Fluoroquinolones, or quinolones, are a popular group of antibiotics that are some of the most widely asked for the United States. As of now, quinolone antibiotics are also some of the most commonly reported drugs to have allegedly caused Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), leading to SJS lawsuits against various pharmaceutical companies.

Fluoroquinolones represent approximately 11 percent of antibiotics prescribed worldwide to treat outpatient infections such as urinary tract infections, lower respiratory tract infections, and bronchitis. These quinolone antibiotics include popular prescription medications such as Levaquin, Avelox, and Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and are thought to be one of the most common causes of SJS.

What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is popularly characterized by the red or purplish blisters that appear on the patient’s skin. These lesions cause the infected areas to detach and make the appearance of skin sloughing off the body. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis is the latent cousin of SJS, but is characterized by covering up to 90 percent of the body in skin lesions, whereas SJS affects between 10 to 30 percent. SJS and TEN are specifically caused by an extreme allergic reaction to a quinolone antibiotic medication, and symptoms normally appear within two weeks after starting a drug regimen.

A significant number of patients who report suffering Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) often require hospitalization to prevent the conditions from worsening. As of now, doctors are unsure as to what causes certain patients to suffer SJS or TEN, but theorize it has to do with the patient’s immune system or metabolic process and how these react to quinolone antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin or Levaquin.

Antibiotics Linked To Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is believed to result from damage to the blood vessels in the skin, which can cause secondary damage to surrounding tissue. SJS was not well known until World War II, when use of sulfonamide antibiotics became widespread. Since then, a number of popular antibiotics have been linked to SJS, including:

Sulfa-Based Antibiotics (Sulfonamides):

• Penicillin
• Amoxicillin
• Zithromax/azithromycin

Quinolone Antibiotics:

• Ciprofloxacin
• Levofloxacin
• Lomefloxacin
• Norfloxacin
• Ofloxacin

The Problem With Quinolone Antibiotics

The pharmaceutical industry is extremely familiar with Avelox, Levaquin and also Cipro. These are often the first medications that physicians choose when their patients are in need of an antibiotic. As a matter of fact, sources from WebMD stated that approximately 23 million patients obtained a prescription for Avelox, Levaquin or Ciprofloxacin quinolone antibiotics in 2011 alone.

Part of the problem is that quinolone antibiotics are often inappropriately prescribed. Instead of being reserved for use against serious, perhaps life-threatening 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.

Quinolone Antibiotic Lawsuits

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are aware of the risks associated with their antibiotic drugs, yet proper warnings are for the most part inadequate. A half-dozen fluoroquinolones have been taken off the market because of unjustifiable risks of adverse effects, while many quinolone antibiotics have been linked to SJS. Without adequate warnings, patients who develop SJS may continue to take the SJS-causing antibiotics, which could worsen and lead to TEN.

On average, there are approximately 300 new cases of SJS reported a year, which means it is a very rare occurrence among the billions of American patients. Because this condition is so rare, and the likelihood of developing it so low, drug companies that manufacture quinolone antibiotics neglect to mention it on their product’s labels.