The aorta is the main blood vessel responsible for supplying blood to the body. There are a few significant problems that can affect the aorta. One of these conditions, known as aortic aneurysm, is the bulging or enlargement of the aorta.

This condition can lead to further complications, including aortic tearing, life-threatening bleeding, heart attack, or other problems.

There are a number of possible aortic aneurysm causes, including high blood pressure, infection, trauma, tobacco use, and exposure to certain medications. Indeed, the use of the popular antibiotic Levaquin may be one of these aortic aneurysm causes. Unfortunately, Levaquin patients may actually be unaware of this risk.

Other Levaquin Side Effects

Other than aortic aneurysm, Levaquin is also linked with aortic tearing (or aortic dissection). This is a tear in the inner layer of the aorta. When the aorta tears, blood can move into the aortic wall, weakening the wall’s layers as it pushes between them, which can cause dangerous or even fatal rupturing or leaking problems.

Patients who suffer from an aortic tear may experience restricted blood flow to major organs. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, paralysis, and kidney failure, among other complications.

Aortic Aneurysm Causes

Patients may face a number of aortic aneurysm causes, such as high blood pressure, birth defects, or traumatic injury. Aortic aneurysm causes can also include exposure to certain drugs, including fluoroquinolone medications like the antibiotic Levaquin.

Fluoroquinolones like Levaquin are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat a variety of common bacterial infections including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, bronchitis, typhoid fever, and many others. Unfortunately, Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones have been linked with some serious side effects, including an increased risk of aortic tearing, which in some cases can become fatal.

Recent studies have found that users of Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones face somewhere between a 124 percent and 143 percent increased risk of aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm. The risk of aortic dissection is greater in the first 60 days of exposure, though patients continue to face these risks long after those first two months.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a formal advisory in May 2016 ordering for the boxed warnings to be updated. In July 2016, the FDA further noted that the risk of aortic dissection posed by Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones generally outweighs their benefits.

Filing a Levaquin Lawsuit

Manufacturers of fluoroquinolone drugs like Levaquin have been hit with dozens of lawsuits so far. These lawsuits claim that these drugs caused serious or debilitating injuries, and that drug manufacturers failed to give adequate warning about these potentially serious antibiotic side effects to the public and to the medical community.

A growing number of Levaquin users are coming forward with reports of aortic aneurysm and other complications. If you or someone you love has been prescribed Levaquin and suffered because of the increased risk of aortic dissection, you may be able to file a Levaquin lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturers. Filing a Levaquin lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by antibiotic side effects, or bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.