An active Edinburgh mum suffered a toxic reaction to an antibiotic, leaving her “massively impacted” and unable to walk.
Aneta Malachowska, 41, a fitness enthusiast, previously frequented the gym five times per week and took an active role in her two children’s lives.
Now, the mum-of-two relies on her husband to cook and take charge of childcare as she reels in the aftermath of the drug’s rare side effects. She spoke to the “devastating” impact the antibiotic had on her life.
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She told Edinburgh Live: “I’m limited, I can’t the leave house by myself. I need a wheelchair to go outside.”
In June 2024, Aneta underwent surgery for an abscess on one of her fallopian tubes. Afterwards she was prescribed a fluoroquinolone antibiotic to treat inflammation that cropped up from the surgery.
But Aneta 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”.
The mum-of-two said her life has been changed -Credit:Supplied
She added: “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 previously went to the gym five times per week -Credit:Supplied
Edinburgh Live spoke to Professor David Dockrell from the University of Edinburgh who studies infection and inflammation.
Although fluoroquinolones have been used for decades, the drugs are associated with musculoskeletal complications in rare cases, said Prof Dockrell.
He continued: “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 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.”
Aneta has launched a fundraiser to help cover the cost her living expenses, treatments, supplements, and anti-inflammatory diet.
Her GoFundMe reads: “The most devastating thing is that I lost my ability to walk and my husband and children had lost the healthy and active mum I used to be.
I went from walking 10k a day, going to the gym 5 days a week and running every Saturday morning with my dog at Arthur’s Seat to a wheelchair user. I haven’t been able to properly return to work due to pain in legs when sitting down. I was housebound for months and my husband and his mum were supporting and helping me to get through this difficult time.
“It has been difficult living my life with limitations but I still hold a vision of myself walking again and living active and fulfilling life. I will be very grateful if you could support my journey to recovery. Thank you all for your kindness.”
If you would like to support her, you can do so here.
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