Fluoroquinolone (or quinolone) drugs Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox are allegedly increasing the development of cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) across the country.

The manufacturers of these popular antibiotics are facing SJS lawsuits and are being accused of failing to properly warn the public about the risk of SJS.

Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox are all widely prescribed medications that treat bacterial infections (such as urinary tract infections, sinus infections, ear infections, and conjunctivitis). Quinolone drugs are known for their strength and effectiveness. However, more information is coming out about how quinolone drugs are actually increasing the risk of SJS in some users. 

Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

SJS is a severe reaction to a drug that causes the skin to burn and blister from the inside out. SJS typically involves a red or purplish rash which begins to spread and blister, sometimes causing the top layer of skin to peel off the body. SJS signs can also be found in mucus membranes. 

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a more severe version of SJS. SJS becomes TEN when more than 30 percent of the skin is infected (sometimes as much as 90 percent). Some TEN cases report the skin essentially shedding itself in infected areas. As many as 30-40 percent of TEN cases are fatal. 

One of the biggest concerns in SJS and TEN cases is complications. With skin severely damaged, it is easier for secondary infections to pass into the body, including the possibility of sepsis (blood infection). 

Recovering can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. SJS and TEN are extremely dangerous and painful diseases that can cause extreme suffering in patients.

Quinolone Stevens Johnson Syndrome 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Events Reporting System (AERS) has well over 45,000 documented general complaints about quinolone drug side effects, and 2,500 deaths have been linked to medications such as Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox. It is also believed that most negative reactions are not reported to AERS.

One TEN case in 2010 involved a woman with severe sores and blisters covering 40 percent of her body. The case report said, “the implicated culprit drug was levofloxacin,” or Levaquin, and asked that doctors be aware of the SJS risks when prescribing quinolone drugs.

About 300 new cases of SJS and TEN are diagnosed every year. Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox have allegedly caused extreme pain and suffering in some users who have suffered the reactions. Quinolone SJS lawsuits claim that manufacturers have failed to adequately provide warnings of SJS on the labels of their respective medications.

Other Cirpro, Levaquin, and Avelox side effects complaints involve quinolone liver failure and liver toxicity.