For years, the pharmaceutical industry has worked to develop drugs to fight specific diseases that plague the human body.

One of the most common type of drugs developed are antibiotics like azithromycin (brand name: Zithromax) which stop or prevent bacteria growth, thereby limiting infection.

Yet, antibiotics can have serious side effects, especially in children – worse than the condition the drug was prescribed for.

Some reports of azithromycin side effects include vision problems and even blindness, requiring emergency or critical care for children who take the medication.

What is Azithromycin?

Azithromycin belongs to a medication class called macrolide antibiotics, designed to stop bacterial growth within the body. It can be used to treat several bacterial infections, but not the flu, colds, or other viral infections.

Azithromycin can be used to treat many common childhood illnesses such as:

• Sinus infections
• Ear infections
• Skin infections
• Gastrointestinal infections
• Throat infections such as strep throat and tonsillitis

A form of azithromycin was first developed in the 1980s, where it was distributed in Western Europe and the United States. Over a decade later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a form of azithromycin used to treat eye infections.

Azithromycin Side Effects

Among the most common azithromycin side effects in children include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and nausea. Other less severe azithromycin side effects in children may also include loss of appetite, skin rash, stomach cramps, and head pain.

However, in recent years, there have been allegations that the drug can increase the risk of azithromycin side effects, such repeat eye infections, which can lead to permanent vision problems or blindness in children.

Azithromycin and Blindness in Children

Azithromycin has been linked to repeated infections by the same bacteria in some patients.

In a 2006 study, azithromycin was shown to increase the chances that a patient may be re-infected with a disease not long after treatment. It was believed that this was due to the body not having the chance to build up a resistance to the disease before the azithromycin fought off the bacteria.

One particular disease studied is a bacteria that causes certain eye infections, specifically Trachoma.

Trachoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the United States, affecting an estimated 80 million people with nearly 8 million suffering permanent vision loss as a result of Trachoma.

Trachoma infects the inside of the eyelid, and scaring builds up over time that makes the eyelashes turn inward, eventually leading to scratching of the eye surface and allowing bacteria to build up and cause permanent vision problems or blindness.

At least one study has shown that azithromycin may do more harm by hampering a child’s ability to fight off infections like Trachoma.

Did your child suffer serious vision problems or even blindness after taking azithromycin? If so, you may be entitled to financial compensation to cover the costs of medical bills, pain, and suffering and more.

If your child has experience vision problems or a blinding eye infection after taking the antibiotic azithromycin, you may want to speak with a personal injury attorney regarding a potential claim.