino for c. 25 days. All the other time I have been on ABX this year.
Some lessons learned:
- Despite the opinion that Mgen does not acquire resistance to Doxy and Mino. It does! This is not only my personal experience but I also DM'ed with a lot of users dealing with Mgen and it happened the same. We can also see this in the latest posts in this subreddit. This is a scary development but one we cannot simply deny. Mgen acquires resistance to Tetracyclines (foremost to Doxy) period.
- I did ultra-long abx courses with bactericidal antibiotics. Like 25 days with Sita and 25 days with Lascu. In retroperspective I would say 10 days are sufficient. It either works by 10 days or 25 days will also not work. Lefamulin did work in only 10 days.
- Infectious disease docs are a good address when dealing with this. But they are humans also only. My infectious disease doc gave up on me after Treatment 4. I would still be having this if I followed his advice to only take indefinite Minocycline. I ordered Sita+Lascu+Josa and obtained Lefamulin all by myself.
- Residual symptoms are a thing. I had BAD residual symptoms for 6 weeks. However, residual symptoms are on a decreasing scale and the one thing to worry about is discharge. Purulent discharge NEVER came back after lefamulin. The one symptom that had me calmed when it didnt come back.
- I don't know if CPPS is a thing. Personally for me not. All my residual symptoms are residual inflammation. This fades out and now by week 7 I am almost completely back to normal.
- Mentally: This is one of the worst point of this infection. I cant stress enough how exhausted I am from this mentally speaking.
- Epididymitis + inflammation of the vas deferens is Mgen related. This was one of the worst pain ever experienced.
- Do not take supplements while doing FQ antibiotics. Even spaced out, they will likely interfere. This has probably been my mistake with Sitafloxacin.
- After this experience and also looking at the other recent posts, I am scared as shit that Mgen becomes a real superbug. If it wasn't for Lefamulin, I would have been a real untreatable case. I will not have any unprotected sex in my life anymore.

[thriller] [dark] [mature]
This story was split into two parts because Reddit. You can read the full story here [Alternative link]
Chapter I: The Ditch
Memory Transmission Subject: Cornel, Human Combat Pilot
Date [Standardized Human Time]: December 3, 2136
And so we fell from the sky. The battle with Shaza’s fleet was promising, but that was just a good impression. When their fleet was in range, we began to lose people. We were immobilized in a medium-sized fighter. Two out of three escape pods were taken, but the third one was compromised along with the engine. I sent the distress signal as I watched the planet pulling us down.
Sillis had one supercontinent and a massive ocean. Not that I had any choice on where to land but thankfully we were right above the ocean giving a chance of safe ditching. The problem is being stranded thousand miles from the land. Soon as we pierced the atmosphere, the ship started shaking and the heat was rising. The plating gave us enough protection from dangerous temperatures until it stopped rising. At a certain altitude the parachutes deployed to slow the falling. It worked for a moment but they were torn apart and soon we would hit the water. In the final moments I glanced behind to see my two companions. There sat on my sides two petrified Venlil, Reni and Focia. I cannot say we were very close and perfect friends, but from now on we had only each other. Everyone braced for impact.
​
[Warning! Memory subject unstable. Transcript corruption: 0.2%]
A painful wailing woke me up. It was Focia. I couldn’t be unconscious for longer than 5 minutes.
I tried to recollect myself. I was still in my seat. The ship was floating in water. I unstrapped myself and saw Focia covered in orange blood.
“Oh my God, Focia!” I launched to her side. She had a wide deep laceration on her forearm. She hurt herself or something hit her. “Focia, are you with me?”
She struggled through the pain. “Ugh, yes” she said, holding onto her arm. It was bleeding heavily.
“Remi, the first aid kit” I said to another Venlil standing by my side. Remi snapped out of the freeze and left the bridge. I put pressure on the bleeding wound with my coat. It was immediately stained with orange blood and was still difficult to slow down.
