Scots mum left wheelchair-bound after 'toxic reaction to antibiotic'
"I'm limited, I can't the leave house by myself. I need a wheelchair to go outside."
A fit and active Scots mum suffered a toxic reaction to an antibiotic leaving her unable to walk and wheelchair bound.
Aneta Malachowska, 41, previously went to the gym five times a week and took an active role in her two children's lives. The mum-of-two, from Edinburgh, now relies on her husband to cook and take charge of childcare as she reels in the aftermath of the drug's rare side effects.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Anita spoke about the "devastating" impact the antibiotic had on her life. She said: "I'm limited, I can't the leave house by myself. I need a wheelchair to go outside."
The fitness enthusiast underwent surgery for an abscess on one of her fallopian tubes in June 2024. Afterwards she was prescribed a fluoroquinolone antibiotic to treat inflammation that cropped up from the surgery - but she soon noticed irregularities in her health.
Within days, a sensation emerged in her left left. It soon spread to her right leg and she began having difficulty walking. Aneta described the pain as "fireworks exploding in both my calfs".
She said: "The pain was constant all day long, everyday. It was really difficult to walk and some days I couldn't walk more than 2000 steps."
Aneta's condition continued to deteriorate in the following months. She tried to return to her work as a pharmacy technician, but her mobility was limited and she was experiencing extreme pain in both legs. Eventually, she became bound to a wheelchair, losing the ability to walk.
The mum learned she had developed tendinopathy and muscle atrophy, noted side-effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
In 2023, the UK Government released a warning to healthcare professionals against prescribing fluoroquinolone antibiotics for "non-severe or self-limiting infections" due to "the risk of disabling and potentially long-lasting or irreversible side effects". Its use is recommended only when other antibiotics would be ineffective for treatment.
Aneta constitutes one of the rare cases where fluoroquinolones resulted in disastrous side-effects. The mum - whose children are aged nine and 17 - spoke on the lasting impact the drug has had on her life a year on.
She said: "I'm a mum and I can't do the stuff I used to do with my kids. We can't just go outside for a walk or go for run together because I'm mostly in the house.
"It has impacted my life greatly because I'm not able to pick up my daughter from school, I can't do shopping anymore. My husband had to start doing all it himself and he still does.
"I'm limited, I can't the leave house by myself. I need a wheelchair to go outside. I was very active before this happened. I went to the gym every day and went running on the weekends. It has massively impacted my life."
Edinburgh Live spoke to Professor David Dockrell from the University of Edinburgh who studies infection and inflammation.
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Although fluoroquinolones have been used for decades, the drugs are associated with musculoskeletal complications in rare cases, said Prof Dockrell.
He said: 'The tendons can become inflamed. It can be difficult for tendons to heal and this can result in tendon ruptures and other problems. This has become more apparent over the years, although it remains a rare complication.
"There are still times we need to prescribe [fluoroquinolones] when the benefit for a certain infection outweighs the potential risk. What we wouldn't do is routinely use them for everybody for common infections where there may be safer alternatives. And when there are safer alternatives, we would try to use those.
Aneta has launched a fundraiser to help cover the cost her living expenses, treatments, supplements, and anti-inflammatory diet.
If you would like to support her, you can do so here.
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