Quinolone antibiotics are some of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States, designed to treat all varieties of infections. Unfortunately, these famous drugs have been linked to several severe side effects like blindness and nerve damage.

In one of the most recent examples of these cases, a young mother that was prescribed Levaquin was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy soon after. Not even 40 years old, this mother now struggles to walk and must undergo intense physical therapy several times a week; she complains that she will lose strength in her legs if she does not do this.

It all started last summer when the young mom, Shannon, had been diagnosed with a sinus infection and was prescribed Levaquin to treat it. Soon after starting the medication, Shannon started feeling a burning-like pain in her legs, along with her feet and eyes. After three months and four doctors, she was finally diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. Her doctor had come to this conclusion based on the correlation between her symptoms and her Levaquin prescription.

The doctors involved in the case stated that they were not surprised by this incident, as they had read many similar cases from different cities. One of the diagnostic doctors, Dr. Charles Bennett, is one of the chairs of a drug safety watchdog agency at the University of South Carolina. He had recently petitioned for the FDA to add new black box warnings for Levaquin.

The FDA already required recent label updates for quinolone drugs regarding the side effects of tendon rupture, muscle weakness, and nerve damage. However Dr. Bennett insists that stronger warnings need to be attached to quinolone drugs, like Levaquin, because statistics show that 1,200 people have died from these side effects with nearly 100,000 injuries.

When Shannon learned that she was suffering nerve damage allegedly caused by her antibiotic, she was devastated, but feels lucky that her condition was not serious enough to be life-threatening. Currently, Shannon is trying to stay positive and is hoping that her nerves will regenerate themselves so she can resume her life. Family members state that they find it difficult to watch her struggle, and wish that the drug companies had provided stronger warnings and conducted sufficient research.

Levaquin’s manufacturing company, Johnson & Johnson, had emailed a statement to WCNC regarding Shannon’s case. The company insisted that Levaquin is a highly important medication that has been used to treat bacterial infections for more than 20 years, and has proven to have more benefits than risks when evaluated. Many patients disagree with this sentiment, after being left with permanent nerve damage, blindness, or other physical scarring.

Overview of Quinolone Peripheral Neuropathy

The concern of quinolone peripheral neuropathy became rampant when the FDA issued a public warning in August 2013 that stated that serious nerve damage could occur when taking a quinolone antibiotic. The agency warned that nerve damage could be permanent and can occur as soon as a week after starting the medication. A year later, in August 2014, a study published in Neurology found that quinolone injections or oral tablets could double the risk of peripheral neuropathy, as well as permanent nerve damage. The medications included in the FDA’s warning are Levaquin (levofloxacin), Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Avelox (moxifloxacin), Noroxin (norfloxacin), Floxin (ofloxacin), and Factive (gemifloxacin).

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord, otherwise known as the central nervous system, somehow become disrupted. These nerves are vital in sending signals between the brain and the rest of the body, so any interferences can impair muscle movement, cause severe pain, and prevent sensation signals from reaching the arms and legs. Currently, it is unknown as to what causes peripheral neuropathy but doctors believe that quinolones somehow cause the nerves to cross signals with each other.

Doctors warn that this condition is fast and aggressive, resulting in permanent nerve damage in some cases. Numerous patients have filed legal action against Johnson & Johnson and other quinolone manufacturing companies for failing to protect them against the dangers of their products.