“I’ve got it!” Remi returned with a first aid kit. Some of its contents were marked with green and orange colors to distinguish which medicine is suitable for either human or Venlil. Argh! Suddenly I felt a pulsating headache, but I discarded it. The human first aid kits are standardized to be green with white cross. The red background, while commonly seen, is not supported and used officially, and the red cross on white background is a protected symbol of the International Committee of the Red Cross. For the use of orange, it makes sense to mark Venlil-friendly medicine with the color of their blood.
“If I remember correctly, you shave the fur around the wound first?” I asked as I gave Remi the razor. “Do it, I’m not confident with using these.” My grip on the covered wound lessened, before Remi reached for the razor. He shaved a long portion of Focia’s arm as fast as possible so we could seal the bleeding. Meanwhile I picked the alien stitching gel and saline solution, they didn’t have a mark, so they are good for both species. Saline was contained in small 5ml plastic ampoules. Focia flinched when I poured the saline over the laceration.
“Gyah! What is that?” She raised her voice.
“Just something to disinfect. Sorry, it’s not meant to be pleasant.” I opened another ampoule, because I thought it wasn’t enough. Then I applied the stitching gel and covered the laceration with a compress. Once I was done with the wound I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“We’re on Sillis?” I asked in disbelief. Behind the window I saw large, but lazy waves. We were on the ocean.
Remi went for the transmitter. “We need to contact the fleet! Send the distress signal!” I tried to reach to c▒lm him down, b▓t… I don’t know who I am looking at…
And I felt nau�eous… I think I might �e concussed. I sat in the nearest seat and dosed off.
​
Memory Transmission Subject: Remi, Venlil Space Corps
Date [Standardized Human Time]: December 3, 2136
What is wrong with these humans! Did he really not notice the injury on his head? He looked like some body horror. Even with that injury and being half-conscious, he managed to take care of Focia’s wound before passing out? How much can these predators endure before they reach their limit? Now Cornel was sitting unconscious in my seat with his wound open, while I was setting up to contact the fleet.
“Mayday, mayday! This is Remi, a fighter co-pilot from Spacecraft Carrier Overcast! We crash landed on Sillis and we’re ditching in the middle of the Ocean. There are two injured people.” I recited over the transmitter. Nobody answered but a weird interference.
I repeated my plea. No answer. There was no communication, so I decided to not waste anymore time and went to treat the Cornel’s injury.
The blood stopped oozing, but his wound still looked ghastly. I took the same items from the first aid kit and repeated the tending process that Cornel did for Focia. While his wound wasn’t gushing, it was affecting head. There was a threat of brain injury and we were stranded far away from civilization, and by extension medical specialists. If rescue won't arrive soon, we need to brace for long periods of desolation.
"Any idea how much supplies we've got?" I asked Focia.
"Not really, why?"
"It might take a while before help arrives." My companion rose from the seat.
"I'll check the kitchen, '' she said and left the bridge. The ship is small, but we could afford a kitchen where we stored all our food supply. Thinking about the other chambers, there is no more space for storing supplies. This ship wasn't meant for long term spacefaring outside the carrier ship anyways, there's no point to check every room.
Hold on. I went for the console and ran the diagnostics. The program started booting up and immediately returned unnerving results. The FTL chamber was flooded and locked out, and the reactor was overheating. I queued the power output to decrease before we exploded. Too much energy with nothing to spend it on. The only device we need right now is communications. I kept trying to hail the fleet.
​
Chapter II: Four cute faces
Memory Transmission Subject: Cornel, Human Combat Pilot
Date [Standardized Human Time]: December 4, 2136
[Warning! Memory subject unstable. Transcript corruption: >0.1%]
A plate full of seeds and dried vegetables greeted me. I felt kind of funny, like being drunk. I don't remember drinking anything, and judging by the surroundings, we were still on a fighter. There never was any alcohol on this ship.
The feeling subsided and I decided to stand up. I was in the only cabin on that ship. It was ridiculously minimalistic and tiny. There were three bunks, drawers and a small restroom. Each bunk bed could hold three people, which means 9 people could live here. Still seven was enough, that's how many we were before crash landing. The remaining four left with one escape pod. There were two Venlil and two humans. Hopefully they are still alive in space. That reminded me of the remaining crew. I picked up the plate with a meal I had no intention of eating by myself. Before I left the cabin, I searched my drawer and found a familiar looking package, it was opened.
