Karina Basso  |  May 21, 2015

Category: Legal News

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Avelox QuinoloneAccording to recent research, a link has been discovered between the use of several types of oral fluoroquinolone treatments and the development of uveitis, an eye condition in which uvea (or pigmented layer of the eye) becomes inflamed and can lead to other eye complications.

The quinolone eye research study published in the October 2014 issue of JAMA Ophthalmol has found a link between Avelox (moxifloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin), and Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and uveitis. According to the authors of this quinolone study, Levaquin “may pose the least risk for uveitis compared with moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin.”

This is startling news, as quinolone drugs are some of the most commonly prescribed types of antibiotic treatments in the United States, with physicians penning an estimated 23 million quinolone prescriptions in the 2011 year alone. However, since 2004 numerous patients were reported to have experienced uveitis after using a quinolone antibiotics like Avelox.

Study Links Quinolones to Uveitis

The JAMA study mentioned above was conducted at the University of British Columbia by Dr. Brennan Eadie and colleagues. Their quinolone eye study is believed to be the first epidemiologic study that explores the supposed link between taking an Avelox quinolone prescription and the eventual contraction of uveitis.

From 2001 to 2011, the researchers used the LifeLink health claims database in order to identify over 13,000 men from the ages of 40 to 85 who developed uveitis. Each of these individuals was then matched to 10 control participants and followed their health progress for 10 years.

According to this quinolone eye injury research, first time users of Levaquin had almost three times higher risk of developing uveitis when compared to patients that did not use fluoroquinolone antibiotic drugs.

Additionally, the research suggests that first-time Cipro users were about twice as likely to develop uveitis when compared to non-users, while patients using Levaquin did not have a statistically significant risk of contracting this quinolone eye injury when compared to non-users.

The authors state, “Clinicians should be aware of a possible risk for uveitis with oral moxifloxacin or ciprofloxacin when deciding to prescribe these medications,” according to the quinolone eye injury research report.

The researchers further note that all oral fluoroquinolones show traits of high systematic absorption and penetration; however, according to the results of this study, Avelox may have a higher tissue-binding trait than Levaquin and other types of quinolone drugs in its class. It is because of this chemical mechanism that Avelox and Cipro may induce a direct toxic effect to the eyes.

Fluoroquinolone Eye Injury

Quinolone antibiotics like Avelox, Cipro, and Levaquin are some of the most commonly  prescribed antibiotics to treat bacterial infection. However, according to the previously mentioned quinolone eye injury research and several other studies, quinolones may pose some huge health risks that outweigh the supposed benefits.

This Avelox eye injury study performed by Dr. Eadie was preceded by another 2012 JAMA study, which suggested this quinolone antibiotic increases patient risk of serious eye injury like retinal detachment. This quinolone eye condition causes the retina to peel away from the supporting eye tissue.

According this Avelox eye injury study, consumers taking Avelox or other quinolone antibiotics were five times more likely to develop a detached retina eye injury when compared to non-quinolone users. If a detached retina is not immediately treated, this Avelox side effect can lead to blindness or other types of permanent vision problems.

Because of these quinolone eye injury complications, many consumers have filed Avelox lawsuits or joined quinolone class action lawsuits against drug manufacturers, seeking compensation for the pain and suffering caused by a quinolone side effect.

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

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Join a Free Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you took Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Noroxin or Factive and were diagnosed with an eye injury or nerve damage, you may have a legal claim.  Submit your information now for a free case evaluation.

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