Over a year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Zithromax can cause potentially fatal heart attacks in patients and demanded that Pfizer update the drug’s label. Since then, Zithromax heart side effects continue to be a problem for the patient and medical community.

This complication was officially announced in March 2013, when the FDA made a public announcement about Zithromax side effects. The warning said that the drug caused some patients to suffered fatal cardiac complications, and that it was calling for Zithromax’s manufacturer to strengthen its label.

Additionally, the federal agency said that patients with certain heart conditions were at greater risk of developing these potentially fatal heart complications.

The cardiac complications reported from using Zithromax include prolonged QT interval, slow heart rate, and heart arrhythmia. Patients who are currently on cardiac medications are also at risk of Zithromax heart side effects, according to the FDA.

Soon after this warning was announced, Pfizer had added the risk of arrhythmia to Zithromax’s warning label, with the agency warning physicians against prescribing Zithromax to patients with certain heart conditions.

Sometime after the FDA announcement, the agency launched a Zithromax safety review after injury reports reached a certain number and a study was published.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which indicated that Zithromax may increase the risk of sudden cardiac death, and the risk was at its highest in patients with cardiovascular disease.

The study compared patients who used Zithromax, Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, or no antibiotics at all. The patients used these drugs for five days. Ultimately, the study showed that Zithromax had the highest likelihood of cardiac complications and death when compared to other antibiotics.

Despite the updated warning, Zithromax patients are still reporting cardiac complications and other severe side effects. This has led to a mass litigation movement against Pfizer, with plaintiffs alleging that the company failed to protect its patients.

Overview of Zithromax Complications

Zithromax was approved by the FDA to treat a variety of bacterial infections from pneumonia to bronchitis. It is the most popular antibiotic in the United States, with 55.3 million people prescribed the medication in 2011.

This drug continues to dominate the antibiotic market for its fast-acting treatment, and its short prescription requirement. Compared to the standard 10 day prescription period of most antibiotics, Zithromax only requires five.

Zithromax works by preventing the bacteria from reproducing and forces the infection to die out. No other antibiotic is as widely used as Zithromax. However, some patients have reported being prescribed Zithromax for minor conditions or for conditions that were not even applicable, such as viral conditions.

Many healthcare providers are worried that some strains of bacteria are developing resistance to Zithromax. The FDA has advised the medical community from prescribing Zithromax as a first-choice treatment, due to the side effects and potential bacteria resistance.

Along with the Zithromax heart attack risk, some patients have also developed liver toxicity and Stevens Johnson Syndrome from the antibiotic.