The corridors were quite dark. I have never seen them with light bulbs off. The only source of light was coming from a single window, behind which I could see a water surface. From below. The ship was half submerged and I was currently below the sea water. The sight of the sun seen underwater was worrisome, but an actual spaceship should be fine.
I reached the kitchen where two Venlil were eating their portions. “Morning, I just woke up.”
Remi looked at me and made a weird motion with his tail. “You haven’t eaten yet?”
“I thought eating in solitude was sad and pathetic. Can I join?”
Focia scanned me with her eye, until she squinted suddenly. “I guess, sure.”
I tried to brighten the atmosphere with a joke “What, does the sight of a hungry predator spoil your appetite?”
She chuckled. “No, but the sight of a wounded hungry predator does.”
I recalled a pain in my head. “Oh, that’s nothing. I am in sound mind.” I looked at my plate. “Actually the meal is quite humble. How much supplies do we have?”
“Very little.” Remi spat. “This fighter is heavily underpacked. We practically have a [1kg] of seeds, a few packets of dried plants and two bottles of clean water.”
“Hm, yeah that’s not a lot. I was thinking I could limit myself to eating meat and leave plant food to you.” The mentioning of meat triggered something and they both splayed their ears against their scalp. That’s a more familiar body language.
“I was thinking similar but the plant food is all that’s left. I searched everywhere. There’s no human food on this ship.” Focia answered, squinting her eyes from time to time.
I showed a packet that I was holding under the plate. “Were you looking for this?” I placed the packet on the table. “That must be Norbert’s doing. He opened my MRE and took the sweets. Asshole.” I wheezed and spilled the content of the package. “Yep, as I thought. There’s missing a granola bar, crackers and chee– um, a spread sauce. Well, at least he left the coffee.” I looked at what was left of MRE. A main entree, beef ravioli, vegetables, a bag with smaller packets, among which was the mentioned coffee, but also salt and sugar. There were also napkins and matches. And finally the biggest component of MRE, the flameless ration heater.
Beef ravioli. More like wet goop. The lack of sweets and snacks started hurting. “I could just eat the main entree and give you the fruits. Also keep the seeds and dried veggies.”
“Wait, you can’t just live on that. Is it really enough to survive?” Focia interjected. She wasn’t wrong, but that’s not the issue.
“That’s enough for breakfast, but we need to ration the food. If I could try fishing, you could keep the plant food for yourself.”
“You’re going to hunt for fish in the middle of the ocean?” She raised a good question, for a herbivore. Sea life is sparse when being far from the shore. She was squinting her eyes though. It doesn’t look like flinching when predatory activities are mentioned.
“Is something wrong, Focia?” I asked.
“It’s just the wound burning.” She raised her bandaged paw.
“Maybe we should give it a look and maybe replace the bandage?” On cue Remi went to fetch the first aid kit.
“Maybe if you find some painkillers, it would be enough.”
“I want to see how your wound is healing. You can’t parade with a dirty bandage anyways. It was a deep laceration.” She started removing her bandage, under which was a naked skin with a big scar with weird vivid colors.
“It’s completely sealed. This stitching gel really promotes the healing process. Why is it so brownish?”
“That’s just orange blood coagulating. Why you ask?” Because it looks like shit, but I won’t say it out loud.
“Never seen orange blood before, I guess. But you’re saying the wound hurts.”
“Could it be the infection?” She raised the worrying question, and I knew the answer. “But you used the disinfectant, I remember you using it.”
“Maybe it was not enough, or it was too late.” I tried to think if I did everything alright when I was tending the wound. I was concussed after all. The unfortunate brownishness gave me another thought. “Or maybe the wound was dirty. But it’s done now and we can’t undo it. We can however try to fight the infection. Just wait till–”
“What infection?”
“Jesus, don’t scare me like that!” I jumped as Remi appeared out of nowhere. “The wound might be infected and we need antibiotics.”
