The popular antibiotic Zithromax (azithromycin) has been allegedly causing a number of severe side effects in patients, with one of the most concerning being kidney failure.

While all drugs come with the risk of medication side effects, it is concerning that such a popular treatment product may be inducing such severe health conditions in patients.

Zithromax is often prescribed as a Z-Pak, which is a convenient pill prescription regimen that lasts up to five days. This has made Zithromax increasingly popular among children and adults, as patients only have to take Zithromax Z-Pak half the prescription time when compared to other antibiotics.

Patients normally take a double dose from the Z-Pak on the first day, but then revert to a normal single daily dose for four more days. Zithromax can also be prescribed in a large single dose, called a megadose, which is typically prescribed to treat ear infections in children or certain sexually transmitted diseases.

Zithromax was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992 and has since been approved to treat a number of different bacterial infections.

The drug’s effectiveness and convenience makes it one of the most popular antibiotics in the country. Unfortunately, a number of severe medication side effects have been associated with Zithromax, including: Stevens Johnson Syndrome, liver failure, heart attack, and now kidney failure.

Zithromax and Kidney Failure

Zithromax belongs to the macrolide antibiotic family, which works by preventing the bacterial cells from reproducing rather than directly killing them. The remaining bacterial cells eventually die off, or eventually are killed off by the body’s natural immune system.

While this contrasts greatly from traditional antibiotics, Zithromax’s treatment mechanism has been cited as the main root for a number of medication side effects. The number of reports linking kidney failure with Zithromax Z-Pak keeps increasing.

According to data collected by eHealthMe, thousands of patients submitted their injury reports to social media or the FDA. According to the results, 263 (2.43 percent) of Zithromax patients reportedly developed kidney failure.

Kidney failure can either be chronic or acute, with the cases associated with Zithromax most often being acute. This is because acute kidney failure occurs when the kidney suddenly stops being able to filter waste from blood, while chronic kidney failure is a slow degeneration of the organ.

This condition is reversible if treated quickly enough, but severe cases could result in the need for organ transplant or patients may succumb to death. Patients who start experiencing medication side effects ,including decreased urination, swelling in legs or feet, and drowsiness, should contact their physician immediately.

Zithromax Z-Pak patients who may have suffered kidney damage may be eligible to file legal action against Pfizer. The drug company has been repeatedly accused of failing to protect patients from Zithromax complications, with kidney failure being the one such complication.