Robert J. Boumis  |  May 6, 2014

Category: Legal News

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Zithromax side effectsZithromax, one of the most prescribed drugs on the market, has been linked to numerous serious complications, including life-threatening autoimmune reactions and heart murmurs.

Zithromax is an antibiotic, a drug that interferes with bacteria. It belongs to a different chemical family than penicillin. This means that people who are allergic to penicillin can still use Zithromax in most cases. Additionally, Zithromax is effective against a wide variety of infections, including everything from strep throat to flesh-eating bacteria.

Because people with penicillin allergies can use Zithromax, and its effectiveness against a wide spectrum of infections, Zithromax is one of the best-selling drugs in the world. Technically called Azithromycin, Zithromax is also sold as the Z-Pak and Zeto. However, the popular drug has been linked to an increased risk of developing life-threatening complications.

One of the alleged side effects of Zithromax is Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, or SJS. SJS is an autoimmune reaction, a reaction in which the body attacks itself. In the case of SJS, the body attacks its own skin, causing a painful rash that escalates to blisters, then sores, and then ulcers. In some cases, the damage can spread to the eyes and even internal organs. The condition is life-threatening and requires intensive medical care. SJS is difficult to treat. Steroids, which can help other autoimmune disorders, appear to help little, and may even make the outcome worse. Instead, physicians are largely limited to “supportive therapy,” which means treating the symptoms and working to keep the patient alive until the disease runs its course. Survivors face months of recovery, and may suffer permanent disability and disfigurement.

Additionally, Zithromax has been linked to an increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms, also called heart murmurs or arrhythmias. Specifically, Zithromax has been linked to in increased risk of an elongation of the QT interval. This means that the drug alters the carefully-orchestrated beating of the heart. Under some circumstances, elongation of the QT interval may make a person more likely to succumb to cardiac arrest. Studies have found that patients with existing heart conditions are more likely to suffer from this complication. Changes in heart rhythm have been seen with related antibiotics, but it was initially believed that Zithromax lacked this problem. However, widespread use may have made this potential risk more obvious.

Individual Zithromax lawsuits have been filed by patients and their survivors who have allegedly suffered complications after using Zithromax. These Zithromax lawsuits allege the manufacturer was aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the serious risks associated with the drug.

These Zithromax lawsuits may later be coordinated into a type of group legal action like multidistrict litigation, or MDL. MDL is a type of group lawsuit, with some similarities to class action lawsuits. Both class action lawsuits and MDLs allow a group of people to seek legal action against the same defendant over similar alleged harm. The main difference is that class action lawsuits start out as group lawsuits, while MDLs typically start out as individual lawsuits that are later coordinated into a single legal action. MDLs are more common than class action lawsuits for drug lawsuits.

Join a Free Zithromax Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of a Zithromax/Z-Pak injury such as a heart attack, liver damage, or Stevens Johnson Syndrome, you have legal options. See if you qualify to join a free Zithromax class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation for you or your loved one’s injuries:

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