“How do you want to dose them by yourself? We don’t usually put antibiotics in pills in first aid kits. They must be consulted with a medical expert.”
“I’ll tread carefully.”
Remi and I started searching the contents of the first aid kit. There was a lot of equipment for tending wounds coming from both human and Venlil medical schools of thought. I even found sutures and a tactical stasis for gunshots.
“What the fuck, is that a torture device?!” Remi suddenly bursted.
“What?“ I asked befuddled. “This?” I pointed at a curved needle for stitches. “That’s for stitches. How do you tend your biggest wounds? You just use your surgical glue?”
“Well it’s better than making more wounds by literally penetrating your body with a sharp object, is it not? What about the pain?”
“Well, suck it up. Your life is more important than the pain. What if the stitching gel isn’t strong enough and the wound opens?”
“Ey, lovebirds!” Focia interrupted our heated opinion exchange. “My arm is aching. Can you do something about it?”
Remi perked up “Sure, let me ask Doctor Human if he can find something for you.” He then slowly turned to face me, with both his side-facing eyes. “You heard that, doc.”
God that was creepy. “Sure nurse. Could you check the communications? My medical degree was revoked sometime ago, and I need actual doctors.”
Remi scoffed and left the kitchen. I continued searching the first aid kit. I recalled Remi’s words. We don’t usually put antibiotics in pills. Does that mean there won’t be any from Venlil medical field? In no time I found three tubes of Earth antibiotics and nothing from Venlil Prime. These tubes weren’t tagged with green or orange color, so they should be good for Venlil.
“Alright, I’ve got three drugs. Those are Penicillin–
“What’s that?” Focia cut in.
“Oh, it’s an antibiotic made from mold.”
“... An antibiotic made from mold? Why would you–”
“Alright, I'm not gonna argue ad nauseam. Why wouldn't we? Look, we have a long history with Penicillin and we know it’s good. It was the first actual antibiotic we discovered.” I prepared the next tube and prepared to read it. “Still works, yes. The next is Doxycycline.”
“Uh-huh, what’s that?”
“It’s highly effective in infections of the respiratory tract, but it has a wide spectrum and works on other types of infection, I think.” I squinted my eyes to read the third one. “The last is Cipr– Ciprofloxacin”
“And what’s that?”
“Fuck if I know, I’m not a pharmacist.”
“You know quite a lot about the other two.”
“Well it’s good to know that Alexander Fleming invented the first antibiotics. Doxycycline was used in some popular tv shows and I studied it out of boredom. Doesn’t the Federation use these antibiotics already?”
“Uhm… I wouldn’t know. I don’t recognize these. All I know is that you have: a mold antibiotic, a strong for respiratory infections antibiotic, and an antibiotic. If so, they would have different names, but before we have them studied, the translation implant won’t make it clear.”
“Alright, let’s start with Doxycycline. It’s strong so it will kickstart the healing, and penicillium must be taken regularly or the infection will return. And there’s another problem, there are only three pills left here.” I started reading the patient information leaflet, looking for the dosage.
Always take your medicine exactly as your doctor has instructed you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist, if you are unsure.
The recommended dose is:
Respiratory, urinary tract, ophthalmic and other infections
The usual dose is 200mg on the first day as a single dose or two 100mg doses, followed by 100mg daily. For severe infections your doctor may increase the dose to 200mg a day. The duration of treatment is dependent on the infection being treated.
“Huh, 2 pills on the first day and 1 daily. Do we even want to start treatment with this one if it’s gonna deplete so fast?”
I looked at Focia and saw two Venlil standing in front of me. “There’s two of you now?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s someone next to you.”
“Remi!”
“Yeah?!” I heard from a distance.
“Cornel is seeing double!”
Remi came back shortly after, along with his double. “How did he… what happened?”
“He was just reading the leaflet, that’s all.”
“Alright. Human, how many digits do you see?” He then displayed his paw in front of my eyes, but it was blending with another and I couldn’t see.
“Too many?” I reached for the fluffy paw. “But I can also see four cute faces.” Remi withdrew his paw before I could touch it.
“What does that mean, is he losing it?” Focia answered. I finally self-diagnosed myself.
