Local author Marilyn Beardsley Heise recently launched retail sales of her newly published book “Perilous Pills, Protecting Yourself from Fluoroquinolone Injury” at Sherman’s stores in Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, Bar Harbor, Freeport and Portland. This is her first book.

Marilyn was harmed by taking an antibiotic called Levaquin, part of a frequently-prescribed class of drugs called fluoroquinolones that also includes Cipro, Avelox and numerous generics. She suffered severe tendinitis and a torn rotator cuff after taking Levaquin which was prescribed by her doctor. As she slowly recovered, she discovered that thousands of others had been hurt by these medications which were being overprescribed. Doctors often refused to acknowledge that rapid heartbeat, neuropathy, inability to walk, nightmares, chronic fatigue, retinal damage, aortic aneurysm and numerous other adverse effects were caused by taking these drugs. The most commonly-reported side effect was torn Achilles tendons.

As a journalist, the author decided to investigate. What she found were thousands of heartrending tales of injury, disability and psychological impairment that sometimes continued for months or years. She uncovered a messy story of profit over safety at Big Pharma, unreliable regulation at the FDA, overuse in hospital settings, errors in pharmacy dispensing, and over-prescribing by doctors, all of which impacted the safety of taking these common antibiotics. The book is a result of her extensive research.

“It has become my mission, my passion, to increase awareness among patients about the risks associated with taking fluoroquinolones and to generate change in a medical community that has perpetuated this decades-long harm,” said the author.

“Perilous Pills” details the largely unknown story behind these antibiotics and provides suggestions for protecting yourself and your loved ones. For more information about fluoroquinolones and the new book, visit www.perilouspills.com