Robert J. Boumis  |  November 21, 2014

Category: Legal News

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iStock-Zithromax-Heart-AttackVarying news sources have urged restraint and caution in responding to recent statements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Zithromax and the risk of Zithromax heart attacks.

In 2013, the FDA issued a Drug Safety Communications regarding the safety of Zithromax. Zithromax (generic azithromycin) is an antibiotic designed to combat bacterial infection by targeting features unique to disease-causing bacteria.

Zithromax belongs to a family of antibiotics called macrolides. The first macrolides were isolated from chemicals bacteria use to kill other bacteria. It was rapidly discovered that macrolides had a similar effective range to the first antibiotics such as penicillin and its relatives.

However, most macrolides carried some risk of heart side effects. It was initially believed that Zithromax lacked this side effect, but as the drug was more widely prescribed, evidence began to emerge that the drug may cause heart attacks and cardiac arrhythmia.

The 2013 FDA Drug Safety Communication advised patients and health care workers that the agency was evaluating evidence that the drug could cause cardiac arrhythmias such as heart murmurs or irregular heartbeats, which could in turn cause serious heart problems.

The FDA’s statement came mostly in response to a 2012 study from the New England Journal of Medicine. This study pooled data gleaned from Medicare records, including patient records and outcomes from hundreds of thousands of people taking the antibiotic.

The FDA and the study stated that there was a small but significant risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias and heart attacks among people taking the drug that was not seen among people taking other antibiotics. The FDA stated that the risk was more pronounced in people with existing heart problems.

The specific cardiac arrhythmia allegedly linked to Zithromax was a prolongation of the Q-T interval. This means that the various chambers of the heart start to fall out of step.

If the two pumps of the heart fall too far out of rhythm, they can try and beat at the same time. Fighting against each other, the two pumps of the heart hydraulically lock themselves, stopping the heart.

Physicians call this a “widowmaker” heart attack due to the dismal survival rate. But various news sources, and the FDA, are quick to point out that the risk is relative, and for many, the benefits of a drug that can stop bacterial infections in their tracks outweigh a relatively small risk of heart attack associated with the drug.

WebMD issued a response to the original 2012 study from the New England Journal of Medicine. According to their report on the subject, various experts they interviewed stated that at most, the warnings may help curb rampant over-prescription of antibiotics.

Some news outlets have urged caution and told their audiences not to overreact to the FDA’s warnings, saying that patients were refusing the drug out of fear, despite a relatively small risk.

While a heart attack is a relatively rare side effect for Zithromax, a Zithromax class action lawsuit investigation has been launched on behalf of patients and/or their next of kin who have suffered heart attacks after taking Zithromax.

The relative rarity of such reactions is little comfort to the person who suffers a heart attack after taking Zithromax. Similar lawsuits against drug manufacturers have alleged that drug makers were aware — or reasonably should have been aware — of the risk of serious health risks associated with their drugs.

Zithromax lawsuits typically seek to recoup costs related to healthcare, wrongful death, lost wages, legal fees, and other costs allegedly linked to the drug.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Zithromax attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Zithromax class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Zithromax lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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If you or a loved one had a heart attack, liver failure, Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis after taking Zithromax, Z-Pak, Zmax or azithromycin, you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.

A Zithromax attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

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