A group of concerned citizens in Phoenix, Arizona, have banded together to petition government regulators for stronger warning labels on fluoroquinolone antibiotics — widely prescribed antibiotics that can cause serious, sometimes life-altering complications.

Fluoroquinolones are a potent class of antibiotics that interfere with bacterial reproduction to stop infection. The first members of the quinolone antibiotic family hit the market in the early 1960s. Quinolones currently on the market include levofloxacin (Levaquin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), moxifloxacin (Avelox), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), and gemifloxacin (Factive)

Unlike previous classes of antibiotics, quinolone antibiotics are completely synthetic.

Early antibiotics were either produced by bacteria or fungi, or derived from chemicals produced by bacteria or fungi. At the time, it was hoped that the synthetic nature of quinolone antibiotics would mean that bacteria “wouldn’t see them coming.” It was hoped that bacteria wouldn’t have any sort of mechanism to adapt to quinolone antibiotics, making it impossible or difficult for bacteria to develop resistance to quinolone antibiotics.

While they have proven to be as susceptible to resistance as other antibiotics, quinolone antibiotics have also proven effective.

Consumers Report Severe Antibiotic Effects

Despite their success, fluoroquinolone antibiotics have been linked to a number of serious side effects, including peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage and paralysis. In peripheral neuropathy, patients suffer nerve damage in the extremities. This nerve damage causes tingling, numbness, pain, and even paralysis in the limbs, feet and hands.

Other serious quinolone side effects include liver failure and Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a life-threatening skin reaction.

Grassroots movements, like the Phoenix petition, are forming through the Internet to petition the government for stronger warning labels on quinolone antibiotics. Patients who have suffered from antibiotic effects, like peripheral neuropathy, have resorted to suing drug makers for failing to provide adequate drug warnings.

The founder of the Phoenix petition, Jenny Frank, claims she developed severe side effects from the antibiotic Levaquin. Levaquin, as well Cipro and Avelox, are all quinolone antibiotics.

Frank says she suffered a variety of startling symptoms, which may have been caused by Levaquin side effects. These antibiotic effects allegedly included fatigue, muscle spasms, panic attacks, gastrointestinal issues, and joint problems. Additionally, she alleges she suffered peripheral neuropathy among her other alleged Levaquin side effects.

Concerned citizens from across the country have signed Frank’s petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, asking the FDA for stronger warning labels on fluoroquinolones like Levaquin. The FDA already requires certain label warnings for peripheral neuropathy and other documented quinolone side effects, but consumers like Frank say these warnings aren’t enough.

What are Quinolone Antibiotics Used For?

Quinolone antibiotics are widespread in the U.S. As a broad-spectrum antibiotic, quinolone antibiotics can be used to treat everything from strep throat to anthrax. In fact, one quinolone antibiotic, Cipro, enjoyed something of a brief “celebrity” status during the post 9-11 anthrax attacks, as it was the only drug formally approved by the FDA to treat infection with Anthracis bacteria, the causative agent of anthrax infection. However, Cipro side effects may include peripheral neuropathy, just like the rest of the quinolone antibiotic family.

Quinolone peripheral neuropathy lawsuits have been filed by patients who have suffered from nerve damage and paralysis after using these antibiotics. These personal injury lawsuits allege that drug makers were aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the serious risks linked to their drugs, but marketed them anyway, endangering the public. These lawsuits may seek to recoup the cost of medical care, lost wages, and legal fees associated with alleged side effects of quinolone antibiotics.