[Warning! Memory subject unstable. Transcript corruption: 0.3%]
“It’s th▒t unt▒eated concu▒sion. You need to lay d�wn.”
“But w▓at about Focia?” I ▓sked.
“I’ll finish it for y▒u. Heck, I’ll make you thi▒ MRE.” Remi asked. Said. Responded. He… Remi.
Ok, I n▒ed to lay d�wn.
​
Memory Transmission Subject: Remi, Venllil Space Corps
Date [Standardized Human Time]: December 4, 2136
At this point we are arguing over who takes care of who. Cornel tries to keep control over the situation despite needing medical help himself. Being the only human left on this ship, he's the strongest figure for a leader. Still, I need to take some of his responsibilities to let him ease down, or the damage would be irreparable.
Ok, the MRE.
Gross, gross. The packet of "beef ravioli" as written on the label in human script, contained what I assumed to be a mashed, seasoned flesh mixed with pasta, which is made of dough but also eggs! And I know that humans only eat unfertilized eggs, but it still made me gag. The only good thing is that the packet was completely sealed to protect it from spoiling, and I only needed to warm it with that flameless ration heater.
Why did I volunteer to feed the predator?
—
“Thanks, ven” Cornel answered with his silly nickname, as I handed him his prepared… meal. “I was thinking, two bottles is not enough for three people. Any idea what to do?”
“We don’t have any sorts of water filters. You’re not thinking about distilling water in our kitchen?”
“Pfft, of course not! Do you think I’m concussed or something?” Cornel laughed in the face of adversity, as he used to. I sure hope he didn’t want to try that idea, I don’t want to nuke our ship with an electric oven. “No, I was thinking about Solar Still. I’ll use the sun to distill water.”
“Oh my stars, you can’t be serious.”
“What, it’s survival 101. I’ll let the vapors condense on a plastic foil and fall into a cup.”
“The ship is heaving, the contents would spill at any moment.”
“...Minor inconvenience.”
That human’s going to drive me insane.
“Also… also I want to try fishing, Because the food is ending as well.” He started playing with his unopened bag of MRE.
“Hunting for fish? Alright, I won’t stop you.”
“Really?” He seemed surprised that he didn't need my permission, keeping our situation in mind.
“Yeah, do what you will.”
“Sweet.” He then opened his meal. I instinctively looked away to avoid the sight. The mere idea of “beef ravioli” was revolting itself. “I’ll use the stitch needle for a hook, since it’s useless in your opinion.”
“Alright, I quit!” And I left his cabin in an instant.
​
Chapter III: Royal and Navy Blue
Memory Transmission Subject: Cornel, Human Combat Pilot
Date [Standardized Human Time]: December 5, 2136
[Warning! Memory subject unstable. Transcript corruption: >0.1%]
It’s 3 am. Yesterday was so uneventful. I slept through another day thanks to my double vision, Remi stayed on communication, wondering whether it’s even working and reassembling it, and Focia left the ship to take a fresh breath and try to make a Solar Still. She was more enthusiastic about my idea.
I was ordered to take a rest and let my head heal up. When I haven’t slept, I tried browsing through the first aid kit, and slowly reading the leaflets for the next antibiotics and other medicine. I had unnecessarily plenty of joy reading the Loperamide, because my brain was broken before concussion and couldn’t be returned. Something about warranty seal.
Given my unfortunate waking hour, being hungry and unable to sleep again, I decided to take a chance at fishing. I never tried it before but I remembered that the time for fishing was quite fortunate. I left my room, and fetched the stitching needle with the sutures. I also took some dried seaweed, not too much, just for the lure. Next I took the broom and dismantled it to get a handle. One thing led to another and I had a makeshift fishing rod. Oh yeah! Next, conquer the world.
But my enthusiasm was quickly dampened when I left the ship for the first time. All I could see was a wide landscape of just water. The sky was obstructed by clouds, therefore the sun could only barely draw the line of horizon. On the line where the sky meets with the ocean, the deep vivid blue color turns slightly darker. It was a dreadful sight, but despite that, quite beautiful. It was also very cold if not for the jacket.
