John Marshall used to enjoy running but after a serious reaction to antibiotics in 2017 he was left barely able to walk. The 51-year-old from Kirkcaldy says his health changed dramatically after just a couple of days of taking a group of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. "Every joint was sore and I mean every joint: fingers, elbows, toes, ankles - everything," he says.
"It was stabbing pains, jumping pains. My muscles were twitching. They were out of control.
" Campaigners raising awareness about rare adverse reactions to the drugs call this being 'floxed'. Seven years later, John is still suffering from chronic pain and regular muscle spasms. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics can be life-saving drugs when used against specific bacteria - and serious side effects are considered rare.
However, almost a year ago new guidance was issued that they should only be used in limited circumstances , where more commonly recommended antibiotics were not suitable. The UK medicines regulator MHRA warned that fluoroquinolones were linked to rare but occasionally severe and irreversible side effects, including tendon rupture, muscle and joint pain and nerve problems. It issued new guidance which strengthened previous warnings of complications, including the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours associated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
Despite the new guidance, a leading expert has told BBC Scotland News doctors are still over-prescribing. Prof Neal Millar is one of only a handful of clini.
