Cipro Nerve Side Effects May Be Cause of Gulf War Illnesses: Report

Following recent FDA warnings about a potential link between Cipro and nerve damage, some U.S. military now suspect that illnesses suffered since the first Gulf War may be caused by side effects of the antibiotic given to protect them from the possible use of anthrax as a chemical weapon.

Cipro was one of a number of medications many soldiers indicate they were ordered to take while serving in the Persian Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm, during the early 1990s. In the years since their service, many soldiers have suffered severe nerve damage and other maladies commonly referred to as Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) or Gulf War Illness (GWI).

In August, the FDA issued a drug safety communication (PDF) indicating that Cipro and similar antibiotics that are part of a class of medications known as fluoroquinolones could be linked to a type of permanent nerve damage, known as peripheral neuropathy.

According to a recent report by The Navy Times, a number of veterans are now stepping forward and reporting that they were given Cipro during the war and later developed peripheral neuropathy, with no way of knowing how they contracted the condition.

Fluoroquinolones are among of the most widely used antibiotics in the United States, including Levaquin, Cipro, Avelox, Noroxin, Floxin and Factive. The class has already been linked to a potential risk of tendon ruptures, retinal detachment, and possible kidney problems.

Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy can include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, weakness, and sensitivity to light touches, temperature and motion in the arms and legs. The FDA warns that the problem can arise at any time during treatment with the antibiotics and can last for months or years after the patient has stopped taking the drug.

In some cases, the nerve damage side effects of Cipro and similar drugs can be permanent, the agency warned earlier this year. The risk has only been linked to pills and injections. Topical formulations are not known to carry the same risk.

It is unknown how many soldiers were given Cipro during Desert Storm, but its use as a preventative for anthrax is controversial. The FDA did not actually approve the drug for that use until nine years after the war.

The U.S. military has often used Cipro as a go-to drug for a number of infection-related maladies, leading to some complaints that it used soldiers as guinea pigs. Before using it as an anthrax prophylactic, the military gave it to soldiers in Egypt in 1989, testing them to see if it helped prevent travelers’ diarrhea.

During the Gulf War, the military stockpiled more than 30 million doses, and from 2009 to 2012 military treatment facilities doled out 1.2 million Cipro prescriptions.

Since the war, more than 250,000 veterans who served in Iraq have developed multiple health problems, including nerve damage in many cases. However, the cause of the problems may be impossible to pinpoint given the number of possible sources. Troops were given a cocktail of drugs, many of which they could not identify at the time or have forgotten. They were also given vaccinations and were exposed to pesticides, potential nerve agents used by enemy forces and were even exposed to air that was potentially contaminated by massive oil well fires.