Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) March 2013 Safety Communication regarding serious Zithromax side effects, many individuals have filed Zithromax lawsuits to investigate the painful and potentially fatal side effects of this popular antibiotic, including irregular heart rhythms.

Zithromax (also sold under the names as azithromycin, Z-Pak, or Z-Max) is a popular antibiotic designed, manufactured, and sold by Pfizer Inc. This antibiotic drug is regularly prescribed and used to treat a variety of bacterial infections including pneumonia, tonsillitis, and other conditions.

Since gaining FDA approval in 1996, Zithromax has made Pfizer millions of dollars in sales each and every year. For example, in 2011, 55.3 million Zithromax prescriptions were written, producing over $464 million in sales for Pfizer.

While Zithromax has many potential benefits, it is not a risk free drug. As previously stated, patients taking Zithromax have reported experiencing severe and potentially fatal cardiovascular events.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, consumers treated with a five-day Zithromax course were more likely to have a heart attack or other adverse cardiovascular problems when compared to patients on other drug treatments like amoxicillin.

According to this Zithromax study, the risk of having a cardiovascular death for healthy patients on Zithromax was about one in 111,000. This risk increased to about one in every 4,100 for patients who already have cardiovascular risk factors.

The FDA conducted their own Zithromax heart study to determine the Pfizer antibiotic’s potential to cause abnormal changes in heart electrical activity. The federal agency determined that Zithromax can cause “abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm.”

This led the FDA to publish a Safety Communication to warn consumers and physicians alike about the dangers of Zithromax heart side effects.

According to the FDA Zithromax heart warning, some risk factors that make an individual more likely to suffer from adverse Zithromax heart complications include:

• Prolonged QT intervals
• Low potassium and/or magnesium blood levels
• Slow heart rate
• Use of drugs to treat heart arrhythmia

Because of the number of alleged heart problems and other side effects associated with Zithromax, many individuals have filed Zithromax lawsuits or joined Zithromax class action lawsuits against Pfizer.

Serious Zithromax Complications

As previously stated, while Zithromax is effective in combating bacterial infections like pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. the drug has recently come under fire for a number of Zithromax lawsuits, which allege patients have suffered from heart attacks, liver damage, allergic skin reactions, and other serious side effects after taking a Z-Pak.

Some serious health conditions allegedly linked to Zithromax use besides heart arrhythmia include:

• Stevens Johnson Syndrome
• Liver Failure/Liver Damage
• Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
• Other Cardiovascular Problems
• Sudden Death

Because of the serious health conditions many consumers have allegedly developed and suffered after taking Zithromax, many are filing Zithromax heart problem lawsuits or joining Zithromax class action lawsuits to seek compensation from Pfizer.