I looked around. The exit doors led me to the left wing of the ship. Behind me was a dome-shaped top of the fighter, where I could barely see an alien construction. It was Focia’s Solar Still. I climbed on top of the dome to retrieve a cup and see its content. There was not much, but I took it to the kitchen to refill the supply. It was best to secure it from spilling in case of unexpected waves. The Solar Still wasn’t working at night anyways.
I finally decided to cast a line. The top of the ship was my choice for the resting place. My fishing rod had a line at least 5 meters long. And by line I meant a suture thread. The arc-shaped needle for stitching is the closest in shape to the fishing hook, I just had to bend it carefully to make a nice shape. It was starting to look promising, the only thing it lacked was a barb at the end, but it was not necessary. Once I casted my line, the most exciting part of fishing started. Waiting for the catch.
It could have been better if the sky was clear. The same stars were aligning into completely new constellations on Sillis, and on any new planet for that matter. I turned my focus on the horizon line, watching the different shades of blue. Could the fishes even be caught in the middle of the ocean? We are far from the coast and any vegetation after all. They should probably, just less frequently. The blue shades were turning a little bit brighter with every few minutes without any bite.
[Warning! Memory subject unstable. Transcript corruption: 0.5%]
What the.▒.
I’m feeling n▓mb again. But there’s nothing � can do about it.
I decided to just get comfy ▓nd wait it out.
—
​
[Warning! Memory subject unstable. Transcript corruption: >0.1%]
It was bright and gray when I woke up. I still had my fishing rod with me\, but when I retrieved the line, the hook was missing.
“Damn it! There are fishes after all!”
I returned inside to greet my two Ven-buddies. Both of them were residing in the kitchen. Remi was preparing three portions of breakfast.
“Morning.”
“Cornel, hi! Did you sleep well?” Focia perked up, once I announced myself.
“Pfft, I had enough sleep for this week.” I retorted. “How’s your arm? I haven’t had a chance to ask if antibiotics work.”
“Oh yeah, well. I took painkillers as well so it had stopped hurting.”
“Well, you shouldn’t take them. We need to keep track of symptoms to check if they are working.”
“Oh, ok. I understand.” She laid her ears flat and flicked her tail lazily. Was that shame in her gestures?
“From the good news, your Solar Still works well.” She made one flick of her tail, but still looked gloomy. Meanwhile Remi brought the breakfast.
“I said I’ll leave plant meals for you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but you also have to eat something. Where’s your fish? You were supposed to hunt one.”
“Well, it was very slippery.” I chuckled sheepishly.
“Oh yeah, and the hunter was very… conscious.”
Damn it, he knows.
“Well, I wasn’t attending anyways. I only wanted to know if there was anything to hunt, so I took a nap,” and so I began my grand improvisation. “Now that I know it, I’ll continue fishing at late evening or early morning. Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“Uh-huh, if you say so.”
—
​
For most of the time we had nothing to do. The main objective was to contact the fleet, but that did not work for some reason. That means we were left with lots of free time to fill. Keeping in mind we have to preserve energy and supplies, I spent time thinking, not too intensively of course, I was using only that mythical 10% of my brain and there was no sign of improvement. Hopefully Focia has better luck with healing than me. The next antibiotics are Penicillin or Cipro-something. Well the choice is obvious, the first is commonly known and respected, the latter I can’t even memorize and pronounce. So much for that brain-light-raining session. Speaking of rain, why hasn't it rained yet? Oceans of Sillis were known for having unkind weather. I would appreciate the rainwater in our supply.
I decided to check the communication at the bridge. Remi was still occupying the radio, speaking his sentences with long intervals to not waste too much energy.
“May I?” I asked my friend. He made an unknown gesture with his tail, though I could surmise the meaning.
I unplugged the headphones and turned the volume very high. The noise filled the room and I began listening for any signs. Remi quickly caught on but the sound wasn’t merciful for his sensitive hearing. I couldn’t identify anything from the infinite signals. The noise wasn’t too unique, but it wasn’t as clean as the white noise.
