Some consumers are filing product liability lawsuits against Pfizer Inc. for the severe side effects of Zithromax. In particular, patients across the country are demanding to be compensated for their liver injuries, alleging they were caused by ingesting the popular antibiotic.

Class action law firms are taking potential Zithromax liver injury lawsuits from claimants who state they developed severe liver damage or liver failure after ingesting Zithromax. Several plaintiffs have also reported that the drug may have been the cause of death for their loved ones, who suffered liver damage soon after taking Zithromax.

Zithromax (azithromycin) is one of the most popular antibiotics in the United States, which is typically prescribed to treat minor to major bacterial infections. This drug works by stopping the bacteria’s ability to make protein and also stops its peptide activity, causing the bacteria to eventually die inside the body.

One of the reasons Zithromax is so popular is because it has a much shorter prescription time compared to other antibiotics. Zithromax (or Z-Pak for short) requires only five days of use compared to the typical 10-day prescription of other antibiotics.

Zithromax is available in tablet or liquid suspension form, and can treat both adults and children. It has become so popularly requested that some medical experts claim the drug is overprescribed for conditions that either do not need the drug, or when the drug is completely irrelevant such as viral diseases. This is unfortunate, considering that Zithromax has been recently associated with liver injury. The overprescription of Zithromax may have exposed patients unnecessarily to this potential side effect.

To name an example, a case from 1997 cites an elderly man who was prescribed Zithromax to treat his pneumonia. According to medical records, the man developed liver failure symptoms after three days of taking Zithromax, reporting dark urine and jaundice. He was then taken off Zithromax and was given Ceftriaxone for his pneumonia, and recovered within the next few weeks. His ordeal lasted one month and required hospitalization, but he was still considered one of the lucky ones compared to other patients who suffered Zithromax liver damage.

Overview of Zithromax Liver Complications

The symptoms of liver damage include:

• Jaundice (Yellowish color in the skin or eyes)
• Abdominal Pain
• Nausea
• Fever
• Severe Fatigue
• Dark Urine
• Elevated Liver Enzymes

Families who have lost a loved one due to Zithromax liver damage have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer Pfizer, claiming that the company deliberately concealed information of Zithromax side effects from consumers.

Other Zithromax lawsuit plaintiffs also state that the company had the civil responsibility to warn their patients and the general public of all Zithromax side effects, because they are relying on the accuracy of drug warning labels.