Fluoroquinolone antibiotics

The fluoroquinolones are a family of synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotics, which eradicate bacteria by interfering with DNA replication. However, the fluoroquinolones are relatively ineffective against intracellular pathogens.

Fluoroquinolones can be used as an acute-phase antibiotic for patients on the Marshall Protocol because they produce little or no immunopathology.

• ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• levofloxacin (Levaquin/Quixin)
• gatifloxacin (Tequin)
• moxifloxacin (Avelox)
• ofloxacin (Ocuflox/Floxin/Floxacin)
• norfloxacin (Noroxin)

All the fluoroquinolones are thought to act in a similar way.

The following issues should be addressed when a physician is deciding whether to use fluoroquinolone antibiotics:

• Fluoroquinolones are used by hospitals as “first-line” antibiotics. If a patient becomes sick with an opportunistic infection, it is not good to have encouraged the persistent bacteria to have developed a resistance to fluoroquinolones (potentially due to previous over-use of the drugs)
• Fluoroquinolones are only a fraction as effective as minocycline in killing intracellular bacteria. ¹⁾
• When used frequently, undesirable side effects have been well-documented. One of the risks of fluoroquinolone antibiotics is that of tendon damage, however, this risk is reportedly relatively small for patients who are not taking steroids.²⁾
• Another researched issue is retinal detachment ^{3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12)}

For reasons ranging from prophylaxis to acute infections, Marshall Protocol (MP) are sometimes advised to take an antibiotic different from the ones used on the MP.