Clark Howard Suspects Antibiotic May Have Caused Recent Illness

Howard

CLARK HOWARD tells WSB-TV/ATLANTA that his recent illness, which turned out to be life-threatening, may have been caused by an antibiotic prescribed to avoid an infection after a biopsy of his prostate cancer.

The consumer reporter and WESTWOOD ONE syndicated host, based at COX MEDIA GROUP News-Talk WSB-A-WSBB/ATLANTA, told WSB-TV reporter JIM STRICKLAND that he took a generic version of Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and, three days later, ended up in the hospital with rhabdomylosis, which has been noted as a side effect of the antibiotic for some people, although the exact cause of HOWARD's case has yet to be formally determined. “With rhabdo, your muscles are eating themselves, and then they destroy your kidneys and you die,” HOWARD explained, adding that his doctors theorize that the ciprofloxacin and a generic of Lipitor taken to control cholesterol interacted to increase the case of rhabdomylosis.

HOWARD added that he is looking into substitutes for ciprofloxacin, which he has taken before without incident and which has been necessary to deal with possible infections during biopsies in the treatment of his prostate cancer, which is being monitored. “Even not knowing for sure whether Cipro was a villain in this or not," HOWARD asked, "why would I want to be dead?"

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