A study suggested that doctors are overprescribing antibiotics, such as quinolones, which may have dangerous repercussions for the human race. Not only may overuse promote stronger bacteria, but quinolone side effects from the drug itself have become more common as well.

Quinolones are strong antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections. Originally used for more serious conditions, quinolones are now used to treat common infections such as sinus infections, ear infections, and conjunctivitis.

Antibiotic Study

JAMA Internal Medicine published a study performed by Harvard Medical School which examined the rate that doctors were prescribing antibiotics, such as quinolones.

The antibiotic study suggested that, when faced with a patient with a sore throat, doctors will prescribe antibiotics six out of 10 times. However, it was also suggested that maybe one out of 10 cases would benefit from antibiotic use.

This antibiotic study examined over 8,000 cases over a 13 year period. Sixty percent were given antibiotics, yet only 10 percent had strep throat, a very common infection that antibiotics can effectively treat.

It was suspected that the population that was incorrectly prescribed antibiotics had a virus, not a bacterial infection.

If antibiotics, such as quinolones, are being overused, then the researchers’ statement is true: “Antibiotic prescribing to patients who are unlikely to benefit is not benign.” With overuse, antibiotic and quinolone side effects may become more dangerous and more common.

Antibiotic Side Effects

In September 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added a black box warning to the drug label of antibiotic Tygacil saying that the drug increased the risk of death.

A 2013 study found that 40 percent of the industrial farm workers who fed copious amounts of antibiotics to livestock had colonies of superbug MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus).

Quinolone Side Effects

Quinolones such as Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox have been suggested to cause several severe side effects.

Previously, quinolones have been linked to permanent nerve damage, tendon ruptures, and vision problems including blindness. In 2008, the FDA added a black box warning about tendon rupture quinolone side effects on several labels including Levaquin.

Many quinolone side effect complaints concern liver problems and Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a severe skin condition. Thousands of quinolone lawsuits have been filed against drug manufacturers about these adverse side effects.

One study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that Avelox and Levaquin nearly doubled the risk of developing acute liver injury. They also found that 60 percent of the patients who developed liver problems after taking an antibiotic died of liver failure.

Cases of quinolone SJS and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) have also been reported. SJS and TEN are both severe drug reactions that can cause a patient’s skin to peel off, burning from the inside out.

Immediate hospitalization is required, and if the patient survives, there may be permanent side effects such as blindness and scarring. SJS and TEN may also affect mucous membranes such as the eyes and mouth.

SJS is diagnosed when the severe blistering covers less than 30 percent of the skin; TEN covers above 30 percent of the skin, sometimes as much as 90 percent.

Five to 15 percent of SJS cases are fatal while the fatality rate rises to 30-40 percent in TEN patients.

Adverse quinolone side effects have been reported across the country in large numbers. It is estimated that only 10 percent of adverse drug reactions are reported at all, so the implications of antibiotic side effects may be much greater than what is known.

Thousands of quinolone side effect lawsuits have been filed accusing drug makers of failing to warn about potential health risks.