Have you experienced complications like an aortic aneurysm after taking the popular antibiotic levofloxacin? Fluoroquinolones like levofloxacin have been linked to cases of aortic aneurysm or dissection, conditions that can quickly put a patient’s life at risk.

The Antibiotic Levofloxacin

Fluoroquinolone drugs like the antibiotic levofloxacin (brand name Levaquin) are used to treat common bacterial infections. Other fluoroquinolones include Avelox, Cipro, Noroxin, Factive, and Floxin. While the antibiotic levofloxacin and similar drugs have become increasingly popular in recent years, they have unfortunately been linked with serious—and potentially fatal—complications.

Recent research has found that patients taking the antibiotic levofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones are between 2 and 3 times more likely to suffer from major, life-threatening damage to their aorta. (The aorta is the body’s most important artery, which carries blood out of the heart.)

Antibiotic Levofloxacin Side Effects

Major damage to the aorta can be attributed to two main problems; aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection (or tear). Essentially, an aortic aneurysm is a serious and painful complication in which the aorta bulges as the artery’s walls weaken. This often causes chest pain and has the added risk of a potential rupture.

An aortic dissection involves the layers of the aorta breaking down, dissecting the inner and middle layers. 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 serious complications.

Both of these antibiotic side effects are quite serious and usually require surgery.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that the use of fluoroquinolones like the antibiotic levofloxacin may be linked with an increased risk of problems like aortic aneurysm or dissection when compared with those who took amoxicillin, which is not associated with this increased risk.

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 the antibiotic levofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones may outweigh the drugs’ benefits.

Filing a Lawsuit Over the Antibiotic Levofloxacin

Unfortunately, patients may be unaware that the popular antibiotic levofloxacin may lead to these serious aortic complications, placing them at serious risk. If you or someone you love has suffered from aortic dissection or aneurysm or other side effects after using the antibiotic levofloxacin or another fluoroquinolone drug, you may be able to join the growing pile of litigation against fluoroquinolone manufacturers.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by the antibiotic levofloxacin or another fluoroquinolone drug, including side effects like aortic dissection or aneurysm, you may be able to pursue litigation. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these serious complications, it can help to compensate for the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.