A Colorado resident has filed a quinolone antibiotic lawsuit, claiming that taking the antibiotic Cipro as well as the antibiotic Levaquin caused her to develop peripheral neuropathy.

Plaintiff Joanne H. is accusing quinolone antibiotic manufacturers Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. of misleading consumers that the development of a nerve damage condition like peripheral neuropathy was a rare and reversible side effect of antibiotics.

According to the Cipro and Levaquin lawsuit, at the time Joanne used the two antibiotics, the warning labels claimed that peripheral neuropathy was “rare and in any case could be avoided by discontinuing the drug upon the onset of certain symptoms. The truth, however, is that the onset of irreversible peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) is often rapid and discontinuation of the drug will not ensure that the peripheral neuropathy is reversible.”

Joanne claims she took both Cipro and Levaquin, which are quinolone antibiotics, before she was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. She alleges she will have to live with the permanent nerve damage symptoms since there is no cure.

Additionally, Joanne claims that quinolone manufacturers spent enormous amounts of money to market and promote the antibiotic medications regardless of the known risks of nerve damage. She claims that both consumers and the medical community “could not have afforded and could not have possibly conducted studies to determine the nature, extent and identity of related health risks, and were forced to rely on only the defendants’ representation.”

What Are Quinolone Antibiotics?

Quinolone antibiotics are marketed under various names including: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), Levofloxacin (Levaquin), Moxifloxacin (Avelox), Trovafloxacin (Trovan), Sparfloxacin (Zagam), Ofloxacin (Floxin), Lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), and Norfloxacin (Chibroxin Ophthalmic).

By 2013, the FDA determined that due to the mounting evidence of a link between quinolone antibiotics and nerve damage, the warning labels for antibiotics like Levaquin and Cipro should be updated. The new warning labels now include the risk of rapid onset of irreversible peripheral neuropathy and also no longer state that nerve damage is a “rare” side effect.

Signs of Peripheral Neuropathy

Millions of patients are prescribed a quinolone antibiotic to treat conditions like bladder infections, respiratory infections, sinus infections, and ear infections. Numerous patients claim they developed peripheral neuropathy symptoms as a quinolone side effect.

Peripheral neuropathy symptoms include:

• Paralysis
• Muscle weakness
• Burning pain
• Sharp jabbing or electric-like pain
• Extreme touch sensitivity
• Heat intolerance
• Tingling or numbness of the hands and feet
• Skin, hair, and nail changes
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Bowel, bladder, and digestive problems

Quinolone Lawsuits

Joanne alleges that she will continue to suffer from permanent physical and emotional damages. She claims her nerve damage injuries include loss of enjoyment of life, loss of income, medical expenses, mental anguish, and loss of consortium. She is seeking more than $75,000 in financial compensation from quinolone antibiotic manufacturers.

This is just one of the growing number of nerve damage lawsuits that claim fluoroquinolone antibiotics cause severe side effects that consumers are not adequately warned about. Plaintiffs filing other quinolone antibotic lawsuits claim the medications causes eye disorders, including retinal detachment, uveitis, pigment dispersion syndrome, and even blindness. Quinolone antibiotic lawsuits have also claimed the medication causes the severe allergic skin reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

If you have experienced any severe side effects from quinolone antibiotics, such as peripheral neuropathy, contact an experienced quinolone antibiotic attorney to see if you have legal claim.

The Quinolone Peripheral Neuropathy Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-01169-MEH, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.