Neurological problems caused by minocycline.

[grahamhg]

Has anyone developed this after taking minocycline?

I've had neurological problems ever since taking this drug 20 years ago for acne. It is known for its high degree of penetration into the central nervous system, and triggering of endless autoimmune conditions.

Initial symptoms started after 4 days of taking it: stiff hands and neck, feeling spaced out, depersonalisation, dizziness with bad vertigo. These are known side effects and well published. By the evening that day I started feeling ill, like I was dying, with stabbing pains in my spine, arms and legs, just like dental abscess pains. My skin dried up immediately, after being as greasy as an oil slick for 9 years, and I started sleeping 12 hours a day, nothing would wake me up. The stabbing pains continued until Xmas that year when I had a flu, which caused me to have cold hands and feet and i'd get out of breath really easily, something to do with low blood pressure i'm guessing?

This continued for 2.5 years until I had a throat infection, which brought on neurally mediated hypotension, the blood would pool in my hands and feet whenever I tried to walk, they'd feel like lead weights and it would take days to recover. Same happened when lying down, my head and upper torso would be as cold as ice. This has been the case now for the last 20 odd years though it has slowly improved over that time. I had temporary relapses over that time too: bouts of exhaustion, sometimes lasting months, bouts of weakness, bouts of angina like chest pain. They'd last a week, but always subside. About 3 years ago I started going numb and became constipated, GP said I should eat more fibre so I did and the constipation subsided. The numbness at first was mild and confined to my shoulders and back of my arms, however last August I had a severe relapse and it now has crept all over my body. The weakness has become so bad, its everywhere and I can hardly walk. I've lost 10 kilos in weight due to slow digestion (gastroparesis?)

Neurologist has ruled out MS and says my MRI looks normal, gave a tentative BS diagnosis of FND (after being diagnosed with CFS all these years.) The toxicologist fobbed me off and lied to my face saying there "was no mechanism for minocycline to cause this." Even though these symptoms are all listed as possible side effects of the drug.

[Hisue]

I, too, had awful consequences from minocycline rx for RA. Extreme joint pain, weakness, no appetite/lost 50 lb, anxiety, psychiatric & neurological issues.....

Thought it was a benign antibiotic! No, it passes thru the blood-brain barrier. There is some talk of taking it off the market.