“Wait.” Venlil caught me off-guard. “There are some dialogues, but heavily distorted.”
“Oh, and they can’t hear us?” The noise suddenly became the main problem. “Does that mean we are being jammed?”
“That’s possible.”
“Could you track the source?”
“I could, but if it’s from space, we can’t do much about it. I don’t even know if we can move this ship.”
“We will have to try eventually.”
Content from making a small step forward, I left to search for anything to occupy my mind.
—
​
Date [Standardized Human Time]: December 6, 2136
It’s 4 am again. The beautiful ocean was now met with slightly cloudy blue. There I could see a little bit of the starry sky. I took another needle hook and continued fishing. This time I decided to not risk losing a lure and also not fall asleep. I had a nice long nap and I was ready to fish for something.
—
My fervor was unreciprocated because fishes are dumb. Needless to say I was sitting there like an idiot. What an uneventful morning.
The worst part is that I was already very hungry. If I ask Remi for breakfast, my pride won’t even hurt. But it’s not a question of pride, Remi and Focia need to eat, and if I can give them my portion, I will do it without a second thought. They deserve it more anyways.
Both Venlil were sitting in the kitchen. Today for the menu was a packet of vegetables from my MRE. Aside from coffee, it was all we had left. The coffee wouldn’t satiate the hunger, it was more like a stimulant. In case of any manual labor, I could use it to regain energy.
“You don’t look so good, Cornel.” I was greeted by Remi with these exact words. He was focused on me as soon as I entered the room.
“That’s the result of a poor sleeping schedule. Besides being sleepy, I am fine.” I shared a silent greeting with Focia who was sitting in the corner.
“But you haven’t eaten anything for almost 48 hours. You will become weak.”
“Come on. I’m a predator, hunger gives me motivation to push my body to limits, or something like that.” That’s a very bold statement. But these Venlil are already well aware that humans would never hunt another sapient. They are also pretty comfortable with having us around them. The fact of our strength is almost as certain as the security we can offer.
“Yes, you showcased your limits when you tended Focia’s wounds while your head was split-open. You still should eat a little, so you don’t accidentally succumb to any weird instincts.”
That felt like betrayal. “I thought we settled that already. I would never eat any of your or any federation kind. I would rather kill myself than hurt you.”
“You have a head injury. Those tend to do virtually anything. You could become delusional and try to pounce on us.”
“Don’t even talk like that. I–”
“That’s why I said ‘weird instincts’. You and Focia are the ones who need energy. Let me give you my share.”
The time slowed at that moment. I didn’t want to accept that offer. I didn’t want to choose at all. The hopelessness and anticipation were giving me a heartache.
“Also it’s far too early for those instincts to hit. It would take a week to lose my mind.” I tried to buy myself more time before accepting the meal. “How are you feeling, Focia? You haven’t said anything.”
Focia looked at me sluggishly “I… I don’t feel good at all.”
“Shit.” The sudden revelation kept us alert. I checked her forehead and she was feverish. Her arm was swollen. “The antibiotics were not as effective as I hoped. Does it hurt?”
“Yes, but… You said to not take painkillers.”
“Forget that. I don’t want to torment you. For the new antibiotics, take them every 8 hours on an empty stomach. And eat your breakfast after an hour..”
“What about you?” Remi bursted.
“I’ll eat later. Tell me what’s with the communication?” I left the kitchen with Remi tailing me. We were heading to the bridge.
“The- the noise, it’s everywhere, including above us. I don’t know if we can get out of its reach.”
“Maybe we can try. Can you move this ship?”
“I’m not sure. If I start, we will be able to move only a few hundred meters. This ship is too unstable to travel great distances, even without a lift off.”
“Try to make small steps. We really cannot wait any longer. And pay attention to communications. Maybe the signal will–”
[Warning! Memory subject unstable. Transcript corruption: 1.0%]
“Oh ▒o, Corn▒el! ▓tay w▓▒h m▓!” I tried �o focus o▓ Remi, �ut i▓ was t▓o h▒�d to to t� t▒…
[Warning! Consciousness lost abruptly!]
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