Ashley Milano  |  September 30, 2014

Category: Legal News

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Lipitor diabetes lawsuitFluoroquinolones (also known as quinolones) are among the most widely prescribed antibiotics in the United States. The best known quinolones are Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin), but quinolone antibiotics are sold under numerous other generic and brand names including Cipro.

Despite their popularity, fluoroquinolones have been linked to serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects, including:

  • Liver toxicity
  • Liver failure
  • Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS)
  • Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)

Avelox, Levaquin, and Cipro are often the first medications physicians choose when their patients are in need of an antibiotic. WebMD says approximately 23 million patients obtained a prescription for Avelox, Levaquin or Cipro in 2011 alone.

There is increasing evidence suggesting these types of antibiotics can be dangerous. According to several studies and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcements, fluoroquinolones could cause people to contract Stevens Johnson Syndrome and the more dangerous toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Also, patients who have taken these drugs are alleging that the medications caused them to suffer from liver damage and liver failure. The FDA has also issued a warning about possible permanent nerve damage from taking fluoroquinolones.

Debilitating Side Effects

Fluoroquinolones are used to treat a variety of bacterial infections ranging from pneumonia and bronchitis to urinary tract infections. It may be administered by injection, oral solution, or tablets.

The rising use of these potent drugs has also been blamed for increases in two very serious, hard-to-treat infections: antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (known as MRSA) and severe diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile. The reactions can be body-wide, impacting the central nervous system, musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, sometimes simultaneously. Among the fluoroquinolone side effects reported are:

  • Retinal detachment, which can cause blindness
  • Hallucinations
  • Nausea and diarrhea
  • Acute kidney failure
  • Psychotic reactions
  • Hearing problems
  • Brain fog
  • Painful rashes
  • Disruptions to blood sugar metabolism
  • Depression
  • Phototoxicity
  • Peripheral neuropathy

Part of the problem is that fluoroquinolones are often inappropriately prescribed. Instead of being reserved for use against serious bacterial infections like hospital-acquired pneumonia, these antibiotics are frequently prescribed for sinusitis, bronchitis, earaches and other ailments that may resolve on their own or can be treated with less potent drugs or non-drug remedies.

No one knows how often serious adverse reactions occur. Complicating the problem is that, unlike retinal detachments that were linked only to current or very recent use of a fluoroquinolone, the drugs’ adverse effects on other systems can show up weeks or months after the treatment ends. In such cases, patients’ symptoms may never be associated with prior fluoroquinolone therapy.

No long-term studies have been done among former users of these antibiotics. A half-dozen fluoroquinolones have been taken off the market because of unjustifiable risks of adverse effects.

More than 2,000 patients have filed lawsuits over adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones. The lawsuits are similar in the fact that they allege patients experienced acute liver failure or Stevens Johnson Syndrome because they took an antibiotic classified in the fluoroquinolones category.

In general, quinolone lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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If you or someone you know took Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox or another quinolone antibiotic and were diagnosed with liver failure, Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify by submitting your information below for a free and confidential case review.

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