@CTBarrister posted:Adam21, I was on Cipro and other antibiotics continuously for 25 years- is that long term enough? Although it was not 25 years of continuous Cipro, it was 25 years rotating Cipro and other antibiotics. The longest I stayed on Cipro continuously was for 6 months @ 1000 mg plus 1000 mg flagyl. I was also taking Entocort. This unfortunately led to a massive outbreak of yeast infection and warts in my groin area, called by my dermatologist "the worst outbreak he had seen in 30 years." He cured it however, by freezing the warts, giving me diflucan and zeabsorb AF powder for the yeast infection, and pulling me off cipro and flagyl in favor of xifaxin, which isn't systemically absorbed and therefore allowed my skin bacteria to recover.
Apart from that episode and sun sensitivity manifesting in quicker sunburn and greater need for sunblock, I had no other side effects from Cipro apart from seeing an occasional rash start in the armpit and then quickly stop when splashed/doused with Zeabsorb AF.
No joint or tendon issues and no issues mixing with booze. I remember during that 6 months I was in Montreal for the Jazz Festival and got totally bombed/smashed drinking all kinds of booze multiple times while taking Cipro with Flagyl.
Scott F reports he has been able to get away with it for 13 years and that might very well continue for him, but if he gets to a point where he needs Entocort to boost things that could be the game-Changer on side effects. It may have been for me.
As far as the toxic effect on the liver, unknown, but didn't effect my liver chemistries like methotrexate did. I asked my GI about long term cipro use back in the late 1990s and he famously quipped to me, "you are the Guinea Pig on that." Well the Guinea Pig made it through 25 years and now I am on Remicade and doing well. I have managed pouchitis for around 27 years overall. Liver has not shut down so far.
Be careful, the HPV warts can always come back.